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 LIBRARY 
 
RET? JAMBS T^WTMRim: 
 
 MINISTER or STIRLING, 1661 
 
 - . . the ?osscssk>n of J. rhomson Esq'c 
 
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THE 
 
 HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 RESTORATION TO THE REVOLUTION 
 
 REV. ROBERT WODROW 
 
 MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT EASTWOOD. 
 
 AN ORIGINAL MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR, EXTRACTS FROM HIS CORRESPONDENCE, 
 A PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION, AND NOTES, 
 
 BV THE 
 
 REV. ROBERT BURNS, D.D. F.A.S.E. 
 
 MINISTER OF ST. GEORGe's, PAISLEY ; AUTHOR OF HISTORICAL DISSERTATIONS ON THE 
 I'OOR OF SCOTLAND; TREATISE ON PLURALITIES, ETC. 
 
 IN FOUR VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 GLASGOW: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY BLACKIE, FULLARTON, & CO. 
 
 AND A. FULLARTON & CO., EDINBURGH. 
 
 M.DCCCXXVIII. 
 
GLASGOW: 
 
 K KtltJI.t AND S0.\, fUINlERS, 8, 1,A3T CLYDE STREET. 
 
MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 Mr. Jasies Wodrow, the father of the His- 
 torian, was born at Eaglesham in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Glasgow, on the 2d of January 
 1637. He passed through the regular 
 course of study at the university of Glasgow, 
 and took his degree of A. M. in 1659, with 
 the high approbation of pi-incipal Gillespie, 
 and the other members of the senatus. He 
 forthwith entered on the study of divinity 
 under professors Baillie and Young, and 
 was soon distinguished by his high attain- 
 ments in theological literature. Although 
 ready for license in the course of a few years, 
 his ideas of the sacred office were so solemn, 
 and the difficulties attending its right dis- 
 charge appeared to him so numerous and so 
 great, especially in those days of persecution, 
 that it required the earnest expostulations 
 of some of the most eminent ministers of 
 the day to induce him to become a candidate 
 for the holy ministry. Among those who 
 urged him to take license in the presbyterian 
 church, then passing into the vale of tears, 
 was the justly venerated Mr. Robert Blair, 
 one of the ministers of St. Andrews, who 
 after hearing one day from Mr. Wodrow 
 the reason of that self-diffidence which kept 
 him back from the public service of the 
 church, thus addressed him in reply ; " Be 
 not discouraged : your timidity will gradually 
 lessen, and although it should not entirely 
 wear off, yet it will not marr you," adding in 
 an easy facetious manner, " I'se tell you for 
 your encouragement, I have been now nearly 
 forty years in the ministry, and the third 
 bell scarce ever begins to toll when I am to 
 preach, but my heart plays dunt, dunt, dunt." 
 A solemnly affecting inter\'iew wh' "h he had 
 with Mr. James Guthrie of Stirling, in the 
 tolbooth of Edinburgh, on the night before 
 his execution, appears to have had a very 
 salutary effect on the mind of Mr. Wodrow ; 
 and although the persecuted state of th^ 
 church, consequent on the restoration of the 
 
 Stuarts, opposed additional obstacles to 
 his entrance on the public ministry, he was 
 most usefully employed in the prosecution 
 of his private studies, while residing for 
 some considerable time at Car-donald near 
 Paisley, as tutor to the yoimglord Blantyre. 
 It was not till the 29th February, 1673, 
 that he received license from a class of per- 
 secuted presbyterian ministers in the west 
 of Scotland ; whose high testimony to his 
 eminent attainments and character is re- 
 corded in the memoirs of his life, and stands 
 as a very interesting memorial of the good 
 men of those troublous times. He preached 
 with great acceptance and usefulness among 
 the persecuted presbyterians of the west ; 
 associated freely with ministers of both the 
 well known classes of indulged and not in- 
 dulged; and met with much opposition 
 from the common enemy, making many 
 very narrow escapes from his iron grasp. 
 In 1687, he settled in Glasgow, at the 
 request of the synod of the bounds, and 
 took charge of a small class of students in 
 divinity who were preparing for the ministry 
 among the presbyterians of Scotland. In 
 May 1688, he was called to be one of the 
 ministers of the city, and this office he held 
 with distinguished reputation for four 3'ears. 
 In 1692, he was elected to be professor of 
 divinity in the college ; and in consequence 
 of this, resigned his pastoral charge. The 
 same diligence and pious zeal which distin- 
 guished his ministrations, continued to char- 
 acterize him as a theological professor. In 
 the various departments of public lecturing 
 examination of students, hearing and cri- 
 ticising discourses, discussing cases of casu- 
 istry, daily conference with students on the 
 subject of personal religion, and correspon- 
 dence with them when absent, on the pro- 
 gress of their studies ; — he found enough, 
 and more than enough, to engage all his 
 powers and all his lime. From 1692 to the 
 
 11766R 
 
MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 period of his death in 1707, nearly 700 
 students passed througli his hands, exchi- 
 sive of nearly 200 from England and Ire- 
 land. In order to lessen the burden of 
 th(3 laborious office of the professorship, the 
 college were pleased to elect his son 
 Alexander, a most promising young man, to 
 be his colleague. While the process for his 
 induction or installation was going on, death 
 deprived the church of the services of one 
 who promised to prove the worthy successor 
 of an eminent fafher. Tiie professor con- 
 tinued to discharge the duties of the chair 
 with growing reputation, till the 25th Sep- 
 tember, 1707, when he died full of hope, and 
 leaving a noble testimony to the faith which 
 he adorned by his life, and whose principles 
 he had so ably inculcated by his preaching 
 and by his professional labours.* 
 
 Robert Wodrovv, the second son of the 
 professor, was born at Glasgow in the year 
 1679. His mother's name was Margaret 
 Hah", daughter of William Hair, proprietor 
 of a small estate in the parish of Kilbarchan, 
 who married a daughter of James Stewart, 
 commonly called tutor of Blackball. Mrs. 
 Wodrow was a woman of considerable 
 strength of mind, great discretion, and emin- 
 ent piety. The year of Mr. Wodrovv's birth 
 is perhaps the most eventful in the annals 
 of the history of the Covenanters, and the 
 violence of persecution raged during this 
 period with more than ordinary fierceness. 
 At the time of the birth of her son, Mrs. 
 W. was in the 51st year of her age; and her 
 death, though it did not happen for several 
 years after, was then fully expected. Her 
 excellent husband, obnoxious to a tyrannical 
 government, narrowly escaped imprisonment 
 or something worse, in attempting to obtain 
 a last interview with her. As he passed the 
 town guard-house he was watched, and soon 
 followed by the soldiers into his own house, 
 and even into his wife's bedchamber where 
 he was concealed. The officer on command 
 checked this violence ; sent the men out of 
 the room, and left the house himself; placing 
 
 * The above particulars of the life of professor 
 Wortrow, are selecle'l from a MS. life of him 
 by the Historian ; a valuable document, which 
 ought, beyond all question, to be given to the 
 world 
 
 however sentinels both within and without 
 till the critical event should be over. In 
 half an hour after, Mr. Wodrow, at his wife's 
 suggestion, assumed the bonnet and great- 
 coat of the servant of the physician then in 
 attendance ; and carrying the lantern before 
 him, made an eas}^ escape through the 
 midst of the guard. They soon renewed 
 their search with marks of in-itation, thrust- 
 ing their swords into the very bed where the 
 lady lay; who pleasantly desired them to 
 desist, " for the bird," said she, " is now 
 flown." 
 
 Our author went through the usual course 
 of academical education at Glasgow, having 
 entered the university in 1691 ; and studied 
 the languages and different branches of 
 philosophy, according to the method then 
 generally adopted in the colleges of Scot- 
 land. One master or regent was in the 
 habit of carrying his pupils through the 
 whole of the university cmTiculum ; a 
 custom long ago changed for the more ra- 
 tional and usefi-il plan of assigning to each 
 professor his own appropriate field. In this 
 way, each science obtains its own suitable 
 kind and measure of talent and learning; 
 while the student in the course of his studies 
 enjoys the benefit of profiting by the diversi- 
 fied labours of different minds. Condensa- 
 tion of energies on the part of the teacher, 
 thus secures, or may be reasonably expected 
 to secure, a higher measure of literary quali- 
 fication ; while the pupils may be expected 
 to profit by the concentration of talent thus 
 wisely diversified. 
 
 While a student of theology under his 
 father, Mi\ Wodrow was chosen librarian to 
 the college, an office which he held for foQr 
 years. He had very soon displayed a pecu- 
 liar talent for historical and bibliographical 
 inquiry; and this recommended him as a 
 person admirably qualified for the situation. 
 He accepted of it not from considerations 
 connected with its pecuniai-y emoluments, 
 then exceedingly slender; but because it 
 gave him a favourable opportunity of access 
 to books and other facilities for his favourite 
 studies. It was immediately on his nomina- 
 tion to this office, he entered with ardour 
 on those researches which in the course of 
 his life he prosecuted to such an extent, 
 
MEMOIR OF 
 
 into every thing connected with the eccles- 
 iastical and literai-y history of his country. 
 Here also he unbibed that taste for the 
 study of medals, ancient coins, inscriptions, 
 and whatever tended to throw light on 
 Konian, Celtic, and British antiquities. His 
 collections of this kind were very extensive 
 and valuable ; and it is matter of deep regret, 
 that in his case as in that of others, the 
 results of uncommon research and anti- 
 quarian skill, should not have been preserved 
 entire for the benefit of posterity. 
 
 The study of natural history, then scarcely 
 known in Scotland, seems to have attracted 
 him with no ordinary interest; and before 
 he had arrived at the years of majority, he 
 had opened a correspondence with a number 
 of celebrated men in this and the kindred, 
 departments. Among his correspondents 
 we find the names of bishop Nicolson, the 
 distinguished author of the " Historical 
 Libraries;" Mr. Edward Lhuyd, keeper of 
 the Ashmolean closet at Oxford ; Sir Robert 
 Sibbald, so well known as a naturalist and 
 antiquarian of the first order; lord Pitmedan ; 
 Messrs. James Sutherland, professor of Bo- 
 tany at Edinburgh ; Lauchlan Campbell 
 minister of Campbeltown, and many others. 
 With these gentlemen he was in habits of 
 intimacy, and they exchanged with each 
 other their curiosities in natural history and 
 geology. In a letter to IVIr. Lhuyd, dated 
 August 1709, Mr. Wodrow tells him that 
 his manse was but at a little distance from 
 a place where they had been lithoscoping 
 together during a visit of Mr. Lhuyd to 
 Scotland. " My parochial charge " he con- 
 tinues " does not allow me the same time I 
 had then for those subterranean studies, 
 but my inclination is equally strong, perhaps 
 stronger. I take it to be one of the best 
 diversions from serious study, and in itself 
 a great duty to admire my Maker's works. 
 I have gotten some fossils here from our 
 marlc, limestone, &c. and heartily wish I 
 had the knowing Mr. Lhuyd here to pick 
 out what he wants, and help me to class a 
 great many species which I know not what 
 to make of." He informs him in the end 
 of the letter, that he had 5 or 600 species 
 of one thing or another relative to natural 
 history. His collections were at his death 
 
 THE AUTHOR. iii 
 
 1 divided among his friends, or found their 
 way into the cabinets of private collectors 
 or of public institutions. 
 I The physical and historical pursuits of 
 Mr. W. were all subordinate to his great 
 business, the study of theology and the 
 practical application of its principles in the 
 discharge of the duties of the pastoral office. 
 To these he showed an early and a decided 
 partiality, and he desired to consecrate all 
 his talents, and all his varied pursuits, to 
 the glory of (Jod and the good of his church. 
 From a pretty extensive examination of his 
 correspondence, it appears that his pursuits 
 in natural science engaged his leisure hours, 
 only during the earlier part of his life, and that 
 after he had framed the design of writing 
 the history of the church of Scotland, every 
 thing seems to have been relinquished for 
 the sake of an undivided attention to that 
 great subject* 
 
 IMi-. Wodrow when he left the library of 
 Glasgow, and on finishing his theological 
 career, resided for some time in the house of 
 a distant relation of the family, Sir John 
 Maxwell, of Nether Pollock, then one of the 
 senators of the college of justice, a man of 
 great vigour of mind, and exalted piety. 
 While resident in his house, he offered him- 
 self for trials to the presbytery of Paisley, and 
 was by them licensed to preach the gospel 
 in March 1703. In the summer following, 
 the parish of Eastwood, where lord Pollock 
 lived, became vacant by the death of Mr. 
 Matthew Crawfurd, the pious and laborious 
 author of a history of the church of Scotland, 
 yet in MS. Mr. Wodrow was elected by 
 the heritors and elders, with consent of tl;e 
 congregation, to supply the charge ; and he 
 was ordained minister of that parish on the 
 28th October, 1703. Wliile he did not 
 feel himself called on to relinquish liis 
 favourite studies in histor)', and antiquities, 
 he nevertheless devoted the strength of his 
 mind, and of his time, to the more imme- 
 diate duties of the pastoral office. The 
 parish of Eastwood was at that time one of 
 the smallest in the west of Scotland ; and it 
 was, on this account more agreeable to Mr. 
 Wodrow, inasmuch as it aflfbrded him more 
 time to prosecute his favourite studies, in 
 perfect consistency with a due regard to his 
 
IV 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 official vocation. It was for this very good 
 reason that he never would consent to be 
 removed from the retirement and leisure of 
 a small country parish, to the more con- 
 spicuous, but at the same time more labor- 
 ious and difficult situation, of a clergyman 
 in one of our larger cities. Glasgow in 1712, 
 and Stirling, first in 1717, and again in 1726, 
 did each solicit and with earnestness, the 
 benefits of the pastoral services of this ex- 
 cellent individual ; but after serious delibera- 
 tion, accompanied with earnest prayer for 
 divine direction, he saw it to be his duty to 
 decline all these solicitations. In a letter, 
 from the gallant and worthy Colonel Black- 
 adder, the deputy governor of Stirling castle, 
 there occurs towards the end, the following 
 passage : " There is no place you will be more 
 welcome to than the castle of Stirling, 
 and you may come freely now, without being 
 suspected to be 7-eus ambitus; for you will 
 have heard that Mi*. Hamilton is trans- 
 ported and to be settled here on the 2d 
 of February next. My wife joins with me 
 in our kind respects to you and spouse. 
 She regrets your obstinate temper (as she 
 calls it) that you resolve to live and die at 
 Eastwood ; but we see that every minister 
 is not of that stiff temper." He also felt 
 attached to Glasgow as the field of his 
 father's life and labours; and the scene of his 
 earliest and dearest associations. The advan- 
 tages which its university library gave him, 
 also influenced him in his wish to remain 
 where he was ; and he enjoyed the singularly 
 strong affection of a loving and beloved 
 people. 
 
 While he was assiduous and constant in 
 all the duties of the pastoral office, preaching 
 the gospel publicly, and from house to 
 house, and going in and out before his 
 people, in all the affectionate intercourse of 
 Christian and ministerial service ; his cha- 
 racter as a preacher rose remarkably high 
 in the west of Scotland. Good sense ; dis- 
 tinct conception and arrangement of his 
 thoughts ; scripturality of statement and of 
 language ; solemn and impressive address ; 
 these constituted the charms of his public 
 character as a ])reacher. He composed his 
 sermons with great care ; and the frequent 
 habit of regular composition gave him, in 
 
 this, a remarkable facility. Besides his 
 regular labours on Sabbath, he frecjuently 
 preached week day sermons and lectures, 
 and even these were the result of accurate 
 and well arranged study. His countenance 
 and appearance in the pulpit were maniy 
 and dignified; his voice clear and com- 
 manding; his manner serious and ani- 
 mated; and the whole impression on the 
 minds of his hearers, was heightened and 
 sweetened by the complete consciousness of 
 his perfect sincerity, in all he spoke and in 
 all he did for their benefit. He became one 
 of the most popular preachers of his day ; 
 and the crowds which resorted on sacramen- 
 tal occasions to Eastwood, proved the eager- 
 ness with which these seasons were hailed 
 and enjoyed as a kind of spii-itual jubilee. 
 To quote the words of the author of his life 
 inserted in the Encyclopedia Britannica : 
 " Humble and unambitious of public notice, 
 he was well entitled to distinguished reputa- 
 tion by his conscientious and exemplary 
 piety ; his learning, not only in professional, 
 but in other branches of knowledge; his 
 natural good sense and solid judgment ; his 
 benevolent obliging spu'it to all ; his warm 
 attachment to his friends, who formed a 
 wide cii-cle around him ; and especially his 
 deep concern for the best interests of his 
 people, and active exertions for their in- 
 struction and improvement." 
 
 The sentiments of cotemporaries regard- 
 ing him, may be safely appealed to as valid 
 evidences in his favour. The repeated 
 invitations which he received from large and 
 respectable congregations to become their 
 pastor, afford very clear proofs of his ex- 
 tended reputation, and the letters of his 
 correspondents both in this country and in 
 other countries, speak the same language of 
 affectionate veneration. As a small speci- 
 men, I shall quote the following passage 
 from the letter of a pious and excellent 
 young minister then newly settled in a 
 small country parish in the south of Scot- 
 land, the reverend IVIr. Thomas Pollock, 
 minister of Ednani. It bears date. May 
 23d, 1726. " You, with others of my very 
 reverend fathers, were encouraging to me, 
 in setting forward to the work and office of 
 the ministry, and therefore, I hope, will 
 
MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 be concerned for me, that I may be both 
 diligent and successful in it. 'Tis required 
 of a servant that he be found faithful and 
 diligent, and if my lieart deceives me not, 
 I would be at approving myself, to my 
 great Lord and Master, by a patient con- 
 tinuance in well doing : for ' blessed shall 
 that servant be, whom, when his Lord 
 Cometh, he shall find so doing. Their 
 labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.' 
 Sir, it is now a considerable while, since 
 you, by a kind Providence, entered upon 
 that great work, which (blessed bo God) 
 you are continued in, and take pleasure in, 
 and have been successful in ; and long may 
 you live to be useful and successful, in 
 making ready a people for the Lord, and 
 espousing them to Jesus Christ : and I 
 hope, that when the Lord comes to count 
 the people, you shall have many to be your 
 * crown of rejoicing in the day of the Lord.' 
 The lively sermons, the close and earnest 
 calls, the pressing invitations, which you 
 have been helped to deliver in the parish 
 of Eastwood, in and about sacramental 
 occasions, is what some remember and 
 look back upon with pleasiu-e. I need not 
 tell you, that you have been remarkably 
 assisted at these times ; and no doubt, you 
 have given the glory of it to him that 
 makes his grace sufficient for us." 
 
 As became a conscientious and enlight- 
 ened clergyman of the church of Scotland, 
 he was most punctual in his attendance on 
 her various courts of presbytery, synod, 
 and general assembly. Of the assembly, 
 he was very frequently chosen a member ; 
 and on occasions of public interest, such 
 as the union of the kingdoms in 1707, he 
 was nominated as one of a committee of 
 presbytery to consult and act with the 
 brethren of the commission in Edinburgh, 
 in order to avert the evils which that 
 measure was supposed to portend to the 
 church and people of Scotland. On oc- 
 casions of this kind, he took a lively interest 
 in the proceedings ; kept regular notes of 
 them ; corresponded with friends of in- 
 fluence in London and elsewhere ; and has 
 preserved in his manuscript records, most 
 authentic and interesting details of the whole 
 procedure of the comts. Ilis desire to search 
 
 the records in the public offices, and the MSS. 
 and ancient documents in the Advocates* 
 Library, rendered his visits to Edinburgh, 
 necessarily frequent, and this naturally 
 pointed him out as a very proper person to 
 aid in conducting the public concerns of 
 the church. On occasion of the accession 
 of George L he was the principal corre- 
 spondent and adviser of the five clergy- 
 men, who were deputed by the assembly to 
 go to London, for the purpose of pleading 
 the rights of the church, and particularly 
 for petitioning the immediate abolition of the 
 law of patronage, which had been revived 
 two yeai-s before, by the influence of an 
 ultra tory ministry, aided by a lai-ge Jacobite 
 party in the country, hostile to the interests 
 of the Hanoverian succession. The third 
 volume of his MS. letters contains several 
 long and able statements and reasonings on 
 this and collateral topics ; and these throw 
 no small light on the views of both parties at 
 the time regarding this momentous question. 
 No man could be more decided than he 
 was on the " unreasonableness and un- 
 scripturality" of the law of patronage ; and 
 he contended for its abolition, and for the 
 revival of the act 1690, as essential to the 
 faithful maintenance of the terms of the 
 union, and as necessary to the preservation 
 and usefulness of our ecclesiastical establish- 
 ment. A man of peace, as Mr. W. beyond all 
 question was, would never have argued and 
 struggled in this way, had he known, and 
 know it he must, if true, that the mode of 
 settling ministers by the act 1690, was pro- 
 ductive, as its enemies affirmed, of " endless 
 tumults and contentions." 
 
 It is the part of candom* at the same 
 time to notice, that when, contrary to his 
 solemn and matured judgment, the law of 
 patronage was revived, and a decided dis- 
 inclination to abrogate it, manifested by the 
 highest legal tribunal in the kingdom, he did 
 not think it either right or expedient, to resist 
 the execution of the law, by populai* force 
 or by ecclesiastical insubordination. He 
 yielded to the storm which he could not 
 avert, and on one or two occasions, he 
 thought it his duty to countenance the 
 settlement of an unpopular preacher. At 
 the same time, he never hesitated to de- 
 
VI 
 
 clare his sentiments on the matter, and he 
 did not despair of the return both of the 
 country and of the church, to sounder con- 
 stitutional principles. 
 
 The same enlightened zeal for the public 
 interests of his church and country, which 
 led him to take such a deep interest in the 
 question of patronage, influenced him in 
 his sentiments and measures regarding the 
 political state and government of Great 
 Britain. Tenderly alive to the liberties of 
 the people ; intimately acquainted with the 
 genius of that execrable system of church 
 and state policy, which, during the reign of 
 the Stuarts, had deluged his native land 
 with the blood of her noblest citizens; 
 and alarmed at the ascendancy of tory and 
 Jacobitish principles dm-ing the latter part 
 of Queen Anne's reign, he, in common 
 with the great body of zealous Scottish 
 presbyterians, resisted the imposition of 
 what was termed the abjuration oath, whose 
 terms and language, seemed to them hostile 
 to the elector of Hanover's newly acquired 
 right to the crown, conferred on him by the 
 parliament and people; and at variance 
 with their avowed sentiments on the subject 
 of ecclesiastical polity. They steadily re- 
 fused to take this oath, and thus exposed 
 themselves to considerable peril and diffi- 
 culty. But Mr. Wodrow was of too catholic 
 and liberal a mind, to take oiFence at those 
 whose consciences allowed them to comply 
 with the order ; and he exerted all his in- 
 fluence in attempting to reconcile the people 
 at large to such of the clergy as had gone 
 into a measure thus peculiarly unpopular. 
 With the firmness of the recusant clergy, 
 the forbearance of the public officers admir- 
 ably harmonized. The obnoxious oath, was, 
 after an ineffectual struggle, not keenly 
 pressed on scrupulous minds. The penalties 
 for noncompliance were remitted; and the 
 Scottish administration seemed to rest satis- 
 fied with the assurance that the loyalty of 
 the recusants was beyond all question. 
 Twenty-five years had effected a wonderfid 
 change in public feeling ; and bigoted in- 
 tolerance, it was now at length discovered, 
 was not the most likely way of securing 
 the attachment of the subjects, and the 
 stabilitv of the throne. 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 The rebellion in 1715, was to Mr. 
 Wodrow a subject of deep and painful 
 interest. In common with all truehearted 
 Scottish presbyterians, he stood forward as 
 one of the warmest defenders of the Hano- 
 verian interest; and the deep anxiety of 
 his mind at this critical era, may be fairly 
 inferred from the voluminous collection of 
 letters to him, by correspondents in all 
 parts of the country, which remain among 
 his MSS. There are at least four quarto 
 volumes of these; and the minute and 
 curious details which many of them contain, 
 throw no small light on what may be termed 
 the internal history of that momentous 
 struggle. 
 
 To a man thus admirably qualified by 
 principle, by extensive information, by a 
 habit of persevering and accurate research, 
 and by a native candour of soul, v/hich bade 
 defiance to all the arts of chicanery, no 
 literary undertaking could be more appro- 
 priate, than that of the " History of the 
 Sufferings of the Church of Scotland," during 
 the days of prelatical persecution. To the 
 undertaking of this work, he seems to have 
 been led at a pretty early period of his life ; 
 and from the year 1707, down to the time 
 of its publication, all his leisure hours seem 
 to have been devoted to it. His friends 
 'encouraged the laborious undertaking, con- 
 vinced of the incalculable value of such a 
 work, if properly executed, both as a record 
 of the sufferings and of the worth of many 
 excellent men, and as filling up an im- 
 portant niche in the ecclesiastical and po- 
 litical annals of the countrj'. There had 
 been published, it is true, various authentic 
 details of the leading events of the cove- 
 nanting period, and biographical sketches 
 of the principal characters who figured in 
 it. But there was still wanting a com- 
 prehensive digest of the whole into chron- 
 ological order ; together, with what might 
 be held up to future ages, as a fair and 
 impartial exhibition of events, which could 
 not fail to interest the feelings of the im- 
 mediate actors in them. Mr. Wodrow 
 lived at a time sufficiently distant from 
 the persecuting era, to allow of his forming 
 an unbiassed opinion of its scenes, under 
 the moderating influence of more liberal 
 
MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 VII 
 
 times, and a more tolerant administration. 
 lie had access to the best sources of in- 
 formation, and his ardent but temperate 
 zeal in the great cause for which his fore- 
 fathers suffered, presented an edifying con- 
 trast to that cold, and supercilious, and 
 infidel temper, which has led some other 
 historians to look upon the whole scene 
 either with absolute contempt, or with the^ 
 frigidity of a cold-blooded Stoicism. The 
 design of the history, was, not so much to 
 give a regular, connected narrative of the 
 events of the period, as to exhibit a distinct 
 sketch of the characters, both of the prin- 
 cipal sufferers and their persecutors; the 
 springs of the persecution, in the unjustifi- 
 able plans and measures of an arbitrary 
 government ; with the motives of its chief 
 advisers and executors. " The unfortu- 
 nate, but innocent sufferers, our author 
 viewed in the light, not of a set of wild 
 fanatics, as they were called by their 
 cotemporai-ies, and frequently too by later 
 historians. Many of them were most re- 
 spectable for their rank in society, as well as 
 for their talents and virtues ; but even those 
 in the lower ranks, oiu- author thought 
 worthy of some public notice, as confessors 
 and martyrs in the noble cause which they 
 had espoused, the supporting of the rights of 
 conscience, and of national liberty." 
 
 Among the friends to whom Mr. Wodrow 
 was indebted for encouragement and aid 
 in the preparation of his grand work, we 
 may particularly notice his venerable patron 
 lord Pollock, who had himself suffered in 
 the covenaiiting interest, and who nobly 
 exemplified in his character, the holy prin- 
 ciples of the religion he professed ; lord 
 Poltoun, one of the senators of the college 
 of justice, and the representative both of 
 the Durham and Calderwood families ; lieu- 
 tenant colonel Erskine of Carnock; lord 
 Grange ; Mr. James Anderson, the celebrat- 
 ed author of Numismata, and other well 
 known works in history and antiquities ; and 
 particularly Mr, George Redpath, esteemed 
 at the time, as the author of several 
 very able tracts on the union, and who 
 is entitled to more notice than he has 
 obtained, as a severe sufferer in the cause 
 of independence and Scottish nationalit\. 
 
 This person seems to have been an inde- 
 fatigable collector of old records, and lie is 
 said to have possessed one of the largest 
 collections of the kind, of any private 
 individual in Britain. To this friend, Mr. 
 Wodrow submitted his proposal, and a 
 specimen of the history, in autumn 1717, 
 Mr. Redpath embarked with all his soul in 
 the undertaking, and in the following letter, 
 gave iNIr. W. every encouragement to pro- 
 ceed, while he suggests some hints that well 
 deserve the attention of every inquirer into 
 ecclesiastical antiquities, and the value of 
 which, was no doubt duly estimated by his 
 amiable and candid friend. 
 
 "London, August 3d, 1717. 
 " Reverend and worthy Sir, 
 
 " I have perused your manuscript, sent by 
 Colonel Erskine, with very great satisfac- 
 tion, and am heartily glad that a person of 
 your ability and industry, has undertaken 
 that necessary pai't of our history, which has 
 been so long wanted, and nothing yet done 
 in it that can be thought complete or suffi- 
 ciently vouched. As I am very ready to 
 give you what assistance is in my power, I 
 presume that you will not take it amiss, 
 if I give my advice freely, as I should be 
 willing in the like case that another should 
 use freedom with me. 
 
 " I need not inform you, that the style of 
 our country is not w hat is acceptable here ; 
 nor indeed grateful to those of rank at home; 
 which is not our crime but our misfortune, 
 since our present language is derived from 
 our neighbours in England, who alter theii's 
 every day ; and it is not to be supposed that 
 our countrymen, who live at home, should 
 be sufficiently versed in it. Therefore, 
 though I am of opinion that our own way of 
 expression is more emphatical, yet as it is 
 the interest of our church and country, that 
 the history should be writ in a style, which 
 will give it a greater currency here, and may 
 be equally well understood at home, I shall 
 be very ready to contribute my endeavours 
 for that end; and though I never studied 
 what they call a polite style, yet I doubt 
 not to make it intelfigible, for a plain and 
 natural way of writing is what is fittest for 
 a historian : what is called flowers and em- 
 bellishments must be left for poets ; which 
 
viii MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 huinour prevails so mucli here, that the lan- 
 guage has become too periphrastical, and has 
 akeady lost a great deal of what was mas- 
 culine. 
 
 " As to the matter, my opinion is thus ; — 
 that it is like to swell too much upon our 
 hands, because the subject is copious. As 
 this will make the history too bulky and 
 chargeable, it must be avoided as much as 
 possible. To this end I would humbly 
 propose • — 
 
 " First, That what is merely circumstantial, 
 might be left out, except where it is neces- 
 sary, for illustrating the matter, or aggravating 
 the crimes of our enemies. 
 
 " Secondly, That the names of meaner per- 
 sons may be omitted in the course of the 
 history, except where the case is very flag- 
 rant, cr of special note ; and yet that none 
 of our suiferers may want having justice 
 done them, I think it would be a good 
 expedient either at the end of the work, or 
 of some remarkable period when sufferers 
 abounded most, to draw up their names and 
 abodes in one column, and the causes and 
 time of their sufferings in another, so that 
 the same may be seen at one view in due 
 chronological order. 
 
 " Thirdly, That acts of parliament being 
 matters of record, and already in print, a 
 short abridgment of those acts so far as 
 they relate to the case in hand, may be insert- 
 ed in the body of the history ; and not at 
 large in the appendix, unless such acts be not 
 already in print. 
 
 " Fourthly, That the same method be 
 taken as to proclamations, except such as are 
 extraordinary ; and the same as to acts of 
 council. 
 
 " Fifthly, I am of opinion, that though 
 many of the speeches of our martyrs be 
 printed in Naphtali, &c. the most remarkable 
 of them should be inserted in the appendix ; 
 because those books may come to wear out of 
 
 print, and it is a pity that any of those noble (/Mr. David Hume, from 1658 till after Both 
 
 speeches should be lost. But for others 
 •ihat are less material, I conceive it will be 
 enough to give a short hint of them in the 
 catalogue of the sufferers, or in the course 
 of the history, viz. that such and such 
 persons gave their testimony so and so, when 
 the subject of theii* testimonies agrees. 
 
 '' Sixthly, That where matters of fact are 
 not well attested they should be entirely 
 left out, or but slightly touched as common 
 reports, and not even noticed but where the 
 case is extraordinary. 
 
 " Seventhly, I think it necessary that the 
 state or cause of the sufferings, in every 
 period should be distinctly, though briefly 
 set down. I need not hint, that there are 
 very great helps to be had in the ApologeticaJ- 
 Relation, Na2)htali, The True Nonconformist, 
 supposed to be the late Sir James Stewart's, 
 Jus Populi, The Hind Let Loose, and 
 other accounts of those named Cameronians ; 
 though the latter should be touched with 
 great caution, as I find you have done the 
 unhappy controversy about the indulgence, 
 wherein I applaud your moderation and 
 judgment. 
 
 " These things I conceive will be neces- 
 sary, both for the information of posterity 
 and our neighbours in England, who are 
 very great strangers to the state and causes 
 of our sufferings. 
 
 " Eighthly, I judge it highly necessary 
 that a brief account, of what has been done 
 against religion and liberty, in this country, 
 and likewise in Ireland, should be intermix- 
 ed in their proper periods with our suffer- 
 ings : for that will not only make the book 
 more acceptable to the dissenters and the 
 state whigs, here and in Ireland, but give more 
 credit to the history, when the reader sees 
 that the designs of popery were uniformly 
 carried on in all the three nations, though 
 with variet)' of circumstances. To that 
 same end some brief hints of the persecution 
 in France, and elsewhere, and particularly 
 of the war of our court, and Louis XIV 
 against Holland, will be necessary. 
 
 " I have made some progress in forming a 
 part of your manuscript according to this 
 model, towards which I have the assistance 
 of manuscripts, writ by the late reverend 
 
 well bridge (1C79): if you don't know his 
 character, 'tis proper to inform you that he 
 was minister at Coldingham in the Merse, 
 a person of known zeal, piety, courage, and 
 ability. His manuscripts are by way of 
 Journal, and contain many remarkable 
 things ; but as that way of writing oblige- 
 
MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOIl. 
 
 IX 
 
 a man to take in many current reports, 
 wliicli arc not sufficiently recorded, I have 
 put a query in the margin, upon such things 
 as I doubt, tiiat you may either continue or 
 cancel them as jou shall think fit, upon fur- 
 ther inquiry. He was himself at Bothwell 
 bridge, and is very particular in his account 
 of that fatal affair, and of the reasons of its 
 miscarriage. I shall transmit the specimen 
 of what I have done to you, with the first 
 opportunity, and submit to what alterations 
 or amendments you and others of yoiu- 
 brethren shall think fit to make. 
 
 " There are some of the records of our 
 council here, with letters to and from our 
 princes, which perhaps may not be found 
 with you. I doubt not of an opportunity to 
 consult them at om* secretary's office, and 
 therefore should be glad to know what you 
 want upon that iiead." (Here follow some 
 suggestions as to the style of printing, &c. 
 which are omitted as of secondary moment.) 
 
 " Mr. Crawford wrote to me some years 
 ago, about helping him in the style of his 
 father's manuscripts. I agreed to it, but 
 never had any return : therefore shoidd be 
 glad to know what is become of those man- 
 uscripts, and whether you have the use of 
 them, Mr. Semple of Libberton was like- 
 wise about a history, and had encouragement 
 from the Treasury here to go on with it, but 
 I have heard nothing of that matter since, 
 and should be glad to know whether he goes 
 on. You are best able to judge whether 
 either of these interfere with your design, 
 and I doubt not that you will take your 
 measures accordingly." 
 
 In another letter of the 10th of the same 
 month, he expresses his sentiments farther 
 in the following terms : " I wish you had 
 commenced from the reformation, for that 
 necessary part of our history has never been 
 well done. Buchanan, Knox, and Calder- 
 wood, are very brief and lame on that 
 subject. Petry gives some good hints, but 
 still imperfect. I have many original papers 
 that set it in a clearer light; such as letters 
 from queen Mary and her ministers, besides 
 some things in print that are very scarce. 
 These, with the MSS. of Calderwood, would 
 make the thing as complete as can be ex- 
 pected at this distance o( time. I have a MS. 
 
 of Siiottiswoode'b that was the duke oi 
 Lauderdale's, and diflLrs much from the 
 print ; the interlineations ai'e in the arch- 
 bishop's own hand. I have also an authentic 
 copy of the acts of our general assemblies, 
 from the reformation to 1G09, signed by T. 
 Nicholson theii" clerk ; Mr. William Scot of 
 Couper's MS. history ; and many other 
 things which would be great helps. I can 
 also have access to the lord Warriston's 
 MSS. in the hands of his son, formerly 
 secretary; so that we might carry on the 
 thread through king James VI. time, to the 
 restoration, especially through that im- 
 portant period, 1638 to IGGO." 
 
 The idea of " a complete history " fi-om 
 the reformation in 1560, to the revolution 
 in 1688, was strongly urged on Mr. Wod- 
 row's attention both by Mr. Redpath, and 
 by a very intimate literary friend of both, 
 principal Stirling of Glasgow ; but the plan, 
 however magnificent and interesting, opened 
 a field by far too wide for any one man to 
 undertake. Later historians have success- 
 fully occupied a part of it, but a " history ol 
 the Covenanters " in Scotland, upon some- 
 thing like the plan of Keal's " History ot 
 the Puritans" in England, still remains a 
 desideratum in the literar}' and ecclesiastical 
 annals of our country. 
 
 Another literary friend with whom Mr. 
 Wodrow particularly consulted regarding 
 his history, was the learned and amiable 
 Dr. James Fraser of London, formerly of 
 Aberdeen, and so well known as the liberal 
 patron of King's college and university in 
 that city. It does not appear indeed that 
 Dr. Fraser was consulted by Mr. W. previous 
 to the actual composition of a large part of 
 the work; for this very good reason, that 
 Dr. Fraser was not at that time so particularly 
 conversant in the history of MSS. and 
 ancient records, as to render his services so 
 necessary in the eai'lier periods of the under- 
 taking. His patronage was of more import- 
 ance in the way of a successful introduction 
 of the work when finished, to the notice of 
 those, who, from their stations in society, 
 and extensive influence in public life, had it 
 in their power to give it a most wide circu- 
 lation. Few Scotsmen in London, I mean 
 in private life, have ever had more in their 
 b 
 
MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 power in Ibis respect, than Dr. Fraser. 
 His talents and varied accomplishments and 
 polite manners, united with liberality of 
 sentiment and most correct moral deport- 
 ment, combined with favourable local cir- 
 cumstances to introduce him to the society 
 of some of the first men of the age, and to 
 render him a favourite at the court of George 
 I. To this gentleman Mr, W. transmitted 
 the MS. of the history for inspection, and 
 he received from him an answer bearing date, 
 at Edinburgh, September 25th, 1718, from 
 which the following is an extract. 
 
 " Reverend and much honoured su', 
 " This is in short with all thankfulness to 
 acknowledge the favour you were pleased to 
 do me when at Glasgow, in trusting me with 
 so valuable monuments of your great labour 
 and useful pains, as the three volumes of the 
 history of the persecutions the presbyterians 
 suftei'ed from the restoration to the revolu- 
 tion ; all which I have read with great atten- 
 tion and satisfaction : wherein I cannot but 
 observe the sincerity, honesty, and faithful- 
 ness, requisite in a historian ; and that the 
 methods invented and practised in those 
 times to distress and ruin that party, do 
 by much exceed the severities used by the 
 heathens against the primitive Christians ; 
 or by the Goths, Huns, Vandals, Saracens, 
 or Turks, in succeeding ages ; or even by 
 the papists, or inquisition in Spain and 
 Portugal, in many things. So that in the 
 general sentiment of all persons that I 
 have conversed with on that matter, it is 
 very necessary that so useful a work 
 should be published to the world, as soon 
 as possible : considering the clamour the 
 other party make daily about their present 
 sufferings, which they say far exceed any 
 known in former reigns, and that all who 
 suffered before the revolution was on the 
 account of rebellion, and not of religion and 
 conscience, as Sir George Mackenzie in his 
 book of the vindication of the government 
 in king Charles and king James H. reigns, 
 does confidently assert and endeavour to 
 prove. And besides that there are many now 
 alive who were witnesses of these cruelties 
 then exercised and suffered under them: 
 and if delayed till this generation is gone, 
 ihoy will not be ashamed to deny there 
 
 were any severities used. I think it is 
 proper and useful, that when your occa- 
 sions oblige you to come to Edinburgh, 
 that you would allow yourself some time to 
 see some honest and knowing persons that 
 frequently meet at the Low Coffeehouse 
 here, where you may receive certain infor- 
 mation of very remarkable instances of un- 
 heard of severities in those times, that may 
 have escaped your knowledge, very well 
 attested. And also to make a visit to the 
 good and worthy lady Cardross, the earl of 
 Buchan's mother, with whom I had the 
 honour of an hour's conversation last week ; 
 from whose mouth you may receive a most 
 distinct information of all the particular 
 steps and cu'cumstances relating to her and 
 her husband's sufferings. There is one Mr. 
 James Nisbet son to Nisbet in Hardhill, 
 who was executed in December, 1685, and 
 is now sergeant in the castle of Edinburgh, 
 and has lately published the history of his 
 father's sufferings, and his last testimony 
 and dying speech; wherein there is a remark- 
 able prediction of the abdication of the 
 name of Stuart from ever reigning in Britain. 
 I have had some hours' conversation with 
 the said James Nisbet, who told me many re- 
 markable things of persons and actings in that 
 time, he having been intimately acquainted 
 with Mr. Peden, Cargill, and others of the 
 suffering party, having been several years 
 in the woods, caves, and deserts, with 
 them. And Mr. Johnston minister at 
 Dundee, told me some sm'prising instarces 
 of the barbarity used in Dunfermline, by 
 one Mr. Norry, now a Jacobite and virulent 
 conventicle preacher at Dundee, which I 
 have communicated to some of your friends 
 here to be imparted to you at meeting. I 
 could heartily wish a way could be found of 
 printing, as soon as possible, so useful and so 
 necessary a work ; and I shall not be back- 
 ward in contributing all in my power towards 
 the promoting it." 
 
 Specimens of the history were submitted 
 also to a variety of eminent literary and re- 
 ligious characters in England, and particularly 
 to the celebrated Dr. Edmund Calamy, then 
 at the head of the Dissenting interest, and 
 who from his intimacy with many of our 
 countrymen both on the contment and in 
 
Scotland, was considered a most impartial 
 judge of the merits of the work. .Although 
 the correspondence regarding tlie critical 
 iaspection of the work is on record, and 
 abounds with a number of important parti- 
 culars, it does not appear that the critics 
 of the south contributed any thing material 
 to its improvement, or attempted to dispute 
 the accuracy of the statements it made. 
 Nor does it appear that Mr. Wodrow was 
 indebted in Tiny considerable degree to those 
 ministers in various parts of Scotland, to 
 whom he applied as probable sources of 
 information. With the exception of a few 
 venerable indi\aduals, who from personal 
 experience, or immediate relationship to the 
 sufferers themselves, took a peculiar in- 
 terest in the work, and most readily lent 
 their acceptable assistance, in the furnish- 
 ing of materials ; it would seem from the 
 complaints which the historian makes in 
 some of his letters, that in his expectations 
 of help from a variety of quarters, he had 
 met with a painful disappointment; so that 
 for the work such as it is — and "achiiirable 
 and faithful" Dr. Fraser justly terms it — 
 we must consider oimselves as indebted to 
 the single exertions of its indefatigable 
 author. In May, 1719, the matter was 
 submitted to the general assembly, when 
 that venerable body gave their cordial 
 and unanimous approbation to the work, 
 and recommended it to ministers and pres- 
 byteries, as richly deserving of encourage- 
 ment ; and instructed their commission to 
 correspond with presbyteries on the subject, 
 and to report their diligence to next assem- 
 bly. With all these encouraging considera- 
 tions, the work had many obstacles to sur- 
 mount, before it made its appearance from 
 the press ; and this will not be surprising to 
 any one who knows the real state of Scot- 
 land, in what may be called, the infancy of 
 her literary progress. The idea of pecuniary 
 advantage by literary labour, would have 
 been held in those days as a chimera ; and 
 some of our ablest treatises on divinity and 
 moral philosophy, would never have seen the 
 light, had it not been for the fostering aid of 
 wealthy patrons, and of a society formed 
 for the encouragement of learning. In these 
 circumstances it was not to be expected that 
 a work of such size and price as the " History 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. XI 
 
 of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland," 
 would all at once be ushered into the world 
 without one serious obstacle to overcome. 
 Very little did the worthy author receive by 
 way of compensation for all the labour and 
 expense he had bestowed upon it ; — but to 
 him the satisfaction that he had done some- 
 thing to serve his God " in his generation," 
 and that he had reared a monument to his 
 country and to his church, on which was 
 inscribed in legible characters, " .^re peren- 
 nius," — was to him a better return than the 
 gains of fine gold. 
 
 The w'ork was published in two large 
 volumes at separate times, in 1721 and 1722; 
 and it soon met with exactly that kind of 
 treatment which might have been antici- 
 pated, as the likely portion of an impartial, im- 
 varnished, and independent, historian of the 
 persecuting period. With the exception of 
 a few worthy individuals belonging to the 
 Cameronian class, who thought, and perhaps 
 with some measure of truth, that the author 
 had not on some occasions shown sufficient 
 decision of mind, and on others had awarded 
 rather a measured meed of praise to the 
 noble heroes of the olden time ; — the general 
 and high approbation of all the friends of li- 
 berty and of presbyterianism, both in Scotland 
 and in Britain, cordially went along with 
 the work ; and the value of it was felt by all 
 who had learned to prize the civil and 
 religious interests of their country. On the 
 other hand, the abettors of persecution and 
 the fierce adherents of the Stuart dynasty, 
 smarted keenly under the expose which 
 was made of the " mystery of iniquity," and 
 felt the more tenderly, because, alas ! it was 
 "no scandal." "Facts," observes Mr. 
 Wodrow in one of his letters to a friend in 
 London, " facts are ill naturcd things ;" and 
 it was precisely because the facts of the 
 case could not be set aside, that the assault 
 became the more fierce against the temper 
 and spirit and style of the author. Anony- 
 mous and threatening letters were sent to 
 him. Squibs and pasquinades were liberally 
 discharged, under masked batteries, against 
 the obnoxious book that told so much un- 
 welcome truth. Various attempts were 
 made before and after its appearance, to 
 vindicate the reign of the Stuarts : but Sir 
 eorge Mackenzie is, I believe, the single 
 
Xll 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 hapless individual, at least of Scottish name, 
 who to this day enjoys the " base glory," of 
 having fallen in the trenches of such an 
 inglorious cause. 
 
 Dr. Fraser had the honour of presenting 
 cop ies of the work to their Majesties, and 
 the Prince and Princess of Wales. These 
 were most graciously received. The book 
 was, by these illustrious individuals, care- 
 fully read and studied; and the king, to 
 whom the work was dedicated, generously 
 ordered ^£105 sterling, to be given to the 
 author, in token of his cordial approba- 
 tion. The order for this sum on the ex- 
 chequer of Scotland, is still preserved, and 
 we give it entu-e, for the satisfaction of our 
 readers :— " George R. Trusty and well be- 
 loved, we greet you well. Whereas, our 
 trusty and well beloved * * # Robert 
 Wodrow, minister of the gospel in Glasgow, 
 did some time since, dedicate and present 
 unto us, his History of the Persecutions in 
 Scotland, from the Restoration to the Revo- 
 lution, consisting of two large volumes in 
 folio : now, we being minded to certify our 
 esteem of the said author and his works, 
 by bestowing on him some mark of our 
 favour and bounty : in consideration thereof, 
 oiu- will and pleasure is, that we do hereby 
 authorize and empower you, to issue your 
 warrant to the receiver general of our 
 treasury, to pay, or cause to be paid, out 
 of any monies, that are, or shall be in his 
 hands, for the use of our civil government, 
 unto the said Robert Wodrow, or his 
 assigns, the sum of one hundred and five 
 pounds, as of our royal bounty, for the 
 consideration aforesaid, and for so doing, 
 this shall be, not only to you, but also to 
 our said receiver general, and to all others 
 that shall be concerned in passing and 
 allowing the payment upon his account, a 
 sufficient warrand. Given at our coiu-t at 
 St. James', the 26th day of April, 1725, 
 in the eleventh year of our reign. 
 
 By his majesty's command, 
 
 R. Walpole. 
 To our trusty and well beloved, 
 our Chief Baron, and the rest 
 of the Barons of our court of 
 exchequer in Scotland. 
 
 George Baillie, William Yonge, 
 Cjiahles Tl'kneu, Gf.ouge Dodington." 
 
 Thus, while the bigoted adherents of a 
 persecuting dynasty, were crying out most 
 lustily against the humble Scottish pres- 
 byter and his book, the highest personage 
 in the empire was pubHcly conferring on 
 the said presbyter, a most substantial mark 
 of his regard, just because he had written a 
 l)ook, which at once exposed the hon-ors of 
 former reigns, and displayed by reflection 
 and by contrast, the blessings connected 
 -with the Hanoverian succession. 
 
 The work, is beyond all question, exactly 
 what it undertakes to be, a faithful and 
 impartial record of facts and of characters. 
 Its extreme accuracy has been tested by the 
 best of evidence, that of documents, public, 
 official, and uncontradicted. Its facts will 
 not be relished by timesemng historians, who 
 have prostituted the dignity of history to the 
 low ends of a mean and drivelling partisanship ; 
 and the proud march of the smooth surface 
 narrator, may not stoop to the minutiae of its 
 private and domestic details. Nevertheless, 
 its value as a record is beyond all praise ; and 
 the picture which it gives of the manners and 
 spirit of the age is graphical and instructive. 
 Says Chalmers, the learned author of the 
 Biographical Dictionary — " It is written with 
 a fidelity that has seldom been disputed, and 
 confirmed at the end of each volume, by a 
 large mass of public and private records." 
 " No historical facts," says Mr. Fox, in his 
 historical work on the reign of James II., " are 
 better ascertained, than the accounts of them 
 which are to be found in Wodrow. In every 
 instance where there has been an opportunity 
 of comparing these accounts with the records 
 and other authentic monuments, they appear 
 to be quite correct." 
 
 Mr. Wodrow did not discontinue his his- 
 torical researches after the publication of his 
 great work. His indefatigable and perse- 
 vering mind, acting on the suggestions of 
 his friends Redpath and Stirling, planned 
 the scheme of a complete history of the 
 church of Scotland, in a series of lives. 
 With this view, he set to work in enlargin l; 
 and completing his already ample collection 
 of manuscripts, ancient records, and well 
 authenticated traditions ; and actually drew 
 out at great length, and with minute accu- 
 racy, biographical sketches of all the great 
 and good men, who had figured from the 
 
earliest dawn of the reformation, down to 
 the period when his history takes its rise. 
 These lives arc extremely valuable. They 
 form the principal mine of information re- 
 garding their several subjects; and taken 
 together, exhibit a comprehensive and accu- 
 rate view of the leading events in one of 
 tlic most interesting periods of our national 
 history. It does not appear that they had 
 received the finishing stroke of the author, 
 although they bear all the marks of un- 
 common research, and most minute speci- 
 fication. The manuscripts of this volumi- 
 nous work, partly in the handwriting of 
 the author, and partly copied by an aman- 
 uensis, are preserved in the library of the 
 university of Glasgow. 
 
 It was a favourite wish of our author, 
 that biographical memoirs should be re- 
 gularly drawn up and preserved, of all the 
 more eminent ministers and private Christ- 
 ians in Scotland who had been distinguished 
 for their piety and the faithfulness and suc- 
 cess of their Christian labours. Acting on 
 this idea, he employed his leisure moments 
 in writing down the various articles of 
 information, which his own times brought 
 within his reach, regarding the lives and 
 labours of eminent individuals, together 
 with the ordinary or more remarkable 
 occurrences of the period, during which he 
 lived. These memoranda are preserved in 
 six small and closely written volumes, under 
 the general name of Analecta, and they 
 embrace a period of twenty-eight years, from 
 170.5, down to 1732. The information they 
 contain, is, as might have been expected 
 from the nature of the work, exceedingly 
 various, both as to subject and degree of 
 importance. The notices are often exceed- 
 ingly curious ; and taken as a whole, the 
 work exhibits an interesting picture of the 
 history and manners of the period. It is in 
 such private and unsophisticated memo- 
 randa as these, we often meet with those 
 minute and undesigned coincidences, and 
 those unstudied allusions to matters of a 
 more public nature, which throw light on 
 subjects otherwise dark and mysterious. 
 To bring out these private memorials to the 
 light of open day, would be extremely in- 
 judicious; but the occasional consultation 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. XIU 
 
 of them for the purpose of historical or 
 general illustration, is not beside the pro- 
 vince, or beneath the dignity of the most 
 fastidious analytical inquirer. 
 
 Besides writing the " history," the " bio- 
 graphy," and the " analecta ;" the labours of 
 his parish, and two days every week regu- 
 larly appropriated to his preparation for 
 the pulpit ; nmch of his time must have 
 been occupied in epistolary correspondence. 
 Many of his letters resemble rather disserta- 
 tions on theological and literary and histori- 
 cal subjects; and he corresponded with a very 
 wide cu'cle of acquaintances and friends in 
 Scotland, England, Ireland, America, and 
 the continent of Europe. With regard to 
 the continent, his anxiety to become thor- 
 oughly acquainted with its literary and re- 
 ligious state was peculiarly great, and he fre- 
 quently imported at his own expense, the 
 best publications that could be obtained, 
 particularly those in the Latin and French 
 languages. He also transmitted, from time to 
 time, lists of queries respecting the state 
 of matters in the different countries. Of 
 these I shall insert a very small specimen, 
 out of many now before me. 
 
 " Memorandum of Inquirenda in Holland, 
 to G. B. April 21st, 1731. What is the 
 state of the protestant churches in Silesia ? 
 What numbers of the reformed may be 
 there ? if they are Calvinists ? if they have 
 judicatories, discipline, &c.? what is the state 
 of the protestants in Hungary — what num- 
 ber of ministers may be there, — and prot- 
 estant schools ? If there be any Socinians 
 among them ? what are their present hard- 
 ships from the papists, — every thing as to 
 their government, discipline, doctrine, judi- 
 cature and usages. The same as to the 
 churches in Bohemia. The same as to Tran- 
 sylvania. The same as to the Palatinate, as 
 also an account of their present grievances 
 from the papists. All you can learn as to 
 the state of things in Geneva, — their doctrine, 
 discipline, government, and learned men. 
 All the accounts you can get as to the prot- 
 estants in the valleys of Piedmont, — what 
 numbers are of late in the valleys, — the hard- 
 ships of the king of Sardinia upon them, — the 
 pretences he uses in his own defence, — and 
 if any number of ministers and protestants 
 
XIV 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 continue in the valleys? — The character of to the mother country — and the history of 
 
 the present pope, — what you can learn of the 
 differences between him, and the king of 
 Sardinia. — How the difference stands betwixt 
 the court of Rome and the king of Portugal. 
 — The state of learning in Portugal and 
 Spain. — What is in the accounts we have in 
 the prints, of the manuscripts 12 or 1400 
 years old, found in an island in the Red Sea 
 by some Portuguese, and sent, I think, to 
 Lisbon, or extracts of them. What may be ex- 
 pected from the press at Constantinople, and 
 the copies of manuscripts taken by the king 
 of France's interest there and brought to 
 Paris ? All the accounts you may have of 
 the state of Christianity in the Dutch settle- 
 ments in the East Indies. — The translation 
 of the Bible into the Malayan tongue, — 
 the success of the Danish missionaries in 
 the East Indies, What you can gather 
 as to the state of the Greek churches in 
 Asia under the Turks; the Greek Christians 
 in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, &c. — Is learning 
 and knowledge penetrating into Muscovy? — 
 All the discoveries made of Greek MSS. by 
 the late Czar, and the progress made by 
 the academy at Petersburg. — Let me have 
 a list of the professors at Leyden and 
 Utrecht ; and the most considerable men at 
 Fratieker and Groningen ; and the most 
 famed learned men in the Protestant univer- 
 sities in Germany. Let me have a hint of 
 the new books, that are most talked of, &c. 
 &c." It is certainly matter of regret that 
 the replies to these queries, were by no means 
 so full as might have been wished ; and yet 
 there are in the MS. letters entitled " For- 
 eign Literature," many valuable articles of 
 miscellaneous information. 
 
 His chief correspondents in America were 
 the celebrated Dr, Cotton Mather, the friend 
 and patron of Benjamin Franklin ; Mr. 
 Benjamin Colman, president of Harvard 
 college, Boston ; Mr. Wiggles worth, professor 
 of divinity there; together with the minis- 
 ters of the Scots churches in Pennsylvania, 
 New Jersey, and New York. The intelli- 
 gence communicated by these correspond- 
 ents embraces chiefly the state and progress of 
 literature, religion, and manners in the states, 
 — the disputes regarding political and theolo- 
 gical questions, — the relations of tht states 
 
 I the Scottish presbyterian cliurches in the 
 new world. The letters of Mr. Wodrow to 
 these individuals, and their replies, form 
 together a mass of correspondence that is 
 ' extremely interesting. Not the least curious 
 of these dociunents, are, a letter of some 
 length, from a converted Jewish Rabbi who 
 taught Hebrew in Harvard college, together 
 with a most truly Christian reply by our 
 excellent author. The name of the Jew 
 was Rabbi Jiidah Monis ; and of his future 
 history one would wish to obtain some 
 farther information. The letter is writ- 
 ten in pure Hebrew, and also in Rabinnical 
 characters and dialect. The original is now 
 before me. It is a beautiful specimen of 
 penmanship ; and forms altogether a literary 
 curiosity. Its date is " Cambridge 4. Stas 
 mensis 1723." The reply bears date, July 
 23, 1724. 
 
 There is one subject which engaged the 
 mind of Mr. Woihow, in common with all the 
 zealous friends of evangelical truth through- 
 out the empire, for a considerable number of 
 years ; I allude to the well known case of 
 professor Simpson of Glasgow. This gentle- 
 man was the immediate successor of Mr. 
 Wodrow's venerable father ; and this cir- 
 cumstance seems to have touched the 
 delicacy of our author's feelings, while it by 
 no means prevented him from taking a very 
 active share in the ecclesiastical process, 
 which was instituted against the professor. 
 It would be foreign to the design of this 
 brief sketch, to enter at all into the merits 
 of the controversy, either in regard to its 
 subject matter, or the mode in which it was 
 carried on. Professor Simson appears from 
 his defences to have been a man of con- 
 siderable acuteness ; and in learning probably 
 not inferior to his opponents. He seems to 
 have been a decided Arian ; but his wish to 
 retain his place led him to throw a veil of 
 mystery over his sentiments. After a tedious 
 and disagreeable process, he at length suc- 
 cumbed to the general voice of the church, 
 and avowed his belief in the catholic doctrine 
 of the trinity, as held in our public stand- 
 ai-ds. Still an impression remained on the 
 minds of all parties in the question, that 
 he was either not sincere in his averments, 
 
MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR, 
 or that he had not capacity sufficient, to 
 draw the exact line of distinction between 
 opposite systems. Tlic tardiness also, with 
 which he brought out his real creed, and the 
 dubious complexion, to say the least of it, 
 which his theological prelections had long 
 exhibited, convinced the general assembly, 
 that he was not a fit person to be charged 
 with the theological tuition of the sons of 
 the church, and he was therefore suspended 
 from his charge, while the emoluments of the 
 office were still reserved, with an amiable, 
 but mistaken liberality, to the man, who 
 was, with one voice, declared unfit to do 
 that duty, which forms the only claim to 
 these emoluments. During the period of 
 his suspension, and even to the day of his 
 death, the whole duties of the professorship 
 devolved on principal Campbell, who was 
 ex officio, primarius professor of theology. 
 
 Mr. Wodrow was a very efficient, and 
 certainly a most moderate and judicious 
 member of the assembly committee for 
 
 XV 
 
 Barony church of Glasgow, on Isaiah ix. 6. 
 in which he took occasion to illustrate at 
 length, the great doctrine of the divinity of 
 our blessed Saviour, in opposition to the 
 sentiments of Arians and Socinians. These 
 sermons seem to have made a considerable 
 noise at the time j for on the day following, 
 a challenge to a public or private disputa- 
 tion or to a written controversy, was sent 
 him by one Mi-. William Paul, a student of 
 theology, and known to be tinctured with 
 Arian sentunents. The letter is on the 
 whole, respectfully written; but while it 
 " wisheth to INIi-. W. charity and impartial 
 reasoning," it throws out some dark but harsh 
 insinuations against Mr. John M'Laurin and 
 Mr. George Campbell, two of the ministers 
 of Glasgow ; the latter of whom was well 
 known and respected as a zealous and 
 pious labourer in the vineyard; while the 
 former, by the confession of all parties, 
 stands at least as high in the ranks of 
 theology, as his brother Colin does in the 
 
 purity of doctrine, to whom the case off scale of mathematics. It is pretty certain 
 
 professor Simpson was referred ; and both 
 by correspondence, and by personal ex- 
 ertion, he contributed much to save the 
 church of Scotland from a tide of hetero- 
 dox)^, which threatened to overwhelm it. 
 Among clerical coadjutors, he had very 
 able assistants in Mr, John M'Laurin of 
 Glasgow, and Mr. James Webster of Edin- 
 burgh; and amongst the lay brethren, on 
 this trying occasion the names of lord 
 Grange, and lieutenant colonel Erskine of 
 Oamock, both elders of assembly, stand 
 conspicuous. The letters addressed by the 
 former to Mr. Wodrow, and which form 
 a leading part in his voluminous corre- 
 spondence, display a talent of no ordinary 
 kind, combined with a profound knowledge 
 of divinity, and a power of clear and 
 discriminating statement. Mr. W.'s own 
 accounts of the various steps of the process, 
 in his private minutes of committees, and 
 assemblies, throw much light on the minutiee 
 of the controversy, and still afford a rich 
 repast to any one who intends to write a 
 history of that interesting, but critical period 
 of our church. 
 
 On the 10th and 11th June, 1727, Mr. 
 Wodrow preached two sermons in the 
 
 that Ml-. W. did not accept the challenge, 
 but whether he made any return to it, or 
 what measures he felt it his duty to pursue, 
 we have no means of determining. He was 
 not at all fond of disputation ; and he prob- 
 ably saw, that the mind of the young man 
 was not in a proper tone for the serious and 
 successful investigation of spiiitual truth. 
 
 On the subject of the Marroiv controversy 
 which was keenly agitated at this period, 
 and which indirectly led the way to the 
 secession in 1733, Mr. Wodrow held a 
 middle course. He thought that Mr. Bos- 
 ton, and the other divines who patronized 
 the doctrines contained in " the Marrow of 
 Modern Divinity," went rather far in their 
 attempts to \dndicate sentiments and modes 
 of expression, wliich seemed to him some- 
 what unscriptural and antuiomian in their 
 complexion. On the other hand, he thought 
 that the assembly had busied themselves 
 too much in the criticism and condemnatior 
 of the book, and had anticipated evil too 
 readily. He disliked the whole contro- 
 versy; and recommended those virtues of 
 which his own example afforded a most 
 consistent pattern, charity and mutual for- 
 bearance. 
 
XVI 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 On the grand question about subscription 
 to articles of faith, then keenly agitated 
 in Ireland and in England, our historian 
 assumed a more bold and determined part. 
 The Marrow controversy, he deeply de- 
 plored, because it tended to divide the 
 fi-iends of the Redeemer, who, in the main, 
 were " of one heart and of one mind." 
 The question regarding subscription, he, 
 along with all the tried friends of orthodoxy 
 in Scotland, held to be a vital one. He saw 
 ranged on opposite sides, with very few 
 exceptions, the friends and the enemies of 
 the Deity of the Saviour ; and the design 
 of the nonsubscribers he knew could not 
 be favourable to the cause of evangelical 
 Christianity. With eminent ministers both 
 in England and in Ireland, he held on this, 
 as on other topics, a regular and extensive 
 correspondence. Dr Eraser, who seems in 
 his latter days to have gone in to the 
 Arian hypothesis ; Dr. Calamy, Dr. Evans, 
 Dr. Abraham Taylor of London; Mr. Mas- 
 terton. Mi'. Samuel Smith, Mr. M'Racken, 
 Mr. William Livingston, Mr. L-edale, Mr. 
 Gilbert Kennedy, ]Mi-. M'Bride of Ireland, 
 are among his leading correspondents on this 
 and kindred subjects. The letters from these 
 gentlemen are very numerous, and in general 
 very minute, and apparently candid in their 
 statements. The minutes of Irish presby terian 
 synods are given at length, together with 
 private accounts of the transactions of com- 
 mittees. Any person who wishes to write a 
 narrative of presbyterianism in Ireland — a 
 desideratum in ecclesiastical history — will 
 find a treasure of information in these letters. 
 The results of the controversy are highly 
 instructive. The Arians and Unitarians, 
 ranging themselves under the banners of 
 the nonsubscribing and liberal party, have for 
 upwards of a century displayed the dead- 
 ening tendency of their system in the an- 
 nihilation of many flom-ishing churches : 
 while evangelical doctrine, taking an oppo- 
 site direction, has shed upon the north of 
 Ireland, those pmifying and ennobling in- 
 fluences which contributed so powerfully to 
 render Scotland in her better days, " a praise 
 in the whole earth." 
 
 It need not surprise us that labours so 
 numerous and severe, as those in which Mr. 
 
 Wodrow was incessantly engaged, should 
 have told upon his bodily health and even 
 shortened his days. His constitution was 
 naturally good, and in the earlier part of 
 life he enjoyed excellent health. But his 
 studious habits of constant reading and 
 writing, together with the vast variety of 
 concerns both public and domestic, which 
 pressed upon his mind, would soon have 
 told upon a frame even more robust than 
 his. It appears that in the course of the 
 year 1726, he first began seriously to com- 
 plain, for in that year we find his friend 
 colonel Blackadder inviting him to Stirling, 
 by way of relaxation and for the recovery of 
 his health; and farther recommending aii- 
 and exercise on horseback, as among the 
 most likely restoratives. It is interesting to see 
 the affectionate sympathy of his friends on 
 this occasion. His correspondent the Rev. 
 Thomas Mack, minister of Terregles, after 
 noticing the symptoms of his disorder, and 
 strongly recommending a trial of the Bath 
 waters, thus expresses himself: " Your letter 
 does signify to me you are yielding too much 
 to despondence. I hope you will guard 
 against melancholy, the fruit of too much 
 confinement. None that love our cause 
 will neglect to have sympathy with you, 
 and if my letters can divert you, you shall 
 always have the use of them. I am sorry 
 for your affliction. I hope you bear it 
 patiently, and study a resignation to the 
 will of God. My advice is, you divert from 
 all study as much as possible, and if you 
 can go out, preach to yoiu* people, though 
 you do not write : it wUl ease your mind. 
 Suffer not your spirits to sink. Prepare 
 to go to the Bath, or to some mineral water." 
 " I saw," says Mr. John Erskine, afterwards 
 professor of Scots law, and the father of 
 the late venerable Dr. Erskine of Edinburgh^ 
 " I saw Ml-. Warner (of Irvine) this night 
 with my father (colonel Erskine) who came 
 to town this evening. I'm exceedingly con- 
 cerned to hear from him that your trouble 
 is not abated; and though I'll make no 
 promises, I may venture to say this, that if 
 I was to follow my inclinations, I would be 
 at Eastwood this spring, to bear you com- 
 pany for some days in your distress." 
 (Edinburgh, 15th January, 1726.) "I am 
 
mi:moiu of 
 
 heartily sorry" says Mr. Walter Stewart 
 " to heai- l)y yours, that your iudisposition 
 still continues. I pray God may restore 
 you to your wonted health, and preserve 
 you a lasting blessing to your friends and 
 charge." (January 19th, 172G.) 
 
 It is not unlikely that Mr. Wodrow took 
 the advice of his friends in regard to his 
 health, but, although he so far recovered as 
 to be able to go on with his usual labours 
 for several years after this period ; it does 
 not appear that he ever completely recovered 
 liis former strength. A species of rheuma- 
 tism or gout seems to have given him great 
 uneasiness, while it occasioned many inter- 
 ruptions in his favourite studies. In the 
 latter end of the year 1731, a small swell- 
 ing appeared on his breast, which gradually 
 increased till April 1732, when an unsuc- 
 cessful attempt was made to remove it by 
 caustic. The effect on his bodily frame was 
 very injurious. He became greatly emaciated, 
 and gradually declined till his death, which 
 happened on the 21st of March, 1734', in 
 the j5th year of his age. He bore this long 
 continued distress with admirable fortitude, 
 and unabated piety. The faith of the gospel 
 supported his mind " in perfect peace ;" and 
 he gave a testimony in his practical ex- 
 perience to the efficacy of those holy truths, 
 which he had preached so faithfully, and 
 vindicated so nobly by his writings. His 
 dying scene was tnily edifying. The day 
 before his death, he gathered his children 
 around his bed, gave each of them his dying 
 blessing, with counsels suitable to their age 
 and circumstances. The two youngest boys, 
 (James, afterwards minister of Stevenston, 
 and Alexander who died in America,) were 
 both under four years of age at this time, 
 and of course too young to understand and 
 feel those marks of his affection ; yet after 
 the example of the venerable patriarch, 
 (Gen. xlviii. 15.) he drew them near to him, 
 laid his hands upon their heads, and devoutly 
 prayed, " that the God of his fathers, the 
 Angel who had redeemed him from all evil, 
 would bless the lads." He carried with 
 him to the grave the affectionate regrets of 
 3 strongly attached people ; of a large circle 
 of friends ; and of the whole church of God. 
 His death was felt as a public loss ; and the 
 
 THE AUTIIOTl. XVU 
 
 , removal of such a man in the critical state 
 of the church of Scotland at the time, was 
 felt as a severe dispensation of the Almighty. 
 His growing infirmities had prevented him 
 from taking any part in the disputes which 
 had just arisen relative to the secession. 
 His views were directed to a better country ; 
 and the rising troubles of the church mili- 
 tant on earth, led him to pant with greater 
 ardour of spirit after the serenity and peace 
 of the church triumphant in heaven. 
 
 Mr. Wodrow was married in the end of 
 1 708, to Margaret Warner, grand daughter 
 of the venerable William Guthrie of Fen- 
 wick, author of the " Trial of a Sa\T[ng 
 Interest in Christ ;" and daughter of the 
 Rev. Patrick Warner of Ardeer, Ayrshire, 
 and minister of Irvine; a man who had 
 borne his full share in the troubles of the 
 persecuting era, and whose name stands 
 deservedly high among the worthies of our 
 church. Mrs. Wodrow was the widow of 
 Mr. Ebenezer Veitch, youngest son of the 
 celebrated Mr. WiUiam Veitch of Dumfries; 
 and a young minister of uncommon piety. 
 He was settled minister at Ajr, in 1703; 
 and died after a short but severe illness, 
 when attending his duty at the assembly 
 commission in Edinburgh, December, 1706. 
 His wife, afterwards Mi's. Wodrow, was a 
 lady remarkable at once for personal accom- 
 plishments, and for exalted piety ; she had 
 sixteen children to Mr. Wodrow, nine of 
 whom with their mother, sur\ive(l their 
 venerable pai'ent. The following is a brief, 
 but authentic account of the family. — There 
 'were survi\'ing at the time of the historian's 
 death, four sons, and ^ve daughters. The 
 eldest son, Robert, was his successor in the 
 parish of Eastwood, but retired from the 
 charge by reason of bad health, and other 
 infirmities. He was twice married, and had 
 six or seven children. His eldest son settled 
 early in America, and his only surviving 
 daughter went there also about 20 years 
 ago, with her husband and family. The 
 second son, Peter, was minister at Tar- 
 bolton ; married the youngest daughter of 
 Mr. Balfour of Pilrig, near Edinburgh ; and 
 left one son. His third son, James, became 
 minister of Stevenston ; married Miss 
 Hamilton, daughter of Mr. Gavin Haniil 
 c 
 
XVlll 
 
 ton, a distinguished bookseller in Edin- 
 burgh, and son of Mr. William Hamilton, 
 professor of divmity, and afterwards prin- 
 cipal of the college of Edinburgh ; and left 
 one daughter. Miss Wodrow, now residing 
 at Saltcoats in the parish of Ardrossan. 
 His fourth son, Alexander, settled in America, 
 .lad an estate there, and died about the end 
 of the first American war. After the death 
 of the historian his widow and daughters 
 lived in Glasgow, and were much respected 
 for their enlightened piety, and agreeable 
 manners. Mrs. Wodi'ow died in 1759; 
 leaving behind her in her eminently Christian 
 example, a legacy to her family, far more 
 valuable than all that the wealth of India 
 can command. After her death, the eldest 
 daughter, Mary, acted as the head of the 
 family, and managed its concerns with great 
 prudence and discretion. She was confined 
 mostly to bed seven years before her death, 
 and exhibited to all around her, a distin- 
 guished pattern of cheerful resignation and 
 lively hope. The second, Margaret, was 
 married to Mr. Biggar, minister of Kirk- 
 oswald, and left four daughters ; the youngest 
 of whom is at present the amiable spouse 
 of Mr. Inglis, the worthy pastor of the 
 parish. The third daughter, Marion, kept 
 house with her brother at Stevenston, till 
 his marriage, when she retiu-ned to her 
 sisters in Glasgow, whom she attended with 
 affectionate care through life and in death. 
 She had a literary turn; corresponded in 
 the magazines of the day ; and wrote some 
 popular Scotch songs, a small collection of 
 which are still extant in manuscript. The 
 fourth daughter, Janet, was a most singular 
 
 MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 character in those days, though Mrs. Fry, 
 and some other distinguished daughters of 
 benevolence in modern times, render her 
 character not so uncommon now. Her 
 days and nights were devoted to the poor, 
 to whom she gave her personal but unosten- 
 tatious attendance, as her deeds were not 
 known, even to her sisters, till after her 
 death. She visited the haunts of the poor, 
 the sick, the helpless, and the dpng ; and 
 kindly ministered both to their temporal 
 comforts, and their spiritual welfare. She 
 died at the early age of forty, and her 
 funeral was attended by an unusual crowd 
 of afflicted mourners. The youngest 
 daughter, Martha, died early, after a long 
 course of very infiiin health, during which 
 she exhibited much amiable and Christian 
 resignation. — The surviving male represen- 
 tative of the family in this country, is Mr. 
 Wodrow of Mauchline, Ayrshire; whose son 
 William is at present the accomplished and 
 pious pastor of the Scots chiu^ch. Swallow- 
 street, London. 
 
 Mr. Wodrow's mortal remains lie interred 
 in the church-yard of Eastwood, where no 
 stone as yet appears to mark the sacred 
 deposite. Be it so. " The memory of the 
 just is blessed," and to our venerable eccles- 
 iastical Historian, may the sublime words of 
 the Apocalypse be emphatically applied — 
 " Blessed are the dead which die in the 
 Lord, from henceforth ; yea, saith the Spirit, 
 they rest from their laboius, and their works 
 do follow them" 
 
 R. B. 
 
 Paisley, January \lth, 1828. 
 
ORIGINAL LETTERS 
 
 MR. WODROW. 
 
 From the voluminous and valuable correspond- 
 ence of the Historian still in MS. we have 
 selected a few specimens for the gratification 
 of our readers. 
 
 Letter I. 
 
 To Mr. George Redpath, London, in reply to 
 the letters inserted in the body of the Memoir. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 When I had answered yours of the 3d., and 
 was waiting an opportunity to send it to you, 
 I am favoured with yours of the 10th of August, 
 which is a new tye laid on me ; and our com- 
 mon friend the Principal of Glasgow (Stirling) 
 tells me, I shall have an occasion of sending 
 my answers to both these safe to you by some 
 acquaintances of yours to be in this country in 
 a few days. 
 
 I forgot in my former to desire you, when 
 you got access to the Secretary's office, particu- 
 larly to look after that letter of the king in the 
 time of the Pentland executions, ordering a stop 
 to be put to the executions. It is December 
 1666. It is generally believed here, that such a 
 letter was writ, and came to the Archbishop of 
 St. Andrews as President of the Council in the 
 Chancellor's absence, and that he kept it up till 
 a good many more were execute. 
 
 No doubt you may fall upon a great many 
 important papers there, which we can have no 
 access to here, and you are fully able to judge 
 which of them will be proper for the design of 
 the History of the Sufferings : and what are not 
 here, you will know by my papers, in which I 
 took care to insert every thing of importance [ 
 found in the registers ; and I shall, as soon as 
 occasion offers, and I have your address, send up 
 some more of them to you. 
 
 It is most certain, our History, since the Re- 
 formation, is not writt as were to be wished. 
 A great many very considerable discoveries have 
 been made since the Revolution, and some before ; 
 \vhich Buchanan, Knox, and Calderwood, had 
 aot access to know ; and many helps are now in 
 our hands these good men had not. Besides, 
 wc have a long blank from the death of James 
 the Vlth. to this day, during which interval we 
 have nothing of a History. But I never enter- 
 
 tained any thoughts of beginning so high, or 
 essaying any thing like a complete History. The 
 account of our Sufferings from the Restoration to 
 the Revolution, was truly too much for my share, 
 and only undertaken with a view to set matters 
 under a just light as to Presbyterians' Suffer- 
 ings, and not to be a complete History even of 
 that very period. Indeed, there was little thing 
 else but oppression, barbarity, and perfidy, in 
 that black interval ; and the account of Presby- 
 terians' Sufferings is almost all that a Church 
 Historian has for his subject for these 28 years. 
 Wherefore, despairing almost to see any tolerable 
 History of our church, and having my spirit a 
 little stirred with the thoughts that posterity 
 would not credit the one half of what was fact, 
 and that since the Revolution we have been so 
 much in the wrong to ourselves, the cause we 
 own, and our children, in not giving the world 
 some view of what this church underwent for 
 religion, reformation rights, and the cause of 
 liberty ; and likeways the vile aspersions of our 
 malignant and Jacobite enemies, who will be a 
 dead weight on the government as well as this 
 church, if not looked after; — wants not its 
 weight. These things made me essay a work 
 of this nature. 
 
 Sometimes 1 have thought, the History of this 
 Church is too vast a field for one man to enter 
 upon, unless he could give himself wholly to 
 it ; and could it be parcelled out in its different 
 periods among proper persons, it would certainly 
 be the best way of doing it. You see, the black 
 part, I don't well know how, hath come among 
 my hands. 
 
 Far be it from me to dissuade you from what 
 youpi'opose in your last, of completing our His- 
 tory. Since 1 heard of your design of continuing 
 Buchanan, I still reckoned you had your heart 
 on this necessary work ; and I was extremely 
 pleased to hear it was among your hands,' and 
 grieved that other things had so long diverted 
 you from it. We must certainly do things as 
 we can, when they are not like to be as we 
 would, in a time when the public interests are 
 but too little regarded ; and I beseech you to go 
 on to do all you can this way for your mother- 
 cliiu'ch and country. 
 
 If ever my History of the Sufferings comes to 
 
XX 
 
 ORIGINAL LETTERS 
 
 any Ijoariiig, so as IVieinls tliiiik it worth tlie 
 ))iihli.shiiig, it will shorten your work from the 
 Restoration to the Revolution. The design of 
 it being precisely upon the Sufferings, I can 
 scarce think it will be out of the road to publish 
 it separately when ready for that ; and I wish it 
 may stir up others to give us the other branches 
 of our History we need so much. 
 
 You may assiu'e yourself of the outmost assist- 
 ance in the work of our complete History I am 
 capable to give you, and you shall want nothing 
 I have in my small collection this way. Since 
 I was capable of remarking this lamentable de- 
 fect, I still picked up any thing that came in my 
 way which I thought might give light to our 
 History, without any thoughts of ever being in 
 case to do any thing myself; but mostly from an 
 Athenian spirit, and, I hope, some regard to the 
 interests of this church and the Reformation ; 
 and if you desire, you shall have a complete list 
 of what I have got in my hands this way. 
 
 In your former letter you desired to know 
 what is become of Mr. Crawford and Mr. 
 Sempill's Histories, and I shall give you what 
 I know anent them. Mr. Crawford was my 
 immediate predecessor in this congregation, and 
 a zealous, worthy, and diligent person, for 
 whom I shall still have a great value. His 
 History I read over many years ago. I hear 
 nothing of his son, who is co-presbyter with 
 me, his publishing it now, these several years. 
 The largest half of it, as far as our printed his- 
 torians go, contains not much, which I observed, 
 distinct from them, except a few remarks upon 
 Spotswood here and there. Neither do I remem- 
 ber, and I talked with its author upon his ma- 
 terials, that he had any papers of that time come 
 to his hands, distinct from our printed histo- 
 rians, except Scot of Coupar, and the MSS. of 
 Calderwood, at Glasgow ; and I dont remember 
 if his many infirmities of body suffered him to 
 go through them all either. This made me 
 advise his son to shorten that part of his father's 
 work, and give us only an abstract of the History 
 already in print, refeiTing to the authors and 
 principal papers in them, which Would have 
 reduced the first volume to a few sheets ; and to 
 intei'sperse a good many things that have not 
 yet been published. But nothing of this is yet 
 done so far as I know. 
 
 After king James' death, Mr. Crawford is 
 very short till the 1637 ; and from thence to the 
 lamentable division, 1650, he gives a very dis- 
 tinct and large account of matters, which I 
 heartily wish had been long since published. 
 Indeed, his style needs to be helped very much : 
 but he hath many valuable things, and a good 
 many of them from Mr. Robert Baillie's Letters, 
 which I shall speak somewhat of before I end. 
 He overleaps from 16.')0 to the Restoration, as 
 unfit to be raked into at the Revolution, and a 
 
 little after it when he wrote, lest these unhappy 
 divisions should kindle again by dipping into 
 them. From the Restoration to Both well, where 
 he ends, he hath not completed ; and there are 
 but a few hints of things which he would no 
 doubt have extended, had he been spared to 
 finish the work. 
 
 What Mr. Semple hath done I cannot give 
 you so good an account of, having never seen any 
 part of it. He told me about a year ago, that he 
 had the first volume, if my memory fail me not, 
 to the union of the crowns, perfected, and ready 
 for the press ; and that he designed speedily to 
 publish it. But since I hear nothing of it. This 
 I know, he hath had very great advantages iu 
 point of material. One night I was his guest, 
 and he let me see a vast many papers, upwards 
 of thirty quire, he had caused copy out of the 
 Bodleian and Cotton libraries, and other coUec- 
 tions in England. I looked over an Index of 
 them he had formed, and found they related 
 mostly to our civil affairs. Besides this, I know 
 he hath got great assistances from Sir James 
 Dalrymple, Sir Robert Sibbald, Mr. James 
 Anderson, and others about Edinburgh ; but I 
 imagine they relate mostly to the period before 
 the union of the crowns. What his materials 
 are since, I cannot say ; only I know he hath 
 had the advantage of Mr. Baillie's Letters. I 
 showed him a list of what papers I then had rela- 
 tive to our History, and it was but very few of 
 them he had met with, and he designed to come 
 and stay some weeks with me, and go through 
 them : but though this be six or seven years 
 since, I have not had the benefit of his company. 
 He knows of my design upon the Sufferings, 
 and has had a copy of the first part from the 
 Restoration to Pentland, to read, and presses me 
 to go on. This is all I know a doing here as to 
 our History. And after all, I am of opinion, 
 you ought to go on in your design. If you 
 should be prevented by another well writt His- 
 tory, I promise myself it will be satisfying to 
 you ; and if not, it were good to have things in 
 readiness, and still be going on. 
 
 It is, perhaps, too much for me to propose any 
 thing upon the method of this work to one whw 
 is so good a judge, and hath far more ripeness iu 
 this matter than I can pretend to. But ac- 
 cording to my plain rough way with my friends, 
 I just dash down what strikes me in the head 
 when writing. In an Introduction, I would 
 have the matter of our Culdees handled, which 
 I own nobody yet hath done to any purpose, 
 save the hints Sir James Dalrymple hath given 
 us in his collections ; and yet I am assured by 
 one who has considered this matter, and under- 
 stands that old part of our History as well as 
 any in this country, that much more might be 
 gathered about them ; and I am assured, Mr. 
 Anderson, our General Post-master, whom I 
 
OF Mil. WODROW. 
 
 XXI 
 
 suppose you know, liatli niuJc sonio valuable 
 advances witli regard to them. I take them to 
 have entertained a noble struggle, not only for 
 religion and its purity, against Komi», but even 
 for liberty, against the encroachments of our 
 princes ; and I sometimes fancy, that brave 
 manly temper that appeared before and after the 
 Reformation, and till the union of the crowns, 
 among Scotsmen, was in part owing to them, 
 and the seeds and principles they left before their 
 utter extirpation ; of which you have given so 
 good evidences from our old constitution in the 
 valuable paper you published about the 1703. 
 
 As to the period from the Reformation to the 
 union of the crowns, I would not be for reprint- 
 ing much of what we have already in Calder- 
 wood and Knox, (whom I should have begun 
 with) Petrie and Spotswood. The line and 
 thread of matter of fact would be continued, and 
 references for fuller accounts made to them. 
 But I wish the unlucky turns that Spotswood 
 gives to matters, and the facts which, as a com- 
 plete p<arty man, he suppresseth, were to be taken 
 notice of, and his disingenuity exposed ; which 
 you will be in case to do from the MSS. of his 
 you have. Besides the large MSS. of Calder- 
 wood, you may have considerable helps in this 
 period from several accounts wrift in that time, 
 and before king James' death. I have Mr. 
 James Melvil's Memoirs, of forty or fifty sheet ; 
 another History, said to be Mr. John IJavidson's, 
 about thirty sheet ; IMr. John Forbes Account 
 of the Assembly at Aberdeen, and the trial of 
 the ministers at Linlithgow, with the reasonings 
 at full length, about twenty sheet; Mr. John 
 Row of Carnock's History, which is pretty 
 large, and contains many valuable hints as to 
 the lives and characters of our ministers and 
 others, before the union of the crowns, I have 
 not met with elsewhere. You have Mr. Scot 
 of Coupar's Apologetical Narration ; and the 
 Authentic Acts of Assembly. Balfour's Annals 
 are at Glasgow, but it is mostly as to civil mat- 
 ters. I have just now got copies of a good many 
 letters 'twixt queen Elizabeth and king James, 
 which Sir James Balfour doubled of the origi- 
 nals, with some other papers relative to that 
 time. I have likewise a large History from the 
 Reformation to the 1610, writt at that time, I 
 know not by whom, of near two hundred sheet, 
 which is only ecclesiastical, and has the proceed- 
 ings of our Assemblies imbodied with it ; and 
 Archibald Simson, minister at Dalkeith, his 
 Annalet Ecclesicc Scoticana, written in a noble 
 style of Latin, about thirty sheet. It reaches 
 from the Reformation to king James' death. 
 
 There are some hints, not despicable, in Mr. 
 Blair and Livingston's Life f<ir the period 'twixt 
 the 1625 to the 16.37. And in the 1637-8-9, we 
 have great numbers of papers, narratives, and 
 controversies, about the Service Book. I have 
 
 the Proceedings of the Assemblies 1()3S and 1639, 
 with the reasonings at great length, twenty to 
 thirty sheet each. From thence to the 1660, 
 there is no want of materials. I have the Auto- 
 graph Acts of Assembly from the 1G42 to 1646, 
 in two folios, but wanting some leaves. The 
 rest of them are at E^dinburgh with the Regis- 
 ters of the Commission. I have a large ac- 
 count of the Assembly at Aberdeen, 1640 or 1641. 
 Bishop Guthrie's Account of this period is 
 printed ; and I have Sir James Turner's remarks 
 upon him, which are but short. A valuable 
 MS. is lately come to my hands, which was once 
 in Mr. Robert Douglas's possession, A History 
 of the Church and State of Scotland, from the 
 1638 to 1647, upwards of one hundred sheet, in 
 a fair hand ; and two volumes in folio, entitled, 
 " Register of Letters, Actings, and Proceedings," 
 from 1654 to 166 J, copied by Mr. Ker, the church 
 clerk. It contains nothing but copies of letters 
 'twixt our Scots noblemen and ministei's, and 
 Cromwell and the English managers and minis- 
 ters. It came to me only within this fortnight ; 
 and I can only say, it's a rich treasure. Out of 
 it I hope to get some considerable accounts of the 
 overturning of our religion and liberty at the 
 Restoration. The two volumes will contain 
 about five hundred sheet. 
 
 After the Restoration I mind nothing save Mr. 
 Kirkton's MS. History, which I have, and it 
 was of use to me as far as he goes, which is only 
 to Bothwell. Thus you have a list of what is~ 
 in my hands. I have forgot what I reckon the 
 most valuable thing we have remaining 'twixt 
 the 1638 and 1660, and that is, four large folios 
 of Mr. Robert Baillie's Letters, and the most 
 considerable public papers, not in print, inter- 
 spersed, which I have by me, from his grand- 
 children. He wrote almost every post when in 
 England, and you know he was much there 
 from the 1641 to 164S, and he gives the best ac- 
 count of the Assembly at Westminster I ever saw. 
 
 Wherein I can be helpful to you from any of 
 these you may freely command me, and I shall 
 most cheerfully communicate with you copies of 
 any of them that are my own, or copy for m)'- 
 self, and extracts out of others of them in any 
 point you desire to be satisfied in ; and I'll pre- 
 sume you'll not grudge me copies of any things 
 you have that are communicable ; and as large 
 an account as you can give me of the MSS. and 
 papers in your hands. IMy Lord Warriston's 
 papers, if they be his Diary, which I am told is 
 in his son's hands, were I as loose footed as I 
 have been, I could come to London to have the 
 benefit of reading it, not so much for the histori- 
 cal hints, which no doubt are valuable, but espe- 
 cially for his religion, and close living with his 
 God, and his rare experiences in prayer. I have 
 a good many of his letters and papers about the 
 unhappy difterences, in MS. 
 
XXll 
 
 ORIGINAL LETTERS 
 
 To be sure by this time I have -(vearied you 
 with two long scrawls. I very much long to 
 hear from you, and will assure myself you can- 
 not weary me. Principal Stirling tells me you 
 are beginning the Atlas for Scotland, and if I 
 can give you any assistance from a collection I 
 made long since of fossils and formed stones, 
 curious enough in their kinds, I gathered here- 
 abouts, and some Roman coins and instruments, 
 in my hands, dug up here, they shall be com- 
 municate to you. I must break off with my 
 best wishes that you may be preserved in health 
 long to be useful for your God and country ;— 
 and am, dear Sir, yours most smcerely and aifec- 
 tionately. 
 
 Sept. 23, 1717. 
 
 Letter II. 
 
 To the Rev. Mr. James Hart, one of the Minis- 
 ters of Edinburgh. 
 
 R. D. B. 
 
 I was much pleased to have another letter from 
 you the 4th of Oct. though it contains a reproof. 
 You have writt so seldom these ten or twelve 
 months, that I fancied you had some other from 
 whom you expected accounts of matters here ; 
 and when I ara for some time out of the road of 
 ^vriting, I find myself ready to forget my friends 
 even when matter offers, which makes me ear- 
 nestly wish to have my correspondence with you 
 more stated and customary. I know wel' you can 
 never want matter, though many times I may. 
 
 "The visitors of the College, in September, de- 
 clared the election of a new Rector irregular and 
 unwarrantable ; admonished Mr. Uick, one of 
 the Regents, to be more diligent in his work; 
 and received and read a paper of gi-ievances 
 against the Principal, but went through only 
 two articles of them : the first about a bond of 
 2500 merks, which was paid in the time of the 
 confusions at Glasgow in the framing of the 
 Union, and no distinct account can be given of 
 the money. It lands on Mr. Law and the Prin- 
 cipal. All the masters who signed the accompts 
 that year are found liable to the College, and to 
 have their relief as law accords. The other 
 article was an act of faculty, excluding Mr. 
 Loudon from meddling with the College ac- 
 compts, because of some things he insisted on 
 before he would engage in approving or disap- 
 proving them, in which the rest would not yield. 
 Tills act is rescinded. The management of 
 affairs, till a new Rector be chosen, at the ordi- 
 nary time next year, as to their tacks, accounts, 
 &c. is committed to the Principal, Professor of 
 Divinity, and Dean of Faculty, and Mr. Car- 
 michael and Mr. Loudon. The rest of the griev- 
 ances are reserved to the meeting of visitors at 
 Editiburgh, Oct. 28th. None of the sides, they 
 say, are entirely pleased at what is done, and 
 
 therefore such as pretend to be indifferent say 
 the determination is the juster. But the main 
 points are yet to come, and what is done is pre- 
 liminary. 
 
 Our Synod, last week, had the Presbytery of 
 Glasgow's reference of Mr. Anderson's call be- 
 fore them ; the Ministers' reasons of dissent and 
 the Town's answers were read, and the Minis- 
 ters' answers to them heard, viva voce. The 
 advice given at the close of the last SjTiod, when 
 the house was thin, (to faU from Mr. Anderson) 
 was disliked by the Synod now when full, and 
 it was agreed not to be recorded. It appeared 
 plain, that the particular and general Session 
 were for Mr. Anderson, but the debate ran upon 
 the form of the call. The Ministers are not 
 named in it, because they had dissented. The 
 Magistratescall, innameof the whole town; and 
 some other singularities not used in former calls. 
 The Ministers disclaimed a negative, and yet 
 insisted on a share in calling, as colleagues. We 
 had long debates upon the nattu-e of particular 
 and general Sessiotis, and the ministers (except 
 Mr. Clerk) insisted mostly on this reason, that 
 the general Session, not the particular Session, 
 were the proper callers ; whereas, in this case, 
 they are but consenters, because when particular 
 sessions were set up, 1649, the power of calling 
 was reserved to the general Session, till altered 
 by the Assembly ; and allege they have still been 
 callers since. They insisted further, that the 
 particular Session being but nine or ten, and the 
 Council thirty-two, if the power of calling were 
 lodged in the Council as heritors, and the Session, 
 the last would still be overruled, and the magis- 
 trates might bring in whom they pleased. The 
 magistrates declared they never had (nor would) 
 overruled the particular Session ; that they still 
 allowed them to meet and agree on the persons 
 to be called, whom they had still agreed to ; and 
 alleged in the present case, both the Council, 
 general and particular Session, were agreed ; and 
 the ministers, by their standing out, were essay- 
 ing to overrule them all. The vote came to be 
 stated, — concur with the call, and transmit it to 
 the Presbytery of Dumbarton, or refer to the 
 Assembly ; and it carried ; — concur 63 ; refer 41; 
 whereon the ministers and four or five of the ■ 
 Presbytery appealed to the Assembly, and gave 1 
 in a complaint verbally against Mr. Anderson, 
 which the Synod obliged them to bring in in 
 write, signed, to-morrow. To prevent this, a 
 committee for peace was proposed for to-mor- 
 row, who heard the ministers and Mr. Anderson 
 upon the heads of the affair, but in vain; when 
 their complaint was given in in Synod, and 
 referred to the next Synod to be considered. It 
 runs all on Mr. Anderson's printed letter to 
 Pardovan, which no doubt you have : the min- 
 isters deny all the marginal notes, and Mr. 
 Anderson offers to prove them. 
 
OF MR. WODROW. 
 
 XXiU 
 
 Thus you have an answer to botli queries. I 
 have writt to cm- brethren as you desire. Pray 
 send nie an account of that soldier in Flanders 
 who had occasion to see king William at bis 
 private devotions. My service to Mr. Flint. 
 Alillar, Maclaren. Write frequently to me. I 
 hope to see you in November. I am yours most 
 affectionately. 
 
 Eastwood, Oct. 8th, 1717. 
 
 Letter III. 
 
 To Mr. James Anderson, General Post-master 
 for Scotland. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 It is with the utmost pleasure that I send you 
 the coins we were talking about, P. Ch. Bap- 
 tisme piece ; one of James the I. very rare ; and 
 another of James the II. with odd hair and 
 crown. 
 
 The old seal of ivory seems to have been the 
 buckle of a belt. It was found in a grave in the 
 Isle of Tyrie. I read Sigillum Ducts, but can 
 make no more. 
 
 If any of these can be any way useful to you 
 in your noble design, De lie Diplomatica, I'll 
 be mightily pleased. I'U have a copy of Mr. 
 Martin's History of Saint Andrews for you as 
 aeon as may be. Any other MSS. I have you 
 may freely command as if they were your own. 
 
 When you get Whiston's papers, and have 
 done with Bradbury's Sermon, I'U be fond of 
 them and of any other Pamphlets you get from 
 London, when you and your friends have perused 
 them. I own this is too much to propose ; but 
 my Athenian spirit makes me impudent. 
 
 Above all, allow me to put you in mind of 
 sending me all you can recoUect about that great 
 man Jerviswood. I am just novr essaying some 
 account of him. 
 
 Accept of my humble thanks for all your 
 favours, and give my humble duty to your lady ; 
 and am impatient to hear from you. I am 
 yom's, &c. 
 
 Eastwood, Nov. 19, 1717. 
 
 Letter IV. 
 To Mr. James Trail, Minister at Montrose. 
 
 Feb. 27, 1718. 
 R. D. B. 
 
 I return you my kindest thanks for your com- 
 municating to me what you know of a new pro- 
 jected rebellion; and had it been with fewer 
 apologies, it had been so much the more kind. I 
 have accounts from several other places, of the 
 extraordinary stirrings of the Jacobites, and their 
 elevation, especially since our wrath-like divi- 
 sions at court. 
 
 It was a little after harvest, that I was both 
 fretted, vexed, and alarmed, with an account I had 
 
 (when the bird was flown, and no reaching him,) 
 of u lUghlandman, who came into a country 
 house in a neighbour parish, in habit mean 
 enough, and got lodging. There happened to 
 be a Highland sei"vant in the house, and accord- 
 ing to their clannish way, in some few hours 
 they turned very big; and next day when he 
 went off, he took out a pock, as she says, which 
 would have held a peck of meal, full of letters, 
 and told her he was come from their king, and 
 he would be here against next May or summer ; 
 and was going to their friends in the Highlands, 
 that they might make ready for him. This the 
 servant discovered that day to a sister of hers in 
 great concern, but too late, for some days passed 
 before it came to my hands. 
 
 W^hen our unhappy divisions broke out in a 
 flame, which, by a line from your brother Wil- 
 liam, I find some in that country take for a poli- 
 tick, but if so, it is from hell and Rome ; my 
 fears increased, and now your distinct account 
 of matters heightens all to me. I have not got 
 much time to reflect on things since sending my 
 answer with our friend. We have been sup- 
 porting one another with things of which wc 
 are not good judges : the good terms Spain and 
 king George are in, and how much it wiU be 
 against the Regent's interest, who appears no 
 great bigot to any religion, to connive at such a de- 
 sign ; with the late accounts we have of Sweden's 
 being off his former projects and on a new lay. 
 
 These are all guesses, and scarce so much, and 
 moral prognosticks in our case, for dreadful judg- 
 ments, I own, do more than outbalance them. 
 To those indeed I have no answer, but what 
 for my share I tremble to misapply, and I fear 
 we have too little observed it, and I am sure far 
 less improved it : Its Hosea xl. 8. " I wiU not 
 execute the fierceness of mine anger : for I am 
 God and not man : the Holy One in the midst 
 of thee." 
 
 I am ready enough to hope, that our Jacobites 
 do magnify matters and all they can to support 
 one another in their vfickedness ; especially now 
 that they have so promising a game from our 
 own divisions. And I cannot but wonder that 
 the government, who you seem to apprehend are 
 apprized of the danger, do not think fit to take 
 other measures ; and none of our parliament 
 men come down, when some of them have parts 
 where their presence is necessary. 
 
 But if the Lord be to send us to the furnace, our 
 sins are great enough to provoke him to infatu- 
 ate us, and leave us to our own councils. How- 
 ever, Dear B. let us be still at our proper work, 
 that when he comes, we may be found so doing, 
 and essay to keep up our trembling confidence 
 in Scotland's God, who, I hope will not make 
 an utter end, but correct us in measure. 
 
 AU the improvement I can make of your 
 accounts is, to stir up myself, and any of God's 
 
XXIV 
 
 ORIGINAL LETTERS 
 
 praying remnant I have access to, to stand in the 
 gap, and earnestly be"; you may not despond, nor 
 faint imder your many damps. I know your 
 soul is among fierce lions ; and I assure you, you 
 ^vaiit not some here who allow tliemselves to 
 bear burdens with you, and get leave to do it. 
 I fear the Lord has a peculiar reckoning with 
 the west of Scotland, and we may come as soon 
 to feel the fruit of sin as you. However we are 
 in God's hands, and let us still venture our all 
 upon him. 
 
 I have some letters lately from New England 
 and Holland, which I must defer till my next. 
 Onlj' let me beseech you by our friendship to 
 write as soon as possible again with all freedom, 
 and to write as frequently as may be ; let us at 
 least, while we may, have the satisfaction of un- 
 bosoming ourselves one to another. Great grace 
 be with you. I am yours most affectionately. 
 
 Letter V. 
 To the very Reverend and learned Cotton Mather, 
 D. of D. and Minister of the Gospel at Boston, 
 (N. E.) 
 
 R. and D. Sir, 
 
 Your most obliging letter of the 4th day of the 
 10th month came to my hand some weeks ago, 
 with the valuable packet of what you published 
 since I had the favour of hearing from you. 
 
 Your " JVIalachi," with its companions, were 
 most acceptable to my lord Pollock, who re- 
 turned to his country-seat here some weeks ago, 
 entered into his 70th year, and is very much 
 refreshed with yours to me, and gives his kindest 
 respects to your venerable parent and yourself. 
 He is much weakened through his close and 
 conscientious application to the business of the 
 nation ; and I fear we shall be in some little time, 
 may it be late, deprived of this excellent person. 
 
 It refreshes my spirit to find your hope still 
 continuing, that anon we shall see Joel's pro- 
 phecy fulfilled. I remember, about the 1713, or 
 thereby, you assured me Obadiah's prophecy was 
 near to its execution upon the highfliers, and 
 in part we have seen it verified; and the great 
 thing we want after such wonderful deliverances, 
 you have so graphically described in your Token 
 for Good, is the downpouring of the Spirit from 
 on high. May it be hastened ! O why do the 
 chariot wheels of our Lord tarry ! 
 
 The tendencies in popish coimtries to shake off 
 the yoke of popery, are indeed very remarkable j 
 and we have strange accounts from France, 
 which, I persuade myself, you have from better 
 hands than mine. Sometimes it's damping to 
 me, that at the appearance of Jansenius, there 
 was no small stir, and the appearances of a break 
 of the day then, yet all was stopped by politicks, 
 which I wish may not be the event of the present 
 commotions thei'e also. 
 
 I have presumed once more to pay my duty to 
 your very reverend and excellent parent, and 
 enclosed it in yours. 
 
 Some years ago, I had the pleasure of reading 
 in the Transactions of the Royal Society, some 
 extracts of your Letters, 1712 and 1713, to Dr. 
 Woodward, in whom I presume to have some 
 interest, and Mr. Waller, which, indeed, raised 
 my appetite rather than satisfied it ; and I don't 
 know how, but till this time it still escaped me 
 to write to you anent some of them, of which 
 larger accounts would be extremely satisfying. 
 Some things pointed at there I think I met with 
 in your excellent " Magnalia," and your father's 
 Essay on Remarkable Providences. But such 
 is my Athenian temper, that I covet much to 
 have many of the things of which we have but 
 scanty accounts, from yourself, when your leisure 
 allows. It is my loss, and that of many others, 
 that we have not the full copies of your valuable 
 Letters referred to in that short abstract. 
 
 Next to the things accompanying salvation, I 
 have been for some time wishing earnestly for 
 some account of Remarkable Providences ; and 
 next to these, the Wonders of God in his Works, 
 as we call them, of Nature. The hints at the 
 macula materna ; the particular discoveries made 
 in dreams, which the publisher of the abstract of 
 your Letters very much overlooks ; the Indians' 
 knowledge of some constellations by the names 
 we use, before the accession of any European 
 knowledge ; your peculiar method of finding out 
 the Julian period ;— are subjects I would be most 
 fond to have large hints of, but am ashamed to 
 ask them. And especially the inscription on a 
 rock at Taunton, in unknown characters that 
 seem hieroglyphical, and of kin to tho Chinese; 
 with your latter remarkables of nature and pro- 
 vidence. I have for some time been much en- 
 deared to Natural History, and the wonders of our 
 God in his works of creation and providence, and 
 take both to be a noble tra^^yot, and accessory to 
 our more important studies. 
 
 It is high time I should come to give you some 
 hints of matters with us ; and it is but a very 
 melancholy account I can offer in many respects. 
 We have mismanaged our wonderful deliverances, 
 and forgotten God's wonders at the sea, even 
 the Red Sea. Iniquity abounds, and the love 
 of many waxeth cold. Unheard of provoca- 
 tions abound in this country these five or six 
 months past. A flood of impurity and whore- 
 doms prevails in city and country ; and since I 
 wrote to you last, there have fallen out, in, and 
 about our neighbouring city, eight or ten mur- 
 dei's, and attempts that ^vay; and " blood touch- 
 eth blood" in a frequency we have known nothing 
 of since the Reformation. Satan is come down 
 in great wrath, O may his time be short ! 
 
 AU societies among us almost are misera])]y 
 torn, and the anger of the Lord hath divided 
 
OF MR. WODROW. 
 
 XXV 
 
 us. We are biting and devouring one another, 
 and like to be consumed ono of another. In our 
 neighbouring city of Glasgow, where, since the 
 Revolution, unity and harmony, and conse- 
 quently vital religion, flourished, now, heat and 
 strife, and every evil work abound. The Uni- 
 versity is split and broken. The magistrates 
 and ministers are at present in no good terms : 
 and in other societies through this nation we are 
 but too much in the same circumstances ; and 
 what of this sin and shame is in our most 
 elevated societies, no doubt you have the melan- 
 choly accounts. These open a door for new 
 attempts of our enemies, and the Jacobites have 
 taken new life from those favourable sjinptoms 
 as to them. Multitudes of them are returned 
 from abroad, and they ai'e meditating new dis- 
 turbances; and the clemency of the government 
 is so far from moving them, that the rebels are 
 more uppish than before this last attempt. 
 
 Such things among us call aloud for your sjin- 
 pathy and prayers, and it is for this end I lay 
 before you what otherwise I would choose to 
 draw a veil over. I know we have had your 
 deep concern, when formerly brought low for 
 our iniquity, and now we need it as much as 
 ever. 
 
 Dear Sir, I rejoice matters are in better bear- 
 ing among you. May the kingdom of our Lord 
 be upon the growing hand, and may the accounts 
 j'ou shall be in case to send support me and 
 others under our sorrows here. May the Lord 
 preserve you long for eminent services, and 
 strengthen you more and more for them. 
 
 I'll presume to hope you'll take all occasions 
 which offer to this country, and oblige me with 
 as large notices of matters with you, and com- 
 munications from your learned and extensive 
 correspondence, and favour me with the produc- 
 tions of Boston from time to time. Meanwhile 
 believe that I am, reverend and very dear Sir, 
 your very much obliged, and most affectionate 
 brother and servant, R. W. 
 
 April 8, 1718. 
 
 Letter VI. 
 
 To the very Reverend and Venerable Mr. Increase 
 Mather, Minister of the Gospel at Boston. 
 
 Very Reverend Sir, 
 
 It was with a great deal of pleasure that by 
 your son the doctor's last kind letter, I find that 
 you are still labouring in our Lord's vineyard, 
 and bringing forth much fruit in your old age ; 
 and I could not but once more presume to 
 acquaint you how much I take myself to be 
 indebted to our common Lord for his preserving 
 in bis churches such old disciples and faithful 
 ministers, who have seen the glory of the former 
 house ^ as you, through grace, are. 
 
 Ajxd besides the valuable blessing there is in 
 
 this providence to the dear churches of New 
 England, I Iiave now for several years since I 
 had the honour of writing to you and your son 
 promised tayself a share in your prayers and 
 sympathy. 
 
 I should take it as a peculiar favour to have 
 another line from you with your directions and 
 advices, and your ripe and mature thoughts 
 upon the present appearances of providence as to 
 the Reformation, and the state of things through 
 all the protestant churches, and your hopes of 
 the coming kingdom of our Lord, before you get 
 to heaven. 
 
 We have many melancholy appearances among 
 us in this country ; and as to these I have un- 
 bosomed myself in part in mine to your son. I 
 could add much to you. In short, serious piety 
 among us is under a sensible cloud, and our God 
 is in a great measure removed from us. O ! im- 
 portune him to return with healing under his 
 wings ! 
 
 The controversy 'twixt the bishop of Bangor 
 and his adversaries is what hath made much 
 noise, and is like to make more in our neigh- 
 bouring nation ; and as the Bishop's papers are 
 sensibly inclining to some of the worst parts 
 of popery, so amidst many excellent advances 
 towards liberty, and against persecution, I am 
 mightily apprehensive the Bishop's tenets flow 
 from, or incline to, libertinism, and smeU rank 
 to me of the author of the " Rights of the Chris- 
 tian Church." No doubt you have the papers 
 pro and con, and I would most willingly have 
 your sentiments upon it. I hear likewise Whis- 
 ton's abominable heresy spreads mightily in 
 England. 
 
 But I fear I may be consuming your valuable 
 time, which you employ so well ; and must break 
 off with my earnest requests, that your comfort 
 and usefulness may be as the path of the just, 
 still growing more and more until the perfect 
 day, that you may be long a burning and a shin- 
 ing light. It will be a great comfort to me to 
 hear from you while you are able. Any thing 
 you have published since your last valuable pre- 
 sent, of which you have doubles by you, will be 
 most acceptable ; and if you will lay your com> 
 mands upon me as to any thing in this country 
 wherein I can serve you, you'll extremely obb'ge 
 me. I am, reverend and very dear Sir, your 
 most humble and very much obliged, R. W» 
 
 Letter VI f. 
 
 To Mr. John Erskine, at Edinburgh, (after- 
 wards Professor of Scots Law, and the father 
 of the late venerable Dr. Erskine. J 
 
 Deal Sir, Feb. 7, 1718. 
 
 J Yours of the 4th was more than satisfying. 
 Without any compliment, I never had any ac- 
 count that satisfied me so much as this ; and I 
 d 
 
XXVI 
 
 ORIGINAL LETTERS 
 
 now understand more of the constitution of the 
 church of Holland than ever. Their Synods are 
 delegate meetings, like our General Assemblies; 
 and they have delegates of delegates, like our 
 commission, which I own is the branch of our 
 constitution most liable to exception. Let me 
 luiow how many Presbyteries, or classes, there 
 may be in every Synod. Are there ruling elders 
 iTom every congregation in their classes? Do 
 their parochial Sessions agi'ee with ours? Do 
 their appeals lie from the Deputati Synodi to 
 the next Synods ? Let me have the minister's 
 name, and subject of the book at Rotterdam 
 that hath made such noise. Give all you can 
 further recover as to Fagel's Testament, and the 
 foundations alleged for patrons. It seems, 
 being so very late, they cannot found on the old 
 claim, Patronum faciunt dos edificatio donum. 
 I would likewise know their method of calls ; 
 if heads of families consent, and the Session 
 call ; if they have written and signed calls ; if 
 there be presentations by the magistrates or the 
 Amhachtsheers in write. 
 
 Give me the state of the Universities; the 
 balance 'twixt Cocceiansand Voetians; the state 
 of real religion in the provinces; the success of 
 the East India Company in propagating Chris- 
 tianity; the method of dispensing the Sacra- 
 ment of the Supper ; if at tables, the minister 
 speaks at the time of communicating ; if the 
 words of institution are pronounced at the distri- 
 bution ;— the accounts of the care of the poor; their 
 correction houses ; if any societies for reformat 
 tion of manners, or charity schools ; and what- 
 ever you remarked singular in their civil policy 
 and economy ; their present divisions, and the 
 strength of the Barnevelt and Arminian party. 
 You'll have heard of Mr. Anderson's aflfair at 
 Dumbarton, and that he was countenanced. I 
 am youi's most affectionately. 
 
 Lf.TTER VIII. 
 To the Reverend Mr. Benjamin Coleman, Minis- 
 ter of the Gospel at Boston, N. A. f afterwards 
 President of Harvard College. J 
 
 R. Dear Sir, 
 With great satisfaction I received yours of the 
 9th of December, transmitted by Mr. Erskine 
 to me, and with grief I perceive that yom' favour 
 to me hath lost its way ; for nothing ever came 
 to my hand but the note Dr. Mather sent me, else 
 I had not failed to have acknowledged it. » • * 
 There is too much occasion in one place or two, 
 for the accounts have been given you, of the un- 
 frequency of public baptism among us. In 
 Edinburgh, I mean, there is a scandalous com- 
 pliance with a custom, I don't know how, come 
 down to us from the South, of baptizing the in- 
 fants of most people of fashion in their houses 
 and this mtfthod is creeped in too much in Gla» 
 
 gow our neighbouring city. In the first named 
 place, our brethren go entirely into the ill habit, 
 and have brought themselves under no small toil; 
 under which I sympathize very little with them. 
 In Glasgow oui' brethren stand firmly out against 
 this innovation, and baptize no children but in 
 the church, or at public teaching ; however, some 
 ministers come in from the country and do it in 
 private houses. Except in these two cities, we 
 know nothing of private baptism. Through this 
 national church we have w^itnessed against it 
 since the reformation, and since the revolution 
 we have a standing act of Assemblj' against it, 
 which I am sorry is Ln any measure disregarded. 
 The gi'eat pretext some make use of for comply- 
 ing is, that if we refuse to baptize in families, 
 people will go to the tolerated party and the 
 exauctorate episcopal clergy, and leave our com- 
 munion ; l)ut really by our compliance with 
 their humours we have brought this yoke upon 
 ourselves ; and had we all stood our ground, 
 there could have been no hazard this way, but 
 many times we raise difficulties, and then turn 
 them over into arguments against plain duty. 
 
 I am sorry to add, that we have got a greater 
 iiTegularity among us than even those private 
 baptisms, and that is, especially in cities, parents 
 ai'e not dealt with in private, and admonished 
 and exhorted before they be permitted to present 
 their children, and ministers in our principal 
 towns know not who are to be admitted to that 
 solemn ordinance till the name be given up after 
 sermon is over. This is quite wrong, and what 
 I have been regretting for several yeai's. Other 
 sponsors I cannot away with, when parents 
 mediate or immediate can be had. But enough 
 of this. I hope it wiU raise your sympathy with 
 us, and accent your prayers for us. You have 
 reason to be very thankful to God, for the free 
 choice the Christian people among you stiU en- 
 joy with respect to their pastors. When we had 
 this before the miserable turn of affairs 1712, I 
 cannot say we improved it as we should. There 
 were parties and combinations sometimes of the 
 heritors and people of rank against the meaner 
 people in a parish. And sometimes these last 
 would oppose a worthy entrant, because people 
 of sense were pleased with him ; yet I must say, 
 these were but rare. But now, if the Lord open 
 not a door of relief, we are in the utmost hazard 
 of a corrupt ministry ; and our noblemen and 
 gentlemen, members of the British parliament, 
 being all patrons, we are in the worst case possi- 
 ble, for our judges are parties. 
 
 For several years I have had very little save 
 general accounts of the state of religion in the dear 
 churches in New England, from my very worthy 
 friend Dr. Mather. His correspondence is very 
 extensive, and I reckon myself extremely in his 
 debt for the short hints he favours tne with, and 
 the notices he refers me to in some of his printed 
 
OF MR. WODROW. 
 
 XXVU 
 
 sermons. But I eai'nestly beg you'll favour me 
 with every thing you'll please to think, were 
 you here and I at Boston, you would wish to 
 have ; the success of the gospel ; the state of real 
 vital religion; the number of your churches; 
 the progress of Christianity among the Indians ; 
 the order and method of teaching in the college; 
 the number of students; remarkable provi- 
 dences; conversions, and answers of prayer; and 
 multitudes of other things I need not name ; and 
 let me know wherein I can satisfy you, in any 
 thing relative to this church, and I shall not be 
 wanting, iu as far as my information goes, to 
 give you the state of matters with us. 
 
 I bless the Lord with ai( my heart for the new 
 set of worthy young ministers God is sending 
 V) his vineyard among you. It's certainly one 
 ■ if the greatest tokens of good you can possibly 
 have. I thank you for the printed account you 
 sent me, a copy of which, in manuscript, I had 
 sent me from London about a year and a half 
 ago, with a letter, which came along with it to 
 your friends at London, whereat with pleasure 
 I observe my dear brother Coleman's hand. 
 
 Please to accept my most hearty thanks for 
 the valuable sermons you send me. I have read 
 them with delight, and should I speak my senti- 
 ments of them, perhaps you would suspect me 
 of flattery ; and I shall only pray that there may 
 be a blessing upon them, and upon j'our further 
 labours in the pulpit and press. 1 had none of 
 them before, but I take care to communicate 
 vrhat of this kind I receive to my dear brethren 
 in the neighbourhood; and you'll favour me very 
 much if you send me any other thing. Since 
 my last I mind very little published in this 
 country, unless it be the three letters I with this 
 send you, designed against a set of people which 
 withdraw from our communion, because of 
 ministers their taking and holding communion 
 with such as have taken the oath of abjuration. 
 I beg you'll let me know whei'ein I can serve 
 you in this country. 
 
 ; I have very lamentable accounts of the pre- 
 valency of Cocceianism and Roel's opinions in 
 Holland ; and from France of the affairs of the 
 constitution, its being turned to a politick. But 
 of those matters, I doubt not, you have better 
 accounts than I can pretend to. I beg you'll 
 miss no occasion you have coming to Scotland 
 without giving me the pleasure of hearing from 
 you, and you may expect the like from, reverend 
 and very dear brother, your very much obliged 
 and most affectionate brother and servant, 
 April 8, 1718. R. W. 
 
 Letter IX. 
 To the Right Honourable my Lord liosse at 
 London, 
 My Lord, 
 1 have the honour of yours of the 9th instant. 
 
 for which I return my most hearty thanks ; and 
 I am satisfied that my last came to hand. At 
 the close of it, I remember I did express my 
 fears with respect to new flames in this church 
 upon any new stir about the reimposition of the 
 oaths. I thought I had expressed myself with 
 all softness in this matter; and if I have erred, 
 in running to any excess upon it, I am heartily 
 sorry for it, but I thought 1 had let a word fall 
 upon it on.y by the by. I own, my Lord, it 
 was my opinion, and still is, till I see ground 
 to alter it, that were matters let alone among us, 
 our miserable rents would very soon dwindle to 
 nothing; and if we that are ministers be not 
 such fools as to mix in with parties in the state, 
 and political ditferences that lie not in our road, 
 we shall very soon be entirely one. When I say 
 this, I hope your Lordship will not think I in 
 the least mean we should not appear against the 
 pretender and Jacobitism in all the shapes of it. 
 I reckon he does not deserve the name of a pro- 
 testant, and ought not to be in the holy office of 
 the ministry, who will not renounce, and declare 
 in the strongest terms against the popish pre- 
 tender, and all papists whatsomever their claim 
 to any rule over these reformed nations ; and I 
 know of no presbyterian minister of this church, 
 (if there be any, sure I am they ought to be 
 thrown out) who do not in the greatest sincerity 
 own and acknowledge our only rightful and law- 
 ful sovereign king George, and pray for him ia 
 secret and in public, and bear all the love and 
 regard for him that the best of kings deserves 
 from the most loyal subjects. But the longer I 
 live, the more I grow in the thoughts, that min- 
 isters should closely mind their great work, and 
 keep themselves at distance from all parties, save 
 protestants and papists, and the friends to king 
 George, and his enemies. 
 
 For my own share, if my ?ieart deceive me 
 not, I have no other views before me but the 
 peace and unity of this poor church, from which, 
 if we swerve, we counteract the divine law and 
 our great work as ministers, and extremely 
 weaken this church, and sink her reputation in 
 the eyes of such who wait for our halting ; and I 
 join heartily with your Lordship in blaming any 
 who run to excesses, affect strictness beyond 
 others, or instil notions to their people which all 
 their interest cannot remove again, and as far as 
 I am conscious to myself, I have still abhon-ed 
 such courses. 
 
 Yet, my Lord, when I vvTote last, and still, I 
 cannot altogether get free of my fears, though I 
 wish I may be mistaken in them. Whenever a 
 bill is brought in relative to our church, I can- 
 not help being afraid that some clause or other 
 may be cast up that may be choking to severals, 
 even though at first the bill may be framed in 
 the best way that friends can propose it. When 
 the reference is taken out which so many stick at> 
 
Xxviii ORIGINAL 
 
 1 cannot but be concerned lest something ipay be 
 put in its room that maybe straitening, not only 
 to such as did not formerly qualify, but even to 
 some who did take the oaths. And I have heard 
 some of them say very publicly, that if the 
 reference were removed, they would have a 
 difficulty, because it was then an illimited oath. 
 
 Besides, in conversation I have had occasion 
 to observe several persons of great worth, and as 
 firm friends to the government as in the king- 
 dom, and no enthusiasts either, who want not 
 their difficulties as to all public oaths in this 
 degenerate age, as being no real tests of loyalty to 
 the king and government ; and no proper marks 
 of distinction 'twixt the king's friends and foes ; 
 neither necessary for such who every day attest 
 their loyalty by their hearty prayers for king 
 George and his family; and I need not add theii- 
 thoughts of an unnecessary oath. 
 
 Those and many other things I have observed 
 now these six years since our breaches began 
 upon this head, too long to trouble you with, 
 will lessen your Lordship's surprise, that I was 
 afraid of new flames, and in my own mind 
 wished that there were no reimposition, but our 
 differences suffered to die away. I know the 
 strait with regard to the Jacobite nonjurors in 
 the north, of the Episcopal way. But the dif- 
 ference is vast, and the laws we have against 
 such who don't pray for king George nominatim, 
 (or if the laws be not plain, they may be made 
 clearer) do effectually reach them ; and there is 
 not among that set who will pray for his ma- 
 jesty, but will take the oaths too ; though that 
 is not the case of the west and south, or of any 
 presbyterian nonjurors that I know of. My great 
 ground of expressing my fears in the event of 
 reimposition was, that after I have considered 
 this matter as far as I could, I did not perceive 
 that form of an oath, but what would divide the 
 real and hearty friends of the king in their prac- 
 tices, and so endanger the peace of the church, 
 while at present, as far as I can judge, if mixing 
 in with different state parties do not prevent it, 
 we are upon the point of healing among ourselves, 
 and all differences wiU be buried. I am very 
 sensible, my Lord, how tender a point this is 
 that I have presumed to write upon, and should 
 not have ventured upon it if your Lordship had 
 not signified yoiu: desires, which shall still be 
 commands upon me, to have full accounts from 
 me upon this head. 
 
 What the reverend moderator of the commis- 
 sion writes to yom* I^ordship, that we are all 
 agreed in the draught sent up from the commis- 
 sion, I make no doubt, is according to the infor- 
 mation he hath ; and I do not doubt, but the 
 form sent up from the commission will satisfy 
 the greatest part of such who did not formerly 
 qualify ; and if this tend to the healing of the 
 rent of this poor church, as I am persuaded it is 
 
 LETTERS 
 
 designed, can say I am as heartily for it as any 
 minister of the church of Scotland ; though some 
 few should be brought to hardship under a 
 government they heartily love, and bless God 
 for. But I cannot go so far as to think that we 
 are all agreed in what is desired. And youv 
 Lordsliip will bear with me when I lay before 
 you some matters of fact which I know are true, 
 otherwise I would not presume to write them. 
 Thei-e are about ninety or a hundred who have 
 signified their assent to what is sent up from the 
 commission ; and your Lordship will remember 
 that there were upwards of three hundred for- 
 merly who did not qualify. Youll further notice, 
 that all who signify their consent to what the 
 commission have sent up expressly, and in so 
 many words, desire there may be no reimposition; 
 but if there be one, that it may be in the manner 
 proposed. And further, probably, by this time, 
 your Lordship will know, that another form of 
 an oath was proposed to the commission from 
 a considerable number of ministers in Fife and 
 Perth, met at Kinross, with some restrictions 
 and explications which the reverend commission 
 did not think fit to go into. And as I think I 
 hinted to you when I had last the honour to 
 converse with your Lordship, in October, we 
 had, what is now sent up by the commission be- 
 fore our Synod at Glasgow, and all the Presby- 
 teries considered it ; as far as I know, it was the 
 unanimous opinion of each Presbytery, that we 
 should lie stiU, and make no application that 
 might draw down new difficulties upon us ; and io 
 our Presbytery all our brethren were as one man 
 against it. 
 
 These facts I lay before you not to counter 
 any information sent you, which I dare not 
 doubt was according to the view matters 
 appeared in there ; but to give you a full state of 
 the matter as it stands ; and after all, as I saitl 
 just now, and my friend colonel Erskine has 
 informed you, I do sincerely think, that what the 
 commission has sent up wiU satisfy the most part 
 of those who stood out ; but fearing that severals 
 may remain under their difficulties, not in re- 
 nouncing the pretender, or in owning tht king's 
 only lawful and rightful title, but from their 
 apprehensions of homologating the laws about 
 patronages, and other burdens on this churcli, 
 by engaging in public oaths, and their doubts of. 
 their being proper tests of loyalty, and I did 
 express my concern to your Lordship lest new 
 flames might arise. 
 
 Thus, my Lord, I have wearied you, I fear, 
 upon this subject; what I wiite is only for your 
 Lordships information; and it's my earnest 
 prayer to the Lord, that you and all concerned 
 may be under the Divine conduct, and led to such 
 an issue in this matter as may be for the union 
 and peace of this church, and the interest of tnw 
 religion; and theo, I am sure, the lung's i»- 
 
OF MR. WODROW. 
 
 XXIX 
 
 terests will be promoted. For my share, I re- 
 solve ever to lay out myself to my small utmost 
 for these great ends. What my practice will be 
 in case of a reimposition, I cannot determine 
 myself, and ought not till I see the shape it comes 
 in. But I cannot help wishing there may be 
 none. 
 
 So long a scroll needs a very long apology, 
 which I was never good at, and must entirely 
 rely on your Lordship's goodness. I humbly 
 tliank your Lordship for your kind promise of 
 the Bishop of Bangor on the Sacramental Test. 
 I thought it had been but a pamphlet that might 
 have come by post ; but I was never wearied 
 with any thing that came from that masterly 
 pen ; and when any occasion offers of transmit- 
 ting it, it will be most welcome. I am sorry to 
 hear that the clause about the Sacramental Test 
 is out of the Bill, and it only relates to the 
 schism and occasional acts, ■which, %vhatever ease 
 it gives to our dissenting friends, I fear don't 
 answer what I earnestly wished and hoped would 
 strengthen the protestant interest, and his 
 majesty's service, as well as do justice to the 
 dissenters. 
 
 I'll be glad to know this comes safe to your Lord- 
 ship's hands, and presume to give my best wishes 
 to your Lordship and your noble family. Your 
 neighbours at Pollock are all very well. I hear 
 my Lord keeps his health very well this winter. 
 Permit me, my Lord, to assure you, that I am, 
 in the greatest sincerity, your Lordship's most 
 humble and very much obliged servant. 
 
 Jan. U, 1719. 
 
 Letter X. 
 To Mr. Samuel Semple, Minister at Libherton. 
 
 A. D. B. 
 
 I blame myself that I have been so long in 
 fulfilling my promise to you and Mr. Eliot of 
 London, who spoke to me in name of the Rev. 
 Mr. Neal, who, it seems, is forming somewhat 
 about Mr. Henderson ; and who desired me to 
 correspond with you ow this subject. The throng 
 of communions and my parochial work is what 
 really put this out of my head, till this day 
 it came in my mind, when you have not been so 
 kind as write to me, as \ think you promised to 
 do. It is a loss to me when I begin to write to 
 you upon this, that I know not precisely the sub- 
 ject these gentlemen at London would have our 
 help about ; whether it be precisely the pretended 
 declaration Mr. Henderson had palmed upon 
 him after he was dead; or whether they desire 
 an account of what remains of his we have. I 
 shall touch at both to you, and you'll know pro- 
 bably better than I which of them, or if both, 
 these gentlemen desire. 
 
 As to the declaration pretended to be made by 
 Mm on his deathbed, against Presbyterial govern- 
 
 ment, and in favour of Episcopacy, I had it once 
 in my hands, in 4to. printed at London, 1648, 
 and it is at present in our friend Mr. Jamea 
 Anderson's hands. When I glanced it over, 
 this spurious paper appeared to me to be very 
 dully written, about two years after I\Ir. H.'s 
 death ; at least it did not appear till then. There 
 is nothing in the style that in the least resembles 
 the nervous, solid, sententious, style of Mr. Hen- 
 derson ; and it was certainly framed by some of 
 the Scots Episcopal scribblers, who had fled to 
 England for shelter, and lived by what they 
 could earn by their pen. As soon as it appeared, 
 you know, the General Assembly, by their act, 
 August 7, 1648, gave a public declaration of the 
 spuriousness of this pamphlet, and insert the 
 strongest reasons that we can wish for, taken 
 from his constant adherence to oui* work of Re- 
 formation to his last breath, and that from wit- 
 nesses present. I could add some things I have 
 from very good hands to the same purpose. But 
 the declaration of the Assembly is so authentic, 
 that it needs no support. This declaration (pre- 
 tended) was, I suppose, reprinted by Dr. Hol- 
 lingsworth in 1693, in his Character of King 
 Chai-les the I. at least (for I have only the an- 
 swer to it) he is severely taken to task for his im- 
 posing a spurious paper on the world, by Lud- 
 low, in a printed answer to him, 4to, 1693, which 
 I have, where he brings some good remarks from 
 the style, and the Assembly's act, and the in- 
 scription on Mr. Henderson's monument, both 
 which he hath printed at length, to expose 
 this imposition. I mind no more I have seen 
 upon it, unless it be the editor of Mr. Sage's, 
 (one of our Scots Episcopal clergy at Lon- 
 don) 8vo. London 1714, publishes two letters 
 of his ; one containing an idle story of Buch- 
 anan ; and the other anent a verbal declaration 
 made by Mr. Henderson to Mr. R. Freebairn ; 
 no doubt you have the pamphlet, and it can bear 
 no faith, being published by a nameless author, 
 who may have forged it for Mr. Sage ; and 
 though it should be genuine, and Mr. Sage's, it 
 depends both on Mr. Sage's and Mr. Freebairn's 
 authority and memorie ; and that Ti'hich is 
 higher, Mr. Freebairn's father's memory ; and 
 some circumstances in the tale look a little 
 childish, and can never be laid in the balance 
 with the contrary accounts given by the General 
 Assembly. This is all I mind I have met with as 
 to the spurious declaration. 
 
 As to Mr. Henderson's Remains, in print and 
 in manuscript, if our friends at London want an 
 account of them, I shall give you a hint of what 
 is in my hands. Beside his parliament Sermons, 
 printed .at London in 4to. and his valuable Essay 
 upon the government and order of the Church 
 of Scotland, 4to. 1640, or 1641, which I can 
 vouch to be Mr. Henderson's ; and his Discourse 
 at the taking of the covenants, 4to. Lond. 1643, 
 
XXX 
 
 ORIGINAL LETTERS 
 
 and the letters which passed 'twlxt him and tlie 
 king on Episcopacy, in which, out of decency to 
 the king, he is allowed the last word, though 
 Mr. Henderson, as I am well informed, sent an 
 answer, and kept a copy of it, to the king's last 
 paper : I have in MS. Mr. Henderson's Sermon 
 at the Excommunication of the Bishops, 1638 ; 
 his Instructions about Defensive Arms; Direc- 
 tions about Voicing in Parliament, 1639; An- 
 8 ivers to some Propositions in Defence of Epis- 
 acy ; with some original Letters of his to Mr. 
 Douglas. If these hints can be of use to you or 
 the gentleuien at London, it will be a particular 
 pleasure to, reverend dear brother, yours most 
 affectionately, R. Wodrow. 
 
 Eastwood, July 4, 1726. 
 
 P. S. — D. B. You'll nbllgi? ine extremely if 
 you'll write me all your accounts of literature 
 and new books, and coveries you have from 
 England and elsewhere in your learned corre- 
 spondence ; and particularly, I hope you'll let me 
 know what you have in your valuable collection 
 of manuscripts, and scarce books and pamphlets 
 relating to the lives of our reformers, learned 
 men, ministers, and Christians since; Mr. Knox, 
 Willock, Craig, the Melvils, RoUock, R. Boyd, 
 Durham, Gillespie, Rutherford, and hundreds 
 of others I need not name to you : their origi- 
 nal Letters, Memoirs, &c. Pray send me a list 
 of any thing you have this way. You may 
 command what I have. I am again yours. 
 
 R. W. 
 
 Letter XL 
 To mij Lord Grange. 
 
 My Lord, 
 Having the opportunity of Mr. fllaxwell's 
 coming in, as his duty is, to wait on my Lord 
 Pollock home, I could not but signify the deep 
 sense I have of your goodness and singular 
 favours to me. I have gone through my good 
 Lord Poltoun's papers, though I cannot say I 
 have perused almost any of them, and sorted 
 them the best way I could. I found what I 
 was extremely pleased to find, in the bottom of 
 the chest, the volume that was wanting in the 
 original Calderwood, that is, the fifth volume, 
 from the 96 to King James his death, which I'll 
 take special care of, and have laid with the other 
 four volumes my Lord favoured me w^ith the 
 loan of. The Glasgow copy, and a copy which 
 now I have got from the College of Glasgow (it 
 was designed for poor Mr. Redpath,) in ex- 
 change, were very incorrect, especially in this 
 last part, and I hope this shall set us right. The 
 pleasure of that useful work being yet preserved 
 in the original, was more than a balance to some 
 disappointments I met witli in going through 
 
 the rest of the papers, where I have not yet met 
 with what I hoped foi-, though there are several 
 things that will be of no small use to me, I 
 hope, in the lives of our reformers, and their suc/- 
 cessors ; and several scattered hints as to Mr. 
 Calderwood liimself, and a great many papers 
 which are in the large History ; yet the bulk are 
 rough draughts and collections, and imperfect 
 papers, sadly erased, of which little can be made. 
 I would fain hope, that if further search be 
 made, some other papers may be fallen upon, 
 that may make up many of those that are in- 
 complete ; and when my Lord Pol toun, to whom 
 I repeat my most humble acknowledgments, finds 
 leisure, he may happen to fall on them. Mean- 
 while, I hope from thir to give eome tolerable 
 account of the great Calderwood. 
 
 Since my last, which I doubt not you received, 
 I had a short line from Ireland in the time of 
 the Synod, which I shall transcribe, that your 
 Lordship may have all I yet know in the matter. 
 In a little time I may be in case to give you 
 lai'ger accounts ; and you'll find it on the other 
 side. I have sent a dozen of M'Bride's pam- 
 phlets to Mr. James Davidson to sell, which 
 give a tolerable view of matters before the Synod 
 sat down. If your Lordship have glanced 
 Niven's case, it may come with my Lord Pol- 
 lock's servant when he comes west. There being 
 some things in it which are like to cast up among 
 ourselves ; which brings me to acquaint your 
 Lordship, that nothing is yet done at Glasgow 
 as to Mr. Simpson. In the end of May he went 
 to the country for his health. In June most of 
 the ministers of Glasgow w^ere out of town at 
 the goat milk. Last week the Presbytery met, 
 and appointed their committee to have their 
 remai'ks on his letter ready against their first 
 meeting, the first Wednesdc-y of August; and 
 Mr. Simpson is sent to be present that day. I 
 pray the Lord may direct all concerned in that 
 important matter. If it shall happen to be the 
 occasion of your Lordship's being in this country, 
 and if your other afi'airs allow you, it will be a 
 peculiar pleasure to me to see you here, where I 
 hope I shall be in case to entertain you for some 
 time, though not as I could wish, yet, I am sure, 
 the best way that I possibly can. I shall nt 
 have the pleasure of waiting on your Lordshij 
 at the commission, since the harvest will obligi, 
 us to have our communion, if the Lord will, on 
 the 1 ith of August, when I will be placed in 
 need of much sympathy and concern. Were it 
 not for this, though I be not a member, I might 
 probably be in at Edinburgh, since riding, I find- 
 agrees much with my trouble, which I am not 
 altogether free of. Meanwhile, I'll be fond to 
 hear from your Lordship at your leisure, and 
 am, my Lord, your very much obliged, and most 
 humble servant, Robert Wodrow. 
 
 July 19, 1726. 
 
OF MR. WODROW. 
 
 XXXI 
 
 Letter XII. 
 
 To Mr. Henri/ Newnian, Secretary to the Hon- 
 ourable Society for Propagating Christianity, 
 BartletVs Buildings, London. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I had yours of the 16tli curt, last post. It is 
 satisfaction enough to me (could they any way 
 answer the end of my being honoured to be one 
 of your corresponding members,) that my letters 
 come to your hand ; though you be not at the 
 drudgery of making returns, except when youri 
 leisure permits. I can form some notion of the 
 load of letters you have to answer, and only wish 
 I may not be a troublesome correspondent. 
 
 It pleases me to hear that the new account of 
 workhouses is so near to be published. I am 
 sorry that I cannot tell you of the opening of 
 that at Glasgow. The most active gentlemen 
 in that matter, and indeed the wealthiest people 
 there, are in the country from May to November, 
 and any thing of that nature, (in its beginning) 
 is, as it were, limited to the winter season. But 
 I hope I may acquaint you, that that good de- 
 sign is still going on, though stUl but in embryo ; 
 and whether it will be proper to take any notice 
 of it in the papers now printing, I must entirely 
 leave to your judgment. I sent you last spring 
 the paper printed upon that subject, to give some 
 view of the necessity of such a design. That 
 did not seem disliked by you, and had a good 
 eflfect here. In some few w-eeks there were 
 voluntary subscriptions cheerfully given to the 
 amount of twelve hundred pounds English 
 money, and more will certainly be given when 
 the money is called for ; I hope several hundred 
 pounds more. This is for the building and pro- 
 viding the house and necessaries. This last fall 
 and winter, when those concerned came to meet, 
 they have made a considerable progress. The an- 
 nual funds for that charitable design are agreed to, 
 and fixed at about nine hundred pounds, of your 
 money, per annum. There are twelve directors 
 agreed upon for each of the four societies who 
 advance the nine hundred pounds, and the bur- 
 den of direction and regulations will lie on a 
 smaller committee to be chosen out of these. At 
 their last meeting they seemed to agree that two 
 
 hundred poor should be taken in at first, and 
 their house fitted up for them ; but so as, if need 
 be, and funds answer, it may be enlarged, were 
 it to three or four hundred. This is all I know 
 as yet relative to this, and at your desire I have 
 given you the trouble of it by the first post. 
 You desire to know the methods used here for 
 the instruction of prisoners for debt, and espe- 
 cially the condemned in our gaols. In the coun- 
 try where I live, it is our mercy there are but 
 very few of these. You know we fall vastly 
 short of you in numbers, and it's not very often 
 that debtors lie long in prison ; where they do, 
 the minister or ministers of the place where they 
 are take care of them ; and it is not unusual, if 
 they desire, that with one of the town servants 
 they have allowance to come to public worship, 
 and return when it's over to their prison ; but 
 this is not ordinarily the case. When they are 
 confined long, the minister visits them in prison. 
 For criminals under sentence of death, a great 
 deal of pains is taken with them. Those are 
 generally at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, &c. 
 where there arc several ministers. These, by 
 turns, go to the prison, and take much pains on 
 them to prepare for death, generally once, or 
 oftener, eAxry day. And after sentence, the 
 prisoners, under a guard, are ordinarily brought 
 together on the Lord's day, and publicly prayed 
 for in all the churches of the city; and on the 
 day of execution, a minister or two attends them 
 to their execution. There is no need of funds, 
 you see, in this method of instruction ; and many 
 such extraordinaries, if I may call them so, fall 
 under the hands of ministers in our considerable 
 towns and cities. 
 
 I suppose Mr. William Grant, advocate, who 
 succeeds Mr. Dundas as advoCate for the chiu-cb, 
 and clerk to the General Assembly, shortly will 
 be chosen secretary at their annual meeting in 
 January to our society. He is a valuable man. 
 But I have not yet heard any thing certain 
 about it. 
 
 I am longing for your circular letter, and 
 conclude with my best wishes to the laudable 
 designs of the Society, and my most affectionate 
 regards to you, and am, dear Sir, your most 
 humble and affectionate servant, R. W. 
 
 Eastwood, Dec. 23, 1732. 
 
The preceding Letters have been selected from a collection of nearly five hundred in my 
 possession, all, or nearly all, in the handwriting of the Historian. The Reader will 
 observe, that the subjects treated of in these Letters are various and important ; and the 
 good sense, accurate information, and sound judgment of the Writer, will be readily 
 acknowledged. Besides the Letters by the Historian, there are still unpublished, upwards 
 oi five thousand, addressed to him by his various correspondents in all parts of the world; 
 &nd these embrace, more or less, all the great questions, political, religious, and literary, 
 which occupied public attention during the important period from 1700 down to 1732. 
 The Life and Correspondence of Robert Wodrow, judiciously arranged, and accompanied 
 with suitable Supplementary Illustrations, would form a most valuable present to. the 
 Republic of Letters. 
 
 R. B, 
 
 Pc&fey, Feb. 25, 1628. 
 
TO 
 
 THE KING.* 
 
 SIR, 
 
 The History of the Church of Scotland, under a long series of sufferings, 
 from which it was rescued by that great instrument of Providence, King WilUam of 
 immortal memory, is, with the profoundest humility, laid at your Majesty's feet. 
 
 Permit me to observe the adorable and just retributions of the righteous Judge of 
 all the earth. Your Royal Progenitors, the excellent King and Queen of Bohemia, had 
 the grace and honour vouchsafed them, to suffer for our holy Reformation, while they 
 were too much neglected by those in Britain, who ought to have supported them : your 
 sacred Majesty, with all your dominions, now reap the fruits of those glorious sufferings ; 
 and your happy subjects cannot but hope that there are many rich blessings in 
 reserve to your Majesty and your House, for a great while to come. 
 
 Your illustrious Father joined counsels with his highness William Prince of Orange, 
 for bringing about, under God, that wonderful turn of affairs, at the late happy 
 Revolution, which put an end to the sufferings I have described. A period of time 
 never to be forgotten by Protestants ! when our Reformation from Popery, with all the 
 religious and civil interests of Europe, were in the utmost danger : Popery had made 
 formidable advances ; a bigotted Papist had seated himself upon the throne, and was 
 in the closest concert with the French King, who, after he had, contrary to solemn 
 promises and treaties, ruined a glorious and numerous Protestant Church, was 
 strenuously carrying on his darling project of rooting out the northern heresy, and 
 grasping hard at the universal monarchy. " Then the Lord did great things for us, 
 whereof we were glad." 
 
 We had not long enjoyed our religious and civil liberties, till the time approached, 
 when our great deliverer, worn out with cares, was ripe for heaven, and called to enjoy 
 the glorious reward of the eminent service he was honoured to do for God and his 
 generation. It was then kind Providence put him upon securing and perpetuating 
 those great things oiu" gracious God had wrought for us, by entailing the Crown, and 
 settling the Protestant succession in your illustrious House. And we were at q 
 loss to determine, whether the Revolution itself, or the securing all the blessings of it 
 to us and latest posterity, was the greatest appearance of Providence for us and all the 
 churches of Christ. 
 
 Your Majesty's subjects could not but humbly and gratefully observe the only wise, 
 powerful, and good God, preserving this his own work, amidst all the artful and open 
 efforts, made afterwards to weaken and even overturn that happy settlement ; till we 
 had the inexpressible pleasure of seeing the same Almighty arm, at a season when our 
 dangers were only equalled by those we had been in at the Revolution, bringmg your 
 
 • George I. 
 
 e 
 
XXXIV DEDICATION. 
 
 excellent Majesty to the possession of that throne you now so much adorn. May our 
 gracious God, who performeth all things for us, preserve you long long upon it. 
 
 One can scarce help envying the happiness of that historian, who shall have the 
 honour faithfully, and in a manner worthy of so great a theme, to transmit to future 
 ages the glories of your Majesty's Government, and of such a lasting and happy reign, 
 as all good men most ardently wish you : but the snare fallen to me, is to give some • 
 account of a management, perfectly the reverse of the beauties of your Majesty's 
 administration; in which we see an happy temperature of the exercise of that 
 prerogative, which all good Klings ought to have, with the liberties of the subject, and 
 a just regard to the Constitution, a steady firmness and resolution necessary to all 
 great actions, mixed with that goodness and wisdom requisite to so great a trust. The 
 exalted and noble views which fill your Majesty's eye, are the glory of God, the 
 promoting of real religion, the felicity of your subjects, and the good of mankind ; and 
 we know not which most to admire, your extensive and paternal goodness to your 
 subjects, or your mildness to your enemies, which, to their lasting shame, is not able 
 to reclaim them : but my mean pen is, at best, every way below this noble subject, and 
 of late is so blunted with the melancholy matter of the following history, and our 
 miseries under preceding reigns, that it is perfectly unfit to enter upon the blessings of 
 your Majesty's government. May I presume to hope, that the uncontestable facts 
 recorded in this history, the arbitrary procedure, oppression and severities of that 
 period, the open invasion upon liberty and property, with the hasty advances towards 
 popery and slavery, must, as so many shades, be of some use to set forth the glories of 
 your Majesty's reign, even with some greater advantage than the best expressions of 
 the happiest pen. 
 
 Persecution for conscience' sake, and oppression in civil liberty, flow from the 
 same spring, are carried on by the same measures, and lead to the very same miserable 
 end ; so that they could scarce miss going together in a far better reign than those I 
 describe. When Asa put the Seer in prison, he oppressed some of the people at the 
 same time : but your Majesty's just and conspicuous regard to tender consciences 
 among your Protestant subjects, perfectly secures them from the most distant fears of 
 any invasion upon what is valuable to them, as men and members of a civil society. 
 
 Great Sir, you have the glory of taking a noble stand, in a manner worthy of 
 yourself and the great interests of Religion and Liberty, against the unmanly and 
 antichristian spirit of persecution, oppression, and tyranny, so peculiar to Papists, and 
 such who have been guided by their counsels. All the Protestant Churches are daily 
 oflfering up their thanks to God, for your generous and truly Christian appearances in 
 behalf of our oppressed brethren in Germany, and cannot cease from their most 
 fervent prayers for success to your Majesty's endeavours this way, in conjunction with 
 the King of R-ussia, your Majesty's son-in-law, and other Protestant powers. The 
 Church of Scotland must be nearly touched with the hardships put upon any of the 
 Reformed Churches abroad : in worship, doctrine, government, and discipline, she is 
 upon the same scriptural bottom with them. The Palatine Catechism was adopted by 
 us, till we had the happiness to join with the venerable Assembly at Westminster, in 
 that excellent form of sound words contained in our Confession of Faith, ratified by 
 
DEDICATION. XXXV 
 
 law, and our Larger and Shorter Catechisms. We suffered the hardships I relate, for 
 adhering to our Reformation blessings, and humbly claim the character of contending 
 and suffering for revolution Principles, even before the revolution was brought about. 
 And it was, when appearing for the liberties of the nation, as well as the principles of 
 our reformation, that Presbyterians in Scotland were harassed and persecuted ; and 
 yet they maintained their loyalty, and Just regard to the civil powers, even when 
 oppressed by them. They have been indeed otherwise represented by their enemies j but 
 whenever yoiu: Majesty's greater affairs permit you to look upon the following history, 
 I flatter myself you will have satisfying evidence, that they suffered for righteousness' 
 sake, and not as evil-doers. This they were taught by their Bibles. And now, when 
 we are relieved from such hardships, our plain duty and highest interests are happily 
 combined in an inviolable attachment to your most excellent Majesty's person, family, 
 and government. The least inclination unto a Popish pretender to the crown of these 
 realms, is a crime so black in our eyes, and so contrary to our principles and interest, 
 that we want words to express our abhorrence of it. The succession in j'our Majesty's 
 person and Protestant heirs, the very crowning stone of the revolution, is what we 
 ardently prayed and contended for, before it took place j and from our very souls we 
 bless the Lord for making it effectual in your Majesty's accession, and reckon ourselves 
 happy in the honour of avouching our inviolable duty, affection and fidelity to your 
 sacred Majesty, our only rightful and lawful Sovereign. 
 
 Permit me, in the most sincere and unfeigned manner, to join with the Church of 
 Scotland, in adoration and praise to our gracious God and Redeemer, who because he 
 loved us, made you King over us, to do judgment and justice, and hath raised up your 
 Majesty to maintain what he hath wrought for us, to preserve our valuable privileges, 
 and redress oiu* remaining grievances, brought upon us under the former unhappy 
 administration. May the same glorious God kindly lead you through such difficulties 
 as the manifold sins of those nations bring in your way, support yovu" sacred Majesty 
 under the fatigue and cares with which your imperial crown is surrounded, pour out 
 his best blessings upon j'our Royal Person and Family, and, in his great goodness to us 
 and those parts of the world, preserve you long the Arbiter of Europe, and Head of the 
 Protestant interest ; and after an happy and glorious reign over your kingdoms, and an 
 extensive and useful life to the church of God, mankind, and those lands, receive you 
 graciously to his blessed and eternal mansions above. 
 
 Meanwhile, great Sir, in the most submissive manner, I beg your Majesty's patronage, 
 and the liberty to inscribe this History to the best, as well as greatest of kings, and 
 presume, with your allowance, upon the honour of subscribing myself in this public 
 manner, with the greatest hvunility and sincerity. 
 
 May it please your most excellent Majesty, 
 Your Majesty's most faithful, 
 
 most dutiful, most devoted, and obedient subject, 
 
 ROBERT WODROW. 
 
THE 
 
 AUTHOll'S PREFACE 
 
 FIRST VOLUME OF THE ORIGINAL EDITION. 
 
 It must appear strange to all disinterested 
 persons, who know any thing of Scottish 
 affairs from the restoration to the revolution, 
 that there is a party among us who deny 
 there was any persecution of presbyterians 
 for conscience' sake in that period, and yet 
 rEiise a terrible cry of severity and cruelties 
 exercised upon the episcopal clergy at and 
 since the happy revolution. Presbyterians 
 are loudly called upon, to give an instance 
 of persecution during that time, except for 
 the crimes of rebellion and treason. It is 
 boldly asserted, and published to the world, 
 that no man in Scotland ever suffered for 
 his religion. Libels have been printed, and 
 carefully handed about, containing these 
 glaring untruths; and no small pains is 
 taken, and many artifices used, to impress 
 the English nation with them. Multitudes 
 of pamphlets were going about after the 
 revolution, larded with these and such like 
 aspersions upon the church of Scotland, to 
 which some just -answers were at that time 
 given. A new cry was raised, to the same 
 purpose, upon the death of om* glorious 
 deliverer king William, when a design was 
 formed to strengthen the anti-revolution 
 party, and weaken this church, by a bound- 
 less toleration, and the re-introduction of 
 patronages : but the last four years of queen 
 Anne's reign, were thought a most proper 
 juncture for propagating those falsehoods, 
 gradually to prepare the way for overturning 
 our revolution establishment, and conse- 
 quently the glorious settlement of the protes- 
 tant succession, and with those the religion 
 and liberties of Britain and Ireland. Sir 
 George Mackenzie's Vindication of the 
 Reigns of King Charles and King James, was 
 reprinted, and carefully spread, with many 
 
 other pamphlets, containing facts, assertions, 
 and representations of things, perfectly con- 
 trary to the knowledge and experience of 
 multitudes yet alive. The authors, abetters, 
 and grand promoters whereof were the 
 Jacobites, who threw off the mask at the late 
 unnatural rebellion, equally enemies to his 
 most excellent Majesty King George, and 
 the church of Scotland : and nothing could 
 move them to publish facts they could not 
 but know were false, save their engagement 
 in a party with foreign papists, their virulent 
 malice at our present establishment, and 
 obstinate zeal for the pretender, who is 
 educated and confirmed in Romish idolatry, 
 contradictions and tyranny, and therefore 
 the fittest hand to re-act the tragedies of 
 the unhappy period I am to describe, and 
 worse, if worse can be supposed. 
 
 I wish the prelatic party among us have 
 not been tempted to venture upon such 
 methods, by the culpable silence of presby- 
 terians, who have been so far from rendering 
 evil for evil, or measuring out to them 
 according to their measm'e, that, it must 
 be owned, they have been much wanting ta 
 themselves, their neighbours, and posterity, 
 in not representing true matter of fact, for 
 their own vindication. As this negligence 
 hath no doubt given considerable advantage 
 to the other side, so it hath been mucn 
 lamented by many, who, at this distance, 
 want distinct accounts of the unparalleled 
 severities of the former times : and now it 
 is, vnth some colour of reason, improven 
 in conversation and otherwise, as an argu- 
 ment that presbyterians have nothing to say 
 for themselves; and silence is taken for 
 confession in persons so nearly concerned. 
 It appeal's high time then, to let the world 
 
XXXVUl 
 
 THE AUTHOR S PREFACE 
 
 know, that presbyterians have not been so 
 long silent from want of matter, but from a 
 regard to the reputation of our holy religion, 
 and common interests of the reformation. 
 They were unwilling to seem in the least to 
 stir up the government to deal with the 
 persecuting party in a way of retaliation ; 
 and, till forced, in their own necessary 
 defence, to set matters in thdr true light, 
 and expose the severe treatment they met 
 with, they could have wished the inhumani- 
 ties of professed protestants, towards those 
 who were really such, had been buried in 
 oblivion. 
 
 The following work being extorted by 
 the impudence of those who are no friends 
 to the present establishment of churcJi and 
 state, they ought to bear the blame of any 
 misimprovement the enemies of our reforma- 
 tion may make of that persecuting spirit, so 
 peculiar to papists, when it discovers itself 
 among protestants. I am assured by a 
 worthy friend of mine, who was present at 
 a conversation betwixt Mr. Jeremiah White, 
 well known at London, and some persons 
 there of the first rank, some few years ago, 
 that Mr. White told, he had made a full 
 collection of all who had suflPered by the 
 penal laws in England, from the restoration 
 to the revolution, for nonconformity, their 
 names, the fines imposed, the gaols where 
 they were imprisoned, &c. That the number 
 of persecuted protestant nonconformists 
 exceeded sixty thousand, whereof above 
 five thousand died in gaol. King James, 
 after his accession, came to be informed of 
 this collection, and offered Mi*. White a 
 large sum for it, which he generously refused, 
 knowing the design a popisli prince probably 
 had in getting such papers in his hand, to 
 expose the church of England, and to 
 extenuate the just charge of the tyranny 
 and persecution of those of his own religion, 
 if popery deserves that name. But the 
 spirit of tyranny, imposition, and persecution, 
 ought to be abominated wherever it is : nor 
 do I see what handle papists can have to 
 insult protestants from the severities narrated 
 in the following history, since it is plain 
 these proceeded from themselves. The 
 duke of York, and his party, several of 
 whom turned papists, were at the bottom 
 
 of our persecution in Scotland : our prelates 
 were heartily in his interests ; his depend- 
 ants were the chief managers ; and any 
 relaxation allowed in his reign, was to serve 
 his own purposes, though presbyterians 
 happily improved it to the strengthening of 
 the protestant interest ; which, by the good 
 providence of God, made way for the 
 revolution. 
 
 An attempt is made, in the following 
 history, to give a well vouched narrative of 
 the sufferings of the church of Scotland, 
 from the (yeai-) 1660, to the never to be 
 forgotten year 1688, a work much wished 
 for by the friends of the reformation, and 
 lovers of our valuable constitution ; the 
 want of which hath been matter of regret to 
 the members of this national church, and 
 improven to her disadvantage by enemies. 
 The fittest season for a performance of this 
 nature had undoubtedly been thirty years 
 ago, when the particular instances of oppres- 
 sion and barbarity, now much forgotten, 
 were recent, and the witnesses alive. At 
 that time somewhat of this nature seems 
 to have been designed : narratives were 
 gathered, some of which have come to my 
 hands, but many of them are lost ; yet the 
 public registers, and the severe laws made 
 by our parliaments, and not a few well 
 attested instances of their terrible execution, 
 still remain. Indeed the courts held in 
 several parts of the coimtry, even those 
 clothed with a council and justiciary power, 
 either kept no registers, or, if they did, they 
 are since lost. It was the interest of those 
 who exacted fines, and pocketed them, to 
 suppress what they got ; and, in most cases, 
 they were not bound to give accounts of 
 what they extorted. Innumerable cases 
 occur in this melancholy period, where we 
 cannot expect accounts of the exorbitant 
 exactions and oppressions then so common, 
 such as subsistence money, dry quarters, 
 riding money, bribes, vast sums paid by the 
 friends of the persecuted, compositions, and 
 the like ; to say nothing of the barbarities 
 committed by the officers of the army, 
 soldiers, and tools of those in power, by 
 virtue of secret instructions, blank warrants, 
 illimited powers, and unwritten orders, for 
 supporting the government, and encourag- 
 
TO THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 XXXIX 
 
 ing '.he ortlioJox clergy, as was pretended. 
 At this distance then, and when most of 
 those who were persecuted, and many of 
 the witnesses to what passed, are removed 
 by death, it is plain, the following history 
 must appear with not a few disadvantages, 
 and cannot be so full and particular as it 
 might have been at, or a httle after the 
 happy revolution. 
 
 How the author came to engage in this 
 attempt, what were his motives and views, 
 are matters of so little importance to the 
 world, that it is not worth while to take up 
 the reader's time with them : it may be 
 of more use to give some account of the 
 materials I had, and somewhat of the 
 method I have followed in putting them 
 together. 
 
 Our public records, the registers of the 
 privy council and justiciary, are the great 
 fund of which this history is formed; a 
 great part of it consists of extracts from 
 these, and I have omitted nothing in them 
 which might give light to the state of the 
 church of Scotland in that period ; though, 
 in perusing and making extracts out of ten 
 or twelve large volumes, several things may 
 have escaped me. 
 
 It is with pleasure I observe a growing 
 inclination in this age to have historical 
 matters well vouched, and to trace up facts 
 to their proper fountains, with a prevailing 
 humour of searching records, registers, letters, 
 and papers, written in the times we would 
 have the knowledge of. If this temper 
 degenerate not into scepticism, incredulity, 
 and a groundless calling in question such 
 things as, from their nature and circum- 
 stances, we cannot expect to meet with in 
 records, I hope, it may tend very much to 
 advance the great interests of religion and 
 liberty : but such is the frailty and corrup- 
 tion of our present state, that men are too 
 ready to run from one extreme to the other, 
 and, because they are imposed upon in some 
 relations, to believe nothing at all, although 
 the e\adence brought is all the subject is 
 capable of, and no more can be reasonably 
 demanded. 
 
 Now, when I am insensibly led into the 
 subject of drawing history from public 
 papers and records, I cannot altogether 
 
 pass some beautiful strokes, to this purpose, 
 in that noble historian Josephus. It will 
 be of little use to most of my readers to 
 give the original Greek; and therefore I 
 shall insert the passages from the last 
 English translation. Many things lie scat- 
 tered through the works of that great man, 
 to this purpose ; but, in the entry of his 
 first book against Apion, he insists directly 
 upon the necessity of forming history from 
 records. Having taken notice of the lame- 
 ness of the Greek writers this way, he says, 
 " The Egyptians, Chaldeans and Phenicians, 
 to say nothing of ourselves, have from time 
 to time recorded, and transmitted down to 
 posterity, the memorials of past ages, in 
 monumental pillars and inscriptions, accord- 
 ing to the advice and direction of the wisest 
 men they had, for the perpetual memory of 
 all transactions of moment, and to the end 
 
 that nothing might be lost. It is most 
 
 certain, that there is no Greek manuscript 
 extant, dated before the poem of Homer; 
 and as certain, that the Trojan war was 
 over before that poem was written : nay, it 
 will not be allowed either, that Homer 
 ever committed this piece of his to writing 
 at all, but it passed up and down like a 
 piece of a ballad song, that people got by 
 rote, till, in the end, copies were taken on 
 it, from dictates by word of mouth. This 
 was the true reason of so many contradic- 
 tions and mistakes in the transcripts." — 
 He enlargeth, in what follows, upon the 
 faults of the Greek historians, and observes 
 their plam clashing and disagreement. " It 
 is evident (adds he,) that the history they 
 deliver is not so much matter of fact, as 
 conjecture and opinion; and that every 
 man writes according to his fancy, their 
 authors still clashing one with another. 
 The first and great reason of their disagree- 
 ment, is the failing of the Greeks, in not 
 laying a timely foundation for history, in 
 records and memorials, to conserve the 
 memory of all great actions; for, without 
 these monumental traditions, posterity is 
 left at liberty to write at random, and to 
 write false too, without any danger of being 
 contradicted,"— He further notices, that 
 this way of keeping public registers had 
 been neglected in Greece, and even at 
 
xl 
 
 THE AUTHOR S PREFACE 
 
 Athens itself: and adds, "without these 
 lights and authorities, historians must neces- 
 sarily be divided and confounded among 
 themselves." A multitude of other things, 
 to the same purpose, follow, too large to be 
 here transcribed. 
 
 The council and criminal coiurt had most 
 of the persecuted people before them ; from 
 their books I have given my accounts : and 
 the passages taken from the records are 
 generally marked with commas; this hath 
 drawn out the history to a far greater length 
 than I could have wished. Every body will 
 observe, that several of the passages might 
 have been shortened, and the principal 
 papers themselves abbreviated, and some 
 repetitions and matters of common form 
 omitted; yet I have chosen to give every 
 thing as it stands in the registers and other 
 vouchers, and to insert the principal papers 
 themselves in the history or appendix, 
 rather than abstracts of them, for several 
 reasons. As they now stand, they are self- 
 vouchers : had I shortened them, and given 
 them in mine own words, perhaps, such as 
 know me might have the charity to believe, 
 I would not knowingly have falsified or 
 misrepresented matters ; but it is much 
 better things stand as they are in the records. 
 I design, that as little of this history as may 
 be should lean upon me : let every one see 
 with his own eyes, and judge for himself, 
 upon the very same evidence I have ; this 
 is certainly the fairest and justest way. And 
 I am of opinion, even the necessary repeti- 
 tions, and some lesser circumstances, which 
 might have been omitted, had I compendized 
 the registers, and other public papers, will 
 not want their own use. This method may 
 seem a little to the disadvantage of those 
 *vhom I would not willingly have misrepre- 
 sented. It is plain, very harsh names and 
 epithets are given to presbyterians ; and 
 the sufferers are represented in the most 
 odious colours, in the registers, proclama- 
 tions, indictments, and the ordinary com'se 
 of the minutes of the council. Many facts 
 are set in a very false light ; a vast deal of 
 misrepresentations, Ul grounded and idle 
 stories, ai"e inserted ; and every thing unac- 
 countably stretched against the persecuted 
 side. Some notice is taken of this in the 
 
 body of the history, and matters set in their 
 true and just light, as briefly as I could. 
 Had I been writing a defence of the 
 sufferers in this period, much more might 
 have been said : but, as an historian, I was 
 chiefly concerned to represent facts ; and 
 ha\dng given the representation of matters, 
 in the very terms used by the persecutors 
 themselves, their severity, and the innocence 
 of the persecuted, will appear the more 
 brightly. 
 
 When searching the books of parliament, 
 I w^as much discouraged upon finding the 
 processes against the marquis of Argyle, 
 ]Mr. James Guthrie, and the lord Warriston, 
 quite left out; and therefore, generally 
 speaking, I have confined myself to the 
 printed acts. It had been a labour too 
 great for me, to have gone through all the 
 warrants ; and the iniquitous laws stand fiill 
 enough in print. Had the council warrants 
 been in order, no question but considerable 
 discoveries might have been made of the 
 iniquity of this time; but those being un- 
 sorted, and in no small confusion, I was 
 obliged to keep myself by what the managers 
 have thought fit to put into the registers ; 
 and it is surprising to find some things there, 
 which we shall afterwards meet with. The 
 rest of the history is made up of parti- 
 cular well vouched instances of severities 
 through several parts of the kingdom, which 
 cannot be looked for in the records : some of 
 them are attested upon oath; others come 
 from the persons concerned, their relations, 
 or such who are present at the facts narrat- 
 ed. In this part, I have taken all the care 
 I could to get the best informations, and 
 have been reckoned by some a little over nice 
 as to my vouchers : if I have erred here, 
 I hope, it was the safest side ; and I could 
 not prevail with myself to publish to others, 
 any thing but what I had as full evidence of 
 as the subject would bear at this distance. 
 
 In the first and second books, the reverend 
 Mr. James Kirkton's Memoirs were useful 
 to me, and some short hints of the reverend 
 Mr. Matthew Crawford, my worthy pre- 
 decessor in the charge where I serve ; these 
 he did not live to complete, as he had done 
 the former part of the history of this church 
 to the restoration. I had communicated to 
 
TO THE FIRST VOLUME. xU 
 
 me likewise a considerable collection of | my people, and discoursing to them in my 
 
 informations, and oiher papers relative to 
 the persecution of this church, lodged, after 
 the revolution, in the hands of the reverend 
 Mr. David Williamson, late minister of the 
 west iiirk. I have had access also to some 
 valuable papers belonging once to the 
 reverend Mr. x^lexander Shells, mostly 
 ' written before the revolution. Not a few 
 gentlemen and ministers, relations of the 
 sufferers in this period, have sent me well 
 attested accounts of the hardships particular 
 persons met with. My brethren and friends. 
 
 sermons, as much as I can, according to 
 their capacity, hath brought me insensibly 
 to express myself in a manner which in 
 print may appear low and flat : besides, 
 such a heap of informations from different 
 persons, and in various styles, as I was 
 obliged to make use of in this work, may be 
 supposed would have altered a better expres- 
 sion than ever I was master of. Indeed I 
 have kept as much by the papers I made 
 use of, as possibly I could ; and there is but 
 a small part of the history in my words, 
 
 who have been helpful to me in procuring which, I presume, may be understood even 
 those materials, and the gentlemen by whose ' by Enghsh readers, who, it is hoped, will 
 
 favour I had access to the records, will 
 please to accept of this public and general 
 acknowledgment of their goodness. I am 
 a debtor to so many, as renders it imprac- 
 ticable for me to be more particular ; if the 
 following history in any measure answer its 
 design, I know this will be the best return 
 my friends wish for. 
 
 Any thing further necessary to be observed, 
 as to my vouchers and materials, will fall in 
 upon the history itself. My part, in putting 
 those together, is what I should next speak 
 of, though I reckon myself the unfittest of 
 any to say much upon this head. Since I 
 began to reflect upon things, I still judged 
 writing of history a very difficult work, and 
 now I find it so : It is a harder province 
 still, to write accounts of times a man hath 
 not personally known, and when the greatest 
 part of them were elapsed before he was 
 bom ; the task grows, when one has none 
 going before him, nor any thread to guide 
 himself by j especially when the times are 
 full of heat, rents, and divisions, and any 
 accounts that remain are various, according 
 as the several parties stood affected ; which 
 occasions very different representations of 
 facts themselves : in such a case, nothing 
 but honesty and integrity, with labour and 
 diligence, can carry a writer through. My 
 style, I know, is what cannot answer the 
 taste of this age; apologies for it are of 
 no great use. I never affected, or had 
 much occasion to attain any delicacy of 
 style; all I purpose to myself, is to be 
 understood. A country life for eighteen 
 years, with my necessary converse among 
 
 bear with me, though I come not fully up 
 to the propriety of the English language, 
 nor to the accuracy and neatness of their 
 writers. 
 
 The general method I have used in this 
 work, was what I was some way obliged to 
 take, and to me it appeared most natural. 
 In this period which I have described, I 
 had no line to direct me, or any history of 
 affairs in Scotland during those two reigns : 
 I walked in an untrodden path, and was 
 obliged to make a road for myself the best 
 way I could. All left me to do, was to 
 class my materials, informations, acts of 
 parliament and council, with my transcripts 
 from the registers, and to join together what 
 the agreement of the matter required to be 
 connected. This led me to divide the work 
 in chapters and sections, and those obliged 
 me to make some repetitions and resump- 
 tions, which otherwise might have been 
 spared. Had I been permitted to keep 
 this history some longer time by me, I 
 might have pared of those, and cast the 
 matter in one continued discourse, without 
 such breaks ; but even these may perhaps 
 not want their advantage, and may be 
 breathing places to stop at, in so great a 
 heap of matter as is here collected. 
 
 After I had formed this history, and 
 published my proposals for printing it, many 
 informations were sent me, and J had access 
 to some records I wanted before; yea, even 
 during the time of printing this volume^ 
 some papers of consequence came to my 
 hand : the inserting of what was necessary 
 from these, in the proper places, hath not a 
 
 f 
 
xlii 
 
 THE AUTHOR S PREFACE 
 
 little altered this work, and made the con- 
 nection of purposes in some parts less 
 natural than it might have been, if all ray 
 materials had been under my view at fir:»t. 
 And my later informations being- fuller and 
 more circumstantiate, there may perhaps 
 be some seeming diflFerences betwixt them 
 and the shorter hints given in other places ; 
 but, I hope, no real inconsistency will be 
 found, truth being what I had still in mine 
 eye. 
 
 In this collection, I have taken in many 
 things which might have been omitted, had 
 there been any history of church or state 
 affairs published, relating to this interval; 
 but when gathering materials, and searching 
 our records, I thought myself at liberty to 
 insert every thing that offered, which might 
 afford any light to the history of this period. 
 This hath indeed considerably enlarged the 
 bulk of the work : yet, I flatter myself, it 
 may be of some use to supply our want of 
 a history of this time, at least be materials 
 for others to work upon with less labour 
 than I have been at: it will likewise render 
 the melancholy history of sufferings and 
 persecution a little more pleasant to the 
 reader, wlien other thinjjs are mixed with it. 
 
 Most part of the principal papers, and 
 the facts here inserted, have never yet been 
 published; and therefore, 1 am ready to 
 apprehend, they may be the more enter- 
 taining to this inquisitive age : from those 
 judicious readers cannot but have the best 
 view of this unhappy time. If, in my 
 inferences from them, I have any where erred, 
 I shall take it most kindly to be set right. 
 I have been very sparing in any thinnr which 
 might bear hard upon persons or families ; 
 but, when narrating facts, it was impossible 
 to evite giving the names and designations 
 of the actors. This is what needs offend 
 nobody, and they stand open to every one's 
 view, in our public records and proclama- 
 tions. I have charged our prelates with 
 being the first movers of most parts of the 
 persecution of these times : this is a matter 
 of fact, fully known in Scotland; and I 
 could not have written impartially, had I 
 not laid most part of the evils of this period 
 at their door. If I have anywhere used any 
 harshness in speaking' of this subject, it hath 
 
 proceeded from a peculiar abhorrence, i 
 cannot help entertaining at a persecuting 
 spirit, wherever it discovers itself, especially 
 in churchmen. 
 
 Since Me want a Scots biography, and 
 have nothing almost of the lives of eminent 
 ministers, gentlemen, and private Christians 
 in this church, I have been the larger in my 
 accounts of such worthy persons as fell in 
 my way, since I cannot but reckon that one 
 of the most useful and entertaining parts o 
 history : this has led me to give several 
 instances of sufferers upon the very same 
 account, when fewer examples might other- 
 wise have answered the ends of this history ; 
 but I thought it pity that any thing, which 
 might do justice to the memory of those 
 excellent confessors and martyrs, should be 
 lost. From the same consideration, some 
 principal papers are inserted in the history 
 and appendix, relative to the same subject 
 where, it may be, fewer might have sufficed ; 
 but I judged it worth while to preserve as 
 many of the valuable remains of this time, 
 as I coiUd. All of them contain something 
 or other different ; and the true sentiments, 
 deliberate views, and undissembled principles 
 of good men, appear most naturally in their 
 own words and papers. Such as think 
 them tedious and irksome, may overlook 
 them with less pain than I have been at in 
 collecting and inserting them. 
 
 In the following work, I have taken some 
 notice of the accounts of our Scottish 
 affairs, during the interval before me, by 
 the most noted English historians, Dr Sprat, 
 Bishop Kennet, Mr Collier, Mr Archdeacon 
 Eachard, and others of lesser name. This, 
 I hope, is done with a temper and deference 
 due to their merit. Their gross escapes in 
 our affairs I could not altogether overlook : 
 no doubt, most of them have written accord- 
 ing to tlie information they had ; and I am 
 sorry we have been to blame, in part, for 
 their want of better information. This 
 nation and church have suffered not a little 
 by this : I persuade myself, our neighbours 
 will do us more justice, when they have a 
 fuller view of our affairs. 
 
 There is another writer, the author of 
 the Memoirs of the Church of Scotland, 8to. 
 London, 1717, who deserves some considera- 
 
TO THK FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 tion by himself. As far as he had our 
 printed historians to guide him, he hath given 
 a very distinct and fair account of matters ; 
 he hath likewise done the sufterers in the 
 period before me, some justice, in stating 
 the grounds of their sufferings : but how he 
 hath fallen into some very gross blunders 
 I cannot imagine. He talks of the induU 
 gence, as a contrivance of the prelates and 
 their friends ; which is a plain mistake. 
 His making the indidged ministers to accept 
 a license from the bishops, is yet much 
 worse; and indeed, his whole account of 
 this matter seems to be a satire upon some 
 of the most eminent ministers of this church, 
 who had freedom to fall in with it. In 
 other places, this writer bewrays an un- 
 common ignorance of our Scottish affaii's : 
 he speaks of the Highland host as brought 
 down upon the west some time after Both- 
 well-bridge, and says, that the reverend 
 professor Hamilton and ]Mr. Mitchell were 
 sent up to London, 1717, to get the act for 
 Yule vacance repealed; whereas that was 
 done some time before. These are of a 
 piece with several misrepresentations of fact, 
 in the History of the Union, generally 
 believed to be written by the same hand. 
 A great number of other mistakes might be 
 noticed, as to the circumstances of the 
 risings at Pentland and Bothwell, yea, even 
 as to our printed acts of pai'liament ; but, T 
 hope, those flow from inadvertency, whereas 
 his account of the indulgence looks like 
 somewhat worse ; and the following history 
 will sufficiently set the facts he hath misre- 
 presented, in their true light. 
 
 Perhaps, an apology will be here expected 
 for the imperfections in this history; but I 
 see very little use of this in a preface^ how- 
 ever fashionable it may be. As I am sure 
 there are no wilful and designed mistakes 
 in it, so any that may have happened in 
 so great a heap of materials, through haste 
 or misinformation, and in the transcribing a 
 vast multitude of papers, shall be cheerfully 
 acknowledged and corrected. Indeed I 
 could have wished this work had remained 
 by me some time longer, that I might have 
 smoothed it a little, cut off some things, 
 necessary in the first forming of it, from a 
 heap of unconnected papers, and brought 
 
 xliii 
 
 it to a little better bearing : but, after the 
 proposals were printed, the subscribers 
 pressed my publishing of it ; and I found, 
 the longer I delayed, the more it was like 
 to swell on mine hand. Since that time 
 near a hundred sheets have been added, 
 and I did not know where this would end ; 
 so that it comes abroad very much as it 
 dropt from my pen, in the midst of other 
 necessary parochial and ministerial work, 
 and without those amendments I would 
 have desired. I know well enough this 
 lands upon myself, but necessity hath no 
 law, and, I can sincerely say, I have more 
 ways than one crossed mine own inclinations 
 in this affair. I did very much incline, both 
 in tke proposals and history, to have con- 
 cealed my name, as concei\'ing this of very 
 little consequence ui a work of this nature ; 
 but my friends overruled me in this, and 
 would not have the History of the Sufferings 
 of this Church, published in an anonymous 
 way. The work now comes to the public 
 view, and must have its fate according to 
 the different tempers and capacities of its 
 readers. 
 
 Some of ray friends have urged me to 
 draw down the thread of oui* history, in 
 the introduction which follows, from the 
 time where our printed historians end, and 
 in some measure to fill up the gap we have 
 from the death of king James VI. to the 
 restoration. I have been of opinion now 
 of a considerable time, that the whole of 
 our church history since the reformation, is 
 too large a field for one hand, if he have 
 any other business or emplo}Tnent; and 
 that it ought to be parcelled out among 
 different persons, if we have it done to any 
 purpose. Even that period, already de- 
 scribed by Mr. ICnox, bishop Spotiswood, 
 and Mr. Calderwood, is capable of great im- 
 provement. Many valuable original papers, 
 memoirs, and some formed histories, either 
 not known to those historians, or overlooked 
 by them, are recovered since the revolution, 
 and will afford a just light to that time : 
 and there is no want of excellent materials 
 for forming full accounts from king James 
 his death to the restoration. Several of 
 my very good friends have large collections 
 of papers during both those periods, and 
 
xliv 
 
 more may be gotten : I hope, ere long a 
 full account shall be given, by better hands 
 than mine, of our affairs before the restora- 
 tion ; and they have my best wishes. The 
 blackest part of our history in this church 
 has fallen into my hands ; and I did not 
 think it necessary for me to go any further 
 back than the time whereof I give the 
 general hints in the introduction, which may 
 suffice to let the reader in to what is imme- 
 diately connected with the period I have 
 undertaken. I own, I am not much in love 
 with abstracts and compends in historical 
 matters, in which I would have all the 
 light possible : the largest accounts, with 
 their vouchers from original papers and 
 records, are still most satisfying to me; 
 and a short deduction of the former period 
 of our history would have been of no great 
 use, and scarce have answered the toil and 
 labour it would have cost me. 
 
 This history, or rather collection of 
 
 ittti AUTHOR S PREFACE TO THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 materials for a history, contains a large 
 number of facts, and well attested accounts, 
 which will set the circumstances of presby- 
 terians, during twenty-eight years, in a clearer 
 light than hitherto they have appeared, and, 
 if possible, may stop the mouths of such 
 who have most groundlessly aspersed this 
 church, and do justice to the memory of 
 those excellent persons of all ranks, who, 
 as confessors and martyrs, were exposed 
 to the fury of this unhappy time. It may, 
 also, through the divine blessing, be of some 
 use to revive our too much decayed zeal 
 for our reformation rights, to unite all the 
 real friends of the church of Scotland, from 
 the observation of the various methods used 
 by enemies to divide and ruin her, and serve 
 to quicken our just warmth against popery 
 and every thing that tends to bring us back 
 to the dismal state described in the following 
 history. 
 
 Eastwood, Dec. 29, 1720. 
 
1HE 
 
 AUTHOR'S PREFACE 
 
 SECOND VOLUME OF THE ORIGINAL EDITION. 
 
 However fashionable prefaces are to books 
 of this nature, the author of this history is 
 not so fond of them, as to take up either 
 his own time, or the reader's with any thing 
 of this sort, when nothing of moment offers. 
 What appeared necessary to hand the reader 
 into this work, hath been given before in 
 the former volume; since the publishing 
 of which, the necessary encumbrances with 
 this volume, and other business, have been 
 task enough for me. 
 
 Any remarks, additions, and corrections, 
 come to my hand, relative to the first 
 volume, shall be added at the end of this; * 
 I do not question many others might have 
 been made, considering the great heap of 
 matter in this collection, and other things 
 I have formerly noticed. Those undesigned, 
 and, in such a multitude of facts, almost 
 unavoidable mistakes, and those that shall 
 be observed to me in this volume, shall be 
 rectified upon due information : and I want 
 not my fears, that in this third book, where 
 particular instances of severity cast up in 
 great numbers, which cannot be expected 
 to be found in records and public papers, 
 I may have been insensibly led to some 
 things that may be excepted against. 
 
 It is with pleasure that I observe the 
 method I have taken, in giving much of the 
 history of this period, by inserting what 
 stands in our records, and the principal 
 papers relative to the several years, either 
 
 • The ailditions and corroctions, &c. here 
 referred to, have, in this edition, been inserted in 
 the form of notes, at those places in the body 
 of the work to wliich they refer : an arrange- 
 ment obviously calculated to promote their use- 
 fulness. — JEd. 
 
 in the body of the book, or appendix, is 
 approven by some of the best judges : those 
 I would have the reader still chiefly to 
 observe, and they are decisive argimients 
 of the harshness of the times I have de- 
 scribed ; and though there should be some 
 misinformation in the circumstances of 
 particular instances, in the execution of 
 iniquitous laws, and severe and terrible 
 orders, I do not see how this affects the 
 general truth, fully made evident from the 
 registers, and original papers. Indeed, as 
 I have inserted none of the particular facts 
 without vouchers, the best the matters 
 allowed of, and I could reach at this dis- 
 tance, so I shall be heartily sorry, if, after 
 all the pains I could take, I have been led 
 i nto mistakes even as to those ; and I pre- 
 sume to hope, they are few and inconsider- 
 able, and, upon better information, I shall 
 most cheerfully rectify them. This I take 
 notice of, to prevent any little cavils that 
 may be raised, and to save a little pains to 
 some people, who have more spare time 
 upon their hand than I am master of, if 
 they bestow their leisure in forming inferen- 
 ces from any escapes I may have been led 
 into, in circumstantial and less important 
 matters, to weaken the force of this history', 
 which leans in all its important parts, upon 
 undeniable vouchers : and as I shall be 
 ready to set every escape right, upon just 
 information, so I will not reckon it worth 
 while, to enter the lists of debate, about 
 matters that don't affect the principal parts 
 of this work. 
 
 I find it complained of, and, I fear, not 
 without ground, that the names of persons 
 and places, especially in the list of Middle- 
 
xlvi 
 
 THE AUTHOR S PREFACE 
 
 ton's fines, are not so correct as were to be 
 desired : * had the amendments been sent 
 me, they should have been added. All I 
 have to say, is, that the copy from which 
 that list was published, was the best I could 
 have, and was written much about that 
 time ; and, even in the registers themselves, 
 I observe much haste, and incorrectness as 
 to the names of persons and places, which 
 nevertheless I durst not adventure to alter. 
 There is another complaint I hear of, 
 which lands not so much upon me in parti- 
 cular, as the work in general, which I have 
 now got through, and I cannot altogether 
 pass it, that a History of the Sufferings of 
 this church tends to rip up old faults, and 
 may revive animosities, and create resent- 
 ments against persons and families concerned 
 in the hardships and severities of the time 
 I have described : for my share in this, if I 
 know myself^ I am heartily against every 
 thing that may raise or continue differences 
 and animosities; and if ever I had enter- 
 tained one thought, that a work of this 
 nature would have such effects, I should 
 have been the last man to engage in it. But, 
 as far as I can perceive, there is nothing in 
 this history, that, without perverting it to 
 the utmost degree, can have a tendency this 
 way : and if any thing here should be im- 
 proven to such vile purposes, I have this 
 support, that the best of things and writings, 
 and many better composuies than ever can 
 drop fi'om my pen, have been perverted ; 
 and it is well enough known where such 
 misimprovements must land. I hope, the 
 rules of Christianity are better known, than 
 there can be any danger this way, at least 
 among real Christians; and surely they 
 have not learned Christ as they ought, and 
 his holy religion, which every where breathes 
 forth love, meekness, and forgiveness, who 
 can make such a wicked use of the follies 
 and crimes of former times : there are many 
 natural and noble improvements dii'ectly 
 contrary to this, which may and ought to 
 be made, even of cruelty and persecution 
 itself, too obvious for me to insist upon. 
 The naming of persons who were active in 
 
 * Not a few corrections of the kind here men- 
 tioned, have been made iu this edition. — JEd, 
 
 the sufferings of presbyterians, was what 
 could not be avoided; and this falls in 
 necessarily, more frequently in this than the 
 former volume. Could I have given parti- 
 cular instances without this, I should have 
 chosen to do it, but every body will see 
 this was impracticable. The share such as 
 are named had in the evils of the former 
 times, is no secret, but fully known, and 
 they stand in many of the public papers and 
 records of that period. As this is a natm-al, 
 just, and necessary consequent of their own 
 deeds, so I shall only wish it may be a 
 warning to all in time coming, to abstain 
 from such arbitrary and unchristian methods, 
 at least for the sake of their own reputation, 
 if they will forget the superior laws of God 
 nature, and society: and if it reach this 
 good end, there appears no reason, why 
 any concerned in the persons named, ought 
 to take this in ill part, which is really una- 
 voidable in narratives of this nature. After 
 all, I hope it will appear, that all aggravating 
 and personal reflections are avoided; and if, 
 at any time, I have, by the narratives I have 
 made use of, been insensibly led into any of 
 those, which I as much as possible guarded 
 against, I shall be heaitily sorry for it. In 
 short, were there any thing at all in this 
 objection, we must never more after this, 
 have a history written, for what I can see ; 
 since a faithful narrative of any period, will 
 have persons' names and designations in it, 
 and some side or other must be in the 
 wrong, and the alleged consequence of 
 reviving heats, may still be cast up : but 
 there is so much unfairness, not to say ill 
 nature, in this pretext, that I shall leave it. 
 I hope, upon solid consideration, it will be 
 found to be altogether groundless. 
 
 More than once, in this second volume, 
 I have pointed at the necessity of an abbre- 
 viate of the fines and losses through the 
 different shires and parishes, as far as they 
 have come to my hand, and somewhere I 
 almost promised it: once I designed to 
 have brought it into the appendix, but, 
 upon second thoughts, it seems as naturally 
 to come in here. I may assure the i-eader, 
 that this abstract of fines and losses through- 
 out the kingdom, hath cost me more labour 
 than many sheets of the Histoiy : it is 
 
TO THE SECOND VOLUME, 
 formed out of several hundred sheets of 
 informations, from different pai'ishes through 
 the kingdom ; many of them were gathered 
 at and before the revolution j j et, as will 
 appear by the hsts themselves, no informa- 
 tions are come to my hand, from the far 
 larger part of the parishes where the per- 
 secution raged; and there are even several 
 shires where there were very sore sufferings, 
 from whom I have nothing almost, as Argyle- 
 shire, Dumbarton, Stirling, Linlithgow, &c. 
 Had informations come to me from those, 
 my abbre\'iate had been much larger. Fur- 
 ther, it would be observed, that, save in the 
 shires of Roxburgh, Renfrew, Fife, and 
 Perth, the fines I give the abstract of by 
 the papers in my hands, most of them 
 signed, were actually exacted from the 
 country, and, generally speaking, in a few 
 years of the black period I have described, 
 mostly from the (year) 1679 to 1685. When 
 I went through this vast heap of informa- 
 tions, I found the fines uplifted from the 
 
 more common sort, country people, tenants, 
 and cottai's, save in a few instances from 
 
 gentlemen, and meaner heritors. The for- 
 feitures and exorbitant fines from particular 
 
 gentlemen, and others narrated in the 
 
 history, are omitted, save the sheriff fines 
 
 last spoken of, those by Middleton's parlia- 
 ment, and the losses at Pentland, and by 
 
 the Highland host, which I have added, 
 
 that the reader may have them all together 
 
 in his view. I would willingly have inserted 
 
 the names of the persons who were fined, 
 
 and sustained those losses in every parish, 
 
 according to the lists I have ; but that was 
 
 impracticable, without adding a thii'd volume 
 
 to this history ; and, in my opinion, would 
 
 have been of no great use, save to preserve 
 
 some sort of memory of the persons, most 
 
 of them truly religious; and, could this 
 
 have been done easily, I should not have 
 
 crudged it, since 10, 20, 40, or 100 pounds 
 
 t'rom a tenant, or cottar, was as heavy to 
 
 them as a thousand to a landed person. 
 All those fines, even those accumulated 
 
 by the sheriff courts, were in terms of law 
 
 and indeed are chargeable upon the iniquit- 
 ous laws narrated in the history, excepting 
 
 a few losses by the rudeness of the soldiers, 
 
 and the severe courts, where very often the 
 
 xlvii 
 
 I hard laws themselves weie exceeued. Upon 
 I every turn, I find it observed in the papers 
 before me, that, for want of full information, 
 the accounts given in them are defective 
 and lame; and, considering this, and the 
 comparatively small number of parishes here 
 insert, at a moderate computation, this 
 abbreviate may be reckoned to fall short at 
 least one half. How much of these fines 
 which stand in the decreets in the sherifT 
 books, which I have inserted, were uplifted, 
 I cannot say; but, by particular vouched 
 accounts, come to my hand from the shire 
 of Fife, and that only in twelve or fourteen 
 parishes, I find upwards of fifty thousand 
 pounds actually paid ; and, considering the 
 expenses in attendance, the money given to 
 the attendants on these courts, and the 
 exorbitant compositions the sufferers were 
 at length obliged to, we may well reckon 
 them near the suiiis here. I shall now 
 insert this abbreviate of fines, if once I had 
 noticed that none of the fines imposed upon 
 every tm-n by the council decreets, upon 
 multitudes, for conventicles, noncompear- 
 ance, &c. are insert in this account : these 
 the reader hath scattered up and down the 
 history, and I have not had time to gather 
 them up; neither have I cast in innmnerable 
 instances of losses of horses, kine, sheep, 
 and whole years' crops, in the informations 
 that are in my hands, those not being 
 liquidate, and I wanting leisure for this, 
 though I am persuaded they would amount 
 to a prodigious sum. Perhaps some of the 
 parishes may be inserted in other shires 
 than they belong to, but I have kept by the 
 lists before me. 
 
 Abbreviate of Fines and £,osses in the different 
 Shires and Parishes, from particular informa- 
 tion in the Author's hands. 
 
 Shire of Edinburgh. 
 
 Parishes of Wcst-Calder.... L.2,958 16 
 
 Livingstone 1,787 17 
 
 Abcrcorn 1,243 
 
 Temple 3,713 
 
 9.703 1 
 
 Shire of Forrest 50,649 
 
 Parishes of Eskdale and Ettrick 2,480 
 
 53,129 
 
xlviii 
 
 THE author's preface 
 
 Shire op Berwick. 
 
 By tlie Earl of Hume L.2(i,066 13 4 
 
 Parish of Gordon y,328 4 C 
 
 Lassiden 137 13 4 
 
 30,132 10 8 
 
 Shire of Roxburgh, by Letters of Horn- 
 ing, executed August 11, 1634 , 253,654 
 
 Parishes of Ancrum 3,349 6 8 
 
 Hassindean 11,3,31 13 4 
 
 Bowden 430 14 
 
 Smallholm 612 
 
 Melrose 40,823 12 
 
 Stow and Heriot-muir 8,332 13 4 
 
 Selkirk-forest „.. 26,666 13 4 
 
 Stitchil 9,413 14 
 
 Legerwood 1,666 13 4 
 
 Earlston 781 16 8 
 
 Hownam 747 12 
 
 Oxnam 2,484 
 
 Jedburgh ., 6,480 
 
 360,771 8 8 
 
 SniBE OF Peebles. 
 
 Parish of Peebles 978 6 
 
 Traquair 374 2 
 
 Kirkwood, Eddleston, Linton 506 10 
 
 Tweedmuir 1,130 
 
 4 
 
 Shire of Annandaie. 
 
 Parish of Johnston 7,512 1 8 
 
 Lochmaben 4,460 5 
 
 St. Mungo 1,178 
 
 Tunnergirth, Hutton, Wamfrey, &c. 2, 134 1 4 8 
 
 15,285 1 4 
 
 Shires of Nithsdale and Dumfries. 
 
 Parish of Closeburn and Dalgerno ,3,006 5 8 
 
 More in Closeburn 663 13 4 
 
 jMorton 333 6 8 
 
 Keir 159 
 
 Kirkmaho 2,142 
 
 Tindram 2,473 6 8 
 
 Kirkmichael and Garil 343 
 
 Tinwald 968 5 
 
 Torthorwald 1,192 11 
 
 Carlaverock 372 
 
 Glencairn 2,313 6 8 
 
 Penpont 182 13 4 
 
 41,152 8 4 
 More from this Shire at Pcntland 9,517 9 10 
 
 23,669 18 2 
 
 Shire op Galloway. 
 
 In the Stewartry 2,889 14 
 
 Burgh of Stranraer 2,365 5 4 
 
 Kirkcudbright 2,184 18 4 
 
 Parish of Borg 6,472 
 
 Twinam 813 
 
 Anworth 333 6 8 
 
 Kirkmabrick 563 12 8 
 
 Lochrooton 519 13 4 
 
 New abbay 948 
 
 Old Luce 6,871 
 
 New Luce 6,506 14 
 
 Bfllmiighie .,„.,„ww,xn.„m 3C3 16 
 
 Burgh of Partan L. 5,087 I' 
 
 Orr « 839 13 4 
 
 Corsmichael 300 
 
 Carsfairn 18,597 
 
 Balmaclellan 2,126 
 
 Dairy 3,200 
 
 Kells 9,511 10 8 
 
 Penningham 4,400 
 
 More fined before Pentland, besides 
 Middlctoii's fines 
 
 74,832 4 8 
 ,. 41,982 
 116,814 4 8 
 
 SaiRE OF Ayr. 
 
 Parish of Ballantree 3,619 
 
 Colmonel 6,545 
 
 Dalmelington 15,780 
 
 Barr 20,856 
 
 More in that Parish 417 
 
 Straiten 6,748 
 
 Kirkmichael and Maybole 5,953 
 
 Muirkirk 5,726 
 
 Kirkoswald 8,104 
 
 Sorn 1,800 
 
 Dalgen 1,118 
 
 Cumnock 5,366 
 
 Auchinleck 1,646 
 
 Loudon 2,713 
 
 Kilmaniock 31,700 
 
 Other Parishes here 6,715 
 
 By the Highland Host, 1678, 137,499 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 16 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 4 
 
 6 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2.58,309 13 2 
 
 Shibb op Renfrew. __ 
 
 Parish of Eaglesham 3,643 
 
 Cathcart 1,256 1 
 
 Eastwood 650 
 
 Lochwinnoch 4,579 13 4 
 
 By Decreet against Gentlemen, about 1673, 368,031 13 4 
 
 378,162 7 
 
 Shire of Lanark. 
 
 Parish of Libberton 232 
 
 Whatwhan 182 
 
 Biggar 1,071 
 
 Walston 308 
 
 Ehmsyre 177 
 
 Carmichael 266 
 
 Camwath 6,739 
 
 Lanark 5000 
 
 Cambusnethan 6,947 
 
 Dalziel 33 
 
 ShotU 1,708 
 
 BothweU 11,206 
 
 New Monkland 16,674 
 
 Old Monkland 2,666 
 
 Cambuslang - 3,864 
 
 Hamilton 22,681 
 
 Glassford 911 
 
 Dalserf 773 
 
 Evandale or Strathaven 54,083 
 
 Kilbride 19,570 
 
 Carmunnock 23,299 
 
 Rutherglen 2,171 
 
 Govan n. 1,444 
 
 Calder 837 
 
 Kirkintilloch • 700 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 19 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 4 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 19 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 4 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 2 
 
 4 
 
 6 
 
 4 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 183,554 3 4 
 
TO THE SECOND VOLUME. 
 
 XUX 
 
 SUIRR OF I'iFF, DV THE SllURIFF BOOKS OF CUPAR. 
 
 Parish of Scoonio L.6,800 
 
 Cameron „ 8,268 
 
 More from the same 13,000 
 
 Dcninno 1,400 
 
 St Andrews JO.IOO 
 
 Cairnbce 6,712 
 
 St. Killans 13,419 
 
 Leuchars 16,340 
 
 Cleish 8,700 
 
 Portnioak 32,700 
 
 Abcrdour 2,100 
 
 Dalgety 8,100 
 
 Markinch 5000 
 
 Falkland «. 3,300 
 
 Auchtcrdeering 5,040 
 
 Kinglassie 11,800 
 
 Carnock and Dovehill ti,700 9 
 
 Dysart 12,000 
 
 Beith COO 
 
 Auchtertool 4,500 
 
 Abbotshall 10,700 
 
 Kinghom 1,500 
 
 Largo 17,400 
 
 Newburn 2,700 
 
 Burntisland 22,500 
 
 Inverkeithing 13,400 
 
 Aberdour n;ore 1,200 0.0 
 
 Kilrinnie 4,200 
 
 Anstruther.wcster 4,800 
 
 Anstruther-easter 8,100 
 
 Pittenweem 3,300 
 
 St Minnan 5,500 
 
 Ely 2,700 
 
 Kilconquhar 8,500 
 
 Munzie flOO 
 
 Logic 6,100 
 
 Ceres 12,500 
 
 Orwel 1,500 
 
 Ferry 2,700 
 
 Balmerino 700 
 
 Kembach and Darsie 1,800 
 
 Cult 4,500 
 
 Lesly 10,600 
 
 Kennoway „ 300 
 
 Cupar 3,700 
 
 Kirkaldy 10,600 
 
 Colesse 1,200 
 
 Kettle 1,500 q q 
 
 Hindlie 2.100 
 
 Auchtermuchty 1,800 
 
 Dunfermline , 9,600 o 
 
 Ballingie GOO 
 
 Tory 5000 
 
 Stramiglo 5,071 
 
 By the SherifT books of Falkland, S. J. Cal. 30,000 
 
 MiddlctoM's Fines In the TIi;iory T,.l,017,353 6 8 
 
 Gentlemen in Uenfrewsliire, l(iS4, as in 
 
 History 237,333 6 8 
 
 Gentlemen in Dumbartonshire, as in the 
 
 History 55,200 
 
 Gentlemen in the Shire of Murray, as in 
 
 the History, 1685 12O,0:i3 r, 3 
 
 Summa totalis , 
 
 l,l:!ll,H20 
 . 3,I74,S|;) IS H 
 
 396,050 9 
 
 SniRE OF Perth. 
 By the Sheriff books there, where the 
 extracts do not many times distinguish 
 the parishes. 
 
 Persons, without parishes named 107,400 
 
 Parish of Forgundennie 11335 10 
 
 Fossoquhie 3OOO Q 
 
 Kippen 2000 
 
 Town and Parish of Perth 41,000 
 
 Perth , 
 
 167,735 10 
 
 Summa totalis l,743,!)<)y 18 
 
 This is the shortest view I could give 
 the reader of the fines, during this period ; 
 a vast number of others are to be found in 
 the history itself, and far greater numbers of 
 fines imposed and exacted, are not come to 
 my knowledge. 
 
 Since, in this history, I have frequent 
 occasion to name the persons 1 speak of by 
 their offices, I thought it might be conve- 
 nient for the reader to subjoin here a list of 
 persons, in such offices, from the restoration 
 to the revolution, as ordinarily come to be 
 spoken of in this work, and I may well begin 
 with the bishops, they being, as I have 
 often remarked, the springs of much of the 
 persecution I have described, though the 
 share of some of them was greater than 
 that of others. 
 
 Archbishops op St. A.vdrews. 
 16G2. Messrs. James Sharp. 
 1679. Alexander Burnet. 
 
 1684. Arthur Ross. 
 
 Bishops op Dunkeld. 
 1662. Messrs. George Halyburti n. 
 1665. Henry Guthrie. 
 
 J677. William Lindsay. 
 
 1679. Andrew Bruce. 
 1686. John Hamilton. 
 
 Abf.rdefv. 
 
 1662. Messrs. David Mitchell. 
 
 1663. Alexander Burnet 
 
 1664. Patrick Scougal. 
 1682. George Halyburton. 
 
 Murray. 
 1662. Messrs. Murdoch Mackenzie. 
 1677. James Atkin. 
 
 1680. CoUn Falconer. 
 1686. Ross. 
 
 168a 
 
 William Hay 
 
 Brechin. 
 
 1662. Messrs. David Strachan. 
 
 1C7L Robert Lawrie. 
 
 1679. George Halyburton. 
 
 1682. Robert Douglas. 
 
 1684. Alexander CaimcroRS. 
 
 ICS-t. James Drummond. 
 
 DlWBLANE. 
 
 1662. Mc»srs. Robert Lcighton. 
 Iff71. James Ramiay. 
 
 1684. Robert Douglas. 
 
 g 
 
THE author's preface TO THE SECOND VOLUME. 
 
 Ross. 
 1C62. Messrs. John Paterson, Father. 
 1679. Alexander Young. 
 
 16B4. James Ramsay. 
 
 Caithness. 
 1662. Messrs. Patrick Forbes. 
 1062. Andrew Wood. 
 
 Obkney. 
 
 1062. Messrs. Thomas Sydserf. 
 
 1665. Andrew Honnyman. 
 1677. Murdoch Jlackenzie. 
 1688. Andrew Bruce. 
 
 Edinburgh. 
 1662. Messrs. George Wisheart 
 1671. Alexander Young. 
 1679. John Paterson, Son. 
 1688. Ross. 
 
 Archbishops op Glasgow. 
 1662. Messrs. Andrew Fairfoul. 
 1664. Alexander Burnet. 
 
 1670. Robert Leighton. 
 
 1674. Alexander Burnet restored. 
 
 1679. Arthur Ross. 
 
 1684. Alexander Cairncross. 
 
 1686. John Paterson S. 
 
 Galloway. 
 1662. Messrs. James Hamilton. 
 1673. John Paterson S. 
 
 1680. James Atkin. 
 1688. John Gordon. 
 
 AaGYLE. 
 
 1662. Messrs. David Fletcher. 
 
 1666. William Scrogie. 
 
 1675. Arthur Ross. 
 
 1679. Colin Falconer. 
 1686. Hector Maclean. 
 
 Isles. 
 1662. Messrs. Robert Wallace. 
 1677. Andrew Wood. 
 
 1680. Archibald Graham. 
 
 In this list I have marked the year of the 
 admission of each bishop, and the entry of 
 his successor; and, save the time of vacancy, 
 which generally was very short, the inter- 
 mediate space is the time of their continuance 
 in their sees. 
 
 The lord high chancellors in this interval 
 were as follows : 
 
 1660. The Earl of Glencairn. 
 1665. Rothes. 
 
 1680. Aberdeen. 
 
 1684. Perth. 
 
 I might go on to the rest of the officers 
 of state, secretaries, justice general, advocate, 
 and others ; but the time of their admission 
 and continuance, may be found in the 
 history itself, from which I shall no longer 
 detain the reader. 
 
 Eastwood, May 1, 1722. 
 
 Edinburgh, May 16. 1722. 
 
 Wlien I resolved to publish this history, 
 I could not but expect attacks from the 
 advocates for the bloodshed and severity 
 of the reigns here described; and it was a 
 little strange to me, that my first volume 
 has been now abroad for a year, and nothing 
 this way hath appeared. After my history 
 was printed off, this day I had a printed 
 letter put in my hand, dated May 10th, and 
 signed Philanax. 
 
 This performance is so indiscreet, low, 
 and flat, that I can scarce prevail with 
 myself to think it deserves any public notice, 
 yet having room for a few lines in this place, 
 I shall observe once for all, that I don't 
 look on myself as obliged to take any notice 
 of unsupported assertions, scurrilous in- 
 nuendos, and unmannerly attacks of this 
 nature ; they do a great deal of more hurt 
 to thfi authors and publishers, than to me 
 or this history. I pretend to no talent 
 in railing and Billingsgate, and shall never 
 be able to make any returns this way. 
 
 When the letter-writer's friend publishes 
 his history, though recriminations don't 
 affect me, yet I doubt not but it will be 
 considered. The sketch he is pleased to 
 communicate, seems to be taken from the 
 unsupported and ill natured memoirs pub- 
 lished under bishop Guthry's name. Any 
 thing that will set the period spoken of in a 
 true and just light, will be Acceptable to me 
 and all lovers of truth; but for the historian's 
 own sake, I hope he will take care not to 
 copy after his friend's indiscreet and indecent 
 way, else I am of opinion nobody will reckon 
 themselves obliged to lose time in reading 
 his large work. 
 
CONTENTS OF VOLUME FIRST. 
 
 Memoih oi'the Autlior, i — original Letters, xix 
 — the Author's Dedication, xxxiii — the Author's 
 Preface to vol. i. of the original edition, xxxvii 
 — the Author's Preface to vol. ii. of the original 
 edition, xlv — preliininary dissci tation, li. 
 
 Intiioiiuction— Short view of the public reso- 
 lutions, 1650, 1 — General INlonk takes measures 
 to restore the king, 4 — instructions to Mr. Sharp, 
 February 1st, 1660, 5 — desii'es of the city minis- 
 ters, 8 — the Judgment of some sober-minded 
 men, 13 — letter to the king from Messrs. Dou- 
 glas, Dickson, &c., May 8th, 1660, 22— instruc- 
 tions for Mr. Sharp, May 8th, 1660, 23— letter 
 to the king fi-om Mr. Douglas, &c.. May lOtli, 
 1 660, 21 — letter, ministers of Edinburgh to some 
 ministers at London, May 12th, 1660, 26 — par- 
 ticulars to be propounded to the king by Mr. 
 Sharp, 3{) — draught of a proclamation for an 
 assembly, i? — letter from Messrs. Calamy, &c. 
 ministers at London, to Messrs. Robert Dou- 
 glas, &c. ministers at Edinburgh, 54. 
 
 BOOK I. FROM 1660 TO 166G. 
 
 Chap. L Of the state and sufferings of Pres- 
 byterians, 1660, 5S. 
 
 Sect. I. Of Scots affairs, to the meeting of the 
 committee of estates, August 23d, 1660,59. 
 
 Sect. 2. Of the proceedings of the committee 
 of estates, 1660, 65 — declaration at Dumfermline, 
 August 16th, 1650, 66 — ministers' (designed) 
 supplication August 23d, 1660, 68 — act for se- 
 curing Mr. James Guthrie and others, August 
 23(1, 1660. 7]_letter, from Mr. John Stirling 
 to his session, September 11th, 1660, 73 — pro- 
 clamation against Lex Rex, and the Causes of 
 God's Wrath, September 19th, 1660, 75— pro- 
 clamation against remonstrators, &c. September 
 20th, 1660, 7&. 
 
 Chap. IL Of the state and sufferings of 
 Presbyterians, 1661, 87. 
 
 Sect. 1. Of the laws and acts of the first 
 session of parliament, with remarks, 87 — act 1st 
 pari, anentthe president, and oath of parliament, 
 1661, 92 — act 7th concerning the league and 
 covenant, 1661, 96— Abernethie (Jesuit), account 
 of the popish government in Scotland, 1661, 96 
 — act 11th pari, for taking the oath of allegiaiice, 
 &c. 1661, 99 — act 16th, concerning religion and 
 church government, 1661, 102— act 17th, for a' 
 solemn anniversary thanksgiving, 1661, 103 — act 
 abolishing patronages, March 9th, 1649, 104 — 
 act 36th pari, anent presentation of miiiisteis, 
 1661, 105. 
 
 Sect. 2. Of the efforts made by ministers 
 during the sitting of the parliament, for pre- 
 serving the church, 109— petition of the Pres- 
 bytery of Edinburgh, 1661, 112— synod of Fife's 
 exhortation and admonition, April, 2d, 1661, 119 
 — synod of Galloway's supplication, 1661, 123. 
 
 Sect. 3. Of the sufferings and martj rdom of 
 the marquis of Argyle, 130— marquis of Argyle's 
 petition, with reasons for a precognition, Febru- 
 ary 12th, 1661, 132— marquis of Argyle's speech, 
 April 9th, 1661, 143 — marquis of Argyle's speech 
 after reading of his process, April 16th, 1661, 
 146 — the king's proclamation concerning church 
 affairs, 10th June, 1661, 151— marquis of Argyle's 
 speech upon the scaffold, May, 27fh, 1661, 165. 
 
 Sect. 4. Of the sufferings and n;artyrdom of 
 Mr. James Guthrie, 159 — summons to the min- 
 isters of Edinburgh, August 20th, 1655, with 
 their declinature, 170 — Mr. James Hamilton's 
 declinature at the same time, 170— indictment 
 against Mr. James Guthrie, February 7th, 
 1661, 174— Mr. James Guthrie's defences, 176— 
 minutes of the process against Mr. James Guth- 
 rie, 190 — Mr. James Guthrie's speech at his 
 death, June 1st, 1661, 192— captain William 
 Govan's speech on the scaffold, June 1st, 1661, 
 195. 
 
 Sect. 5. Of the sufferings of other ministers 
 and gentlemen. 1661, 196. 
 
Sect. 6. Of the erection and procedure of ( 
 the privy council against Presbyterians, 1661, 
 
 217. 
 
 Sect. 7. Of the regal erection of bishops, 223 
 -act of council, September, fith, 1661, 231. 
 
 Sect. 8. Some other remarkable events this 
 year, 242. 
 
 Chaf. III. Of the state and sufferings of 
 Presbyterians, 1662, 247. 
 
 Sect. 1. Proceedings against Presbyterians 
 before the meeting of the parliament, with the 
 consecration of the bishops, 248-act of council, 
 January 9th, 1662, 249-draught of the Pres- 
 bytery of Kirkcudbright's address to the par- 
 liament, 253. 
 
 Sect. 2. Of the acts of the second session ot 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Cn.\P. IV. Of the state and sufferings of 
 Presbyterians, 1663, 323. 
 
 Sect. 1. Of the ejection of near 400 ministers, 
 303_list of non-conformist Presbyterian mini- 
 sters ejected, 1662, 1663, and the following years, 
 324_list of ejected ministers in Ireland, 324. 
 
 Sect. 2. Of the more general acts of council 
 this year, .336— act of council, August 13th, 1663, 
 
 340. 
 
 Sect. 3. Of the acts of the third session of 
 parliament, 346— act 1st pari, against separation 
 and disobedience to ecclesiastical authority, 350— 
 act 4th, for establishment and constitution of a 
 national synod, 353. 
 
 Sect. 4. Ofthe sufferings and martjTdom of 
 the lord Warriston, 355— lord Waniston's speech, 
 July 22d, 1663, with some account of his car- 
 
 rliament 256-act 1st pari, for restitution of riage, 358. 
 
 par 
 
 archbishops and bishops, 1662, 257-act 114th, 
 pari. 12th, James VI., 1592, ratifying the liberty 
 of the true kirk, 1662, 260-act 2d, pari, for 
 preservation of his majesty's person, authority 
 and government, 263— act 3d pari., concerning 
 patronages, 1662, 265-act 4th pari., concerning 
 masters of universities, ministers, &c. 1662, 266 
 —act 5th, pari, concerning the declaration, &c. 
 1662, 266— list of fines imposed by Middleton in 
 parliament, 1662, 271. 
 
 Sect. 3. Of the procedure of council after the 
 parliament rose, with the act at Glasgow, 280— 
 act of council, September 10th, 1662, anent dio- 
 cesan meetings, 280— act of council, December 
 
 23d, 1662, 285. 
 
 Sect. 4. Of particular sufferings preceding the 
 
 parliament, 287. 
 
 Sect. 5. Of Presbyterians' sufferings after the 
 parliament was up, 297— INIr. Livingstone's 
 letter to his flock, April 3d, 1663, 313. 
 
 Sect. 6. Other remarkable events this year, 
 318. 
 
 Sect. 5. Of the sufferings of particular per- 
 sons this year, 362. 
 
 Sect. 6. Some other occurrences this year, 375- 
 
 Chap. V. Of the state and sufferings of Pres- 
 byterians, 1664, 383. 
 
 Sect. 1. Of the erection and powers of the 
 high commission, 383. 
 
 Sect. 2. Of its actings and persecution, 390. 
 
 Sect. 3. Of the procedure of council this year, 
 
 395. 
 
 Sect. 4. Of the sufferings of particular per- 
 sons, 403. 
 
 Sect. 5. Of other incidental matters this year, 
 4j4_Rothes's patent to be commissioner to the 
 national synod, October 14th, 1664, 419. 
 
 Chap. VI. Of the state and sufferings of 
 Presbyterians, 1665, 420-proclamation for a fast. 
 May 3d, 1665, 420— act of council against min- 
 isters, December 7th, 1665, 428-proclamatior. 
 against conventicles, December 7th, 1665, 430. 
 
ADVERTISEMENT BY THE PUBLISHERS. 
 
 The .haracter of "The History of the Sufferings of the. Church of Scotland," by the 
 Reverend and Venerable Robert Wodrow, is so universally known and so fully established, 
 as to render any eulogium upon its merits altogether superfluous. Perhaps no history ever 
 gave a more complete view of the period, nor, in most instances, a more graphic deMU-ipt.on of 
 the pv<nts which it professed to embrace. Possessing, at once, a fulness of detail that has left 
 little to be supplied, and an accuracy with regard to matters of fact that during the lapse of a 
 century has never been called in question, it has always been regarded as the grand depository 
 of those maxims of justice and of truth which the invincible band of Scottish Patriots, 
 Confessors, and 3Jartvrs, watered with their blood, and consecrated with their dying breath, as 
 the unalienable inheritance of their posterity. From this work, since the era of its publication, 
 as from a common source, have been drawn all the more respectable narratives respecting the 
 men of those times; and to the information it contains, the most diligent compilers have been 
 able to add almost nothing. 
 
 The first and only edition of this invaluable work appeared in 1721—22, in two large foho 
 volumes; and it is now entirely out of print. The present edition, while in respect of 
 tvpogi-aphy and convenient size, it is vastly superior to the original one, is prmted from it 
 word for word, nothing being either added or omitted ; only, the original papers which m that 
 edition form so many appendixes to each volume, are in this, printed at the foot of the pages to 
 which they refer, and this has been done principally for the advantage of the reader in the way 
 of easy reference. Typographical and other errors, in the names of persons and places, parti- 
 cularly, have been con-ected ; and the " additions and amendments" inserted by the author at the 
 bp-inning of his second volume, have been inserted in the places to which they severally belong. 
 A^few notes are added, partly original, and partly selected from cotemporary authors, and 
 others of a later date, to which Wodrow could not be supposed to have access. In these, brevity 
 has been studied, and nothing has been hazarded either in the way of original remark or 
 quotation, that did not seem necessary for the purposes of historical evidence and illustration. 
 
 The interesting « Memoir" of the Author has been drawn up by the Rev. Dr. Burns of 
 Paisley, a gentleman, whose literary talents, access to the author's unpublished manuscripts, 
 and opportunities of communication with the surviving branches of his family, eminently 
 qualified him for the task. To this Memoir are appended some valuable specimens of the 
 Correspondence of Wodrow, from original .MSB. These form a very appropriate and pleasing 
 introduction to the History. 
 
 There has been lately published in London a new and improved edition of the works ot 
 Archbishop Leighton, preceded by a Life of the Author, by the Rev. John Norman Pearson, 
 A M a clergyman of the Church of England, who now holds, we believe, the important 
 situation of Principal to the Church Mission College. In that publication, Mr. Pearson has 
 been pleased to characterize ISIr. Wodrow as "a disingenuous Historian," and has in various 
 instances given what we consider au unfair representation of Covenanting times. M e have 
 great pleasure in announcing, that the Preliminary Dissertation to this work, by Dr. Burns, 
 will contain a vindication of Wodrow and the Covenanters, together with a full examination ot 
 Mr. Pearson's statements regarding Leighton's Life and Times. Owing to particular circum- 
 stances, it was impossible to have this article in readiness for volume first. In the meantime, 
 we request the attention of Mr. Pearson and all the traducers of Wodrow to the fo lowing 
 Testimonies in favour of his History; and the reader will perceive that they are not all Pres- 
 hyterians who thus characterize his work. 
 
 Mr. Chalmers, the learned author of the Biographical Dictionary, says of it: " it is wiitten 
 with a fidelity that has seldom been disputed; and confirmed, at the end of each volume, by a 
 large mass of public and private records." „ j < t a 
 
 Says Mr. Dibdin, whose accurate knovdedge of books has been rarely equalled : 1 proceed 
 not only to the notice, but to the strong recommendation of Wodrow's History of the Sufferings 
 of the Church of Scotland. Considering that these volumes have long richly deserved republi- 
 cation, one is surprised that so valuable a work in so repulsive a garb (for it is most wretchedly 
 printed) has been suffered to remain without improvement." 
 
 Dr. Robert Watt, the laborious and learned author of the Bibliotheca Britannica, says ot 
 Wodrow's History, " This History is wTitten with a fidelity seldom equalled." 
 
 Mr. Fox, in his History of the Early Part of the Reign of James II., thus expresses himsclt : 
 " No historical facts are better ascertained than the accounts of them which are to be found lu 
 
Wodrow. In uvcry instance where there has been an opportunity of comparing these accounts 
 with the records, and other authentic monuments, they appear to be quite correct." 
 
 Among modern writers of distinguished eminence we have to quote the sentiments of Dr. 
 M'Crie, author of the Lives of Knox and IMelville, &c. as stated in a letter to the Kev. Dr. 
 Burns:—'* You are too well acquainted with my opinion of Mr. Wodrow's v.duable History of 
 the SulVerings of the Church of Scotland, to make it necessary for me to say any thing on that 
 liead. It gave me great satisfaction to hear that a new Edition of the work, in a more portable 
 form, and at a moderate price, was about to be printed at Glasgow. I have just seen the first 
 Number of that edition, and am much pleased with its neatness, and, so far as I have examined 
 it, with its correctness. The information that you have agi-eed to superintend the publication, 
 is to me all the jdedge which I could desire for the accuracy with which it will be executed. 
 Accept of my best thanks for the pleasure I have derived from reading your interesting Memoir 
 of the worthy Author, which, together with the selections from his original Letters, must 
 prove an acceptable and most appropriate addition to the work. 
 
 "THOMAS M'CRIE, D. D. 
 "Edinburgh, 26th March, 182S." 
 
 We have also been favoured with the following testimony from the Rev. Dr. Cook, the 
 eminent historian of the ' Reformation,' and of the 'Church of Scotland:' — " From a very 
 careful examination of Wodrov/'s History of the Sufferings of the Chm'ch of Scotland, to 
 which I was led in the prosecution of my own historical researches, I can, with confidence, 
 state, that it is a most valuable work. It comprehends a period deeply interesting; and the 
 industrious and highly intelligent Author has not only, with great clearness, and often with 
 much feeling, detailed the sad events which it wiis his province to record ; but he has collected 
 an immense number of precious documents which are now nowhere else to be found, and which 
 throw great light upon the opinions and manners of the age with which they are connected. 
 As the work had become so scarce as to be inaccessible to the generality of readers, the 
 republication of it is, iu my opinion, an essential service to the Public. 
 
 "GEORGE COOK, D. D. 
 « 28th February, 1S28." 
 
 We shall close this series of testimonies with one which has been politely presented to us 
 by the Rev. James Kidd, D. D. Professor of Oriental Languages in Marisehd College, Aber- 
 deen: " The interval from 1660 till 16S8 is not exceeded in interest by any other in the Annals 
 
 of our country. The public aifairs of this period, both in Church and State, are the most 
 momentous that Scotland ever saw. To the struggles of our Protestant forefathers, during this 
 time, we owe almost all the liberty and light which we now enjoy ; while the ruinous tendency 
 of the interference of wicked men with the affairs of the Church of Christ appears very evident, 
 in the conduct of the rulers of Britain in those eventful times. 
 
 " Wodrow, the distinguished Historian of this period, is pre-eminently careful in search of 
 truth, wherever it can be found; he writes like a man who witnessed every circumstance %vhich 
 he relates, and his descriptions are given with singiilar accuracy and unadorned simplicity. 
 The subtilty and perfidiousness of Archbishop Sharp are related with a plainness that indicates 
 neither hatred nor asperity on the part of the writer; while the tale is so recorded, as to 
 awaken all the sympithies of the reader's heart for the hapless victims of persecution. Indeed, 
 were there nothing to resommend Wodrov/s History but his description of the behaviour of 
 the Marquis of Argyle and the Rev. Mr. James Guthrie, the Work ought to be possessed 
 and read by every true Presbyterian, and by all to whom the memory of the covenanted 
 cause is dear. 
 
 " Such are the subjects which comprise the records of this interesting History. The edition 
 now offered to the public is the cheapest ever published, and I account it a pjivilege to 
 recommend to my fellow-citizens and countrymen this faithful Narrative of the Sufferings 
 
 of the Church of Scotland. 
 
 "JAMES KIDD, D.D. F.R.A.S. 
 " Aberdeen, January 25th, 1S2S." 
 
 We hope the plates in this edition will be considered as a valuable appendage. They are all 
 derived from the most authentic sources, and are executed in the best style. We have been 
 exceedingly anxious to obtain a true portrait of the historian himself; but after a laborious 
 search among the descendants of his family still in Scotland, we have been disappointed in our 
 wishes. It is not impossible that such a thing may be in the possession of those descendants of 
 the family now in America and who have been written to on that point ; if so, our readers 
 shall be favoured with it so soon as it reaches us. 
 
 Glasgow, May 20th, 1828. 
 
^ 
 
< 
 
 JAMES SHAIEF, 
 
 ARCHBlSHOr OF S''' ANDREWS. 
 
 TROM A RAIITTING BY SIR P. LELY. 
 
 shed.' 2n^ Jfihaac. FuUerun t C^ &Us^Dti: t JFi/SartBr^. ic C Iduil'woTi.. 1S27 
 
THE INTRODUCTION, 
 
 CONTAIMN(i 
 
 After a sho) t view of the public resolutions in 1650, a Narrative of General Monk's tnanagement after 
 /(?■« departure from Scotland, an Account of the steps taken for the King's restoration, his Majesty's 
 return, and what was done in relation to the Church of Scotland, till the meeting of the Committee of 
 Estates in August, 1660.— Collected from original letters of Mr. James Sharp, afterward Archbishop 
 of St. Andrews, the Reverend Mr. Robert Douglas, and other Presbyterian Ministers, this year. 
 
 One of the blackest periods of the history 
 of the church of Scotland being fallen to my 
 share, it would not be out of the road, if I 
 should continue the thread of our ecclesi- 
 astical history, from the demise of king James 
 VI. where our printed historians end, to the 
 restoration of king Charles II. where my 
 attempt begins, and do somewhat to fill up 
 that blank. Indeed several important me- 
 moirs and written accounts of that remark- 
 able period, in my hands, with not a few 
 original papers of that time, would afford 
 me matter enough for such an introductory 
 essay; but it is enough for me to venture 
 upon the twenty-eight years following ; there- 
 fore I choose rather to communicate any 
 thing of this nature, in my small collections, 
 as to our history, to my worthy friends who 
 have that part among their hands, and can 
 manage them much better than I can pretend 
 to. I shall here, then, very much confine 
 myself to the year wherein the public im- 
 prisonments, and other hardships upon pres- 
 byterian ministers, gentlemen, and noblemen, 
 began. If once I had remarked, that when 
 matters were going smoothly on after king 
 James's death, the tory high-flying Laudean 
 faction, whose successors, headed by chan- 
 cellor Hyde, put king Charles II. upon all 
 the heights he ran to in England, and the 
 encroachments he made upon the church 
 and state constitution in Scotland ; that 
 
 violent party, I say, put king Charles I. upon 
 palming books and bishops, and other inno- 
 vations upon us here. This issued in the 
 strange turn affairs took, at our second and 
 glorious reformation in 1638, when this 
 church was again settled upon her own base, 
 and the rights she claimed from the time of 
 the reformation, were restored, so that she 
 became " fair as the moou, clear as the sun, 
 and terrible as an army with banners." It 
 is hard to manage a full cup, and I shall not 
 take upon me to defend every step in that 
 happy period ; the worst step I can observe, 
 was their unhappy and unchristian divisions 
 upon the head of the public resolutions. 
 And because in the following period, there 
 will be occasion to mention those resolutions 
 several times, I shall give a view of the 
 matter of fact relating to them, as succinctly 
 as I can, without dipping at all into the un- 
 happy debates on either side. 
 
 When king Charles II. was, in the year 
 1649, invited home, upon settling the con- 
 ditions of government, or claim of right, and 
 he had taken the national covenant as ex- 
 plained, together with the solemn league, and 
 was thereupon solemnly crowned at Scone ; 
 a considerable number of noblemen and 
 gentlemen, complained of the hardships put 
 upon them, who were his father's friends, 
 and, as they alleged, well disposed to his 
 majesty, in their being excluded from the 
 
2 
 
 army and judicatories, l)y the act of classes, 
 and other laws now made. But although 
 the king did reckon a good many of them 
 well disposed for his sei-vice, and fit enough 
 to maintain and extend the prerogative ; yet 
 these people, now called malignants, and 
 very justly, from their violent opposition to 
 the liberties and rights, civil and ecclesi- 
 astical of the church and kingdom, were 
 suspected by such as had all along appeared 
 firm far our reformation in the chm-ch, and 
 a limited management in the state; and 
 those apprehended the other would soon 
 possess the king's ear, and lead him to such 
 measures, as would overturn all that had 
 been done since the year 1638, and therefore 
 for some time, they opposed their coming 
 in. But the king soon fell upon measures 
 to divide these who had the management at 
 his accession, and to gain a majority for 
 taking off the former restrictions, and to let 
 his friends come into the array and judica- 
 tories, under some conditions that were 
 never kept. The church, whose judgment, 
 as to sin and duty in public matters, was 
 now much regarded, must next be gained 
 to make some declarations in favour of this 
 design ; and, as it always fares with church- 
 men, when they side into parties, according 
 to the different factions of poUticians, and 
 go beyond theu- line to please great men, 
 they split, according to the two diiFerent 
 parties at court ; whereas hitherto they had 
 been most united and harmonious. 
 
 The English had invaded the kingdom, 
 and obtained a victory at Dunbar. This 
 occasion was improved, to push the taking 
 off restraints, lying upon those who were 
 reckoned the king's friends, though they had 
 opposed the work of reformation since the 
 year 1637, in their admittance to the army 
 and judicatories, while a part of them are up 
 in rebellion in the north. Accordingly the 
 king published an indemnity, and wrote to 
 the committee of estates, and commission 
 of the kirk, that these men might be in- 
 trusted and employed. This was then re- 
 fused. The defeat at Hamilton falling out 
 soon after, that was made a new argiunent 
 for admitting of malignants; and it was 
 urged, that the standing forces were too 
 v.i.'ak for defending the kingdom against the 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 enemy, unless the whole fencible men* with- 
 out distinction, were raised. And the mo- 
 derator of the commission was importuned 
 by letters from the king, now at Perth, where 
 the parliament then sat, to call a commissioa 
 pro re nata, to give their judgment in this 
 matter. The ministers against the resolu- 
 tions, allege, that many members were not 
 advertised, that the diet was so short, the 
 members could not come up. A quorum of 
 the commission met at Perth, where the 
 parliament put the following question to 
 them in cunning enough terms. " What 
 persons are to be admitted to rise in arms, 
 and to join \vith the forces of the kingdom, 
 and in what capacity, for defence thereof, 
 against the armies of the sectaries, who, 
 contrary to the solemn league and covenant 
 and treaties, have most unjustly invaded, 
 and are destroying the kingdom ? The 
 commission of the General Assembly, De- 
 cember 14th, 1650, gave the following 
 answer : — " In this case of so great and 
 evident necessity, we cannot be against the 
 raising of all fencible persons in the land, 
 and permitting them to fight against this 
 enemy, for defence of the kingdom ; except- 
 ing such as are excommunicated, forfeited, 
 notoriously pi'ofane or flagitious, or such as 
 have been from the beginning, or continue 
 still, and are at this time, obstinate, and pro- 
 fessed enemies, and opposers of the covenant 
 and cause of God. And for the capacity of 
 acting, that the estates of parliament ought 
 to have, as we hope they will have, special 
 care, that in this so general a concurrence of 
 all the people of the kingdom, none be put 
 in such trust and power, as may be preju- 
 dicial to the cause of God ; and that such 
 officers as are of kno^vn integrity and affec- 
 tion to the cause, and particularly such as 
 have suffered in our former armies, may be 
 taken special notice of." 
 
 As soon as this answer was given, the 
 parliament in their act of levy, did nominate 
 some of the most considerable of those 
 reckoned formerly maUgnants, who had been 
 excluded from the renewing the covenant, 
 places of trust, and even access to sacraments, 
 
 i. e. jMeu able to brar arajs. 
 
for their opposition to tiie work of reforma- 
 tion; and more than half of the colonels of this 
 sort, and some of the general officers, and 
 great numbers of the soldiers, were such as 
 had been with Montrose, and M'Donald. 
 In short, the bulk of the officers and army, 
 had been either involved in the engagement, 
 or in some respect or other, had opposed the 
 work of reformation, since the year 1638. 
 Many ministers being dissatisfied at those 
 resolutions and actings, a good many pres- 
 byteries signified their dissatisfaction with 
 such courses and resolutions, pai'ticularly 
 those of Stirhng and Aberdeen. Upon this, 
 the commission did, January 7th, publish a 
 warning and large answer to the letter from 
 the presbytery of Stirling, in which they \in- 
 dicated their answer to the parliament's 
 query, which increased the contention, drew 
 forth new answers and replies, and the 
 flame rising, the opposers of the answer to 
 the query were branded with the character 
 of malignants. All ministers and preachers, 
 were by the commission discharged to speak 
 or write against these resolutions, and an 
 act was made, ordaining presbyteries to pro- 
 ceed with the censures of the kirk against 
 such as did oppose the resolutions ; and in 
 May, the commission transmitted the copy 
 of another act to presbyteries, ordaining such 
 who opposed the resolutions, to be cited to 
 the next assembly at St. Andrews, by which 
 a good many, who opposed the resolutions, 
 were kept from being members of that 
 assembly. To give the whole of this matter 
 together, though the former answer to the 
 query, and what followed upon it, be strictly 
 called the resolutions, and the ministers 
 who approved this answer, the brethren for 
 the public resolutions, and the opposers of 
 this way, antiresolutioners and protesters; 
 yet the gentlemen, who by these methods, 
 were got into the army, did not stop here, 
 but pushed their design to get into judica- 
 tories, from which they were excluded by 
 the acts of classes, 164G, and 1649, which 
 debarred such as had joined Montrose, and 
 were in the engagement, from public offices 
 of tmst, and in short, all malignants. In 
 order to get this act of classes rescinded, 
 the king and estates of i)arliament, proposed 
 to, the commission of the kirk the following 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 3 
 
 query. " Whether or not it be sinful and 
 unlawful, for the more effectual prosecution 
 of the pubhc resolutions, for the defence of 
 the cause of the king and the kingdom, to 
 admit such to be members of the committee 
 of estates, who are now debarred from the 
 public trust, they being such as have satisfied 
 the kii-k for the offence, for which they were 
 excluded, and are since admitted to enter 
 into covenant with us ?" 
 
 The commission, upon some considera- 
 tions, found it proper at first to delay giving 
 an answer ; but upon the 3d of April, the 
 moderator received a letter from the king 
 and parliament, earnestly desiring a meeting 
 of the commission to be called at Perth, the 
 17th of April, 1651. " That after a due 
 consideration of the acts and declarations 
 emitted by the church, and the other grounds 
 contained in the narrative of the acts of 
 classes, in so far as conscience can be con- 
 cerned therein, his majesty and pai'liament 
 have a positive answer, not only to the query 
 in the terms wherein it was propounded, but 
 likewise their clear and dehberate judgment 
 and resolutions, if it be sinful and unlawful 
 to repeal and rescind the act of classes :" 
 and upon the 23d of April, another letter 
 came to the commission, much to the same 
 purpose. To both, the commission, afiter 
 some previous cautions, gave this answer. 
 " As for the solemn league and covenant, 
 the solemn acknowledgment and engage- 
 ment, and former declarations emitted by 
 this church, (which are set down as grounds 
 in the narrative of the act of classes,) we 
 do find they do not particularly determine 
 any definite measure of time, of excluding 
 persons from places of trust for bypast 
 offences ; but only bind and oblige accord- 
 ingly to punish offenders, as the degi-ee of 
 their offences shall require or deserve, or 
 the supreme judicatories of the kingdom, or 
 others having power from them for that 
 effect, shall judge convenient, to purge all 
 judicatories, and places of power and ti-ust, 
 and to endeavour that they may consist of, 
 and be filled with such men, as are of knov/n 
 good affection to the cause of God, and of a 
 blameless and christian conversation, (which 
 is a moral duty conmianded in the word of 
 God, and of perpetual obligation ; so that 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 nothing upon the account of those grounds 
 doth hinder, but that persons formerly de- 
 barred from places of power and trust for 
 their offences, may be admitted to be members 
 of the committee of estates, and the censures 
 inflicted upon them by the act of classes, 
 may be taken off and rescinded without sin, 
 by the parliament, in whose power it is to 
 lengthen or shorten the time of those 
 censures, according as they shall find just 
 and necessary) providing they be men who 
 have satisfied the ku'k for their offences, 
 have renewed and taken the covenant, and 
 be qualified for such places according to the 
 qualifications required in the word of God, 
 and expressed in the solemn acknowledgment 
 and engagement," &c. As soon as the court 
 had this return, the parliament rescinded the 
 act of classes in all its articles, by which 
 great numbers formerly excluded, were 
 brought into parliament, and nominate as 
 members of the committee of estates, and 
 made capable of places of trust. And in a 
 little time, the malignant party, at least the 
 bulk of them, were admitted to the chief 
 places of trust, and got the management of 
 all into their hand. 
 
 The General Assembly met at St. Andrews 
 in July, where the brethren against the reso- 
 lutions, protested. against the lawfulness and 
 freedom of the assembly. Three of the sub- 
 scribers were, after citation, deposed, and 
 one suspended, and the actings of the com- 
 mission anproven. The same heats con- 
 tinued in the next assembly, 1652; and 
 when Cromwell had effectually prevented 
 the meeting of any more assemblies, and the 
 debates had been carried on in synods and 
 presbyteries, and in print before the world, 
 at length, in 1655, and 1656, conferences 
 were agreed on for union, and the matter 
 was carried to London, before the usurper. 
 At length some sort of union was made up 
 in most synods and presbyteries after Crom- 
 well's death ; and things went pretty smooth, 
 till the king, upon his return, declared his 
 displeasure with the opposers of the resolu- 
 tions, and some of them were first fallen 
 upon ; and in a little time, the whole honest 
 presbyterian ministers were struck at, and 
 sent to the furnace to unite them. 
 
 Having premised this, I come now to 
 
 hand myself and the reader into the begin- 
 ning of our direct persecution, August, 1660, 
 by giving a short view of matters from the 
 time of general Monk's leaving Scotland, till 
 the meeting of the committee of estates, 
 where I will have occasion to take notice of 
 several matters of fact both in Scotland and 
 England, as to the restoration of the king, 
 which I have not met with any where else 
 but in the letters before me, which are 
 mostly betwixt Mr. James Sharp and Mr. 
 Robert Douglas, and some from Mr. Sharp 
 to Mr. John Smith, one of the ministers of 
 Edinburgh, and others. From the very 
 words of those letters, (which shall be 
 marked thus ") I shall endeavour to form an 
 account of the great tiu"n of affairs this year, 
 whereby the reader will have most plain 
 evidences of the reverend Mr. Douglas, 
 and the rest, their integrity and faithfulness, 
 and discoveries how careful they were to 
 preserve our valuable constitution upon the 
 king's return ; and as sensible proofs of Mi-. 
 Sharp's juggling, prevarication, and betraying 
 the church of Scotland, and his treachery to 
 the worthy ministers who intrusted him. 
 The reader is entirely indebted to the rev- 
 erend and worthy Mr. Alexander Douglas, 
 minister of the gospel at Logie, for what is 
 .in those letters, which in a most obliging 
 manner he communicated to me, with a short 
 narrative of the re-introduction of episcopacy, 
 writ by his venerable father Mr. Robert 
 Douglas, of which I shall make some use in 
 the following histoiy. 
 
 In November, 1659, general Monk left 
 Edinburgh, where he had been since the 
 usurper's reduction of Scotland, and by 
 slow marches reached London in January, 
 and soon gave a turn to public affairs in 
 favour of the king's restoration. It appears 
 very probable to me, that he was encouraged 
 secretly by Mr. Robert Douglas ; but I come 
 to the matters of fact in the letters, which I 
 exhibit according to their dates. 
 , January 10th, Mr. David Dickson and Mr. 
 Robert Douglas, in their letter to general 
 Monk, signify their entire confidence in him 
 as to the affairs of Scotland, and the neces- 
 sity of one from them to be near his person, 
 to put him in mind of what is necessary, and 
 acquaint them witli the state of things ; and 
 
INTROD 
 
 they ask liis pass for I\Ir. Jiuncs Sharp. 
 Before the receipt of theirs, the general 
 ordered Mr. auditor Thomson to write from 
 York to Mr. Sharp; and in his name he, 
 (January loth,) desires Mr. Sharp "to 
 undertake a winter journey, and come to 
 him at London with all speed; defers the 
 communicating the reasons till he be there, 
 wishes he may communicate this with Mr. 
 Douglas only, because the general does not 
 desire this to be made too public." And Jan- 
 uary IGth, the general himself writes a letter 
 from Ferry-bridge to Messrs. Dickson and 
 Douglas in the following words. 
 
 " I received yours of the 10th instant, 
 and do assure you, the Avelfare of your 
 church shall be a great ptu't of my care, and 
 that you shall not be more ready to pro- 
 pound, than I shall be to promote any rea- 
 sonable thing that may be for the advantage 
 thereof: and to that end I have herewith 
 sent you, according to your desu-e, a pass 
 for Mr. Sharp, who the sooner he comes to 
 me, the more welcome he shall be, because 
 he will give me an opportunity to show how 
 much I am a well-wisher to your church 
 and to yourselves. 
 
 A very humble Servant, 
 
 George Monk." 
 
 Upon the Gth of February several minis- 
 ters met at Edinburgh, and agreed to send 
 up Mr. Shai'p with instructions to this effect, 
 that he endeavoiu- that the church may enjoy 
 her privileges, that he testify against the late 
 sinful toleration, that he essay to get the 
 abuses of vacant stipends rectified, that min- 
 isters may have the benefit of the act abolish- 
 ing patronages ; and, that in case any commis- 
 sion be granted for settling ministers' stipends, 
 he endeavour to have it in good hands, which 
 I have annexed.* At the same time they 
 
 • Instructions to Mr. Sharp, from Messrs. 
 David Uickson, Robert Doiij^las, James Wood, 
 John Smith, George Hutchison, and Andrew 
 Ker, February fith, 1660. 
 
 1. You are to use your utmost endeavours that 
 the kirk of Scotland may, without interruption 
 or encroachment, enjoy the freedom and privi- 
 leges of hi-r establishe<l judicatures, ratified by 
 the laws of the land. 
 
 2. Whereas, by the lax toleration which is 
 established, a door is opened to <a very many 
 gross errors, and loose practices in this church ; 
 you shall thefcfore use all lawful and prudent 
 
 UCTION. 5 
 
 [Write to general Monk, and "recommend 
 Mr. Sharp to him, as one whom they havo 
 instructed, and who is to comnmnicate his 
 instructions with his lordship, and they have 
 sent him up to prevent any bad impressions 
 that may be given of them at London. 
 They add, tliat though it be not their way 
 to intermeddle with civil afiturs, yet the mis- 
 eries of the sinking nation, make tliem hum- 
 bly request his lordship may endeavom- to 
 ease them of their grievances." By another 
 letter they recommend Mr. Sharp to colonel 
 Wetham ; and by a third, to Messrs. Calamy 
 and Ash, to be communicate with Messrs. 
 Manton and Cowper, and any others they 
 think fit ; wherein they desu-e them to be 
 assisting to him in the management of his 
 trust, for the best advantage of this afflicted 
 church. 
 
 Mr. Sharp's first letter, of February Hth, 
 takes notice of his arrival at London the 
 1 3th, his kind reception by Mr. Manton, 
 who signified to him the large character the 
 general gave of the ministers in Scotland, 
 and Mr. Douglas in particular ; " that he had 
 immediate access to the general, who recom- 
 
 means to represent the sinfulness and ofTensivc- 
 ness thereof, that it may be timeously remedied. 
 3. You are to represent the prejudice this 
 church doth sutler by the intervening of the 
 vaking stipends,* which by law were dedicated 
 to pious uses; and seriously endeavour, that, 
 hereafter vaking stipends may be intromitted 
 with by presbyteries, and such as shall be war- 
 ranted by them, and no others, to be disposed of 
 and applied to pious uses, by presb)'teries, accord- 
 ing to the 20th act of the parliament, IGiA-. 
 
 i. You are to endeavour that ministers, law- 
 fully called and admitted by presbyteries to the 
 ministry, may have the benefit of the 39th act 
 of the parliament, intituled, act anent abolishing 
 patronages, for obtaining summarily, upon the 
 act of their admission, decreet, and letters con- 
 form, and other executoriuls, to the effect they 
 may get the right and possession of their sti- 
 pends, and otlier benefits, without any other 
 address or trouble. 
 
 If you find that there will be any commission 
 appointed in this nation, for settling and aug- 
 menting of ministers' stipends, then you are to 
 use your utmost endeavours to liave faithful 
 men, w^ell affected to the interests of Clu'ist in 
 this Church, employed therein. 
 
 David Dickson. 
 
 Mr. Roukkt Douglas. 
 
 Mr. Jajies Wood. 
 
 Mr. John Smith. 
 
 Mr. George Hutchison, 
 
 Mr. Andrew Kkk. 
 • 1 he stipends of vacant parishes. 
 
6 INTRODUCTION, 
 
 mended him to Sir Anthony Aslily Cowpcr, restored, to the joy of all honest people 
 and JNIr. Weaver, two parliament men. He 
 adds, that the city, who, two days ago, were 
 much saddened by the unhandsome act put 
 upon the general, with a design to bring him 
 into an odium with the city, is now mightily 
 pleased, with the general's letter to the par- 
 liament." 
 
 Upon the 16tli of February, the general 
 sends an answer to w-hat was written to him 
 with Mr. Sharp, importing, " that Mr. Sharp 
 is dear to him as his good friend, but much 
 more having their recommendation, and he 
 cannot but receive him as a minister of 
 Christ, and a messenger of his church ; that 
 he \vill improve his interest to his utmost 
 for the preservation of the rights of the 
 church of Scotland, and their afflicted coun- 
 try, which he loves, and had great kindness 
 from ; that it shall be his care, that the gos- 
 pel ordinances, and privileges of God's people 
 may be established both here and with them. 
 He seeks their prayers for God's blessing 
 upon their counsels and undertakings, en- 
 treats them to promove the peace and settle- 
 ment of the nations, and do what in them 
 lies to compose men's spirits, that with 
 patience the fruit of hopes and prayers may 
 be reaped ; and assures them he will be care- 
 ful to preserve their profession in the hon- 
 om" they so much deserve." 
 
 Mr. Douglas, February 23d, "acquaints 
 Mr. Sharp with the receipt of his and the 
 general's letters, desires he may mind what 
 he spoke about the lords Crawford and 
 Lauderdale, and promises to write about 
 them to the general, if need be : he desires 
 Mr. Sharp to encourage the general in his 
 great work, for the good of religion, and 
 peace of the three nations, through all the 
 difficulties he may meet with. He adds, 
 you yourself know what have been my 
 thoughts from the beginning of this under- 
 taking, which I have signified to himself; 
 though I was sparing to venture my opinion 
 in ticklish matters, yet I looked upon him 
 as called of God in a strait, to put a check 
 to those who would have run down all our 
 interests." 
 
 " By a letter from London, February 21st, 
 Mr. Sharp signifies to Mr. Douglas, that the 
 secluded members of the long parliament are 
 
 that he is satisfied he is come up, smce that, 
 though little can be done at present for the 
 cause we own, eiFectually, yet one from the 
 church of Scotland bears a construction that 
 will be for the reputation of the church. 
 He says, friends are satisfied with our late 
 proceedings with Monk, and bless God we 
 were not wanting in such a juncture ; that 
 on Saturday he had a private conference 
 with the general, and so far sounded him as 
 he got encouragement for some of the most 
 eminent secluded members to apply to him. 
 Upon Monday, four of them sent him with 
 some propositions to the general, to which 
 he brought them a satisfying return. He 
 adds, that ministers and good people look 
 upon it as the only expedient for securing 
 religion, and dashing the designs both of 
 cavaliers and sectaries, that the secluded 
 members be restored, rather than that a par- 
 liament should be called with qualifications 
 which would only tend to the securing of 
 the interest of the rump, which is now the 
 third time the derision and scorn of all men : 
 that with no small difficulty the general was 
 brought to admit the secluded members, 
 which was kept very close till this morning. 
 Yesterday the rump voted their seclusion, and 
 this morning the secluded members entered 
 the house with the acclamations of the 
 people, seventy-three in number to eighteen 
 of the rump. Mr. Manton was called to 
 pray to them ; and they made void all done 
 against them these eleven years, appointed 
 the general commander in chief of the forces 
 of the three nations, took off the imprison- 
 ment of the committed citizens, and liberate 
 Sir George Booth : that they are to appoint 
 a council of state to sit till the Parliament 
 be called, April 20th. After fom- or five 
 days they design to dissolve themselves, and 
 so make void the title and clami of the long 
 parliament: that tiie general, in his speech, 
 declares for presbyterian government not 
 rigid, and hath writ to the officers of the 
 army : that both contain expressions which 
 will not be pleasing, but the present neces- 
 sity of affairs causeth some to put a fair 
 construction upon them. Once more the 
 public cause of those nations is like to be in 
 honour, fanatic fury quelled, the expectations 
 
INTROD 
 
 of all sober men raised, and Scotland some- 
 what better reputed. In this great turn 
 providence is remarkably seen. The rump 
 intended to bottom themselves upon the 
 sectarian interest, and are now dashed upon 
 that account, and the almost dying hopes of 
 God's people revived. Mr. Shai'p desires to 
 be recalled, since nothing can be done till 
 the parliament sit ; and the general told him, 
 nothing could be done, till there be a full 
 house, as to his instructions. He adds, that 
 'tis surmised by some, that before those who 
 now sit, rise, somewhat will be started con- 
 cerning the covenant, others think it will 
 not be yet time ; but however (says he) the 
 public covenanted interest, and om* concern- 
 ment in it, ought not to be neglected. I 
 hope this week oar noble prisoners will be 
 released, and I am next day or Thursday to 
 pay them a visit." 
 
 " In answer to tiiis. Mi'. Douglas writes to 
 Mr. Sharp, February 28th, and signifies, that 
 he may be sure it soundeth harsh in the ears 
 of all honest and understanding men, to 
 hear presbytery, the ordinance of Jesus 
 Christ, reflected upon by the epithet of 
 rigidity. We confess (adds he) rigidity may 
 be fault of men, and may be the fault of 
 those among ourselves, who weakened the 
 unity and authority of this kirk; but the 
 faults of men ought not to be charged upon 
 the ordinance of God, nor upon others who 
 have disallowed and disavowed those actings. 
 I still entertain hopes that presbyterial gov- 
 ernment will be better known to be well 
 consistent with, and helpful to the govern- 
 ment of the state. And as to his return, 
 leaves it to himself, with the advice of the 
 general." 
 
 Upon March 1st, Mr. Douglas writes to 
 general Monk, thanking him for his kind 
 reception of Mr. Sharp, and encouraging him 
 to go on in the great work he had among his 
 hands. He adds, " I have been very much 
 satisfied from time to time, to hear what good 
 opinion your lordship entertained of presby- 
 terial government ; and I am confident you 
 shall never have just cause to think other- 
 wise of it. There is no government so good 
 in itself, but it may be abused by the cor- 
 ruptions of men ; yet the faults of persons 
 are not to be fi.^ed upon the government, nor 
 
 acTioN. 7 
 
 ought it to be rejected because of the rigid 
 miscarriages of some, whose irregular actings 
 have been hateful to tme presbyterians, as 
 the issue of men's corruptions, and not the 
 genuine fruit of the government. It is a bles- 
 sed mean appointed of God for the preser- 
 vation of truth and verity in the kirk, and 
 singularly useful to preserve and press obe- 
 dience to magistracy. It was no small con- 
 tentment to all here, when we heard of your 
 lordship's grave advice for abstaining from 
 multiplying oaths and engagements, as a way 
 to attain sooner unto settlement. Honest 
 men will follow their duty without such en- 
 gagements; and they who fear not an oath, 
 will be forward enough to take it when it is 
 imposed, and as forward to break it when 
 occasion is offered. Determinations will be 
 without doubt, more kindly entertained, and 
 bear the more weight with men, when they 
 are kno\iTi to flow, not from an imposed 
 constraint,but from an unconstrained freedom 
 and inclination, bottomed upon conscience 
 and right reason." 
 
 Mr. Sharp's letter of March 1st, to TnL*. 
 Douglas, apologizes for his so seldom writing, 
 and signifies he is so much engaged in 
 business, that ho is deprived of his rest ; that 
 people obsemng the great countenance the 
 lord general gives him, press him so, that he 
 is forced to abandon his chamber all the day, 
 and much of the night; that he declines 
 altogether meddling in the business of pai- 
 ticular persons ; that though little is yet 
 done to the church and nation, yet his being 
 at London, hath not been useless as to the 
 public cause : " That the cavaliers point him 
 out as the Scottish presbyter, who stickled 
 to bring in the secluded members, to undo 
 all by the presbyterian empire ; that before 
 the admission of the secluded members he 
 had spoke to the general concerning the 
 Windsor prisoners, and signified his com- 
 mission fi"om Mr. Douglas so to do; and 
 after pressing the vote of the house relating 
 to them he went to Windsor, and advised 
 their vvriting to the general, and carried their 
 letter, which he promised to answer; and 
 every day since, he had been with some of 
 the most considerable of the house, who 
 have promised to move effectually for their 
 coming to London, which will be speedily ; 
 
8 
 
 tluit , the general tells hiin, his 
 London, is of use to him ; that the house 
 hath yet a fortnight to sit, and have resolved 
 to spend the first hour every day about 
 settling religion, and the rest of their time 
 upon settling the militia; that the city 
 ministers have offered some desires to be 
 made use of by some members of the house, 
 a copy of which he sends. He adds, that 
 worthy Mr. Ash tells him, that tliree months 
 ago, when the commissioners came down to 
 general Monk, he wrote to you, (Mr. 
 Douglas,) by one of them, which it seems, 
 was not delivered ; that in the letter, I (Mr. 
 Sharp,) wrote to Lauderdale about that 
 time, I had this expression, that he might be 
 confident general Monk would be for a good 
 parliament. Upon this, he (Lauderdale,) 
 sent to Messrs. Calamy, Ash, and Taylor, 
 which encouraged the flagging city. He sent 
 also to Oxford and elsewhere, which gave 
 the first occasion of addresses from the city 
 and counties, to the general, for a free par- 
 liament." 
 
 The desires of the city ministers, men- 
 tioned in this letter, I have annexed.* They 
 are for suppressing papists, for sanctification 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 being at house have voted the confession of the 
 assembly, to be the doctrine of the church 
 of England, except the two chapters about 
 church discipline and censures, which are 
 remitted to a committee, where 'tis thought, 
 they will sleep till the parliament sit. They 
 have appointed Dr. Owen to be before them 
 on Thursday, in order, as 'tis thought, to 
 restore his deanery to Dr. Reynolds. This 
 day the house have released our Scots 
 prisoners, who have given security to the 
 council for their good behaviour, and their 
 estates will soon be restored ; that Ireland 
 is secured, and all quakers, anabaptists, and 
 sectaries banished; that some judges are 
 appointed for Scotland, but the parliament 
 will not meddle with them. He adds, he is 
 in a peck of troubles to get the city ministers 
 set about their business. That day a large 
 meeting named four of the fa=;test and 
 honestest to sit on Monday, and Mr. Sharp 
 with them, and afterwards to meet when he 
 sees fit. He names five, whom he calls 
 warping brethren, and no friends to the 
 covenant interest, whom a member of the 
 house of commons hath undertaken for ; but 
 (says he,) they must not be trusted. He 
 
 of the Sabbath, against the disturbance of adds, I tell what your mind is as to the civil 
 
 ministers, for a conunittee to approve minis- 
 ters, for a declaration of adherence to the 
 confession, catechisms, directory, and form 
 of church government, presented by the late 
 assembly, against molestation of ministers, 
 and for a national assembly of divines. 
 
 In Ml". Sharp's letter to Mi-. John Smith, 
 March 4th, he regrets the death of Mr. Law 
 at Edinburgh, and tells him, " That the 
 
 * Desires of the city ministers, February 1660. 
 It is liumbly desired, 
 
 1. That there may be a speedy course taken 
 against Jesuits, papists, priests, and all popish 
 emissaries. 
 
 2. That an effectual course also be taken for 
 the better sanctification of tlie Sabbath, and to 
 prevent the opening of shops by quakers, and 
 all other profanation of the Sabbath, and, in 
 order thereto, a certain act, bearing date Septem- 
 ber 27th, 1651, intituled, an act for relief of reli- 
 gious and peaceable people from the rigour of 
 former acts of parliament in matters of religion 
 (whereby many have taken encouragement to 
 neglect the public ordinances) may be considered 
 and repealed. 
 
 3. That the disturbance of the ministers, in 
 the public worship of God, may be prevented 
 and punished. 
 
 4. That certain ministers may be appointed 
 
 business ; and honest people here, who are 
 but few, either in the city or house, are of 
 one heart with you. The great fear is, that 
 the king will come in, and that with him, 
 moderate episcopacy, at the least, will take 
 place here. The good party are doing what 
 they can to keep the covenant interest on 
 foot, but I fear there will be much ado to 
 have it so. They dare not press the voting 
 
 for the approbation of all ministers who shall be 
 admitted into livings, till the next parliament 
 take further order. 
 
 3. That they would be pleased to declare, that 
 they still own the confession of faith, the cate- 
 chisms, directory, and form of church govern- 
 ment presented to them bj' the late assembly of 
 divines, and approved of by several ordinances 
 of pai'liament. 
 
 6. That care may be taken, that godly ordained 
 ministers, who are in sequestered livings, may 
 not be molested, through the want of some for- 
 malities in law .as to their institution. 
 
 7. That they would please to consider what 
 may be done in order to the calling of a national 
 assembly of divines, to be chosen by the minis- 
 ters of tlie respective counties, with due qualifi- 
 cations, that so, by the blessing of God upon this 
 ordinance, w^e may have hope for the healing of 
 our sinful and woful divisions. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 9 
 
 for presbyterian government, lest it bar them 
 from being elected next parliament. Our 
 friends in the city think it were not amiss, 
 that from the nation of Scotland, were 
 published a declaration; but I think it not 
 yet seasonable. It were good you have your 
 thoughts upon it in time, and the intent 
 would be, to guard against sectaries upon the 
 one hand, and cavaliers upon the other. For 
 God's sake take care that our people keep 
 themselves quiet, and wait till the Lord give 
 a fit opportunity. Matters here are in a very 
 ticklish discomposed condition. They say 
 Ireland hath sent for the king, but I do not 
 believe it." 
 
 March Gth, IVIr. Sharp writes to Mr. 
 Douglas; and with reference to the com- 
 plaint in his of the 28th of February, upon 
 the general's declaring himself to be for pres- 
 bytery, but not rigid, he says, " As to the 
 reflection upon presbytery, by the epithet of 
 rigidity, the carriage of the true friends of 
 it hath given sufficient proof of the cause- 
 lessness of that aspersion, yet upon all 
 occasions you see it doth not fence against 
 it. The consistency of it with the civil 
 government, seemeth to be clear from the 
 present parliament, who, if they sit a little, 
 intend to ratify vvhat they enacted about it, 
 (in) 1647, though the buzz of some is loud 
 enough, No bishop, no king. The house 
 yesterday, in their preface to the act own- 
 ing the confession of faith as the doctrine of 
 the church of England, did mention the 
 covenant as one of the grounds upon which 
 they were induced to make such an ordin- 
 ance: whereupon the motion was stated, 
 that the solemn league and covenant should 
 be revived, and an order made for printing 
 it, and setting it up in all the churches of 
 England and Wales, and the doors of the 
 parliament house: to which none in the 
 house offered to make any contradiction. 
 And this day the league and covenant, in 
 great Lombard paper, is to be sold in all the 
 shops in London. This hath given a great 
 alarm to the sectarian party, who centre in 
 Lambert, who, refusing to give security for 
 keeping the peace, was yesternight laid in 
 the Tower ; and they are proceeding against 
 others of that party. Waristoun hath been 
 
 the general, that he may have a personal 
 protection, payment of his debts, or enjoy 
 his places at least. I have declined to 
 meddle in it." 
 
 In his postscript to this letter, he tella 
 Mr. Douglas, " that Mr. Calamy, INIr. Ash, 
 and Mr. Taylor, are honest, and after his 
 own heart. They say, I (Mr. Sharp) am 
 useful to them ; sure they put me to toil 
 enough in speaking to parliament members, 
 the general and his officers. Honest men 
 are at a stand what to think or do. If this 
 parliament rise, and another sit, they con- 
 clude we can have no security for religion 
 or liberty: the following will bring in the 
 king immediately. This cannot sit longer, 
 unless a house of lords be called, and this 
 the army will not give way to. Most of the 
 members have no inclination to sit longer. 
 This clashing of parties is like to cast all in 
 confusion; and the cavaliers and sectaries 
 are waiting their opportunity. All that 
 wish well to religion apprehend that if this 
 parliament do not continue to sit, the kmg 
 must come in without terms, and therefore 
 do judge it best to call him in time. I never 
 saw England in such a posture. God 
 knoweth how to interpose. The papist and 
 sectary will join issue, expecting toleration ; 
 and the honest partv are like to be swallowed 
 up." 
 
 Mr. Douglas answers the former, March 
 13th, and tells hun, he is refreshed with the 
 reviving the league and covenant, (and) 
 recommends Mungo Murray to Mr. Sharp's 
 counsel and assistance. 
 
 IVIarch 10th, Mr. Sharp signifies that he 
 had Mr. Douglas's to himself and the general," 
 of March 1, which the general received, and 
 said he would make a return. He adds, 
 that the general hath much countenanced 
 presbyterian ministers, and still professeth 
 to be for that way; "that the sectarian 
 interest is on the waning hand, and mo- 
 derate episcopacy setting up its head ; that 
 upon Thursday our noble prisoners were 
 liberate upon security to keep the peace, 
 and not to return to Scotland without leave 
 of council or parliament; that they are 
 highly esteemed by the English. He wish- 
 eth a commission were immediately sent up 
 
 with me ; his drift is, that I may deal with from Scotland, to Crawford and Lauderdale, 
 
 B 
 
10 
 
 IN'TRODUCTION. 
 
 to act in capacity of commissioners tor the 
 kingdom of Scotland. The parliament are 
 this night upon settling the militia of tlie 
 city and nation, with this proviso, that all 
 in it shall own the cause of the parliament 
 against the late king to be just. He adds, 
 that several parliament men and the lord 
 Manchester, think he hath privacy with the 
 general, and send him (Mi-. Sharp) to him 
 on all occasions, and the general by him 
 communicates his mind to his friends in the 
 city, and he is employed in all that relates 
 to religion, so that he hath scarce any time 
 to write; that he had met with reports once 
 and again, that you (IMi-. Douglas) Messrs. 
 Hutchison, Dickson, Wood, and himself, 
 should have said, we could wish to be set- 
 tled in a commonwealth way,and were against 
 the king's coming in on any terms. Where- 
 upon he went to the earl of Manchester, 
 lord Wharton, and several parliament men, 
 to whom it was buzzed by colonels Wetham 
 and Gumble, and flatly contradicted it as a 
 slander; declaring that nothing would satisfy 
 Scotland but the king on covenant terms, 
 and that it was contrary to their mind he 
 should be brought in on cavalier terms; 
 that he, finding many possessed with the 
 belief, that the king, while in Scotland, broke 
 all terms, and the engagements he was under 
 by treaty, and was vicious, and unclean, and 
 a scorner of ordinances, and a discountenan- 
 cer of ministers, had detected those great 
 lies and malicious forgeries, and declared 
 he could not say the king broke to us, and 
 that the honest party were well satisfied 
 with him ; that by covenant and treaty he 
 engaged by all lawful and peaceable ways to 
 endeavour uniformity in doctrine, discipline, 
 &c. in the three nations. The difficulties, 
 adds he, from the army, are overcome ; the 
 militia is so settled that general Monk hath 
 the absolute power of the armj;^ and the 
 agitators and army cannot now stop the 
 design on foot. There is no satisfying the 
 people without the king ; a treaty with him 
 will soon be set on foot. The general and 
 leading men in the house are now settled 
 in a mutual confidence. The great thing 
 now is. Whether this house shall continue or 
 dissolve : if they continue, they lose their 
 reputation, and will not be able to act for a 
 
 settlement ; if they dissolve, they fear ths 
 next parliament will bring in the king, with- 
 out security to religion and the public cause. 
 But, adds he, I apprehend they must dissolve 
 themselves, and set that on foot before the 
 sitting of the next pai-liament which will 
 secure the honest interest ; however they 
 are resolved on that which will upon the 
 matter settle presbyterian government. 
 
 To this letter Mi". Douglas answers, March 
 loth, and signifies his satisfaction that the 
 general supports presbyterian government 
 and ministers. He adds, " It is best that 
 presbyterian government be settled simply ; 
 for we know by experience, that moderate 
 episcopacy (what can it be other than 
 bishops with cautions) is the next step to 
 episcopal tyranny, which will appear very 
 soon above board if that ground once be laid. 
 You know the old saying, Perpetua dicfatura 
 via ad iinperium. Our constant moderators 
 was a step to bishops, and they once entered, 
 soon broke all caveats." He adds he had 
 thoughts of a commission to Crawford and 
 Lauderdale three weeks ago, but knows not 
 how a meeting shall be got to give it, and to 
 add others if necessary. Further, Mr. 
 Douglas that same day writes to Mr. Sharp 
 about the calumnies cast upon them, and 
 says, " The report of their being for a com- 
 monwealth is a mere forgery; that they pro- 
 fessed any settled government better than 
 anarchy, and submitted to providence in 
 their present condition ; that it may be they 
 were mistaken for some of their brethren the 
 protesters, to whom, says he, the king's re- 
 turn is matter of terror, because of their 
 miscarriages to him. You know, adds he, 
 that the judgment of honest men here is, 
 for admitting the king upon no other terms 
 but covenant terms, wherein religion, the 
 liberties of the nation, and his just greatness, 
 are best secured; that as to the king he never 
 broke, but at the short stai't at St. John- 
 stoun, which was occasioned by the remon- 
 strance ; that his countenance was favour- 
 able to the ministry ; and if Mr. Gillespy and 
 others were not so chea-fiilly looked upon 
 by him, it was because of their opposing the 
 resolutions for the defence of the kirk and 
 kingdom against an unjust invasion. As to 
 his personal faults, they did not appear to 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 11 
 
 them ; that lie heard him say, in reference to 
 tlie settling i)resbyterian government in Eng- 
 land, that, by advice of parliament, and a 
 bvnod of dinnes, he would endeavour the 
 uniformity whereunto the league and cove- 
 nant engages. All this he oflers to get attest- 
 ed, if need be, and wishes a meeting were 
 warranted to authorize commissioners to act 
 for poor Scotland ; and does not doubt but 
 the noble persons he (iNIr. Shai'p) speaks of, 
 being prisoners of many prayers, will be cor- 
 dial for the good of the kirk and kingdom, 
 and not suffer themselves to be deceived 
 again, by admitting those to counsels and 
 actings who have undone all." And, March 
 17th, Mr. Dickson, Mr. Douglas, and Mr. 
 Hutchison, write a joint letter to Mr. Sharp, 
 vindicating themselves from being for a com- 
 monwealth, and meddle with no other parts 
 of the letter he wrote. The same day they 
 write a letter to general Monk, encouraging 
 him to go on, and thanking him for his coun- 
 tenance. 
 
 March 13th, ]Mr. Sharp writes to ^Ir. 
 Douglas, and tells him, " The house have 
 resolved to do nothing in prejudice of what 
 passed in favour of religion before the 1648. 
 To what before he had said on the covenant, 
 he adds. That it was ordered to be read in 
 all the churches, once in the month, every 
 year; that they have appointed a committee 
 for approbation and ordination of ministers ; 
 and therein upon the matter have approven 
 the directory and form for church govern- 
 ment ; that this day Dr. Owen was outed of 
 his deanery of Christ's church, Oxon, and 
 Dr. Reynolds put in his room ; that the 
 house had further ordered, that none suffer 
 any more for the sake of the engagement, 
 and voted it to be utterly void henceforth. 
 By the above named clause in militia act, 
 ordering all to declare the parliament's jus- 
 tice in their war against the king, they have 
 guarded against the cavaliers; and, by their 
 adding, that niagistracj' and ministry are or- 
 dinances of God, they guard against sectaries 
 and levellers. Last Sunday, says he, I went 
 to Mr. Calamy's church with our noble pris- 
 oners, where Messrs. Calamy and Taylor 
 gave public thanks for their liberation. This 
 day, the form and order of the king's coro- 
 nation, with Mr. Douglas's sermon, and the ! 
 
 speeches made, aie printed, and selling at 
 London, printed according to the first edi- 
 tion at Aberdeen. He adds, the difficulties 
 about sitting or not sitting of this house con- 
 tinue ; but sit or not, they will declare for 
 king, lords, and commons. The militia is in 
 the hand of those who are enemies to a com- 
 monwealth, lie adds, that Sunday last, the 
 general sent his coach for Messrs. Calamy, 
 Ash, and me ; and we had a long conversa- 
 tion with him in private ; and convinced him 
 a commonwealth was impracticable, and to 
 our sense beat him off" that sconce he hath 
 hitherto maintained ; and came from him as 
 being satisfied of the necessity of dissolving 
 this house, and calling a new parliament. 
 We urged much upon him, that the presby- 
 terian interest he had espoused, was much 
 concerned in keeping up this house, and set- 
 tling the government on terms; but in regard 
 he had so lately declared against the house 
 of lords, and continuing of this house, he 
 could not do it so reputably. The secluded 
 members, though they could outvote the 
 rump, yet cannot so well proceed against 
 the rumpers in tliis as in another parlia- 
 ment." 
 
 Upon the loth of Maixh, INIr. Sharp 
 writes to Mr. Douglas, " that yesterday the 
 house passed the bill for approbation of 
 ministers, granting this power to one and 
 thu'ty ministers, all presbyterian, save three 
 or four. This, (says he) in a church con- 
 stitute as ours, were not more tolerable than 
 Mi-. Patrick's (Gillespy's) parchment; but 
 here 'tis looked on as a very advantageous 
 act. They have confirmed all ordinances in 
 favours of presbyterian government, extend- 
 ing them to all counties in England. The 
 house will dissoh^e on Saturday or Monday. 
 The commonwealth party are now for any 
 thing but the king's coming in ; they would 
 set up Monk, but he will not be induced to 
 it. The caviilicr spirit breaks out very high, 
 and is like to overturn all. We scarce see 
 how a war can be avoided. The geneiiil is 
 confident to carry his point. The popish 
 party are at work, and the Jesuit provincial, 
 Bradshaw, who came over from Sj)ain to 
 Lambert and Vane, with above a hundred 
 thousand pounds sterl. is still here, and very 
 busv." 
 
12 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 March 20th, Mr. Douglas writes to Mr. 
 Sharp, that he had his of the 13th, and is 
 well pleased that the parliament's defensive 
 war is vindicated. He says, anarchy and 
 tyranny, and likewise contempt of magis- 
 tracy, are to be guarded against ; and as hie- 
 rarchy hath been the bane of the kirk of 
 God, so decrying the ministry, and a lawless 
 liberty, hath poisoned the kirk with heresy 
 and error. He tells Mi*. Sharp of a meeting of 
 the protesters at Edinburgh very unfrequent; 
 but that 'tis said they wrote a letter to the 
 general in favours of Waristoun. The 
 same day Mr. Douglas writes a letter to the 
 earl of Crawford, wherein he congratulates 
 him on his liberation, and his firm adherence 
 through his sufferings to his principles, and 
 takes the freedom to tell him and the lord 
 Lauderdale, " That on their deliverance they 
 will, like wise Scotsmen behind the hand, 
 be careful not to suffer themselves to be 
 befoolled again by fair pretexts and prom- 
 ises, to admit to then* counsels, and public 
 employments, men that never loved their 
 master, their country, themselves, or the 
 cause they owned and suffered for; but by 
 their rigidity, and precipitancy, and ambition 
 to set up themselves and followers, had ruin- 
 ed king, kirk, and country ; and, if re-admit- 
 ted, will play the same game over again ; 
 ' Burnt bairns dread the fire :' and adds. He is 
 not against compassion to such as deserved 
 the contrary, but would never trust them 
 with places. He beseeches them to improve 
 their enlargement in a solid settlement of the 
 nations, according to our obligations by the 
 solemn oaths of God. And he begs his 
 lordship and Lauderdale may write down to 
 their acquaintances in Scotland, to avoid 
 divisions, and leave off their plottings for 
 their private interest, and let all give way to 
 the public interest of kirk and state." That 
 same day a common letter signed by Messrs. 
 Dickson, Douglas, Hamilton, Smith, and 
 Hutchison, is sent to Crawford, Lauderdale 
 and Sinclair, congratulating them on their 
 liberation. 
 
 Mr. Sharp writes to Mi*. John Smith, 
 March 17th, that yesterday the parliament 
 did dissolve themselves, after ihey had issued 
 writs for another parliament to meet 25th 
 of April. Mr. Sharp seeks to be home, 
 
 and declines coming to be minister of 
 Edinburgh. He says, some sudden rupture 
 of the sectarian party is feared, and those 
 who are against the king's coming in, seem 
 desperate. 
 
 March 22d, Mr. Douglas answers Mr. 
 Sharp's last of the 17th, and signifies his 
 great concern in the new parliament; and 
 wishes that the late parliament, in a consist- 
 ency with their declarations to the country, 
 and promises to the general, could have con- 
 tinued sitting. This he takes to have been 
 the method that would have brought mat- 
 ters to the best issue. And he expects and 
 hopes the general, whose honour now is en- 
 gaged, will keep all in peace till the parlia- 
 ment sit down. He desires Mr. Sharp to 
 stay as long as he can be serviceable to the 
 general or lords lately released. 
 
 Upon the 12th of March, the lord Broghill, 
 colonel Georges governor of Ulster, and 
 Mr. John Greig, in name of the presbyte- 
 rian ministers of Ulster, write letters to 
 Mr. Douglas, with a gentleman, Mr. Ken- 
 nedy, whom they send over to reside at 
 Edinburgh, desu'ing a close correspondence 
 with Scotland, and showing their hearty 
 concern for settling religion, and liberty, and 
 uniformity in the three nations, in concert 
 with general Monk ; and desiring Mi*. Sharp, 
 or Mr. Wood, or some trusty friend, to be 
 sent over to L'eland, to concert measures 
 for the settlement of all those upon righte- 
 ous and solid foundations. The 28th of 
 March, Mr. Douglas and the ministers of 
 Edinburgh write answers to those letters, 
 accept of their kind offer, and signify they 
 have writ to Mr. Sharp by his brother, 
 whom they send up express to London to 
 him, as one who is well acquaint with their 
 affairs, signifying their desii'e to him, and en- 
 treating Mr. Sharp or his brother to come 
 over from London to them. How Mr. 
 Sharp ordered this affair at London, we 
 shall find from the detail of the letters be- 
 fore me. 
 
 March 29th, Mr. Douglas writes to Mr. 
 Sharp with his brother, that if the general 
 be jealous of teland, he needs not acquaint 
 him with their desire to him to go thither , 
 that they know nothing, but they agree in 
 one thing; and leaves it to Mi% Sharp to 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 13 
 
 take what course lie tliinks fittest ; and if he 
 find that the proposal either feed or breed 
 jealousies, the least he can do is, to let my 
 lord Broghill understand that the affair was 
 communicate to liuii (RL\ Sharp,) and that 
 he excuse himself the best way he can. 
 Mr. Douglas signifies, he sends him up the 
 rude draught of a paper, which might be fit 
 to be published at the meeting of the par- 
 liament. This paper I insert,* as the sense 
 
 * The judgment of some sober-minded men in 
 Scotland, concerning the settlement of the gov- 
 ermiiont in the three ncatioiis. 
 
 For the settlement of government, two things 
 art^ mainly considerable ; the one is concerning 
 tliL- ])o\ver of settling it, the other is concerning 
 thi! form of the government to be settled. 
 
 Concerning; the power <if settling government, 
 it is in the three respective parliaments of Eng- 
 land, Scotland, and IrcJand. It is matter of no 
 small contentment to us, that there is a full par- 
 liament to meet in England, of whom we have 
 tiie confidence that they will do right for them- 
 selves; yet we must plead that de jure belongs 
 to the three nations to consult and conclude, in 
 their respective representatives, that wherein all 
 of them are severally concerned ; for quod omnes 
 tanrjif, ab omiiihits tractari debet. In which pur- 
 pose it may be considered, 1. That England is 
 but a part, and their representative doth only 
 re])resent that part ; now no part can conclude 
 and determine the whole. 2. All the three 
 nations have always had their respective par- 
 liaments, until the unhappy changes under the 
 late usurpation, which hath overthrown the lib- 
 erties of all the three nations. 3. If any thing 
 be determined by a part, which is not agreeable 
 to the mind of the rest, it must be imposed with- 
 out a free consent, anil by force ; and this is the 
 continuance of tliat very bondage upon others, 
 under which both they and we have lien this 
 wliile bygone. 4. A greater freedom of expres- 
 sion is required in this particular, in so far as 
 coni'.erneth Scotland, which is in a ^vorse case 
 tliaii any of the other two, because the power 
 that is in the other two, by divine providence, 
 puts them in a capacity to act for themselves ; 
 whereas Scotland is, by th.it same i)owi'r, imped- 
 ed from acting toward their own liberty. If 
 the force upon the secluded members, tliat hin- 
 dered them from acting according to their trust, 
 w;is unjust, and was taken off acirording to jus- 
 tice, then all the acts of violence thereafter com- 
 mitted by these who a<-ted that force, upon these 
 who enjoyed their own freedom before, are un- 
 just, and cannot, without owning the injustice 
 of others, be still continued unto their sad re- 
 straint from acting as a free nation. It were to 
 be wished that the injustice thereof wen; a little 
 better considered, upon which account let it be 
 remembered, ]. How \vell Scotland hath de- 
 served of England ; for being entreated for, and 
 by their commissioners, they took their lives 
 in their hand, and hazarded themselves, to de- 
 liver their brethren from a fearful threatened 
 bondage ; and yet the recompense that they have 
 gotten, hath been, to be mijustly invadeJl, and 
 many thousands of them killed, starved, impris- 
 oned, and removed to the far parts ot^the world : 
 
 of so great a man as Mr. Doagla«, on the 
 present juncture of affairs. 
 
 Mr. Shiu-p writes to Mr. Douglas, March 
 24th, declining his being called to be minis- 
 ter of Edinburgh, and pressing another may 
 be pitched upon. In his postscript he ac- 
 quaints him, that Lauderdale and he had 
 been dealing to stop the English judges 
 from coming down till the parliament meet : 
 that the English are willing Scotland be as 
 
 unto this matter, the words which the Lord com- 
 manded to be spoken before the host of Israel, 
 by the prophet Oded, may be well applied, 2 
 Chron. xxviii. 9,10,11. " Behold, because the 
 Lord God of your fathers was wroth with 
 Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, 
 and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth 
 up unto heaven. And now ye purpose to keep 
 under the children of Judah and Jerusalem, for 
 bond-men and bond-women unto you : but are 
 there not with you, even with you, sins against 
 till! Lord your God? Now hear me therefore, 
 and deliver the captives again, which ye have 
 taken captive of your brethren; for the fierce 
 wrath of God is upon you." 2. That that unjust 
 invasion was never imputed unto the nation of 
 England, but unto a party which then and 
 thereafter kept England in bondage, as well as 
 others; but if now, when the I^ord hath opened 
 a door of hope unto them for their own liberty, 
 they keep their brethren still in bondage, and do 
 not behave themselves toward their oppressed 
 brethren, in their speeches to the army, and in 
 their actions toward their brethren, as the heads 
 of Israel spake and did, 2 Chron. xxviii. 12, 
 13, 14., 15. They will add one trespass to another, 
 and make it to be a national sin, which will draw 
 from the avenging hand of divine justice a na- 
 tional judgment. 3. That the bod)' of this nation 
 evidenced tlieir Avillingness and readiness to 
 hazard themselves unto the utmost, and to lay 
 out themselves above their ability, toward the 
 ])romoting of the generous intentions of general 
 Monk, v.-hom the Lord raised up, to put a stop 
 unto the violent actings of those that were in a 
 way of undoing religion and liberty, and to 
 make way for the meeting of a full and free 
 parliament. These things, being well weighed 
 in the balances of an imjiartial judgment, will 
 strongly plead, that Scotland ought to be a 
 sharer with England and Ireland, in the settling 
 of government. 
 
 Concerning the form of the government, it is 
 either civil, or ecclesiastical. 
 
 As to the civil government, it may be sup- 
 posed to be intended either in a commonwealth, 
 or in a single person. 
 
 The civil government of these three nations 
 cannot be settled in a commonwealth for tliese 
 reasons. 1. The people of these nations liuve 
 been so accustomed unto monarchy, that they 
 can hardly put their neck inider another form of 
 government. 2. However it be pretended to be 
 a commonwealth, yet it is re;illy and in efTect 
 but an oligarchy, the carrying on of the interests 
 of some t'ew particular persons. 3. Such a 
 commonwealth is but introductory to a single 
 person, as late experience had made it evident 
 in the practice of the protector, who turned 
 
u 
 
 free a nation as they are ; but the general is 
 for keeping us in subjection, till he see how 
 matters go in the parHanient : that they 
 will essay to delay the instructions and 
 commissions to them, as long as may be. 
 
 March 3 1st, IVIr Douglas writes to Mr. 
 Sharp, pressing a meeting in Scotland, 
 either of shires and burghs, or of a select 
 committee, for choosing commissioners to 
 deal in these matters that concern Scotland 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 in general, and to sec to the nation's inter- 
 est. He adds, "he cannot but admire 
 God's hand, in moving the late parliament 
 to revive the solemn league and covenant, 
 which is the only basis of settling these 
 distracted nations. The league and cove- 
 nant, says he, is hated by many in England 
 and Scotland, because it puts a restraint 
 upon malignants, the prelatic party, the 
 fanatics, and those who ai'e loose and pro- 
 
 tlieir republic unto government of a single per- 
 son, viz. of himself. 4. It is held as a maxim 
 in the polities, that it is dangerous to change the 
 government of a kingdom, so long as there are 
 righteous heirs of the crown to plead their right, 
 lest the kingdom be continually vexed with new 
 wars and broils, and involved iu blood, so often 
 as they have will and power to endeavour the 
 forcible possession of that which is known to all 
 ueighbouiung princes, to be their undoubted 
 rigiit. 6. If the settlement of government be 
 in a commonwealth, it will necessitate the keep- 
 ing up of armies, to impose that form upon tliese 
 of the nations, who cannot in conscience give 
 w^ay thereto ; and how disadvantageous and dan- 
 gerous this is, may be seen. 1. By the vast 
 ex[)enses wliich they will draw to, and these 
 must be wrung out of the estates of people : a 
 taste of this the nations have had these few 
 years bygone, wherein there hath been more 
 imposed upon the people, than in hundreds of 
 years before. 2. What security can be had from 
 these armies, but they may act over again what 
 the armies before them have lately acted, and 
 model the government to their own pleasure, or 
 make themselves the rulers of all. 6. A com- 
 monwealth, out of a preposterous desire of secur- 
 ing civil interests, iiseth to bring witli it no 
 small disadvantage to the true reformed religion, 
 by toleration of errors and heresies. A sad 
 proof of this these nations have had in late times 
 under the essays for a commonwealth, wherein 
 errors of all sorts, hei'esies and blasphemies have 
 abounded, more than they have done in any such 
 time since the days of Christ. 7. It se^ms that 
 God is not pleased with such a change in these 
 nations : for since it began, they have been tossed, 
 like a tennis-ball, from hand to hand, without 
 any settlement, which hath made the govern- 
 ment to be like washing floods, overflowing the 
 banks, when once it hath gone out of the right 
 channel ; and though men have been framing a 
 government upon the wheel, yet the Lord hath 
 broken it all, intimating this very thing, that a 
 commonwealth is not the foundation wherein 
 these nations can safely rest. 
 
 As to the settling of a civil government in a 
 single person, reason and conscience plead that 
 that single person be the righteous heir of the 
 crowns. For, 1. Though the nations were 
 necessitate to undertake a lawful defensive war, 
 to preserve religion and their civil rights and lib- 
 erties, against the bre;iches made upon both, by 
 wicked counsellors misleading the father, yet 
 since the parliament found reason to have re-ad- 
 mitted the king, whereupon by force, so many 
 members were secluded, his son who hath never 
 acted any thing of that kind, should not be reput- 
 ed to be in a worse condition than himself, and 
 
 so rnanifestly injured as to be denied re-admission 
 to- his just right. 2. However the father was 
 engaged in war against England, yet his son was 
 never so engaged, but only against a prevailing 
 party which kept England under bondage, and 
 kept him under banishment. 3. I'he three 
 nations are not at liberty to make choice of any 
 single person that they please, but have deter- 
 mined themselves in the solemn league and 
 covenant, which hath been solemnly sworn in 
 them all, professing in the sight of Almighty 
 God, that one main end they aim at is the hon- 
 our and happiness of the king and his posterity ; 
 which was afterward renewed in many declara- 
 tions, wherein they profess their integrity and 
 sincerity, in pursuing of the war, without any 
 prejudice intended to the king's power and 
 authority, or his posterity. 4. It is expected, 
 that the ensuing parliament (the haj.ipy and 
 peaceable meeting whereof is earnestly desired) 
 will endeavour to redress the wrongs ^vhich 
 themselves and the nation have received, by the 
 practices of these that violently oppressed them ; 
 and it is no less expected, that they will restore 
 persons to tlieir due rights, who were outed of 
 them by the same violence which oppressed the 
 nation, lest the parliament's injustice, in deny- 
 ing Suu7n cuique ti-ibuere, become the sin of the 
 nation. Non toUitur peccatum, nisi restituatur 
 ablatum. 5. The setting up of the righteous 
 heir v/ill secure the nation against the fears of 
 invasion from abroad, or insun-ections from 
 within, upon the account of any interest to the 
 government, and so take away the necessity of 
 keeping up standing armies, to the exhausting 
 of the country, and endangering of a settled 
 government, ti. All the well aii'ected to govern- 
 ment in Scotland can give this testimony unto 
 him who is righteous heir, that lie v/as faithful in 
 his treaties, did countenance the honest ministry, 
 and religious duties, and was without any known 
 scandal in the coiu-se of his conversation, which 
 are qualilications desirable in a single person for 
 settling of government. 7. The good hand of 
 divine providence doth lead, as it seems, unto 
 that single person, by keeping the government 
 luisettled initil the sitting of a free parliament, 
 by instructing and fitting him for a just and 
 moderate government in the si'hool of afllictinn, 
 and by mercifully inclining the hearts of the 
 body of the people toward him, wiiei'eas for 
 a wliile there was an alienation of allection in 
 many from that family, that coming out of the 
 furnace of aftliction, as a vessel litted for honour- 
 able employments, he may be called unto the 
 throne by the representative, and heartily em- 
 braced by the body of the people. 
 
 Self-seeking men will not want objections 
 against the settling of the government in tliis 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 15 
 
 fane ; which ought so much the more to 
 increase the affections of all honest men to 
 it, as the only mean of effecting a religious 
 and righteous settlement. He tells INIr. 
 Sharp, that there is a great noise of one 
 Hardie, who hath preached before the gen- 
 eral in the Bab3'lonish f;ishion,and vehement- 
 ly cried up the English hierarchy, and the 
 rest of the Romish relics that rcnuiined in 
 England after the first reformation : which 
 
 way. 1. rurcliascrs of ,crown lands and or" 
 other casualities and enioluinents belonging 
 tiiereto, oat of fear to be deprived thereof, will 
 be great sticklers in opposition to this settlement. 
 This objection wore easily answered, if cove- 
 tousness were not both unsatiabli; and unreason- 
 able. For, 1. The rent of the lands, and other 
 things of tliat nature during the j-ears of their 
 possession hath equalled, if not exceeded the 
 price which they laid forth npoii the piu-chase. 
 2. It were most unjust that the three nations 
 should sutfer, and be at the expense of keeping 
 up armies for maintaining a few private men in 
 an imrighteous purchase : the nations had far 
 better buy out their purchases than be at the 
 expense of maintaining armies. 3. To deny 
 him admittance to the crown, that he may not 
 be admitted to the possession of his lands, were 
 to add sin to sin, and to maintain a lesser sin by 
 committing a gi-eater. No man will suffer it to 
 enter into his mind that the p;irliament will 
 make this their sin. 2. Such as have been 
 accessory to the grand injuries dn;is to his father, 
 will fear that he prove vindicative against them 
 if he should be admitted ; but an act of oblivion 
 will secure tiiem, and an act of indemnity will 
 secure all others in reference to the actinias of 
 these latter times ; and as to the defensive war 
 undertaken by the parliaments of the three 
 nations, the lawfulness thereof may, and ought 
 be declared and secured in law. S. The honest 
 and sober party may, upon sinistrous informa- 
 tion, be possessed with fears that he shall intnv 
 duce an arbitrary government, but his admit- 
 tance is not pleaded for upon any terms but 
 upon the terms of the league and covenant, 
 ^vherein all the rights and liberties of the par- 
 liaments and people of the three nations respec- 
 tively are secured, and which he hath most so- 
 lemnly sworn and subscribed in Scotland. 
 
 Whatever other ohji'ction may be moved from 
 the fears of men, it may be considered that 
 what is incumbent upon the nations, whereunto 
 they are obliged before God and men, should be 
 done, committing the ordering of contingent 
 events to the good and wise providence of the 
 Lord of the whole earth. 
 
 For the govei-nment of the kirk in Scotland, 
 they are determined unto presbyterial govern- 
 ment, as that which Is most agreeable to the 
 word of God, being thereto obliged by their 
 nationcal covenant and by the solemn league and 
 covenant ; and the other two nations are obliged 
 by the league and covenant to endeavour the 
 presei^-ation of the reformed religion in the 
 church of Scotland, in doctrine, worship, dis- 
 cipline and government, according to the word 
 of God and the example of the best reformed 
 
 is made use of here (Edinburgh) to the 
 general's disadvantage." In the postscript 
 to this letter, Mr. Douglas urgeth further a 
 warrant for a meeting at Edinburgh, to 
 choose commissioners to look after the 
 nation's interest, and adds, "there is now a 
 generation risen up, which have never been 
 acquainted with the work of reformation, 
 nor with the just proceedings of this nation, 
 and therefore would condemn them, the 
 
 churches. 2. For England it is expected from 
 the parliament thereof that is shortly to sit, 
 that they will ratify the 30th and 31st chapters 
 of the Confession of Faith, as well as the late 
 p:irrmmeiit hath ratified all the rest of it. 
 
 Though there may be some in England for epis- 
 copacy, and some for other forms, yet presbv- 
 terial gnvernment ought to be pitched upon, for 
 these reasons. — 1. Episcopacy and other forms 
 are men's devices, but presbyterial government 
 is a divine ordinance. 2. The tliree nations are 
 tied by the league and covenant to endeavour 
 the extirpation of prelacy, that is, church gov- 
 ernment by archbishops, bishops, &c. ; and to 
 endeavour the nearest conjunction and uniform.- 
 ity, as in religion, Confession of Faith, Directory 
 for Worship, and catechising, so in form of 
 church government. 3. The maintenance of t!:e 
 episcopal iiierarchy requireth huge and vast 
 rents, which might be employed to far better 
 uses ; more is laid out for the upholding the 
 lordly grandeur of one of that hierarcliy, than 
 many able, faithful, and laborious ministers of 
 the gosp!>l live upon. 4. It is known by sad 
 experience in England, that episcopacy hath 
 been the inlet unto popery, Arminianism, and 
 otlier eiTors which were on foot, and fomented 
 by tlicin before the late troubles ; and other 
 forms which men have been modelling, have 
 brought forth swarms of errors, scliisms, and 
 unhappy divisions in these nations ; only pres- 
 byterial government being Christ's ordinance, 
 stands as a wall and an hedge against all these, 
 as Scotland hath tried by experience, in which, 
 so long as presbyterial government stood iu 
 vigour, no error in doctrine, worship, discipline, 
 and government, durst set out the head. 5. 
 Presbyterial government doth well agree with 
 any lawful civil government, though prosbyteri- 
 ans have no reason to be indifferent to any form 
 of civil government, since they know what 
 good hath been enacted towards the establish- 
 ment of preshyterian government in the three 
 nations under kingly government ; and it may 
 be truly said of it, that in the right exercise 
 thereof, it is the best school to teach subjects 
 due obedience to the lawful magistrate. It is 
 maliciously suggested by the enemies thereof, 
 that it is intolerably rigid in the exercise of it, 
 which may take with goon people who are 
 unacquainted therewith ; for removing whereof 
 it may be considered : 1. That the errors of 
 men in abusing of this ordinance of God ought 
 no more to reflect upon it, than the errors of 
 men abusing other divine ordinances ought to 
 reflect upon them. 2. Presbyterial government 
 hath within itself a suflScient guard ngainst the 
 aberrations of men ; for inferior kirk judicatories 
 
16 
 
 INTRODUCTION, 
 their honest and loyal 
 
 covenant, and all 
 actings, according to the covenant principles. 
 You will not believe what a heart-hatred 
 they bear to the covenant, and how they 
 fret that the parliament should have revived 
 it, "What can be expected of such, but the 
 pursuing of the old malignant design, to the 
 marring and defacing of the work of refor- 
 mation settled here, and well advanced in 
 the neighbouring nations ? I am informed} 
 that those arc to have a meeting here on 
 the 5th of April, and have no purpose to 
 wait upon a waiTant, but go on upon such 
 an election, as will be dissatisf}ing to the 
 sober and well affected of the nation. 'Tis 
 
 are in their actings liable to the trial and cen- 
 sure of the superior judicatories, until it come 
 at length to the general assembly, which useth 
 to take a course for redressing all abuses, so 
 that there is nothing needful but the authority 
 of the civil magistr_ate to couutenancfi them in 
 their proceedings. 3. It is so far from being 
 rigid that all tenderness is used towai'd the 
 ignorant to bring them to knowledge, meekness 
 toward the restoring of those that are fallen 
 through infirmity, painfulnoss to reclaim these 
 that are of a ditfei'ent judgment, and patient 
 forbearance even toward the obstinate, that, if 
 possible, they may be reclaimed before they be 
 proceeded against by the highest censure of the 
 kirk ; and yet it being a divine ordinance, which 
 restrains looseness, profanity, and error, it needs 
 not be wondered by men of judgment, that it 
 be reckoned as rigid by these who love a law- 
 less liberty in opinion and practice. 
 
 Seeing it is now both the desire and hope of 
 all honest and sober men, that the Lord, in his 
 good providence, will bring the parliament to 
 sit in peace and freedom, they would seriously 
 consider how much it concerneth them to look 
 w^ell unto the building and ordering the house 
 of the God of heaven ; for it hath been observed 
 by very godly and judicious men, that because 
 there was no care taken to settle the affairs of 
 the kingdom of Christ, but by a vast toleration, 
 a way opened for a flood of errors to enter upon 
 the kirk, the Lord justly permitted confusions 
 to come upon the state, and made the various 
 vicissitudes of state mutations to be the aston- 
 ishment and derision of all about. That abomi- 
 nation which hath provoked the Lord to jeal- 
 ousy must be removed, as they would expect 
 God's blessing upon the nation, and upon their 
 endeavours for the solid settlement of righteous 
 government. 
 
 That there is a free parliament to sit in 
 England, is a matter of no small comfort, and 
 giveth good hope to the well affected in the 
 nations ; only it is their earnest desire that it 
 may be free indeed, and not as it hath been in 
 these late times. To make a free parliament a 
 threefold freedom is requisite. 1. That there 
 be a freedom in reference to the matters therein 
 to be handled ; and in particular, that they be 
 not predetermined in that which is the main 
 
 matter of admiration that they are unwilling 
 that Crawford and Lauderdale (being upon 
 the place, and having given such proofs of 
 their honest and loyal affections) should be 
 employed in matters of that concernment; 
 but those worthy noblemen may be assured 
 that the affections of all honest men are 
 upon them. There are three parties here, 
 who have all of them their own fears in this 
 great crisis : the protesters fear that the 
 king come in ; those above mentioned, that 
 if he come in upon covenant terms, they be 
 disappointed; and those who love religion 
 and the liberty of the nation, that if he come 
 not in upon the terms of the league and 
 
 matter, by the army, or any other in place or 
 power, toward the settling of any government 
 contrary to the minds and inclinations of the 
 bulk of that body which they represent. 2. 
 That there be a freedom in thi;ir voicing, with- 
 out being overawed. It was thought most 
 absurd, and an encroachment upon the freedom 
 of pfu-liament, when the king seized upon some 
 members of the house ; what shall be then 
 thought if a whole parliament should be raised, 
 and not permitted to sit? Bui this usage is. 
 not to be feared, since it hath pleased the Lord 
 in his providence to make my lord general 
 instrumentid for their meeting ; it is expected 
 that he will also prove vigilant and faithful for 
 their peaceable sitting. 3. There is a freedom 
 refi^uisite for the subjects to present their desires 
 and overtures for the government, that they 
 may be more kindly accepted than hath been 
 the use in late times, wherein a man hath been 
 accounted an offender for a word. The people 
 of Scotland have all this while, under the vari- 
 ety of changes, lived peaceably, submitting unto 
 providence, and do yet in a peaceable way wait 
 patiently for relief and enjojinent of their just 
 liberties. If they shall happen to be frustrate 
 of their expectation, they must in patience pos- 
 sess their souls till God appear for them ; but 
 better things are hoped for from this parliament, 
 which God hath raised up to act for public 
 interests and common liberty. It is time in 
 their endeavours to settle these distracted 
 nations : they will meet with manj' difiiculties ; 
 but if all the well affected were to speak unto 
 them, they would speak in the words of Azar- 
 iah the son of Oded, 2 Chron. xv. spoken to 
 Judah in those times, when " there was no peace 
 to him that went out, nor to him that came in, 
 but great vexations were upon all the inhabi- 
 tants of the countries, and nation was destroyed 
 of nation, and city of city, for God did vex 
 them with all adversity. Be j-e strong there- 
 fore, let not j'our hands be weak ; for your work 
 shall be rewarded." Upon the hearing of which 
 words of Oded, they took courage, reformed 
 religion, put away all these things that were 
 abominable in the sight of God, and entered 
 into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their 
 fathers, with all their hearts, and all their 
 souls. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 covenant, his coining in will be tiisiidvanta- 
 geous to religion and the liberty of" the three 
 nations : therefore I exhort Crawford, Lau- 
 derdale, and yourself, to deal Avith all ear- 
 nestness, that the league and covenant be 
 settled, as the only basis of the security and 
 happiness of these nations." 
 
 Upon the 27th of March, INIr. Sharp 
 writes to Mr. Douglas, desiring to be 
 recalled. He signifies, " that the elections 
 ai"e mostly of the royal party, which causeth 
 fear of mind among the sober party ; that 
 Warriston that day took journey for Scot- 
 land. He excuseth the general's letter to 
 them, as having some expressions in it not 
 so favourable, put in by Gamble, who is 
 at the bottom for episcopacy. He tells Mr. 
 Douglas, that the printing of his sermon at 
 king Charles's coronation, at London, hatli 
 offended the episc(Jpal party, wliich doth 
 not much matter; that the declaration at 
 Dunfermline, bearing the king's acknowledg- 
 
 ment of the blood shed by his father's house, .under the scandal of transgressing known 
 
 is what he knows not how to ex«use; that 
 Lauderdale and he endeavour to vindicate 
 Scotland's treating with the king upon the 
 terms of the covenant, from the necessity 
 England now find themselves in, of treating 
 with the king upon terms, before his return. 
 He adds, some of the episcopal party have 
 sent messages to me twice or thrice, to give 
 them a meeting, which I have refused ; and 
 upon this I am reported, both here and at 
 
 17 
 
 made a stalking 
 
 religion, I suspect il 
 horse still." 
 
 April 3d, Mr. Douglas answereth Mr. 
 Sharp's last, and signifies, "that if it be 
 not offensive to the presbyterians at London, 
 he sees no cause but Mr. Sharp might have 
 met with some of the prelatic party. Since 
 presbyterial government, says he, is settled 
 in Scotland, you were not to capitulate 
 with them about thatj but it had been 
 worth the pains, if you could have, by fair 
 dealing, persuaded them not to obstruct the 
 settlmg of the ci\il government, and to 
 leave the ecclesiastic government to the par- 
 liament, who, as it is to be hoped, being men 
 of conscience, will find themselves bound to 
 settle according to the covenant. You 
 might have showed them liliewise how falsely 
 presbyterial government is charged with 
 rigidity, and with how much meekness and 
 long-suffering patience it labours and waits 
 for the reclaiming of delinquents that lie 
 
 Brussels, to be a Scottish rigid presbyterian, without the advice and allowance of presby. 
 
 making it my work to have it settled here. 
 They sent to desire me to move nothing in 
 prejudice of the church of England, and they 
 would do nothing in prejudice of oiu: church. 
 I bid tell them, it was not my employment 
 to move to the prejudice of any party; and 
 I thought, did they really mind the peace of 
 those churches, they would not start such 
 propositions ; but all who pretend for civil 
 settlement, would contribute theii* endeav- 
 ours to restore it, and not meddle unseason- 
 ably with those remote cases. The fear of 
 rigid presbytery is talked much of here by 
 all parties : but, for my part, I apprehend 
 r.o ground for it ; I am afraid that some- 
 thing else is like to take place in the church 
 than rigid presbytery. This nation is not 
 fitted to bear that yoke of Christ; and for 
 
 and unquestionable laws ; whereas the lordly 
 dominion of prelacy doth rigidly impose 
 laws on men's consciences, about the observ- 
 ance of ceremonies, and severely censureth, 
 both civilly and ecclesiastically, men who 
 out of conscience dare not conform to them : 
 so that the challenge of rigidity may be justly 
 retorted on episcopacy. Those things you 
 might have calmly debated with them ; but 
 herein I 'would have you do nothing 
 
 terians, who, bemg upon the place, can best 
 judge of the expediency of such a meeting. 
 In the postscript to this letter, Mr. Douglas 
 again urgeth, that warrants be sent down 
 for the choosing commissioners to appear 
 from Scotland. He says, Glencairn is much 
 for the committee spoken of before ; and he 
 wonders the general can forget Scotland's 
 ready offers of their service to and with 
 him, in his first undertaking, which he hath 
 often acknowledged : (and) adds, " I do not 
 like that we should be so often put to make 
 apologies. Our faith and integrity, both to 
 monarchy and presbyterial government, is 
 more to be valued than theirs who call them 
 in question. It will be strange, if the affec- 
 tions of these people be more enlarged to 
 those great interests, than ours who have 
 c 
 
18 
 
 heen suHering I'oi them, and were active for 
 tJiem, when none of them durst appear. If 
 t hey think it be a fault, that we laboured to 
 have presbyterial government established 
 with them, and were as tender of their con- 
 cernments as of our own, they would do 
 well to be plain, and show us wherein the 
 fault lieth ; for we supposed, that we were 
 engaged thereunto by the league and cove- 
 nant : if that oath, which was so solemnly 
 sworn at the coronation, be left out of the 
 form of coronation, it seems purposely 
 done, to hide and keep in oblivion the care 
 that hath been taken here of their concern- 
 ments in England, because they resolve to 
 mind nothing of our concernments." 
 
 Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. Douglas, March 
 3 1 St, "that there is no fear of any distur- 
 bance from the army; and as the general 
 declared at first, so he hath laid things 
 effectually, that the military power shall 
 not maintain a separate interest from the 
 civil : that all people he is among are Eng- 
 Ushmen, and incline to keep Scotland at 
 under, and either incorporate, or make us 
 distinct, as they shall find most serviceable 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 and, ere three months ended, he would not 
 be worth a groat; that he (the general) 
 would take care, none of the remonstrants 
 should have any trust in Scotland ; that the 
 judges were only sent down for the fashion, 
 and in a month or two there would be a 
 change ; that it was necessity put him on it, 
 and a little time would show, it was not for 
 Scotland's hurt; that as for sending com- 
 missioners from Scotland to the parliament, 
 it was neither for our reputation or advan- 
 tage ; and that, if we be quiet, our business 
 would be done to oiu- mind. He adds, that 
 he behoved to stay at London ; that the gen- 
 eral had told him, he would communicate 
 his mind to him, and none else, as to Scots 
 affairs ; and that in civil things he might sig- 
 nify his (the general's) judgment to such 
 whom he could trust. He adds, that, ac- 
 cording to their appointment, they had a 
 meeting with ten presbyterian ministers, 
 whom they could trust, where Lauderdale, 
 they, and he, agreed upon the necessity of 
 bringing in the king upon covenant terms, 
 and taking off the prejudices that He upon 
 some presbyterians against this. There are 
 
 to their interest : that he is of opinion, the \ endeavours for an accommodation between 
 
 king, both in point of honour and interest, 
 will restore us, and make us a distinct king- 
 dom. No man questions now the king's 
 being called in ; that the real presbyterians 
 in the city hath desired a meeting with the 
 earl of Lauderdale and Mr. Sharp, on Mon- 
 day, to concert matters against sectaries 
 and cavaliers ; which they design to keep." 
 
 April 5th, Mr. Sharp signifies to Mr. 
 Douglas, " that the general was positive that 
 he (Mr. Sharp) should not leave him; that 
 ' a warrant for sending commissioners could 
 not be obtained, for reasons to be communi- 
 cate to him at Edinburgh; that my lord 
 Lauderdale, and the noble prisoners, are 
 very useful for their country. In his post- 
 script he says, Warriston had applied to him, 
 to deal with the general, that he might have 
 his oflice, and his debts paid, but I declined ; 
 that his wife gives it out, that, had it not 
 been for Mr. Sharp, the general would have 
 
 the moderate episcopalian party, and the 
 presbyterians ; but, says he, at our meeting, 
 Lauderdale and I obtained of those ministers 
 that they should not give a meeting to the 
 episcopal men, till they first met among 
 themselves, and resolved on the terms they 
 would stick to. The king is acquainted with 
 all proceedings here, and wants not informa- 
 tion of the carriage and affection of Scot- 
 land. The parliament will address him, some 
 say, in hard, others upon honourable terms. 
 I see not full ground of hope, that covenant 
 terms will be rigidly stuck to. The paper 
 you sent me by my brother, anent the settle- 
 ment of the government, will be of good use 
 to me." — By his letter, April 7th, he signi- 
 fies to Mr. Douglas, that all further applica- 
 tions for commissioners from Scotland must 
 sleep ; and adds, " the Lord having opened a 
 fair door of hope, we may look for a settle- 
 ment upon the grounds of the covenant, and 
 
 restored him to his office ; but after the thereby a foundation laid for security against 
 general heard he was gone, he told me (Mr. the prelatic and fanatic assaults ; but I am 
 
 Sharp) that Warriston would have little 
 use of his grant of six hundred pounds. 
 
 dubious if this shall be the result of the agi- 
 tations now on foot. The stoify of Hardie's 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 19 
 
 preaching before the general, in tlie Babylon- I 
 ish habit, is a mere forgery. We intend to 
 publish some letters from the French protes- ' 
 tant ministers, vindicating the king from po- 
 pery, and giving him a large character. The 
 sectaries will not be able to do any thing to 
 prevent the king's coming in ; our honest 
 |)rcsbyterian brethren are cordial for him. 
 I have been dealing with some of them to 
 send some testimony of their affection for 
 him; and yesternight five of them promis- 
 ed, within a week to make a shift to send a 
 thousand pieces of gold to him. The epis- 
 copal party are making applications to the 
 presbyterians for an accommodation ; but the 
 presbyterians resolve to stick to their prin- 
 ciples. I saw a letter this day under " the 
 king's hand, exhorting his friends to modera- 
 tion, and endeavours for composing differ- 
 ences amongst his good people." 
 
 April 1 2th, Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. 
 Douglas, that his work is not lessened by 
 the interval of parliaments ; that the general 
 had left it on Mr. Calaniy and him, to name 
 such as should preach before him ; that the 
 fanatics will essay their worst on Lambert's 
 escape, but the general is on liis guard. " It 
 was resolved, adds he, that in this juncture, 
 we may speak one by one with any of the 
 episcopal party ; and I having told them, that 
 some motions had been made to me of speak- 
 ing with them, they prayed me not to de- 
 cline it. To-morrow I have promised to 
 meet with Doctor Morley who came from 
 the king. The king is at Breda. The par- 
 liament at its first sitting will, " 'tis expected, 
 call him in. Some say the sectarian party 
 have made application to him, to bring him 
 in without terms. The Dutch have offered 
 to prepare lodgings, and defray his charges 
 during the treaty. The French ambassador 
 presses his going to France, but he refuses." 
 Again Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. Douglas, 
 April 13th, that the elections are mostly of 
 antirepublicans ; that Lauderdale and he had 
 been visiting Mr. Baxter. The insolencies 
 of the cavaliers are so great, that the sober 
 part of that name emit declarations against 
 them. He adds, "there is some talk that 
 for the more reputable settling of the church 
 of England, a synod will be called from all 
 the reformed Churches. All that were upon^ 
 
 the parliament's side, are gone into the call- 
 ing in of the king, and they are now only 
 intent upon terras. The general will admit 
 of no other way of treaty, but by a parlia- 
 ment. The council fearing that the parlia- 
 ment may bring him in without sufficient 
 security to such who acted in the war against 
 his father, are now upon framing proposi- 
 tions to pro[)ose to the parliament ; this is 
 kept secret, but I am promised a copy when 
 they are agreed unto. I continue in my 
 opinion, that Scotland should make no ap- 
 plications till the king come in. I have re- 
 ceived letters from Mr. Bruce at the Hague, 
 and the king is satisfied that Scotland keep 
 quiet. I have sent yours, and one from my- 
 self, to my lord Broghill." 
 
 Mr. Douglas writes to Mi*. Sharp, April 
 2 1 St, that commissioners are coming up, 
 against his mind, and that of others; yet 
 wishes that the general may put respect on 
 them; that Gtlencairn is following, and 
 wishes there may be a good correspondence 
 betwixt him and Lauderdale, and the rest of 
 the noble prisoners. He adds, " I am engag- 
 ed to believe that he will do any thing that 
 may be for the liberty of the nation, and for 
 our covenanted interest here, and I have so 
 much from him myself; and my only desire 
 is, that all who truly mind the nation's 
 interest, may not divide, but concur unani- 
 mously without by-ends, and self-respects." 
 
 April 19th, Mi-. Sharp writes to ]Mr. 
 Douglas, " that the plot of tiie fanatics 
 appears to be broke : that a messenger from 
 Lambert going to the king is taken, who 
 was to assure the king, if he will trust to the 
 army Lambert could make, they would 
 bring him in without any conditions. Lam- 
 bert is sculking, nobody knows where. 
 Most of the army have yielded to bring in ' 
 the king upon terms. If the cavalier party 
 do not drive him on precipitant measures, 
 the parliament will bring him in upon terms, 
 honourable to himself, and safe to the na- 
 tions. Most of the members of parliament 
 are thought to be for moderation. I find 
 they incline not to put him upon justifying 
 the late war. The business of religion will 
 be altogether waved in the treaty, and refer- 
 red to be settled by a synod. I have cer- 
 tain accounts this day, that one Mr. Murray 
 
20 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 * came on Saturday to London from Scotland, 
 and went on Monday beyond sea. He told 
 some persons here, that he had letters from 
 the nobility in Scotland to the king, showing 
 they were in readiness to rise for him. This 
 is a divisive way, which will prove foolish 
 and destructive to the nation, it' persisted in. 
 I apprehend the gentleman hath been sent 
 by Middleton, and hath brought those sto- 
 ries from some of our sweet lords." To this 
 last Sir. Douglas answereth, April 24th, 
 and tells him, that Mr, Murray came from 
 Middleton, and is returned with a general 
 answer by the lords; that he believes no 
 information that comes that way, will be for 
 their concernments, and the bearer can give 
 little information of the carriage of honest 
 people in Scotland. " But, adds he, if the 
 king be settled, I do not value misrepresen- 
 tations, for then I hope our religion and 
 civil interests will be settled, which will be 
 sufficient to all, who singly mind the public. 
 As to what Mr. Sharp had writ, that the 
 king was not to be urged to justify the war 
 made against his father, Mr. Douglas says, 
 they would do well, when they do not put 
 him to a direct justifying of it, to provide 
 against his quarrelling the lawfulness of it ; 
 that he conceives that war will come 
 under an act of oblivion ; and that it does 
 not appear convenient to touch much upon 
 the lawfulness of defensive war ; and since 
 it is passed, it ought not to be meddled in, 
 and that whatever hath been in the prosecu- 
 tion, and close of it, evil, yet it was under- 
 taken upon necessary grounds, for our civil 
 and religious interests. He wishes that 
 instead of a synod of foreign divines, the 
 bottom of all were to be the assembly at 
 \Vestminster their procedure, and there is 
 little need of the help of foreigners in that 
 matter." 
 
 Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. Douglas, April 
 without date, that all care is taken against 
 risings ; that he gave the general a full account 
 of what he had sent him from Ireland, and 
 he is fully satisfied : that some of the king's 
 party are for bringing him in without terms, 
 but his more sober friends are against it. The 
 general vdll only have him in by a parlia- 
 ment; and the best accounts from himself 
 bear, that he is desirous to come in upon 
 
 terms, and by a parliament, whose addresses 
 he will attend. The council have gone 
 through the most sticking part of the articles 
 to be laid before the parliament tor a trciity ; 
 that of an indemnity, and sales and pm*- 
 chases, which the king will agree to. There 
 is another rub like to rise from the house 
 of lords, that some say Northumberland and 
 Manchester design to engross all offices to 
 themselves and dependants, and to exclude 
 the young lords from sitting, till the treaty 
 be finished. He adds, " no notice is taken 
 of Scotland in the treaty : we shall be left 
 to the king, which is best for us ; God save 
 us from divisions and self-seeking. I have 
 acquainted Mr. Bruce how it is with you, and 
 what you are doing, and advised him to guard 
 against Middleton's designs, and those who 
 sent that Murray over to the king. If our 
 noblemen, or others, fall upon factious ways, 
 and grasp after places, they will cast reproach 
 upon their country, and fall short of their 
 ends. I fear the interest of the solemn league 
 and covenant shall be neglected ; and for re- 
 ligion, I smell that moderate episcopacy is the 
 fairest accommodation, wliich moderate men 
 who wish well to religion, expect. Let our 
 noble friends know what you think fit." 
 
 A letter from Mi-. Douglas to Mr. Sharp, 
 Apfil 26th, bears, " that he hopes the nation 
 will not suiFer by the commissioners coming 
 up against all advice. He fears the king hath 
 but slender infonnation of the carriage of 
 the honest party in Scotland, and their dis- 
 position ; that he wishes the general would 
 permit him (Mr. Sharp) to go over and give 
 the king information concerning his and our 
 carriage. He wishes the king may know 
 who were and are his real friends. He is 
 content that Scotland be not mentioned in 
 the treaty, providing we have the liberty of 
 a free nation, to deal for keeping what we 
 already have both in church and state. So 
 long as this party that now acts get their will, 
 we will never be without divisions and ani- 
 mosities. Ifear Mr. Bruce hath not sufficient 
 credit for us. If the solemn league and cov- 
 enant be neglected, it seems to me that the 
 judgment on these nations is not at an end. 
 '5'he greatest security for the king and those 
 nations, were, to come in upon that bottom. 
 If it shall be neglected, I fear it shall give 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 21 
 
 too greilt advuntiige to our ranters here, who 
 are cr}dng it down. If moderate episcopacy 
 shall be the result of all the presbyterians' 
 endeavours, it will be a sad business, for mo- 
 derate episcopacy is two steps of the ladder, 
 to climb up to the highest prelacy ; no ca- 
 veats will keep them in such a moderation, 
 but ambitious spirits will break all bonds. It 
 is very well known what endeavours king 
 James VI. had here to get a moderate epis- 
 copacy settled in constant moderators, with 
 their own consent to caveats, to keep them 
 in subjection to their own presbyteries and 
 synods, and to lay down their places every 
 year at the feet of the general assembly; as 
 appears by the meeting at INIontrose, where 
 honest men did protest tigainst it, and tell 
 the king, they did see constant moderators 
 stepping up to the height of prelacy, which 
 fell out in a few years ; they broke all ca- 
 veats, and came to that height of tjTanny, 
 which was compesced * with very much ado ; 
 and this was the beginning of all the stirs in 
 our nation. You may be assured, that Eng- 
 land is better acquaint with, and more in- 
 clined to episcopacy, than Scotland was at 
 that time ; they need not think that it will 
 stop at moderate precedency, but will take on 
 pomp, dignity, and revenues to uphold it, 
 and all other supports of the hierarchy; then 
 it will be too late to aim at another frame of 
 government. It appears to me, that God 
 has put this fair opportunity in their hand, 
 that they may fall upon the government of 
 his own institution, which would prove a 
 strong defence against errors, heresies, and 
 profanity, that they talk so much of. The 
 time is so favourable, that it will be their 
 own fault if they want a settled government 
 in the kirk ; it is not probable that the king 
 will deny it ; it will not lie upon him, but 
 upon the kingdom, who will neither seek it, 
 nor have it. If the presbyterians in Eng- 
 land shall find the smart of the want of that 
 government, it is just wth God that it 
 should be so ; seeing they reject his ordin- 
 ance, and will have a plant of their own set- 
 tling, which God never planted. Whatever 
 kirk government be settled there, it will have 
 
 • Staye<l, reprussefl. — £d. 
 
 an influence upon this kingciom ; for the"" 
 generality of this new upstart generation 
 have no love to presbyterial government ; but 
 are wearied of that yoke, feeding themselves 
 with the fancy of episcopacy, or moderate 
 episcopacy. Our desire is, that presbyterial 
 govermnent be settled ; if not, we shall be 
 free of any accession to the breach of a 
 sworn covenant." 
 
 April 2hth, Mr. Sharp signifies to Mr. 
 Douglas, that the design of closing with the 
 king now appeareth above board. Yester- 
 day the young lords came to the house, who, 
 with those of the year IC48, made up thirty- 
 sL\. There will, 'tis thought, be no notice 
 taken of qualifications in the house of com- 
 mons. Both houses are adjourned till 
 Tuesday, when a message will come from 
 the king. By his next letter. May 1st, Mi-. 
 Sharp acquaints Mr. Douglas, that a letter 
 was presented to each house, from his 
 Majesty, by Sir John Greenfield, the gene- 
 ral's cousin; and refers for other news to 
 the diurnal : that those three days the gene- 
 ral had been speaking to him to take a trip 
 to the king at Breda, and he knew not how 
 to decline it, and is sorry he cannot stay till 
 he have Mr. Douglas's mind. If he thinks 
 fit to send over any congratulation to the 
 king, or orders to himself, it may come up 
 in my lord Crawford's packet. In his post- 
 script he adds, "■' General Monk has been 
 these ten days pressing me to go over to 
 the king, to deal that he may write a letter 
 to Mr. Calamy, to be communicated to the 
 presbyterian ministers, showing his resolu- 
 tion to own the godly sober party, and to 
 stand for the true protestant religion, in the 
 power of it ; adding withal, that it will be fit 
 you were there, were it but to acquaint the 
 king with the passages of my undertaking, 
 known to Mr. Douglas and you, and to tell 
 him of matters in Scotland. He spoke to 
 me three several times this last week, and 
 now I am resolved to go, I hope, to do some 
 service to the honest party here, and indeed 
 to ours at home. If you think fit to write 
 to tl\e king, the sooner the better. I have 
 spoken to Glencaim, and showed him what 
 you wrote to me about him." May 4th, 
 Mr. Sharp again writes from London to Mr, 
 Douglas, that he could not get off to Breda 
 
22 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 to this day. " The presbyterian ministers 
 of the city, after several meetings, have 
 resolved to send over next week some mi- 
 nisters from the city, Oxford, and Cambridge, 
 to congratulate the king : and I am desired 
 to acquaint the king with their purpose, and 
 dispose for their reception ; or, if it be pos- 
 sible, that he would write to both houses by 
 way of prevention, that they would seciu^e 
 religion in reference to some points. Some 
 particulars of secrecy the general hath re- 
 commended to me, and given orders to 
 transport me in a frigate. I have got a 
 large letter to the king, and another to his 
 prime minister. Providence hath ordered 
 it well, that my going carries the face of 
 some concernment in reference to England ; 
 but I shall have hereby the better access 
 and opportunity to speak what the Lord 
 shall direct as to our matters, and give a 
 true information of the carriage of business. 
 I think I need not stay above ten days. It 
 will be best to address the king by a letter. 
 Presbyterians here are few, and all are Eng- 
 lishmen, and these will not endure us to do 
 any thing that may carry a resemblance in 
 pressing uniformity : for my part, I shall not 
 be accessory to any thing prejudicial to the 
 presbyterian government ; but to appeal* for 
 it in any other way than is within my sphere, 
 is inconvenient, and may do harm, and not 
 good." 
 
 Mr. Robert Douglas writes to Mr. Sharp, 
 May 8th, that he durst not write of his 
 going to Holland, tQl his last, of April 26th, 
 and observes now, that his motion and the 
 general's came together. He adds, " I per- 
 ceive by all that you write, that no respect 
 will be had to the covenant in this great 
 transaction, which if neglected altogether, it 
 fears me that the Lord will be highly pro- 
 voked to wrath. It will be the presbyterians' 
 fault, if they get not as much settled, at 
 least, as was agreed on by the synod of 
 divines, and ratified by parliament ; for I 
 perceive that the king will be most conde- 
 scending to the desires offered by the pai"lia- 
 ment : but I leave that. However our desires 
 may be for uniformity in doctrine, worship, 
 discipline, and government ; if they will not 
 press it themselves, we are free. Your great 
 errand will be for this kirk. I am con- 
 
 fident the king will not wrong our liberties, 
 whereunto he himself is engaged. He needs 
 not declare any liberty to tender consciences 
 here, because the generality of the people, 
 and whole ministry have embraced the 
 established religion by law, with his majesty's 
 consent. It is known, that in all the times 
 of the prevailing of the late party in Eng- 
 land, none here petitioned for toleration, 
 except some inconsiderable naughty men. 
 Whatever indulgence the king intends to 
 persons who have failed under the late 
 revolutions, yet he would be careful to do it 
 so as they shall be in no capacity to trouble 
 the peace of the land, as formerly they did. 
 I doubt not but you will inform the king of 
 the circumstances and condition of our kii-k : 
 it is left wholly upon you to do what you 
 can for the benefit of this poor distracted 
 kirk, that the king's coming may be refresh- 
 ful to the honest party here ; since no direc- 
 tions from us can well reach you before you 
 come back to London. Receive the enclosed 
 to his majesty, a true copy of it for yourself." 
 — The letter of this day's date to the king, 
 signed by Messrs. Douglas, Dickson, Ham- 
 ilton, Smith, and Hutchison, I have inserted,* 
 
 * Letter to the King's Majesty, from Messrs. 
 Robert Douglas, David Dickson, James Ham- 
 ilton, John Smith, and George Hutchison, 
 Edmburgh, May 8th, 1660. 
 
 May it please your Majesty, 
 We cannot but admire the faithfulness and 
 tender compassions of the Lord our God, who 
 keepeth covenant and mercy, in that it hath 
 pleased him to have respect lo the long and sad 
 afflictions of your majesty, and of your faithful 
 subjects, and to the many prayers put up to him, 
 in great trials of affliction, by opening so com- 
 fortable and promising door of hope, that he will 
 repossess j'our majesty in your just rights, and 
 restore unto your people their rulers as at the 
 first, and their counsellors as at the beginning, 
 and that probably (which we hear your majesty 
 so much desires) without effusion of blood : this 
 is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful in our 
 eyes, that we may not only enjoy the liberty 
 (whereof we have been long, to our great grief, 
 deprived,) to tender our faithful service at such 
 a distance, but are filled with hopes to enjoy 
 your majesty's presence in your own dominions, 
 as a bright sunshine after a long and tempes- 
 tuous night, to prove a shelter and encourage- 
 ment to all those who delight to walk in the 
 ways of truth and peace. And, when we 
 abstract ft"om instruments in all the late revolu- 
 tions, we cannot but further adore the holy and 
 wise providence of God, who, having preserved 
 your majesty's royal person in imminent hazards, 
 hath seen it fit to breed you (as another David) 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Qiid shall make no large abhreviatc of it. 
 They put liim in mimi of his covenant, and 
 expeet protection in their establishment, and 
 that he will settle God's house in all his 
 dominions, according to God's word. In 
 
 ill the school of afflu'tion, that you may be an 
 eminent instrument, in his rii^ht hand, to pro- 
 move the interests ot' his Son, Jesus C'ln-ist, and 
 to rule for him ; whereof your majesty's modei- 
 ation of spirit, and stedfastness in tlie truth, in 
 all your sharp trials, have been comfortable and 
 refreshing evidences to all who have heard 
 thereof. Sir, as the condition of your majesty, 
 and of your dominions, have been no light 
 affliction of spirit to us, and to the Lord's faith- 
 ful servants in this church with us, these years 
 bygone, while we have been forced to encounter 
 with ditUculties, both from among ourselves, 
 and from without ; so it hath been no small 
 addition to om" aifliction, that we could not any 
 other way express our duty to your majesty, 
 than by our endeavoure to sympathize with 
 you, and our prayers to God for you; for any 
 comfortable account w^hereof, we do heartily 
 bless him, and do resolve, in the power of his 
 grace, to give him more employment, till it 
 please him to perfect that good work which he 
 hath begun. But now, since it hath pleaserl 
 God to open a door, (which we have long de- 
 sired,) for our brother Mr. Sharp, to come and 
 wait upon your majesty, we could not any 
 longer forbear to present by him this our hum- 
 ble address, in testimony of our loyal atfection 
 to your majesty, and our humble acknowledg- 
 ment of the Lord's goodness to these your 
 dominions, in this comfortable revolution of 
 affairs, making way for your majesty's re-in- 
 stalment. If it had been expedient in this 
 juncture of affairs, your majesty might have 
 expected an address from the generality of 
 the ministers of this church, who, we assure 
 your majesty, have continued, and will continue, 
 in their loyalty to authority, and the mainte- 
 nance of your just rights, in their stations, ac- 
 cording to these principles by which your majesty 
 left them walking in opposition both to enemies 
 from without, and disturbers from within : 
 but doubting that, such an application is not yet 
 seasonable, we have desired ftlr. Sh.arp to inform 
 your majesty more fully of the true state of 
 this church ; whereby we trust your majesty 
 will perceive our painfulness and fidelity in 
 these trying times, and that the principles of 
 the church of Scotland .ire such, and so fixed 
 for the preservation and maintenance of lawful 
 authority, as your majesty needs never re])ent 
 that you have entered into a covenant for main- 
 taining thereof: so that we nothing doubt of 
 your majesty's constant resolution to protect 
 this church in her established privileges, and are 
 no less confident, (though we presume not to 
 ,' meddle without our sphere,) that your majesty 
 1 will not only hearken to the humble advi('es of 
 those who are concerned, but will also, of your 
 ) own royal inclination, appear to settle the liousc 
 of God, according to lu» ^word, in all your 
 dominions. Now the I^ord himself bless your 
 majesty ; let his right hand settle and establish 
 you upon the throne of your dominions, and 
 replenish your royal heart with .nil those graces 
 
 23 
 
 short, it differs not far from Mr. (inthrie's 
 address, for which he was seized August 
 23d, as we shall hear. With this letter 
 they send instructions to Mr. Sharp, which 
 I likewise have annexed.* 
 
 and endowments necessary for repairing the 
 breaches of these so long distracted kingdoms; 
 that religion and righteousness may flourish in 
 your reign, the jiresent generation may bless 
 God for the mercies received by you, and tlie 
 generations to come may reap the fruits of your 
 royal pains. So pray, 
 
 Sir, 
 Your Majesty's faithful Subjects, 
 and humble Servants, 
 
 Directed, Mr. Robert Douglas, 
 
 For the King's David Dickson, 
 
 Majesty. Ma. James Hamilton, 
 
 Mr. Joun Smith, 
 
 George Hutchison. 
 
 * Instructions for Mr. James Sharp, in refe- 
 rence to the king. May 8th : 
 
 1. You shall fully inform the king of the con- 
 stant fidelity of the body of the ministry of 
 Scotland, to him; and that (however some 
 endeavours were of necessity used, to prevent 
 prejudices to the government of the kirk, yet) 
 conscience hath been made, of not complying 
 with any that have been in power, nor seeking 
 or receiving any benefit from them, notwith- 
 standing many hazards to which they were 
 daily exposed by reason of their fidelity, many 
 temptations from these who would gladly have 
 conciliate their favour, and many trials and 
 temptations from those among ourselves, who, 
 to drive their own designs, did fall off to those in 
 power, and did endeavour to irritate them 
 against us, as constant adherers to the king, 
 and enemies to them. 
 
 2. If need be, you may inform the king of 
 the testimony to the government of the kirk of 
 Scotland, and the constant adherers thereunto, 
 extorted even from adversaries ; in that, however 
 they did own that party in this church who did 
 homologate their way, yet they were forced to 
 acknowledge that we were the men of sober 
 and rational principles, and therefore did endea- 
 vour to gain us, but in vain. 
 
 3. In infoiTning of our constant adherence to 
 the king, and our dealing with God for him, if 
 any occasion be offered, to clear our forbearing 
 to express his name in our public prayers, you 
 may clear, that it was only a forbearing to 
 express royal titles, lest thei'eby greater preju- 
 dice might have ensued, both to the work of the 
 gospel, and to the king's affairs ; but the thing 
 itself was constantly kept up by us, even in 
 public, in so far that it was still charged upon 
 us, that though we forbare the name, yet we 
 did the equivalent. 
 
 4. When ye have occasion to sound the king's 
 inclinations concerning religion, ye may inform, 
 that all honest men have their eyes much upon 
 his majesty's self, that he will not only be ready 
 to hearken to wholesome counsel, but will of 
 himself give eminent proof of his being taught 
 in the school of affliction to be an eminent pro- 
 
21. 
 
 I shall scarce break the thread of this 
 account, by taking notice that, May 8th, Mr. 
 Douglas answers a letter dated April — , from 
 the governor of Ulster, wherein is signified 
 the governor's joy to hear of the unanimity 
 in Scotland on covenant principles ; that he 
 hopes the prevailing party in Ireland will 
 carry on their work of reformation ; that the 
 army is right, as appears by their declaration 
 enclosed ; that they are in great fears, some 
 about the king may persuade him to come 
 in otherwise than upon the call of his people 
 in parliament upon a covenant account. To 
 this Mr. Douglas, in return, acquaints the 
 governor how refreshing his was; regrets 
 so few mind the main business of reforma- 
 tion; hopes that God will appear for his 
 own interests, and is persuaded that if the 
 parliament mind the business of religion the 
 king will accord to their proposals. 
 
 As soon as the ministers of Edinburgh 
 were acquainted with the earl of Rothes' 
 going over to Breda, May 10th, Mr. Doug- 
 las and Mr. Hutchison write a letter to him. 
 
 l.VTRODUCTION. 
 
 pairing to the king, and that he will have 
 opportunity to give an account of the true 
 state of affairs during the late revolutions. 
 They beg he may lay out himself for the 
 good of the church, that she may enjoy all 
 her liberties established by law. That he 
 knows the constant adherence of the body 
 of ministers to the king during the late 
 revolutions, and how cordial they have been 
 in the late change ; that he knows likewise 
 how much the people adhere to the establish- 
 ment of the church, so that there is no pre- 
 text for an indulgence to such as shall recede 
 from it, but many inconveniences would 
 ensue upon the granting it. Those things 
 they beg his lordship may lay before the 
 king, that he may not hearken to any advice 
 to their prejudice, though they hope there is 
 none such. Likewise they send over a 
 letter with the earl to the king, the purport 
 of which is to congratulate his majesty, and 
 to express their thoughts of the gracious 
 message he had sent to the parliament of 
 England, as the reader will see from the 
 
 signifying, they are glad his lordship is re- 
 
 moter of reformation, as another Josiah ; and 
 particularly, you may inform, that as we doubt 
 nothing of his constancy in adhering to what he 
 is engaged unto by covenant, as to us; so, what- 
 ever motives he may have to take another course 
 in England, either to incline to an episcopacy, 
 or to give a latitude to variety of ways (wherein, 
 beside our judgment of tlie things themselves, 
 and the consideration of the king's engagement, 
 w^e cannot but foresee many inconveniences ; 
 and, for your further instruction in this par- 
 ticular, we refer you to tiie letter of April 26th, 
 and a paper of March 27th,) yet there is no show 
 even of conveniency or advantage, to alter any 
 thing of the settled government of the kirk of 
 Scotland, wherein all the people are generally 
 principled, and do acquiesce. 
 
 You may also inform how necessary it is, 
 that the king, in dealing vi'ith this kingdom, do 
 give an etjiial countenance to all who have 
 adhered to him, in these late revolutions ; and 
 that care be taken, that no factions made by any, 
 upon any thing, be allowed to the prejudice of 
 others no less faithful. You know, that, among 
 the king's real friends, some have taken moi-e 
 liberty to make the best they could of the late 
 times, wlio now seem to set themselves among 
 those who would be greiitest courtiers ; and we 
 have nothing to say against any particular 
 favour the king may jdease to put upon them; 
 yet, if those, and others with them, should be 
 only countenanced, and others under a cloud 
 who have made conscience to abstain fiom the 
 least shadow of compliance, it cannot but sadden 
 honest men much, give occasion to real compilers 
 to insult over tluni, and exceedingly prejudge 
 
 letter Itself. * 
 
 the king's .affairs, who, we trust, will hold to 
 his old piunciple, that he came not to be a head 
 to a taction, but a king to all. 
 
 As for those among us, with whom you know 
 we have had so much vexation, you may inform, 
 if you find cause, that we really wish no evil to 
 their persons, nor shall, for our part, stumble, if 
 the king exercise his moderation toward them; 
 yet we apprehend their principles to be such 
 (especially their leaders) as their having any 
 hand in aifairs cannot but breed continual 
 distempers and disorders. 
 
 When you have occasion to speak concerning 
 the settling of religion in Eiigland, you may 
 further remember to inform thi; king how many 
 presbyterians are in England who have cleaved 
 to him, who cannot acknowledge episcopacy to 
 be of God's institution, and cannot but expect 
 hard things if that yoke be imposed upon them : 
 also you may inform of what stamp divers of 
 the later episcopal divines are, who not only 
 run that length in affecting episcopacy, as to 
 acknowledge the patriarchates of Rome in the 
 western church, but, in point of doctrine, have 
 published many strange tenets, contrary to the 
 doctrine of tlie reformed churches, and of the 
 church of England, and ortliodox bishops in 
 former times. The settling of tlie interest and 
 way of men of such principles, would give 
 sober and orthodox men cause to fear the 
 overturning of all religion. You may also 
 infonn what errors, Arminianism, popery, &c. 
 were hatched under episcopacy, in the latter 
 times thereof. 
 
 * Letter to the King's Majesty, from Messrs. 
 Robert Dough;s, David Dickson, and George 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 25 
 
 That same day, May 10th, Messrs. Doug- 
 las and Hutchison write to the earls of 
 Crawford and Lauderdale at London, and 
 signify how satisfying it is to thcni to under- 
 stand that their lordships endeavour to keep 
 an entire union and good understanding 
 among us in this kingdom. They recom- 
 mend the earl of Selkirk as very nmch for 
 this. They add, " there is another particular 
 we are necessitate to trouble your lordships 
 about, concerning the worship of God in 
 the king's family, when it shall please the 
 Lord to bring him to England. We are 
 
 Hutchison, Edinburgh, May 10th, \mO, with 
 the earl of Rothes. 
 
 May it please your Majesty, 
 
 While your majesty's faithful subjects in this 
 kingdom were ^vaitiIll]; upon the Lord for a 
 comfortable account of the late promising revolu- 
 tion of atfairs, it pleased him, who remembereth 
 liis people in their low estate, to refresh their 
 spirits, which have so long groaned under so 
 much bondage, with the news of your majesty's 
 gi'acious message to your houses of parliament 
 of l/Hgland, and their proceeding thereupon 
 toward the instalment of your majesty in your 
 just right. Upon the first hearing thereof, such 
 of your majesty's faithful subjects, ministers in 
 this city, as had occasion at anj' time to be near 
 your royal person, did hold it their duty to make 
 their humble address, which they desired Mr. 
 Sharp to present to your majesty : and now the 
 earl of Rothes having made us acquainted with 
 his purpose to come and wait upon your majesty, 
 w^e ha-ve taken the opportunity again to express 
 our humble and sincere affection to j-our majesty, 
 and our hearty rejoicing in the Lord, who hath 
 filled our mouths with laughter, because of this 
 change of his right hand. This noble lord (a 
 true lover of your majesty, and his country, and 
 the true interests thereof) can infonn your 
 majesty with many of om- alHictions of spirit 
 under our bondage, and how often our gi'iefs 
 have doubled upon us, -while we looked for 
 peace, and behold, trouble, and while many 
 endeavours to put a period to our miseries have 
 been blasted, and contributed only to the aug- 
 menting thereof: but now we are like men that 
 dream, while we consider how eminently the 
 Lord himself hath appeared in turning again 
 our caj)tivity. Hereby we are encouraged to 
 trust our faithful God in all exigents, who, 
 after so many years' success, hath fulfilled what 
 he hath recorded in his word agiiinst oppressors 
 and usurpers ; and we cannot but look upon his 
 doing all tliese great things for your majesty, 
 and your kingdom.s, a-s a token for good, and 
 pledge of much further kindness to be mani- 
 fested. We may assert it to your majesty, that 
 as the Lord hath kept our hearts from faintitig 
 during our long captivity, and made us confi- 
 dently exi)ect a revolution, and overturning of 
 all the de>.igns of bloody men ; so no sm-all part 
 of our refreshment did flow from our hofics, 
 that your majesty, being restored to your king- 
 doms, after that Gud hath fur a long time 
 
 sensible how' he liatli been necessitate to 
 make use of the Service-book abroad, which 
 if it should be set up at his return, your 
 lordships know what may be the conse- 
 quences. We judge it will trouble many of 
 this kingdom, who will account it cheir duty 
 to be about his majesty, and yet are engaged 
 against that way of worship : it will give a 
 great dash to the hopes of many in that 
 kingdom whose judgments are against it, 
 and yield advantage to many who malign 
 this happy change ; and probably upon that 
 practice it may be again generally set u{) in 
 
 trained you in the school of affliction, shall give 
 singular proofs of your proficiency therein. 
 Your faithful subjects do expect, that the Lord's 
 so wonderful preserving and restoring of your 
 majesty, -will produce no ordinary effects ; but 
 as the case is singular, so the consequences 
 thereof shall be proportionably comfortable. 
 And in all the hazards to which religion may 
 be exposed, their eyes are fixed upon your 
 majesty as the man of God's right hand, -who 
 will not only give your royal assent to what 
 your subjects shall humbly propose, in order to 
 the security and settlement thereof, but will, 
 by your majesty's own example, and bj' improv- 
 ing the royal power, make it appear unto the 
 world that it is in your heart to order the house 
 of God according to his word, who hath been 
 pleased to respect your majesty and your royal 
 house; so that your subjects maybe excited to 
 their duty, and encouraged to walk after such a 
 pattern. Your majesty's constant adherence to 
 the protestant religion amidst so many tempta- 
 tions, and the moderation of your royal spirit, 
 expressed in yom* late gracious message, are 
 pledges of our hope that religion shall flourish 
 in your majesty's reign, and that all good men 
 shall reap the tniit of those many desires and 
 prayers put up to God in behalf of your majesty 
 and' your royal family ; and, in particular, this 
 church do nothing doubt of your majesty's royal 
 protection and countenance to the religion 
 therein established, wherein it hath pleased the 
 Lord so to confirm and establish all ranks of 
 persons, notw^ithstanding all the delusions of the 
 time, that (beside the justice of the thing itself) 
 there will be no hazard to any interest to pre- 
 serve Jill the privileges thereof inviolable. We 
 have brierty laid open these thoughts of our 
 heart, wlii<''h our sincere desire of your majesty's 
 happiness and prosperity doth suggest unto us ; 
 and we trust the Lord will give your majesty 
 understanding in all things, and instruct you 
 to judge and esteem of counsels, according as 
 they shall be found consonant to the will of him 
 who is the supreme Lawgiver. To his rich 
 grace and wise direction your majesty is recom- 
 mended by, 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your Majesty's humble and faithful 
 
 Subjects an<l Servants, 
 
 Directed, 
 
 For the King's 
 
 Majesty. 
 
 Mb. Robert Douglas, 
 Mr. David Dickson, 
 
 George Hutchison. 
 
26 
 
 that kingdom, and so may prejudge al'i 
 future settlement of religion. In this exi- 
 gent, we could find out no better expedient 
 than to recommend this particular to your 
 lordships' wisdom and prudence, that if you 
 think fit, by dealing with his majesty him- 
 self, with fit persons in both houses, and 
 with honest ministers, tliis may be prevented, 
 and some appointed to attend his majesty, 
 for perfornling family worship till there be 
 a settlement. And it is our humble opinion, 
 that (abstracting from our judgment of the 
 thing itself) his majesty's forbearance, till 
 there be a settlement, is the most safe 
 course. Since the episcopal divines them- 
 selves have many of them forborne it in 
 England these years bypast, we can see no 
 prejudice following upon his majesty's keep- 
 ing his way which he observed in Scotland, 
 till there be some establishment in matters 
 of religion to a more general satisfaction. 
 We shall no further trouble your lordships 
 at this time, but to request that whatever 
 his majesty hath been pleased to declare 
 concerning England, yet care may be had, 
 that no liberty may be granted in this church 
 to overturn the established religion, wherein 
 there is so general and harmonious agree- 
 ment among us." The same persons, that 
 same day, write to Mr. Sharp, signifying, 
 " that beside the former instructions they 
 sent him by way of London, he may re- 
 member the great inconvenience that wUl 
 ensue upon the king's using the Service- 
 book when he retiu-ns, and use all fit means 
 to prevent it ; and mind to inform the king, 
 that no such concession is necessary to 
 Scotland, as he hath given in his declaration 
 as to England." 
 
 May 12th, The above written ministers 
 of Edinbm-gh, write a letter to Messrs. Ca- 
 lamy. Ash, and Manton, which, because of 
 its importance, is referred to frequently after- 
 ward, and added (below). * 
 
 * Letter to Messrs. Calamy, Ash, and Manton, 
 from Messrs. David Dickson, Robert Douglas, 
 James Hamilton, John Smith, and George 
 Hutchison, Edinburgh, May 12th, 1660. 
 Right reverend and dear brethren, 
 
 As yre often had occasion of comfortable 
 correspondence with our brethren in England, 
 and under our late distresses have several times 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 May 22d, Mi-. Douglas writes to Mr. 
 Robert Alison of Newcastle, member of 
 parHament, in return to one he had received 
 from hun, in which he appears to have 
 pressed Mr. Douglas to undertake a Lon- 
 don journey at this juncture. After Mr. 
 Douglas hath expressed his satisfaction with 
 this great turn of affairs, and showed how 
 solicitous all honest men are for the settle- 
 ment of the church of England ; he adds, 
 " these worthy men who revived the league 
 and covenant, gave great encouragement to 
 all lovers of religion, and of lawfid authority. 
 I am not without hopes there are many 
 worthy patriots with you, who may be able 
 to persuade the parliament of the inexpe- 
 diency, to say no more, of returning to 
 prelacy and the Service-book. I apprehend 
 that indeed you do rightly take up the case, 
 that if yourselves do accord to a settlement 
 of presbytery, and the directory, the king 
 will willingly grant it. I trust, the Lord 
 who hath done so great things for us, and 
 particularly England, in this revolution, will 
 not so far leave them, as they shall forget 
 the covenant, and what in pursuance thereof 
 hath been done by the assembly and parlia- 
 ment, and neglect such an opportunity, 
 whereof they never had the like ; and it is 
 to be doubted if ever the like return. I am 
 unclear as to the expediency of my coming 
 up at this time. I have frequently spoken 
 and written to the lord general, and doubt 
 not of his willingness to concur with honest 
 men, and have written lately to the min- 
 isters of London, and you have Mi*. Sharp 
 with you at London ready to join. Much 
 will lie in the parliament's own inclinations, 
 and they have the prayers of all honest men, 
 that they may be directed to settle that 
 government, which we by experience have 
 found the most effectual mean for restrain- 
 ing error and suppressing profanity. And I 
 judge the activity of honest men should be 
 
 given you an account of our case, and have been 
 refreshed with youi* tender respects toward us, 
 so we held it our duty to pour out our hearts 
 unto you, upon occasion of this signal revolution 
 of affairs, wherein the Lord's hand hath so emi- 
 nently appeared, that our mouths are filled with 
 laughter, and our tongues with singing. We 
 ai'e indeed as men who dream, when we con- 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 exerted to deal with inembers, and if need 
 be I shall write again to the general, if Mr. 
 Sharp shall advise it." 
 
 Mr. Douglas writes the same day, May 
 22d, to Mr. Sharp, signifying what they 
 Iiad dene since his departure, contained m 
 the above letters sent with the earl of 
 Rothes. He doubts not but Mr. Sharp 
 hath managed his being with his majesty 
 for the interests of Christ ; and wshes he 
 may be helpful to the ministers of London, 
 with all caution and wariness, that, adds he, 
 " yoiu- doing for them tend not to the un- 
 doing of ourselves. We are very hopeful 
 that his majesty wUl be mindful of us, and 
 will be loath to entertain suggestions to the 
 prejudice of the established doctrine, wor- 
 ship, discipline, and government of this 
 
 sifler how the Lord hath so ordered this dispensa- 
 tion, as to give us hopes to see our lawful magis- 
 trate possessed in his just rights, in so harmonious 
 and peaceable a way. And though we doubt 
 not but many will now be active to have refor- 
 mation of religion at least obstructed ; yet we 
 cannot but hope, that the Lord, who hath done 
 ail these things tor us, is so far from a purpose 
 to destroy us, that he is putting in our hands a 
 blessed opportunity of advancing his kingdom, 
 if we were fitted for such a mercy, and the 
 dispensation be rightly improved. Though it 
 hath pleased the Lord so far to advance his work 
 in this church, as that all the privileges and 
 interests thereof are established by law, with 
 the king's royal consent, whereunto the people 
 have generally submitted, even in our late con- 
 fusions, and though we purpose not to stretch 
 ourselves beyond our line; yet our tender sym- 
 pathy with honest men there, and even respect 
 to the welfare of this church (experience having 
 taught how much influence the condition of 
 affairs with you had upon us) makes us appre- 
 hensive of the sad consequences of setting up 
 episcopacy, and the use of liturgy again, under 
 which religion hath suffered so much, as your- 
 selves do well remember. We hope the Lord is 
 putting it in your and your brethren's hearts to 
 lay forth yourselves at this time for preventing 
 those evils, and what may have a tendency there- 
 unto, or may encourage people to look toward 
 these ways. We may assure you, that you have 
 to do with a moderate prince, who is ready to 
 hearken to sound and wholesome counsel, whereof 
 we had large experience, in that his majesty was 
 not only content to ratify the religion as it was 
 established among us, as to the subjects, but did 
 reiidily condescend to lay aside the Service-book, 
 and observed the Directory of Worship in his 
 own practice and family, all the while it pleased 
 God to continue his majesty with us. You 
 have now the advantage of humble dealing -ivith 
 a prince long trained in the school of affliction, 
 and preserved therein, <ind (we trust) fitted 
 thereby to be an eminent instrument in God's 
 right hand for the advancement of his Son's 
 
 27 
 
 church ; and if the violence of some press 
 an alteration, we are confident he will gra- 
 ciously repress that insolence, and vouch- 
 safe us the enjoyment of the liberties and 
 privileges of this kirk, ratified by the laws 
 of this kingdom, which we have stood for 
 against the opposition of those who plied 
 the usurping powers for the overthrow 
 thereof, by the plausible argiunent of their 
 compliance with them against monarchy, 
 whereunto they affirmed we adhered, as in- 
 deed we did. We hope his majesty will be 
 in case to distinguish betwixt these, who, for 
 their own interest, have struck in with all 
 changes, and those who were fixed in their 
 principles for lawfiil government." 
 
 It is high time now to return to Mr. 
 Sharp at Breda, where Mr. Douglas, in his 
 
 kingdom: and therefore we trust his majesty 
 will hearken to what humble advice God shall 
 put in your hearts for him, that he may be 
 exemplary in his own practice, and put forth 
 his royal power for satisfaction of honest men 
 in the matters of religion. We are far from 
 prescribing unto you our reverend and dear 
 brethren, or from being any thing doubtful of 
 your vigilance and activity in this juncture of 
 affairs; but it flows onlj' from our abundance of 
 affection, and the conscience of our obligation 
 by covenant, that we have given you the trouble 
 of these few lines. We know how incumbent 
 it is to us in our stations, to forbear to intrude 
 upon the work of others, and do purpose to 
 demean ourselves accordingly ; yet we are most 
 confident that this expression of our brotherly 
 love will not be unacceptable unto you. And 
 we shall pray, that the Lord may give you under- 
 standing in all things, and may lead you forth 
 in his right hand, to act in your stations at this 
 time for the good of religion, and for the settling 
 of that government in the church, which you 
 have so solidly asserted by writing, and which is 
 the most effectual mean to stop the current of 
 profanity, and damnable errrors and heresies, 
 as we have found by experience : for we fear 
 that if this opportunity, Tvhich God hath put in 
 our hands, be lost, it will hardly (if at all) be 
 recovered. And if the Lord be pleased to assist 
 you in the managing thereof, it shall be your 
 r. joicing to have been instrumental in refreshing 
 the spirits of honest men in all the three nations, 
 and your labour shall be acceptable to God, 
 through Jesus Christ, and tend to the advantage 
 of the true religion in the present and succeeding 
 generations. We add no more, but that we 
 heartily recommend you to the Lord's rich grace, 
 and are 
 
 Directed 
 
 To tliP right Reverend 
 Mr. Edmund Calamy, 
 Mr. Simecn Ash, aod 
 Mm. Thomas Manto.v, 
 Ministers of the GospcJ 
 at London. 
 
 Your very loving Brethren, 
 
 David Dickso.v, 
 Mr. Kobeut Doi;glas 
 IMr. Jamks Ha.milton, 
 Mr. John Smitii, 
 
 GEOROE HUTCIIl.SOM. 
 
28 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Account of the Introduction of i'relacy, is 
 of opinion he was corrupted. Perhaps the 
 reader may be pleased to have what Mr. 
 Douglas says there, in his own words, and 
 they are as follow : " I profess, I did not 
 suspect IVIr. Sharp, in reference to prelacy, 
 more than I did myself, no more than the 
 apostles did Judas before his treachery was 
 discovered : I did not suspect him for that, 
 more than I did suspect him for taking the 
 tender, after he came out of the Tower so 
 long before us. But since I find that has 
 been his truckling ; and when he went over 
 to Holland, he had a letter from a prime 
 nobleman to the king, sigmf}'ing that he 
 was episcopal in his judgment. This was 
 revealed to me after he was made a bishop. 
 The first thing that gave me a dislike at hhn 
 was, when he was in Holland he wrote to 
 me in commendation of Hyde, an enemy to 
 oiu* nation and presbyterial government. I 
 durst not as yet believe myself in this, 
 having no more save his commendation of 
 Hyde : but it appeared afterwards, that in 
 Holland he was a great enem.y to the pres- 
 byterian interest; and when we wrote a 
 favourable letter for the earl of Rothes, and 
 with him a letter to the king, he dissuaded 
 the earl from delivering the letter. When 
 at London, he was enraged that we had 
 written to the ministers of London. He 
 dealt also treacherously with the brethren 
 who came from L'eland, in dissuading their 
 addresses to the king. When he came to 
 Scotland, he dealt earnestly against all ad- 
 di-esses made to the paiiiament against pre- 
 lacy. He dealt treacherously with the king, 
 making him believe that there were no con- 
 siderable persons against prelacy; but would 
 have persuaded the king that all our lives 
 were in his hand, and he might do what he 
 pleased ; and the man never rested till he 
 was brought himself to a chair." This pas- 
 sage I thought proper here to insert from 
 Mr. Douglas' own original copy now before 
 me, both to show the hypocrisy, in what of 
 Mr. Sharp's actings we have seen, if his 
 treacherous design was a forming all this 
 while, as we may suspect from his taking 
 the tender ; and to evince it fully, as well 
 as lay open some springs of what he says 
 and does in the following letters. 
 
 Mr. Sharp's only letter from Breda t^ 
 Mr. Douglas, in this collection, is dated 
 May 1 1th, where, after he hath given him ai 
 account of his voyage, and that on the 8th, 
 at night he got to Breda, where he v.'as led 
 to the court by Alexander Bruce, where the 
 marquis of Ormond introduced him to the 
 king, to whom he delivered his letters, 
 and next morning at nine, had an hour 
 and an half with the king alone in his 
 bedchamber. In the evening the king 
 took him to walk in the garden near 
 an hour. He adds, " he found the king's 
 memory perfectly fresh as to all things in 
 Scotland ; that he asked by name, how it 
 was with Mr. Douglas, Mi-. Dickson, Mr. 
 Hamilton, Mr. Hutchison, and Mr. Wood ; 
 and having asked how Mr. Smith was, he 
 said laughing. Is his broadsword to the 
 fore ? * I answered, I knew it was taken 
 from him when he was made a prisoner, but 
 his majesty might be persuaded Mr. Smith 
 would be provided of one when his service 
 required it. The king said, he was sure of 
 that, and of the affections of all honest 
 men, to whom he bid me remember him. 
 He further asked how Mr. Bailie was, and 
 said, he heai'd ISIr. Law, and Mr. Knox of 
 Kelso, was dead, adding, that both he and 
 the kingdom had a loss by their removal. 
 The king, adds Mr. Shai-p, surpasseth all 
 ever I heard or expected of him. I gave 
 him an account of my management at Lon- 
 don, and congratulate his majesty in your 
 name, which he took very kindly. The 
 states are to congratulate him, and it is 
 happy he is acknowledged by so great a pro- 
 testant state : he is little obliged to France 
 and Spain." 
 
 May 26th, Mr. Sharp writes from Lon- 
 don to ]\Ii-. Douglas, that he is returned 
 to that place that day ; that he came in one 
 of the king's frigates with the London min- 
 isters : he gives the particulars of the king's 
 landing, general Monk's meeting him at 
 Dover, and the parliament's congratulatory 
 letter, and their desire he may come to thj 
 city by water. He adds, " I find the sober 
 presbyterian party have no reserve but in 
 
 i. e. Has he his broadsword still? 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 his majesty's clemency, of which they have 
 no cause to doubt ; that he received all 
 their letters since the 3d, at London, and 
 would take tiie first opportunity to present 
 their letter to the king ; had it come to him 
 in Holland, he would have presented it 
 
 there, where he had opportunities to have^ , strain of too many protesters in their preach 
 
 spoken to the full as to the matter of it. I 
 finil the king very affectionate to Scotland, 
 and resolved not to wrong the settled gov- 
 ernment of our church. For settling re- 
 ligion here, I apprehend they are mistaken 
 who go about to settle the presbyterian 
 government." 
 
 INIr. Douglas, by his letter May 29th, ac- 
 quaints Mr. Sharp, that many of all sorts 
 are thronging to London, " I trust, adds 
 he, the king will not fall upon Scots affairs, 
 but remit them to the ordinary way agree- 
 able to the laws of the land, I suspect 
 counsel may be given to do that which may 
 dissatisfy many, for there are many who 
 seek their own private good ; but I am not 
 afraid his majesty will give way to what 
 may be prejudicial to the nation. Cassils, 
 and Mr. James Dalrymple of Stair, are 
 coming up; the first is beyond all ex- 
 ception. The protesters think to obtain 
 somewhat by their means, but I believe the 
 king will not meddle with that which con- 
 cerns the kirk's interest, but refer all to a 
 general assembly, which he must call for 
 taking away those differences. You know 
 the public resolutions are for the king's 
 interest, and we have nothing standing as a 
 testimony of our loyalty to magistracy, but 
 those actings by the commission of the 
 kirk and general assembly in defence of our 
 lawful niiigistrate, against the attempts made 
 upon the government. Those have been 
 the ground of our sufferings from the day 
 of his majesty's departure to that of his 
 return. Before his majesty do any thing 
 he will let us have a favoiu-able hearing. 
 We intend nothing against men's persons, 
 only we desii-e our proceedings may be seen 
 to the world, and that our integrity and 
 respect to lawful magistracy may appear. 
 It will be grievous to all honest men here, 
 if England miss this occasion of settling re- 
 ligion and government, ^^^latevcr may be 
 pretended for us, and the securing of our 
 
 29 
 
 government, it cannot be thought but Eng- 
 land's condition in ecclesiastic matters will 
 have a great influence upon this nation, at 
 least, the troubling our peace. We have 
 great hopes his majesty will grant in matters 
 of religion what his parliament desires. The 
 
 ings is, that we are in hazard of episcopacy 
 and a Service-book, and press private meet^ 
 ings as necessai-y to uphold the power of 
 godliness. It is looked on strangely here 
 that there is never so much as an advertise- 
 ment from our brethren in England, con- 
 cerning the estate of their kirk, or any 
 desire to us to deal for the good of it ; not 
 that we have thoughts to go without our 
 own line to meddle with the affairs of 
 another kirk, though we might plead some 
 more interest in them than any other by 
 virtue of our solemn league and covenant. 
 If they prudently foresee our doing any 
 thing in their business might relish ill, and 
 resolve to do for themselves : if the Lord 
 shall keep them from the Service-book, and 
 prelacy, and settle religion among them ac- 
 cording to the solemn league and covenant, 
 we have all we desb-e, and shall look on it 
 as a gracious retm-n to our prayers on their 
 behalf," 
 
 May 29th, Mr, Sharp writes to Mr 
 Douglas, and gives him a large account of 
 his going to Breda. He says, "general 
 Monk's design in my going was, that I 
 might give his majesty an account of all the 
 passages of his undertaking, from his com- 
 mg from Scotland to the parliament's own- 
 ing the king; that I might acquaint him 
 how necessary it was to follow moderation 
 in his after-management ; and to move the 
 king to write to some of the city ministers, 
 by them to be communicate to all presby- 
 terians, intimating his majesty's design to 
 suppress profanity and countenance religion 
 in its power. I insisted on severid things 
 in yours to me, and was the first minister of 
 the three kingdoms who avowedly addressed 
 the king. I made my address in name of 
 the ministry of the church of Scotland. I 
 was most kindly entertained, and the king 
 hath a great affection for our country and 
 kirk. After I had been several tunes with 
 his majesty, and he naming a paiticular 
 
30 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 time to me to wait on him for his despatches 
 to England, and letter to the city ministers, 
 I began to speak about Scotland, when he 
 told me, lie wtxild reserve a full communing 
 about that till his coming to England. I 
 found his majesty most willing to restore 
 our kingdom to its ancient pri\aleges, and 
 preserve the settled government of our 
 church, in both which, I was bold expressly 
 to move, and had a very gracious satisfying 
 answer. The English ministers were much 
 satisfied with the king's receiving of them. 
 I kept much company with the ministers 
 that came over, and returned to England 
 with them j and by conversation I can make 
 a probable conjecture of the tendency of 
 matters as to religion in England. I have 
 much to say on this head, which I cannot 
 write at present ; I shall only say this, that 
 for me to press uniformity for discipline and 
 government upon the king and others, I 
 find would be a most disgustful employment, 
 and successless : for though the king could 
 be induced to be for it, it were not in his 
 power to effectuate it, the two houses of 
 parliament, and body of this nation, being 
 against it ; and if I may speak what I know, 
 and can demonstrate to you, 'tis already 
 past remedjing. I know very few or none 
 who desire it, much less appear for it. 
 And whoever do report to you, or believe 
 that there is a considerable party in Eng- 
 land, who have a mind for a covenant-uni- 
 formity, they are mistaken ; and as you say 
 in yours. May 8th, if they will not press, 
 we are free. I see no obligation by cove- 
 nant to impose that upon them which they 
 care not for. If you knew what I know, I 
 am persuaded you would not be very urgent 
 upon that point. For my part, I shall have 
 no occasion to what may cross that uni- 
 formity, but I have no freedom to an em- 
 ployment which can have no other effect 
 but the heightening an odium upon our 
 church, which is obnoxious already to many 
 upon such an account, though I know cause- 
 lessly. I have heard of your letter to IVIr. 
 Ash, who only has seen it, and IVIr. Calamy 
 and Manton. The rumour goes in the city, 
 I know not if occasion be taken by that 
 letter, that the ministers of Scotland have 
 declared their dissatisfaction that the kin? 
 
 is brought in but upon tlie terms of the 
 covenant. 1 am afraid that such rumours 
 are at this time studiously raised, and I see 
 more and more the need of using caution 
 with those here who have had large ex- 
 perience of Anglorum, &c. And I have 
 cause to think, that we shall have a dis- 
 covery of it, as much now as ever. I shall 
 present your letter to his majesty as soon 
 as the throng upon his coming to Wliite- 
 hall is a little over."* 
 
 * In the preface to an anonymous Alemoir of 
 archbishop Sharp, written by a Scottish epis- 
 copalian, and published 1723, the writer says: 
 " 1 find that Mr. Wodrow, in the Abbreviate he 
 gives'us of Rlr. Sharp's letter to Mr. Douglas, 
 dated the •29th of May, 16G0, hath, if not wil- 
 fully perverted, yet grossly mistaken, the mean- 
 ing of the writer, as may be evident to any 
 man who will take the pains to compare the 
 letter itself set down in the Appendix with the 
 said Abbreviate, in Mr. ^^'odI•ow's Introduc- 
 tion," preface, p. 10. — We have made the com- 
 parison without being able to discover any 
 ground for the charge here prt-ferred. On the 
 contrary, we think it impossible to read the 
 letter itself without feeling that it reflects much 
 more severely on the prelate's subsequent con- 
 duct than Mr. Wodrow's Abbreviate does. But 
 for the reader's satisfaction, and because tlie 
 letter is somewhat curious, we subjoin it entire. 
 —Ed. 
 
 Letter from Mr. Sharp, to Mr. Robert Dovglas, 
 Minister at Edinburgh. 
 
 Reverend Sir, 
 
 Yours, that. May 22d, and of the 8th, with 
 other letters, I received ; by the last Saturday's 
 post 1 could only give you notice of my safe 
 return to London. General ."Monk gave the 
 occasion for my journey to Holland, and I did 
 observe a providence in it, that his motion did 
 tryst with your desire, which gave me en- 
 couragement to follow the Lord's pointing at 
 my going thither, which for anj' thing doth yet 
 appear hath been ordered for good. General 
 IVIonk's intent for my going was, that 1 might 
 give his majesty an account of all the passages 
 of his undertaking, from the beginning of it in 
 Scotland, to the progression he had made at the 
 time of the parliament's owjiing his naajesty's 
 title; and that I might acquaint the king how 
 necessary it was to follow the counsels of mo- 
 deration in the future management of his 
 affairs. And, 3dl\', That I might move his 
 majesty for writing a letter to some of the em- 
 inent city ministers, to be by them communi- 
 cated to the presbyterjan ministers throughout 
 the kingdom, intimating his majesty's resolu- 
 tion, to bear down profanity, and to coun- 
 tenance religion in the power of it. IMy own 
 special motive for going was, to give a timous 
 information of the condition of poor Scotland, 
 as to the several particuhirs, which yours of 
 May 8th, doth bear. My thoughts at my going 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 June 2d, Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. Doug- 
 las, " Upon Thursilay night the king called 
 me into his closet, where I presented yours 
 
 31 
 
 of the 8th of May to him. Having read some 
 
 over did run upon diverse of these, which 
 •lii^estedly and fully that letter doth mention, 
 and it halii much ^atistied me, that ujion the 
 perusal of yours at my return, J remembered 1 
 hit npnn some of tiiose j'ou touched. I came 
 very seasoriably in the hegiiuiing of the growth 
 of tlie court, and was the first minister of the 
 kingdoms, who made an address avowedly to 
 the king, since his exile; which I did wit.h tlie 
 more confidence, tliat having your warrand 
 hefore my going, I made it in name of the body 
 of tiie ministry of the church of Scotland, who 
 had persevered in their integrity and loyalty in 
 all revolutions. I cannot express what wel- 
 come I had, and with how kindly an .icceptance 
 my application was entertained by his majesty, 
 who was graciously pleased to put such a re- 
 spective usage upon me, all the lime I was 
 tliere, as it was noticed by all at court. I do 
 not mention this out of a tickling vanity, but 
 as an evidence amongst others ot our prince's 
 affection to our country and kirk, of wliich I 
 am abundantly satisfied, though before my go- 
 ing over, he was falsely represented, even to 
 some of the presbyterian judgment, as an enemy 
 and hater of both. He did at Breda, at his 
 table upon occasion, give his public testimony 
 to the fidelity and loyalty of his kingdom of 
 Scotland, and to me in private more than once 
 or twice ; and I am persuaded, a sweeter and 
 more affectionate prince never a people had. 
 The first time he allowed me to speak to him 
 in private, %vhich was for the space of one hour 
 and half, I took it up, in giving a full account 
 of general jNIonk's proceedings, and of the 
 activity of those of our nation to improve that 
 opportunity for his majesty's service. The next 
 time he called me to him in the garden, where 
 he caused me \valk with him, almost 200 gentle- 
 men being at his back, almost two hours, was 
 employed in his moving questions and my an- 
 swering, about the affairs of the parliament; 
 and in the close, somewhat in reference to Scot- 
 land, and asking kindly how it w<is with the 
 ministers who had been in the Tower, and with 
 ]Mr. Hutchison, Mr. Wood, Mr. Bayly, of 
 which I gave you some touch in my letter from 
 Breda. The third time he spoke to me (doing it 
 upon every occasion he saw me) was in the 
 princess royal's room, where I wiis amazed to 
 hear him express such knowledge and remem- 
 brance, both as to persons and things relating to | 
 Scotland, while he was thei'e, as if the passages 
 had been recently acted. He mentioneil min- 
 isters south and iu>rth, and otlier persons, not 
 forgetting John Boswel of Kinghorn, and an- 
 other in Crail, where, he said, himself was 
 provost, asking how it was with them. There 
 was opportunity of speaking of those with whom 
 we have had so mucli vexation, and of the con- 
 dition of our kirk, and the carriage of honest 
 men in it ; and, had he not been taken up by 
 the interposing of a lord come straight from 
 England, I think I had said all was then upon 
 my heart in reference to that matter. After 
 this the court thronging by multitudes from 
 England, and the crowd of his affairs growing 
 
 of it, and looked on the subscriptions, he 
 told me he was glad to see a letter from 
 your hands ; and it being late, and beina to 
 
 go to the house to-morrow, he would after- 
 
 upon him, it was unbecoming for me to press 
 for private conference, but when he did call to 
 me ; which he was pleased to do twice more 
 before his c iming from Breda : and both those 
 times lie asked me only about some of his con- 
 cernments with general IMonk, bidding me at 
 the last time meet him at liis first coming to 
 the Hague, which was upon May l.'jth, wait 
 upon, to receive my despatch immediately to 
 England, both as to general Monk, and the 
 letter to the city ministers. When 1 offered to 
 speak a word in referei:ce to Scotland, he told 
 me, he would reserve a full communing about 
 that till his coming to England. And indeed 
 it had been unseasonable and impertinent for 
 me to have urged further, finding the necessity 
 of his affairs in England so urgent: but this 
 I can say, that by all these opportunities I had, 
 in every of which I did not omit the moving 
 about Scotland, I found his majesty resolved 
 to restore the kingdom to its former civil lib- 
 erties, and to preserve the .settled government of 
 our church ; in both which I was bold expressly 
 to move, and had a very gracious satisfying 
 answer. Upon the apprehension that 1 might 
 be sent into England ]>resentiy upon his maj- 
 esty's arrival at the Hague, I hastened from 
 Breda by the way of Dort, Amsterdam, Har- 
 lem, and Leyden, to take a transient view of 
 those goodly towns ; and came the next day 
 after the king to the Hague, about the very 
 time of the reception of the commissioners from 
 the two h<!uses and the city, to which I was an 
 eye-witness. Dr. Reynolds, Mr. C'alamy, Dr. 
 Spoistre, Mr. Case, Mr. Manton, were received 
 privately in his bedchamber : they delivered a 
 letter signed by above 80 ministers met at 
 Si<m College : 1 am promised a copy thereof, 
 which 1 shall sen<l unto you (and had done it 
 before this, could they have given me one, be- 
 cause they had lett it in the city:) they ex- 
 pressed much satisfaction with his majesty's 
 carriage towards them, speaking him to be a 
 prince of a deep knowledge of his own affairs, 
 of singular sweetness and moderation, and great 
 respectiveness towards them; but they were 
 much more satisfied as to these, after they had 
 spoke with him two by two, in private, three 
 days after, in so far as they speak highly to his 
 commendation to all their friends, as a most ex- 
 cellent prince, restored for a public blessing to 
 these nations ; and do profess it to be their duty 
 to promote his interest amongst their people. 
 They have often since said to me, they have no 
 reserve nor hope, but in his majesty's good dis- 
 jiosition and clemency. At my coming to the 
 Hague, when I had gone to the "lord chancellor, 
 wlio by the king's order was to give me my 
 desjiatches, he desired me to stay so long as the 
 London ministers staid, telling me he would 
 send by anothi-r the king's ple.'isure to general 
 INlonk. 1 was ready to lay hold upon this 
 motiou, knowing that the king was sjieedily to 
 go for England, and so kept in comjiany -with 
 those ministers, and thereby had occasion to 
 know wb.'it may give me gi'ound of a probable 
 conjecture of tlie tendency of matters, as to the 
 
32 INTKODUCTIOM. 
 
 wards consider it, and send a return ; and 
 desired me to come to him two or three 
 days after, when the throng was over, I 
 had yours of the 10th of May, with that 
 to the king, which is not yet delivered, by 
 the earl of Rothes. I shall look on the 
 earl of Selkirk and lord Lorn as noble 
 patriots, well affected to the interest of re- 
 ligion. I shall never espouse the interest 
 of any person or party; 'tis our common 
 interest to keep an equal way with all who 
 mind the good of kirk and country : and 
 my endeavour is to prevent animosities, and 
 to beget and keep harmony. Cementing 
 and piecing will be our mercy, and dividing, 
 more our reproach than we are aware of. 
 The king hath allowed the noblemen who 
 are here, to meet and consult what is proper 
 to be offered for the good of the nation; 
 they meet on Monday : it is in his heart to 
 restore us to our liberties and privileges if 
 our folly do not mar it. Yesterday the 
 king went to the house of peers, passed 
 some bills, and emitted a proclamation 
 against profaneness. There is a day of 
 
 ordering of religion in England. I have much 
 to say of this purpose, wiiich I cannot com- 
 municate in this way. At present I shall only 
 say this^ that for me to press uniformity^ for 
 discipline and government upon the king and 
 others, I find, would be a most disgustful em- 
 ployment, and successless : for though the king 
 could be induced to be for it, it were not in his 
 power to effectuate it ; the two houses of par- 
 liament, and the body of this nation, being 
 against it, and, if I may speak what I know, 
 and could demonstrate to you, it is already past 
 remedying : I know very few or none M'ho 
 desire it, much less appear for it, and whoever 
 do report to you, or believe, that there is a con- 
 siderable party in England, ^vho have a mind 
 for a covenant-uniformity, they are mistaken; 
 and, as you judge, by w^hat you write in that 
 of May 8th, if they themselves will not press 
 it, we are tree. I see no obligation by covenant, 
 to impose that uyion them, which they care not 
 for. If you knew at a distance, what I have 
 occasion to know since m,y coming hither, of 
 this matter, I am confident you would not be 
 very urgent in that point; for my part, I shall 
 have no accession to what may cross that uni- 
 formity ; but I have no freedom to an employ- 
 ment, which can have no other effect, but the 
 heightening of an odium ujwn our church, which 
 is obnoxious already to many upon such an ac- 
 count, though, I know, causelessly. I have 
 lieard of your letter to Messrs. CaJamy, Ash, 
 and Manton ; which Mr. Ash only hath seen, 
 Calamy and Manton not being in town ; and 
 the rumour goes up and down the city ( I know 
 not if occasion be taken by that letter) that the 
 
 thanksgiving appohitcd in England : I wish 
 we may give some public testimony of our 
 sense of the mercy of the king's retixrn in 
 Scotland. In the house of peers, upon a 
 motion made, that the form of prayer ap- 
 pointed in the Liturgy to be used in that 
 house, be practised, 'tis done. The Service- 
 book is not yet set up by both houses, but 
 they will probably soon do it in all churches. 
 I shall next week send a copy of the letter 
 of the city ministers to the king in Holland. 
 They resent his father's murder, but not 
 one word of the Directory or Confession of 
 Faith. I gave a hint by the Tuesday's 
 post, how it concerneth us to use caution, 
 in .offering to any here what may seem to 
 be meddling or imposing ; and I am every 
 day more and more confirmed, that it will 
 be a prejudice upon us, both in our religious 
 and civil rights. I was at a meeting yester- 
 day at Sion College, with about sixty minis- 
 ters, where it was very solemnly debated, 
 whether they should petition his niajesty 
 and the two houses, that the exercise of 
 religion by the ordinance of lords and corn- 
 
 ministers of Scotland have declared their dis- 
 satisfaction, that the king is brought in, but 
 upon the terms of the covenant. I am afraid, 
 that such rumours are at this juncture stu- 
 diously raised, and I see more and more the 
 need we have of using caution with those here: 
 we have had large experience of Anglorum, &c., 
 and I have cause to think, that we shall have a 
 discovery of it, as much now as ever. 
 
 I shall present your letter to his majesty, at 
 the first opportunity, which, I think, I cannot 
 have till some days pass over, because of the 
 great press upon him, at his first entry into 
 Whitehall. God hath done great things for him, 
 I pray he may do great things by him. It hath 
 been observed, that never any prince did enter 
 upon his government with such a general re- 
 pute and applause. The satisfaction expressed 
 by the Dutch could not be more, if he had been 
 their sovereign : and for England, the expres- 
 sions of ecstatic joy, and universal exultation, 
 are admirable. This day from morning till 
 seven o'clock I have been a spectator of what 
 the magnificence and gallantry of England 
 could bring forth in testimony of the greatest 
 reception, was, they say, ever given to their 
 king; the manner whereof you will have by 
 the Diurnal ; and it hath taken up so much 
 time to me, that, the post calling, I have con- 
 fusedly writ this, and must break off till the 
 next, with commending you to the Lord's gracr, 
 who am. 
 
 Yours, &c. 
 
 Ja. Sharp 
 
 London, May 29tlK 
 
INTRODUCTION. 33 
 
 yuor coming up, when I was with the king 
 on Thursday night, I moved, upon some 
 considerations, his majesty might write for 
 you. He answered, pray you, let it be 
 done ; and calling upon Lauderdale, ordered 
 him to ch-aw a letter for him to sign, that 
 you might come up to him speedily. This 
 letter Lauderdale promised to have ready 
 this night, but it will be Monday ere he get 
 it done. The nmiour is here, that there 
 are several ministers coming as commis- 
 sioners from Scotland and L-eland : I know 
 not who hath given occasion to it, but I ap- 
 prehend it will not be seasonable at this 
 time ; we would wait a little, till we see 
 how matters frame. I am confident if min- 
 isters come here at this juncture they will 
 be discountenanced, and give suspicion of 
 'driving a disobliging desigh. I find our 
 presbyterian friends quite taken off their 
 feet, and what they talk of us and our help 
 is merely for their own ends. They stick 
 not to say, that, had it not been for the 
 vehemency of the Scots, Messrs. Hender- 
 son, Gillespj'^, &c. set forms had been con- 
 tinued ; and they iwere never against them. 
 The king and grandees are wholly for epis- 
 copacy ; the episcopal men are very high. 
 
 only to be found in the province of London, j I beseech you, sir, decline not to come up. 
 
 and Lancashire, who will be inconsiderable ! It will be necessary you come and speak 
 
 mons, according to the Confession of Faith, 
 and Directory for Worship, and Form of 
 Church Government, might be continued, 
 until the parliament shall provide otherwise. 
 This, after long debate, was referred to a 
 committee, to be considered of against next 
 week. There is a conference on Monday, 
 to be betwixt six presbyterians and six 
 moderate (as they call them) episcopals; 
 but I resolve not to be at it. From any 
 observation I can make, I find the presby- 
 terian cause wholly given up and lost. The 
 influencing men of the presbyterian judg- 
 ment are content with episcopacy of bishop 
 IJsher's model, and a liturgy somewhat cor- 
 rected, with the ceremonies of surplice, 
 cross in baptism, kneeling at the com- 
 munion, if they be not imposed by a canon, 
 sub poena aut culpa. And for the Assem- 
 bly's Confession, I am afraid they will yield 
 it to be set to the door; and that the 
 articles of the church of England, with 
 soi^ amendments, take place. The mo- 
 derate epbcopalians and presbyterians fear, 
 that either the high episcopal men be upper- 
 most, or that the Erastians carry it from 
 both. As for those they call rigid presby 
 tef ians, there are but few of them, and these 
 
 H 
 
 to the rest of the nation. A knowing 
 minister told me this day, that if a synod 
 should be called by the plurality of in- 
 cumbents, they would infallibly carry epis- 
 copacy. There are many nominal, few real, 
 presbyterians. The cassock men do swarm 
 here ; and such who seemed before to be 
 for presbytery, would be content of a mo- 
 derate episcopacy. We must leave this in 
 the Lord's hand, who may be pleased to 
 preserve to us what he hath wrought for us. 
 I see not what use I can be any longer 
 here ; I wish my neck were out of the 
 collar. Some of our countrymen go to the 
 common prayer. All matters are devolved 
 into the hand of the king, in whose power 
 'tis to do absolutely what he pleases in 
 church and state. His heart is in his hand, 
 upon whom are our eyes." , . 
 
 In another, dated likewise June 2d, Mr. 
 Sharp acquaints Mr. Douglas that he had 
 received his note of May 26th. " As to 
 
 with his majesty for preventing of ill, and 
 keeping our noblemen here right. Your 
 coming will certainly do much good; and 
 though I know the temper of the brethren, 
 yet I see not what their coming will signify 
 at this time, and am apt to think they will 
 not get content. I have no design in this ; 
 I speak my heart to you, that you may do 
 more alone for the good of kirk and countrj' 
 than they all. Few or no Scotsmen ^vill be 
 about the king in places of significancy. 
 Lauderdale is of the bedchamber ; he pro- 
 mises to keep Rothes mth himself. The 
 parliament when it meets will make all void 
 since 1639, and so the king will be made 
 king, (that is, absolute there as here,) and 
 dispose of places and offices as he pleases." 
 Mr. Douglas and Mr. Smith write a return 
 to those two last of Mr. Sharp's, June, 
 without the date : — " That they are refreshed 
 with his majesty's safe arrival. As to that 
 part of your letter about uniforviity, we 
 
31. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 thought fit, say they, to give you this return 
 of our thoughts. 1 . It is not our opinion 
 to impose any thing upon his majesty ; yet 
 humbly to represent to him that he and the 
 parliament may settle religion there accord- 
 ing to the terms of the covenant, we think 
 it no crime, yea, we count it a duty for our 
 own exoneration, though it should not prove 
 successful; and if it be held a crime to make 
 known to his majesty so innocent a desire, 
 it may be feared that the keepmg of it here 
 may come under the same account. 2. We 
 cannot be induced to believe that it were 
 unfeasible if his majesty would be pleased 
 to intimate his royal inclmations thereunto; 
 but we conceive it would find acceptance 
 when we remember that the reviving of the 
 league and covenant by the ordinance, after 
 the restoring the secluded members, was 
 acceptable and refreshing. 3. The question 
 is not. Whether there be many or few for 
 it? but, whether it be our duty, whereto 
 we are obliged by the oath of God in such 
 an opportunity, when settlement of religion 
 is intended, humbly to desire that it may 
 be done according to the terms of the cove- 
 nant ? And though, if they slight the mat- 
 ter, we cannot impose it upon them, yet, 
 for our own exoneration before God and 
 men, we are obliged to desire it. 4. We 
 cannot but be affected with grief to consider 
 that it should heighten an odium upon our 
 kirk, to desire that ministers may carefully 
 endeavour, by their humble addresses to his 
 majesty and parliament, to prevent the re- 
 introduction of those once rejected relics, 
 episcopacy and the Liturgy, which have 
 bred so much trouble and persecution to 
 the faithful ministers and professors of the 
 gospel there, and have had such a bad influ- 
 ence upon this kirk. 5. Our letter to some 
 brethren there is so innocent, that we are 
 not afraid of the judgment of sober men, 
 though it were printed ; and for any mis- 
 representation that hath been raised, whether 
 upon it, or otherwise, it is a mere calumny ; 
 for we were, and are, and could not but be 
 well satisfied with his majesty's restitution 
 to his kingdoms, for wliich we so heartily 
 prayed, and so seriously longed. Nor can 
 it be interpreted dissatisfaction with his 
 majesty's restitution, that when he is re- 
 
 stored, we humbly represent to his majesty 
 our desires for settling of religion according 
 to the terms of the covenant. There is 
 just ground of suspicion, that such reports 
 are raised by some of our own countrymen 
 there, who are enemies to the reformation 
 established, and labour the abolisliing of 
 the covenant of the three nations. Dear 
 brother, we have writ these things to you, 
 for your information and encouragement 
 against those discouraging rencounters you 
 meet with in this juncture, from men that 
 are either downright enemies to the refor- 
 mation of religion, or are but friends of Gal- 
 lio's temper. Yours of the 2d of June 
 holds forth that there is a great defection 
 there from the grounds of the league and 
 covenant, which continued in, cannot but 
 highly provoke the Lord." 
 
 By this plain and full letter of Mr. Doug- 
 las and Mr. Smith, we may see how roundly 
 they deal with IMr. Sharp, how fixed they 
 stand to the principles and profession of 
 the church of Scotland ; and the reader 
 cannot but regret, that they had such a 
 person to correspond with, as this betrayer 
 of the church of Scotland. Whether Mr. 
 Douglas' jealousies of him by this time 
 were fully formed, I know not ; but a great 
 deal of plainness is used with him ; and had 
 he followed those instructions and principles 
 laid down in this letter, and formerly, I 
 doubt not but much more might have been 
 done for the work of reformation at this 
 time. However, these worthy persons did 
 lay the matter candidly before him, whom 
 they had unhappily confided in as their 
 commissioner ; and what could they do 
 more in the present circumstances ? Other 
 letters were sent, much to the same purpose. 
 
 Accordingly, June 7th, Messrs. Dickson, 
 Douglas, Hamilton, Smith, and Hutchison, 
 send a joint letter to Mr. Sharp, in which 
 they say, " That, upon the occasion of the 
 late wonderful and comfortable revolution, 
 we held it our duty, upon the account of 
 our solemn engagement to God, and our 
 brotherly affection, and our respect to the 
 quiet of the established interests of this 
 church, to express the thoughts of our heart 
 to some of the reverend ministers of Lon- 
 don, for our exoneration, resolving to inter- 
 
INTllODUCTION. 
 
 35 
 
 meddle no farther in the affairs of others, 
 save to express our humble opinion. But 
 having learned, by your last, of your being 
 present at the meeting in Sion College, and 
 other conferences of our reverend brethren j 
 as we do thankfully acknowledge the re- 
 spects hereby put upon you, so we have 
 appointed, that yom- being at these consul- 
 tations may, through the Lord's blessing, 
 not prove unprofitable for the good of the 
 common interest of religion, v.'hich, we 
 know, is most dear to all honest men; and 
 therefore we hope and desire, that (as you 
 have opportunity to express your judgment 
 before these reverend and worthy men) you 
 will not omit to acquaint them how much it 
 lieth on the hearts of all good men here, 
 that God may lead them forth to a right 
 improvement of this opportunity, after which 
 many, who now sleep in the Lord, did so 
 much thirst and long. We suppose it is 
 lot a desperate work, humbly to deal with 
 his majesty (who is so excellent and moder- 
 ate a prince) for the preventing of episco- 
 pacy and the Liturgy, which by experience 
 they have found so bitter and prejudicial to 
 themselves and many others in England, 
 and which, if they once be established, may 
 very speedily revive the complaints of godly 
 men. And we hope, that the great pains of 
 the learned assembly of di\ines (so heartily 
 and unanimously approven in this church, 
 and so much owned in England,) will not be 
 so easily lost; but that godly honest men 
 will endeavoiu" what they can to have those 
 good beginnings entertained, and yet further 
 advanced, as need requires. The condition 
 of the times does necessitate us again to 
 apologize for what we thus write unto you : 
 if we could satisfy our own consciences, and 
 approve ourselves to God and posterity, 
 who will reap the fruit of our improvement 
 of this opportunity, we are so far from any 
 pragmatical humour, that we could with 
 much ease to ourselves sit down in silence, 
 as if no such matters were in agitation about 
 us; but ap[)rehending that your being on 
 the place in this juncture, and it being 
 known that you are owned in your employ- 
 ment there by the body of the ministry of 
 this church, we conceive that it may be 
 looked upon as if we were satisfied vnth 
 
 any proceedings prejudicial to oiu- former 
 engagements, unless you express our sense 
 of affairs as you have occasion, with that 
 prudence, respect, and discretion, that be- 
 cometh, whereof we hope you will be careful 
 so long as you stay there." 
 
 The prudent and yet zealous concern of 
 those faithl'id watchmen, the reverend min- 
 isters of Edinburgh, at this juncture, ap- 
 pears yet further by their letter next post, 
 signed by the last named persons, to Mr. 
 Sharp, of the date June 9th, which likewise 
 desei^ves to be transcribed here, and follows: 
 — " By our last to you of the 7th instant, 
 we acquainted you, that however the con- / 
 science of our obligation by covenant, and 
 om' sense of the hazai'ds to which this 
 church hath been exposed by the former 
 settlement of England, do put us on ear- 
 nestly to desire an acceptable settlement 
 there, yet fear of oflTence hath persuaded us 
 to move no further in that business (after 
 our exoneration by letter to some there) 
 than to desire you so to walk in it, as might 
 not conclude us, by reason of our silence, 
 in an approbation of what may be established 
 there contrai'y to our covenant. Yet, 
 amongst our solicitudes, we cannot apprehend 
 that we will offend any, if we humbly lay 
 before his majesty our thoughts of those 
 affairs ; and therefore have sent you an en- 
 closed paper containing the sum of our 
 thoughts and motives inducing us to use 
 that humble fi-eedom ; whereof (and of what 
 else may occur to yourself to the same 
 purpose) we seriously entreat you to make 
 prudent use in laying the particulars therein 
 contained before his majesty. He is gifted 
 to his people in return of their prayers, and 
 their expectations are fixed on him, as the 
 man of God's right hand, who will refresh 
 the hearts of all the lovers of Zion; and 
 honest people (whatever be represented to 
 their fears) can never be persuaded but his 
 majesty will perform all things according to 
 the covenant. His majesty hath been 
 pleased so much to respect faithfiil and 
 honest men in their humble freedom, that 
 we will not doubt of his acceptance of this 
 mite from your and our hand, which flowetfa 
 from much real zeal for his majesty's hap- 
 piness, and without which we could not be 
 
SC) 
 
 satisfied we luui dealt taitht'ully. Be strong 
 in the Lord, and wait for him who hath done 
 great things for us, whereof we are glad, 
 and hath hereby encouraged us to wait for 
 mercy to his Zion. To his grace we com- 
 mend you, and are," &c. The paper sent 
 along with this letter is subjoined,* and I go 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 * Some few pai'ticulars whicli Mr. Sharp is 
 di-sired to propound to the king's majesty by con- 
 ference, at lit opportunities: 
 
 1. Albeit we doubt not of his majesty's bninc; 
 satisfied of our loyalty and good affection to his 
 service ; yet you may, from time to time, further 
 assure his majesty, tliat oui- gracious God hath 
 eased our spirits of a long and sad pressure, by 
 overturning all these bloody usurpers, and restor- 
 ing his majesty to rule over us, and hath hereby 
 sent us a gracious return of these many petitions 
 we have put up to him in times of deep distress 
 on that behalf, which hath raised our expecta- 
 tions, that the Lord, who iiatli done all these 
 things for us, hath a purpose of doing much 
 good to these kingdoms by his majesty's means. 
 
 2. You may signify unto his majesty, how 
 much we are refreshed with intimations we 
 have received of his resolution to restore us unto 
 our civil liberties, and to preserve the doctrine, 
 worship, discipline, and government of this 
 church. This we look upon not only as an 
 acceptable service to the King of kings whose 
 interests we believe these are, and as an act 
 of special kindness and favour in his majesty, 
 to look to the preservation of their just rights, 
 civil and ecclesiastical, who did expose all to 
 hazard, and much real and sad suffering, in 
 pursuance of their duty and loyalty to his 
 majesty, and who have made it their study in 
 these trying times, to give evidence that their 
 religion and reformation doth teach them loy- 
 alty : but we look upon it also as a notable 
 advantage to his majesty's own interests, who 
 shaH hereby give proof, that (notwithstanding 
 the rigid dealing of some toward his majesty in 
 some particulars, which you know we do heart- 
 ily disapprove, ) no afflictions or temptations have 
 prevailed with his majesty, to withdraw him 
 from his first voluntary engagement to his peo- 
 ple, and the oath of the covenant, and shall also 
 fix unto his majesty an interest which, we are 
 persuaded, -will cleave f^ist unto him and his 
 interests in all exigents ; for you may assure his 
 majesty (which we entreat may be understood 
 without reflecting on any, without any de-sire 
 in us to continue factions among loyal subjects,) 
 that among the various tempers of his subjects, 
 he will find none more fixea for him than men 
 of the principles of the church of Scotland are, 
 and will be. 
 
 3. As to the settling of religion in his majes- 
 ty's other dominions, you may inform his ma- 
 jesty that -we are very far from intruding our- 
 selves upon the affairs of others, or meddling 
 without our sphere ; and therefore have been 
 very sparing to communicate counsels with any 
 there, as yourself knows ; yet there are not a 
 few considerations (beside cur judgments of 
 the things themselves) which prevail with us 
 humbly to pour forth our hearts before his 
 majesty himself, such as our cordial and sincere 
 desires (as the Searcher of hearts knoweth) to- 
 
 on in my abstract of this remarkable cor- 
 respondence. — 
 
 June 5th, Mr. Sharp writes to i\L". Doug- 
 las, that he had his of the 29th of May; that 
 the Scotsmen at London had concurred in 
 a paper, containing their desires to his ma- 
 jesty as to Scotland, which was that week 
 
 wards the prosperity of his majesty's throne and 
 the completing of this so glorious a work, our 
 fear to be found unfaithful to his majesty, who 
 as he hath been pleased graciously to admit of 
 our freedom formerly, so, we believe, doth still 
 expect it from us, having by his gracious letter 
 since the late sad separation, not only invited, 
 but conjured some of us to it, our knowledge of 
 the temper of many people here and elsewhere, 
 whereof possibly his majesty may not be so 
 fully informed, and our hearty desire that this 
 blessed revolution may be completely comfortable 
 to all honest and loyal subjects who have suffered 
 under the late tj-ranny, and have been earnest 
 dealers with God for the accomplishment of 
 what they now see with their eyes : these are 
 some of the motives which prevail w^ith us, to 
 desire that his majesty may be informed in 
 these few particulars. 
 
 1. How much it will concern his majesty to 
 reflect upon the proceedings at his majesty's 
 coronation here, and seriously consider what is 
 incumbent now to be done thereupon, that 
 being his first public transaction w^ith his 
 subjects. 
 
 2. His majp^sty would be informed, how- 
 suitable it would be for a prince, so educated by 
 God, and prescr^'ed and restored by him, not 
 only to agree to the humble desires of his sub- 
 jects, but to let forth somewhat of his own 
 inclination tow^ard an acceptable settlement of 
 religion. As his majesty's practice in Scotland, 
 and his resolution to preserve these things with 
 us, do assure us of hLs majesty's approbation 
 thereof in his judgment ; and of his readiness to 
 give his royal assent to what shall be proposed 
 agreeable thereunto : so his majesty's roj'al incli- 
 nation being known, we doubt not of a more 
 general concurrence, than while good people are 
 kept in suspense. 
 
 3. You may inform his majesty, that we 
 humbly propose this expedient of his majesty's 
 prudent putting forth himself in this business, 
 not only upon the account of conscience as to 
 the thing itself, but ujMjn point of prudence 
 also, for the good of his majesty's affairs. We 
 shall not concern ourselves to dive into the 
 temper of independents and other sectaries, and 
 how they may relish episcopacy and the Liturgy 
 in this recent settlement of affairs, nor trouble 
 you with an account of what noise is raised 
 upon the very appearance thereof by others 
 whom vou know : but if his majesty knew what 
 grief or heart the fear of cpiscop.K'y and the 
 Service-book is to many loyal and honest sul>- 
 
 jects, who have much and often mourned in 
 secret for him, and do now rejoice in his won- 
 derful restitution, and how much it would 
 refresh them to be secured against these fears ; 
 we are confident he would be most ready to 
 satisfy such subjects, who will count nothing 
 temporal too dear to be laid forth as his majesty's 
 affairs shall require : and though it may be con- 
 
INTROD 
 
 to be presented. He hath not yet had op- 
 portunity to speak to the king : that he 
 reads that day in the newspaper, that Mr. 
 Douglas and Mr. Dickson are repairing to 
 London, and wishes it may hold, and de- 
 signs to move to the king, that some 
 brethren best known to his majesty may be 
 sent for. He does not perceive the minis- 
 ters at London design to give them any 
 advertisement concerning the state of the 
 church : and adds, " I pray the Lord keep 
 them from the Service-book and prelacy. 
 K the king should be determined in matters 
 of religion by the advice of the two houses, 
 'tis feared that covenanted engagements 
 shall not be much regarded. All sober 
 men depend more upon the king's modera- 
 tion and condescensions, than what can be 
 expected from others. The episcopalians 
 drive so furiously, that all lovers of religion 
 are awakened to look about them, and to 
 endeavour the stemming of that feared im- 
 petuousness of these men : all that is hoped 
 is to bring them to some moderation and 
 closure with an episcopacy of a new make. 
 You may easily judge how little any en- 
 deavour of mine can signify to the prevent- 
 ing of this evil ; and, therefore, how desirous 
 I am to be taken off, and returned to my 
 charge. I am still full of fears, that Eng- 
 land shall lose this opportunity of settling 
 religion. It is broadly rumoured in the 
 city and at court, that Scotland are all in 
 arms for the covenant : this is a pretext 
 made to keep us under force. There is 
 talk of a petition from the city in reference 
 to the covenant, and that we from Scotland 
 are the promoters of it ; but I apprehend 
 
 UCTIOX. 37 
 
 that it will come to nothing. However, 
 the high carriage of the episcopal men gives 
 great dissatisfaction : the Lord may permit 
 them thus to lift up themselves, that thereby 
 they may meet with a more effectual check. 
 Bishop Wren preached last Sabbath in his 
 lawn sleeves at Whitehall. Mr. Calamy 
 and Dr. Reynolds are named chaplains to 
 his majesty. I hear IVIr. Leighton is here in 
 town in private." 
 
 Mr. Douglas, June 12th, answers the 
 former, and tells Mr. Sharp, there was never 
 an intention of Mr. Dickson and his coming 
 to London. " If," says he, " our brethren, 
 after what we have writ to them and you, 
 lay not to heart the reformation of their 
 kirk, we are exonered, and must regret their 
 archness (backwardness) to improve such 
 an opportunity, and be grieved for the re- 
 lapse into the sickly condition, and grievous 
 bondage of the hierarchy and ceremonies. 
 If the presbyterians would deal effectually 
 with those concerned, making use of the 
 advantages of a good cause far advanced in 
 the former parliament, the covenant en- 
 gagements, the gracious disposition, and 
 moderation of the king, and of the high and 
 furious drivings of the episcopalians, they 
 might, by the blessing of God, be in a far 
 better condition, than 'tis probable they 
 shall be, considering their neglect. That 
 Scotland is in arms for the covenant, is a 
 broad lie, when broadly rumoured ; if such 
 pretexts be forged for keeping an army on 
 us (and they are daily coming with more 
 forces) it \vill be a sin against God, and a 
 dishonour to his majesty. But we are per- 
 suaded his majesty will defend us, and our 
 
 ceived that the affairs of England do nothing 
 concern them ; yet they cannot hut remember, 
 from former experience, what influence the 
 state of the church of England hath had upon 
 this church. Beside this, as we know there is 
 a very considerable plantation in Ireland of 
 loyal and honest presbyterians, ■who will be 
 ruined by episcopacy and the Liturgy, so we 
 apprehend that in England, however people, 
 fearing the worst, be content of any thiug that 
 is better than it, yet when they shall see a settle- 
 ment of these things wherewith they are dis- 
 satisfied, it cannot but be very grievous to them. 
 4. His majesty is to be humbly informed, 
 that at least (if these humble intimations from 
 us have no weight) it would be expedient not to 
 conclude and determine in these things suddenly ; 
 but that his majesty and his parliament take 
 
 time till he know the true temper of his sub- 
 jects, and what ■will be his real interest, which 
 will be better known afterward when his ma- 
 jesty shall have leisure to understand his peo- 
 ple's inclinations by himself, and his good people 
 shall have confidence, knowing his majesty's 
 disposition, freely to represent the true state of 
 things. 
 
 These things have lien upon our hearts, to 
 have them freely imparted to his majesty, out of 
 no other design, next unto the glory of our Lord, 
 but that we may witness our zeal to his majesty's 
 prosperity and happiness. And we shall not 
 cease to pray that God may guide his majesty, 
 and make him wise as an angel of God, to do 
 these things that shall be well pleasing in his 
 sight, and which may happily settle these long . 
 distracted kingdoms. 
 
38 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ancient privileges. 'Tis much to be la- 
 mented, that such men as Wren, whose 
 corrupt principles, and wicked practices, in 
 persecuting conscientious ministers, though 
 conform, ;u"e too well known to be so soon 
 forgotten, should have the impudence to 
 appear in public vath these Babylonish 
 brats. The excommunicate Sydeserf, pre- 
 tended bishop of Galloway, and Mr. James 
 Atkin, a deposed minister and excommuni- 
 cate, took journey hence on Friday last, for 
 London, persuading themselves, that prelacy 
 will come again in fashion here ; but I hope 
 they shall never see that day, or rather 
 eclipse of our day. I doubt not but you 
 will carefully guard against all that is in- 
 tended to the prejudice of the established 
 doctrine, worship, discipline, and govern- 
 ment, of this kirk." 
 
 June 9th, IVlr. Sharp, in his to Mr. Dou- 
 glas, signifies, that he has little pleasing 
 matter to write of: " That he is pleased 
 with my lord Cassils' coming up ; he feai's 
 we have not many like him to look to. My 
 lord Loudon is not yet come up. That he 
 himself endeavours not to mingle in their 
 particular interests and differences, but 
 presses union. There are none (adds he) 
 here, but disclaim the protesters : that he 
 visited the earl of Selkirk, lord Lorn, and 
 Tweeddale, who professeth his abandoning 
 the protesters : that twenty-eight Scots 
 noblemen, and some gentlemen, had pre- 
 sented a petition to the king for withdi'aw- 
 ing the forces and calling a pai-liament ; the 
 king received it graciously. It is thought 
 the committee of estates will first meet, in 
 order to the calling a parliament. The 
 French ambassador is commanded forthwith 
 to remove. Those who are incumbents in 
 sequestrate livings are left to the course of 
 law, whereby above a thousand* in the 
 country and universities will be ejected. I 
 can (says he) do no good here for the 
 stemming of the current for prelacy, and 
 long to be home: whatever dissatisfaction 
 may be upon good people, yet no consider- 
 able opposition will be made to prelacy. I 
 hope the Lord will see to the preservation 
 
 • This number seems too great. — Wodrow. 
 
 of his interests among us. I gave some 
 hints formerly about this, and by what yet 
 appeareth, I see no ground to alter my 
 thoughts, that oiu: meddling with affairs now 
 will be useless, and of no advantage to our 
 cause. The sad apprehensions I have of 
 what I find and see as to these matters, 
 bring me into a languishing desire to retire 
 home and look to God, from whom our help 
 alone can come. I hope you will consider 
 of what is fit to be done. If you see cause 
 of application in this critic^ juncture, you 
 will tal^e me off, after my long continued 
 toil." 
 
 Mr. Douglas answers this last, June 14th, 
 and signifies to Blr. Sharp, he wishes all 
 were as fixed as Cassils. " You may," adds 
 he, " let the protesters sleep, for they are 
 not to be feared, they are to be pitied rather 
 than envied. Concerning prelacy, we have 
 delivered our mind fully in former letters ; 
 and when we have exonered ourselves, we 
 must leave that business on the Lord, who 
 will root out that stinking weed in his own 
 time, whatever pains men take to plant it 
 and make it grow. We expect at your 
 conveniency you will give us an account of 
 what letters and papers you have received 
 since your return to London ; after which, 
 we shall give you an answer about your 
 abiding there, or coming home." 
 
 In another letter wthout date, but by a 
 passage in it, I conjecture it is writ June 
 10th, Mr. Sharp tells Mr. Douglas, " I now 
 begin to fear the long contended for cause 
 is given up. Three months ago, some here 
 were pressing upon the presbyterian party, 
 both in the house and city, to make them- 
 selves considerable by conjunction of coun- 
 sels, and piu-suing in a united way the same 
 end and interest: this could not be com- 
 passed. Then the dissolving of the se- 
 cluded members, (which some attribute to 
 some of themselves, others to general Monk, 
 I know both had a hand in it,) and jealousies 
 mutual between army and parliament, made 
 way for the king's coming in without condi- 
 tions ; whereupon the episcopal party have 
 taken the advantage : and they finding now 
 that the influencing men of the presbyterian 
 party are content to yield to a moderate 
 episcopacy and a reformed Liturgy, craving 
 
INTROD 
 
 only that ceremonieg be not imposed by 
 canon, do shift all offers for accommodation, 
 and do resolve to set up their way, and 
 under pretext of fixing and conforming all 
 to their rule, for avoiding of disorder and 
 schism, (as they say,) give cause to appre- 
 hend, that matters ecclesiastic in England 
 v\dll be reduced to their former state. This 
 does exceedingly sadden and perplex the 
 hearts of sober good people, and episcopal 
 men carry as if they concluded nothing 
 could stand in their way. There were, last 
 week and this, some endeavours for getting 
 a petition in name of the city, that religion 
 might be settled according to the league 
 and covenant; but the inconsiderate and 
 not right timeing of that motion has ex- 
 ceedingly prejudged that business, if not 
 totally crushed the design, so as it occa- 
 sioned a cross petition by the most consid- 
 erable of the city, that in all petitions here- 
 after there might be nothing mentioned 
 which had a relation to the league and 
 covenant, and that nothing should be moved 
 of this nature to the common council, till 
 their meeting be full. It hath been generally 
 bruited here, and had belief with some, that 
 the petition for setthng rehgion according to 
 the covenant, was set on foot and influenced 
 by the Scots, and commissioners were 
 coming from the church : they name in the 
 Diurnals, Mr. Douglas and INIr. Dickson, with 
 a gibe. This was so openly spoke of, that, 
 in their meeting at the common council, it 
 was moved by one, that they might put off 
 their petition till the Scots commissioners 
 came to town, they being upon the way; 
 and currently it was talked of in and about 
 the city, and I inquired by divers, if I 
 knew any thing of it ? I apprehend this 
 rumour has been industriously raised and 
 spread by some, to cast the greater preju- 
 dice upon us, who will have it still believed 
 that we are sticklers to inflame all, and will 
 not rest till we have our presbytery imposed 
 upon England, (this is their strain,) and 
 therefore it will be necessary for the kin/ 
 to keep on a force upon us. I have done 
 what I could for vindicating us from gi\'ing 
 any ground to tliat malicious report, pro- 
 fessing, that whatever the judgment of the 
 church of Scotland might be as to these 
 
 UCTIO.V. 39 
 
 matters (which is sufficiently known), yet 
 we had no hand or meddling in that petition : 
 for my own part, I knew nothing of it till 
 the morrow after it was framed, (as indeed 
 I heard not of it till the Monday, when the 
 talk was, that it was to be presented to the 
 house,) neither had I heard of any commis- 
 sioners coining from the church. I said 
 further, that from the northern counties 
 and other places, there had been endeavours 
 used to draw petitions for the settling of 
 presbyterian government; and this hath been 
 by an underhand way set on foot, by some 
 of the house of commons, giving this en- 
 couragement, that the church of Scotland 
 would join -with them. But the crushing of 
 the city petition \vill render all these motions 
 ineffectual, and, I fear, give advantage and 
 ground to the episcopal party, who now 
 make it their work to put oflT the meeting of 
 a synod, which hitherto hath been in the 
 talk of all, seeking to settle their way be- 
 fore a synod can be called. I see generally 
 the cassock men appearing every where 
 boldly, the Liturgy in many places setting 
 up. The service in the chapel at Whitehall 
 is to be set up with organs and choristers, as 
 formerly. No remedy for this can be ex- 
 pected from the parliament, who, for the 
 majority, are ready to set up episcopacy to 
 the height in matters ecclesiastical; and 
 with the rest moderate episcopacy will go 
 down. The sober party have no reserve 
 but in the king, whose inclinations lead him 
 to moderation ; God bless him, and prevent 
 the sad consequences which may come upon 
 this way. 
 
 " Our noblemen and others here keep yet 
 in a fair way of seeming accord, but I find 
 a high loose spirit appearing in some of 
 them, and I hear they talk of bringing in 
 episcopacy into Scotland; which, I tnist, 
 they shall never be able to effect. I am 
 much saddened and wearied out with what 
 I he:ir and see. Some leading presbyterian s 
 tell me they must resolve to close in with 
 what they call moderate episcopacy, else 
 open profanity will upon the one hand 
 overwhelm them, or Erastianism (which 
 may be the design of some statesmen) on 
 the other. I am often thinking of coming 
 away, for my stay here I see is to little 
 
40 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 purpose. I clearly see the general will not 
 stand by the presbyterians. IVIr. Calamy is 
 at a stand whether to accept of being king's 
 chaplain, and I think it will not be much 
 pressed upon him. The king has taken into 
 his council divers who were upon the par- 
 liament's side, but none of them are against 
 moderate episcopacy. The general took 
 me to his majesty on Thm'sday last ; but 
 the throng is so great, I could have no 
 opportunity for private communication. 
 
 " As to your coming up, though upon 
 my motion, upon Thursday was se'ennight, 
 that you should be sent for, the king did 
 most willingly yield to it, and desired a 
 letter might be drawn to that purpose by 
 Lauderdale; yet I am tossed in my thoughts 
 about it since, which I have communicated 
 to Crawford and Lauderdale ; and they are 
 at a stand in it. Upon the one hand, I 
 consider your coming might be of great 
 use to the church and country at this time; 
 his majesty bearing a great respect to you, 
 would certainly be much swayed \vith your 
 advice : upon the other hand, when I weigh 
 how much the prelatical men do here signify, 
 and what a jealous eye they will have upon 
 you and your carriage, beai'ing no good will, 
 I perceive, to you; and the public affairs noi 
 
 your coming at this time, which will be 
 attended with charge and toil, may give you 
 small content, when you will find that you 
 can have but little time with the king, and 
 it is not your way to deal with any body 
 else ; so that in ten days you will weary. 
 When matters come to a greater ripeness, 
 two or three months hence, your coming 
 may be of more use and satisfaction to 
 yoiu'self, and advantage to the public. I 
 know the king will not be desu'ous as yet to 
 send for any other of the brethren. And if 
 I thought you would come hither before the 
 instructions for the king's commissioner to 
 the parliament were drawn, you might do 
 much good ; else I know a little of your 
 way, and am so tender of your content, that 
 I fear it will not be so convenient. How- 
 ever, I have put all off tUl I speak with the 
 king, and know his mind fully in it. K I 
 find him positive in his desire of your coming, 
 immediately you shall have notice ; if not, 
 
 I shall give you an account accordingly 
 Pardon my writing thus confusedly my 
 heart unto you. Your coming at this time 
 can do no good, I am persuaded, to the 
 presbyterian interest here, but you will 
 expose yourself and our government at 
 home to more jealousies and sinister con- 
 struction ; and for our church government , 
 I trust it shall be preserved in spite of 
 opposition, and I would have you reserved 
 from inconveniences on all hands, that you 
 may be in better capacity to act for it. As 
 for myself, I see that here which gives me 
 small content, and were you here, I believe 
 you would have less; and therefore I entreat 
 r may have leave speedily to return. I 
 know you are not capable of being tickled 
 with a desire of seeing the grandeur of 
 a court, and you would soon tire were you 
 here; and the toil and charge of coming 
 hither, and returning in so short a time, (it 
 being necessary you be at home against the 
 sitting of the parliament,) will be in my 
 apprehension, much more than any good 
 can be done at this time. The protesters' 
 interest cannot be kept up, and I apprehend 
 the parliament will handle them but too 
 severely. The design is to overturn all 
 since the year 1640, and to make the king 
 
 yet put in a way of consistency; I fear v ^absolute. Elisha Leighton is not so signifi- 
 
 cant a person as that by his means his 
 brother can do us hurt." 
 
 June 12th, Mr. Sharp answers Mr. Doug- 
 las his letter of the 5th, and tells him, that 
 since a thanksgiving is ordered in England, 
 they will consider what is to be done in 
 Scotland; that he has not j'etgot any return 
 from the king to their letter, he is so throng. 
 That two days ago my lord Rothes told him 
 he was taking an opportunity to deliver that 
 letter sent by him. That the ministers of 
 London will make a return to that letter 
 sent them. That letter, adds he, may he 
 owned, and contains only a testimony of 
 your affection to this church ; I vpish they 
 may repay the like to you. What use they 
 will make of it, he knows not. He adds, 
 " For my pai-t, whatever constructions may 
 be put on my way here, I have a testimon}- 
 that my endeavours have not been wanting 
 for promoting the presbyterian interest ac- 
 cording to the covenant. I cannot say 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 41 
 
 they have been significant, as matters aie 
 now stated. There are few ministers of the 
 presbyterian persuasion of any note here, to 
 whom I have not communicated your readi- 
 ness to concur in your sphere, for advancing 
 the ends of the covenant ; and upon several 
 occasions both here and in Holland, I have 
 acted with them in order thereunto. I have 
 spoke also with some of another judgment, 
 and given them an account of our princi- 
 ples and way, to evidence we are not persons 
 of that surly temper, nor our profession so 
 inconsistent with magistracy and peace, as 
 hath been represented. Possibly thereby I 
 have not avoided that fate which is incident 
 to men of such employment, in this ticklish 
 time ; and therefore must prepare for a lash 
 from both hands. But I am the less solici- 
 tous what usage I meet with, that I am 
 assured my ends have been straight, and if 
 I have failed in any mean, it hath been 
 through mistake, and not any dishonest 
 purpose: I leave my reputation to the Lord. 
 It is my duty to acquaint you from time to 
 time with the condition of affairs, as they 
 relate to our cause, and according to my 
 apprehensions, to give you my collections 
 from them. Others may be of another 
 opinion, but I am still of the mind, that our 
 interposing in their matters here, further 
 than we have done, will not bring any 
 advantage to our cause, nor further those 
 ends we think ourselves obliged to pursue 
 at this time. I have not yet come to 
 know his majesty's resolution, for sending 
 for some of the ministers of Scotland : but 
 for what I can learn, it is not his purpose 
 to do it till his affairs here take some set- 
 tlement. He was pleased last week to say 
 to me before general Monk, that he would 
 preserve our religion, as it was settled in 
 Scotland, entirely to us. My stay here will 
 be of no use upon many accounts; it is 
 most necessary I come home, and speak 
 with you before resolution be taken vvliat is 
 incumbent to be done by you. I am not 
 edified by the speeches and carriage of 
 divers of our countrymen in reference to the 
 covenant and ministry, when they are come 
 up here. I have small hopes the garrisons 
 in Scotland will be removed; the Lord's 
 controversy is not yet at an end \vith us." 
 
 Mr. Douglas answers this in his to Mr. 
 Sharp, June 19th, and says, that before they 
 heard of the thanksgiving in England, they 
 had appointed the day he writes upon, as a 
 day of thanksgiving for the king's return, in 
 the presbytery of Edinburgh, and wrote of 
 their appointment to other presbytenes, who, 
 he hears, are to keep the same day. He 
 adds, " I suspect the king's coronation is 
 delayed upon a prelatic interest. I wish 
 the king were crowned before any thing of 
 that nature be concluded upon, that his 
 majesty may not run to a contrary oath; 
 my heart trembles to apprehend any thing 
 of that kind. It were a happy thing to 
 have religion settled upon covenant terms, 
 that prelacy, so solemnly cast out, may not 
 creep in again under pretext of a moderate 
 episcopacy. This will be found a playing 
 with the oath of God, seeing moderate 
 episcopacy, as they call it, is unlawful, and 
 a step to the highest of episcopacy. Min- 
 isters there need not deceive themselves by 
 thinking that it will stand there without the 
 ceremonies, that is impossible ; and it is a 
 received maxim, no ceremony no bishop, 
 they having nothing to uphold their ponij) 
 but the ceremonies. You know I am 
 against episcopacy, root and branch. I 
 wish the king would put that business off 
 himself, upon the parliament and synod of 
 divines ; and if they will have that moderate 
 episcopacy, let it be a deed of their own, 
 without approbation by his majesty. I fear 
 our gracious prince meet with too manv 
 temptations from the generality of that 
 people, who love prelacy and the Service- 
 book. I pray he may be kept from doing 
 that which may offend God, who has deliv- 
 ered him." 
 
 June 14th, Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. 
 Douglas, " This day the king called for me, 
 and heard me speak upon our church mat- 
 ters, which I perceive he does thoroughlv 
 understand, and remembered all the passages 
 of the public resolutions. He was pleased 
 again to profess, that he was resolved to 
 preserve to us the discipline and government 
 of our church, as it is settled among us. 
 WTien I spoke of calling a general assembly, 
 he said he would call one how soon he 
 could; but he thought the parliament would 
 
 F 
 
4^ INTRODUCTION. 
 
 be ciilled and sit first. I found the end of 
 his majesty's calling for me, was to give me 
 
 notice that he thought it not convenient to 
 send for ministers from Scotland at present: 
 when his affairs were here brought to some 
 settlement, he would then have time and 
 freedom to speak with them, and to send 
 for them to come to him. He thought it 
 was fit for me to go down and give you 
 notice of this, and the state of his affairs 
 here, and that he would write by me to you; 
 and called to one of his bedchamber to 
 seek for your letter, which I delivered, 
 saying, it would be found in one of his 
 pockets, and a return shoidd be sent, and 
 my dispatch prepared this next week. I 
 find his majesty speaking of us and our 
 concernments most affectionately. There 
 hath been some talk in the city of a petition 
 from the ministers about religion ; but some 
 leading men not thinking it expedient, it 
 was waved. Mr. Calamy, Mr. Manton, and 
 Dr. Reynolds, are sworn chaplains : some 
 say Mr. Baxter is to be admitted likewise, 
 and when it is their course to officiate, they 
 are not tied to the Liturgy, but others hav- 
 ing performed that service, they shall only 
 preach till they be clear to use it. The 
 king hath ordered a letter to Dr. Reynolds 
 and Ml-. Calamy, ordering them to nominate 
 ten to themselves, of their judgment, to 
 meet in a conference with twelve of the 
 episcopal party whom he will nominate." 
 
 Messrs. Dickson, Douglas, Wood, Hamil- 
 ton, Smith, and A. Ker, write to Mr. Sharp, 
 June 21st, that since the king desires he 
 should come down, they are willing he 
 come. They are confident he will refresh 
 them with the tidings of his majesty's con- 
 stant purpose, to presen'e to them their 
 liberties and privileges, so solemnly engaged 
 to, and advantageous to his majesty's great- 
 ness and government: they profess they 
 never intended, nor do intend, to press 
 presbyterian government on other kirks, 
 otherwise than by lajing before them the 
 warrantableness thereof from God's word, 
 and the efficaciousness of it, being God's 
 ordinance, by his blessing to suppress errors 
 and profaneness. And particularly, they 
 thought it incumbent on them to lay before 
 their brethren their duty, to endeavour by 
 
 addresses to king and parliament, that the 
 sin of a party who laid aside the covenant, 
 may not now be made the sin of the nation. 
 Since the Lord in his gracious and wise 
 providence has restored the king's majesty 
 and parliament to then- just rights and 
 privileges, so notoriously and wickedly 
 wronged against the express obligation of 
 the third article of the covenant; they wish, 
 and it may be in equity expected, that the 
 rights of God and of religion, unto whicii 
 there is an obligation in the other articles, 
 should be established ; that what is God's 
 may be given unto him, as what is Ca^sai 's 
 is and ought to be given to him : that their 
 tenderness to his majesty makes them 
 desire that he may be kept free from giving 
 his royal approbation to prelacy and the 
 Service-book, and may rather lay the whole 
 matter upon a synod of divines, who, by 
 peaceable debates, may come to resolve 
 upon that which is most agreeable to the 
 word of God and upon his parliament, who 
 may come to further clearness upon the 
 result of their debates. 
 
 IVIr. Sharp, June 16th, acquaints IVIr. 
 Douglas he had received by that post one 
 of the 7th, and two of the 9th, with the 
 enclosed paper, " which," adds he, " con- 
 tains matters of such ample and important 
 consequences, as will take larger time 
 to manage, than I have in this place, and 
 give work for employing more than one 
 or two : considering the king's present 
 throng, 1 would take three or foiu- months 
 to propose them in a way effectual, 
 or becoming the grandeur of so great a 
 prince. These are materials, I hope, will 
 be laid up for more solemn addresses. I 
 have a testimony, that I have not been 
 wanting to improve any opportunity I had 
 during these transactions for the interest of 
 our country and the covenant. This will 
 bear me up under the constructions my 
 employment at such a ticklish juncture lays 
 me open to. I ti'ust when I return to 
 make it appear, I have pursued the public 
 ends of religion, as far as the condition of 
 affairs would bear ; and I have been biassed 
 b)' no selfish ends. If informations you 
 have received about the state of affairs here, 
 have come from better grounds than what 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 4S 
 
 I have given, 1 shall not justify uiy mistake; 
 but for any observation I can make, I 
 [)rofess it still to be my opinion, that 1 
 know no considerable number, and no party 
 in England, that will join with you for 
 settling presbyterian government, and pur- 
 suing the ends of the covenant. And albeit 
 I am persuaded that our engagements are 
 to be religiously obsen'ed ; and of all con- 
 cernments, that of religion ought to be 
 secured, yet, with all submission and rever- 
 ence to your judgments, I am not satisfied 
 that it is incumbent to me (as the present 
 state of affairs is ciixumstanced) to press 
 further than I have done the matter of the 
 coronation oath in Scotland, and settling of 
 presbyterian government upon this nation, 
 which I know will not bear it on many 
 accounts. And under correction, I appre- 
 hend our doing of that which may savour of 
 meddling or interposing in those matters 
 here, will exceedingly prejudice us, both as 
 to oiu- civil liberty and settlement of religion. 
 It is obvious how much the manner of 
 settling religion here may influence the 
 disturbing and endangering of our establish- 
 ment : yet providence having concluded us 
 under a moral impossibility of preventing 
 this evil ; if, upon a remote fear of hazard 
 to our religious interests, we shall do that 
 which will provoke and exasperate those 
 who wait for an opportunity of a pretext to 
 overturn what the Lord hath built among 
 us, who knows what sad effects it may have ? 
 The present posture of affairs looks like a 
 ship foundered with the waves from all 
 corners, so that it is not known what course 
 will be steered : but discerning men see, 
 that the gale is like to blow for the prelatic 
 party ; and those who are sober will yield 
 to a Liturgy and moderate episcopacy, 
 which they phrase to be effectual presbytery; 
 and by this salvo, they think they guard 
 against breach of covenant. I know this 
 purpose is not pleasing to you, neither to 
 me. I shall, if I find opportunity before 
 my coming away, acquaint his majesty with 
 as many of your desires as conveniency 
 ^^^ll allow. I shall also make them known 
 to such ministers as I meet with ; and at 
 present, till a door be opened for a more 
 
 effectual way, this w ill be a testunony, that 
 you are not involved in an approbation of 
 what may pass here in prejudice of the 
 covenant. Parliament men know that I 
 have often spoke to them of our fu^m ad- 
 herence to the covenant; and if any of them 
 would excuse their not taking notice of it, 
 by our not clamoiu-ing by papers to the 
 house about it, I am doubtful they think 
 what they speak : but more of this upon my 
 return, which I so much desire, when I 
 have so much dissatisfaction with the course 
 of affairs here. The king speaks to om* 
 countrymen about the affaii"s of Scotland 
 on Monday next : I wish we were all soon 
 home, for little good is either gotten or 
 done here. The Lord fit us for future 
 trials, and establish us in his way." 
 
 June 19th, I\Ir. Sharp writes again to 
 Mr. Douglas, acquainting him, " that he had 
 his of the 12th, and had little to add: that 
 he had been with some city ministers, and 
 Mr. Gower of Dorchester, an eminent pres- 
 byterian minister, who speaks with regret of 
 the neglect of the covenant ; but, says he, 
 I see no effectual way taken to help this ; 
 your exoneration is sufficiently known to 
 them, and I wish I could write you had any 
 encouragement from them to go further. I 
 see little the presbyterians can, or intend to 
 do for the promoting that interest. The 
 surest friends to our religion and liberty of 
 our countrymen, since they came here, are 
 of opinion, that your further interposing 
 can do no good, but will probably bring 
 hazard to the settlement among us. I hope 
 this week to have his majesty's letter sig- 
 nifying his resolution to preserve the estab- 
 lished doctrine, worship, discipline, and go- 
 vernment of our kirk, and that we shall 
 have a general assembly ; and then I shall 
 come home with jour leave. If we knew 
 how little our interests are regarded by the 
 most part here, we would not much concern 
 ourselves in theu's. If we cannot prevent 
 the course taken here, we are to trust God 
 with the preservation of what he hath 
 wrought for us. Yesterday his majesty 
 gii\e audience to the commissioners from 
 Ireland, who, among other desires, moved, 
 that religion might be settled there, as it 
 
4i 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 WHS in the days of the king's grandfather 
 and fatlier, that establishment being the only 
 fence against schism and confusion. From 
 this we may guess what our presbyterian 
 brethren may meet with. In the evening 
 our lords attended the king, and general 
 Monk was present. Crawford and Lauder- 
 dale spoke so before the king for the re- 
 moving garrisons, that the general could 
 not answer them. At the end the king 
 desired they would consult among them- 
 selves, and give their advice about calling a 
 parliament, and till then how the govern- 
 ment of the kingdom was to be settled. 
 This day they met frequently, and, after 
 some debates, not without heat and re- 
 flections, it was referred to a committee of 
 twelve to draw up a petition to his majesty, 
 that the government might be managed by 
 his majesty, and the committee of estates 
 nominated by the parliament at Stirling, 
 until the sitting of the parliament, which, 
 they thought, might be called by proclama- 
 tion legally ; and they humbly desired that 
 all the forces might be withdrawn, and, if it 
 seem good to his majesty, he might, in the 
 place of the English garrisons, put in Scot- 
 tish. This paper in a day or two they are 
 to present. By the temper that appeared 
 in the generality of this meeting, I know 
 not what may be expected by us ; the Lord 
 fit us for the trials that abide us. Mrs. 
 Gillespie is come up to petition the king 
 fpr the continuance of her husband's place, 
 and he is thought not to be far off." 
 
 June 21st, Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. 
 Douglas, that his of the 14th was come 
 to him : " that the course of prelacy is 
 carrying on without any opposition ; so that 
 they who were for the moderation thereof, 
 apprehend they have lost their game. No 
 man knows what this overdriving will 
 come to. The parliament complain of his 
 majesty's moderation, and that he does not 
 press the settling all sicut ante. God only 
 knows what temptations and trials are abid- 
 ing us. I have made such use of your 
 papers as is possible. You stand exonered 
 as to any compliance with the times, or 
 betraying the common cause by your silence, 
 in the judgment of all to whom I have 
 
 communicate what you liave ordered me to 
 do. Our task is to wait upon God, who 
 hath done great things we looked not for, 
 and can make those mountains plains." 
 
 June 23d, he writes to IVIr. Douglas, 
 " all is wrong here as to church affairs ; 
 episcopacy will be settled here to the 
 height; their lands will be all restored: 
 none of the presbyterian way here oppose 
 this, or do any thing but mourn in secret. 
 We know not the temper of this people, to 
 have any tiling to do with them. All 
 the bishops in Ireland are nominate. Dr. 
 Bramble is archbishop of Armagh : and they 
 are to sit dov/n next session of parliament. 
 I am divers times vrith Cassils and Lorn, 
 who are fixed to us. I suspect, the general 
 bent of our countrymen carries them to 
 Ei-astianism among us. I hear your pulpits 
 ring against the course of affairs here, and 
 your sermons are observed particularly. All 
 persons in England, who have acted in the 
 public contests since the (year) 1640, are 
 like to suffer one way or other ; and this will 
 cast a copy to the proceedings in Scotland. 
 I find some very eager to prosecute such at 
 the next meeting of the committee of estates 
 or parliament." 
 
 June 26th, Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. 
 Douglas, that he had received his of the 
 19th J " that the king's coronation is thought 
 to be delayed, upon the reason he spoke of 
 Dr. Gauden hath written against the cove- 
 nant. Petitions come up from counties, 
 for episcopacy and Liturgy. The Lord's 
 anger is not turned away. The generality 
 of the people are doting after prelacy and 
 the Service-book. Dr. Crofts, preaching 
 before the king last Sabbath, said, that for 
 the guilt he had contracted in Scotland, and 
 the injuries he was brought to do against 
 the church of England, God had defeated 
 him at Worcester, and pursued his contro- 
 versy with a nine years' exile ; and yet he 
 would fui'ther pursue him, if he did close 
 with his enemies, meaning those of the 
 presbyterian persuasion, who are of the 
 privy council. The king expressed his 
 dislike after sermon, calling him a passion- 
 ate preacher. The episcopal party take all 
 methods to strengthen themselves : they 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 have reprinted Mr. Jenkins's Petition in the 
 Tower, and Recantation Sermon. Some 
 ministers of the city tell me they are endeav- 
 ouring to promote a petition, that religion 
 may be settled with moderation; j'et, for 
 avoiding offence they will, not take notice of 
 the covenant, or presbyterian government." 
 By another letter of the same date, Mr. 
 Sharp tells Mr. Douglas, " That he had 
 seen a paper of Sir John Chiesly's, in his 
 vindication, wherein he declares, that by 
 the remonstrance they intended not to 
 exclude the king, but proposed, if they had 
 carried the victory at Hamilton, to have 
 joined him : in it. Sir John insists upon his 
 not complying with the English, and refusing 
 offices under them. Lauderdale and Cassils 
 are both convinced we ought not to meddle 
 with the affairs of England. We thought 
 best to put off the speaking to the king of 
 a general assembly, till he signify his 
 pleasure about calling a parliament. Some 
 of our noblemen here are against the 
 covenant and a general assembly, men of 
 no principle railing against the ministry; 
 but the leading sober men are for both ; 
 only they differ about the time of calling 
 the assembly : if it should be before the 
 parliament, it woidd have no authority; 
 and they fear you would be too tender of 
 the remonstrators, for they are resolved to 
 take order with the remonstrance at the 
 parliament. Some think the assembly 
 might sit before the parliament, but most 
 are for its sitting afterwards. In the king's 
 declaration for calling a general assembly, 
 Lauderdale and I were thinldng it is fit 
 the assemblies at St. Andrews and Dundee 
 be mentioned as what his majesty owns; 
 which will put a bar upon the elections of 
 remonstrators, or else they must renounce 
 then- judgment. We were speaking whether 
 it were fit that the assembly which was 
 interrupted by Lilburn, 1G53, should be 
 called to sit again. These hints I give 
 you, that you may send your mind, and a 
 draught for calling an assembly in the way 
 you would have it. When it shall please 
 God to give it us, it will be expected that 
 the remonstrance, protestation, and all that 
 has followed, be disclaimed. Cassils thinks 
 vou went too far in yom- propositions for 
 
 45 
 
 peace; and that they not being embraced, 
 you ought not now to stand to them, but, 
 for the vindication of the government of 
 our church, you ought to disown all the 
 absurdities of the protesters. I know no 
 call nor shadow of reason for us to mingle 
 with what relates to the English church. 
 The presbyterian ministers are now busy to 
 get terms of moderation from the episco- 
 palians. There are discontents and grum- 
 blings, but the episcopal men have the wind 
 i of them, and know how to make use of it. 
 I am convinced your coming up, either 
 before this, or now, would have been to no 
 advantage, but much to your discontent 
 afterwards the opportunity, I believe, will 
 be far more seasonable. A friend of Lam- 
 bert's did move, that the king should send 
 Lauderdale to the Tower, to speak with 
 him privately, and he would discover all 
 the treacheries in Scotland, which he 
 knows better than any Englishman : he 
 promised he would send Lauderdale to 
 Lambert, to know these villanies. I find 
 the king bears no respect to Loudon or 
 Lothian. Dr. Reynolds, Mr. Manton, and 
 Baxter, were this day with the king. Mr. 
 Calamy is ill of the gout. Mr. Ash tells 
 me they will write an answer to yours. 
 The king, after the general and chamberlain 
 had spoke to him of endeavouring recon- 
 ciliation betwixt episcopal men and others, 
 said, he would make them agree. The 
 calling of a synod is put off. The king 
 having spoke the other night of Mr. Cant's 
 passionateness, fell a commending of you. 
 I have spoke with Broghill to the full> and 
 cleared his mistake of any stirs among us ; 
 he professeth great friendship for us." 
 
 By his next to Mr. Douglas, June 28th, 
 Mr. Sharp tells him, " I cannot see how it 
 is possible for me, or any one else, to man- 
 age the business committed to me by your 
 letters of the other week, with any shadow 
 of advantage; but a certain prejudice will 
 follow upon oiu- further moving in these par- 
 ticulars, that are so disgustful here. I am 
 baited upon all occasions with the act of the 
 West-kirk, and the declaration at Dunferm- 
 line. The protesters will not be welcome 
 here; their doom is dight, unless some, 
 upon design of heightening our division, give 
 
46 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 them countenance, wliich I hear whi.sj)ered 
 among some noblemen. No good will fol- 
 low on the accommodation with the episco- 
 pal party ; for these who profess the presby- 
 terian way, resolve to admit moderate epis- 
 copacy; and the managing this business by 
 papers will undo them : the episcopal men 
 will catch at any advantage they get by their 
 concessions, and, after all, resolve to carry 
 their own way. Those motions, about their 
 putting in writing what the)' would desire in 
 point of accommodation, are but to gain 
 time, and prevent petitionings, and smooth 
 over matters till the episcopal men be more 
 strengthened. I find that there is a conjec- 
 ture, and not without ground, that Middle- 
 ton will be commissioner to the parliament. 
 The garrisons will not be taken off till next 
 summer. The committee of estates will sit 
 down, and make work for the next parlia- 
 ment, which will be soon called. The king 
 hath declared his resolution not to meddle 
 with our church government; which hath 
 quieted the clamoiu"ings of some ranting men 
 here, as if it were easy to set up episcopacy 
 among us. I saw this day a letter from one 
 in Paris, that some learned protestants in 
 France, and of the professors at Leyden, 
 were writing for the lawfulness of episco- 
 pacy ; and, if the king would write to the 
 assembly in Charenton, July next, there 
 would be no doubt of their approving his 
 purpose to settle episcopacy in England. 
 Om- noblemen who are of any worth, are 
 fast enough against episcopacy amongst us ; 
 but I suspect some of them are so upon a 
 state interest rather than conscience, and all 
 incline to bring our church government to a 
 subordination to the civil power. The com- 
 mittee of estates and parliament will exercise 
 severity against the protesters. It will be 
 yet ten d^s before I get off." 
 
 Mr. Sharp writes another letter to Mr. 
 Douglas, June 28th, and signifies his receipt 
 ef that of the 21st, and his satisfaction that 
 they have given him leave to return ; and 
 runs out upon the great mercy of the king's 
 restoration ; and adds, " although we want 
 not our fears, let us procure what is wanting 
 by prayer, and not dwell too much on fear, 
 lest we sour our spuits :" that he writes this, 
 because he hears some in Scotland cast 
 
 down all that is done, because the great 
 work of reformation is not done. He adds, 
 " yesterday I asked our friends, honest INIr. 
 Godfrey and Mr. Swinton, what they 
 thought was fit for us to do at present? 
 They answered they saw nothing remaining, 
 but prayer and waiting on God. The other 
 day. Ml-. Calamy, Dr. Reynolds, Mr. Baxter, 
 and Mr. Ash, had a conference with the 
 king, whose moderation and sweetness 
 much satisfied them. It issued in this, that 
 the king desired them to draw up in writ 
 the lengths they could go for meeting those 
 of the episcopal way; and promised he 
 would order the prelates and their adherents 
 to draw their condescensions, and after he 
 had seen both, he would bring them to an 
 accommodation, in spite of all who would 
 oppose it. Some friends of the presbyterian 
 way are very solicitous about this business, 
 fearing that what they do now may conclude 
 all their party, and lest they fall into an 
 error in limine, which cannot be retracted, 
 that is, if they give in their paper of con- 
 cessions, those will be laid hold on, and 
 made use of by the other party as granted; 
 and yet they remit nothing of their way, 
 and so break all with advantage : I spake 
 to them to guard against those inconveni- 
 ences. Mr. Calamy sent to me yesterday, 
 to tell me of their proceedings ; but I told 
 him and others I would not meddle in 
 those matters; that their accommodation, 
 and falling in to moderate episcopacy and 
 reformed Liturgy, was destructive to the 
 settlement among us. Next week they are 
 to have meetings on these heads; but I 
 see not through them, and expect no good 
 of them." 
 
 July 3d, Ml'. Douglas acknowledges the 
 receipt of Mr. Sharp's of the 23d, 26th, and 
 28th, and notices, that Crofts's seditious 
 sermon before the king is much like the 
 way of the usurpers, who justified all their 
 procedure by the signal providence of God 
 against the royal family. Crofts's sermon, 
 and Gauden's book, says he, may stir up 
 men to speak for presbytery against prelacy. 
 He desires him, when he comes off, to 
 appoint some to receive letters from them, 
 and deliver them to Lauderdale. " After 
 this," adds he, " assembhes are not to 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 interweave civil matters with ecclesiastic; 
 and he wisheth that the king were informed 
 of this, that, after our brethren went from 
 us, our proceedings were abstract from all 
 civil affairs ; and he is confident, when the 
 assembly sits, all those former ways will be 
 laid aside." That same day he writes 
 another letter to Mr. Sharp ; and as to his 
 and others preaching against the course car- 
 rying on in England, he says, " except it be 
 to pray that the kirk of England be settled 
 according to the word of God, and the king 
 and parliament directed, we meddle not 
 with England; neither can it be thought 
 that we should preach against prelacy in 
 England, where there are none of that way 
 to hear us. Some indeed here make it their 
 work to possess people wth the king's pur- 
 pose to bring in prelacy to Scotland, which 
 hath necessitate me often in public to vin- 
 dicate his majesty, and signify he hath never 
 discovered any such purpose, but rather 
 professed the contrary, which hath satisfied 
 honest people here who were discouraged 
 with such apprehensions. If it be your 
 mind at court that we should not speak of 
 presbyterial government in Scotland, and 
 that our covenant may be kept here, then I 
 hope never to be of it, for we had never 
 more need, considering the temper of many 
 here, and our countrymen with you. Mr. 
 John Stirling and Mr. Gillespie came to me 
 from a meeting of the protesters, desiring 
 us to join with them in a representation to 
 the king, but I declined this, as I hinted 
 before in one of mine. I think an assembly 
 cannot sit till the government of the nation 
 be settled ; but when the parliament has sit, 
 it will be necessary. I have sent you the 
 draught of a proclamation for a free gene- 
 ral assembly; or if his majesty will have the 
 assembly that was raised, 1653, a small al- 
 teration will make it answer. (This draught 
 is annexed.*) I think it necessary, that 
 
 47 
 
 * Draught of a Proclamation for an Assembly. 
 ■ — Charles, by the grace of God king of Scotland, 
 England, France, and Ireland, defender of the 
 faith, to our lovites, heralds, messengers, our 
 sheriffs in that part, conjunctly and severally, 
 specially constitute, greeting: — Forasmuch as, 
 through and uj>on occasion of the looseness and 
 distraction of these late times, divers disorders 
 have broken forth in the church of this our an- 
 
 when the king intimates a parliament, a 
 petition come from this to his majesty, for 
 his convening that assembly pro re nata ; 
 upon which petition, a proclamation may be 
 issued. Let our noble friends know of this, 
 and such a petition may be soon got. 
 
 " As to what you write of the declaration 
 at Dunfermline, I was one who went to his 
 majesty with it first, before any commission- 
 ers were sent; and, after hearing his scruples, 
 he knows, if he remember, that I did no 
 more press him with it; and when I re- 
 tm'ned, I endeavoured to satisfy the com- 
 missioners ; and when they were naming 
 other commissioners to send again to his 
 majesty, I said, I would not go; and they 
 thought me too favourable a messenger for 
 such an errand, and sent good Mr. Hamil- 
 ton, with some whom they thought would 
 press it more : and after his majesty had 
 signed it, and written a very honest letter 
 to the commission, to alter some expressions 
 in the declaration, the protesters carried it 
 by multitudes, that not one word of it 
 should be altered. 
 
 " As for the act of the West-kirk, I shall 
 declare to you the truth of that business, 
 for none can do it better than Mr. Dickson, 
 Andrew Ker, and I. We met first at Leith, 
 IVIr. Dickson, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Thomas 
 Kirkaldy, and I only, all the rest were pro- 
 testers. When such an act was offered, we 
 debated on it about the space of three 
 hours, and findmg them obstinate, I being 
 moderator, dissolved the meeting. After 
 that, the officers being dealt with by them, 
 a great many of them professed that they 
 would not fight at all, except they got 
 somethmg of that nature, and upon that 
 there was a meeting at the West-lcii-k drawn 
 on for accommodation, where the quorum 
 was twenty-three ministers, eighteen of 
 whom were for satisfying the officers with 
 such an act ; and nine ruling eld^ six of 
 
 cient kingdom of Scotland, which we do hold it 
 oui- duty, in our royal station, to heal and re- 
 strain by proper and lit remedies : and consid- 
 ering that national and general assemblies are 
 the most proper and effectual remedies for pre- 
 venting and curing such distempers within this 
 church ; and that notwithstanding there ai'e 
 divers laws and acts of pai'liament of this king- 
 dom, warranting and securing the national as- 
 
48 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 whom were violent for it. Messrs. Dickson, 
 Hamilton, Kiikaldy, and I, were still 
 against it, till after conference, two of us, 
 with some of them, after solemn protesta- 
 tion, that there should be no use made 
 thereof, but to show it to the officers for 
 satisfaction, it was agreed on by that plu- 
 rality that it should be enacted, which was 
 carried to the committee of estates by them; 
 and approven there ; and it was by me en- 
 closed in a letter to David Lesly, in which 
 I declared it was merely for satisfaction of 
 some officers, that now they might fight 
 against the common enem}'. My memory 
 serves me not to declare what fm'ther was 
 in it, yet, notwithstanding of all professions 
 to the contrary, it was published that night 
 in print, without either my hand at it as 
 moderator, or Mr. Ker's as clerk; which 
 afterwards was made evident at Perth, and 
 the chancellor being posed, who gave war- 
 rant to print it ? he professed publicly he 
 gave none. The king's subscribing the 
 declaration at Dunfermlinej made the act 
 null : but that did not satisfy us, after we 
 saw their way which tliey took, notwith- 
 standing of his majesty's subscription, con- 
 tinuing to oppose all the resolutions which 
 were taken for his majesty's preservation, 
 and the kingdom's defence; and in the 
 assembly at St. Andrews and Dundee, 
 where his majesty's commissioner was 
 
 scmblies w^ithin the same, and it hath been the 
 laudable practice of our royal predecessors to 
 authorise and countenance these meetings, and 
 we ourselves were gi-aciously pleased to honour 
 the assembly at St. Andrews and Dundee with 
 the presence of our commissioner ; yet the armed 
 violence of the late usurper did not spare to make 
 forcible interruption to these meetings, so that 
 the same have been intermitted for a long time : 
 and seeing it hath pleased God graciously and 
 wonderfully to restore us to our just and ancient 
 right and government, and to hear and satisfy 
 the earnest prayers and desires of the good people 
 of this nation in that behalf, we are resolved to 
 improve the power and authority he has given 
 us, to his honour, and for promoting and ad- 
 vancing religion and piety, and repressing error, 
 profaneness, and disorder within this kingdom, 
 and, in order to these ends, to apply and re- 
 store these remedies, which have been so long 
 wanting and withhoLlen upon the occasion fore- 
 said. Therefore we have thought fit to indict 
 and call a general assembly, and, by these pre- 
 sents, we do indict, appoint, and ordain a free 
 general assembly of this church, to be kept 
 Bad holden at Eilinbui'gh the day of 
 
 present, the assembly took to their con- 
 sideration that act of the West-kirk, anc] 
 put an explication upon it. It is not full 
 enough, because by the enemy's coming 
 to Fife, we were forced to go to Dundee. 
 Thereafter our troubles growing upon us, 
 after much hot debate about the condemn- 
 ing it altogether, having so many to deal 
 with in that troublesome tune, the assembly 
 only came this length; I hope the next 
 assembly shall make it fiill enough. 
 
 " Two things would be well considered : 
 these men now called protesters were not 
 then discovered to be such enemies to the 
 proceedings of the kingdom as afterward 
 they appeared; and therefore pains was 
 taken to condescend in some things to 
 keep them fast : and next, they had infected 
 many of the officers, who were made un 
 willing to fight, except they were satisfied 
 in theu" scruples, and we behoved to con- 
 descend in some things to engage them, as 
 in granting a warrant to raise an army in 
 the west, to encourage them to fight. But 
 after they were found to fall on the remon- 
 strance, and those ways, there was never 
 any thing in the least yielded to them, as 
 all our procedure will make evident when 
 seen by a general assembly, which will be 
 to us a standing testimony of our honesty 
 and reality in pursuing his majesty's interest 
 and the kingdoms, in oiu: sphere, against 
 
 next, at which time we purpose, God willing, 
 that a commissioner from us shall be there, to 
 represent us and our authority; and we will 
 and ordain, that presbyteries, and others con. 
 cerned, may choose, elect, and send their com.- 
 missioners to that meeting. 
 
 Our will is herefore, and we charge you 
 straightly, and command, that, incontinent these 
 our letters seen, you pass, and make publication 
 hereof at the market-cross of Edinburgh, and 
 other burghs of this kingdom, wherethrougii 
 none pretend ignorance ; and that you warn 
 thereat all and sundiy presbyteries, and others 
 concerned in the election of commissioners to 
 general assemblies, to the eifect aforesaid, and 
 also all commissioners from presbyteries, and 
 others having place and vote in assemblies, to 
 repair and address themselves to the said town 
 of Edinburgh, the said day of and to 
 
 attend the said assembly during the time thereof, 
 and aye and while the same be dissolved; and 
 to do and perform all which, to their charges, iu 
 such cases appertaineth, as they will answer to 
 the contrary. 
 
 Per Regem. 
 
I NT HOD 
 
 all opposcrs. 'flie misconstructions of those 
 with you, made me at such length lay before 
 you what may inform you in these matters." 
 
 July 5th, Mr. Douglas adds, " In my last 
 I overlooked the matter of the accommoda- 
 tion. My thoughts of it are, 1. That the 
 matters of offices and ordinances, which 
 ought to be of Christ's appointment, admit 
 not of a latitude to come and go upon : 
 which they suppose, who by way of trysting, 
 give commissions and condescensions in the 
 matter of episcopacy, and the Service-book. 
 2. By their accommodation they yield up 
 what they had gained through the blessing 
 of God by the labours of a learned assem- 
 bly, and was agreed to by the parliament. 
 .3. Not only their concessions will be im- 
 proven, as you well observe, but also what- 
 ever the hierarchists may happen to conde- 
 scend to at present, ad faciendum popuhnn, 
 they will not keep longer than they find a 
 convenience to step over at their own ease, 
 to their wonted height. Their present car- 
 riage, and the open appearances of the most 
 violent of them, makes this plain. 4. I 
 believe those learned men will, on second 
 thoughts, perceive that it is a task, if not 
 impossible, yet very difficult to propose 
 concessions, which may satisfy the presby- 
 terians in England, without conference with 
 them, and communication of counsels. For 
 which effect, and that the odium of the 
 miscarriage lie not on them, it may be 
 expected from their wisdom that they will 
 endeavour a meeting of the honest and 
 learned men of the ministry to consider 
 of the matter. 5. Whatever be the event 
 and effects, it will be a comfort to honest 
 men, they had no hand in the re-introduction 
 of those things they cannot be free of in a 
 way of treaty and condescension. Those 
 things being considered, we cannot approve 
 of that way, and you do well not to meddle 
 in it." 
 
 Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. Douglas, July 
 3d, and says, " I lately spoke with some 
 who have the chief management, and had 
 opportunity to clear the integrity of honest 
 men, from the year 1651, to this. For any 
 thing I can observe, the king and his min- 
 isters have such a resentment of the pro- 
 testers' way, that we shall need rather to 
 
 UCTION. 49 
 
 plead some indulgence, than fear any favour. 
 Lauderdale denies he sent any letter to 
 Mr. Patrick Gillespie; and all his eloquence 
 will scarce secure him from being account- 
 able, when an inquisition is made into the 
 affronts he put upon the king and his 
 authority, and his intrusions upon the town 
 and university. The king told the four 
 presbyterian ministers at their last confer 
 ence, he would have the church of England 
 governed by bishops. And when it was 
 replied, that they were not enemies to 
 regulated episcopacy, he bid them put in 
 writ their concessions, and what regulations 
 they thought needful. He promised that 
 none of them should be pressed to con- 
 formity, until a synod determined that 
 point, and that all who had entered into 
 livings whose incumbents are dead, should 
 be continued, and others, before they were 
 outed, should be provided for. They have 
 had several meetings since. At their first, 
 they voted they would treat vnth the 
 episcopal party upon bishop Usher's reduc- 
 tion ; but I apprehend they will go a 
 greater length, and to-morrow I shall know 
 of Mr. Calamy the particulars. I trust you 
 wdll not think it convenient I be present at 
 meetings where such concessions are made. 
 The king will give our countrymen their 
 answer very soon ; and it is, that the com- 
 mittee of estates will speedily sit down, 
 with limitations as to the time, and their 
 proceeding as to sequestrations, or finings, 
 till the parliament sit. F the accounts here 
 of expressions ministers use in their puij)its 
 be true, I wish ministers would moderate 
 their passions at such a time." 
 
 By another letter, same date, Mr. Sharp 
 acquaints Mr. Douglas, " That he sees no 
 ground to think undeserving men will be in 
 request, as is reported with them in Scotland. 
 I have, adds he, acquainted the king's prime 
 minister with Mr. GUlespie's character in 
 case he come here : I have also acquainted 
 that great man with your deservings of the 
 king. The king hath not yet considered 
 how to manage his affairs as to Scotlan d, 
 and all he says to our countrymen here 
 will be but for the fashion. That which 
 will be effectual, must proceed from his 
 cabinet council, consisting of three j)ersons. 
 
50 INTIIOD 
 
 whom he will call in a few days, and set 
 apart some time with them on purpose to 
 manage Scots afTairs. Middletoa will be 
 commissioner, who professeth a great re- 
 gard to you. I apprehend Glencau-n will 
 be chancellor, Crawford treasm-er, New- 
 burgh secretary, Sir Archibald Primrose 
 register, Mr. John Fletcher advocate. Gen- 
 eral Monk desires you may write to the 
 presbyterian ministers in the north of Ire- 
 land, to leave off their indiscreet preach- 
 ing against the king, and not praying for 
 him. I hope these reports are aggravated, 
 but since the commissioners of that king- 
 dom have petitioned for episcopacy, I am 
 afraid they be persecuted. Cassils is honest, 
 but not for this com't." 
 
 Mr. Douglas answers the two last, July 
 12th. As to the expressions in pulpits, he 
 says, some men take a liberty to speak, 
 which will riot be remedied but by a 
 general assembly j and if this be meant of 
 others who have been all along for the 
 king, 'tis but a calumny. 'Tis another for- 
 gery which you write, of the ministers of 
 the north of Ireland: Mr. Peter Blair is 
 just now come over, and assures us they all 
 pray most cordially for his majesty. I hear 
 of some protesters in the north of Scot- 
 land who pray not for the king, but none in 
 L'eland. A general assembly will help us, 
 and give them advice in Ireland, Yoiu- 
 matters at London are yet a mystery to me. 
 
 July 7th, Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. Doug- 
 las he had his June 28th. " The ministers 
 have had several meetings at Sion College 
 since my last: they have many debates, 
 and are not all in one mind ; yet they have 
 all agreed to bishop Usher's model, to set 
 forms, and an amended Liturgyj they desii'c 
 freedom from the ceremonies. Some yester- 
 day spoke in the house for episcopacy, and 
 Mr. Bainfield speaking against it, was hissed 
 down. The English lawyers have given in 
 papers to show that the bishops have not 
 jbeen outed by law. The cloud is more 
 dark than was apprehended. Messrs. Hart, 
 Ricl)ardson, and Kays, are to be in town 
 this night from the -ministers of the north 
 of L-eland. Their coming is ill taken by 
 the commissioners from the convention 
 ttiere, who have petitioned for episcopacy. 
 
 UCTION. 
 
 Affairs begin to be embroiled here ; many 
 fear a break. The presbyterians are like to 
 be ground betwixt two millstones. The 
 papists and fanatics are busy. Argyle is 
 this day come to town, and he will not be 
 welcome." 
 
 July 10th, Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. 
 Douglas, that Crofts is discharged the 
 court. The episcopal men are bowing a 
 little ; the presbyterians have finished their 
 concessions ; the issue will be the emitting 
 of a declaration by the king about moderate 
 episcopacy, amended Liturgy, and dispensing 
 with the ceremonies. They will subject to 
 any episcopacy; they will act under mo- 
 derate episcopacy, and own bishops may be 
 acknowledged as civil officers imposed by 
 the king, I find no inclination in the king 
 to meddle with our church government. 
 The marquis of Argyle was sent to the 
 Tower last Lord's day. He adds, " He is 
 not of their mind, who would not have you 
 preach for presbyterial government, holding 
 up the covenant, and keeping out prelacy 
 from Scotland ; but I am still of the opinion, 
 that there is neither necessity, nor advan- 
 tage to meddle with the settlement, whether 
 civil or ecclesiastic, here in England. Dear 
 bought experience should make us wary of 
 mingling with the concerns of a people, 
 who bear no regard to us. You'll have 
 many letters as to the manner of Argyle's 
 commitment, and I say nothing of it. His 
 warrant mentions the cause to be high 
 treason, whether for past actings, or what 
 he may do at this time against the king's 
 interest, I know not. This day the lord 
 Lorn was permitted to see his father. I'll 
 endeavour to move that one of the in- 
 structions to the committee of estates may 
 be to see to the preserving the government 
 of the kirk, and particularly of the acts of 
 the general assembly at St. Andrews and 
 Dundee, and then that after the parliament 
 a general assembly be called. I doubt if 
 the motion, for the king's taking notice of 
 the assemblies since the interruption of his 
 goverrunent, take. I have frequently ob- 
 served in converse here for our vindication, 
 that by the influence of the protesting 
 party among us, we were led out to some 
 exorbitancies not charceable on us or our 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 51 
 
 kirk. Honest Cassils, Loudon, Lothian, 
 and Lorn, have been pressing a conference 
 before the king, with Crawford, Lauderdale, 
 Rothes, and Glencairn, to debate the ex- 
 pediency of a committee of estates ; but 
 this, savouring of faction and division, is 
 not liked by the king. The motive of 
 Cassils and the rest for avoiding the com- 
 mittee, is the a{)prehension they have of 
 the others' design to quarrel the parliament, 
 1649, and so to remler their actings cul- 
 pable. I engage in no party, while I am 
 here, that I may know how the wheels 
 move. There is a necessity I get and keep 
 acquaintance with the episcopal party, as 
 well as presbyterians, and with those about 
 court who manage the king's affairs though 
 they be no friends to presbyterians, though 
 I will hereby be exposed to the construc- 
 tions of men. I am confident the king 
 hath no purpose to wrong our chiu-ch in 
 her settlement ; my greatest fear is their 
 introducing Erastianism. Chancellor Hyde, 
 and those of that party, will have Middleton 
 commissioner, and some of our noblemen 
 have told the king it is theu* desire he be 
 the man. 'Tis probable Lauderdale will 
 be secretary." 
 
 July 19th, Mr. Douglas answers the last, 
 and tells ]VIr Sharp, " That there is no fear 
 of their meddling with civil affairs in their 
 judicatories : we, adds he, have reason to 
 kiiow that these are to be kept distinct with- 
 out encroachment. When the king grants a 
 general assemblj', it will be seen how con- 
 sistent presbytery is with monarchy I was 
 never urging for an assembly before, or in 
 time of parliament. It shall be sufficient to 
 us, that nothing be done in parliament to the 
 prejudice of our established kirk government, 
 and that the assembly be indicted shortly 
 after. I think it will do as well, that the 
 members of the assembly be chosen after 
 the established order, as that the last as- 
 sembly be called. Some of the protesters 
 are here met, they will get none of us to 
 join them in what they do." 
 
 July 21st, Mr. Douglas writes again, and 
 desires Mr. Sharp to give the lady Argyle 
 all the comfort and assistance he can when 
 she comes up to see her lord. He adds, 
 " When Sir Jiuiics Stuart and Sir John 
 
 Chiesly were seized, Mr. Gillespie was here 
 at the meeting of protesters, and saw fit to 
 remove. Two came to me from the meet- 
 ing, and desired we would join them in a 
 letter to the king anent episcopacy in Eng- 
 land. I told them we could not join with 
 them in any thing of that kind ; and wished 
 them to consider that the circumstances 
 they stood in, with reference to the king, 
 were not good. When they asked me, if 
 I thought not it requisite to bear testimony 
 against prelacy there ? I answered, I thought 
 not ; and told them, I was afraid it might 
 be hurtful to them ; and we could not, to 
 any advantage, press any thing now for 
 England. 1 hear they have resolved to do 
 nothing at this time ; but, if any thing were 
 done in Reference to the remonstrance, they 
 would give their testimony." 
 
 Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. Douglas, July 
 14th, " that he iiad communicate his 
 thoughts upon the accommodation to the 
 brethren of the city. They have some 
 sense of the inconveniencies you mention j 
 but they excuse themselves from the present 
 necessity they are under, and the duty they 
 owe to the peace of the church. They 
 gave in their paper to the king on Tuesday 
 last, which he ordered them not to com- 
 municate, till he made his pleasure known. 
 After he heard them read it, he com- 
 mended it, as savouring of learning and 
 moderation, and hoped it might give a 
 beginning to a good settlement in the 
 churcL When I heard of the contents of 
 that paper, I asked if they thought it con- 
 sistent with their covenant engagements? 
 They said they judged so, for they had 
 only yielded to a constant precedency and 
 a reformed Litiu"gy. I fear they have here- 
 by given a knife to cut their own tlu"oats, 
 and do find the episcopalians prosecute 
 their own way. This morning the king 
 called me to his closet alone, where I had 
 the opportunity to give a full information, 
 as to all those particulars you by yoiu- 
 former letter did desii-e; and, I jnust say, 
 we have cause to bless the Lord for so 
 gracious a king. A fetter will be writ in a 
 day or two, and I will get off. Ere long 
 the parliament will restore the bishops' 
 lands. There are universal ronij)laints of 
 
52 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the ejection of many honest ministers 
 throughout the land, and the re-admission 
 of many not well qualified." 
 
 Next post, Mr. Sharp writes to Mr. 
 Douglas, and acquamts him, " That upon 
 Monday there was a long and a hot debate 
 in the house of commons about religion. 
 The high episcopal men laboured to put to 
 the question the whole complex business 
 about tloctrine, worship, discipline, and gov- 
 ernment of the church of England, that 
 none other should take place, but what was 
 according to law. The other side, consist- 
 ing of presbyterians, i. e. for the most part 
 moderate episcopal men, urged, that the 
 particular about doctrine might only at that 
 time be put to the question. After debates 
 till night, it came to this issue, that the 
 house should adjourn the taking the matter 
 of religion into their consideration until the 
 23d of October; and, in the mean time, 
 they should desire his majesty to take the 
 advice of some divines about the settling 
 and composing of differences about church 
 matters. Thus all is put into his majesty's 
 hands. Whether this shall contribute to 
 the regulating or heightening the episcopal 
 way, there ai'e different conjectures : how- 
 ever, all offices in the church and universi- 
 ties are just filling with men of that way. 
 Two ministers from Ireland, Mi*. Kays, an 
 Englishman, and Mr. Richardson, a Scots- 
 man, came to town some time since ; they 
 have been several times with me, and let me 
 see their address, signed by sixty ministers 
 and upwards, and their letter to the London 
 ministers. Their address is well penned, 
 and contains nothing which can give offence, 
 unless the episcopalians except against the 
 designing the king to be our covenanted 
 king, and engaged against error and schism, 
 popery and prelacy; and therefore pray, 
 that reformation may be settled according 
 to the covenant. The London ministers 
 civilly received them, but I do not hear of 
 their assisting them. I have given them 
 advice as to the managing of their employ- 
 ment, and have made way for them to the 
 general, if by him they may have access to 
 the king. I have brought them to my lord 
 Cassils, and am to take them to Crawford 
 and Lauderdale. I am afraid their success 
 
 be little ; but it is well they are come over, 
 to vindicate the aspersions cast upon them 
 as to undutifulness, and to obtain some 
 abatement of the rigour and persecution 
 they have cause to fear from the prelates. 
 They have need, honest men, of our prayers; 
 for the crushing of them will blast the 
 Lord's work, in that kingdom, in the bud. 
 I told you in my last, that on Saturday I 
 was with the king : the sum of what he is 
 graciously pleased to grant as to chm-ch 
 matters, was by his order cast into a letter, 
 which was read to him on Monday, and 
 approven, I being present, and ordered to 
 be put in mundo, for signing with his hand, 
 and affixing his privy seal. I tnist it shall 
 be refreshing to all honest men, (and he 
 gives the heads of it, which need not be 
 here insert.) He adds. This is all I could 
 desii'e, as matters are stated ; and I adore 
 the goodness of God, who hath brought 
 my six months' toilsome employment to this 
 issue. I have asserted oiu* cause to his 
 majesty and others, and pleaded for pity 
 and compassion to oiu* opposers. I have 
 not spoke of any thing savoming of severity 
 or revenge. I had almost forgot my urging 
 his majesty to call a general assembly, which 
 he told me, could not now be resolved upon 
 as to the time, till he should more fully 
 advise about ordering his affairs in Scotland. 
 And, upon the motion of his owning the 
 assembly at St. Andrews, 1651, he readUy 
 yielded to it, as the fittest expedient to 
 testify his approbation of oiu* cause, and his 
 pleasure that the disorders of our chiu-ch 
 be remedied in the approven way. You 
 will easily see why he could not own these 
 assemblies, that were holden after the in- 
 terruptions of his government." 
 
 July 26th, Mr. Sharp acquaints Mr. 
 Douglas, that several of our countrymen 
 are not satisfied with the king's gracious 
 declaration as to the preserving our gov- 
 ernment, I am advised to put off my 
 journey two or three days, that I may take 
 care that, by instructions to the committee 
 of estates, the king's assurance in his letter 
 may be made good; and probably those 
 instructions will be perfected this week. 
 The king's condescension, that the acts and 
 authority of the general assembly at St. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 53 
 
 Andrews and Dundee be owned, doth take 
 in the acts of the commission preceding it. 
 Upon my motion of it to his majesty, he 
 was satisfied with the reasons I gave, from 
 his own concernments and om'S. After the 
 parliament, the assembly, I hope, will be 
 indicted. As soon as the king hath nomi- 
 nated a secretary, I shall leave the copy of 
 the proclamation you sent with him, for 
 calling the assembly. I gave you account, 
 on the 24th, of the large opportunity I had 
 with his majesty to clear you from all 
 mistakes and aspersions, according to the 
 particulars of the information you sent me ; ' 
 and the king is sensible the stretches came 
 from the overbearing sway of those men. 
 We hear here of another meeting of theirs : 
 I wish they would forbear them; and if they 
 forbear them not in time, they will draw a 
 check upon themselves. You will have had 
 notice of the king's answer to the paper 
 presented by our lords : after insinuations of 
 his great regard for Scotland, he tells them, 
 the field forces shall be withdrawn presently, 
 the garrisons as soon as may be, and the 
 garrison of Edinburgh, as soon as a Scottish 
 garrison can be raised. The committee of 
 estates sits down, August 23d, and is not 
 to meddle with persons or estates, and to 
 fill up their number with those, who, by 
 remonstrance or otherwise, have not dis- 
 claimed the king's authority: the procla- 
 mation for this committee is preparing. 
 The proceedings to settle episcopacy in 
 England and Ireland go on apace : the 
 bishops will be speedily nominate for Eng- 
 land, as they are mostly already for Ireland. 
 The brethren from Ireland are at a great 
 stand what to do : the general, Manchester, 
 or any person of interest, refuse to intro- 
 duce them to the king, if they present their 
 address. They have writ to their brethren 
 for ad\'ice. The most they can expect, will 
 be a forbearance a little in the exercise of 
 their ministry, but they will not be permitted 
 to meet in presbyteries, or a synod. I give 
 them all the assistance I can, though they 
 get none from the city ministers. 
 
 Mr. Sharp writes next, JiUy 28th, and 
 tells Mr. Douglas, that Argyle will be sent 
 down to the parliament, to be tried: iiis 
 
 friends wish rather he were tried before the 
 king. No petition from the protesters will 
 be acceptable to the king. I wonder how 
 they expect you should, by a conjunction 
 with them, involve yourself in their guih 
 and hazard. Their remonstrance will be 
 censured. Yesterday the king went to the 
 house, and, in an excellent speech, pressed 
 an indemnity to all who had not an imme- 
 diate hand in his father's murder. I spoke 
 this day with our brethren from Ireland, 
 who tell me, by the advice of their best 
 friends here, they are resolved to expunge 
 out of their address the expressions which 
 might be most offensive, and to tender a 
 smooth one to his majesty, without men- 
 tioning their exception against prelacy, or 
 craving reformation according to the cove- 
 nant ; and the drift of their desires are, to 
 be permitted the exercise of their ministry, 
 and such a discipline as may guard against 
 error and profaneness. By his next, of 
 August 4th, to Mr. Douglas, he tells him. 
 That the two brethren from Ireland had 
 been with him, and signified, that yesterday 
 they had been introduced to the king, who 
 received their address and petition, (which 
 they did smooth,) and caused read them, 
 and spoke kindly to them, bidding them be 
 confident, they should be protected in their 
 ministry, and not imposed upon ; he would 
 give orders to the deputy of Ireland to have 
 a tender regard of them. They are going 
 home much satisfied with this answer. 
 
 August 11th, Mr. Sharp signifies, " That 
 the apprehensions of Scotsmen here arc 
 much altered, since his majesty hath been 
 pleased to yield to what I humbly offered, 
 by his condescensions in that letter. I 
 thought, it was not amiss to acquaint several 
 here \vith it; and their expressions about 
 the government of our church are much 
 moderated. The letter of the ministers of 
 London, in answer to yours, is, after much 
 belabouring, signed by them ; and I am to 
 have it to-morrow. The episcopal party 
 here are still increasing in number, as well 
 as confidence. Some think, they fly so 
 high, that they will undo their own interest." 
 This collection of letters ends with a letter 
 from Messrs. Calamy, Ash, and Manton, in 
 
,54 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 answer to that of the ministers of Edinburgh, 
 of June 12th, and it is insert,* and with 
 this I shall conclude this extract, and large 
 abbreviate of this correspondence. The 
 king's letter to Mr. Douglas, to be com- 
 municated to the presbytery of Edinburgh, 
 with what followed thereupon, will come in 
 upon the history itself. 
 
 * Letter from Messrs. Calamy, Ash, and 
 Manton, to Messrs. David Dickson, Iloberf, 
 DouglaSj James Hamilton, John Smith, and 
 George Hutchison, London, August 10th, 
 1660. 
 
 Reverend and beloved brethren, 
 
 We had sooner returned our thanks to j'ou, 
 for your brotherly salutation and remembrance 
 of us, but that we expected the conveniency of 
 Mr. Sharp's return, hoping by that time things 
 would grow to such a consistency, that we 
 might be able to give you a satisfactory account 
 of the state of religion among us. M'e do, with 
 you, heartily rejoice in the return of our sove- 
 reign to the exercise of government over those 
 his kingdoms ; and as we cannot but own much 
 of God in the way of bringing it about, so we 
 look upon the thing itself as the fruit of prayers, 
 and a mercy not to be forgotten. Hitherto our 
 God hath helped us, in breaking the formidable 
 power of sectaries, causing them to fall by the 
 violence of their own attempts, and in restoring 
 to us our ancient government after so many 
 shakings, the only proper basis to support the 
 happiness and just liberties of tliese nations, and 
 freeing us from the many snares and dangers to 
 w^hich we were exposed by the former confu- 
 sions and usurpations : therefore we will yet 
 wait upon the Lord, who hath in part heard us, 
 until all those things, concerning which we have 
 humbly sought to him, be accomplished and 
 brought about. We heartily thank you for your 
 kind and brotherly encouragements, and sliall in 
 oiu" places endeavour the advancing of the cove- 
 nanted reformation, according to the bonds yet 
 remaining upon our own consciences, and our 
 renewed professions before God and man ; and 
 though we cannot but foresee potent oppositions 
 and sad discouragements iu the work, yet we 
 hope our God wiU carry us through all difficul- 
 ties and hazards, at length cause the founda- 
 tions now laid to increase into a perfect building, 
 that the top-stone may be brought forth witii 
 shoutings, and his people cry, Grace, grace uuto 
 it. 
 
 We bless God on your behalf, that your war- 
 fare is in a great measure accomplished, and the 
 church of Christ, and the interests thereof, so 
 far owned iu Scotland, as to be secured, not only 
 by the uniform submission of the people, but 
 also by laws, and those confirmed by the royal 
 assent, a complication of blessings, which yet 
 the kingdom of England hath not obtained and 
 (though we promise ourselves much from the 
 wisdom, piety, and clemency of his royal majesty) 
 through our manifold distractions, distances 
 and prejudices, not like suddenly to obtain: 
 therefoi'e we earnestly beg the continuance of 
 your prayers for us, iu this day of our conHict, 
 
 I have chosen to give this introduction 
 mostly in the very words of the letters 
 themselves, and I have omitted nothing in 
 them I thought necessary to give light to 
 this great change of affairs. Some things 
 minute, and of no great importance in them- 
 selves, are inserted, because they tend to 
 give light to other matters of greater weight. 
 
 fears and temptations, as also your advice and 
 counsel, that, on the one side, we may neither 
 by any forwardness and rigid counsels of our 
 own, hazard the peace and safety of a late sadly 
 distempered, and not yet healed nation, and on 
 the other side, by undue compliances, destroy 
 the hopes of a begun reformation. We have to 
 do with men of different humours and princi- 
 ples ; the general stream and cun-ent is for the 
 old prelacy in all its pomp and height, and 
 therefore it cannot be hoped for, that the pres- 
 byterial government should be ovmed as the 
 public establishment of this nation, while the 
 tide runneth so strongly that way ; and the bare 
 toleration of it will certainly produce a mischief, 
 whilst papists, and sectaries of jill sorts, will 
 wind in themselves under the covert of such a 
 favour : therefore no course seemeth likely to us 
 to secure religion and the interests of Christ 
 Jesus our Lord, but by making presbytery a 
 part of the public establishment ; which will not 
 be effected but by moderating and reducing epis- 
 copacy to the form of synodical government, and 
 a mutual condescendency of both parties in some 
 lesser things, which fully come within the lati- 
 tude of allowable differences in the chiu-ch. This 
 is all we can for the present hope for; and if we 
 could obtain it, vrt: should account it a mercy, 
 and the best expedient to ease his majesty, in his 
 great difficulties about the matter of religion ; 
 and we hope none that fear God and seek the 
 peace of Sion, considering the perplexed posture 
 of our affairs, wLU interpret this to be any ter- 
 giversation from our principles or apostasy from 
 the covenant : but if we cannot obtain this, 
 we must be content, with prayers and tears, 
 to commend our cause to God, and, by meek 
 and humble sufferings, to wait upon him, until 
 he be pleased to prepare the hearts of the people 
 for his beautiful work, and to bring his ways 
 (at which they are now so much scandalized) 
 into request with them. 
 
 Thus we have, with all plainness and simpli- 
 city of heart, laid forth our straits before you, 
 who again beg yom- advice aiul prayers, and 
 heartily recommend you to the Lord's grace, iu 
 whom we are 
 
 Your loving brethren, 
 
 and fellow-laboui-ers in the woik 
 of the Gospel, 
 Directed, Edm. Calamy, 
 
 To our reverend and highly Simeon Ash, 
 
 esteemed brethren, Tho. Manton. 
 
 I\Ir. David Dickson, 
 Mr. Robert Douglas, 
 ]Mr. James Hamilton, 
 ]\Ir. John Smith, and 
 Mr. George Hutchison, 
 these present, Edinburgh. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 55 
 
 And though this abbreviate be larger than 
 what at first I hoped it migiit have been, 
 vet containing a summary of upwards of 
 thirty sheets of paper, and a great variety 
 of matter, both as to the church of Scot- 
 land, and matters in England at this critical 
 juncture, and nothing being left out that 
 might clear this part of our history, I flatter 
 myself, it will not be unacceptable to the 
 curious reader. I could not avoid some 
 repetitions, neither could I, without spend- 
 ing more time than I had to allow, reduce 
 this narrative to any other method than 
 what it lies under in the letters themselves ; 
 and by this, the reader hath the benefit of 
 having it in the very words of the writers. 
 Some passages in them need to be explained, 
 yet 1 was not willing to write notes upon 
 them, but let them continue in their own 
 native dress. A few wann passages, relative 
 to the late unhappy debates, I thought good 
 to bury, as of no great use to us now. 
 
 Upon the whole, this abstract will give a 
 fuller view, than I have any where seen, of 
 
 the apostasy of that violent pei-secutor Mt 
 Sharp, and how inconsistent he proved 
 with his own pretensions and professions. 
 I suspect, and there seems ground for it 
 from what is above, that Mr. Sharp, Mr. 
 Leighton, bishop Sideserf, and others at 
 London, were concerting the overthrow of 
 the church of Scotland, with the high-fliers 
 in England, when Mr. Sharp is writing 
 such letters as we have seen, and, in the 
 mean time, waving and burying the applica- 
 tions made to him by the reverend ministers 
 of Edinburgh. And here we have an 
 undoubted proof of the diligence, activity, 
 and faithfulness, of worthy Mr. Douglas, 
 and the rest of the ministers who joined 
 him : and, when we compare what is above 
 insert, with what shall occur in the body of 
 the history, as to the letter to the presby- 
 tery of Edinburgh, and the senses put upon 
 it, the reader must observe the disingenu- 
 ous and base trick put upon the church of 
 Scotland therein. I come now to the 
 history itself. 
 
THE 
 
 HISTORY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SUFFERINGS 
 
 ()!•■ THE 
 
 CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 
 
 BOOK FIRST. 
 
 FROM THE RESTORATION 1660, TO THE PENTLAND ENGAGEMENT IGCa 
 
 ,.p^ The heavy persecution of presby- 
 terians in Scotland, from tlie restora- 
 tion 1660 to the revolution 1688, is as ama- 
 zing in the springs of it, as surprising in its 
 nature and circumstances : and the following 
 narrative of it will open a very horrid scene 
 of oppression, hardships, and cruelty, which, 
 were it not incontestably true, and well 
 vouched and supported, could not be cred- 
 ited in after ages. I am persuaded the 
 advocates for the methods taken during the 
 two reigns I am to describe, must be put 
 hard to it, to assign any tolerable reason of 
 so much ungrateful and unparalleled severity, 
 against a set of persons who had, with 
 the greatest warmth and firmness, appeared 
 for the king's interest, when at its lowest, 
 and suffered so much, and so long, for their 
 loyalty to him, in the time of the usm-pation. 
 The violences of this period, and the 
 playing one part of protestants against 
 another, in my opinion, can no way be so 
 well accounted for, as when lodged at the 
 door of papists, and our Scots prelates; 
 who, generally speaking, were much of a 
 spirit with them. Indeed so much of the 
 cruel, bloody, and tyrannical spirit of anti- 
 christ, runs through the laws and actings of 
 this period, as makes this very evident to 
 
 me. I am not so unchai'itable as to charge 
 with popery all the prelatists, who held 
 hand to, and were the authors of this perse- 
 cution; but I am veiy sure they played 
 the game of Rome very fast, and bewrayed 
 too much of one of the worst branches of 
 popery, a cruel persecuting temper, towards 
 such who differed from them for conscience' 
 stike. 
 
 It is useless, and in some cases unfaii*, to 
 load princes with all the iniquity committed 
 under theu* reign : how far king Charles 11. 
 was chargeable with all the steps taken by 
 those he made use of in Scotland, is not my 
 business to determine. It is probable he 
 wished, when it was too late, that he had 
 less followed the counsels of France and his 
 brother. Whether the two brothers, in 
 then- exile, or almost with their milk, drunk 
 in the spirit and temper of popery ; whether 
 both of them in their wanderings were pres- 
 ent at mass, and assisted at processions; 
 whether the eldest died as really in the 
 communion of the church of Rome, as his 
 brother gave out, I do not say : but to me it 
 is evident, and, ere I end, will be so to the 
 reader, that under their reigns, matters, both 
 in Scotland and England, were ripening 
 very fast toward popery and slavery. Every 
 
58 
 
 1660. 
 
 thing pointed this way, and favoured 
 the darling project of Rome and 
 France, the rooting out the northern heresy. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 in this book. By such steps as those, and 
 others to be mentioned in the progress of 
 this history, popery mounted the throne, and 
 
 The hasty dissoUition of the parliament of oiu- holy religion and excellent constitution 
 
 England, which had so cheerfully invited the 
 king home, most of whom were firm protes- 
 tants ; the gradual putting of the most im- 
 portant posts and trusts in the hands of such 
 as were indifferent to all religions, and no 
 enemies to that of Rome ; the breaking in 
 upon the constitution, liberties, and excellent 
 laws of Scotland ; the evident caressing and 
 showing favour to every person and course 
 that tended to advance arbitrary government 
 and the enlargement of the prerogative, and 
 sen'ed to abridge the power of parliament 
 and liberty of the subject; the open tolera- 
 tion of papists ; the plain spite and hatred 
 which appeared against the Dutch and 
 Holland, the great bulwark of the refor- 
 mation abroad; the burning of London; 
 the Dover league ; the mighty efforts made 
 to compass a popish succession, and many 
 other things, put it beyond all question, 
 that papists were not only open, but very 
 successful in their designs, during this 
 period. 
 
 Among all their projects, they succeeded 
 in none more than that of playing oiu- Scots 
 bishops, and their supporters, against the 
 presbyterians. And nothing could more 
 advance the hellish design, than the remov- 
 ing out of the way such zealous protestants 
 and excellent patriots, as the noble marquis 
 of Argj'le, the good lord Warriston, and the 
 bold and worthy Mr. James Guthrie. No- 
 thing could gratify the papists more than the 
 banishing such eminent lights, as the reve- 
 rend Messrs. M'Ward, Livingstone, Brown, 
 Nevoy, Trail, Simpson, and others ; together 
 with the illegal imprisoning and confining, 
 without any crime, libel, or cause assigned, 
 such excellent gentlemen as Sir George 
 Maxwell of Nether Pollock, Sir William 
 Cunningham of Cunningham-head, Sir Hugh 
 Campbell of Cesnock, Sir William Muir of 
 Rowallan, Sir James Stuart, provost of Edin- 
 burgh, Sir John Chiesly of Carsewell, major- 
 general Montgomery, brother to the earl of 
 Eglinton, major Holbiu-n, George Porterfield 
 and John Graham, provosts of Glasgow, with 
 several others who will come to be noticed 
 
 were brought to the greatest danger and tlie , 
 very brink cf ruin ; from which, by a most 
 extraordinary appearance of providence, the 
 Lord delivered us at the late happy revolu- 
 tion, which, under God, we owe to the never- 
 to-be-forgotten king William, of immortal 
 memory. 
 
 In my accounts of the barbarities of this 
 unhappy time, I shall go through the trans- 
 actions of each year as they lie in order, 
 as far as my materials and vouchers will 
 carry me. This appears to me the plainest 
 and most entertaining method ; and though 
 now and then some hints at other affairs 
 besides the persecution of presbyterians will 
 come in of course, and I hope will be the 
 rather allowed, that as yet we have no tole- 
 rable history of this period, as to the church 
 and kingdom of Scotland, yet I shall still 
 keep principally in my view the sufferings 
 of Scots presbyterians in their religious and 
 civil rights. Agreeably therefore unto the 
 three most remarkable eras of the period I 
 have undertaken, I have divided this history, 
 as in the title, into three books : and for the 
 reader's easier access and recourse to every 
 particular, and the help of his memory, as 
 well as my better ranging the great variety 
 of matter come to my hand, it will not be 
 improper, however unfashionable, to divide 
 every book into chapters, and those again 
 into sections, according as each year offers 
 more or less matter. This book, then, T 
 begin wth 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 OF THE STATE AND SUFFERINGS OF PRESBY- 
 TERIANS, DURING THE YEAR 1660. 
 
 When the king was restored to his do- 
 minions, May 29th, 1660, no part of his 
 subjects had a better title to his favour 
 than the presbyterians. English writers 
 can tell what influence the London minis- 
 ters had upon the city petition, which, 
 by papers I have seen, appears to have 
 had a very considerable branch of its rise 
 
CHAP. I.] 
 
 from Scotland ; as also what interest the 
 I)resbyterian ministers in the city had with 
 the prime managers there, and what re- 
 turn they very quickly had for their share 
 in the restoration. In Scotland, ISIr. Robert 
 
 1660, 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 59 
 
 of: the earl of Middleton was to be 
 commissioner when the parliament 
 should meet; the earl of Glencaim is made 
 chancellor, the earl of Lauderdale secreUirj', 
 the earl of Crawford lord treasurer, Sir John 
 
 Douglas was the first, as far as I can find, j Gilmour president of the session. Sir Archi- 
 bald Primrose clerk-register, and Mr. (after- 
 wards Sir) John Fletcher king's advocate. 
 
 Some view hath been given in the intro- 
 duction of the transactions of the former 
 part of this year, yet it may be of some 
 use to draw dowTi an abstract of matters 
 from general Monk's leaving Scotland, until 
 the king's putting the government of affairs 
 in the hands of the committee of estates, 
 who sat down in August; and next, to 
 consider their proceedings, and the hard- 
 ships they put upon ministers, gentlemen, 
 and others, till the sitting down of the 
 Thus this chapter will fall ir 
 
 who ventured to propose the king's re- 
 storation to general Monk, and that very 
 early : he travelled, it is said, incognito, in 
 England, and in Scotland engaged con- 
 siderable numbers of noblemen and gentle- 
 men in this project. From his own original 
 papers, I find, that when Monk returned 
 from his first projected march into Eng- 
 land, Mr. Douglas met him, and engaged 
 him again in the attempt; and when at 
 London, the general appeiu-ed to hun slow 
 in his measures for the king's restoration ; 
 Mr. Douglas WTOte hun a very pressing 
 letter, and plainly told him, " that if he 
 lost time much longer, without declaring 
 for the king, there were a good number in 
 Scotland, with their brethren in Ireland, 
 ready to bring his majesty home without 
 him." Yea, the ministers in Scotland were I 
 all of them vigorous asserters of the king's 
 right, and early embarked in his interest. 
 Yet all this was soon forgot, and Mr. | 
 (afterwards chancellor) Hyde, a violent 1 
 zealot for the English hierarchy, is made 
 chief favourite, and lord chancellor of Eng- 
 land ; and Mr. James Sharp, who was the 
 earliest, and most scandalous compiler with 
 Cromwell, and the only one he had for 
 some years, not only signed his owning of 
 the commonwealth, and that neither directly 
 nor indirectly he should ever act for the 
 king, but by taking the tender he solemnly 
 abjured the whole family of the Stuarts, 
 this infamous and timesei'ving person, by 
 Middleton's means, is put at the head of 
 affairs in the church of Scotland, and man- 
 aged matters entirely to Hyde, and the 
 high-flying party in England, their satis- 
 faction. 
 
 Upon the king's return great was the 
 run of our nobility and gentry to London. 
 It was impossible to satisfy all their ex- 
 pectations : such who missed posts were 
 entertained with promises, and for a while 
 behoved to please themselves with hopes. 
 The chief offices of state were soon disposed 
 
 parliament, 
 two halves. 
 
 Containing a short dedicction of our affairs 
 in Scotland, from general MorJc's leaving 
 it, to the sitting down of the committee of 
 estates at Edinburgh, August 23d, 1660. 
 
 Had we any tolerable history of this church 
 and kingdom, since the union of the two 
 trowns, I should have come straight to the 
 proper subject of this history : but I shall, 
 tUl a larger account be given, hand myself 
 and the reader into it, by the following 
 short hint of things in Scotland. 
 
 After the death of Oliver Cromwell, there 
 was nothing in England but one confusion 
 upon the back of another. April 1659, his 
 son Richard dissolved the parliament ; and 
 in a little time he is forced to demit, and 
 things fall into a new shape almost every 
 month : several of the counties in England 
 run to arms, and matters were in the 
 greatest disorder imaginable. Meanwhile 
 general Monk manages all in Scotland ; and, 
 during these risings in England, appre- 
 hended and imprisoned the earls Mariiihal, 
 Montrose, Eglinton, Selkirk, Glencairn, and 
 Loudon, lord Montgomery, lieutenant-gen- 
 eral David Lesly, viscount of Kenmure, 
 the lord Lorn, eail of Seaforth, Sir James 
 
60 
 
 1660. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 their prejudice, whose help he was not to 
 
 Lumsden, colonel James Hay, earl 
 of Kelly, major Livingstone, and 
 the earl of Rothes. Such of them as took 
 the Tender, and gave bond for their peace- 
 able behaviour, were soon liberate. 
 
 In October, Lambert threatened to attack 
 the parliament then sitting at London, but 
 was repulsed, and by them divested of his 
 command, and seven persons appointed to 
 govern the army, whereof Monk was one. 
 But in a little time Lambert returned, dis- 
 missed the parliament, and shut the doors 
 of the parliament-house. October lOtii, 
 Monk called together all the officers of the 
 army in Scotland, and engaged them by I 
 oath, to submit to, and serve the parlia- 
 ment, cashiered all he sus])ected, imprisoned 
 some, and modelled all according to his 
 mind. 
 
 The army now prevailing in England, 
 chose first a council of state, consisting of 
 ten persons, and next a council of twenty- 
 fom", made up of the officers of the army : 
 Monk was left out of both ; and they sent 
 down orders for the meeting of the session, 
 exchequer, and other courts in Scotland, 
 which had not met since Richard Cromwell's 
 demission. General Monk refused to put 
 those orders in execution, as coming from 
 an incompetent authority, and resolves to 
 march up with his army to London and 
 restore the privileges of pai'liament. Before 
 his depai'tm-e, he called together to Edin- 
 burgh the commissioners from most part of 
 the shu'es in Scotland, the magistrates of 
 biu-ghs, and a good many of the nobility 
 and barons, who met in the parliament 
 house, November 15th, 1659. The general 
 had a speech to them to this purpose: — 
 " That it was not unknown to them what 
 revolutions were happened; that some of 
 the army had put a force on the pai'liament 
 of England, which he was resolved with 
 God's assistance to re-establish, and for that 
 end was going with his army to England ; 
 that with respect to the nation of Scotland, 
 his regard to them was such, that if he had 
 success in his design he would befriend 
 them in all their just liberties, and study 
 the abatement of their cess : if the business 
 went contrary to his expectation, then his 
 fall should be alone to hunself, and not to 
 
 take ; but desired, as they loved theii" 
 country and their own standing, that they 
 would live peaceably, and see to the peace 
 of their several shires and burghs, according 
 to their stations ; and if any rising should 
 fall out during his absence, that they should 
 suppress the same, let the pretext be what it 
 would; and that he would leave orders 
 with the garrisons he left, to assist them in 
 so doing, and give his mind more fully to 
 them in writ." ^ 
 
 November 22d, Monk and his ^rmy 
 marched off to England; and when at 
 Haddington he received articles from the 
 council in England, which not being satis- 
 fying, he returned with his officers to 
 Edinburgh, where, after consultation, they 
 rejected the articles as contrary to their 
 principles, which were to be governed not 
 by the sword, but a parliament lawfully 
 called, in the maintenance of which they 
 were engaged by oath. Accordingly an 
 answer was returned to England, November 
 24th ; and December 2d, he marched with 
 his array to Berwick, where he continued 
 some time; and December 12th, the com- 
 missioners of the shires received from him 
 thek commissions for keeping the peace in 
 his absence. 
 
 The city of London, and many other 
 places, having declared for a pai'liament, 
 and against the army, Lambert mai'ches up 
 from the borders, whither he had come with 
 the army to oppose Monk ; the paiiiament 
 sit down December 25th, and Monk is 
 declared general over all the forces of the 
 tliree kingdoms. And January 1st, 1660, 
 he follows Lambert, Fleetwood, and their 
 armies, and marches straight to London. 
 The daily melting away of the army under 
 Lambert and the rest, and the almost 
 general cry through England and L'eland 
 for a free parliament, with Monk's success- 
 ful arrival at London, and his management 
 till the king's return, is at full length to be 
 found in the English historians ; and some 
 hints have been given of what concerns 
 Scots affairs in the introduction, so that I 
 may pass over the former pai't of this year 
 very briefly. 
 
 February 21st, the secluded members 
 
CHAP, r.] 
 took their places in the parliament, to the 
 number of about eighty, and of the rump 
 there were but twenty-one; so the former 
 curried all as they pleased. General Monk 
 is made commander-in-chief by sea and 
 land. Writs are issued for a free parliament 
 to meet April 25th. Meanwhile they con- 
 firmed the solemn league and covenant, and 
 ordered it to be set up and read in all the 
 churches of England. Thus, as bishop 
 Kennet remarks, the solemn league and 
 covenant did really conduce to the bringing 
 in of the king. They ratified the assembly's 
 Confession of Faith, with a reservation of 
 chap. XXX. and xxxi. to further consideration. 
 Colonel Morgan, whom Monk had ordered 
 in January to return to Scotland with a 
 thousand of the army, when he saw all 
 going so well in England, is appointed 
 commander of the forces and garrisons in 
 Scotland. Mai-ch 13th, they rescind the 
 engfigement taken by all ranks, to be faithful 
 to the commonwealth of England, without 
 king and house of lords ; and in room of 
 this, ordain all in office to declare the wai" 
 undertaken by both houses of parliament 
 against the late king, just and lawful, and 
 that magistracy and ministry were the 
 ordinances of God. 
 
 In Scotland, Edward Moyslie, Henry 
 
 Goodyear, Crook junior, John Howie, 
 
 esquires, and Sii" John Wemyss, Sir James 
 Hope, James Dalrymple, John Scougal of 
 Humbie, James Robertoun, and David Fal- 
 coner, were appointed to be civil and crimi- 
 nal judges, their quorum five, and to go in 
 circuits : but this order took no effect, every 
 body now expecting the king's retm'n. The 
 parliament at London likewise liberate the 
 earl of Lauderdale, the earl of Crawford, and 
 lord Sinclair, whom the usurper and the 
 rump had kept prisoners in the Tower now 
 near ten years. A day of fasting and prayer 
 was also appointed to be kept, April Gth, for 
 conduct to the parliament. , 
 
 April 25th, the parliament sat down, and 
 upon the 1st of May came to several resolu- 
 tions, " that the government of England is 
 by king, lords, and commons ; that the king 
 of Scotland is king of England," and others, 
 which the reader will meet with in the 
 printed accounts of this great turn of affairs ; 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 6l 
 
 1660. 
 
 and I shall not repeat them. May 
 8th the king was proclaimed at Lon- 
 don, and May 14th, at Edinburgh. Sir John 
 Granvil went over to his majesty with money ; 
 Lauderdale and Crawford went over with 
 him; and we have seen that Mr. Sharp 
 went about the same time, and there prob- 
 ably concerted the ruin of this church, and 
 the measures very soon now entered upon 
 against presbyterians. May 29th, the king 
 entered London with great solemnity, and 
 published a proclamation against profane- 
 ness. I shall only take notice of a few 
 more hints relative to the state of affairs in 
 Scotland, before the settling the government 
 in the committee of estates. 
 
 In April and May, the synods met, where 
 there appeared a very good disposition 
 towards healing the rent betwixt the resolu- 
 tioners and protesters; and had not Mr. 
 Sharp, by his letters from London, diverted 
 this upon the king's return, and put him, 
 and the managers about him, upon begin- 
 ning the persecution, with attacking the 
 remonstrators, and the ministers who were 
 antiresolutioners, a little time would have 
 completed the union. But Mr, Sharp had 
 his own private resentments against Mr. 
 Rutherford, Mr. James Guthrie, the lord 
 Warriston, and others of the protesters, to 
 gratify ; and by that was to pave the way to 
 ruin all firm presbyterians, and therefore he 
 put the government upon the measures we 
 shall hear of, in which some of our noble- 
 men, fretted at the discipline of the church, 
 willingly joined him ; and we have seen by 
 his letters, so dunned Mr. Douglas and 
 others at Edinburgh, with his accounts of 
 the king's dislike of the protesters, and the 
 approaching evils upon them, all of his own 
 procuring, that those good men kept off 
 from compromising matters, and nothing in 
 the affair of the union was effectually done, 
 till all were cast to the furnace together. 
 
 May 1st, the synod of Lothian met. Mr. 
 Douglas opened it with a sermon from 1 
 Cor. iv. 1 . the notes whereof are in mine eye. 
 Therein, after many judicious remarks against 
 prelacy, from ministers being stewai'ds, he 
 warns his brethren to keep equally at dis- 
 tance from malignancy and sectarianism; 
 he compares profaneness and malignancy to 
 
62 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK. 2 
 
 Mr. Douglas preaching in Edinburgh, upon 
 
 I /5^n rocks at sea, which appear ; and sec- 
 1660. . . ' . , \' . , 
 
 tananisni to quicksands on the shore, 
 
 which swallow up people, before they are 
 aware. He notices that kingly government in 
 the state, and presbyterian in the church, are 
 the greatest curbs to profaneness. He ex- 
 plodes the foolish saying. No bishop, no king. 
 * Shall," says he, " kings, which are God's 
 ordinance, not stand, because bishops, which 
 are not God's ordinance, cannot stand? 
 The government by presbyterj' is good, 
 but prelacy is neither good in Christian 
 policy or civil. Some say, may we not 
 have a moderate episcopacy ? But 'tis a 
 plant God never planted, and the ladder 
 whereby antichrist mounted his throne. 
 Bishops got caveats, and never kept one of 
 them, and will just do the like again. We 
 have abjui'ed episcopacy, let us not lick it 
 up again. Consider the times past, how 
 unconstant men have proven, like cock- 
 boats tossing up and down ; leave them, and 
 come into the ship, walk up to the way of 
 the covenant ; and if this be not the plank 
 we come ashore upon, I fear a storm come 
 and ruin all." 
 
 The presbyterians in Scotland were ex- 
 tremely lift up with the king's safe return, 
 and in a little time were but ill handled for 
 their hearty concern in the restoration.* 
 
 * The following graphic description, by a co- 
 temporary writer, of the state of Scotland at the 
 period of the restoration, and the immediate 
 effects of that event, will, w^e doubt not, be very 
 interesting to the reader. — Sd. 
 
 " The king's return from his miserable exile 
 into his languishing, confounded country, was 
 both the object of many fervent desires, and the 
 foundation of very many high expectations ; nor 
 am I able to judge whether he longed more to 
 enjoy his royal palace, or his people to see him 
 established upon his throne. Indeed his exile 
 was very comfortless to himself, for, in France, 
 first he was coldly entertained by his nearest 
 neighbours and relations, and thereafter shame- 
 fully banished, and partly upon Mazarine's base 
 pick. In Colen he quickly found himself a 
 burdine to his host, and thereafter became the 
 publick object of his dishonour, the boys in the 
 city making a solemn anniversary mock pageant 
 to the scorn of the king without land. And 
 when he was driven to seek shelter and rest in 
 the Spanish Netherlands, where he made his 
 longest abode, yet was he still hunted by his 
 enemies, betrayed by his servants, and most un- 
 successful in all his attempts, besides his con- 
 tinual sorrow for his loss, his fear from his 
 hazard, and the poor shift he was constrained to 
 make among strangers for his supply. And 
 
 the Monday after the parliament of England 
 agreed on the above resolutions, gave his 
 auditory an account of the great turn oi 
 afFaii's, adding, that " it hath pleased the 
 Lord to roll away all difficulties which hin- 
 dered the king from his crown, and he who 
 sold us for our iniquities without price hath 
 restored us without money." A day of 
 thanksgiving was kept at Edinburgh, June 
 19th, for the king's restoration. After ser- 
 mons were over the magistrates came to the 
 Cross, where was a covered table with sweet- 
 meats ; the Cross run with wine, three hun- 
 dred dozen of glasses were broke, the bells 
 tolled, trumpets soimded, and drums beat. 
 There were fire-works upon the Castle-hill, 
 with the effigies of Cromwell, and the devil 
 pursuing hun, tUl all was blown up in the air. 
 Great solemnity, bonfires, music, and the 
 like, were in other places upon this occasion. 
 But very quickly a good many who had 
 been sharers of those public rejoicings found 
 they had hardships to reap from the resto- 
 ration, and perhaps that they had exceeded 
 a little in them. We shall afterwards hear, 
 that upon the 8th of July, the marquis of 
 Argyle is seized at London ; and upon the 
 14th of July, orders came down to major- 
 general Morgan, to secure Sir James Stuart, 
 
 there he lejirned to believe kings might have 
 reason to pray for their daily bread from the 
 Lord, which he could never believe from his 
 tutor, inculcating into his mind the petitions of 
 the Lord's prayer, while he was yet a young 
 child. All tiiese, and many more, you may 
 think were enough to make him long for what 
 might attend the command of lirittain. Upon 
 the other side, his people were most impatient 
 under the grief from his absence, partly from 
 their discontent with, and disdain they hade to- 
 wai'ds their present lords, and partly from the 
 love they bore to his unknown person. Indeed 
 the nations were brought under and kept mider 
 by a party of men, small for their number, being 
 only the rump of that body of people who com- 
 menced the warr against Charles the First ; and 
 likewayes inconsiderable for their parts, few of 
 them being men of either birth or breeding ; and 
 though they were wonderfully successlull, yet 
 their victories smeUed alwayes more of ane ad- 
 mireable air of prosperity, than ordinary mili- 
 tary valor. And, lastly, that party was despi- 
 cable for their quality in the world, being almost 
 all of them citizens or husbandmen, which the 
 nobles of JtJrittain disdained very much. More- 
 over, tho' these men were of the most sober be- 
 haviour of any that ever commanded by the 
 sword, yet you may expect something would 
 
CHAP. I.J OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. C)3 
 
 provost of Edinburgh, Sir ArchibiilJ Joiin- king Charles. The first and hist .,,„ 
 ston of Warriston, and Sii- John Chiesly of ; were catched, but WaiTiston got off 
 Carsewell, who was knighted in the Isle of for a little : whereupon he was summoned 
 Wight, and protested against the death of i by sound of trumpet to render himself j and 
 
 happen in their administration that would be 
 tfrievous : forasmuch as even justice and courtesie 
 both were disdained from their hand. Besides*, 
 they were constrain-.'d to keep up an army lor 
 their own support, and heavily to burdine the 
 nations for the maintenance of the same ; which 
 was the more odious, being from those who 
 called themselves patrons of the people's liberty. 
 And nothing made the nations roar louder for 
 their king, than that a people, that h.ul taken 
 arms upon a pretence of conscience to purge the 
 reformed religion of superstitions of the epis- 
 copal church, should not only tolerate, but also 
 encourage, the vilest bljisphemies : and tho' it 
 was sore iigainst the heart of their head (Oliver 
 Cromwell), yet so much did that whole party 
 adore the iilol of liberty, he was necessitate to 
 forbear what he durst not suppresse. It is also 
 to be considered that it is ane easy matter for a 
 man in discontent to imagine any condition 
 sweeter than the present case, so very many 
 considerations drawn from the king's case and 
 jiersonal character heightened much the desire 
 of the nations after their king's return. The 
 compassions the world had for his father's mis- 
 fortunes and sufferings, and his own youth being 
 spent in continual toyle, attended with losse, 
 dishonoiu", and grief, weie enough to make a 
 gentle nature to pity him. He was known to 
 be of a meek temper, which he could well im- 
 prove by his wonilerfull reservedness, courtesie, 
 and dissimulation, for every man had at least 
 fair words and big promises : so compassion 
 begat affection, and affection heightened every 
 shadow of virtue in him. Few conversed in his 
 court except these who were full of the same 
 spirit wit!) himself; all those suppressed all 
 noise of his imperfections, and proclaimed his 
 virtues, so he was made to the world a paragon 
 of virtue, as well as an example of pity. The 
 people of Scotland had no correspondence with 
 him, or what they had came fi'om those courtiers 
 ■vvho study more to be smooth than faithfull. 
 He wrote indeed a friendly letter to Mr. Ham- 
 ilton, the minister in Edinburgh, (whom in a 
 special manner he seemed to aifect,) assui'ing him 
 he was the same in France that he had been in 
 Scotland, by which ambiguous expression he 
 seemed both to defend his own constancy and 
 outreach the minister : yet was that letter looked 
 at by many in Scotland as if it hade been a re- 
 newing of the covenant. And tho' it be now 
 confidently affirmed that he corresponded with 
 the pope, and no crime now to say he was then 
 a papist, yet was it at that time high laese majesty 
 to doubt he was any other thing than a sincere 
 i^ovenanter. If it were told them he used the 
 English Liturgy in his chapel, it was excused as 
 being rather necessity than choice, people be- 
 lieving he could have no other ; so their affec- 
 tions to his person were equal to their discontent 
 with the republican governors. And to com- 
 pleat the people's appetite for the king's return, 
 the hopes founded upon his restauration were 
 nothing behind either the discontent under 
 Cromwell, or the affection to his person : for 
 then did every fellow that hade catched a scarr in 
 
 a fray among the tories (though perchance pil- 
 laging ane honest house) expect to be a man ail 
 of gold. All that had suffered for him in his 
 warr, lossed for him of their estate, or been ad- 
 vocates for him in a tavern dispute, hoped well to 
 be noticed as his friends, or to receive not only a 
 compensation from his justice, but a gratuity 
 from his bounty. I believe there were more 
 gaping after prizes than his sufficiency, hade it 
 been ten times greater than it was, could ever 
 have satisfied. AU believed it would be the 
 golden age when the king returned in peace j 
 and some of our Brittish divines made the date 
 of the accomplishment of the glorious promises 
 in the apocalypse, not doubting he was assuredly 
 to be the man should distroy Rome as sure as he 
 was Constantine's successor. In fine, the eager- 
 ness of their longing was so great, some would 
 never cut their hair, some would never diiiik 
 wine, some would never wear linen, till they 
 might see the desire of their eyes, the king. 
 
 " Weell : when time was ripe, a sort of par- 
 liament conveened in England by the authority 
 of the committee of council, upon which the 
 rump of the long-successfull parliament hade de- 
 rived their power, before their voluntary disso- 
 lution, as general Monk and his cabal had re- 
 solved; and immediately upon their first assem- 
 bling the king thought good, by Sir John 
 Greenvile, to address to them ane obliging letter, 
 wherein he engadged to preserve every man in 
 his profession, and protect every man in tlie 
 freedom of his conscience, with many otRer large 
 promises: upon which the parliament (being 
 mostly made of presbyterians) thought fitt to in- 
 vite him home by a splendid legation of lords 
 and commons, among whom was the lord Fair- 
 fax, that he who had ruined the father in the 
 field might do the world reason by restoring the 
 son in peace. Accordingly the king, accompa- 
 nied with his two brothers, his triumphant 
 court, and manj' a poor maimed cavaleer, having 
 sett sail from Schevelin, took land at Dover 
 upon the 23th of Rlay, 1660, where he was re- 
 ceived with all the honour and reverent splendor 
 England could strain in the highest degree. 
 From thence he was conveyed through London 
 to Westminster, upon the 29th of May, 1660, 
 which was the so much celebrated date of the 
 blessed restauration. 
 
 " Now before we speak of the alteration court 
 influences made upon the church of Scotland, 
 let us consider in what case it was at this time. 
 There be in all Scotland some 900 paroches, di- 
 vided into 68 presbyteries, which are again can- 
 ton'd into fourteen synods, out of all which, by 
 a solemn legation of commissioners from every 
 presbytrie, they used yearly to constitute a na- 
 tional assembly. At the king's return every 
 paroche hade a minister, every village hade a 
 school, every family almost hade a Bible, yea. in 
 most of the countrey all the children of age 
 could read the Scriptures, and were provided of 
 Bibles, either by the parents or by th('ir minis- 
 ters. Every minister wiis a very full professor 
 of the reformed religion, according to the large 
 confession of faith framed at Westminster by 
 
64 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 . a printed proclamation was publish- 
 
 ed with tuck of drum, discharging 
 all persons to reset him, and offering a reward 
 to such as should apprehend him, as follows : 
 
 the divines of both nations. Every minister 
 was obliedged to preach thrice a- week, to lecture 
 and catechise once, besides other private duties 
 in which they abounded, accord! risj to their pro- 
 portion of faithfulness and abilities. None of 
 them might be scandalous in their conversation, 
 or negligent in their office, so long as a pres- 
 bytrie stood ; and among them were many holy 
 in conversation and eminent in gifts ; nor did 
 a minister satisfy himself except his ministry 
 hade the seal of a divine approbation, as might 
 witness him to he really sent from God. In- 
 deed, in many places the Spirit seemed to be 
 poured out with the word, both by the multi- 
 tudes of sincere converts, and also by the common 
 work of reformation upon many who never 
 came the length of a communion ; there were 
 no fewer than sixty aged people, men and wo- 
 men, who went to school, that even then they 
 might be able to read the Scriptiu-es with their 
 own eyes. I have lived many years in a paroch 
 ^vhere I never heard ane oath, and you might 
 have ridde many miles before you hade heard 
 any : also, you could not for a great part of the 
 country have lodged in a family where the Lord 
 was not worshipped by reading, singing, and 
 publick prayer. Nobody complained more of our 
 church government than our taverners, whose 
 ordinary lamentation was, their trade was broke, 
 people were become so sober. The great blemish 
 of our church was, the division betwixt protest- 
 ers and resolution-men (as they were called) ; 
 but as this was inconsiderable upon the matter, 
 so was it also pretty well composed by express 
 agreement among brethren, even while the 
 English continued our governours. 
 
 " Now, in the midst of this deep tranquility, 
 as soon as the certainty of the king's return 
 arrived in Scotland, I believe there was never 
 accident in the world altered the disposition of a 
 people more than that did the Scottish nation. 
 Sober men observed, it not only inebriat but 
 really intoxicate, and made people not only 
 drunk but frantic ; men did not think they 
 could handsomely express their joy, except they 
 turned brutes for debauch, rebels and pugeants ; 
 yea, many a sober man was tempted to exceed, 
 lest he should be condemned as unnatural, dis- 
 loyal, and unsensible. Most of the nobility, and 
 many of the gentry and hungry old soldiers flew 
 to London, just as the vulture does to the carcase. 
 Then when they were come to court, they de- 
 sired no more advice than to know the king's 
 inclinations, and he was the best politician that 
 could outrun obedience, by anticipating a com- 
 mand. Always at their arrival almost all hade 
 good words, some hade pensions never to be paid, 
 and some who came in time had offices for a 
 while. Glencairn was made chancellor for his 
 adventure among the tories, Crawford theasurer 
 for his long imprisonment, Lauderdale was 
 made secretary, and the only one Scottish gen- 
 tleman of the bed-chamber, that he might be al- 
 ways near his very kind master. Sir William 
 Fleeming was made clerk of the register, a place 
 of great gain, for which he was as fitt as to be 
 professor of the metaphysics in ane university ; 
 
 [hook I. 
 
 " Bj) the cwnmander-in-chief of his majcsty^s 
 forces in Scotland^ 
 "Whereas I have received an order from 
 his majesty, for apprehending the lord War- 
 
 but he was so wise as to sell it to Sir Archibald 
 Pi-imrose, wlio could husband it better, as in- 
 deed he did, for in a few years he multiplied his 
 estate, by just computation, from one to sixteen. 
 Sir John Fletcher was made king's advocate, 
 though he hade been one of the first in Scotland 
 who forsware the king, that he might find em- 
 ployment under the English. But partly by 
 Middleton's procurement (of whose affinity he 
 was), and partly because he was ane honest man 
 of the mode (that is a man void of principles), 
 he was placed in that dangerous office, in which 
 he hade the opportunity to make all the subjects 
 of Scotland redeem their lives at his own price, 
 from his criminal pursuit, upon the account of 
 their old alleadged rebellions, and their late com- 
 pliances with the English, in which he had 
 been a ringleader, Middleton w^as judged a fitt 
 man to act the part which afterward he did dis- 
 charge over and above. He hade, from the de- 
 gree of a pickman in colonel Hepbm'u's regi- 
 ment in France, by his great gallantry, raised 
 himself to the chief command, sometimes in the 
 parliament's armies, and afterw.ards in the 
 king's, though he was as unhappy inider 
 the latter, as he was successful under the 
 first. Alwayes because of his constant ad- 
 herence to the king, even in his exile, (wherein 
 he suffered much) and the great adventures he 
 hade made among the tories in the Highlands, 
 when the English commanded Scotland, and 
 most of all because of his fierce soldier-like dis- 
 position, he was judged a tit instrument to cow 
 Scotland, and bring that people down from their 
 ancient freedom of spirit, (so much displeasing 
 to their late king) to that plian', softness which t 
 might better suit with th" designs of a free 
 (despotic) prince. The earle of Lithgow he was 
 made colonel of the regiment of foot-guards, a 
 place in which he feathered his nest w^ell ; but 
 no m^an could give the reason of his promotion, 
 unless the descent of a popish family might 
 perhaps promise satisfying inclinations toward 
 hidden designs. The poor old maimed officers, 
 colonels, majors, and captains, who expected 
 great promotion, were preferred to be troopers 
 in the king's troop of life-guards, of which New- 
 burgh was made captain. This goodly employ- 
 ment obliged them to spend with one another the 
 small remnant of the stock their miseries hade 
 left them, but more they could not have, after 
 aU their hopes and sufferings. Gentlemen and 
 lords came down from court with empty purses 
 and discontented minds, having nothing to put in 
 place of their flown money, except the experience 
 of a disappointment, which uses to be a bitter 
 reflection on a man's own indiscretion, in mis- 
 taking measures, and making false judgment 
 upon events as they hade done. There remained 
 only one comfoi't among them, which was, that 
 when the fanatic should be fined and forfaulted 
 they would glut themselves with the spoil ; and 
 this was enough to some thoughtless minds, but 
 ■vvas indeed as groundless as fruitless, for never 
 one of them ever tasted that much desired fruit." 
 — Kirkton's History of the Church of Scotland, i ; 
 pp. 69—69. I i 
 
CHAP. I.] 
 
 riston, and securing his person in the ciistle 
 of Edinburgh ; and he being withdrawn, and 
 obscuring himself, as also making refusal to 
 yield obedience to his majesty's commands : 
 these are to authorize and empower any per- 
 son or persons, in his majesty's name, to 
 use their utmost endeavours for apprehend- 
 ing the said lord Warriston, to keep him in 
 safe custody, and bring him in to me ; for 
 which exercise they shall receive one hun- 
 dred pounds Scots. And in case any per- 
 son or persons shall harbour and conceal the 
 said lord Warriston, and not make speedy 
 discovery of him, they will be deemed guilty 
 of treason; and will be proceeded against 
 accordingly. Given under my hand at 
 Edinburgh, July IGth, 1(3G0. 
 
 " THOM.is Morgan." 
 
 This is the first public arbitrary step, and 
 in the progress of this work we shall meet 
 with a great many of this nature. Without 
 libel or cause given, by a private order, not 
 only a worthy gentleman is attacked, and a 
 reward offered, though a very mean one, 
 to liis apprehenders ; but resetting him is 
 declared treason, and those guilty, to be 
 proceeded against to the death. Ko doubt 
 the English commander had warrant from 
 our Scots managers at court for so severe a 
 proclamation, and it is of a piece with the 
 after-steps we shall see were taken. 
 
 July 20th, Sir John Sv.inton of that ilk, 
 one of the judges under Cromwell, and called 
 the lord Swinton, was taken out of his bed, 
 in a Quaker's house, in King's street, Lon- 
 don, and sent in fetters to the Gate-house. 
 We shall afterwards hear he was sent down 
 to Scotland with the marquis of Argyle. 
 He had been once a zealous professor of 
 reformation, and a covenanter; but falling in 
 with the usurper and English sectaries, he 
 first turned lax, and of late took on the 
 mask of quakerism. It is said, the queen 
 mother and papists took a care of him, and 
 brought him off; and indeed quakerism is 
 but a small remove from popery and Jesuit- 
 ism. He was no more a presbyterian, and 
 the present run was against such, as being 
 chiefly opposite to the designs in hand. — 
 Upon the •26th of July, one William Giffen, 
 or Govan, whom we shall find execute the 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 05 
 
 same day with Mr. James Guthrie, .„„^ 
 was seized, upon a false information, 
 that he had been present upon the scaffold 
 when king Charles L was beheaded, and im- 
 prisoned in the castle of Edinburgh ; and for 
 what I know, he continued in prison, till next 
 year he was brought to a public death. Those 
 are some of the previous steps, as an intro- 
 duction to the committee of estates, in 
 whose hands the king lodged the govern- 
 ment of Scotland, by his proclamation 
 August 2d, till the parliament should meet 
 and a council be named ; and their procedure 
 will take in what is further remarkable this 
 year. This will be the subject of the next 
 section. 
 
 Of the jiroceedlngs of the committee of estates, 
 their imprisoning Mr. James Guthrie and 
 other ministers, August 23d; the king's 
 letter to the presbytery of Edinburgh, and 
 other things this year. 
 
 It was some time before the throng of 
 English and foreign affairs allowed the king 
 to consider the case of Scotland ; and after 
 several meetings of those who were now in 
 great numbers from this kingdom at court, 
 his majesty came to a resolution to lodge 
 the government in the hands of the commit- 
 tee of estates, named by the last parliament 
 we had in Scotland. This he signified by 
 the following proclamation : — 
 
 " Charles R. To all our loving subjects 
 of the kingdom of Scotland, or others 
 whom these do or may concern, greeting. 
 Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty 
 God to remove that force and armed 
 violence, by which the administration of 
 our royal government, among our people 
 there, was interrupted; and we being 
 desirous to witness our affection to, and 
 care of that our ancient kingdom, of 
 whose loyalty we have had many testi- 
 monies, have resolved, that until a meeting 
 of parliament, which we are presently to 
 call, the government shall be administrate 
 by us, and the conmiittee of estates named 
 by us and our parliament, IdfA ; and 
 therefore do hercbj' call and authorize the 
 
G6 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 , „ „„ said coniiiiittce to meet at Edinburgh, 
 looU. , , ^ , . . , 
 
 the 23u or August instant. And we 
 
 do hereby require our heralds, pursuivants, 
 and messengers at arms, to make pubheation 
 hereof at the mai'ket-crosa of Edinburgh, 
 and all other places, &:c. Given at our court 
 at Whitehall, August 2d, 1660, and of our 
 reign the twelfth j'car." 
 
 The members of this committee had all 
 of them appeared hearty in profession for 
 the constitution of this church and our 
 reformation ; they had concurred with the 
 king, in taking the national and solemn 
 league and covenant; and some of them 
 had advised the king to make that remark- 
 able declaration at Dunfermline, August, 
 1650, which since has made such a noise, 
 as being a hardship put upon the king, 
 and is so diametrically opposite to the 
 course now entering on, that I thought it 
 worth the inserting." I have seen no 
 
 * Declaration at Dunfermline, August 16th, 
 1650. 
 
 By the Kikg. 
 Charles R. 
 
 His majesty taking into consideration that 
 merciful dispensation of divine providence, by 
 which he hath been recovered out of the snare 
 of evil counsel, and having attained so full per- 
 suasion and confidence of the loyalty of his 
 people in Scotland, with whom he hath too 
 long stood at a distance, and of the righteousness 
 of their cause, as to join in one covenant with 
 them, and to cast himself and his interest wholly 
 upon God, and in all matters civU to follow the 
 advice of his parliament, and such as shall be 
 intrusted by them, and in all matters ecclesiastic 
 the advice of the general assembly and their 
 commissioners, and being sensible of his duty to 
 God, and desirous to approve himself to the 
 consciences of all his good subjects, and to stop 
 the mouths of his and their enemies and tra- 
 ducers ; doth, in reference to his former deport- 
 ments, and as to his resolutions for the future, 
 de^'lare as follows : 
 
 Though his majesty as a dutiful son, be 
 obliged to honour the memory of his royal 
 father, and have in estimation the person of his 
 mother ; yet doth he desire to be deeply humbled 
 and afflicted in spirit before God, because of his 
 father's hearkening to, and following evil coun- 
 sels, and his opposition to the work of reforma- 
 tion, and to the solemn league and covenant, by 
 which so much of the blood of the Lord's people 
 hath been shed in these kingdoms ; and for the 
 idolatry of his mother, the toleration whereof 
 in the king's house, as it was matter of gi'eat 
 stumbling to all the protestant churches, so 
 could it not but be a high provocation against 
 him, Avho is a jealous God, visiting the sins of 
 \.he fathers upon the children; and albeit his 
 majesty migiit extenuate his former carriage 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS |]bOOK 1. 
 
 exact list of the memljers of this committee, 
 but I little doubt persons were named upor 
 it, 1651, who did not now meet with them^ 
 The earl of Glencaii'n came down, and was 
 received with great pai'ade as high chan- 
 cellor of Scotland at Edinburgh, August 
 22d ; and next day, August 23d, the com- 
 mittee sat down, nine noblemen, ten barons, 
 and as many burgesses ; and the chancellor 
 presided. The members were all of one 
 kidney, and hearty in prosecuting the de- 
 signs now on foot. 
 
 That same day Mr. James Guthrie, min- 
 ister at Stirling, Mr. John Stirling, and Mr. 
 Robert Trail, ministers at Edinburgh, Messrs. 
 Alexander Moncrief at Scone, John Sample 
 at Carsfairn, Mr. Thomas Ramsay at Mor- 
 dington, Mr. John Scott at Oxnam, Mr. 
 Gilbert Hall at Kirkliston, Mr. John Murray 
 at Methven, Mr. George Nairn at Burnt- 
 island, ministers, with two gentlemen, ruling 
 
 and actions, in following of the advice, and walk- 
 ing in the way of those who are opposite to 
 the covenant, and to the work of C!od, and 
 might excuse his delaying to give satisfaction to 
 the just and necessary desires of the kirk and 
 kingdom of Scotland, from his education and 
 age, and evil counsel and company, and from 
 the strange and insolent proceedings of sectaries 
 against his royal father, and in reference to 
 religion, and the ancient government of the 
 kingdom of England, to which he hath un- 
 doubted right of succession ; yet knowing that 
 he hath to do with God, he doth ingenuously 
 acknowledge all his own sins, and all the sins 
 of his father's house, craving pardon, and hop- 
 ing for mercy and reconciliation through the 
 blood of Jesus Christ. And as he doth value 
 the constant addresses that were made by his 
 people to the throne of grace in his behalf, when 
 he stood in opposition to the Avork of God, as a 
 singular testimony of long suffering patience 
 and mercy upon the Lord's part, and loyalty 
 upon theirs ; so doth he hope, and shall take it 
 as one of the greatest tokens of their love and 
 affection to him and to his government, that 
 they will continue in prayer and supplication to 
 God for him, that the Lord, who spared and 
 preserved him to this day, notwithstanding of 
 all his own guiltiness, may be at peace with him, 
 and give him to fear the Lord his God, and to 
 serve him with a perfect heart, and with a 
 willing mind, all the days of his life. 
 
 And his majesty having, upon the full per- 
 suasion of the justice and equity of all the heads 
 and articles thereof, now sworn and subscribed 
 the national covenant of the kingdom of Scot- 
 land, and the solemn league and covenant of the 
 three kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ire- 
 land, doth declare that he hath not sworn and 
 subscribed these covenants, and entered into 
 the oath of God with his people, upon any 
 sinister intention and crooked design for attain- 
 
CHAP. I.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 elders, Mr. Andrew Hay of Craignethan, were met and convened in the 
 near Lanark, and James Kirkco of Sundi- ' private house of Robert Simjiscjn in 
 well, in the parish of Dunscore, in Nithsdalc, | Edinbiii-gh, to draw up an humble address 
 
 ()7 
 
 1C(J0. 
 
 ing his own ends, but so far as human weakness 
 will i»t'nnit, la the truth and sincerity of his 
 heart, and tliat he is firmly resolved in the 
 Lord's strengtii to adhere thereto, and to prose- 
 cute to the utmost of his power all the ends 
 thereof in his station and eallinic, really, con- 
 stantly, and sincerely all the days of his life. 
 In order to which, he doth in the first place i>ro- 
 fess and declare, that he will have no enemies but 
 the enemies of the covenant, and that he will have 
 no friends but the friends of the covenant. And 
 therefore, as he doth now detest and abhor all 
 popery, superstition, and idolatry, together with 
 prelacj', and all errors, heresy, schism, and pro- 
 i'aneness, and resolves not to tolerate, much less 
 allow any of these in any part of his majesty's 
 dominions, but to oppose himself thereto, and to 
 endeavour the extirpation thereof to the utmost of 
 his power; so doth he, as a Christian, exhort, and, 
 as a king, require, that all such of his subjects 
 ivho have stood in opposition to the solemn 
 league and covenant, and work of reformation, 
 upon a pretence of kingly interest, or any other 
 pretext whatsoever, to lay down their enmity 
 jigainst the cause and people of God, and to cease 
 to prefer the interest of man to the interest of 
 God, which hath been one of those things that 
 hath occasioned many troubles and calamities in 
 these kingdoms, and being insisted into will be 
 so far from establishing of the king's throne, 
 that it will ])rove an idol of jealousy to provoke 
 unto wrath him ^vho is King of kings and Lord 
 of lords; the king shall always esteem them 
 best servants, and most loyal subjects, who 
 serve him, and seek his greatness in a right line 
 of subordination unto God, giving unto God the 
 things that are God's, and unto Cesar the things 
 that are Cesai"'s; and resolveth not to love or 
 countenance any who have so little conscience 
 and piety, as to follow his interest with a preju- 
 dice to the gospel, and the kingdom of Jesus 
 Christ, which he looks not upon as duty, but as 
 flattery, and driving of self dssigns, under a 
 pretence of maintaining royal authority and 
 greatness. 
 
 2. His miijesty being convinced in conscience 
 of the exceeding great sinfulness and unlawful- 
 ness of that treaty and peace made with the 
 bloody Irish rebels, who treacherously shed the 
 blood of so manj' of his faithful and loyal sub- 
 jects in Ireland, and of allowing unto them the 
 liberty of the popish religion, for the which he 
 doth from his heart desire to be deeply humbled 
 before the Lord; and likewise considering how 
 many breaches have been upon their part, doth 
 declare the same to be void, and that his majesty 
 is absolved therefrom, being truly sorry that he 
 should have sought unto so unla^vtul help for 
 restoring of him to his throne, and resolving 
 for the time to come, rather to choose afllictioii 
 than sin. 
 
 3. As his majesty did, in the late treaty with 
 his peojdo in this kingdom, agree to reciill and 
 annul all commissions against any of his subjects 
 who did adhere to the covenant and monarchical 
 g.overnment in any of his kingdoms; so doth he 
 now declare, that by his couimissionating of 
 fome persons by sea against the people of Eng- 
 
 land, he did not intend dam<-igc or injury to 
 his oppressed and harmless subjects in thist king- 
 dom, who follow their trade of merchandise in 
 their lawful callings, but only the opposing and 
 sujtpressing of those wlio had usurped the gov- 
 ernment, and not only barred him Iriim his just 
 right, but also exercise- an arbitrary power over 
 his people, in those things which concern their 
 persons, consciences, and estates ; and as, since 
 his coming into Scotland, lie hath given no 
 commissions against any of his subjects in Eng- 
 land or Ireland, so he doth hereby assure and 
 declare, that he will give none to their pre- 
 judice or damage; and whatever shall be the 
 wrongs of these usurpers, that he will be so 
 far from avenging these upon any who are 
 free thereof, by interrupting and stopping the 
 liberty of trade and merchandise, or other\i ise, 
 that he will seek their good, and to the utmost 
 employ his royal power, that they may be pro- 
 tected and defended against the unjust violence 
 of all men whatsoever. And albeit his majesty 
 desireth to construct well of the intentions of 
 those (in reference to his majesty) who have 
 been active in counsel or arms against the cove- 
 nant ; yet being convinced that it doth conduce 
 for the honour of God, the good of his cause, and 
 his own honour and hap])iness, and for the 
 peace and safety of these kingdoms, that such be 
 not employed in places of power and trust ; he 
 doth declare that he will not employ, nor give 
 commissions to any such, until they have not 
 only taken or renewed the covenant, but also 
 have given sufficient evidences of their integrity, 
 carriage and affection to the work of reformation, 
 and shall be declared capable of trust by the 
 parliament of either kingdom respective. And 
 his majesty, upon the same grounds, doth hereby 
 recall all commissions given to any sui'h jiersons, 
 conceiving all such persons will so much tender 
 a good understanding betwixt him and his sub- 
 jects, and the settling and preserving a firm 
 peace in these kingdoms, that they will not 
 grudge nor repine at his majesty's resolutions 
 and proceedings herein, much less upon discon- 
 tent act any thing in a divided way, unto the 
 raising of new troubles, especially since, upon 
 their pious and good deportment, there is a regress 
 left unto them in manner above expressed. 
 And as his majesty hath given satisfaction unto 
 the just and necessary desires of the kirk and 
 kingdom of Scotland, so doth he hereby assure 
 and declare, that he is no less willing and desir- 
 ous to give satisfaction to the just and necessary 
 desires of his good subjects of England and 
 Ireland ; and in token thereof, if the houses of 
 l)arliament of England sitting in freedom, should 
 think fit to present unto him the propositions of 
 jieace agreed upon by both kingdoms, he will 
 not only accord to the same, and such alterations 
 thereanent, as the houses of parliament, in 
 regard of the constitution of affairs, and the good 
 of his majesty and his kingdoms, shall judge 
 necessary ; but do what is further necessai-y for 
 the prosecuting th<! ends of the stdemn league 
 and covenant, esjiecially in those things which 
 concern the reformation of the church of Eng- 
 land, in doctrine, worship, discijdine, and gov- 
 
68 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFErUNGS [bOOK I. 
 
 and supplication to the king, " con- I tion's covenant with the T.onl, and earnestly 
 
 gratulating his return, expressing | praying that his reign might be like that of 
 
 their entire and unfeigned loyalty, humbly | David, Solomon, Jehoshaphat, and Heze- 
 
 putting him in mind of his own and the na- kiah." As may be seen in the paper itself.* 
 
 prnment ; that not only the Directory of Wor- 
 ship, the Confession of Faith and Catechism, 
 but also the Propositions and Directory for 
 Ciuirch Government, accorded upon by the synod 
 of divines at Westminster, may be settled, and 
 that the church of England may enjoy the full 
 liberty and freedom of all assemblies and power 
 of kirk censures, and of all the ordinances of 
 Jesus Christ, according to the rule of his own 
 word ; and that whatsoever is commanded by 
 the God of heaven, may be diligenily done for 
 the house of the God of heaven. And whatever 
 heretofore hath been the suggestions of some to 
 him, to render his majesty jealous of his parlia- 
 ment, and of the servants of God ; yet as he hath 
 declared that in Scotland he will hearken to 
 their counsel, and follow their advice in those 
 things that concern that kingdom and kirk ; so 
 doth he also declare his firm resolution to man- 
 age the government of the kingdom of England 
 by the advice of his parliament, consisting of a 
 house of lords, and of a house of commons 
 there ; and, in those things that concern religion, 
 to prefer the counsels of the ministers of the 
 gospel to all other counsels whatsoever: and that 
 all the world may see, how much he tenders the 
 safety of his people, and how precious their 
 blood is in hi-j sight, and how desirous he is to 
 recover his crown and government in England 
 by peaceable means, as he doth esteem the servica 
 of those who first engaged in the covenant, and 
 have since that time faithfully followed the ends 
 thereof, to be duty to God, and loyalty to him ; 
 60 is he willing, in regard of others who have 
 been involved in these late commotions in Eng- 
 land against religion and government, to pass an 
 act of oblivion, excepting only some few in that 
 nation, who have been chief obstructors of the 
 work of reformation, and chief authors of the 
 change of the government, and of the murder of \ 
 his royal father: provided that these who are to 
 have the benefit of this act, lay down arms, and 
 retm-n unto the obedience of their lawful sove- 
 reign. 
 
 The committee of estates of the kingdom, and 
 general assembly of the kirk of Scotland, having 
 declared so fully in ■what concerns the sectaries, 
 and the present designs, resolutions, and actings 
 of their army against the kingdom of Scotland, 
 and the same committee and assembly having 
 sufficiently laid open public dangers and duties, 
 both upon the right hand and upon the left, it is 
 not needful for his majesty to add any thing 
 thereunto, except that in those things he doth 
 commend and approve them, and that he resolves 
 to live and die with them and his ioyal subjects, 
 in prosecution of the ends of the covenant. 
 
 And whereas that prevailing party in Eng- 
 land, after all their strange usurpations, and 
 insolent actings in that land, do not only keep 
 his majesty fi"om the government of that king- 
 dom by force of arras, but also have now invaded 
 the kingdom of Scotland, who have deserved 
 better things at their hands, and against w^hom 
 they have no just quarrel ; his majesty therefore 
 dotli desire and exjject that all his good subjects 
 iu England, who are and resolve to be faithful 
 
 to God, and to their king, according to the 
 covenant, will lay hold upon such an oj^portun- 
 ity and use their utmost endeavours to j)romove 
 the covenant and all the ends then of, and to 
 recover and re-establish the ancient government 
 of the kingdom of England (under which for 
 many generations it did flourish in peace and 
 plenty at home, and in reputation abroad) and 
 privileges of the parliament, and native and 
 just liberty of the people : his majesty desires to 
 assm'e himself, that there doth remain in these 
 so much conscience of their duty to religion, 
 their king and country, and so many sparkles of 
 the ancient English valour which shined so 
 eminently in their noble ancestors, as will put 
 them on to bestir themselves for breaking the 
 yoke of those men's oppressions from off their 
 necks. Shall men of conscience and honour set 
 religion, liberties, and government at so low a 
 rate, as not rather to undergo any hazard, before 
 they be thus deprived of them? Will not all 
 generous men comit anj' death more tolerable 
 than to live in servitude nil their days? And 
 will not posterity blame those who dare attempt 
 nothing for themselves and for their children in 
 so good a cause, in such an exigent? ^V'hereas 
 if they gather themselves and take courage, 
 putting on a resolution answerable to so a noble 
 and just an enterprise, they shall honour God, 
 and gain themselves the reputation of pious 
 men, worthy patriots, and loyal subjects, and be 
 called the repairers of the breach, by the present 
 and succeeding generations, and they may cer- 
 tainly promise to themselves a blessing from 
 God, upon so just and honourable imdertaking 
 for the Lord and for his cause, their own liber- 
 ties, their native king and country, and the 
 unvaluable good and happiness of the posterity. 
 Whatever hath formerly been his majesty's 
 guiltiness before God, and the bad success that 
 these have had who owned his affairs whilst he 
 stood in opposition to the work of God, j'et the 
 state of the question being now altered, and his 
 majesty having obtained mercy to be on God's 
 side, and to prefer God's interest before his own ; 
 he hopes that the Lord will be gracious, and 
 countenance his own cause in the hands of weak 
 and sinful instruments, against all enemies what- 
 soever. This is all that can be said by his 
 majesty at present, to these in England and 
 Ireland, at such a distance ; and as they shall 
 acquit themselves at this time in active discharge 
 of their necessary duties, so shall they be ac- 
 cepted before God, endeared to his majesty, and 
 their names had in remembrance throughout 
 the world. 
 
 Given at our court at Dunfermline, the 
 sixteenth day of August, 1650, and iu 
 the second year of our reign. 
 
 * Ministers' [designed] supplication August 
 23d, 1660. " ' 
 
 JMost gracious and dread sovereign, 
 
 We your majesty's most humble subjects, 
 considering the duty which, as Christians, we 
 owe unto oiu* Lord Jesus Christ, who is King 
 of kings, and Lord of lords, and which, as 
 
CHAP. I.j 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 09 
 
 The occasion of this nieetinp;, upon which so I much fear and jealouse (suspect) w.^^ 
 
 much followed, was tiiis : — the brethren and 
 ministers, who in their sentiments could not 
 approve of the public resolutions, did very 
 
 subjects, we owe imto your majesty as our law- 
 ful aiul native kiii;^ inidiT him; we hold our- 
 selves bound to tender unto yotjr majesty this 
 our most humble address and supplication. How 
 hateful the actings of the late usurping powers, 
 in offering violence unto the parliament of Eng- 
 land, in their unchristian and barbarous mur- 
 der of your royal father, in their insolent chang- 
 ing of the ancient civil government of the king- 
 dom of England, and by armed violence imjustly 
 secluding your majesty therefrom, in their unjust 
 invading of the kingdom of Scotland, and 
 enthralling the same in subjection to themselves, 
 afiil beyond all, in their impious encroachings 
 upon tne kingdom of Jesus Christ, and the 
 liberties thereof, and in promoting and establish- 
 ing a vast toleration in things religious through- 
 out these nations, luito the perverting of the 
 precious truths of the gospel, and defacing of 
 the ordinances of Jesus Christ, in opening a 
 wide door to all sorts of errors, heresies, schisms, 
 impiety, and profaneness ; how abominable and 
 hateful these things were unto us, the Lord, 
 \vho searcheth the reins .and trieth the hearts, 
 doth know; against w^hich we gave many public 
 testimonies before the world, to ■witness our 
 abhorrency thereof: and the same Lord know- 
 eth, that as we did earnestly pray for and breathe 
 after his appearing to witness against these, so 
 (saving that christian pity and compassion that 
 w^e owe unto the persons of men, though our 
 very enemies) we do rejoice in his putting 
 down of them that did lift up themselves, and 
 staining of the pride of their glory, and breaking 
 the yoke of their power off the necks of these 
 kingdoms. We hold ourselves also bound thank- 
 fully to acknowledge the Lord's signal preserv- 
 ing of your majesty's person, in the midst of 
 manifold dangers and designs threatening the 
 same these years p;ist, and that after a long exile 
 from your own hoiuse and people, he hath been 
 pleased to bring you back to the same; and 
 when the foundations of the ancient civil govern- 
 ment of these kingdoms were overthrown, again 
 to make way for repairing the ruins, and build- 
 ing up the breaches thereof, for establishing of 
 the same upon right and sure foundations, in 
 your majesty's person and family, and to do 
 these things when they were so little expected, 
 in so quiet and pea(;eable a way, and without the 
 effusion of christian blood, and embroiling of 
 these kingdoms in the miseries and calamities of 
 a new ■war : and as we do adore the wonderful 
 and wise hand of God, and bless his name who 
 hath done these great things; so it is not only 
 our practice for the present, but our sincere 
 ])urpose and res(dution atso for the time to come, 
 to jtour forth the fervent desires and supplica- 
 tions of our souls, unto the most High, by whom 
 kings reign, for the preservation and safety of 
 your majesty's person, and for the multiplica- 
 tion and increase of his Spirit upon you, that 
 you may employ your power unto his praise and 
 the comfort of his people, and for the establish- 
 ing of your just power and greatness, and, in 
 subordination to him, to be faithful and loyul in 
 tendering of iill the duties of honour, and sub- 
 
 Mr. James Sharp, now at Lon- 
 don, by the allowance, and at the desire of 
 a good many of the brethren for the resolu- 
 
 jection, and obedience to your majesty, that are 
 due from humble and loving subje(-ts to their 
 native and lawful sovereign. And we desin; to 
 be persuaded, and with confidence to promise to 
 ourselves, that your majesty will accept of these 
 our professions as proceeding fi-om honest and 
 loyal hearts, and allow us that protection, coun- 
 tenance, and encouragement, in om* stations and 
 callings, that may be expected from a gracious 
 king. And considering the great happiness that 
 ariseth both to kirk and state, and all the mem- 
 bers thereof by the mutual embracements of 
 religion and righteousness, of truth and peace, 
 and from the mutual good understanding betwixt 
 the supreme magistrate and the faithful of the 
 land, when it pleaseth divine providence so to 
 dispose, and the many calamities and miseries 
 that, in the holy justice and indignation of God, 
 do attend the separating or violating of these 
 onlj' sure foundations of states and kingdoms ; 
 we are bold, in the integrity of our hearts, and 
 in the zeal of the glory of God, and of the good 
 of his church, and of your majest j^'s honour and 
 happiness, and from the sense of the manifold 
 and great obligations that be upon us, before the 
 Lord, so to do, and particularly that of the 
 covenant, that what lets we are not able our- 
 selves to suppress or overcome, we shall reveal 
 and make known, that it may be truly prevented 
 or removed, humbly to represent imto your 
 majesty the great danger that threatens religion, 
 and the work of reformation in the churches of 
 God in these kingdoms, from the designs and 
 endeavours of the remnant of the popish, prelat- 
 ical, and malignant party therein, which is 
 beginning again to lift up the head, and, not 
 only to render hateful and bear down many of 
 your majesty's good subjects, who have been 
 employed as instruments in that work, and 
 have kept within the bounds of their duty in 
 promoting and pursuing the same, so far as 
 human infirmity would permit ; but also to 
 overthrow that blessed work itself, and to 
 re-introduce prelacy, and the ceremonies, and 
 the Service-book, and all these corruptions which 
 were formerly cast out, as inconsistent with 
 that pure and spotless rule of church govern- 
 ment, and discipline, and divine worship, deliv- 
 ered unto us in the Avord of God, and as a yoke 
 of bondage which neither we nor our fathers 
 were able to bear. Although we know that 
 that spirit will not want specious pretences, and 
 plausible and subtile insinuations for compassing 
 these ends ; yet as there cannot readily be greater 
 disservice to the church of God, and to yoiu* 
 kingdoms, and to your majesty's honour and 
 happiness, than actings of that nature, so we 
 cannot without horror of heart, and astonish- 
 ment of spirit, think upon what dreadful guilti- 
 ness, kings, princes, ministers, an<l peo])le shall 
 be involved into, and what fearful wrath shall 
 attend them from the face of an angry and 
 jealous God, if after all the light that he hath 
 made to shine in these kingdoms from his blessed 
 word, for discovering the error and imi>iety of 
 these things, and after his hand lifted up so high 
 fur citsting out of the same, and after such 
 
70 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1660. 
 
 tions. They were apprehensive of 
 designs hatching just now against the 
 church, not from the public resolutioners, but 
 Mr. Sharp, and others who struck in with 
 
 solemn vows and engagements taken upon 
 themselves before God, angels, and men, against 
 them, they should again lick up the vomit 
 thereof. God forbid that ever we should hear 
 or see such heart-astonishing things, which 
 would turn the mirth of the Lord's people into 
 mourning, and their songs into most sad and 
 bitter lamentation. Neither are we less appre- 
 liensive of the endeavours of the spirit of error, 
 that possesseth sectaries in these nations, which, 
 as it did at first promote the practice of a vast 
 toleration in things religious, and afterwards 
 proceeded unto the framing of the mischief 
 thereof into a law ; so we doubt not, but it will 
 still be active unto the promoting and prociu-ing 
 the same, under the specious pretence of liberty 
 for tender consciences ; the effects whereof have, 
 in a few years past, been so dreadful, that we 
 cannot think of the continuing of it, but with 
 much trembling and fear: therefore knowing 
 that to kings, princes, rulers, and magistrates, 
 appertains the conservation and purgation of 
 religion, and that unity and peace be preser\'ed 
 in the church, and that the truth of God be kept 
 pure and entire, that all blasphemies and heresies 
 be suppressed, all corruptions or abuses in dis- 
 cipline and worship prevented or reformed, and 
 all the ordinances of God duly settled, adminis- 
 tered, and observed; and that nothing can more 
 contribute unto the preserving and promoting 
 of religion, and of the work of reformation, than 
 that all places of power and trust be filled with 
 men of a blameless and christian conversation, 
 and of approven integrity, and known affection 
 to the cause of God : we your majesty's most 
 humble subjects do, with bowed knees and 
 bended affections, humbly supplicate your 
 majesty, that you would employ your royal 
 power unto the preservation of the reformed 
 religion in the church of Scotland, in doctrine, 
 worship, discipline, and government; and in 
 the reformation of religion in the kingdoms of 
 England and Ireland, in doctrine, worship, 
 discipline, and government ; and unto the carry- 
 ing on of the work of uniformity in religion in 
 the churches of God in the three kingdoms, in 
 one confession of faith, form of church govern- 
 ment, directory for worship and catechising, 
 and to the extirpation of popery, prelacy, super- 
 stition, heresy, schism, profaneness, and whatso- 
 ever shall be found contrary to sound doctrine, 
 and the power of godliness : and that all places 
 of power and trust under your majesty may be 
 filled with such as have taken the covenant, and 
 are of approven integi'ity and known affection 
 to the cause of God, if in a matter that so much 
 concerns the honoui- of God, and the good of 
 this church, and youi- majesty's honour and 
 happiness, we be jealous with a godly jealousy, 
 we know your majesty's wisdom and piety to 
 be such, as will easily pardon it. The sense of 
 our duty to God, and to your majesty, with the 
 importunity of men of a contrary mind, who 
 seek to make your majesty and these kingdoms 
 transgressors, by building again the things that 
 were formerly warrantably destroyed, constrain 
 us to be petitioners against the same, and ear- 
 
 [book I. 
 
 them. Whereupon once and again they wrote 
 to the ministers of Edinburgh of the other 
 side, that they might join with them in a 
 dutiful address to his majesty at such a 
 
 nestly to entreat that any beginnings of stum- 
 bling which have already been given in these 
 things, especially in the matter of prelacy, 
 and the ceremonies, and Service-book in your 
 majesty's chapel and family, and in other places 
 of your dominions, may be removed and taken 
 away, and that there may be no further proceed- 
 ings in these things which grieve the Spirit of 
 God, and give offence to your majesty's good 
 subjects, ■who are engaged with you in the same 
 covenant and work of reformation : and that 
 your majesty, for establishing the hearts, and 
 strengthening the hands of these who are faithful 
 in the work of the Lord, and for quashing the 
 hopes and endeavours of adversaries, will be 
 pleased to give public signification of your 
 approbation of the covenant, and of youi" pur- 
 I)ose to adhere unto the same, and to caiTy on 
 the work of God in these kingdoms according 
 thereto ; and that your majesty's eyes may be 
 upon the faithful of the land, that they may 
 dwell with you. We hope that your majesty 
 will not take offence, if we be the Lord's remem- 
 brancers to you, that you were pleased, a little 
 before your coming into this kingdom, and 
 afterwards at the time of your coronation, to 
 assure and declare by your solemn oath, under 
 j'our hand and seal, in the presence of Almighty 
 God, the searcher of hearts, your allowance and 
 approbation of the national covenant, and of the 
 solemn league and covenant, fiiithfully obliging 
 yourself to prosecute the ends thereof in your 
 station and calling : and that your majesty, for 
 yourself and successors, shall consent and agree 
 to all acts of parliament enjoining the national 
 covenant, and the solemn league and covenant, 
 and fully establishing presbyterial government, 
 the Directory of Worship, Confession of Faith, 
 and Catechisms, in the kingdom of Scotland, .is 
 they are approven by the general assemblies of 
 this kirk, and parliaments of this kingdom ; 
 and that your majesty shall give your royal 
 assent to acts and ordinances of parliament, past 
 or to be past, enjoining the same in your other 
 dominions, and that you shall observe these in 
 your own practice and family, and shall never 
 make opposition to any of these, or endeavour any 
 change thereof. And we desire to be persuaded, 
 that no length of time hath made your majesty 
 to forget, or weakened tipon your heart, the 
 sense of the obligation of that great and solemn 
 oath of God in the covenant ; yea, that the 
 afflictions wherewith God hath exercised your 
 majesty these years past, and the great and 
 w^onderful deliverance that of late he hath 
 granted unto you, hath fixed deeper impressions 
 thereof upon your spirit, and that amongst all 
 the kings of the earth, religion and reformation 
 shall have no greater friend than your majesty ; 
 yea, that as you are more excellent than the 
 kings of the earth, in regard of purity of profes- 
 sion and solemn engagements unto God, and 
 long exercisedness with manifold afflictions, and 
 in the Lord's setting you over these kingdoms, 
 which ^ve^e not only through grace amongst the 
 first-fruits of the gentiles, but also, in your 
 princely station and dignity, are, amongst all 
 
CflAP. 1.3 
 
 juncture. We liave seen tlie occasion ot 
 the coldness and delays made in this affair, 
 by the ministers of Edinburgh, in the intro- 
 duction. They were excellent men, but it 
 nuist be owned that they trusted too much 
 to Mr. Sliarj), and by his suggestions and 
 letters every tiling of this nature was 
 crushed. 
 
 Two former meetings had been concerted 
 at Edinburgh, of ministers from the differ- 
 ent corners of the church, but the brethren 
 had not come up to them. Matters seemed 
 still to grow more and more threatening to 
 the church establishment, and no other way 
 appeared to be left them but to act in this 
 manner. There were no assemblies to be 
 expected, there was no commission, and 
 synods were not to meet till October; 
 therefore the above-named persons, a small 
 part of many who were to have met, found 
 themselves under a necessity to do some- 
 what in such a crisis : so they formed the 
 foresaid supplication, which they designed 
 to have communicate to a larger meeting 
 before it was sent to court. The chancellor 
 and others coming to the knowledge of this 
 
 that we know in the world, the most eminent 
 for the purity and power of tlie gospel ; so shall 
 your majest)' excel them in zeal for God, and 
 for the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and that by how 
 much your majesty is, by the constitution and 
 hand of the Almighty, lifted up above the sphere of 
 that of your subjects, by so much shall your mo- 
 tions be more vigorous and active unto the carry- 
 ing about.by the influence of your royal commands 
 and exami)le, all the orbs of inferior powers 
 and persons in these kingdoms, in subordination 
 to God and your majesty, in the practice of g<idli- 
 ness and virtue. It is the desire of our souls, that 
 your majesty may be like unto David, a man 
 according unto God's own heart ; like unto 
 Solomon, of an understanding heart to judge the 
 Lord's people, and to discern betwixt good and 
 bad ; like unto Jehoshaphat, whose heart was 
 lifted up in the ways of the Lord; like unto 
 Hezekiah, eminent for goodness and integrity ; 
 like unto Josias, who was of a tender heart, 
 and did humble himself before God, when he 
 heard his words against Jerusalem and Juilah, 
 anil the inhabitants thereof; and not only made a 
 covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, 
 and to keep his commandments w^ith all his 
 heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words 
 of the covenant ; but also caused all that were 
 in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it, and 
 took away all the abominations out of all the 
 countries that pertained to the children of Israel, 
 and made all that were present in Israel to serve, 
 even to serve the Lord their God : so shall your 
 majesty inherit the honour and blessings of 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 71 
 
 1C6(). 
 
 meeting, tiie committee of estates 
 were acquainted with it ; and some 
 persons were immediately sent, who came 
 upon the meeting, when the scrolls and other 
 papers werebefore them, which are mentioned 
 in the Act of Confinement, and seized all. I 
 find those papers were the first draughts of 
 letters to some brethren, desiring another 
 meeting at Glasgow, in September, about 
 the supplication, with instructions to some 
 of theii' number, when they went west with 
 a draught of the supplication, that it might 
 be considered by the brethren of the synod 
 of (Srlasgow, that if they found cause, they 
 might join in it: such as came from the 
 committee, asked for the supplication itself, 
 which the ministers gave them a copy of, 
 without any difficulty. 
 
 When the unfinished scrolls and the 
 supplication were read in the committee of 
 estates they were sent straight to court; 
 and all who had been present at the meet- 
 ing, save Craignethan, who happily escaped, 
 were committed to close prison, in the 
 castle of Edinburgh, by the act of this 
 day's date,* without ever calling the minis- 
 
 these kings upon the earth, and their happi- 
 ness in heaven ; so shall your m.ajesty's person 
 be preserved, and your government established 
 over these kingdoms ; which is the unfeigned 
 desire, and fervent supplication of 
 
 Your majesty's most humble 
 and loyal subjects. 
 
 * Act for securing Mr. James Guthrie and 
 others. 
 
 At Edinburgh the 23d day of August, 1660. 
 
 The committee of estates, now^ presently con- 
 vened by his majesty's special warrant and 
 authority, upon information given to them of a 
 conventicle and private meeting of some remon- 
 strator and protesting ministers and others at 
 Edinburgh, tor which they had mother warrant 
 from the ordinary, civil, or ecclesiastic courts ; 
 and the said committee, being by his majesty's 
 special commission and commands, intrusted 
 and empowered with the caring, ordering, and 
 providing for what may conduce for the peace 
 of this his majesty's ancient kingdom, and sup- 
 port of his power and authority therein, finding 
 such unlawful conventicles, upon what pretence 
 soever, without pul)lic lawful authority, ex- 
 pressly derogatory to his majesty's royal pre- 
 rogative, and tending to the disturbance of the 
 present peace of his majesty's dominions; gave 
 order and command to some of their number, to 
 search and make trial after the occasion and 
 reason of their meeting, who in the said inquin-, 
 found them with petitions subscribed, and some 
 papers and letters scrolled, to be sent for coiivo- 
 
1660. 
 
 72 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ters before them, or hearing what they 
 had to say in theu* own defence. This 
 illegal and unprecedented step, the first act of 
 our committee of estates, was a preamble to 
 that horrid scene of arbitrary proceeding, 
 oppression, and cruelty, which now began 
 to open. INIr. James Guthrie was never 
 liberate till a glorious martyrdom, and the 
 truth made him free, and the rest underwent 
 very great hardships. It hath been observed 
 that this was done that very day, a hundred 
 years after, in which the idolatrous, tyran- 
 nical, contradictory, and cruel religion of 
 popery was abolished in Scotland, and the 
 reformation was established. Indeed from 
 this day and forward, for twenty-eight years, 
 we were going very fast back to Babylon, 
 and wide steps were taken to re-introduce 
 popery and slavery. 
 
 A careful comparing of the supplication 
 with the committee's act will sufficiently 
 expose the last. The ministers were chiefly 
 attacked because they were protesters ; and 
 yet such as were of that denomination most 
 firmly asserted the king's title under his 
 exile; and Mr. James Guthrie and others 
 of them suffered much from the English 
 for their loyalty, when Mr. Sharp, who 
 now managed all, took the tender, and fell 
 in with the usurper. Ingratitude, however, 
 was but a lesser aggravation of this violent 
 procedure; it was plainly illegal: besides 
 the known privilege of all subjects to ad- 
 dress the sovereign, there were then laws 
 unrescinded, to which the members of the 
 committee themselves had assented, war- 
 ranting them to meet and supplicate. The 
 usurpers, when Scotland v/as under their 
 feet, did not hinder ministers to meet, 
 except in their general assembly. Li short, 
 this step was very unequal as well as ungrate 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 and illegal, since that very same day the 
 committee liberate several persons impris- 
 oned for murder and other atrocious crimes. 
 But those were not the things at present 
 they were in quest of. 
 
 Under their confinement in the castle 
 the ministers agreed upon a supplication, 
 and sent it to the committee of estates, 
 whereof I have not seen a copy; but by 
 other papers of this time, I find in it, 
 " They promised no more to prosecute the 
 remonstrance, 1G50, and expressed their 
 sorrow for gi\'ing their lordships any offence 
 by the unseasonableness of theii- late meet- 
 ing, at which they were seized." The 
 chancellor insisted they should acknowledge 
 their fault in meeting upon such a matter : 
 but the ministers, apprehending this would 
 be a receding from their designed testimony, 
 and such a declaration affecting not only 
 the manner and time of their meeting, but 
 the business and important matter upon 
 which they met, might have very ill con- 
 sequences at this juncture, refused to go 
 this length, though the advocate, who had 
 taken the tender when many of them 
 were suffering for their loyalty and firmness 
 to the king, threatened to found a process 
 of treason upon theii- supplication. 
 
 The people under the pastoral charge of 
 the now imprisoned ministers were extremely 
 afflicted with their confinement, and ready 
 to make all proper applications. I find 
 Mr. Stii'ling's session at Edinburgh, and no 
 doubt Mr. Trail's also, acquaint him with 
 then* design to supplicate in his behalf, 
 which is delayed till they know the issue 
 of their own supplication. All I have of 
 this, is in the following letter from jVIi'. 
 Stirling to his session at this time, who 
 breathes much of a Christian and ministerial 
 
 eating all of their own judgment, containing 
 many particulars reflecting upon his sacred 
 majesty, the government of our neighbour 
 church and kingdom of England, and constitu- 
 tion of this present committee, and many other 
 things directly tending to seditions, raising of 
 new tumults, and (if possible) rekindling a 
 civil war amongst his majesty's good subjects. 
 Therefore, the said committee have thought fit, 
 and hereby ordains the persons subscribers of 
 the said papers, and these in company at the 
 updrawing thereof; they are to say, Mr. .Tames 
 Guthrie, Mr. Robert Trail, Mr. John Stirling, 
 
 Mr. Alexander Moncrief, Mr. John Seuiplu 
 Mr. Thomas Kamsay, Mr. Gilbert Hall, I\Ir. 
 John Scot, Mr^ George Nairn, ]\Ir. John I\liu'- 
 ray, ministers, and John Kirko ruling elder, 
 to be committed prisoners within the castle of 
 Edinburgh, therein to remain, until his majes- 
 ty's pleasure shall be fm-ther made known ; and 
 gives warrant to the present captain of the said 
 castle, to receive them prisoners, and to keep 
 them in safe custody. 
 
 Extracted forth of the books of the said com- 
 mittee by me, Jo. Hay, cler. com. 
 
CHAI'. I.] 
 
 spirit, and states the cause of their suffer- 
 ings ; and therefore I have insert it,* as 
 what deserves a room in this collection. 
 There was a motion likewise in the synod of 
 Glasgow, at their meeting in October, this 
 year, for a supplication in favour of the im- 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 prisoned ministers; but it was much 
 
 • Letter, I\Ir. John Stirling, minister at 
 Kdinburgh, to his session, when imprisoned 
 by the committee of estates, 1660. 
 
 Dearly beloved, 
 
 I hear there are some thoughts among you, of 
 petitioning the lionourable committee of" estates, 
 for my releasement. I confess it is no small 
 refreshment to me, to think that I have so much 
 room in your atfections, as you are ready to look 
 after me, or desire that I might yet continue to 
 serve you, in the work of the gospel : and though 
 I be your debitor on this account, and do most 
 heartily thank you, and all those in whose hearts 
 this motion hath been entertained, yet I dare 
 not advise you to follow it any further at present. 
 I\Iy brethren and I are jointly to petition this 
 week, and we shall see what issue that maj' take, 
 before we desire our people to be engaged in 
 suiting for us. If the Lord have any more 
 service for me among you, he can bring me to 
 you again (I trust) in the spirit and power of 
 the gospel ; and this testimony of your affec- 
 tion, shall, I hope, put a new edge upon my 
 spirit, to be more willing than ever to spend 
 and be spent, for the advantage of your souls : 
 but if otherwise, the will of the Lord be done. 
 I am hopeful, that he who ministereth seed to 
 the sower, shall minister to your necessities ; 
 and I shall never forget you, by his grace, but 
 ever bear you upon my heart, to hold you up 
 before the Lord, so long as I am in this body. 
 
 I know the cause of our sufferings is strangely 
 represented to ynu ; and, I confess, we w^ere 
 miserable men, and unworthy of the room we 
 bear either in the chiu"ch or kingdom, if that 
 w^ere true that is said of us. The personal suf- 
 ferings I am under, nor the reproaches that are 
 upon my name, are not a very great trouble, in 
 comparison of the fear I h.ive that Satan may 
 thereby take advantage to cause the Lord's 
 people stumble at, the gospel 1 have preached 
 among them ; yet this is my comfort, that 
 whatever the world say or believe, the cause I 
 suffer for is the Lord's, and no less than the 
 avowing of his rriarriage contract, in a sworn 
 covenant, betwixt the three kingdoms: and 
 albeit we have not now liberty to vindicate our- 
 selves from the aspersions cast upon us, but must 
 lie under the reproaches of seditious persons, 
 and raisers of a new war, (which, God knowcth, 
 our hearts do abhor,) and enemies to our king, 
 (whom our souls do honour, and I dare take 
 you witnesses of my good wishes towards him,) 
 yet this is no new thin^ ; you know who was 
 counted an enemy to Cesar, even Christ our 
 Lord, and Paul was a seditious fellow, and 
 went up and down the world as a deceiver, and 
 yet was true. Yet all we were about, was an 
 innocent supplication, that his majesty might 
 mind the oath of God, and oppose those abjured 
 corruptions of prelacy, and ceremonies that are 
 coming in, and that he might, for advancing of 
 reformation, employ fit instruments in places of 
 
 73 
 1G60. 
 
 opposed by some ministers who turn- 
 ed bishops, and their undertakings, and some 
 worthy members who exercised too nmch 
 charity for their false brethren. Thus they 
 continued a considerable time in prison, till at 
 
 power and trust, who are friends thereunto; 
 and we should desire no other vindication, but 
 that our supplication might be printed. 
 
 Always, dearly beloved, till I be able, if the 
 Lord will, to speak face to face, I shall desire 
 no other favour of you, but that you will endea- 
 vour that the people may not stumble, but retain 
 somewhat of chai'ity to me, till God shall fulfil 
 his promise, in making righteousness appea", 
 that the upright in heart may follow after it. 
 I beseech you, in the bowels of Jesus Christ, 
 take heed to yourselves, and to the flock over 
 which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers : 
 much more lieth upon you now, than formerly 
 when I was with you. Remember, I beseech 
 you, that you watch as those that must give an 
 account, and that the adversary is going about 
 as a roaring lion, continually seeking whom he 
 may devour. Ah! my heart bleedeth to think 
 how much he prevaileth with the most part, 
 and how few there are who will lay hold on the 
 free offers of grace and salvation through a 
 redeemer, and come to Jesus that they may have 
 life. Edinburgh hath long had the plenty and 
 purity of the glorious gospel, but ah ! who hath 
 believed our report, and to whom is the arm of 
 the Lord revealed ? It is true the Lord hath a 
 remnant, yea, a precious remnant, among us, 
 else we should have been like to Gomorrah ; 
 but yet alas for the blindness and hardness, the 
 looseness and profanity of the most part, who 
 live, in effect, without God in the world : ah, 
 that in their day they might know the things 
 that belong to their peace, before they be hid 
 from their eyes ! I know there are many such 
 under your charge, but let me beseech you to be 
 serious with them, while you have occasion, and 
 to walk cxemplarily before them. It is not to 
 preachers only, but to all Christ's followers, in 
 their own place and station, that he saith, Let 
 your light so shine before men, that they seeing 
 your good works, may glorify your Father which 
 is in heaven. As for me, the Lord knoweth, 
 that as I have no greater grief by this restraint, 
 than my absence from you, (which would be a 
 deep sorrow indeed, but that I am persuaded of 
 the call of God to this piece of service that is 
 now put in my hands) so can I have no greater 
 joy and comfort, than to hear of all your happi- 
 ness, and of your love to the gospel, and care to 
 adorn the same by your holy and blameless 
 conversation. I shall add no more, but my 
 earnest request for your prayers before the throne 
 of grace ; and so recommending you aiui all the 
 flock, to him who is the great shepherd and 
 bishop of your souls, I rest, 
 
 Your servant for Christ's sake, 
 Jo. Stiklino. 
 Edinburgh, Sept. 11. 
 
 P. S. If it be possible, that j-our care and 
 mine together, could provide preaching in your 
 own church, till we know whether the Lord 
 will shorten this trial unto me, I wish we could 
 do it. 
 
74 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Tf560 ^^"o*^^ ^ good many of them were 
 let out of the castle, but still con- 
 fined to their chambers at Edinburgh, till the 
 sitting down of the parliament; some of 
 them had only their prison charged; and 
 several other ministers were seized, as we 
 may hear in the further accounts of the 
 procedure of the committee, which I come 
 now to hint at. 
 
 Mr. Archdeacon Eachard's account of 
 the imprisonment of those ministers, vol. iii. 
 p. 39, deserves our notice. In the progress 
 of this history, we shall find him once and 
 again giving very indistinct and unfair re- 
 presentations of our Scots affairs during the 
 period before me, in the short and lame 
 hints he hath. Here he speaks of those 
 / ministers as the prime managers of the 
 1 church of Scotland; whereas though they 
 "'were excellent persons, yet at this juncture 
 they were far from being the prime actors 
 in the church. We have seen that they 
 could scarce prevail to have any meeting 
 among brethren of their own sentiments, 
 and how thin the meeting they had was. 
 But this innuendo must be made, that they 
 were the prime ministers of the kirk party, 
 that the odium of the remonstrance, unlaw- 
 ful meetings, and seditious papers, and other 
 hard names now made use of against the 
 remonstrators, might lie upon all presby- 
 terian ministers. It would seem to be with 
 some such view as this, that he says. They 
 met and drew up a remonstrance. I can 
 scarce think this author is so absolute a 
 stranger to the Scots history, as to blend 
 the remonstrance formed ten years before, 
 with the petition drawn up by Mr. Guthrie 
 and the rest at this time, though we shall 
 meet with as gross mistakes in the celebrated 
 English writers when they treat of Scots 
 affairs. But one must think he would have 
 his reader believe, that all those excellent 
 ministers were remonstrants. An historian 
 ought to give every thing he speaks of its 
 own name, and not talk of a supplication 
 under that of a remonstrance. It was a 
 piece of greater justice in Mr. Eachard, a 
 few lines below, to take notice of the king's 
 proclamation concerning the carriage of his 
 subjects, November 1st, 1660, and candidly 
 to insert the clause discharging adchxsscs 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 to his majesty, except by the parliament or 
 committee of estates, with the promise of 
 an indemnity, which for private ends was 
 j long delayed. 
 
 Next day after the ministers were seized^ 
 the committee of estates go on to some- 
 what that was more extensive, and discharge 
 all meetings without the king's authority, 
 and seditious petitions. The proclamation 
 will stand best in its own light. 
 
 Proclamation by the committee of estates, 
 against unlawful meetings, and seditious 
 papers. At Edinburgh, August 24/A, 
 1G60. 
 " The committee of estates, in obedience 
 to his majesty's proclamation, being met 
 and taking to their serious consideration, 
 the gooc»!nes3 of God, who in his great 
 mercy hath restored the king's majesty to 
 the exercise of his royal government ; and 
 withal considering his majesty's great care 
 of, and affection to his ancient kingdom of 
 Scotland, in calling and authorizing the 
 said committee of estates to meet; and 
 they finding it their duty to prevent all 
 unlawful meetings, which may tend to the 
 prejudice of his majesty's service, or may 
 again involve his majesty's subjects into 
 new troubles, have thought fit, in his 
 majesty's name and authority, to prohibit, 
 and by these presents do prohibit and dis- 
 charge all unlawful and unwarrantable 
 meetings and conventicles, in any place 
 within his majesty's kingdom of Scotland, 
 without his majesty's special authority; and 
 likewise all seditious petitions and remon- 
 strances, under what pretext soever, which 
 may tend to the disturbance of the peace of 
 this kingdom, or alienating or diminishing 
 the affections of his majesty's subjects from 
 their due obedience to his majesty's lawful 
 authority ; and that under all highest pains. 
 And for that effect appoints all sheriffs of 
 shires, and magistrates of burghs, to be 
 careful within their respective bounds, that 
 no such pernicious and dangerous meetings 
 be permitted ; but that they may be pre- 
 vented, hindered, made known, and dis- 
 covered, to the committee of estates : and 
 ordains these presents to be printed and 
 published. Signed in the name, and 
 
CHAP. I.] 
 by warrant of 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 75 
 
 the committee of estates. 
 
 " Glencairn, Chancellor." 
 
 I. P. D. Com." 
 
 I shall not stay to make any observes 
 upon this proclamation. We need not be 
 critical upon the narrative and style; this 
 was a great and sudden change, and that 
 by people who had been acquainted with, 
 yea, active in a quite other method of 
 speaking and doing than this, which puts 
 all into the king's hand. Our people seem 
 to be cautious at first, nemo rcpentc Jit tur- 
 pissbnus ; and they only discharge unlawful 
 and unwarranted meetings, which all sides 
 raust own should be discharged : but then 
 the question is, what are these ? and all 
 seditious petitions and remonstrances are 
 discharged. Indeed the first seems to be 
 understood of all meetings not called and 
 authorized by the king; but it is not time 
 yet to speak out, till the great work and 
 excellent laws made after the year 1040 be 
 rescinded; and there is no doubt this pro- 
 clamation was very much against the present 
 laws, in the sense in which it is designed, 
 though the double and extensive phrases, 
 unlawful and unwarrantable, &c., screened 
 the members from attacks, 
 
 When the king's letter to the presbytery 
 
 1660. 
 
 From thence he was sent to the 
 castle of Stirling, and continued in 
 confinement till the parliament sat. Mr. Gil- 
 lespie indeed had fallen in very much with the 
 usurper, and was in this very much alone, and 
 few or none of the ministers followed him. 
 That same day, the committee of estates 
 confined IVIr. Robert Row, minister at 
 Abercom, and Mr, William Wiseheart, 
 minister at Kinneil, to their chambers at 
 Edinburgh. Both of them were excellent 
 persons, but suspected to favour the brethren 
 who were for the protestation, and had 
 used some freedom in their sermons. Upon 
 Thursday, September 20th, Mr. Wiseheart, 
 and with him provost JafFray, director of 
 chancellary, were imprisoned in Edinburgh 
 tolbooth. About the same time Mr. James 
 Guthrie was sent from Edinburgh castle to 
 StirUng, by order of the committee, where 
 he continued till the parliament called for 
 him in order to his trial, or near about that 
 time, when we shall again meet with him. 
 
 September 19th, a proclamation is pub- 
 lished against two known books : the first 
 writ, and long before printed, by the rev- 
 erend and learned JNIr. Samuel Rutherford, 
 entitled Lex Rex. The other supposed to 
 be drawn up by IVIr. James Guthrie, — the 
 Causes of God's Wrath. I have insert the 
 
 of Edinburgh came down, September 3d, ''tommittee's proclamation about them.* We 
 of which more just now, it rather heightened 
 than slackened the committee's procedure 
 against gentlemen and ministers. The 
 brethren for the public resolutions made 
 too much of it; and all who favoured the 
 protest and remonstrance were looked upon 
 almost as rebels and enemies to the king, 
 and accordingly dealt with by the committee, 
 who went on to censure, harass, and im- 
 prison them. Upon the 14th of September, 
 by their order, John Graham, provost of 
 Glasgow, and John Spreul, town-clerk there, 
 were imprisoned in Edinburgh tolbooth. 
 Both of them had been reckoned favourers 
 of the remonstrance, and yet they were 
 pious and excellent persons. The commit- 
 tee sent an order to the magistrates of 
 Glasgow, to oblige Mr. Patrick Gillespie, 
 principal of the college, to compear before 
 them; which he did: and September 15th, 
 was made prisoner in the castle of Edinburgh. 
 
 * A proclamation against two seditious books 
 or pamphlets, the one entitled Lex Rex, the 
 other, the Causes of God's Wrath, &c. 
 
 The committee of estates, now presently con- 
 vened by his mnjesty's special waiTant and 
 authority, taking into their consideration, that 
 there are two books, the one entitled Lex Rex, 
 and the other, the Causes of God's Wrath, &c. 
 printed and dispersed by some rebellious and 
 seditious persons within this kingdom, cun- 
 ningly, and of purpose to corrupt the minds of 
 his majesty's loyal subjects, to alienate and with- 
 draw them from that duty of love and obedience, 
 that they owe unto his sacred person and 
 greatness, stirring them up against his majesty 
 and kingly government, and containing many 
 things injurious to the king's majesty's person 
 and authority, laying the foundation and seeds 
 of rebellion, for the present and future genera- 
 tions: therefore, in consideration of the prem- 
 ises, the said committee of estates do declare the 
 said two books to be full of seditious and 
 treasonable matter, animating his ni.njesty's good 
 subjects to rise up in rebellion against their 
 lawful prince and sovereign, and poisoning their 
 hearts with many seditious and rebellious prin- 
 ciples, prejudicial to the king's majesty's peison, 
 
70 
 
 1 fifjn ^hall meet with a good many papers 
 of this nature afterwards. The com- 
 mittee introduce a phraseology, pretty much 
 out of doors for some time in Scotland, but 
 very much followed in the period I am 
 upon, how properly I am not to consider, 
 " the king's sacred gi'eatness." Very liberally 
 they determine the authors of those books, 
 and the printers and dispersers of them, to 
 be rebellious and seditious persons, " that 
 they contain many things injurious to the 
 king, and laying the foundation and seeds 
 of rebellion, that they are full of treason- 
 able matter," with many other hard words. 
 They call in the copies, and order them to 
 be delivered to Mi-. Robert Dalgleish, his 
 majesty's solicitor, in less than a month's 
 time ; and declare, that all and every one 
 who, after the 15th of October, shall have 
 any copies of them, shall not only be 
 esteemed enemies to the king, but punished 
 accordingly in their persons and estates. 
 Such summar declarations coming so near 
 the popish index prohibit orius, and their 
 inquisition, especially when pointed at books, 
 which will still be valued, where a sense of 
 religion and liberty prevails, may surprise 
 the reader ; but in a little time he will find 
 them turning common. Mr. Sharp, now 
 come down, had a particular quarrel with 
 Messrs. Rutherford and Guthrie, and pro- 
 
 his royal authority, and to tlie peace of this 
 kingdom : and that the foresaid two books ought 
 not to be read, perused, nor kept in the hands oi* 
 custody of any of his majesty's lieges ; but that 
 the same be called in, and delivered up, that his 
 majesty's good subjects be not longer infected or 
 poisoned thereby. And for this eifect they do 
 ordain all and whatsoever persons, havers of the 
 said books in their hands or custody, to bring 
 and deliver the same to Mr. Robert Dalgleish, 
 his majesty's solicitor in Scotland, betwixt and 
 the sixteenth day of October next to come : with 
 certification to aU and every one of these who 
 shall refuse to do the same, and with whom any 
 of the said books shall be found after the said 
 day, they, and each one of them, shall not only 
 be esteemed enemies to the king's majesty, his 
 authority, and tlie peace of this kingdom, but 
 also they shall be punished accordingly in their 
 persons and estates, as the king's majesty and 
 estates of parliament, or the said committee, 
 shall think fit. And ordain these presents to be 
 fortliwith printed and published at the market- 
 crosses of Edinburgh and head burghs within 
 the shires of this kingdom, that none pretend 
 ignorance hereof. Extracted forth of the books 
 of the said committee, by me, 
 
 Jo. Hay, Cler. Com. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [boOK I. 
 
 secuted it a little further than this public 
 mark upon those two books. In short, the 
 principles laid down in the first, never yet 
 disproven, and the plain facts in the last, 
 were diametrically opposite to the course 
 now entering on, and therefore they must 
 be prohibited. 
 
 The day following a more general thrust 
 is given against all whom the committee 
 were pleased to name remonstrants and 
 their adherents, in their proclamation, 
 September 20th, which I have likewise 
 added.* The paper speaks for itself with- 
 
 * A proclamation against all seditious I'ailers 
 and slanderers, whether civil or ecclesiastic, of 
 the king's majesty and his government; and 
 against remonstrators and their adherents., and 
 against all unlawful convocation of his majesty's 
 lieges. 
 
 At Edinburgh, the 20th of September, 1660. 
 
 The committee of estates, presently convened 
 by his majesty's specicd warrant and authority, 
 laying seriously to heart the great trust commit- 
 ted to them, for carrying on, ordering and using 
 of all means which may tend to the securing of 
 the peace of this kingdom, and maintaining and 
 furthering his majestj^'s power and authority 
 therein ; considering, that by many acts of par- 
 liament, all leasiug-makers, and tellers thereof, 
 makers of evil information, or engendering 
 discord betwixt tlie king and his people, all 
 reproachers or slanderers of his majesty, govern- 
 ment, or realms, depravers of his laws, miscon- 
 struers of his proceedings, meddlers in the affairs 
 of his estate ; as also, all hearers of any such 
 leasings, calumnies, or slanders, by word or 
 writ, and concealers thereof, should be punished 
 as seditious persons, enemies to his majesty, and 
 the pain of death to be executed upon them, as 
 at length is contained in the 43d act of king 
 James I. his Sd pari, the 83d act of king James 
 V. his 6th pari, the IS-lth act, pari. 8th, the 
 10th act, pari. 10th, the 205th act, pari. 14th, of 
 king James VI. and the 27th act of the 2d pari, 
 of his sacred majesty's umquhile dearest father, 
 of blessed memory ; which, more particularly in 
 relation to any such reproaches, lies, or calum- 
 nies, ccnceruing the kingdom of England, and 
 his majesty's worthy subjects therein, is expressly 
 prohibited by the 9th act of king James VI. his 
 20th pari, holden in anno 1609, under the pain 
 specified in the said act : likeas, all convocation 
 of his majesty's lieges, without his majesty's 
 special command, or express license, w^hatever 
 quality, estate, or function the persons be of, 
 spiritual or temporal, is expressly prohibited by 
 the 131st act, pari. 8th, king James VI. under 
 the pains therein contained. As also, the remon- 
 strance presented to the committee of estates, in 
 anno 1650, declared by his majesty and par- 
 liament, in July 1651, seditious and treasonable : 
 nevertheless, and albeit it hath pleased the 
 Almighty God, of his w^onderful goodness and 
 providence, happily to restore his sacred majesty 
 to the peaceable government of his ancient 
 kingdoms, and all his majesty's subjects to their 
 wonted peace, freedom, and privilege, which is 
 
CHAP. I.] 
 
 out any commentary. A large enumeration 
 is made of the laws and acts against leasing- 
 making, and particulai-ly calumnies against 
 his majesty's kingdom of England, and his 
 worthy subjects there. This pointed at 
 such, who in preaching or conversation 
 regretted the establishment of the hierarchy 
 and ceremonies there, contrary to the cove- 
 nants. The laws against all convocations 
 and meetings without the king's command, 
 which, if I mistake not, were rescinded 
 expressly by the parliaments, approven by 
 king Charles I., and all ratified by the 
 present king, are next set down, with the 
 declaration of the parliament, July, 1651, 
 that the remonstrance presented to the 
 
 (as it ou£;ht to be) a matter of ijreat rejoicing to 
 all good Christians, and loyalsubjects whatsoever, 
 both at homo and abroad : yet the said commit- 
 tee of estates, certainly knowing, and receiving 
 daily information, that several of his majesty's 
 lieges, and subjects within this kingdom, do, 
 contrary to the said acts of parliament, convo- 
 cate, convene, and assemble themselves, without 
 his majesty's special command and license ; and 
 that there are several scandalous seditious 
 speeches uttered and preached in sermons, decla- 
 mations, and otherwise, and several calumnious 
 pasquils, libels, rhymes, and other wrrits, devised, 
 vented, and published, to the reproach or slander 
 of his majesty's person, estate, or government : 
 as also, that several his majesty's subjects do 
 own, adhere to, avow, abet, or assist the foresaid 
 remonsti-ance, whereby his majesty's loyal, well 
 meaning subjects, may be drawn from their due 
 allegiance, and ensnared in such seditious com- 
 binations and meetings, and involved in their 
 said treasonable plots and practices, unless 
 timous remedy be provided : therefore, the 
 committee of estates, in his majesty's name 
 and authority, command and charge, that no 
 subject, or subjects within this kingdom, of 
 ■whatsoever qualitj', estate, or function they be 
 of, spiritual or temporal, presume, or take upon 
 hand, to convocate, convene, or assemble tliein- 
 selves together, for holding of councils, conven- 
 tions, or assemblies, to treat, consult, or deter- 
 minate in any matter of estate, civil or ecclesias- 
 tic (except in the ordinary judicatories), without 
 his majesty's speci.il command and express 
 license, had and obtained to that effect : as also, 
 that none of them, of whatsoever function, 
 degree, or quality, presume, nor take upon 
 hand, privately or publicly, in sermons, preach- 
 ings, declamations, speeches, or otherwise, by 
 word or writ, to utter, devise, or vent any pur- 
 pose of reproach, or slander, against his majesty's 
 person, estate, or government, his parents, or 
 progenitors, or to deprave his laws and acts of 
 parliament, or misconstrue his proceedings, 
 v^hereby any misliking may be moved betwixt 
 his majesty, and his nobility, and loving subjects, 
 or to meddle in the affairs of his majesty and 
 his estate, present, bygone, and in time coming ; 
 or to own, abet, or assist tl)e foresaid remon- 
 strance : with certification, they shall be pro- 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 committee of estates, 1650, against 
 
 77 
 
 1660. 
 
 malignants being employed in ofRccs, 
 was seditious and treasonable. Then the 
 committee having information, " that those 
 laws are contravened, by slanders on his 
 majesty and government, unlawful conven- 
 tions of the lieges, owning the remonstrance, 
 meddling in the affairs of his majesty, and 
 his estate, present and bygone, they dis- 
 charge the same under the pains contained 
 in the said laws, and declare that all who 
 hear any such leasings, calumnies, or sland- 
 ers, and reveal them not, shall incur tiie 
 same punishment with the principal offender. 
 And that the lieges being most easily en- 
 snared by seditious and treasonable courses 
 
 ceeded against, conform to the tenors of the said 
 respective acts of parliament. I-.ike<is, the said 
 committee of estates declare, that any person or 
 persons, who hear any su(;h leasing, calumny, 
 or slanderous speech, or shall see or have any 
 such pasquils, or writs, as aforesaid, and reveal 
 not the same to his majesty, or one of the said 
 committee, or to the sheriff, steward, or bailie of 
 the shire, stewards in regality or royalty, or to 
 the provost or one of the bailies within bui'gh, 
 as with best conveniency he may, by whom the 
 same may come to the knowledge of his majesty, 
 his p;u-lii)inent, the said committee of estates, or 
 his majesty's privy council, by whom the said 
 leasing- makers, and authors of such slanderous 
 speeches, may be called, tried, and piuiished, 
 according to the said acts ; in that case they 
 shall incur the like censure or punishment, as 
 the principal party oH'ender. And the said 
 committee of estates considering, that his ma- 
 jesty's lieges are subject more easily to be en~ 
 snared and enticed to any sucli seditious or trea- 
 sonable courses and practices, bj' ministers in 
 their sermons, prayers, declamations, and private 
 discourses ; the said committee do declare, that 
 upon information given to them of any thing 
 uttered or spoken, contrary to the tenor of the 
 j»receding act, the same being lawfully proven in 
 presence of the said committee, or parliament, 
 or his majesty's privy council, they summarily 
 will sequestrate their whole stipend, and im- 
 prison their person, until his majesty, parlia- 
 ment, or committee of estates, or any other 
 judge competent, shall proceed to the tinal cog- 
 nition and sentencing of their said crime or 
 crimes. And to the effect that this act and 
 ordinance may come to the knowledge of all his 
 majesty's lieges, ordain publication to be made 
 thereof, at the market-cross of Edinburgh, and 
 at the market-crosses of the head-burghs of the 
 shires ; and ordain the magistrates of the several 
 head burghs to send so many of the said procla- 
 mations to each collector of the assessment of 
 everj' shire, requiring the said collector to send 
 the same to the several parishes, that the fore- 
 said proclamation may be read after sermon, 
 and fixed upon the kirk-doors of each parish, 
 and upon the market-cross of each head burgh. 
 Extracted forth of the book of tlie said commit- 
 tee, by me, Jo. Hay, Cler. Com, 
 
16G0. 
 
 78 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 and practices by ministers in their 
 sermons, prayers, declarations, and 
 private discourses, they declare, that upon 
 information given, their stipends shall be se- 
 questrate, and their persons imprisoned;" 
 as the proclamation more fully bears. 
 
 This procedure opened a door to make 
 many offenders for a word, and nobody 
 against whom the present managers had a 
 design could escape. Ministers were attack- 
 ed for their sermons and other discourses ; 
 and many gentlemen, especially such who 
 favoured the remonstrance, were brought to 
 trouble. No small advantage was brought 
 about to the com*ses now entering upon, by 
 this proclamation. Two things wUl offer to 
 the reader, almost without my help ; the 
 most zealous of the ministers were laid open 
 to a prosecution, and others they hoped to 
 overawe into a sinful silence, in not giving 
 feithful warning to their flocks of the en- 
 croachments making upon our civil and sa- 
 cred rights. And though the protesters, as 
 they were termed, had the storm first falling 
 on them, yet good numbers of the resolu- 
 tioners, though silent for a little, under 
 hopes given them of a general assembly to 
 set matters right, and being deceived by the 
 letter to the presbytery of Edinburgh, very 
 soon fell under the pains in this proclama- 
 tion : and all, save the compUers with pre- 
 lacy, were sent to the furnace together. 
 Another view was, to influence and model 
 to the mind of the comt, the elections for 
 the ensuing parliament. 
 
 A great body of gentlemen of the best 
 estates and greatest interest in the nation, 
 who had appeared with the greatest vigour 
 for the work of reformation since the (year) 
 1637, and had likewise given the greatest 
 evidences of concern for the royal family, 
 under the usurpation, several of whom were 
 concerned in the remonstrance, behoved 
 now to be struck at. Their interest in shires 
 was great, they might be troublesome in 
 parliament, being heartily against arbitrary 
 power, and from principle attached to the 
 constitution of this church; and now the 
 managers behoved to be rid of them. Some 
 were cited before the committee, others 
 were confined; and thus their influence 
 upon elections was prevented. And no 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [l30UK J. 
 
 doubt, threatenings, and fear of danger, in 
 this unsettled time, prevailed with several to 
 lie by, so that the elections went pretty 
 smoothly on, according to the desire of the 
 managers. 
 
 Not having seen any full account of the 
 procedure of the committee, with relation to 
 gentlemen, and in prosecution of this severe 
 proclamation, I can give but some hints of 
 what they did, and no doubt much of their 
 work was under ground. At Edinburgh, as 
 we have heard, orders came down to seize 
 some of the most active gentlemen, before 
 the committee sat down. When the com- 
 mission came to secure Sir Archibald John- 
 ston of Warriston, major-general Morgan 
 was empowered to seize Sir James Stuart, 
 provost of Edinbiu-gh, and Sir John Chiesly 
 of Carswell, two gentlemen of very strict 
 morals, shining piety, considerable influence, 
 and singular for their loyalty to the king 
 under Oliver's government. By a trick. Sir 
 James was trepanned to convoy Sir John to 
 the castle of Edinburgh, and there the 
 major-general left them both the king's pris- 
 oners ; and for many yeai-s they continued 
 either under bond and baU, or confinement, 
 as a reward for their concern and sufferings 
 for the king's interest when at its lowest.* 
 
 Mr. John Harper, afterwards Sir John, m 
 Lanarkshire, was in September obliged to 
 sign the bond we shall just now hear of, and 
 to give baU that he should appear before 
 the committee or parliament to answer what 
 should be charged upon him, under the 
 highest pains. And September 26th, I find 
 Ker of Greenhead, and Pringle of Green- 
 know, are committed by the committee of 
 estates to the castle of Edinburgh, for al- 
 leged aiding, assisting, and partaking with 
 the remonstrators and seditious persons. 
 About this time Mr. Pringle of Torwoodlee, 
 as we may afterwai'ds hear, and several 
 others, were brought to no small trouble. 
 
 Upon the 10th of October, the committee 
 fugitate Su" Archibald Johnston of Warris- 
 ton, colonel Gilbert Ker, colonel David 
 
 * Mr. Kirkpatrick Sharpe states Sir John 
 Chiesly to have been originally the servant of 
 Mr. Alexander Henderson, and to have been 
 knighted by king Charles I. in the Isle of 
 Wight See Kirkton's History, p. 71.— -Erf. 
 
CHAP. I.] 
 
 Barclay, John Ilamc, Robert Andrew of 
 Little Tarbet, and William Dundas, late su- 
 pervisor. Their case was indeed peculiar : 
 they had been named trustees in Scotland 
 to Oliver Cronnvell ; and being at London 
 with William Purves and IVIr. Robert 
 Hodge, and pretty much involved in Crom- 
 well's affairs, were all discharged court, save 
 Warriston, who was before this come to 
 Scotland, and ordered to appear before the 
 parliament when it sat. Multitudes of other 
 gentlemen, in many shires upon the south 
 of Tay, were brought before the committee 
 of estates. If they had any tolerable in- 
 formations against them, as to their com- 
 pliances under the English, or their warm 
 side to the remonstrance and protestation, 
 then the following bond was offered them, 
 and to several ministers also, to sign ; bear- 
 ing the name and designation of the prin- 
 cipal person bound, and a cautioner for each, 
 wherein they were obliged, — " That the 
 principal party shall not in any manner of 
 way, directly or indu'ectly, plot, contrive, 
 speak, or do any thing tending, or what may 
 tend to the hurt, prejudice, or derogation of 
 his majesty's royal person, or any of that 
 royal family, or of his highness' power 
 and authority ; or shall act or do any thing, 
 directly or indirectly, tending, or that may 
 tend to the breach or disturbance of the 
 public peace of his majesty's dominions; 
 nor shall connive, or concur with what- 
 somever person or persons who shall con- 
 trive or do any such thing, as is before 
 mentioned : but shall, to the uttermost of 
 their power, stop and let any such plot or 
 doing; and compear personally before the 
 committee, sub-committee, or parliament, 
 upon a lawful citation. All which he prom- 
 ises to fulfil truly and really. And in case 
 of failie (failure), he and his cautioner, con- 
 junctly and severally, oblige themselves to 
 pay a high fine, by and attour what other 
 censure, personal or pecunial, by law may 
 be imposed upon the principal party his 
 transgression. And considering there was 
 a remonstrance presented to the committee 
 of estates, October 2-2d, 1650, and there- 
 after atlhered unto by many gentlemen and 
 others, by a bill given in to the said com- 
 mittee in November thereafter; which 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 79 
 
 1660. 
 
 remonstrances being by his majesty 
 and estates of parliament convened 
 at Stirling, June 1651, taken into considera- 
 tion, his majesty and estates by their act, 
 June 4th, 1651, declare the said remon- 
 strance to be scandalous and injurious to 
 his majesty's person, prejudicial to his 
 authority, dishonourable to the kingdom, 
 and a sowing division among his majesty's 
 subjects : therefore the said principal does 
 acknowledge the justice of the said act, and 
 obliges himself, that he shall not in any 
 time coming, dii'ectly or indirectly, own, 
 promote, or abet the said remonstrance, 
 under the highest pains that may follow 
 upon his person and estate." With a clause 
 of registration and execution, in common 
 form. 
 
 By threatenings, imprisonments, and other 
 harsh methods, not a few were brought to 
 subscribe this bond, and renounce the remon- 
 strance, in which the most part now har- 
 assed had no hand. But this was a good 
 handle to bear down and bring to trouble a 
 great many gentlemen and others who had 
 been most zealous and forward in the 
 work of reformation, and were looked on 
 as most opposite to the projects now on 
 foot, and thus the parliament was also 
 the better modelled for the work they had 
 to do. 
 
 A good many worthy ministers were at 
 this tune brought before the committee of 
 estates. October 13th, Mr, John Dickson, 
 minister of the gospel at Rutherglen, 
 appeared before them, and was imprisoned in 
 Edinburgh tolbooth. Information had been 
 given by Sir James Hamilton of Elistoun, 
 and some of his parishioners, of some expres- 
 sions he had used in a sermon, alleged to re- 
 flect upon the government and committee, and 
 tending to sedition and division. This good 
 man was kept in prison till the parliament 
 sat, his chiu-ch vacated, and he was brought 
 to much trouble. We shall afterwards find 
 him prisoner in the Bass, for near seven 
 years ; and yet he got tlirough his troubles, 
 returned to his charge at Rutherglen, and 
 for several years after the revolution served 
 his Master there, till his death in a good old 
 age ; while that family who pursued him is 
 a good while ago extinct, and their house. 
 
80 
 
 i„„, as Mr. Dickson very publicly fore- 
 told in the hearing of some yet 
 alive, after it had been a habitation for 
 owls, the foundation-stones of it are digged 
 up. The inhabitants there cannot but 
 observe that the informers, accusers, and 
 witnesses against Mi'. Dickson, some of 
 them then magistrates of the town, are 
 brought so low that they are sustained by 
 the charity of the parish. 
 
 Mr. James Nasmyth, minister of the 
 gospel at Hamilton, was likewise sisted 
 before the committee, for words alleged to 
 have been spoken by him many years 
 ago. About the year 1650, when Lambert 
 was in the church, it was alleged, he pressed 
 his heai-ers " to employ their power for 
 God, and not in opposition to the gospel, 
 otherwise they might expect to be brought 
 down by the judgment of God, as those 
 who went before were." Mr. Nasmyth 
 this year was imprisoned for some time, 
 and for several months kept from his 
 charge. Very soon after his liberation, he 
 was, with many others, turned from their 
 flocks. We shall meet with him after- 
 wards. 
 
 Mr. James Simpson, minister at Airth, 
 in Stirlingshire, when by an invitation from 
 Ireland he was going thither, to settle in a 
 congregation there, was seized at Port 
 Patrick, without any cause shown him. 
 Mr. Sharp, I know, had a particular pique 
 at him; they had been at London upon 
 different views some years ago ; but when 
 once in their hands, he was sisted before 
 the committee, and by them cast in prison, 
 where he continued till the parliament con- 
 vened, and they saw good, without any 
 trial, to banish this good man out of the 
 king's dominions. 
 
 The reader cannot but remark that all 
 those instances of severity, as well as many 
 that follow in this book, before Pentland, 
 yea even to Bothwell Bridge, can never be 
 palliate with the groundless pretences, that 
 those excellent persons were punished for 
 rebellion and treason. All of them owned 
 the king's authority; they had standing 
 law upon their side for much of what they 
 were quarrelled about, yea, laws made by 
 their very persecutors : a good many of 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK 1. 
 
 them had suffered much for liis majesty 
 
 when in exile; and this harsh treatment 
 was all they and hundreds more had in 
 return for their stedfast loyalty from a set 
 of people now in power, many of whom 
 had been deeply involved in compliance 
 with the usurper, and in most of those 
 very things for which those good persons 
 were now harassed. Having thus run 
 through the procedure of the committee 
 of estates to the middle of October, when 
 they adjourned for some days, it is high 
 time to look back a little to the letter fi-ora 
 the king, which Mr. Sharp brought with 
 him to the presbytery of Edinburgh ; which 
 was produced and timed to soften people's 
 spirits, under the attacks making by the 
 committee upon some of the most zealous 
 promoters of religion and reformation. 
 
 In the introduction we have had a pretty 
 large view of Mr. Sharp's procedure at 
 London, where matters were laid so in 
 secret as the constitution of this church 
 was to be overturned, and INIr. Sharp to be 
 at the head of the new frame to be erected. 
 That cunning apostate hastes down to 
 Scotland, and arrived at Edinburgh the 
 last day of August, and brought with him 
 the king's letter, directed to INIr. Robert 
 Douglas, to be communicated to the pres- 
 bytery of Edinburgh. Upon Saturday, 
 September 1st, some of the brethren of 
 Edinburgh being convened, Mr. Sharp de- 
 livered the letter to Mr. Robert Douglas, 
 and made report of his negotiation ; for 
 which the brethren gave him thanks, and 
 resolved to convene the presbytery of 
 Edinbm-gh, upon Monday, September 3d, 
 that from them copies might be transmitted 
 to other presbyteries, and a himible return 
 made to his majesty. Accordingly they 
 met, and the letter was ordered to be com- 
 municate to all other presbyteries, as being 
 of public concern; and a committee was 
 ordered to draw up a retui'n to the king 
 and a letter to the secretary, both of which 
 I find approven, September 20th, The 
 king's letter to 'Mr. Douglas hath been 
 more than once printed, and the reader 
 will no doubt expect it here. 
 
 " Charles R. Trusty and well beloved, 
 we greet you well. By the letter you sent 
 
CHAP. 1.] 
 
 to us with this bearer, Mr. James Sharp, 
 and by the account he gave of the state of 
 our church there, we have received full 
 infonnation of your sense of our sufferings, 
 and of your constant affection and loyalty 
 to our person and authority ; and therefore 
 we will detain him here no longer (of 
 whose good services we are very sensible), 
 nor will we delay to let you know by him, 
 our gracious acceptance of yoiu* address, 
 and how well we are satisfied with your 
 carriages, and with the generality of the 
 ministers of Scotland in this time of 
 trial, whilst some under specious pretences 
 swerved from that duty and allegiance they 
 owed to us. And because such, who by 
 the countenance of usurpers, have disturbed 
 the peace of that our church, may also 
 labour to create jealousies in the minds of 
 well-meaning people, we have thought fit 
 by this to assure you, that, by the grace of 
 God, we resolve to discountenance pro- 
 fanity, and all contemners and opposers of 
 the ordinances of the gospel. We do also 
 resolve to protect and preserve the govern- 
 ment of the church of Scotland, as it is 
 settled by law, without violation; and to 
 countenance, in the due exercise of theii* 
 functions, all such ministers who shall be- 
 have themselves dutifully and peaceably as 
 becomes men of their calling. We will 
 also take care that the authority and acts 
 of the general assembly at St. Andrews 
 and Dundee, 1651, be owned and stand in 
 force untU we shall call another general 
 assembly (which we purpose to do as soon 
 as our affairs will permit), and we do intend 
 to send for Mr. Robert Douglas, and some 
 other miiusters, that we may speak with 
 them in what may further concern the 
 affaii's of that church. And as we are 
 very well satisfied with your resolution not 
 to meddle without your sphere, so we do 
 expect that church judicatories in Scotland, 
 and ministers there, will keep within the 
 compass of their station, meddling only 
 with matters ecclesiastic, and promoting our 
 authority and interest with ouj subjects 
 against all opposers; and that they will 
 take special notice of such, who, by preach- 
 ing, or private conventicles, or any other 
 way, transgress the limits of their calling. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 81 
 
 1660. 
 
 by endeavouring to corrupt the 
 people, or sow seeds of disaffection 
 to us or our government. This you shall 
 make known to the several presbyteries 
 witliin that our kingdom : and as we do give 
 assurance of our favour and encouragement 
 to you, aod to all honest deserving ministers 
 there, so we earnestly recommend it to you, 
 that you be earnest in your prayers, public 
 and private, to Almighty God, who is our 
 Rock and our Deliverer, both for us, and for 
 our government, that we may have fresh and 
 constant supplies of his grace, and the right 
 improvement of all his mercies and deliver- 
 ances, to the honour of his great name, and 
 the peace, safety, and benefit of all our king- 
 doms. And so we bid you heartily fare- 
 well. Given at our court at Whitehall, 
 the 10th of August 1660, and of our reign 
 the 12th year. 
 
 " By his majesty's special command, 
 " Lauderdale." 
 
 Directed, " To our truly and well 
 beloved, Mr. Robert Douglas, min- 
 ister of the gospel in our city of 
 Edinburgh; to be communicated 
 to the presbytery of Edinburgh." 
 
 Reflections upon this letter are in some 
 measure needless, the after management 
 makes the design of it obvious ; and the 
 letter discovers itself to be of Mr. Sharp's 
 penning : its expressions are extremely 
 well calculate to lull all asleep till matters 
 were ripe for a thorough change; a very 
 full testimony is given to the loyalty and 
 affection of the presbyterian ministers of 
 this church to the king under his sufferings, 
 which was so glaring that it could not be 
 hid, and yet the declaring of it was as 
 severe a reproach as could be upon the 
 authors of their maltreatment. The in- 
 nuendo that follows upon those who swerved 
 from their duty and allegiance to the king, 
 is a sensible proof of the confidence and 
 disingenuity of Mi". Sharp, who, though he 
 designed this against the protesters, knew 
 well enough, that not a minister of the 
 church of Scotland, as far as I know, no 
 not Mr. Gillespie, had swerved so far from 
 their allegiance, as to take the tender, or 
 offered to come in to any measm'es Crom- 
 well would lay down j and yet his own 
 
82 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ippn conscience could not but reproach 
 him as guilty of this. We shall have 
 occasion afterwards to notice the double- 
 faced expression, of protecting and pre- 
 serving the government of the church, " as it 
 is settled by law." The promise of calling a 
 general assembly was what Mr. Sharp never 
 designed to be performed; Mr. Douglas 
 was never sent for, nor any other ministers : 
 in short, Mr. Sharp took care that none of 
 those things set down here as blinds should 
 ever be done ; so that the earl of jVIiddle- 
 ton's reflection upon it seemeth to have 
 been very just and natural. This nobleman 
 had not seen the draught till the king had 
 agreed to it, and the matter was over. 
 When he read it, he appeared in some con- 
 cern at its contents, and the promises in it, 
 as thwarting with what he and Mr. Sharp 
 had concerted. And when he was told, 
 that notwithstanding of any thing in the 
 letter, when his lordship went down to 
 Scotland, he might rescind the laws now in 
 force, and then episcopacy remained the 
 church government settled by law : the earl 
 replied, " That might be done, but for his 
 share he did not love that way, which 
 made his majesty's first appearance in Scot- 
 land to be in a cheat." 
 
 Such was the charity of INIr. Douglas 
 and many other worthy ministers, that they 
 did not suspect a trick here ; and really it 
 was so harsh a construction to suppose a 
 man of Mr. Sharp's profession to venture 
 upon so public and gross an imposition 
 upon the king, as to make his majesty 
 superscribe such a letter, and send it down 
 full of such promises and expressions, and 
 meanwhile to be projecting the contrary, 
 that we need scarce wonder the snare was 
 not observed ; and therefore the letter was 
 extremely hugged, and a return made to it, 
 agreeable to what might be expected from 
 «uch who believed Mr. Sharp and the king 
 to have been in earnest. The presbytery 
 of Edinburgh caused print and spread the 
 king's letter through the nation, and found 
 it convenient it should be kept among 
 the public records of the chiu-ch ; and 
 therefore it was delivered by Mr. Douglas 
 to Mr. Andrew Ker, clerk to the general 
 assembly, to be kept by him, as said is ; and 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 the presbytery agreed to, and signed the 
 following return to it : 
 
 " Most gracious Sovereign, 
 " We your majesty's faithful subjects and 
 humble servants, the ministers and elders of 
 the presbytery of Edinburgh, did receive your 
 majesty's gracious letter, upon the 3d ct 
 this instant (a day which we were formerly 
 made to remember with sorrow), and in 
 obedience to your royal command therein 
 contained, have transmitted copies thereof 
 to all the presbyteries in this your majesty's 
 ancient kingdom, which we hope shall very 
 speedily come to all their hands. And as 
 we are assured it will be most refreshful to 
 them, so we hold it our duty, by this our 
 humble address, to signify to your majesty, 
 how much it hath revived our spirits, and 
 excited us to bless the Lord our God, who 
 hath put and continued such a purpose in 
 your royal heart, to preserve and protect 
 the government of this church without 
 violation. We have been made to groan 
 under the tjTanny of usurpers, who did let 
 loose swarms of errors and confusions to 
 invade the comely order of this poor 
 chm'ch, (though, we bless God, without 
 that success that was expected and desired 
 by them :) now we are made to say, ' This 
 is our God, we have waited for him j' when 
 we see your sacred majesty, by a supreme 
 and stupendous hand of Providence settled 
 upon your throne, and do find the warm 
 beams of royal authority reaching even to 
 us, in countenancing church order, whereby 
 any disturbances that are among us, may, by 
 the blessing of the Almighty, come to a 
 good issue. We are unwilling to interrupt 
 yom- majesty in yoiu- weighty affliirs, seeing 
 by your majesty's secretary, we may repre- 
 sent our humble desires in reference to this 
 church, (and we bless the Lord, who hath 
 directed yom* majesty to make choice of 
 such a faithful and able person for that 
 weighty employment, and one who is so 
 well acquainted with the affairs of this 
 church:) but we trust that your majesty 
 will pardon, that at this time we could not 
 forbear this immediate address, whereby we 
 might express otir loyalty and fidelity to 
 your majesty, our joy in the Lord for your 
 happy restitution, and how much we, and 
 
CHAP. 1.] 
 
 all good people here, arc comforted m the 
 expressions of your majesty's moderation, 
 your abhorrence of profanity, and your 
 tender favour to faithful ministers, and the 
 ordinances of the gospel administrate by 
 them, and particularly to the church govern- 
 ment settled among us, in the enjoyment 
 whereof this church hath been so happy. 
 And though some rony be ready to traduce 
 tliis government, because in the late times 
 of confusion and usurpation (wherein men 
 made it their interest to break us) the 
 church judicatories have not been able to 
 prevent all disorders, (as no church govern- 
 ment, when so discountenanced and borne 
 down, can effectually and universally reach 
 its end in a national church ;) yet now your 
 majesty proving so tender a nursing father, 
 we trust it shall appear, that those judi- 
 catories are ordinances of Jesus Christ, 
 which will most effectually bear down error, 
 profanity, and schisms, as formerly they have 
 been blessed for that effect. And as here- 
 tofore they have given proof of their loyalty 
 and fidelity to your majesty, in a great trial 
 of afflictions, it may certainly be expected 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 83 
 
 1G60. 
 
 John Miln, George Laiity, 
 A(l;im Cuiiinghum, James Wiii- 
 drum, James Scot, George Fowlis, Robert 
 Dalgleish, Alexander Elies." 
 
 Jointly with this, another letter was sent 
 to the earl of Lauderdale, then secretary 1/ 
 of state, which desei-ves its own room in this 
 history, and so it follows : 
 " Right honourable, 
 
 " Among other the Lord's great favours to 
 this long distracted church and kingdom, 
 we cannot forbear thankfully to acknowledge 
 his providence, who hath put it in his 
 majesty's heart to make choice of your 
 lordship for that weighty employment, 
 wherein you may have opportunity to em- 
 ploy those talents, wherewith the Supreme 
 Dispenser of all gifts hath endued you, in 
 his majesty's and your country's service; 
 and may also be in a condition to see to 
 the safety and welfare of our mother-churcli, 
 in the interests whereof you have been 
 pleased so much to concern yourself, as 
 hath been made known to us by your letters to 
 some of our number, to our exceeding satis- 
 faction and refreshment. This doth encour- 
 
 that they \vill stiJJ acquit themselves so in age us to put your lordship to the trouble 
 
 their stations, as may witness that the 
 ministers of Christ are taught of him to pay 
 all duty to authority; and that the principles 
 of our church government lead them to be 
 loyal. And for our parts it is our constant 
 resolution, by the grace of God, to behave 
 ourselves as becometh messengers and ser- 
 vants of the Prince of Peace, and to pray that 
 the Lord may preserve and bless your ma- 
 jesty, and lead you forth in his right hand 
 in the exercise of your royal government, 
 for the good and comfort of all your do- 
 minions and the lovers of truth and peace 
 therein, as is the duty of 
 
 " Your sacred majesty's loyal subjects 
 and humble servants, 
 
 "Messrs. J. Reid moderator, Robert Doug- 
 las, David Dickson, James Hamilton, 
 John Smith, Robert La\vrie, George 
 Hutcheson, Thomas Garven, Alexander 
 Dickson, James Nairn, Alexander Hut- 
 cheson, John Hog, George Kiiitore, John 
 Knox, Andrew Cant, Robert Rennet, 
 John Charters, John Colvil, David Reedy, 
 Robert Hunter, William Dalgleish, Peter 
 Blair, Charles Lumsden, John Lawder, 
 
 of presenting the enclosed addi-ess to his 
 majesty, wherein we do humbly express our 
 sense of his majesty's gracious letter direct 
 to us, which we had purposed only to 
 signify to your lordship, that you might have 
 acquainted his majesty therewith, but that 
 it lay so much upon our hearts for this once 
 to witness by our immediate address how 
 much we are refreshed by that mercy. We 
 will not doubt of your lordship's pardon for 
 this trouble, and do presume to beg for the 
 continuance of your favour to this poor 
 church, that, as occasion shall offer, you 
 will be pleased to represent to his majesty, 
 what may be found necessary for the pro- 
 moving of the kingdom of Jesus Christ 
 among us. And since your lordship's good- 
 ness hath prompted you to offer your assist- 
 ance in what may concern the church and 
 the honest ministers thereof, we know you 
 will not take it ill, if from time to time we 
 presume to acquaint you with our desires, 
 in reference to those concernments, as 
 knowing that the service is the Lord's, and 
 that your reward is in heaven, through Jesus 
 
1660. 
 
 Sif THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Christ, to whose rich grace we do 
 heartily recommend your lordship, 
 and ai'e in him, 
 
 " My lord, 
 " Your lordship's very humble servants, 
 the presbytei-y of Edinburgh, and in 
 their name, and at their command, 
 <' Mb. James Reid, Moderator. 
 
 " Edinburgh, September 20th, 1660." 
 Du-ected, " To the right honour- 
 able the earl of Lauderdale, 
 
 secretary of estate tohis majesty, 
 
 for the kingdom of Scotland." 
 
 We shall find afterwards the synod of 
 Lothian made a return to the king's letter 
 in November; but before I come to that, 
 let me take in the rest of the procedure of 
 the committee of estates. 
 
 Upon the IGth of October the com- 
 mittee of estates published a proclamation, 
 laying on a month's cess for the paying of the 
 commissioner's charges, who was to repre- 
 sent his majesty in parliament; another for 
 raising three months' cess, to pay and disband 
 the soldiers yet in Scotland ; and a third, 
 for searching for, and apprehending the lord 
 Warriston, with a reward of five thousand 
 merks to any who should bring hun in. 
 Whatever the necessity might be to have 
 money at this time, not a few questioned 
 the power of this committee to impose 
 taxes upon the subjects, and to act contrary 
 to several standing laws unrepealed, and 
 they alleged several clauses of theii- procla- 
 mations were direct infringements of the 
 laws made since the reformation. 
 
 After they had published those proclama- 
 tions they adjourned till the 1st of Novem- 
 ber. During this recess, October 17th, the 
 books formerly mentioned. Lex Rex, and 
 the Causes of God's Wrath, were burnt at 
 Edinburgh by the hand of the hangman ; no 
 doubt, by order of the committee, though I 
 do not observe any clause for this in the 
 proclamation. It was much easier to burn 
 those books, than to answer the reasonings 
 and facts in them. 
 
 November 1st, a proclamation was pub- 
 lished with much solemnity, for holding a 
 parliament at Edinburgh, upon the 12th of 
 December : the tenor whereof was, 
 
 " Charles, by the grace of God, &c. greet- 
 ing. The confusions and troubles, by which 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 our good subjects of this our ancient king- 
 dom of Scotland have those many years 
 been deprived of that peace and happiness 
 they might justly have expected in the 
 administration of our royal government 
 among them, being now by the special 
 blessing of Almighty God happily removed, 
 we have thought fit to let you know that 
 we still retain the same tenderness and 
 good affection towards you ; and as we will 
 cheerfully interpose our authority in what 
 may be for your good and welfare, and for 
 securing the just privileges and liberties of 
 our people, so we do expect from them 
 those dutiful returns of obedience, and sub- 
 jection to our person and authority, which 
 are suitable to their obligations, and the 
 duty of loyal subjects. And conceiving 
 that a parliament, in its right constitution, 
 will at this time be a ready mean for estab- 
 lishing a finn peace to our people, and for 
 settling all religious and civil, public and 
 private interests ; we have therefore thought 
 fit to call a meeting of our estates of par- 
 liament, to be kept at Edinburgh, December 
 1 2th, next to come. Our will is herefore, &c. 
 In common form usual in those cases, that 
 shires and burghs choose their members 
 according to law. 
 
 " Lauderdale. 
 " Whitehall, October JO. 
 
 " A. Primrose, clerk-raster." 
 
 The same day another proclamation was 
 published, which deserves a room here. 
 The title of it is : 
 
 The king's majestj/'s procla7naiion, con- 
 cerning the carriage of his subjects during 
 the late troubles. 
 
 " Charles, &c. We being now, by the 
 special blessing of God Almighty, returned 
 to the exercise of our royal power, and 
 government of our kingdoms; and being 
 desirous to improve this mercy to the best 
 advantage of our people, have thought fit to 
 call a meeting of our estates of parliament 
 of this our ancient kingdom of Scotland, as 
 a ready mean, after so long troubles, for 
 settling a firm and lasting peace, in confirm- 
 ing the just liberties of our subjects, for 
 vindicating our honour, and asserting our 
 ancient royal prerogative, by which alone 
 
CHAP. I.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 85 
 
 the liberties of our people can be preserved. 
 And as we do therein rely upon the loyalty, 
 prudence, and care of our parliament, so we 
 do absolutely leave and commit to them, the 
 tr}'ing and judging of the carriage of our 
 subjects, during those troubles : concerning 
 which, we will from henceforth receive 
 information and address only from our par- 
 liament, or committee of estates, to whom 
 in the meantime we have recommended 
 the preparing and ordering of that affair, 
 and to whom alone, any of our people that 
 are interested, may freely, and can only 
 make their applications ; and which we have 
 hereby thought fit to make known to all our 
 public ministers and subjects, whom it doth 
 concern, and who may thereby find, that 
 we have given an undoubted evidence of 
 our affection to, and confidence in our 
 
 1660. 
 
 with the prerogative; and indeed 
 it is the first time I have observed 
 such an expression, " the king's prerogative, 
 by which alone, the liberties of the people 
 can be preserved." The king's prerogative 
 under the ancient restrictions of it in Scot- 
 land, was helpful to preserve liberty ; but that 
 ever, especially in the illimited sense here, 
 it was the alone way to preserve liberty, 
 is what I cannot persuade myself of. In 
 a word, we may perceive, that the managers 
 were willing to have all absolutely in their 
 hand, and preclude all access to the king, 
 that they might have the entire disposal of 
 persons and their estates : in order to 
 which, every body is prohibited to leave the 
 kingdom without permission; and the king's 
 indemnity was suspended for a long time, 
 till they had made their market, by the act 
 
 people, by making themselves judges of of fines, which, we shall hear, brought little 
 
 what may concern both our and their own 
 interests. And hereby we do further assure 
 them, that our own honoiu", and the honour 
 of that our ancient kingdom, being vindicate, 
 and the ancient prerogative of the crown 
 being asserted, we will grant such a full 
 and free pardon, and act of indemnity, as 
 shall witness there is nothing we are more 
 desirous of, than that our people may be 
 blessed with abundance of happiness, peace, 
 and plenty under our government. And we 
 do hereby command you, our heralds, pur- 
 suivants, and messengers at arms, to pass and 
 make publication thereof at the market-cross 
 of Edinburgh, and other places needfiil, and 
 in our name and authority, to command, 
 charge, and inhibit all and sundry our sub- 
 jects in Scotland, that none of them pre- 
 sume to go out of the country, without 
 license of the committee of estates, under 
 pain of being esteemed and pursued as con- 
 temners of our authority. Given at our 
 court at Whitehall, the 12th day of October, 
 in the 12th year of our reign, 1660. By 
 his majesty's command, 
 
 " Lauderdale." 
 This proclamation is most plausibly 
 drawn ; and the greatest concern seems to 
 appear for the good of the people, and the 
 maintaining their privileges and liberty. But 
 then, by the paper itself, we are put in mind 
 that it is only such liberty as is consistent 
 
 to the pockets of the first projectors of it, 
 though afterwards the fines were severely 
 exacted, to the oppression of the country, 
 and the raising the first open disturbance of 
 the peace. 
 
 Little more remarkable offers this year. 
 September I3th, the king's brother, the 
 duke of Gloucester, died ; and the English 
 parliament, after they had done every thing 
 the court desired, were adjomnied ; and 
 December 29th, they were dissolved. In 
 September, the English forces left Scotland, 
 having been here since September 1650, 
 and kept this kingdom under subjection for 
 ten years. At this time came on the elec- 
 tion of magistrates for the royal burghs; 
 and such were generally chosen, who fell in 
 with the measures of the court. Robert 
 Murray, merchant in Edinburgh, knighted 
 November 1st, follo\ving, was provost of 
 Edinburgh; John Campbell, elder, was chosen 
 provost of Glasgow; John Walkinshaw, 
 James Bai-ns, and John Ker, bailies; and 
 generally speaking, all who had been active 
 in the work of reformation, during the for- 
 mer period, were now turned out of all trust. 
 
 The 5th day of November was kept this 
 year with great solemnity; and we shall 
 afterward find laws made for the perpetual 
 observation of it. In the beginning of No- 
 vember, the synod of Lothian met at Edin- 
 burgh, and sent up an address to the king. 
 
86 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 16G0. 
 
 by way of return to his letter above 
 inserted, a copy of which I have not 
 seen : but by an original letter from Mr. Dick- 
 son and Mr. Hutcheson to the earl of Lauder- 
 dale, writ November 10th, I find them ac- 
 quainting his lordship, " that their synod had 
 convened that week, and he was shortly to re- 
 ceive their humble return to his majesty from 
 the moderator, wherein they have given a 
 fiill return to every part of his majesty's graci- 
 ous letter." They send him a copy of the 
 act of the synod, concerning those in their 
 bounds who have been engaged in schisma- 
 tical courses, a copy of which I have not 
 seen. They add, " We indeed believe, that 
 the way of clemency and moderation towards 
 the crowd of those who have been misled, 
 and who shall renounce their course (as 
 some in our synod are already doing), will 
 in the issue prove most for the good of his 
 majesty's aftau's ; and, we doubt not, will be 
 most acceptable to him." They close their 
 letter with some remarks upon a draught of 
 a proclamation, for calling a general assem- 
 bly, communicate to them privately by Mr. 
 William Sharp, and offer " some alterations 
 fit to be made, to discover his majesty's mod- 
 eration to such as have made wrong steps." 
 Whether the king, and the nobility now at 
 the helm, really designed to call a general 
 assembly, or if this was another blind of Mr. 
 James Sharp, to keep off applications for an 
 assembly, which would have ruined his am- 
 bitious designs, I know not; but nothing 
 was done effectually in it, and the alterations 
 craved, are mostly softenings in relation to 
 the anti-resolutioners, upon whom, it would 
 seem, the plan of the proclamation was very 
 hard. They would have the expression, 
 " turbulent and fanatic spirits," changed, 
 and the phrase, " employing of power for re- 
 moving rotten members," run thus, " but 
 likewise the power wherewith God hath 
 trusted him, to prevent the further endan- 
 gering the safety, peace, union, and order of 
 the church." Instead of the restrictions 
 mentioned in the draught, to prevent the 
 election of some pointed at, they propose 
 this general clause, " requiring those, who 
 by the acts and constitutions of this church 
 are allowed to sit in assemblies, to convene 
 in an assembly at the time appointed." And 
 
 LBCOK I. 
 
 they very earnestly desire the prohibitory 
 clause, of persons so and so qualified in the 
 draught, " their not sitting in any judicatory, 
 till they have renounced," &c. may be re- 
 considered : and they observe, " That what- 
 ever may be the case as to general assem- 
 blies, where members are elected out of in- 
 ferior judicatories, yet in this church, so long 
 as ministers are not deposed or suspended, 
 they are certainly members of sessions, pres- 
 byteries, and synods, as being a privdlege 
 flowing immediately from the office of the 
 ministry, without any super\'enient commis- 
 sion." Another letter I have before me, 
 written by the same persons, November 13th, 
 to the earl of Middleton, which is merely 
 taken up in expressions of their concern for 
 his lordship, and their expectations of kind- 
 ness from him to the church, and the inter- 
 ests of the gospel, and judicatories of Christ, 
 which his majesty hath resolved to coun- 
 tenance, protect, and preserve without \iola- 
 tion ; and containing nothing of public con- 
 cern, I say no more of it. 
 
 This month, George Campbell, sheriff- 
 depute of Argyie, was imprisoned, as hav- 
 ing been concerned with the marquis of Ar- 
 gyie in several matters, for which he was 
 now called in question. But, upon what 
 \iews I shall not say, the sheriff was par- 
 doned, and got a remission. Toward the 
 beginning of December the marquis of Ar- 
 gyie was brought down to Edinburgh, the 
 account of which will fall in afterwai'ds. 
 December 10th, our Scots parliament is ad- 
 journed till January 1st, because matters 
 were not fully concerted at London, as to 
 church government and other heads. The 
 funerals of king Charles L, January 29th, 
 and the coronation of the king, designed to 
 be February 12th, and some other important 
 matters at London, took the king so up, 
 that our Scots affairs behoved to be delayed. 
 Upon the 18th of December, the ship 
 which had on board the registers and re- 
 cords of the kingdom of Scotland, which 
 had been taken up to London by Cromwell, 
 as a badge of our subjection, and were 
 now sent down in a ship of Kirkaldy, un- 
 happily perished at sea, to the great loss of 
 the nation: there eighty-five hogsheads of 
 papers, and many original records were lost ; 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURC 
 
 and it was unaccountable such a ti'easure 
 should have been sent down by sea, and an 
 unlucky thing, not to say omen, to Scotland. 
 The earl of Middleton came down to 
 Hol}Tood-house upon the last day of this 
 year, commissioner to this new parliament, 
 and was met upon his way with great solem- 
 nity. The king allowed him nine hundred 
 merks per day for his table. From a vol- 
 unteer he was raised to a major, and for his 
 close adherence to the king in his troubles, 
 he made him first lord Fettercairn, and then 
 earl of Middleton, and now high commis- 
 sioner to the parliament. He continued in 
 favour, till he began to engross the fines and 
 places of trust and power to himself and 
 his friends, and then the earl of Lauderdale 
 got him turned out, and managed all for 
 many years in Scotland. Before this, mat- 
 ters had been prepared, and all was in readi- 
 ness. The two eastmost kirks of St. Giles 
 were turned into one, and the king's seat 
 put up, and lofts made for the conveniency 
 of the commissioner and members. The 
 crown and sceptre, preserved by the earl 
 marshal in the late troubles, were brought 
 to Edinburgh, and it was resolved to ride 
 the parli'\ment upon the first day of the new 
 year. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 OF THE STATE AND SUFFERINGS OF PRESBY- 
 TERIANS, DURING THE YEAR 1661. 
 
 ^CC^ I HAVE not seen any distinct account 
 of the overturning of our refonna- 
 tion estabUshment by presbyterian govern- 
 ment in this church of Scotland, and the 
 vast changes made at this time in religious 
 and civil affairs : therefore I have ventured 
 to give the larger account of this great turn, 
 and drawn it from a good many original 
 papers and authentic accounts, which will 
 let us into the springs of it. The parlia- 
 ment convened the first day of this j^ear, 
 and laid the foundations for all that after- 
 ward follows upon presbyterians, till the 
 Lord " turned back their captivity as streams 
 in the south," at the happy and glorious re- 
 volution, 1688, and so I have given the ful- 
 ler accounts of what they did. Besides the 
 
 H OF SCOTLAND. S7 
 
 general attacks made by them ,„„. 
 upon our laws and constitution, 
 a good many worthy ministers were brought 
 to very much trouble and hazard, as well 
 as some gentlemen and others. This re- 
 markable year will likewise bring me to 
 the martyrdom of our three first worthies 
 in this church ; the truly great and noble 
 marquis of Argyle, the reverend and 
 leai'ned Mr. James Guthrie, and the excel- 
 lent lord Warriston : the last, though for- 
 feited this year, yet his warfare not being 
 accomplished till some time after, I shall 
 delay the accounts of him to their own place, 
 1663. There were some efforts made by 
 the ministers of the church of Scotland for 
 the preserving of oiu* valuable constitution ; 
 and though one would have wished they 
 had made a greater stand than they could 
 now in their unhappy circumstances, yet 
 really more was done by them than is gen- 
 erally known, though without any success. 
 When the parliament was up, the privy 
 council is erected, and they had the execu- 
 tion of the laws made put in their hands ; 
 and we shall find them beginning the work 
 of persecution upon noblemen, ministers, 
 and others this year, and going on with it 
 for about twenty-fom* years, with less or 
 more severity, as answered the managers' 
 aims ; of which I shall essay as distinct an 
 account from their registers and records, as 
 I can gather up. By order from the king, 
 towards the end of the year, prelacy is 
 erected, and the judicatories of the church, 
 which had met under fonner prelacy, are 
 upon the matter stopped in their meetings, 
 and our bishops consecrate in England. 
 These, with some other ii^.cidental things, 
 will furnish matter for seven or eight sec- 
 tions upon this chapter. 
 
 SECT. I. 
 
 Of the laws and actings of the first session of 
 jmrliament, in as far as they concern the 
 church, with some obvious reviarks. 
 
 This first parliament after the restoration, 
 beginning with this year, and by their act- 
 ings paving the way for all the sufferings I 
 am to give the relation of, it will be projter 
 
88 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 l«ci I begin tliis chapter with some 
 account of their procedure, from 
 the printed acts of parliament, the regis- 
 ters of that high court, and other nar- 
 ratives come to my hand. We shall find 
 this parliament making a general attack upon 
 the constitution of this national church; 
 and that deserves our consideration be- 
 fore the sufferings of particular persons, 
 noblemen, ministers, and others. Our 
 first martyrs and sufferers were attacked 
 for things done agreeable to standing law ; 
 and therefore the first step of our managers 
 was to open a door for a more justifiable, at 
 least legal prosecution of honest people, 
 who stood up for religion, liberty, and pro- 
 perty : so they resolved piece by piece to 
 remove the hedges which were about all 
 those, and bring in a new set of laws, which 
 deserve the most serious reflection of the 
 reader, who would understand the true state 
 of the sufferings of the church of Scotland, 
 during this whole period I am describing. 
 
 The author pretends to no further know- 
 ledge of our laws, than what the bare read- 
 ing of the acts of parliament, with a little 
 reflection upon them, affords him. He 
 wishes that some person versed in our Scots 
 statutes, and the laws of other kingdoms, 
 would bestow some thoughts upon the laws 
 of this black period : however, the reader is 
 like to have this benefit, that all the obser- 
 vations and remarks offered, will be plain 
 and easy, and the native product of a gene- 
 ral view of our records. When once I have 
 made some general remarks upon the dis- 
 position and circumstances of this first par- 
 liament, I shall go on to offer a few obvious 
 observations upon the acts and procedure 
 of this first session, in as far as they relate 
 to religion, and the sufferings of this church. 
 
 That the reader may have some idea of 
 the temper and genius of this parliament, I 
 shall take the liberty, with all truth and 
 freedom, to give a short account of a few 
 matters of fact, abundantly notour in the 
 time I am writing of, but now perhaps not 
 so much known. And there is the greater 
 room for plainness and freedom here, since 
 I abstract from names and persons, that, as 
 soon as the yoke of oppression was off the 
 Scots nation, and they restored to a liberty 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 of thinking and acting, the whole acts I 
 shall have occasion to mention, in as far as 
 they struck at the constitution of this pres- 
 byterian church, were most seasonably and 
 unanimously rescinded and annulled, pari. 
 William and Mary, 1690; the very first act 
 of which parliament, than which Scotland 
 never had a more just representation, April 
 25th, abrogates the act of supremacy in the 
 most extensive manner ; and the supremacy 
 was one of the great springs of the iniqui- 
 tous procedure of this period. Again, the 
 5th act, June 7th, 1690, ratifying the Con- 
 fession of Faith, a step of reformation 
 never before attained to in Scotland, where- 
 by the scriptural and pure doctrine of this 
 church, is imbodied with our civil liberties, 
 and settling presbyterian government, does 
 rescind and cass a great number of other 
 iniquitous acts in this interval. I might 
 add act 17th, of the same session, rescind- 
 ing fines and forfeitures, an J act 27th, re- 
 scinding the laws for conformity, with many 
 others. Wherefore, since our representa- 
 tives judged those acts unworthy of any 
 further respect, I hope I may be allowed to 
 say, they were iniquity established by a 
 law ; and, in the entry of this work, regret 
 that ever such laws had a being, especially 
 when they were so rigorously execute, and 
 a door opened by other methods, for 
 stretches far beyond the letter of those 
 very laws. And here indeed, as I take it, 
 lies the main spring and stress of that 
 absurd and groundless clamour raised by 
 the episcopal party, of their beuig per- 
 secuted since the revolution, in that those 
 unchristian and wicked laws, upon vhich 
 their establisliment stood, were then re- 
 scinded; for a restraint put upon them 
 from persecuting others, is to those com- 
 plainers a persecution. 
 
 The greatest part of the makers of the 
 laws I am entering on, were of such a per- 
 sonal character, as did no way recommend 
 their acts ; it was blacker than I am willing 
 to transmit to posterity. If there were 
 any stretches made in the former period, 
 to hold out malignants and anticovenanters, 
 by the act of classes and levies, they are in 
 part vindicated by the door now opened to 
 the greatest wickednesses and grossest im« 
 
CHAP. 11.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 uuji-alitit'3 in too many of the courtiers. 
 Indeed at this time, a dreadful deluge of 
 iniquity and sins before unknown in Scot- 
 land since popery was turned out, brake 
 
 89 
 
 1661. 
 
 which when they were doing, his 
 men fell upon the people, and with 
 some slaughter scattered them, and kept 
 the muir. When he came to Mauchlin, 
 
 forth ; and atheism and profanencss now j the ministers quarrelled his breach of pro 
 
 growing common, paved the way for slavish 
 principles in civil things, and persecution 
 in matters of conscience. The commis- 
 sioner, the eai'l of Middleton, his fierce and 
 violent temper, agreeable enough to a camp, 
 and his education, made him no improper 
 instrument to overawe Scotland, and bring 
 us down from any sense of liberty and 
 privilege, unto a pliant submission to ar- 
 bitrary designs, absolute supremacy and 
 prerogative. And this was the more easily 
 accomphshed, that this nation, now for ten 
 years, had been under the feet of the 
 EngUsh army, and very much inured to 
 subjection. 
 
 A short account and character of this 
 nobleman, to whom the king intrusted the 
 chief management of affairs at this juncture, 
 may not perhaps be unacceptable to the 
 reader. He was a gentleman in the north 
 of Scotland, who made his first appearance 
 under the earl of Montrose, against the 
 Gordons, who set up against the covenant- 
 ers, and he had a considerable share in 
 defeating them at the Bridge of Dee. In 
 the years 1644 and 1645, he took service in 
 the army of the parliament of England, 
 against the king, when Montrose changed 
 hands and his men ravaged the country, 
 and among other cruelties killed Middle- 
 ton's father in cold blood, sitting in his 
 own house. He was called home from 
 England, and was with general Lesly when 
 Montrose was defeat at Philiphaugh. He 
 was major-general under duke Hamilton, 
 and engaged with a handful of countrymen 
 at Mauchlin Muir, in the shire of Ayr, 
 where he was in some hazard. He and 
 his party came upon a company of country 
 jjcople, on a Monday after a communion, 
 who had not the least thought of fighting, 
 and were unprovided for it. Mr. Thomas 
 Wylie, minister of Mauchlin, under whose 
 hand I have an account of that action, and 
 some other ministers travelled betwixt the 
 people and Middleton, and got his promise 
 to permit the people to dismiss peaceably : 
 
 mise and capitulation ; and he put it off, 
 with alleging, that some of the people had 
 provoked his men with harsh speeches. 
 We shall afterward hear of his plot to 
 draw the king from the committee of 
 estates to the north ; for which he was ex- 
 communicate, and Mr. James Guthrie pro- 
 nounced the sentence. In a little time he 
 professed his repentance with many tears, 
 and was relaxed. With the king he went 
 into Worcester, where he was talven, and 
 imprisoned in the Tower. When he got 
 out, after many difficulties in England, he 
 went over to the king, and was by him sent 
 to Scotland to head the Highlanders, who 
 were on the king's side. This misgiving, 
 he went back to his master, and at the 
 restoration was honoured with the highest 
 post in Scotland. 
 
 Our nobility and gentry were remarkably 
 changed to the worse : it was but few of 
 such, who had been active in the former 
 years, were now alive, and those few were 
 marked out for ruin. A young generation 
 had sprung up under the English govern- 
 ment, educate under penury and oppres- 
 sion ; their estates were under burden, and 
 many of them had little other prospect of 
 mending their fortunes, but by the king's 
 favour, and so were ready to act that part 
 he was best pleased with. Several of the 
 most leading managers, and members of 
 parliament, had taken up a dislike at the 
 strictness of presbyterian discipline. Mid- 
 dleton had not forgot his excommunication, 
 or the pronouncer of it; and others had 
 been disgusted at their being obliged to 
 satisfy for their lewdness and scandals, and 
 upon this turn, they were willing to enjoy a 
 little more latitude. Add to this, that 
 when the king was pleased to grant a most 
 ample indemnity to his subjects in England 
 and Ireland, for their failures in the late 
 times, his grace did not come so low as his 
 ancient Idngdom. Most pai't of Scotsmen, 
 save the ministers, who received a very 
 ungenerous reward, had been some way or 
 
90 
 
 ,„„, other involved with the EnsHish 
 IGGl. , , . , " 
 
 under the usurpation ; and now 
 
 were chargeable with treason, and their 
 lives and estates at the mercy, I say not 
 of the king, but of his hungry courtiers, 
 who laid their measures, so as an indemnity 
 for Scotland was put off, till they got their 
 schemes of oppression and revenge formed. 
 Thus the hopes of timeservers, who had 
 their fortunes to mend, and the fears of 
 many, who perhaps, if left to their own 
 choice, would have inclined to presei-ve 
 our reformation and liberty, were improven 
 to carry on the designs now on foot. 
 
 When the proclamation, October 12th, 
 formerly noticed, was published, calling the 
 parliament, and devolving upon their judg- 
 ment the behaviour of all under the late 
 troubles, and discharging all petitions and 
 applications to his majesty, this was soon 
 understood to be no act of indemnity ; but 
 the plain language was, that every one who 
 would not follow court measures, quit their 
 principles, calmly subject to arbitrary go- 
 vernment in church and state, and vote and 
 act as the managers would have them, 
 might expect to be treated as rebels. In- 
 deed it required a greater measure of the 
 old Scots spirit, and more fixedness in 
 principles than many had, to stand out 
 against so heavy an argument. Moreover, 
 great pains was taken upon the elections to 
 this parliament; matters every where in 
 shires and burghs were so carefully man- 
 aged, that for the most part, persons en- 
 tirely at the devotion of the court, were 
 chosen : in some places where others were 
 chosen, letters were writ by the courtiers, 
 under some pretext or other, for a second 
 choice. Thus in the shire of Ayr, where a 
 gentleman of one of the first families of the 
 shire, but a firm presbyterian by principle, 
 was elected, a near relation of his own, a 
 courtier, prevailed to get him altered. And 
 some of the most zealous gentlemen in the 
 former times, were viis et modis brought 
 under process, and some of them cited 
 before the parliament, that there might be 
 no trouble from them as members. The 
 act of the committee of estates above,* 
 
 * See page 20. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS ["bOOK I. 
 
 pointed this way ; ami the double-faced ex- 
 
 pressions in the letter to Mr. Douglas, were 
 designed to make all go on as smooth as 
 might be. 
 
 After all those previous steps, to dispose 
 for the great things in hand, the parliament 
 convened January 1st, l(i(jl,just that day 
 twelve months, upon which Monk marched 
 up to London, and that day ten years 
 whereupon the king was crowned at Scone. 
 The members rode from the Abbey to the 
 house in great state; the earl of Crawford bore 
 the crown, the earl of Sutherland the scep- 
 tre, and the earl of Mar the sword. Duke 
 Hamilton and the marquis of Montrose 
 rode behind the commissioner, covered. 
 
 When they had taken their seats in the 
 parliament house, a very good sermon was 
 preached to them by Mr. Robert Douglas, 
 from 2 Chron. xix. 6. " Take heed what 
 you do, for you judge not for man, but for 
 the Lord, who is with you in the judgment." 
 After calling of the rolls, the earl of Glen- 
 caii'n was chosen preses, and the conunis- 
 sioner had a speech, recommending peace 
 and unity. When those forms were over, 
 the commissioner had most of the nobility 
 at dinner with him, where he was served in 
 great state: he sat at a table by himself, 
 and the earl of Athol gave him the cup 
 upon his knee, after he had tasted it, in a 
 cover, before he delivered it. 
 
 Januai-y 4th, they entered upon business. 
 I have in mine eye a very distinct account 
 of their procedure every day, in manuscript, 
 unto the middle of April, from which I 
 may afterwards give some hints of their 
 actings ; but here 1 shall confine myself very 
 much to the known public acts made in 
 opposition to that work, which had been 
 cai'ried on from the year 1638 to the usur- 
 pation, and give the reader as short a view, 
 as the variety of matter will permit, of their 
 procedm-e, in the vast change made by 
 them in this church and kingdom. 
 '^ It is very evident, the design on foot, in 
 this parliament, was to make the king 
 absolute, and the laws henceforth only a 
 public signification of the sovereign's pleas- 
 ure, who after this, is to be above law, and 
 uncontrollable lord of his subjects' property, 
 purse and conscience; and to overturn 
 
CHAP. II.] OF TIIR CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 91 
 
 what had been formerly established in acts I am now to give a i-artLcular j^^j^ 
 favours of relipon and liberty. This unhap- | detail of, if once I had further ob- 
 py project was lielped forward, at least not : served, that this parliament when they sat 
 alittle encouraged, by the fulsome sermons j down,so constituted themselves, and acted in 
 
 [)reached by too many before them. The 
 preachers were not now appointed by the 
 assembly or commission, who used formerly 
 to sit in time of parliament ; the managers 
 must be their own carvers ; the king's advo- 
 cate's letter was the appointment ministers 
 had to preach, and he was not wanting in 
 
 such a manner, as made their acts and laws, in 
 the opinion of severals, questionable as to 
 their validity and legality. It is plain theyrnn 
 cross to standing law, before they gave them- 
 selves the trouble of any repeal. The reader 
 will find, that by act 5th, pari. 2. Charles I. 
 where his majesty was present, "every 
 
 pitching on very fit tools for their purpose, member, of succeeding parliaments is to 
 who preached smooth things. Some of ' take, and subscribe the national covenant, 
 
 their sermons yet remain in print, as blots 
 upon their reputation : and though Mr. 
 Douglas, and some few other worthy men 
 were employed now and then, for form's 
 sake, and they preached Christ, and plain 
 duty ; yet it was not so with many of their 
 I)rcachers. Their ordinaiy themes were, the 
 wickedness of rebellion ; and in their appli- 
 cation, they explained this to be the late 
 work of reformation, and the covenants, 
 even before the parliament had declared 
 against those; the sinfulness of defensive 
 arms, whereby they libelled most part of 
 their hearers, and cast a slur upon the con- 
 stant practice of this nation ; the extensive- 
 ncss of the king's power, passive obedience, 
 and such like. Those flaming sermons of 
 theirs, bring upon the preachers of them a 
 great share of all the after-guilt of this 
 period, and paved their own way to prefer- 
 ment. 
 
 Those corrupt ministers, who had sided 
 themselves with the public resolutioners, and 
 now were carefully serving the courtiers, very 
 much heightened the lamentable breaches 
 betwixt the resolutioners and protesters, 
 who were both against the defection now 
 entering upon : this miserable rent, artfully 
 managed by designing men, so weakeneil 
 the honest ministry of the church and split 
 the people, who were for our former excel- 
 lent constitution, that no such seasonable 
 and regular application was made for pre- 
 venting the change, as was wished for ; 
 though somewhat was done, as we shall hear. 
 Thus every thing concurred in the Lord's 
 holy and righteous providence, for helping 
 forward a dark and black cloud upon this 
 church and kingdom, which began with the 
 
 and give an oath of parliament relative 
 thereunto." This was not now done, as 
 every body knows. Yea, it was expressly 
 provided by our last Scots parliament, 
 where his majesty was present, 163 1, 
 " That in all succeeding parliaments, every 
 member, before they entered upon business, 
 should sign and subscribe the covenant; 
 and without this, the constitution of the 
 parliament, and all they do, is declared void 
 and null." The acts of this parliament 
 were not printed, and I have not seen a 
 copy of the act ; but from persons yet alive, 
 and papers written at this time, I am 
 assured such an act was made. 
 
 Not to say any thing of the reasonableness 
 or necessity of making such restrictions, it 
 is certain, those were now unrepealed laws, 
 and the last, relative to the very constitu- 
 tion of parliament, made by the king, and 
 many of themselves ; and consequently they 
 sat down, and went on in a method directly 
 contrary to the uncontroverted statute law. 
 And though those, with many other excel- 
 lent laws, made in the former period, were 
 rescinded; it remained doubtful with the 
 persons who objected against the validity of 
 this parliament, how far they could do so, 
 unless, by express instructions from their 
 constituents, they had begun with altering 
 the constitution. But this point 1 must 
 leave to the gentlemen of the long robe 
 skUlcd in our laws and the nature of i)ar- 
 liamentary power. 
 
 Having laid down those general observa- 
 tions, I come to take a more p;irticular view 
 of the acts of this session of pariiament ; 
 and by a narrow consideration of them, and 
 the order in which they are made, a great 
 
92 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 .-_, deal of art and cunning will appe<ir, 
 in gradually bringing upon members 
 of parliament, and subjects, the heavy 
 burdens they were under before the (year) 
 1638, and not a little of the serpentine sub- 
 tilty of Mr. Sharp, who came lately from 
 England with ample directions concerted 
 with the highfliers there, to bring this church 
 back to its deformed state, about twenty- 
 three years ago. 
 
 The first printed act is concerning the 
 president, and oath of parliament,* The 
 civil part of it, then* making the chancellor, or 
 any for the time, nominate by the king, pre- 
 sident, I do not meddle with ; every thing 
 now must be done antipodes to the practice 
 of the covenanters, be it ever so reasonable 
 in itself: and it does not appeal' unreason- 
 able, that a judicatory, such as this, choose 
 their own mouth. But waving this, let me 
 consider a little the oath inserted in this 
 act ; the form of which is, 
 
 « I, , for testification of 
 
 my faithful obedience to my most 
 gracious and redoubted sovereign 
 Charles, king of Great Britain, France, 
 and Ireland, defender of the faith, do 
 affirm, testify, and declai-e, by this my 
 solemn oath, that I acknowledge my 
 said sovereign, only supreme governor 
 of this kingdom, over all persons, and 
 in all causes ; and that no foreign 
 prince, power, or state, nor person civil 
 or ecclesiastic, hath any jurisdiction^ 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [ BOOK I. 
 
 power, or superiority over the same: 
 and therefore I utterly renounce and 
 forsake all foreign jurisdictions, powers, 
 and authorities; and shall at my ut- 
 most power defend, assist, and main- 
 tain his majesty's jurisdiction foresaid, 
 against all deadly, and never decline his 
 majesty's power or jurisdiction, as I 
 shall answer to God." 
 Members of pai'liament were to add, 
 " And I shall faithfully give my advice 
 and vote in every thing that shall be 
 propounded in parliament, as I shall 
 answer to God." 
 Many particulars may be noticed as to 
 this oath. In the title of the act, it is 
 termed " an oath of parliament ;" in the 
 body of the act, it is called " an oath of al- 
 legiance." There are here two very differ- 
 ent oaths ; and it was not without a cause 
 why it was huddled over in parliament, un- 
 der the notion of an oath of parliament, that 
 persons upon whom the first part was to be 
 imposed, might not too soon spy out the 
 design upon them. Yet they must have 
 been very heedless who did not observe, 
 that this oath, in both its views, was calcu- 
 late to shuffle out our former establishment, 
 and the covenants, and in its nature eversive 
 of them. This new-coined oath might be 
 compared with the English oath of supre- 
 macy, which no doubt was its model ; every 
 thing now being to be brought as near the 
 English pattern as possible. It appeared to 
 
 * Act concerniDg the president, and oath of 
 parliament. 
 
 rorasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God 
 to compassionate the troubles and confusions of 
 this kingdom, by returning the king's most 
 excellent majesty to the exercise of that royal 
 government, under which, and its excellent con- 
 stitution, this kingdom hath for many ages 
 enjoyed so much happiness, peace, and plenty ; 
 and it being, upon good and important consider- 
 ations, an inviolable practice in this government 
 before these troubles, that the person nominate 
 by his majesty to be his chancellor within this 
 kingdom, did of right, and as due to his place, 
 preside in all meetings of parliament, and other 
 public judicatories of the kingdom, where he 
 was present for the time: and his majesty now 
 considering the great advantages do accresce to 
 the public good of his sul)jects, by the due ob- 
 servance of such ancient and well grounded 
 customs and constitutions, and the prejudices 
 that do ac<!ompany a change thereof: therefore 
 
 his mnjesty, with advice <and consent of his 
 estates of i)ai'liament, doth declare, that the pre- 
 sent loi'd chancellor, and such as hereafter shall 
 be nominate by his majesty, or his royal suc- 
 cessors, to succeed in that place, and, in case of 
 their absence, such as shall be nominate by his 
 majesty, are, by virtue and right of the said 
 office, and such nomination respective, to preside 
 in all meetings of his majesty's parliaments, or 
 other public judicatories of the kingdom, where 
 they shall happen to be present, and that they 
 are now and in all time coming to enjoy this 
 privilege. And in discharge of this trust, they 
 are, at the first down-sitting of every ]>arlia- 
 ment, to administer to all the members thereof, 
 the oath of alegiance. (See the oath above.) 
 
 Likeas, his majesty, with advice foresaid, doth 
 hereby rescind and annul all acts, statutes, or 
 practices, as to the president or oath of parlia- 
 ment, which arc prejudicial unto, or inconsistent 
 with this present act, and declare the same to be 
 void and null in all time coming. 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 iiuiiiy to have in it the most choking clause 
 of the supremacy ; indeed, in so many words, 
 it does not formally assert the king's power 
 in ecclesiastical matters as the other does ; 
 but its general and extensive clause, " in all 
 causes and over all persons," takes it in, 
 and appears even somewhat wider than the 
 English phrases themselves. 
 
 It seems evident, that tliis Scots oath of 
 allegiance and parliiunent, and really of su- 
 premacy, is ambiguous in its expressions. 
 The terms of it are artfully enough formed, 
 so as to bear a double face. Presbyterians 
 cheerfully allow the sovereign a civil and 
 sanctional power in ecclesiastical matters 
 and causes, as well as a supreme power over 
 all persons. And there was some shadow 
 of ground for understanding the oath in this 
 safe and favourable sense at this tune, when 
 the commissioner and chancellor declared 
 again and again in face of parhament, that 
 they intended not to give his majesty any 
 " ecclesiastical," but only " a civil supreme 
 power." Yet in a httle, when ministers 
 offered to take the oath in this sense, they 
 were not allowed. And it would seem those 
 declarations were made from the throne, 
 upon other views than appeared ; for when 
 the earl of Cassils and laird of Kilburny de- 
 manded those declarations might be insert 
 in the registers, it was peremptorily refused. 
 This demonstrates the ambiguity of the 
 phrases. In themselves, and by reason of 
 this ambiguity, several phrases in the oath 
 were at best dark. To say nothing of the 
 others, that expression, " I renounce all 
 foreign jurisdictions, and shall maintain his 
 majesty's authority foresaid," without ex- 
 plication, may reach further than " foreign 
 prince, power, or person," since " foreign," 
 as it stands here, seems to include " all ju- 
 risdiction and power," except the king's, as 
 supreme : and thus it would be an absolute 
 renunciation of all ecclesiastic judicatories. 
 So it proved in the issue, and the whole 
 church power came to be lodged in the 
 bishop, as deriving it from the king. I know 
 this clause relates, in its ordinary sense, to 
 popery, and in so far was safe ; but it might, 
 yea actually was further extended, and con- 
 Bcquently was dark. 
 
 In short, a good many reckoned the last 
 
 OF THE CHUIICH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 93 
 
 1661. 
 
 clause of this oath simply unlawful. 
 " Supreme governor," intliefirstpart 
 here, seems explained by " the king's power 
 and jurisdiction," and the swearer obliged 
 " never to decline it." This they thought a 
 step beyond the EngUsh supremacy itself; 
 by that, the king is allowed a " limited 
 power" in ecclesiastical matters, but by our 
 Scots oath, the swe;u-er seems bound down 
 to submission to all the instances of the exer- 
 cise of that power ; so that in no case the 
 king must be declined, even though he 
 should take upon him the power of excom- 
 munication, for instance. How far this last 
 clause was cast in to prelunit members in 
 the processes to be before them, I do not 
 say ; but " the declining the king's jurisdic- 
 tion" was no small article against Mr. James 
 Guthrie. Several other remarks might be 
 made upon this oath, if I had not already 
 said so much on it. By the act 114 
 James VI. pari. 12, 1592, now in force, and 
 unrepealed, the jurisdiction of the church is 
 ratified and confirmed, and the allegiance 
 sworn in this oath hath no respect, yea is 
 contrary to the due limitation there con- 
 tained. Again, every body knew the design 
 of the court at present, to establish a royal 
 supremacy, and put the king in the place of 
 the pope, which, by the way, increased the 
 darkness and ambiguity of the phrases for- 
 merly noticed. To be short, this oath 
 came to be the Shibboleth of the state, and 
 in a little it was extended to all subjects of 
 any influence. And after the members ot 
 parliament were involved in it, and by credit 
 bound to defend and promote it, it became 
 at first matter of much dispute and strife, 
 and afterwards an occasion of suffering. In 
 the year 1669, when matters were ripe, it 
 came to be explained, cleared, and imposed 
 in its true and extensive meaning; and its 
 sense was made plain, large, and terrible, 
 and an end put to the debates about its 
 meaning. 
 
 This oath, though thus involved, as we 
 have heard, was stuck at by very few in the 
 parliament. The earls of Cassils and Mel- 
 vil, and the laird of Kilburny, refused it ; 
 whether there were any more, I have not 
 heard : so well disposed were the members 
 to go in with every thing that came about, 
 
94 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS LBOOK I. 
 
 „ „ . Having thus inaugurate the king a su- 
 preme civil pope, if not some more> 
 by steps they proceed, in the following acts, 
 to assert, explain, and extend the royal 
 prerogative. At this time the parliament's 
 darling design and beloved work seems to 
 have been, the enlargement of his majesty's 
 power, without any great regard to religion, 
 liberty, or property ; and they begin with 
 civil offices: and by their 2d act declare 
 it to be " his majesty's prerogative, to choose 
 ofRcers of state, counsellors, and lords of 
 session, as may be seen in the printed acts ; 
 and they screw up this branch of the prero- 
 gative to a jus divinu7n : perhaps this is the 
 first time that ever the nomination of ser- 
 vants and counsellors is derived from hea- 
 ven. In the rescissory part of this act, they 
 run pretty high, and pronounce " the con- 
 trary laws and practices, and acts since the 
 (year) 1637, to have been undutiful and dis- 
 loyal," though the king himself was present 
 at some of them. 
 
 In their 3d act, as may be seen in the 
 printed acts, they assert the king's preroga- 
 tive to be, " the calling, holding, prorogu- 
 ing, or dissolving all parliaments, conven- 
 tions, or meetings of estates ; and that all 
 meetings, without his special warrant, are 
 void and null." In the preamble, out of 
 their great loyalty, they declare the " hap- 
 piness of the people depends upon the main- 
 tenance of the prerogative." The presby- 
 terians for many years felt how much their 
 happiness depended upon this, in the parlia- 
 ment's sense, by bonds, imprisonments, 
 hanging, heading, and murders in the field 
 and highways, without any sentence. It is 
 added, they make this law " out of con- 
 science, and from its obligations." Upon 
 how good grounds they assert this, most 
 of them have answered ere this time at a 
 higher tribunal. An odd enough sanction is 
 annexed to this, " that no subject question or 
 impugn any thing in this act, or do any thing 
 contrary thereto, under the pains of treason :" 
 which seems to involve all the members of 
 parliament in a wretched necessity, to vote 
 many of the following acts when proposed, 
 as they would not be guilty of treason ; and 
 it is abundantly plaui, that piece by piece 
 they preliraited themselves, and gave up the 
 
 freetloin of their acting in a parliamentary 
 capacity. 
 
 By their 4th act, they go on, and statute, 
 " that no convocations, leagues, or bonds 
 be made without the sovereign," and declare 
 against all such, made without his consent ; 
 and tacitly insinuate, that the work of re- 
 formation since the (year) 1G38, confirmed 
 by the king and his father, " had well nigh 
 ruined both king and subjects ;" and cast a 
 new tash (stain) upon all that was done in 
 that period by his majesty and many of 
 themselves, " as being done on pretext of 
 preserving the king's person, religion, and 
 liberty." They declare " this gloss was false 
 and disloyal," and rescind all done, or to be 
 done, without the king's consent ; by which 
 undoubtedly our glorious revolution must 
 come in as black treason. 
 
 Further, by their 3th act, they clothe 
 their king with the " sole power of making 
 peace and war." Without any great neces- 
 sity from the matter they are upon, or con- 
 nexion with the subject, in the preamble 
 they assert, that " the king holds his crown 
 from God alone ;" and statute and declare, 
 " that the raising of subjects in arms, is and 
 was the sovereign's undoubted right; and 
 that it shall be high treason for any subjects, 
 upon any pretext whatsomever, to rise in 
 arms without the king's allowance." It was 
 well they made not this law to look back, 
 as several of their acts did, else the com- 
 missioner, and the greatest part of them, 
 had been pronounced traitors. 
 
 One would think, by this time, the par- 
 liament were near to the plucking up the 
 covenant by the root, and so they were ; 
 but an unnecessary step must be taken for 
 the better securing their project, and that is, 
 by act 6th, to declare the convention of 
 estates 1643, who entered into the solemn 
 league and covenant with the parliament of 
 England, void and null. That convention 
 was not called by a king, and therefore all 
 they did must be a nullity ; and all acts ap- 
 proving that meeting are rescinded, even 
 the ratification by the parliament, where the 
 king was present. This seems to be a very 
 needless act, since the convention was on 
 the matter rescinded in their 3d and 4th 
 acts ; but they must make their game sure. 
 
CHAP. 1 1.3 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 97 
 
 though it be by doing the same things twice ' covenant, but tlie law is founded 
 
 IGCl. 
 
 covenant, 
 or thrice over. Probably the managers were ! upon tiieir own new made statutes ; 
 afraid to attack the covenant directly, till all which are sufficiently cassed and overturn- 
 once they tried the pulse of the members, ed, by the king's own consent to the cove- 
 
 who generally had sworn it, and secured 
 themselves by this essay ; and if this had 
 misgiven, they would have fallen upon it 
 another way : but all runs smooth, and the 
 courtiers were in no hazard. 
 
 Having thus made their approaches %vith 
 all caution and safety to the fortress of the 
 covenants, it is sapped and overturned by 
 their 7th aet ; which, because it was occa- 
 sion of great suffering afterward, and every 
 body who reads this history, may not have 
 our acts of parliament by him, I have insert, * 
 and take the liberty to make some observes 
 upon it. That even after all this previous 
 caution, they do not declare directly that 
 the covenant was treason, for the nation was 
 not yet ripe for this ; nor totally rescind the 
 obligation of it; but only, as the title of the 
 act bears, make a declaration concerning it, 
 and discharge the renewing of it, ^vithout the 
 king's consent, which was not to be looked 
 for. So sacred and beloved were the cove- 
 nants in Scotland, that it was not fit as yet 
 to venture further. And even in this de- 
 claration, the narrative of the act, and ratio 
 legis, is not drawn from any ill thing in the 
 
 • Act concerning the league and covenant, and 
 d:schar};ing the renewing thereof, ■without his 
 majesty's wan-ant and approbation. 
 
 Porasintich as the power ot" arms, and entering 
 into, and making oi" leagues and bonds, is an 
 undoubted privilege of the crown, and a proper 
 part of the royal prerogative of the kings of this 
 kingdom, and that in recognisance ot his ma- 
 jesty's just right, the estates of parliament of 
 this his most ancient kingdom of Scotland, have 
 declared it high treason to the subj(M:ts thereof, 
 of whatsoever number, less or more, upon any 
 pretext whatsoever, to rise, or continue in arms, 
 or to enter into leagues and bonds, with foreign- 
 ers, or among themselves, without his majesty's 
 special ■warrant and approbation had and ob- 
 tained thereto ; and have rescinded and annulled 
 all acts of parliament, conventions of estates, or 
 other deeds whatsoever, contrary to, or inconsis- 
 tent with the same. And whereas, during these 
 troubles, there have occurred divers things, in 
 the making and pursuance of leagues and bonds, 
 w^hich may be occasion of jealousy in and be- 
 twixt his majesty's dominions of Scotland, Eng- 
 land, and Ireland; therefore, and for pre\entii.g 
 of all scruples, mistakes, or jealousies, that may 
 hereafter arise upon these grounds, the king's 
 majesty, with advice and consent of his estates 
 of parliament, doth hereby declare, that there 
 
 nant, and his swearing of it. Tliey themselves 
 coin the premises, and then form the conclu- 
 sion, as best serves their purposes. Indeed, 
 in a very general and dubious manner, they 
 make an innuendo, " that divers things occur- 
 red in the late troubles, in making and pursu- 
 ing of leagues and bonds, that may be occa- 
 sion of jealousies between his majesty's do- 
 minions." How tender do they ajjpear of 
 naming the covenant ! Those occasions of 
 jealousy might arise from many other bonds, 
 and the pursuance of them, besides the cove- 
 nants ; and I could instance some of them. 
 However, upon this supposition, they declare, 
 " that there is no obligation, by covenant or 
 other treaties, upon Scotland, to endeavour 
 by arms a reformation in England." It is 
 not asserted in the covenant, that in all cases 
 Scotland was obliged by arms to reform 
 England ; to be sure, at this juncture, there 
 was no hazard this way. There follows a very 
 unjust reflection upon the covenanters, " or 
 to meddle v/ith the public government, or ad- 
 ministration of that kingdom." This the cove- 
 nanters never took upon them to do, save when 
 pressed thereto by the English themselves. 
 
 is no obligation upon this kingdom, by covenant, 
 treaties, or otherwise, to endeavour by arms 
 a reformation of religion in the king"d<im of 
 England, or to meddle with the public govern- 
 ment and administration of that kingdom. And 
 the king's majesty, with advice and consent fore- 
 said, doth declare, that the league and covenant, 
 and all treaties following thereupon, and acts 
 or deeds that do or may relate thereto, are not 
 obligatory, nor do infer any obligation upon this 
 kingdom, or the subjects thereof, to meddle or 
 interpose by arms, or any seditious way, in anv 
 thing concerning the religion and government 
 of the churches of England and Ireland, or in 
 what may concern the administration of his 
 majesty's government there. And further, his 
 majesty, with advice and consent of his estates, 
 doth hereby discharge and inhibit all his ma- 
 jesty's subjects within this kingdom, that nojie 
 of them presume, upon any pretext of any au- 
 thority whatsoever, to require the renewing or 
 swearing of the said league and covenant, or of 
 any other covenants, or public oaths, concerning 
 the government of the church or kingdom, with- 
 out his majesty's speciid warrant and approba- 
 tion ; and that none of his majesty's subjects 
 offer to renew and swear the same, without his 
 majesty's warrant, as said is, as they will be 
 answerable at their highest peril. 
 
96 
 
 , „-, , The declaration is a^ain repeated, 
 
 that there is no obligation upon 
 Scotsmen to meddle with the religion of 
 England by arms, which is now termed a 
 seditious way. It must be owned, that arms 
 in many cases are none of the best ways to 
 propagate a reformation in religion and 
 church government : but it is certain the Scots 
 were invited to England to assist that na^- 
 tion in their own self-defence against popery, 
 and prelates hasting fast back to it ; wliich 
 quite alters the case, and yet is by many 
 overlooked in this matter. In a word, by 
 this act, all the subjects are " discharged to 
 require the renewing of the covenant, or any 
 other oath, or to swear it, without the king's 
 consent." Wliether this clause precludes 
 appUcation to the government in a regular 
 way, for renewing those solemn vows against 
 popery and prelacy, I do not know ; neither 
 what is included in the other public oaths 
 here spoken of; they may relate to the oath 
 of canonical obedience, for any thing I know, 
 since the prohibition is abundantly wide. 
 Thus far is plain, that the renewing of the 
 covenant itself is not simply discharged, 
 though I must own there was little prospect 
 of getting the condition here required to 
 this, his majesty's consent. 
 
 Thus, more softly than one would have 
 expected, the attempt is made upon the so- 
 lemn league and covenant. Their prepara- 
 tory acts made it the deed of an unlawful 
 convocation j and they would have it be- 
 lieved, that whatever excellency might be in 
 the matter of it, yet it was no binding law 
 obliging Scotland, being made a non habente 
 potestatem. By those blinds, they huddled 
 over the matter, so as some were cheated 
 into the thoughts they might safely renounce 
 the covenant as a law, and stand by it as a 
 private oath. With those colours and distinc- 
 tions, this act was voted pretty smoothly 
 to the courtiers' wish : yet some of all the 
 states dissented; but the most part, who 
 were against this act, withdi'ew, and went 
 out of the house, fearing a public judicial 
 vote might render their compliances under 
 the usurpation unpardonable. I find there 
 was one plain honest man, George Gordon, 
 bailiff of Burntisland, whose vote in all the 
 preparatory steps, and this act, was, " he 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK 1. 
 
 could do nothing against his lawful oath and 
 
 covenant." Him the managers were pleased 
 to overlook. 
 
 In the 8th act, the parliament give in to 
 the old, and yet continued method, of cover- 
 ing their designs against presbyterians with 
 a pretended zeal against popery ; and under 
 this view, frame a very good act against 
 priests and Jesuits : but the narrative of it 
 was complained of, as injurious to truth, 
 and every body's experience ; that " disobe- 
 dience to lawful authority, covered with spe- 
 cious pretences," i. e. in theii- meaning, " the 
 work of reformation, and the covenants, had 
 been the occasion of the increase of priests 
 and Jesuits," needs no refutation. The next 
 clause, that " priests and Jesuits abounded 
 more at present, than in the time of the 
 king's father or grandfather," is what I very 
 much doubt of. They were indeed too nu- 
 merous at present, but they behoved to be 
 many more in king James's time ; and what 
 shoals of them were in king Charles I. his 
 reign, the reader will see from the account 
 of the popish government in Scotland at that 
 time, writ by Mr. John Abernethy, a popish 
 priest ; wliich, because it is in the hands of 
 very few, was never printed, and deserves 
 the consideration of all true protestants, I 
 have added. * 
 
 • Abernethy's (Jesuitj account of the popish 
 government in Scotland. 
 
 All governments are either spiritual or tem 
 poral, and both require three things. 1. Rec- 
 tores, these tliat rule and govern. 2. Rectos, 
 these that are ruled and governed. 3. Modum re- 
 gendi, the form of their government. All these 
 three things are found in the popish government 
 inScotland. And 1st, Theirgovcrnors and rulers 
 are threefold, that is, remoti, propinqui, tt proxi- 
 mi. Those I call remote, are the poi)e, and that 
 congregation de propaganda (or rather, as I have 
 heard themselves call it, for the politic knavei-y 
 of it, de extirpanda) fide. The nearer, or pro- 
 phiqui, are .Monsieur Francisco Barberino, a 
 cardinal, protector of oiu- nation, Mr. George 
 Cone, secretary for the Latin tongue to the 
 pope, the generals of the several orders, but 
 especially the Jesuits (they being in great number 
 in the country), and fathers, George Elphiji- 
 stone in Home, William Lesley in Douay, John 
 Robe younger in London, and William Hen- 
 derson in Burghton, beside Edinburgh. Most 
 nnSiV, OT proximi, are some sixteen or eighteen, 
 more or less, as they can find houses in Scot- 
 land to place them in. They have all their 
 several places of residence in gentlemen or noble- 
 men's houses, according to William Headerion, 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 Their 9th act, " approving the engagement 
 16-i8," and rescinding the actings of" parlia- 
 ments and committees which ensued there- 
 upon, contauis many perversions of matters 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 97 
 
 of fact, and reflections upon tlic j^^j 
 marquis of Argylc, and the minis- 
 ters who were opposite to the engagement. 
 Those last are represented as " a few se- 
 
 superior of the mission, liis direction and plea- 
 sure : for he lias notice of them all before they 
 come into the country, yea, of all their dispositions 
 and qualities, by their superiors or confessors' 
 letters ; yet there is no less budding, bribing, 
 envies, malice, and hatred, for obtaining the 
 choice of these houses, than for catching at 
 court a good fat bishopric. And this short re- 
 lation shall suffice for the notice and knowledge 
 of the rulers and governors of this papistical 
 mission. Conrerniug the second point, that is, 
 the persons that are ruled and governed by their 
 politic brains, here is little or nothing to be 
 said ; although this mass of policy, according to 
 the priests' report, is nothing else but a zealous 
 and pious i>ifce of pains, for the well of the 
 country, and the salvation of poor souls, kept 
 under heretical persecution and bondage. But 
 God knows what Spain means in giving pen- 
 sions to these zealous men. But this I omit to 
 another place. The number and quality of their 
 poor blindly led f<dks, is (or should at least be 
 better known to the ordinaries of diocesses) if 
 they be not accessory, and pastors of the parti- 
 cular places of the kingdom, than by nie, who 
 lived not two years in the country with them. 
 Yet, if I were stressed, I could set them as well 
 in order as the litanies of the saints are; for I 
 know them both perquire. Therefore, ere I 
 conclude this point, 1 will only notice, that 
 these priests and Jesuits take care, power, and 
 authority over the papists of this kingdom, as 
 over their own parishioners in other countries, 
 and hear their confessions, say their masses, 
 preach, baptize, marry, give extreme unction to 
 them, as if they were their own subjects and 
 parishioners ; whereof they send their relations 
 to the congregation de propaganda fide, to the 
 pope and several generals, once in the year at 
 least, and oftener if they please, making men- 
 tion of all that has been done by them or their 
 followers, good or evil, of the government, both 
 spiritual and temporal, of this kingdom : for 
 this end, one of themselves, the best rhetorician 
 of the younger sort, is chosen secretary thereto. 
 They are called Uteroi annua, whereof are 
 drawn out their annals, and of these composed 
 their history. 1 might likewise speak of their 
 divijiion or distinction they give themselves to 
 their penitents (as they call them), dividing 
 them into church-papists and mass-papists. 
 The first are these who hear the word in pro- 
 testant churches, subscribe and communicate, or 
 in a word, they are inward papists, and out- 
 ward protestants. The second are these who 
 do not liear the word. The first were main- 
 tained by some of the fathers who gave these 
 persons absolution of their sins, as well as 
 others : the second were governed by the Je- 
 suits, -who in end have procured at the pope's 
 hands, that these who participate of the pro- 
 testant sacraments, shall be excommunicated 
 and del)arred from their sacraments; yet, for 
 old acquaintance, they will get leave to be pre- 
 sent at their masses and preachings, whereof I 
 know sundry other their benefactors or power- 
 ful men. \et, after all this, in articuhi mortis. 
 
 or upon resolution not to return to that sm 
 again, they will obtain remission or absolution. 
 But all this 1 ].:iss, minding, God willing, to 
 make it more public to the world at another oc- 
 casion ; concluding and ending this point, that 
 this papistry in Scotland may be joined to these 
 old proverbs, and say, ex ilia minore, Sol. 1. de 
 Europa, pons Polonicus, monachus liohemus, 
 miles uustralis, Suerica monialis, Italica dinotio, 
 Rutlicnurum reliijio, Teutonumjejunia, Ctdlortan 
 constantia, castitas Anglicana, papismata Scoti- 
 cana, nihil valere omnia. 
 
 The third thing I propounded of their gov- 
 ernment contains three points, Imo. The foun- 
 tain of this government. 2do. Their proceed- 
 ing in it. 3tio. The sinews of their govern- 
 ment, that is, their entertainment and mainte- 
 nance. For the first, it is to be remembered, 
 that pope Gregorv the XIII. (called father ot 
 the Jesuits, for his liberality to them,) Paul 
 the v., and Gregory the XV., have built a 
 kinglike house in Rome, called Congregatio de 
 propaganda fide. The members of this congre- 
 gation, is the pope as supreme head of the kirk, 
 and judge of all controversies. His nephew 
 cardinal Francis Barberino is his lieutenant, 
 and immediate governor of the whole church; 
 divers cardinals and generals of all the orders 
 that teach or preach, the great master of the in- 
 quisition, and some few doctors, all as judges of 
 equal authority, their officers to have care and 
 charge of the missionaries in foreign kingdoms 
 and countries, where their religion is not pro- 
 fessed, or has suffered detriment, through all the 
 world: so that there can be no time assigned, 
 day or night, but it is lawful to say, now a 
 Jesuit is saying mass ; and yet a mass cannot be 
 said after twelve o'clock, without a dispensa- 
 tion : so great are the limits and extent of their 
 bounds. For this end, they have many col- 
 leges or seminaries of divers nations and sundry 
 countries, as in Rome, of Germans, Hunga- 
 rians, English, Scots, Irish, Greeks, Maronites 
 or Armenians, Nephittes, Coptics, &c. Of our 
 nation, out of the country, there be five colleges 
 or seminaries, Rome in Ital)', Paris in France, 
 Douay in Flanders, Madrid in Spain, Bruns- 
 berg in Prussia. In their colleges, youth are 
 brought up in their discipline, througlioiit all 
 their humanity, philosophy, and divinity. Their 
 colleges are furnished with scholars by the Je- 
 suits residing in their several countries, some by 
 their popish parents, some under promises of 
 great learning, some seduced by Jesuits and 
 priests in the countries and abroad, some foi' 
 poverty ; all of the quickest and best wits that 
 the Jesuits can find out amongst many that are 
 propounded to them for that use. The Jesuits 
 have the care and guiding of their colleges, al- 
 though ruled by the jiopes, cardinals, and 
 bishops, or other benefactors. Their ycuths, 
 after they have remained tluee months in any 
 college, they make a vow to take on priesthood, 
 and retiuti'for the conversion of their country, 
 after they be found fit, which is always 
 after their studies. The Jesuits having charge 
 of these seminary-youths, put out the best wits 
 
98 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 ,-«, ditious ministers," when it is no- heartily against the engagement, as it w?s 
 torn- that the far greatest num- 
 
 ber of the ministers of this church were 
 
 and rarest judgments for their own order. 
 Others become monks and friars, and the shal- 
 lowest remain secular or seuiirary priests. Yet, 
 whatsoever order they be of, thej' are tied to 
 their first oath, by virtue of a bull of this pope's, 
 in favour of the foresaid congregation. So let 
 this suffice as a short relation of their source and 
 fountain. 
 
 2dly, Their form of proceeding is, that when 
 they are found fit, after their priesthood re- 
 ceived, and studies ended, to be sent to their 
 mission. First, they have approbation of their 
 sound doctrine and godly life, from the Jesuits, 
 under whom they have been brought up. There- 
 after, they get their patent letters from their 
 congregation or their general, if they be of any 
 order, to go to their country, furnished with 
 two suits of apparel, all their church apparel, 
 and necessaries thereto, and two, three, four, or 
 five hundred crowns, as they have favour, and 
 are thought worthy for their vocation. Next, to 
 come to Douay, where Mr. William Lesley 
 superior there, gives them some books out of the 
 mission's bibliotheck there, and marks to know 
 and be known of their fellows and country : 
 whence they depart, changing their name 
 always, and sometimes their nations, and come to 
 William Henderson in Burghton, in the Canon- 
 gate, Paisley, or where he is ; for he must visit 
 them all once in the year, in their several resi- 
 dences. By him they are visited, if they have 
 all things lit for their calling ; if they have not, 
 he furnishes them ; if they have, he gives them 
 a letter to some nobleman or gentleman, where 
 they are received, and kept till they have learned 
 the fashion of the country. Thereafter they go 
 abroad as gentlemen or merchants, thereafter 
 any other dexterity they please to use, or func- 
 tions for their own ends : and so I was cham- 
 berlain and bailie in Caithness, for my lord 
 Berrydale. The reason of this is, because, 
 among the rest of the privileges they receive at 
 their departure from Rome, and kissing the 
 Pope's feet, with his blessing, they get power to 
 dispense with themselves and others in all 
 things, yea, in articulo mortis et casu 7iecessitatis, 
 in things reserved to the pope himself, and 
 absolve from all sins, how many soever. Of 
 these fathers, as they call them, there be four 
 already governing in colleges, some agents in 
 great cities for correspondence, %vhose names 
 are needless, and tedious to rehearse ; some who 
 are requisite to be named in Scotland, when I 
 was in it with them, to wit, in Berwick, with 
 Sir James Douglas, and tliereabout, one Mr. 
 Brown a Jesuit ; in Setton, one Mr. Christison 
 or Campbell, who uses likewise in sundry other 
 places, (excuse me if I know not their names, 
 for we came from several parts at several times) 
 as he is desired, for he is thought of, and sent 
 for in Edinburgh ; Williani Robertson, some- 
 times in colonel Bruce's, lady Margaret Hamil- 
 ton's, Riddoch's, John Guthry the tayloi"'s, who 
 for some years bygone brought me to the said 
 William his mass, in the said Margaret's house, 
 with a little Frenchman, where there w^ere 
 some twenty persons, unknown truly to me. 
 The Jesuits frequent lady Margaret Hamilton's, 
 
 then stated by the party who set up for it. 
 I shall not here enter upon an}' detail of this 
 
 Robert Scot's in the Canongate, Burghton, 
 and with my lord Semple, often. For others I 
 know none in Edinburgh, but by report, not 
 having much frequented the town. In Paisley 
 and thereabout, a very subtile Jesuit, and crafty 
 companion, and yet a scholar, one Mr. Smith 
 with the marquis of Douglas, and Mr. David 
 Tyrie a gray friar in Nithsdale, and thereabout : 
 and Mr. Lindsay a gray friar in the west : one 
 Mr. Lesley a capuchin, called by himself the 
 captain, fled out of the north for having a child 
 in Angus. One Mr. Ogilvie a gray friar, and 
 kinsman to my lord Ogilvie; in Ardestie, Pital- 
 pie, Drumkilbo, and thereabout, one IVIr. 
 Drummond ; but truly all Jesuits. When I 
 came to the country, with my lady Aboyn, and 
 thereabout, were Mr. John Lesley now dead, 
 and his brother Mr. Andrew Lesley, both 
 Jesuits. In Achigore, Lessindrum, Carneo, 
 Arran, and thereabout, one Mr. William Gibson 
 an Augustin friar. In Aberdeen, one Mr. 
 Mortimer ; in the earl of Errol's and the laird 
 of Dalgetie's houses, was one Mr. William 
 Lesley, now superior in Douay. In Buchan 
 was Mr. John Seton and Mr. Tobie ; now the 
 one is at Madrid, and the other at London, 
 agents for the two missions. In the Bog imd 
 Elgin, and thereabout, Mr. Southwel, and 
 Christie, a very timorous but subtile fellow ; 
 the first is in Douay, the last in the Bog. In 
 Caithness, and beyond Ardestie in Angus, my- 
 self was a certain time, beside one Mr. Cushet a 
 minim, a pensioner of her majesty's, one ready 
 to all travels, and directions of her majesty's 
 command, and two others, one Mr. Duncan a 
 parson, alias INIacpliei'son in Scotland, but 
 unknown to me where they reside. 
 
 My third point was concerning their enter- 
 tainment, which is threefold. One from the 
 congregation de propaganda fide ; above a hun- 
 dred crowns, or more, as they have his holiness 
 and the cardinals' favour. Another is their 
 own purchase, their confessions, preachings, 
 masses, pardons, &c. and lately from the king of 
 Spain, of whom every one of them that is out 
 of their college, has eighteen shillings Scots a 
 day. Robert Irvine, called Cossopie, brings it 
 in William Hay laird of Fetter-letter, is the 
 treasurer ; both receive their pensions therefore. 
 What others receive, the superior with his 
 counsellors, and the ti'easurer only know, where- 
 by it may be easily seen they lack nothing in 
 temporalibus. 
 
 Now my counsel for extirpation of them, is 
 only in two ways. 1st. To hold out all 
 appearances, although of indifferent things to 
 come near to them, because they think j'e will 
 not come at once, but gradatini to them, and 
 this holdeth them fast. 2do. Let them not fail 
 to hear, subscribe, and communicate ; for by 
 these means ye shall make the priests idle, hav- 
 ing an order to deal, that none be suffered to 
 participate of their and your sacraments. This 
 I have written in sincerity, for the salvation of 
 your souls, and the advancement of the gospel, 
 and not of any malice I have to them, as God 
 shall save my soul at the great day. 
 
 ThO. AuERNETHy. 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 affiiir ; any body who writes the history of 
 that period will find matter enough from the 
 very public papers and records, the acts of 
 general assemblies, committees of estates, 
 commissions of assemblies, and not a little 
 in the defences of the marquis of Argyle, to 
 set the matters of fact here, and in other 
 acts of this parliament so much misrepre- 
 sented, in a just and quite other light. The 
 rescissory part of this act was already made 
 upon the matter, in the preceding acts, and 
 the ratification of what they now make void 
 by the king himself in full parliament, is no 
 hinderance to our levellers in this razing work. 
 I shall likewise leave their 10th act, " against 
 the declaration of the kingdom of Scotland," 
 January 16th, 164:7, to the remarks of such 
 who shall give the history of the former pe- 
 riod ; and I am persuaded they will be easily 
 able to take off the aspersions cast upon 
 such, whom the managers are pleased to 
 term a " few seditious persons, who had 
 then screwed themselves into the govern- 
 ment." 
 
 When by the preceding steps they have 
 paved their road, they come by the 11th 
 act to require what turned about to be mat- 
 ter of sore suffering afterwards, " the oath 
 of allegiance," and the subscribing " an in- 
 strument assertory of the royal prerogative." 
 Such was their spite at the covenant, that 
 though more than once they had already de- 
 clared it had no authority as a law ; yet by 
 this act they must cut off the dead man's 
 head, and, in as far as lay in their power, 
 enervate the obligation of the matter of it. 
 By another act, in a following session of this 
 parliament, the matter of it is declared unlaw- 
 ful, and they order it to be renounced ; at 
 length, in Queensberry's parliament, twenty- 
 four years after this, it is declared to be high 
 treason for any to adhere to it. This 11th 
 act being remarkable, and a sort of abbrevi- 
 ate of all they had done, I have insert it. * 
 
 1661. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 99 
 
 The oath of allegiance, or rather su- 
 premacy I have considered, upon the 
 first act, and only now add, that when this 
 present act was a framing, some ministers in 
 Edinburgh offered to some of the managers, 
 an amendment only of one word, instead of 
 supreme governor, that it should run supreme 
 civil governor, which would have gone far to 
 have removed the scruples of many : but no 
 alteration would be heard ; the members of 
 parliament had taken the oath, and every 
 body who would not follow their example, 
 was reckoned disaffected. 
 
 The oath was now imposed upon all in 
 civil offices; they knew what they had in 
 view shortly to do as to ministers : but lest 
 they should presume upon an exemption, 
 a general clause is added, requiiing this oath 
 from " all upon whom the privy council, or 
 any having orders from them, should impose 
 it;" and so it reached most part of the sub- 
 jects in a little time. The acknowledgment 
 of the king's prerogative, required as a test • 
 of loyalty, and condition of enjoying of any 
 public trust, is so remarkable, as it deserves 
 a room in the body of this history, and fol- 
 lows : 
 
 " Forasmuch as the estates of parliament 
 of this kingdom, by their several acts of the 
 11th and 21st of January last, have, from 
 the sense of their humble duty, and in recog- 
 nisance of his majesty's just right, declared, 
 that it is an inherent privilege of the crown, 
 and an undoubted part of the royal preroga- 
 tive of the kings of this kingdom, to have 
 the sole choice and appointment of the of- 
 ficers of estate, privy counsellors, and lords 
 of session ; that the power of calling, hold- 
 ing, and dissolving of parliaments, and all 
 conventions and meetings of the estates, 
 doth solely reside in the king's majesty, his 
 heirs and successors ; and that, as no parlia- 
 ment can be lawfully kept, without the spe- 
 cial warrant or presence of the king's majes- 
 
 • Act for taking the oath of allegiance, and 
 asserting the royal prerogative. 
 
 Our sovereijjii Lord, being truly sensible of 
 the many sufferings and sad confusions that his 
 dutiful and loyal subji'cts have been brought 
 under, during these troubles, and desirous, that 
 his royal government, in its due administration, 
 may be refreshing and comftirtable unto them, 
 and conceiving it necessary fcir that end, and j 
 
 for the honour and advancement of his own 
 service, the welfare and happiness of his subjects, 
 and the peace and quiet of this kingdom, that 
 the places of public trust (^ which be the channels 
 and conduits by which his majesty's government 
 is conveyed unto his people) be supplied and 
 exerced by persons of known integrity, abilities 
 and loyalty, doth therefore declare, "that it is 
 and will be his majesty's royal cai-e, that those 
 
100 
 
 1 ra 1 *y> '^^ ''^^ commissioner, so no acts nor 
 statutes to be passed in any parliament, 
 can be binding on the people, or have the au- 
 thority and force of laws, without the special 
 approbation of his majesty, or his commis- 
 sioner, interponed thereto, at the making 
 thereof: that the power of arms, making of 
 peace and war, and making of treaties with 
 foreign princes and states, or at home by sub- 
 jects among themselves, doth properly reside 
 in the king's majesty, his heirs and succes- 
 sors, and is their undoubted right, and theirs 
 alone ; and that it is high treason ui the sub- 
 jects of this kingdom, or any number of 
 them, upon whatsomever ground, to rise or 
 continue in arms, to maintain any forts, gar- 
 risons, or strengths, to make peace or war, 
 or to make any treaties or leagues with 
 foreigners, or among themselves, without his 
 majesty's authority first interponed thereto : 
 that it is unlawful for subjects of whatsom- 
 ever quality or function, to convocate, con- 
 vene, or assemble themselves, to treat, con- 
 sult, or determine in any matters of state, 
 civil or ecclesiastic, (except in the ordinary 
 Judgments) or to make leagues or bonds 
 upon whatsoever colour or pretence, without 
 his majesty's special consent and approbation 
 had thereto : that the league and covenant, 
 and all treaties following thereupon, and acts 
 
 whom (according to the undoubted right of the 
 crown) he hath, or shall tliink fit to call to his 
 councils, or any public employments, shall be 
 BO qualified ; and that for the full satisfaction of 
 aU his good subjects, and for removing any 
 scruples or jealousies can arise upon this account, 
 they shall, before their admittance to, or exercise 
 of any such trust, give such public testimony 
 of their duty and loyalty, as may evidence to 
 the world, they are such as the kingdom, and 
 all honest men and good subjects may justly 
 confide in. And therefore the king's majesty, 
 with advice and consent of his estates of par- 
 liament, doth statute and ordain, that all and 
 whatsoever person or persons, who are or shall 
 be nominate by his majesty, to be his ofiicers of 
 state, of his privy council, session, or exche- 
 quer, justice general, admiral, sheriffs, com- 
 missar, and their deputes, and clerks, and all 
 jnagistra.tes and council of royal burghs, at their 
 ■.idmission to their several offices, and before 
 they offer to exerce the same, shall take and 
 swear the oath of allegiance, hereunto subjoined. 
 And also, tliat all other persons, who shall be 
 required by his majesty's privy council, or any 
 having authority from them, shall be obliged to 
 take and swear the same. 
 
 And since all the troubles and miseries that 
 have overspread this kingdom, and almost de- 
 
 THE HISTORY OF TfJE vSUFFEIUNGS [bOOK I. 
 
 or deeds that do or may relate thereunto, arc' 
 
 not obligatory, nor do infer any obligation 
 upon this kingdom, or the subjects thereof, 
 to meddle or interpose by arms, or any sedi- 
 tious way, in any thing, concerning the reli- 
 gion and government of the churches in 
 England and Ireland, or in what may con- 
 cern his majesty's government there : and 
 that none of his majesty's subjects should 
 presume upon any pretext of any authority 
 whatsomever, to require the renewing or 
 swearing of the said league and covenant, or 
 of any other covenants, or public oaths con- 
 cerning the government of the church or king- 
 dom ; and that none offer to renew or swear 
 the same, without his majesty's special war- 
 rant and approbation, &c. 
 
 " I do, conform to the acts of parliament 
 aforesaid, declare, that I do with all humble 
 duty, acknowledge his majesty's roj^al prero- 
 gative, right and power, in all the particulars, 
 and in the manner aforesaid; and that I do 
 heartily give my consent thereto, by those 
 presents, subscribed by me at ." 
 
 This instrument, assertory of the king's 
 prerogative, which all persons, as above, were 
 to subscribe, comprehends all they had de- 
 clared in their foregoing acts ; and by it, the 
 signers consented to the king's absolute 
 power, owned the unlawfulness of resisting 
 
 stroyed all religious and civil, all public and 
 private interests, these twenty years bygone, 
 and upwards, have arisen and sprung from 
 these invasions that have been macle upon, and 
 contempts done to the royal authority and pre- 
 rogative of the crown, his majesty conceives 
 himself obliged, both for his own royal interest, 
 and for the public interest and peace of his peo- 
 ple, to be careful to prevent the like for the 
 future. And therefore his majesty, withadvico 
 foresaid, statutes and ordains, that all persons 
 w^ho are, or shall be called to any public trust, 
 as said is, shall, beside the taking of the oath of 
 allegiance, be obliged, before they enter to their 
 offices and trusts, to assert under their lumd- 
 ■nriting, his majesty's royal prerogative, as is 
 expressed in the acts passed in this present parlia- 
 ment, and in the manner hereunto subjoined : 
 certifying all such as, being required, shall 
 refuse or delay to take the oath of allegiance, 
 they shall not only thereby render themselves 
 incapable of any public trust, but be looked 
 upon as persons disaffected to his majesty's 
 authority and government; and such as shall 
 refuse or delay to assert his msjesfy's preroga- 
 tive, in manner underwritten, shall from thenct:- 
 forth be incapable of any public trust within 
 this kingdom. 
 
CHAP. II. J OF THE CHUllCII OF SCOTLAND. 101 
 
 the vilest tyrant, and materially renounced ' the year 1633. At first they talked 
 
 that work of reformation in Scotland, begun 
 at our secession from popery, and revived 
 and carried on in the year 1638, approven 
 once and again by the king and parliament ; 
 and, which is more, signally owned of God. 
 This declaration with the oath of allegiance, 
 became the trying badges of loyalty; and 
 whenever any suspected person was sisted 
 before the council, or other courts, or magis- 
 trates, those two were offered him : if he 
 swallowed them, he was dismissed ; if he re- 
 fused, this was turned to a libel, and no 
 mercy for him. In considering the former 
 acts, remarks have been made upon most 
 part of the clauses of this declaration, and I 
 shall not repeat them. In short, by the 
 general imposing of it, the courtiers endea- 
 voured to make the prince absolute, cramp 
 religion, and alter both the frame and prin- 
 ciples of the civil and ecclesiastic government 
 here. This declaration must be subscribed, 
 which, as to truth and persuasion, is much 
 the same with its being sworn, under the 
 penalty of being reputed disloyal and disaf- 
 fected ; and the refusal of it made a person 
 incapable of all public trust. And yet not a 
 few assertions are in it, far above the capa- 
 cities of many upon whom it was imposed ; 
 so that they could not make this declaration 
 with knowledge and in truth : thus it be- 
 came a plain stumblingblock, an occasion of 
 smning, and a snare to the consciences of 
 many ; and the sufferings to be narrated, 
 which followed upon the refusal of this de- 
 claration, and the former oath, are purely 
 upon conscience and principle, and can never 
 be alleged to be for rebellion ; unless every 
 thing that runs cross to the methods of a 
 corrupt and imposing time, must be so named. 
 I hope the reader will remark it, that till the 
 rising at Pentland, which was the native con- 
 sequent of this and other impositions, little 
 other reason was pretended or given for the 
 cruelties exercised upon multitudes, save 
 their refusing this involved, ambiguous, com- 
 plex, and unreasonable oath and subscrip- 
 tion. 
 
 The three following acts are purely civil, 
 and about the granting of money to the king. 
 But in the 15th act, they come at one dash, 
 to rid themselves of all the parliaments since 
 
 1661. 
 
 only of rescindingtheparliament le-ia, 
 
 because the engtigement had then been dis- 
 approven : but quickly their design took air, 
 to raze all ; and after by their former acts, 
 the king had got in his hands all that was 
 lately called the liberties of the kingdom, and 
 privileges of parliament, it is now boldly 
 enough resolved upon, to rescind all done in 
 parliament since the year 1633, and to re- 
 move the civil sanction given to the general 
 assembly at Glasgow, and those which fol- 
 lowed ; and to abolish all laws made in fa- 
 vour of our church government and cove- 
 nants. — When this motion was first made, 
 it appeared so choking, that it was laid aside, 
 or rather delayed for some months; but when 
 all the former acts had gone glibly through, 
 the managers, hoping nothing would be stuck 
 at, come briskly to overturn all that had been 
 a building since the year 1638, and they cass 
 and rescind all that was done in former times 
 by king and parliament, with the greatest 
 solemnity and unaniinity ; and at one stroke, 
 to take away the greatest human secm-ities 
 which could be given to a church or nation. 
 From their former success, the compilers 
 of those acts grow in boldness. In the nar- 
 rative of the (present) act, they call all done 
 these twenty-three years, " troubles upon 
 the specious, but common pretext of Refor- 
 mation, the common cloak of all rebellions," 
 and declare his majesty holds the crown 
 " immediately from God Almighty alone ;" a 
 proposition which will not hold of any mon- 
 arch ever upon the earth, unless it be Moses, 
 king in Jeshurun, and a few more under the 
 Old Testament. (And) though in this act 
 they grant, the acts now rescinding were 
 agreed to by king and parliament, yet, in 
 order to bury the covenants under reproach, 
 they add, that the covenanters did most un- 
 worthily engage "to subvert his majesty's 
 government, and the public peace of the 
 kingdom of England;" which is notoriously 
 contrary to the very letter of the covenants. 
 Many other things are asserted here as mat- 
 ters of fact, which might easily be disproved ; 
 but this would lead me too far into the his- 
 tory of former times. 
 
 Upon those pcr^'ersions of matter of fact, 
 and wrong reasonings, they rescind all the 
 
102 
 
 Ififil parliaments from the (year) IG^O to 
 1648, inclusive. A friend may go 
 with a foe, and therefore in this good com- 
 pany, they rescind the act 1648, approving 
 the engagement, which by their own 9th act 
 they had just now ratified ; at least that fa- 
 vourite act is not excepted, and therefore, it 
 would seem, is included in the strong and 
 general rescissory terms. To smooth a little 
 so harsh a treatment of our constitution, at- 
 tained with so great pains, and so much 
 valued lately, an indemnity is promised ; and 
 yet much more was to be done, before that 
 favour was granted to Scotland, and it was 
 a long time before it was published. It had 
 not been unusual to rescind particular acts of 
 former parliaments ; but I find few instances 
 before this, of voiding and cassing parliaments 
 by the lump and wholesale : none must now 
 be spared, (not even) the parliament 1641, 
 wherein king Charles I. was personally pre- 
 sent, nor that 1641, where their beloved en- 
 gagement was approven; neither does that 
 at Perth, 1651, where his majesty himself 
 was present, escape by this procedure. 
 
 When thus the guards, outworks and bul- 
 warks of the church are demolished, they 
 come next to blow up her government itself 
 by their 16th act, " concerning religion and 
 church government." This being one chief 
 foundation of twenty-seven years' melancholy 
 work in Scotland, I have added it. * In it 
 as in the whole of the present procedure, the 
 reader cannot but observe their singular in- 
 gratitude, and ungenerous treatment of min- 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 isters, and other presbyterians, to whom the 
 
 * Act concerning religion and church gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 Our sovereign lord, being truly sensible of 
 the mercies ot" Almighty God towards him in 
 his preservation, in the times of greatest trouble 
 and danger, and in his miraculous restitution to 
 his just right and government of his kingdoms, 
 and being desirous to improve these mercies, to 
 the glory of God, and honour of his great name, 
 doth, with advice and consent of his estates of 
 parliament, declare, that it is his full and firm 
 resolution to maintain the true reformed pro- 
 testant religion, in its purity of doctrine and 
 worship, as it was established within this king- 
 dom, during the reigns of his royal father and 
 grandfather of blessed memory : and that his 
 majesty will be careful to promote the power of 
 godliness, to encourage the exercises of religion, 
 both public and private, and to suppress all 
 profaneness and disorderly walking; and for 
 that end, will give all due countenance and 
 
 king owed his restoration so much, and who 
 had so firmly stood by his interests under 
 the usurpation. What the miracles in this, 
 and other acts, so much talked of in the 
 king's restoration, were, I am yet to learn. A 
 gracious promise follows, " to maintain the 
 doctrine and worship established in the king's 
 father and grandfather's time;" which is a 
 glorious commentary upon the king's letter 
 to the presbytery of Edinburgh. By this a 
 door is opened to bring in books and bishops, 
 at least the articles of Perth, How well the 
 exercises of religion, public and private, were 
 encouraged, will appear by the subsequent 
 acts of parliament and council, and their 
 rigorous execution. 
 
 The government of the church is promised 
 to be " secured, as the king finds most con- 
 sistent with scripture, monarchy, and peace ;" 
 and in the mean time, synods, presbyteries 
 and sessions are allowed for a few weeks ; 
 and yet, as we shall find, synods are violently 
 abridged in their liberty, and interrupted. 
 Thus in as dark and insensible a mamier as 
 might be, presbytery is abolished, prelacy 
 brought in, and the government of the church 
 is left ambulatory, and to be settled, as the 
 king sees good, without an act of parliament ; 
 and dying presbyterian government was 
 scarce permitted to live out this year. 
 
 I have it from one who lived at this time, 
 and was no stranger to court measiu-es, that 
 before the passing of this act, the commis- 
 sioner advised the matter with a few of his 
 
 protection to the ministers of the gospel, they 
 containing themselves -within the bounds and 
 limits of their ministerial calling, and behaving 
 themselves with that submission and obedience 
 to his majesty's authority and commands, that 
 is suitable to the allegiance and duty of good 
 subjects. And as to the government of the 
 church, his majesty will make it his care, to 
 settle and secure the same, in such a frame as 
 shall be most agreeable to the word of God, 
 most suitable to monarchical government, and 
 most complying with the public peace and quiet 
 of the kingdom. And in the mean time, his 
 majesty, with advice and consent foresaid, doth 
 allovy the present administration by sessions, 
 presbyteries and synods, (they keeping within 
 bounds, and behaving themselves as said is) 
 and that notwithstanding of the preceding act, 
 rescissory of all pretended parliaments, since the 
 yp^r one thousand six hundred and thirty-eight. 
 
CHAP. 
 
 I..] 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 103 
 
 close friends, the register. Sir Jolin Fletcher, 
 Sir George Mackenzie of Tarbet, and Ur- 
 qiihart of Cromarty, a cousin of Sir George's, 
 who had lately counterfeit the protester, 
 and some time after this ended miserably ; 
 whether he should pass this act, which he 
 knew to be the king's darling design, or delay 
 it a while, and go to London first to acquaint 
 tiic king, how much he had done for his ser- 
 vice, and receive the beginnings of his re- 
 ward. Sir Ai'chibald Primrose advised him 
 to bring in bishops surely, but slowly ; for if 
 he were soon through his work, he might 
 come the sooner to lose his power. The com- 
 missioner answered, " The parliament was 
 now at his beck, and he loved to serve his 
 master genteelly, and do his business at one 
 stroke." This resolution was applauded, as 
 noble and generous, by the rest of his confi- 
 dants : so the matter was agreed on in pri- 
 vate, and carried stitch-through in public, as 
 it stands in the act. However, afterwards, 
 the first appeared to be the best advice ; for 
 in a little time Middleton and his confidants 
 were out of all office in Scotland, the plant- 
 ing of bishops here, being like the building 
 Jericho of old. 
 
 Since by the former act prelates are ma- 
 terially brought in, and bishops could never 
 stand alone in Scotland; the parliament's 
 next work is to support them, when the king 
 shall please to name them, with holidays and 
 patrons. Accordingly their 17th act is for 
 keeping the 29th day of May, as a religious 
 anniversary ; * it is annexed. It was evi- 
 
 1661. 
 
 * Act for a solemn onniversary thanksgiving 
 for his maji'sty's restoration to the royal govern- 
 ment of his kingdoms. 
 
 The estates of parliament of the king(l<im 
 of Scotland, taking to their consideration tlie 
 sad condition, slavery, and bondage, this ancient 
 kingdom hath groaned under, during these 
 twenty-three years' troubles ; in which, under 
 the specious pretences of reformation, a public 
 rebellion hath been, by the treachery of some, 
 and mispersuas'on of others, violently carried 
 on against sacred authority, to the ruin and 
 destruction, so far as was possible, of religion, 
 the king's majesty, and his royal government, 
 the laws, liberties, and property of the people, 
 and all the public and private interests of the 
 kingdom ; so that religion itself, which holds 
 the right of kings to be sacred, hath been pros- 
 titute for the warrant of all these treasonable 
 Invasions made upon the royal authoritj', and 
 disloyal limitations put upon the allegiance of 
 the subiects ; and hath it not also been pretended 
 unto, for the warrant of all those vile and 
 
 dently framed to be a snare unto 
 ministers; and their refiising obe- 
 dience to it, was one of the first grounds of 
 their sufferings, in a little time. 
 
 Upon reading the narrative (of this act), 
 one will be ready to think the parliament 
 have forgot their design, and are framing the 
 causes of a fast, instead of an act for a thanks- 
 giving ; and it was much that any, who re- 
 tained any respect for the former work of' 
 reformation, had freedom to keep the day 
 upon such an introduction. The statutory 
 part will be yet more surprising : they ordain 
 " the 29th day of May to be for ever set apart 
 as an holy day unto the Lord, and to be em- 
 ployed in prayer, preaching, thanksgiving, and 
 praises to God. All servile work is dis- 
 charged, and the remaining part of the day 
 is to be spent in lawful divertisements suit- 
 able to so solemn an occasion." What a pity 
 was it that a book of sports was not framed 
 for Scotland upon this occasion, as was in 
 England in the king's father and grand- 
 father's time, a period set up now so much 
 for a rule ? It was certainly unreasonable 
 to set this, or any other day apart "for ever 
 as a holy day to the Lord," according to 
 their own principles ; and even the favourers 
 of holidays must own it. One may suppose 
 it possible, that upon a 29th day of May, a 
 prince, fully as good and pious as king 
 Charles I. might come to be beheaded by 
 another Cromwell, and a sectarian faction ; 
 and then ask those gentlemen, whether it 
 could he for ever /ccpt as a holy day of praise 
 
 bloody murders, which, in high contempt of Al- 
 mighty God, and of his majesty's authority and 
 laws, were, under colour of justice, committed 
 upon his m.ijesty's good subjects, merely for the 
 discharge of their duty to God, and loyalty to 
 the king? Hath not that royal government, 
 under whose protection this nation hath, to the 
 envy of the world, been so famous for many 
 ages, been of late trodden under foot, and new 
 governments and governors established, and 
 kept up without his majesty's authority, and 
 against his express commands? Hath not hnv, 
 which is the birthright and inheritance of the 
 subject, and the security of their lives and for- 
 tunes, been laid in the dust, and new and 
 unjust edicts and orders past and publislied, lor 
 sul)jecting both life and fortune, ivnd what else 
 wa-s dear unto any of his majesty's good sub- 
 jects, to the cruel and ambitious lusts of some 
 usurjjing rulers? Hath not religion and loy- 
 alty been the only objects of their rapine and 
 cruelty ? And hath not their new and 
 arbitrary exactions and burdens upon the 
 
104 
 
 ,„^, and thanksirivins to the Lord? and 
 as the institution of this, or any 
 other day, to be a " holy day for ever" is 
 what is really beyond the power of crea- 
 tui'es, who know not what may fall out, so 
 the following clause is a banter upon what is 
 sacred with themselves. First, the day is 
 set apart " for ever to be kept ho/j/ in the 
 Lord," and then " divertisemenis" are ap- 
 pointed for the spending the day, after public 
 worship is over : and if their own practices, 
 who were managers, may be allowed to be a 
 just commentary upon their " lawful diver- 
 tisements," we shall soon see what they 
 were, horrid impieties, revelling, drinking, 
 and excess of riot ; and I doubt not but this 
 prostituting of what they professed to believe 
 as sacred, and holy time, was an inlet to that 
 fearful wickedness, debauching of consciences, 
 and corruption in morals, which became so 
 common at this time. 
 
 The reader must guess, whether there 
 were any fears in the house, that by those 
 preceding acts, a door might be opened to 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 profaneness. JJut as if there had been a 
 
 people, exceeded in one month whatever had 
 been formerly in many years paid to any of the 
 kings of this kingdom ? And when the best of 
 men, and the most excellent of the kings of the 
 earth, had, in an unusual way of confidence, 
 rendered his person to the trust and loyalty of 
 his native subjects, was not the security of reli- 
 gion pretended unto by some, who then gov- 
 erned in church and state, for the ground of that 
 base (^and never enougli to be abhorred) transac- 
 tion, in leaving such a prince, their native and 
 dread sovereign, to the will of these who were 
 in open rebellion, and for the time had their 
 swords in their hands against him? And that 
 when by these and many such like undutiful 
 carriages, the king's majesty vi^as removed from 
 his kingdoms, the foundations of this ancient 
 and well constitute government was overturned, 
 the liberties and property of the people inverted, 
 and this kingdom exposed to be captives and 
 slaves to strangers, and nothing left unto thein 
 but the sad meditation of their increasing miser- 
 ies, and the bitter remembrance of their bypast 
 disloyalties : yet even then it pleased Almighty 
 God to compassionate their low condition, and, 
 by the power of his own right band, most 
 miraculously to restore the king's most sacred 
 majesty, to the royal government of his king- 
 doms ; and thereby to redeem this kingdom 
 from its former slavery and bondage, .ind to 
 restore it to its ancient and just priviipges and 
 freedom. And the king's majesty acknowled;;- 
 ing, with all humiliiy and thankfulness, the 
 goodness, wisdom, and power of God, in this 
 signal act of his mercy to him and his people, 
 doth, with advice and consent of his estates of 
 pai'liament, statute and orduiri, that in all time 
 coming there be a solemn yearly commemora- 
 tion of the same : and for that end, the twentv- 
 
 connexion betwixt keeping the 29th of May, 
 and prostituting the- sabbath of the Lord, 
 their 18th act is " for the due observation of 
 the sabbath," and the 1 9th " against swear- 
 ing, and excessive drinking ;" both of them 
 very good acts, and not unnecessary after 
 the 17th, and those which went before: but 
 the practice of many of the lawgivers, in 
 cursing, swearing, and sabbath-breaking, was 
 a lamentable directory to the lieges, how to 
 keep their laws, and the grossest and most 
 shameless contempt that ever lawmaliers put 
 on their own infant laws. 
 
 Further, to secure their designed model of 
 church government now coming in, they re- 
 introduced the unreasonable and antichris- 
 tian burden of " patrons and presentations," 
 upon this church. That heavy grievance 
 had been happily removed by an act of par- 
 liament, March 9th, 1649. This reasonable 
 statute not being in every body's hands, I 
 have added it (as under). * It did not 
 satisfy our managers to have this act re- 
 
 ninth day of May, (which day God Almighty 
 hath specially honoured, and rendered auspicious 
 to this kingdom, both by his majesty's royal birth, 
 and by his blessed restoration to his govern- 
 ment) be for ever set apart as an holy day unto 
 the Lord, and that in all the churches of the 
 kingdom it be employed in public prayers, 
 preaching, thanksgiving, and praises to God, 
 for so transcendent mercies : and that all trade, 
 merchandise, work, handy-labour, and other 
 ordinary employments be forborne, and the 
 remaining part of the day spent in sucli lawful 
 divertisements as are suitable to so solemn an 
 occasion. And it is hereby recommended to .ill 
 ministers of the gospel, and to aU sheriffs, jus- 
 tices of peace, and other public ministers in the 
 several counties, and to all magistrates within 
 burghs, to be careful, that for this present year, 
 and in all time coming, the twenty-ninth day of 
 May be accordingly kept and observed within 
 their several jurisdictions. And for the speed- 
 ier and more full intimation hereof to all his 
 majesty's subjects, it is appointed these presents 
 be printed, and published at all the market- 
 crosses of the royal burghs. 
 
 * Act abolishing Patronages, March 9th, 16t9. 
 
 The estates of parliament, being sensible of 
 the great obligation that lies upon them by the 
 national covenant, and by the solemn league and 
 covenant, and by many deliverances and mercies 
 from God, and by the late solemn engagement 
 unto duties, to preserve t)ie doctrine, and main- 
 tain and vindicate the liberties of the kirk of 
 Scotland, and to advance the woi'k of reforma- 
 tion therein, to the utmost of their power ; and 
 considering, that patronages and presentations 
 of kirks is an evil and bondage, under which 
 the lyord's people, and ministers of this land. 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, 10.5 
 
 scinded in the general, witli many other ! take it away, and directly csiablish 
 excellent statutes made in that period ; and j patrons, and presentation of minis- 
 therefore, by their 3Gth act,* they particularly j ters by them, as what they knew had been 
 
 have long groaned, and that it hath no warrant 
 in God's word, but is founded only on the com- 
 mon law, and is a custom popish, and brought 
 into the kirk in time of ignorance and supersti- 
 tion, and that the same is contrary to the second 
 book of discipline, in which, upon solid and good 
 ground, it is reckoned among abuses that .'u'e de- 
 sired to be reformed, and unto several acts of 
 general assembly, and that it is prejudicial to 
 the liberty of the ])e()ple, and planting of kirks, 
 and unto the free calling and entry of ministers 
 unto their charge : aiul the said estates being 
 willing and desirous to promove and advance 
 the reformation foresaid, that every thing in the 
 house of God may be ordered according to his 
 word and commandment ; do therefore, from 
 the sense of the former obligations, and upon 
 the former grounds and reasons, discharge for 
 ever hereafter, ;ill jiatrouages and presentations 
 of kirks, whether belonging to the king or to 
 any laick patron, presbyteries, or either, within 
 this kingdom, as being unlawful and unwar- 
 rantable by God's word, and contrary to the 
 doctrine and liberties of this kirk; and do re- 
 peal, rescind, make void, and annul all gifts and 
 riijnts granted thereanent, and all former acts 
 made in parliament, or in any inferior judica- 
 tory, in favours of any patron or patrons what- 
 soever, so far as the same doth, or may relate 
 unto the presentation of kirks : and do statute 
 and ordain, that no person or persons what- 
 somever, shall at any time hereafter, take upon 
 them, inider pretext of any title, infeftment, 
 act of pai'l lament, possession, or warrant what- 
 soever, which ai'e hereby repealed, to give, sub- 
 scribe, or seal any presentation to any kirk 
 within this kingdom ; and discharge the passing 
 of any infeftments hereafter, bearing the right 
 to patronages to be granted in favours of these 
 for whom the infeftments are presented ; and 
 that no person or persons shall, either in the 
 behalf of themselves or others, procure, receive. 
 
 * Act anent presentation of ministers. 
 Forasmuch as the king's most excellent majes- 
 ty, considering how necessary it is, for the right 
 and orderly administration of God's worship, 
 and the exercises of religion, and for keeping of 
 his good subjects within their duties they owe 
 to God, to his majesty, to their native country, 
 and fellow subjects, especially at this time, after 
 so many confusions and distractions, both among 
 churchmen and others, that more than ordinary 
 care be had in presenting of ministers to all 
 such kirks as are or shall be vacant within this 
 kingdom, hath given particular commission un- 
 der his great seal, as to all presentations to all 
 parsonages, vicarages, and other benefices and 
 kirks at his majesty's presentation. And as to 
 all other benefices and kirks, whereof the presen- 
 tation beh)ngs to any (tther patron or patrons 
 whatsoever, his majesty with advice and consent 
 of his estates of parliament, statutes and ordains, 
 that all ])atrons or persons whatsoever, who 
 hath or pretends any right to the presentations 
 to any patronages, vicarages, or other benefices of 
 cure, kii'ks, or modified stipends, be careful in all 
 
 or make use of any presentation to any kirk 
 within this kingdom. And it is further de- 
 clared and ordained, that if any presentation 
 shall hereafter be given, procured, or received, 
 that the same is null and of no effect, and that 
 it is lawful for presbyteries to reject the same, 
 and to refuse to admit any to triiils thereupon ; 
 and notwithstanding thereof, to proceed to the 
 planting of the kirk, upon the suit and calline, 
 or with the consent of the congregation, on 
 whom none is to be obtruded against their will. 
 And it is decerned, statute, and ordained, that 
 whosoever hereafter shall, upon the suit and 
 calling of the congregation, after due examina- 
 tion of their literature and conversation, be ad- 
 mitted by the presbytery unto the exercise and 
 function of the ministry, in any parish within 
 this kingdom ; that the said person or persons, 
 w'ithout a presentation, by virtue of their mis- 
 sion, hath a sufficient right and title to possess and 
 enjoy the manse and glebe, and the whole rents, 
 profits, and stipends, which the ministers of that 
 church had formerly possessed and enjoyed, or 
 that hereafter shall be modified by the commis- 
 sion for plantation of kirks; and decern all 
 titulars and tacksmen of tithes, heritors, life- 
 renters, or others, subject and liable in payment 
 of ministers' stipends, to make payment of the 
 same, notwithstanding the minister his want of 
 a presentation ; and ordain the lords of session, 
 and other judges competent, to give out decreets 
 and sentences, letters conform, horning, inhibi- 
 tion, and all other executorials, upon the said 
 admission of ministers by presbyteries, as thev 
 were formerly in use to do, upon collation and 
 institution following upon presentations from 
 patrons : declaring always, that where minis- 
 ters are already admitted upon presentation, 
 and have obtained decreets conform thereupon, 
 that the said decreets and executorials follow- 
 ing thereupon, shidl be good and valid rights to 
 the ministers, for suiting and obtaining payment 
 
 time coming, that presentations to these benefices, 
 kirks, or stipends, be granted by them to such per- 
 sons only, ;is shall give sufficient evidence of their 
 piety, loyalty, literature, and peaceable disposi- 
 tion, and shall in presence of the patron or his 
 attorney, and of the sheriff of the shire, steward 
 of the stewartry, or heritable bailie, or commis- 
 sary of the bounds, if it be in the country, and 
 of the magistrates of the burghs within the 
 burgh, before the granting and their accepting 
 the presentation, take and subscribe the oath of 
 allegiance, the said sheriff, steward, bailie, com- 
 missary, Jind magistrates, having first taken the 
 oath themselves. And it is hereby docl.ired, 
 that if any person who hath not so taken the 
 oath of allegiance, shall be presented by any 
 patron, not only shall the presentation be void 
 and null of itself, but the right of the patronage, 
 as to that vacancy, shall belong to the king's 
 majesty, and the patrons be repute disaffected to 
 his majesty's government, and contemners ot 
 his royal authority. And ordains these presents 
 to be printed, and published at the market- 
 crosses, that none pretend ignorance. 
 
106 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ,,.„. still a dead weight upon, and 
 ■•eally inconsistent with the pres- 
 byterian establishment. And that in time 
 coming they might have a ministry every 
 way obsequious to their impositions, made 
 and to be made, the act ordains all 
 who shall be presented to " take the oath 
 of allegiance," or supremacy, before set 
 down, and that under very severe penalties, 
 both upon the presenter, and person pre- 
 sented, in case this be neglected : so very 
 soon they got not only the civil government, 
 but the ministry m.odelled to their wish. 
 
 A great many other acts were made by 
 this parliament, which I pass, as not imme- 
 diately relating to the history I am writing, 
 and some of them very good ones, as that 
 " against cursing, and beating of parents ;" 
 that " against blasphemy ;" and one against 
 " clandestine marriages." Their 52d act is 
 a pretty singular one, appointing " all vacant 
 stipends" at present, and for seven years to 
 come, to be given " to ministers and others, 
 their wives and bairns, who had been loyal 
 in the late tmies," i. e. against presbytery, 
 
 of his stipend, and the presentation and decreet 
 conform, obtained before the date hereof, shall 
 be a valid ground and right for that effect, not- 
 withstanding the annulling presentations by vir- 
 tue of this present act. And because it is need- 
 ful that the just and proper interest of congre- 
 gations and presbyteries, in providing of kirks 
 with ministers, ba clearly determined by the 
 general assembly, and what is to be accounted 
 the congregation having that interest ; therefore, 
 it is hereby seriously recommended unto the 
 next general assembly, clearly to determine the 
 same, and to condescend upon a certain stand- 
 ing way, for being a settled rule therein, for all 
 time coming. And it is hereby provided, de- 
 clared, and ordained, that the taking away of 
 patronages and presentations of kirks, shall im- 
 port nor inforce no hurt nor prejudice unto the 
 title and right that any patron hath unto the 
 tithes of the parish, nor weaken his infeftment 
 •wherein the same is contained ; but that the said 
 title, right, and infeftment, shall in every re- 
 spect (so far as doth concern the tithes), be as 
 valid and strong, as when presentations were in 
 use. It is further statute and ordained, that 
 the tithes of these kirks, whereof the presenta- 
 tions are hereby abolished, shall belong heritably 
 unto the said patrons, and be secured unto them, 
 and inserted in their rights and infeftments, in 
 place of the patronage. Likeas, the estates of 
 parliament declare said patrons their right there- 
 unto to be good and valid, hereby granting full 
 power to them to possess, sell, annalie, and dis- 
 pone the same in manner after specified, as fully 
 and freely as the minister and patron might 
 have done, before the making these presents ; 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 and the work of reformation, " and had suf- 
 fered for their adherence to the king's in- 
 terests." By this clause, a good many of 
 the protesters might have pleaded a share. 
 Their last act was by some termed, " an act 
 for paying their own debts without monej'," 
 and alleged to be neither just nor generous ; 
 but by others it was reckoned both equitable 
 and good policy, after so general and great 
 calamities. Thus the reader hath some view 
 of the acts of this parliament, as far as they 
 concern the constitution of this church, and 
 our civil liberty. Before I leave this parha- 
 ment, I shall, from the minutes I spoke of 
 before, give some further account of their 
 procedure, in a few hints, which could not 
 offer themselves from the acts, as they stand 
 in print. What concerns the processes 
 against the marquis of Argyle, lord Warris- 
 ton, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Gillespie, and some 
 others, will come in upon the following sec- 
 tions, where I am to give accounts of them 
 by themselves. 
 
 January 4th, when they entered upon bu- 
 siness, the oath of allegiance was taken by 
 
 excepting always therefrom, these tithes which 
 the heritors have had and possessed, by virtue of 
 tacks set to them by the ministers, without any 
 deed or consent of the patrons; concerning 
 which it is provided, that the said tithes, at the 
 issue and outrunning of the present tacks, shall 
 belong unto the heritors respective ; the said 
 heritors and the patrons abovementioned, each 
 of them for their interest, being always liable to 
 the payment of the present stipends to the min- 
 isters, and to such augmentation and provision 
 of new stipends to one or more ministers, such 
 as the parliament or commission for plantation 
 of kirks, shall think fit and appoint : excepting 
 also such tithesasare and have been possessed and 
 uplifted by the ministers, as their proper sti- 
 pends ; concerning which it is hereby declared, 
 that the minister shall enjoy the same without 
 any impediment, as formerly ; it being hereby 
 provided also, that this act shall prejudge no 
 person of the right, title, and possession of their 
 tithes, by infeftments, tacks, and other lawful 
 rights acquired by them, and the predecessors 
 and authors, as accords of law. Likeas, the 
 estates of parliament renew the former acts, 
 granted in favours of heritors, for valuing, lead- 
 ing, and buying of their tithes ; hereby ordain- 
 ing any patron, having right to these tithes 
 made to them by this act, and having no right 
 thereunto of before, to accept the value of six 
 years' rents, according to the prices of valued 
 boUs respective, enjoined and set down in the 
 former act thereanent, and that for the heritable 
 right of the said tithes, and for all title, interest 
 or claim that the said patrons can have or pre- 
 tend thereunto by virtue of this act. 
 
CHAr. II.] 
 
 all members present, save the earl of Cassils, 
 who had time given lum to advise. If the 
 former account hold, that the earl of Melvil 
 and laird of Kilburny did not qualify, as I 
 have said, from papers writ at this time, it 
 seems they have not been present; and I 
 find that the carl of Cassils is overlooked, 
 till January llth, where the manuscript, 
 from which I am giving those accounts, 
 takes notice, " that the earl deserted the 
 house, not being satisfied to take the oath 
 agreed to by the parliament." And, April 
 1 1th, the earl of Cassils being called to the 
 *' house this day, was desired to take the 
 oath of allegiance. He moved by himself, 
 and several of his friends, that he might be 
 remitted to the king, to satisfy his majesty 
 thereanent. But in regard this desire was 
 contrary to an order of parliament, and that 
 he had got many delays formerly for advis- 
 ing the said oath, his desire was refused, and 
 the certification of the parliament passed 
 against him, declaring him incapable of the 
 public trust intended by the king upon him." 
 The earl was a stiff royalist under the 
 usurpation, and the king was very sensible 
 of his services, and he had considerable 
 offers made, and yet quit all, to keep a good 
 conscience towards God ; and all the favour 
 he sought, in return to the hardships he had 
 undergone for his loyalty, was a permission 
 to keep a presbyterian minister as his chap- 
 lain in his family, after they were turned out 
 of their churches. This the bishops grudged 
 him, yet he was overlooked in it. 
 
 I find this parliament had different minis- 
 ters every day almost, who prayed in the 
 house with them ; and unless it be some of 
 the ministers of Edinburgh, there is scarce 
 another employed to pray, but such who 
 conformed to prelacy ; so well did the em- 
 ployers know the characters of the corrupt 
 part of the ministry. A good many, who 
 were afterwards bishops, were employed to 
 preach before them, and we heard the nature 
 of their sermons. 
 
 By those written minutes of parliament, I 
 observe, that most part of their meetings 
 were in the afternoon, though the day was 
 but short : whether several members were 
 better in case for business, by that time of 
 the day, I determine not; but I knew 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 107 
 
 peer of the first rank, who had been ,,,„, 
 r , ,■ Ifaol. 
 
 present m most of the parliaments 
 
 during this period, when commissioner to 
 
 one of the sessions after the revolution, used 
 
 to declare himself with some warmth against 
 
 afternoon sederunts of parliament, from 
 
 what he had observed in this and the next 
 
 reign. 
 
 All the acts of a public nature were form- 
 ed by " the lords of articles," and presented 
 from them to the parliament, where many of 
 them passed without any great reasoning ; 
 sometimes five or six acts of very great con- 
 sequence would be voted in an afternoon's 
 sederunt. Whether they were debated be- 
 fore the lords of the articles, 1 know not : 
 but I suppose any little struggle that was 
 made was there ; for the parHament met but 
 very seldom, once or twice in a week, or so. 
 This manner of parliamentary procedure was 
 declared against at the revolution, and no 
 more used. Upon the 8th of Januarj', the 
 commissioner proposed this matter to the 
 house, and moved that the parliament might 
 fall to their business, in the ancient road, by 
 the lords of the articles, without devolving 
 their whole power upon them, which he de- 
 clared was not his meaning. The matter 
 was not a little agitate in the house ; at 
 length, " it was resolved, that twelve noble- 
 men, twelve barons, and twelve burgesses, 
 with the officers of state, shall be in the 
 place of the lords of articles ; and that other 
 twelve of each of those estates should be a 
 committee for trade and heai-ing of bills. 
 Those were authorized in their several 
 meetings, to hear all matters presented to 
 them, to receive probation of what they 
 found relevant, and report to the parliament 
 twice a week : but the full power is declared 
 to be reserved to the parliament, to debate 
 and determine all matters, notwithstanding 
 of those meetings, which are declared to be 
 preparatory." 
 
 The several estates having withdrawn 
 themselves, brought in the following list 
 for the lords of the ai'ticles, which was 
 agreed to : 
 
 Nobility — Duke Hamilton, Montrose, Er- 
 rol. Marshal, Mar, Rothes, Atliole, Hume, 
 Haddington, Dumfries, Callcndar, Hartficld. 
 Barons — Sir John Gilmour, Sii" Peter Wed- 
 
108 
 
 THE HISTORY OT 
 
 ,„„, derburn, Piestoun, Lie, Polmais, 
 Carden, Dury, Tarbet, CoUingtoun, 
 Garff, Ardross, Balinaiii. Burghs — Provost 
 of Edinburgli ; Provost of Perth ; Dundee, 
 Alexander Wedderbum ; Aberdeen, William 
 Gray ; Stirling, Duncan Nairn ; Linlitligow, 
 Andrew Glame ; Glasgow, John Bell ; Air, 
 William Cunningham ; Haddington, John 
 Beaton ; Dumfries, John Irvine ; Aber- 
 brothock, John Auchterbos, Hugh Sinclair. 
 To those, with the of&cers of state, the na- 
 tion owes the forming and framing of the 
 acts formerly mentioned. Tiie committee 
 for trade and bills I need not insert, since it 
 was mostly private business came before 
 them : the processes indeed against the 
 marquis of Argyle and others began at 
 them ; and the lord Cochran was their pre- 
 sident. 
 
 January 16th, the act discharging all 
 meetings, convocations, leagues, and bonds, 
 without the concurrence of the king, was, 
 after much debate, carried, with a declai'a- 
 tion that it looked only forward. 
 
 A proclamation by the commissioner and 
 parliament was this day agreed to, " ordain- 
 ing all persons, who have not actual resi- 
 dence in Edinburgh, and are not obhged to 
 attend the parliament, who had any hand in 
 the remonstrance, or in contriving of, or 
 assenting to the ends thereof, or in that 
 wicked book called * the Causes of God's 
 Wrath,' to depart the town in forty-eight 
 hours, and not to return, or remain ^\^thin 
 ten miles thereof, imder pain of treason ; 
 except those who are already cited to appear 
 for the crimes abovementioned." This was 
 proclaimed at the Cross. 
 
 January 22d, the act agreed upon by the 
 lords of the articles, disannulling the con- 
 vention of estates 1643, was passed, after 
 very much debate. The commissioner de- 
 clared, " he had no order from his master to 
 encroach upon our national covenant, or 
 upon the consciences of the people : but as 
 to leagues with other nations, he conceived 
 they could not now subsist with the laws of 
 this kingdom." About ten members dis- 
 sented. 
 
 When the act rescissory was brought in 
 by the lords of the articles to the house, 
 February 7th, very long reasonings ensued. 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS []bOOK I. 
 
 and it could not be got through that night. 
 To-morrow, it was again tossed. The earl 
 of Loudon had a long and elegant speech, 
 indicating himself from the aspersions in 
 the narrative of that act, and setting the 
 affairs in that period in a just light ; but it 
 had no weight : that act behoved to be 
 passed, and at length, with a great struggle, 
 it was carried. 
 
 L*pon the 22d of February, the parlia- 
 ment grant a commission to visit the col- 
 leges of Aberdeen, and for removing of such 
 of the masters as had intruded themselves 
 unwarrantably, and reponing those who, 
 without just cause, were put from their 
 offices. 
 
 That same day, an act was agreed upon, 
 for discharging the frequent coming of per- 
 sons of all sorts from Ireland to this king- 
 dom, to the disturbance of the peace of the 
 state and church ; and appointing, that none 
 be admitted who bring not passes, bearing 
 their peaceable deportment to the govern- 
 ment there established, from the lord chief 
 justices, pri^y council, or mayors of towns 
 where they reside, under the pain of im- 
 prisonment of their persons : and that until 
 they procure such passes, they are to appear 
 before the privy council at Edinburgh, and 
 give surety for their peaceable deportment. 
 This act is ordered to be published at Glas- 
 gow, Ayr, Wigton, and Kirkcudbright. I 
 know no reason of this extraordinary prohi- 
 bition, unless it was to prevent the retiring 
 of the Scots presbyterians in the north of 
 Ireland, to their native country, now when 
 they are beginning to feel the fiiry of the 
 prelates there. 
 
 February 27th, the commissioner pre- 
 sented a letter directed from his majesty to 
 the parliament, appro\ing all their former 
 proceedings, and declaring that he is ready 
 to give a general remission to all Scotsmen, 
 (except such as the parliament shall except) 
 for their bygone actings, against his royal 
 father, or him. Which was read with great 
 joy, and ordered to be recorded as a glorious 
 testimony of the king's favour; and the 
 commissioner is desired to return the humble 
 acknowledgments and thanks of the house. 
 
 The reader may have some view of the 
 procedure of this first session of parliament. 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 from those hints ; and for as arbitrary as a 
 good many of the acts now passed will evi- 
 dently appear, yet much heavier are a com- 
 in<» in the after parliaments. However, by 
 those, one of the best formed ci'i-il establish- 
 raepts, and a most glorious ecclesiastical 
 settlement, according to the rules of Christ 
 in his word, were overturned, and a founda- 
 tion laid for the bringing in of prelacy into 
 the church, and arbitrary government to the 
 state: This vast change in Scotland, was 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 109 
 
 1G61. 
 
 Mr. Hugh Blair at Glasgow, Mr. 
 Paterson, and others, whose ser- 
 mons were carefully printed, and speak for 
 them to this day. Up and down the country, 
 many ministers warned their people fully and 
 faithfully of the evils coming in, and the dan- 
 gers the church of Scotland was in hazard 
 of, notwithstanding of the severe act, we have 
 seen, was published against ministers' free- 
 dom in preaching, by the committee of 
 estates. Mr. M'Ward at Glasgow used 
 
 not brought about without some testimony ; very much plainness this way, and was staged 
 given against it, whicli may be the subject of before the parliament therefore, as we shall 
 
 bear. 
 
 Mr. William Guthrie, minister at Fen- 
 wick, in the shire of Ayr, used the greatest 
 of freedom and sincerity in his sermons at 
 this time. I am too nearly concerned in this 
 great man, to say much about him, and there- 
 fore choose to give this in the words of a 
 worthy minister, his contemporary, in his 
 character of him. " In his doctrine Mr. 
 William Guthrie was as fiill and free, as any 
 man in Scotland had ever been ; which, to- 
 gether with the excellency of his preaching 
 gift, did so recommend him to the affections 
 of people, that they turned the com field of 
 his glebe to a little town, every one build- 
 ing a house for his family uf>on it, that they 
 might live imder the drop of his ordinances 
 and ministry." Indeed the Lord gave him 
 aa opportunity to bear a longer testimony 
 against the defections of this time, than most 
 of his brethren ; till at length the malice of the 
 archbishop of Glasgow turned him out in the 
 (year) 1664, as we may hear. A good many 
 ministers kept congr^ational fests ; and that 
 was all almost they could do, since now 
 there was scarce any opportunities of pres- 
 byterial or s\-nodical appointments of this 
 nature : and in some places w here there were 
 disaffected persons to delate them, ministers 
 suffered not a little for this practice, and the 
 plainness of their doctrine. 
 
 Somewhat likewise was endeavoured in 
 
 Of the efforts made by presbyterian minuters, j 
 for the preservation of the church during , 
 the sitting of the parliament; with some 
 account of the violent treatment of synods, 
 April and May, this year 166 L 
 
 Although the miserable rents in the church, 
 the caution and cunning of the parliament's 
 procedure, the fair professions made of a 
 deep concern for those they called the honest 
 ministers, and at length open force and vio- 
 lence upon the judicatories of the church, 
 with some other causes, hindered what 
 ought to have been done at such a critical 
 juncture; yet several essays were made by 
 ministers, to give such a testimony as their 
 present ill circumstances would permit ; and 
 because what was then done is very little 
 known, I shall give the larger account oi it 
 from well vouched narratives, and some 
 original papers in my hands. 
 
 We have already heard that Mr. Robert 
 Douglas, in his sermon before the parlia- 
 ment, dealt fairly with the members at the 
 opening of the session. He was among the 
 eldest nunisters of the church, and of the 
 greatest gravity and account; and ha\Tng 
 plainly warned them to do nothing against 
 the work of reformation in this church, his 
 
 freedom was not pleasing to the court, and. judicatories. The ministers in and about 
 
 neither he, nor almost any hearty presby- 
 terians, were ever afterwards employed, espe- 
 cially after Mr. Wood and Mr. John Smith, 
 had, in a little time thereafter, laid their duty 
 freely before them. Timesen-ers and syco- 
 phants were afterwards employed, such as 
 
 Edinburgh, had the greatest opportunities 
 of observing, and the earliest views of what 
 was a doing, though the managers in parlia- 
 ment did their business as secretiy and 
 speedily as might be ; and really much of 
 the razing work was over before the minis- 
 
110 
 
 2^„j tcrs at any distance from the parlia- 
 ment had distinct accounts : there- 
 fore I choose to insert here the copy of 
 an original paper, I have under Mr. Andrew 
 Ker, clerk to the church, his attestation, 
 formed at this time, as a narrative of the 
 essays of the ministers who lay nearest the 
 parliament, and might be supposed to have 
 the greatest weight with the members at this 
 juncture, for the benefit of the church. The 
 title is. 
 
 Proceedings of some brethren, 1661. 
 
 " After the parliament was convened, 
 January, 1661, some acts having passed, 
 which occasioned great fears of some pur- 
 poses to overturn, or weaken our discipline, 
 and the work of reformation; therefore 
 brethren of divers of the next presbyteries, 
 finding it inconvenient to appear in any pub- 
 lic way, contented themselves to correspond 
 by some few, with some of the brethren of 
 Edinburgh, who were using all fair means 
 for preventing the evils feared, 
 
 " After frequent conference of those 
 brethren of Edinburgh, with the earl of 
 Middleton, his majesty's commissioner, and 
 the earl of Glencairn, chancellor, about mat- 
 ters then in agitation, they being surprised 
 with the passing of some acts, did present 
 the lord commissioner's grace with the fol- 
 lowing overtures ; humbly also desiring, that 
 for security as to the future, there might 
 pass a general ratification of the former acts 
 for religion in doctrine and government." 
 
 A few overtures humbly offered for the good 
 of his majesty's affairs, and settling the 
 minds of good j)eople, whose only aim and 
 desire is, that under the skadoiv of his ma- 
 jesty's government, they may enjoy the or- 
 dinances of Christ, as they are established 
 in purity and power. 
 
 " I. As to the oath tendered to all the mem- 
 bers of parliament, it is humbly offered, that 
 seeing those of the lieges who were in use to 
 take that oath before, and may have it again 
 tendered to them, will want that opportuni- 
 ty of his majesty's high commissioner, and a 
 parliament sitting, to give the interpretation 
 thereof, as was done to the members of par- 
 liament; therefore an interpretation there- 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 of may be passed by act of parliament. 
 
 There is no honest man, but will acknow- 
 ledge the king's majesty supreme governor, 
 not only in matters civil, but even in eccle- 
 siastical, as to that power formally civil, 
 competent to the christian magistrate about 
 ecclesiastical affairs; and if it be declared 
 by act of parliament, that the sense thereof 
 is none other than what is asserted in the 
 parliament 1592, explaining the act 1584, 
 or in the late Confession of Faith, chap. 
 23. (which is believed to be the parliament's 
 sense) it will remove fears and stumblings as 
 to that particular. 
 
 " II. Whereas acts have passed relative 
 to the constitution and legality of some meet- 
 ings in this kingdom, in the time of the late 
 troubles, wherein private subjects do not find 
 themselves concerned to pry into the grounds 
 and reasons of those proceedings ; yet seeing 
 the people may readily apprehend, that 
 thereb}' " the solemn league and covenant," 
 (entered into at that time) is annulled, 
 which cannot but be a cause of great per- 
 plexity unto them, considering how they 
 stand engaged in an oath of God, concern- 
 ing a lawful thing, to which they were drawn 
 by the representatives of the kingdom : there- 
 fore it is humbly offered, whether it will not 
 much refresh the minds of people, and re- 
 vive their perplexed spirits, if the parliament 
 be pleased to declare their mind, that they 
 intend not to annul or make void the obli- 
 gation of the oath of God, under which the 
 people lie ? 
 
 " III. It is humbly conceived, that an act 
 of parliament approving and ratifying the 
 Confession of Faith, and Catechisms, and 
 the Directory for Worship, approven by 
 the assemblies of this kirk, and the discipline, 
 government, and liberties of this kirk, and 
 acts for suppressing popery and profanity, 
 would remove the fears of sober and honest 
 people, and (it is trusted) will be acceptable 
 to his majesty, and exceedingly satisfy all 
 his good subjects. 
 
 " Those overtures his grace and the lord 
 chancellor promised to communicate to his 
 majesty, and thereafter to give an answer to 
 them ; and for further security, desired the 
 brethren to draw an act of ratification, as 
 they would have it ; and should be consid- 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 
 
 ered : which was accordingly done, and given 
 to the lord commissioner, the tenor whereof 
 follows : 
 
 111 
 
 Ratification of former acts of parliament, con- 
 cerning religion, doctrine, ivorship, discip- 
 line, and government. 
 
 " Seeing it is a mercy never to be forgot- 
 ten, that the Lord God, in his infinite good- 
 ness, hath been pleased wonderfully and un- 
 expectedly, to bring about the restitution of 
 his majesty to his throne, and the deliver- 
 ance of this distressed kingdom from all that 
 bondage and misery it was lately under, both 
 as to spirituals and temporals, by the vio- 
 lence and prevailing of usurpers, and to 
 make so universal a restauration, as is to be 
 seen this day : and his majesty, in thankful- 
 ness to God for so great mercies, being de- 
 sirous to employ that royal power and au- 
 thority, which by di\ine providence he now 
 enjoyeth, for the service and glory of God, 
 and for countenancing, maintaining, and pro- 
 mo\ing the gospel of his Son Jesus Christ ; 
 therefore his majestj', with consent of the 
 estates of parliament now convened, doth 
 confirm and ratify the true religion professed, 
 received, and practised within this kingdom, 
 in doctrine, worship, discipline, and govern- 
 ment, established by general assemblies, ap- 
 proven and ratified by acts of parliaments, 
 particularly those following, viz. act 3. pari. 
 I. James VI. anno 1567, and act 99. pari. 7. 
 James VI. in 1581, and act 114, pari. 12. 
 James VI. in 1592, and acts 4, 5, 6. pari. 2. 
 of his majesty's royal father of glorious 
 memory, 1640, ratified in act 6, of the par- 
 liament held by his majesty's said royal 
 father, in his own person, 1641, which acts, 
 together with all other acts of parliaments 
 made for establishing, maintaining, protect- 
 ing and preserving the said true religion, in 
 doctrine, worship, discipline, and govern- 
 ment, professed, received, approven, and 
 practised in this church ; and for restraining 
 and suppressing in this church and kingdom, 
 all impiety, vice, profaneness, and whatso- 
 ever is contrary to truth and godliness ; his 
 majesty, with consent foresaid, doth approve, 
 ratify, and renew, in all the heads and articles 
 thereof: ordaining the said acts to be in full 
 
 1661. 
 
 force, strength, and observance, ac- 
 cording to the whole tenor thereof; 
 and declares that no acts of this present par- 
 liament, are or shall be held prejudicial to 
 the liberty, profession, exercise, establish- 
 ment, and entire preservation of the said 
 true religion, doctrine, worship, discipline, and 
 government within this church and kingdom, 
 or any ways derogatory to the authority 
 and strength of the above said acts of parlia- 
 ment, approving and ratifying the same." 
 
 To this was added this brief memorial : 
 " If the parliament 1649, be abrogate, and 
 the acts thereof made void and null, it is 
 humbly desired, that those acts following, 
 which were passed in that year, may be re- 
 newed in this parliament, and by their autho- 
 rity enacted." 
 
 Session 2. 
 
 II th Act, against consulters with devils, 
 and familiar spirits and witches, and con- 
 sulters with them. 
 
 12th Act, against fornication. 
 
 16th Act, anent the Confession of Faith, 
 and Catechisms, and ratification thereof. 
 
 19th Act, anent several degrees of casual 
 homicide. 
 
 20th Act, against swearing, drinking, filthy 
 speaking, &c. 
 
 22d Act, against clandestine marriages. 
 
 24th Act, against going of mills, kilns, salt- 
 pans, and fishing on the Lord's day. 
 
 28th Act, against blasphemy. 
 
 32d Act, against worshippers of false gods. 
 
 33d Act, against beaters and curs<^rs of 
 their parents. 
 
 45th Act, concerning manse and glebes. 
 
 Renovation of commission for plan ition 
 of kirks. 
 
 Session 3. 
 1 9th Act, for punishing incest. 
 
 It hath been remarked, that the parlia- 
 ment, after they had overturned our consti- 
 tution by their principal acts above nar- 
 rated, came in to two or three of these acts 
 desired ; but the act of ratification drawn at 
 the commissioner's desire, and renovation of 
 the rest, were neglected ; and the ministers 
 were kept in hopes, and got fair words, till 
 
112 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I, 
 
 jgg, matters were past hope. Indeed i by tery of Edinburgh to the parliament at this 
 things were very cunningly managed, time, which I take to be that spoken of 
 and the act rescissory was cast into several ! above. This supplication was sent to the 
 
 shapes, and given out to be a quite other 
 thing, than afterwards it appeared to be, that 
 ministers' appearances against it might be 
 prevented: and by those Winds, and pro- 
 mises to advise with his majesty about the 
 above mentioned reasonable proposals, mat- 
 ters were kept very smooth, until the day 
 the rescissory act was tabled in parliament. 
 
 By a narrative under a minister's hand, at 
 that time in Edinburgh, I find that as soon 
 as the nature of the act rescissory came to 
 be known, the presbytery of Edinburgh met, 
 and framed a supplication to the commis- 
 sioner and parliament, " craving that a new 
 act might be made, for establishing of reli- 
 gion and church government, since they were 
 informed the parliament were about to re- 
 scind the civil sanction and statutes in force, 
 for the exercise thereof." The ministers 
 were kept so much in the dark, as to the 
 nature of the rescission projected, that they 
 were necessitate thus to hold in generals, 
 and to desire new laws to be made, when the 
 old hedge was to be removed. I have in- 
 sert • a copy of a suppHcation from the pres- 
 
 * Petition of the Presb}'tery of Edinburgh. 
 
 Unto the king's commissioner, and the honour- 
 able high court of parliament, the humble 
 petition of the Presbytery of Edinbui'gh. 
 
 When we reflect upon the sad times that have 
 past over this church and kingdom, during the 
 time of the late usurpers, what grief and afflic- 
 tion of spirit it has been to honest christians, 
 and true countrymen, that their country has 
 been kept in bondage, his sacred majesty driven 
 into a sad disconsolate exile, our nobles and 
 rulers scattered into corners, cast into the far 
 countries, shut up into prisons at home and 
 abroad, and trode upon by base and bloody men, 
 and all our civil and religious concernments 
 left under the feet of violent usurpers, and with 
 what difficulties all honest men have wrestled, 
 (whereof we, with others of the ministrj', have 
 had not a little share) which then laboured to 
 keep their garments clean from the defections of 
 the time, and to lament after the Lord, till he 
 should in mercy visit us : we cannot, now when 
 the Lord has returned our captivity, but be as men 
 that dream, and our mouths filled with laughter, 
 and our tongues with singing, the Lord having 
 done great things for us, whereof we are glad ; 
 and as we looked upon it as a mercy never to be 
 forgotten, that the Lord in his infinite goodness, 
 has been pleased wonderfully to bring about his 
 majesty's restoration to his throne, and the 
 deliverance of this distressed kingdom, from all 
 
 commissioner, by three of their number they 
 reckoned might be most acceptable, Messrs. 
 John Smith, Robert Lawrie, and Peter Blair, 
 Partly by promises, and by threatenings, the 
 commissioner prevailed with them, not to 
 give in their supplication that day ; and pre- 
 sently the parliament met, and in haste 
 enough passed the rescissory act, from which 
 a good many members dissented. When the 
 ministers found themselves thus circum- 
 vented, to-morrow Mr. David Dickson and 
 some others were sent by the presbytery to 
 the commissioner, to insist in this affair. 
 They were received very roughly, and Mid- 
 dleton told them, they were mistaken if they 
 thought to terrify him with papers, he was 
 no coward. iVIr. Dickson replied, he well 
 knew his grace was no coward, since the 
 Bridge of Dee. This was an engagement, 
 June 19th, 1638, when Middleton appeared 
 very gallantly against the king's forces, for 
 the covenanters. To this no answer was 
 given, but frowns. The ministers, knowing 
 there had been so many dissenters in parlia- 
 ment, from yesterday's vote, insisted much 
 
 that misery and bondage under which it hath 
 groaned ; so it is our earnest supplication to God, 
 that this so great a mercy may be improven by 
 all ranks, to the honour of his great name, 
 vrhose work this deliverance is, and to the good 
 and comfort of this afilicted church and king- 
 dom. We do, with all thankfulness to Almighty 
 God, observe and acknowledge his mercy, who 
 has restored our judges as at the first, and our 
 counsellors as at the beginning, that our nobles 
 are of ourselves, and our governors proceed from 
 the midst of u-s : and that now your lordships 
 are convened in this high court by his majesty's 
 authority, and with the presence cf his high 
 commissioner, that you may be tlie repairers of the 
 breaches, and may seek the wealth of your people, 
 and may speak peace to all your seed. ^\'e have 
 hitherto forborne to make any applications to 
 your lordships, as being unwilling to interrupt 
 you in your weighty and great affairs ; yet 
 since there is not a general assembly now sitting 
 w^hich might more freely represent what is of 
 public concernment to the whole kirk, and might 
 remove any grounds of jealousy which might 
 be occasioned by the late actings during our 
 troubles and distractions, being upon the place, 
 and being unwilling to lose the opportunity of 
 your lordships meeting in this present par- 
 liament, we do humbly offer unto yom* lord- 
 ships, (when now we hope many of your affairs 
 are over) what we conceive may be for the good 
 of the church, as his majesty's gracious letter, 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 lis 
 
 to have their supplication tabled, and read 
 in pubhc, and put the commissioner in mind 
 of the resohitions he had come under, when 
 he was under the prospect of death, and 
 some sharp exercise of mind, at St. Andrews, 
 1645, to serve the Lord and his interests. 
 It seems he was then in danger from an ihac 
 passion. At this he turned petted, and said, 
 WTiat, do you talk to me of a fit of the 
 colic ? and would by no means allow their 
 supplication, and draught of an act for rati- 
 fication, to come in, and be read in parlia- 
 ment. After this, the presbytery sent their 
 supplication to the king, but it was not re- 
 garded. This account leads me back again, 
 to insert what follows in the paper I am in- 
 serting; the proceedings of some brethren, 
 1661. 
 
 " After the act rescissory was passed, 
 there was given in to the clerk register a list 
 of some acts of general and public concern- 
 
 bearing- his resolution to provide and preserve 
 the government of the church of Scotland, as it 
 is settled by law, without violation, hath exceed- 
 ingly gladdened the hearts of good men, as we 
 understand by letters from the several presby- 
 teries and synods, some directed to his sacred 
 majesty or his secretary, or some directed to us 
 by way of return thereunto, and did secure 
 them aijainst all fears in that particular, or any 
 change ; so it was expected that this high court 
 of parliament would confirm and ratify the true 
 religion, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and 
 government, established by general assemblies, 
 approven and ratified by acts of parliament. 
 Yet notwithstanding thereof, your lordships 
 have rescinded the act anno 1640 and 1641, 
 whereby our government is to be cast loose, as 
 to the civil sanction thereof, and the church in 
 danger, to be laid open to these snares which 
 formerly were troublesome and grievous to this 
 church ; therefore, whatever your lordships have 
 done for the settling and securing the royal 
 power and authority of our dread sovereign, 
 (whose authoi-ity and power we do heartily 
 acquiesce, and cordially submit thereto) or for 
 securing the peace of the kingdom, in which we 
 acknowledge none of them ought to oppose one 
 another; yet we are very hopeful, and humbly 
 supplicate, this high court of parliament will, 
 by their civil sanction, establish, maintain, and 
 defend the true religion, in doctrine, worship, 
 disci]>lino and government, presently professed, 
 received, and practised, and restrain and sup- 
 press all impiety, vice, and profaneness, and 
 whatsoever is contrary to truth and godliness. 
 And whereas, through the iniquity of the times, 
 and prevalency of the usurpers, the general 
 assembly convened in anno I6b:i, was inteiTupt- 
 ed, and all meetings of general assemblies declined 
 by us, out of our due respects to his majesty's 
 just right and authority, upon which they 
 would have been ready to have encroached upon 
 such an opportunity, it is humbly desired your 
 
 1661. 
 
 mcnt to the church, of new to be 
 enacted; but few of them were 
 taken notice of. Thereafter the brethren 
 hearing more of purposes to alter the govern- 
 ment estabhshed in this kirk, and that there 
 had been some motion among the lords oi 
 the articles, for repealing the act of parlia- 
 ment 1640, ratifying the same, and for calling 
 for the kirk registers ; it was thought con- 
 venient, that, if it were possible, the whole 
 state of the business were humbly repre- 
 sented to his majesty. To which effect, 
 there was first sent to his secreteu-y the earl 
 of Lauderdale the letter following, and there- 
 after by another occasion in March, an in- 
 formation," Follows 
 
 Letter to the Earl of Lauderdale. 
 
 " My lord, 
 " It hath been the study of honest men 
 here, to carry so peaceably and modestly, as 
 
 lordships would be pleased to move to his 
 majesty, that, with the first conveniency, a free 
 general assembly may be called, which may not 
 only take care to compose and settle these sad 
 and lamentable divisions which have been in the 
 church, but also may recognosce upon these 
 actings, which may be apt to give offence, dur- 
 ing the time of the sad and luihappy troubles ; 
 ;ind we may assure your lordships, that it is the 
 purpose of honest men, when they shall convene 
 in an assembly, to do what shall be found neces- 
 sary for rectifying all disorders, and to redress 
 whatsomever has been offensive. We shall not 
 stand to press these our humble desires, by any 
 arguments taken from the lawfulness or war- 
 rantubleness, or necessity of the things them- 
 selves, or from your lordships' obligation to act 
 for him who has so wonderfully restored you 
 to sit in judgment, or from the consideration of 
 ourselves, who with other honest men, have 
 confidence to sympathize with the afflictions of 
 oxxr rulers and country, and have not been 
 wanting, to our power and station, to act for 
 the happy revolution, and are and shall be care- 
 ful to promote his majesty's interest and author- 
 ity, of which his people and we do assure your 
 lordships, that, besides the convictions of the 
 things desired, ^ve have not been a little pressed 
 to tills humble address, by our tender regard 
 and zeal towards his majesty's affairs ; so our 
 desire is, that the minds of God's people may be 
 settled, whose only aim and desire is, that they, 
 under the shadow of his majesty's government, 
 may enjoy the ordinances of Christ in power 
 and purity, as they are established, which will 
 encourage all of us (as in duty we are aln'ays 
 bound) to pray for his majesty's long and pros- 
 perous I'eign over us, and for the affluence of 
 divine grace and blessings to be poured out upon 
 his royal person and family, and upon youi 
 lordships and your families for ever. 
 
 Rlr. Petkr Bi.aik, Moderator. 
 
 Mr. lloBEKT HuMEK, CI. pro tempore. 
 
114 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 ,p«l might avoid all offence, and there- 
 fore they have not at all appeared 
 publicly in matters of their very near concern- 
 ment, but have contented themselves with 
 some overtures, given in to some in private, 
 which we find have come to your lordship's 
 hands ; yet they are not without fears that 
 religion may suffer very much prejudice at 
 this time, there being already some motions 
 for repealing the act 1640, establishing pres- 
 byterian government, and abolishing epis- 
 copacy. The public registers of the church 
 being called for to be perused by the clerk 
 of register, or his majesty's advocate, (before 
 an assembly be called, to redress by them- 
 selves what disorders have been during the 
 heat of troubles) of purpose, as would ap- 
 pear, to render the government hateful, upon 
 the account of some actings in times of dis- 
 traction and animosity ; if not also to render 
 the body of honest men (who have been in 
 those judicatories) obnoxious ; so that there 
 will be no difference betwixt those who have 
 stood in the gap, for many years of sore 
 trouble, and others. 
 
 " Those things l}'ing so sad upon the 
 spirits, not of a few only, but of all honest 
 men, who have occasion to know of them^ as 
 they cannot see how that course contributes 
 to the good of his majesty's affairs, more 
 than to their particular satisfaction in con- 
 science, and in pursuance thereof are using 
 all prudent and fit means to prevent those 
 feared dangers, by dealing with those who 
 have power; so we could not omit to ac- 
 quaint your lordship also vnth it, that by 
 your prudent and effectual moving, some- 
 what may come from thence, to stop that 
 coiu-se; lest otherwise it overspread, and 
 not only involve them in hazard, who ex- 
 pected no such thing, (yea, are persuaded of 
 his majesty's royal inclination to the con- 
 trary) but will bring prejudice to that which 
 is more dear to them than any their particu- 
 lar and personal concernments, and provoke 
 him to displeasure, who is a dreadful party. 
 
 " As to what concerns his majesty ; honest 
 men's sufferings, and their serious endea- 
 vours, by all duties proper to them in their 
 stations, for his restitution, and their cordial 
 rejoicing in the bringing about of so long de- 
 sired a mercy, and their care to walk mo- 
 
 [book I. 
 
 destly when they are under so many fear.s, 
 may, we hope, speak their loyalty. And as 
 your lordship may perceive, by the overture 
 given in, they are most clear in asserting his 
 majesty's supreme power in all civil causes, 
 and that the power formally civil about ec- 
 clesiastical affairs, which is competent to any 
 christian magistrate, doth duly belong to 
 him, and shall be cheerfully submitted unto, 
 and acknowledged by every one of them. 
 And what hath passed in the times of 
 trouble, which hath been offensive, if a gen- 
 eral assembly be called, and allowed freedom, 
 (which is humbly and earnestly desired that 
 it may be done with the first) they will be 
 careful so to recognosce those proceedings 
 (the religion established being always pre- 
 served) as may satisfy his majesty, and take 
 away all cause of offence. And we think it 
 will be more for his majesty's honour, that 
 an assembly do it by themselves, (which is 
 the real purpose of all honest men) than 
 that others do it for them in a more vio- 
 lent way. Though probably the appear- 
 ing of some few ministers now, of whom little 
 hath been heai-d before, and the silence and 
 modesty of others, may give ground to ap- 
 prehend, that the change of our established 
 government may be brought about, without 
 difficulty or stop ; yet your lordship may be 
 assured, that honest men, fixed in their prin- 
 ciples concerning religion, and sensible of 
 the obligations that are upon theu" con- 
 sciences, cannot but bear testimony against 
 such a current of defection, as would involve 
 us in the hazard of the divine displeasure. 
 And though they have studied to walk 
 modestly (and their resting upon his ma- 
 jesty's gracious letter, assuring them of no 
 violation of the government, did much satisfy 
 and secure them) yet to our knowledge, 
 many presbyteries are ready to bear witness 
 by supplication against the change of govern- 
 ment, if it be attempted. 
 
 " Your lordship's zeal for the good of his 
 majesty's affairs, your love to your mother 
 church, and the ordinances of Christ in her, 
 and your tender respects to many honest 
 men who will suffer much, if not prevented, 
 do persuade us, that you vdll interpose with 
 his majesty for some speedy prevention ot 
 feared evils, by preventing any prejudice to 
 
CHAP. II. 3 OF THE CHURC 
 
 the established government, and making ef- 
 fectual the desires propounded in the over- 
 tures, and the draught of an act sent after- 
 ward ; by calling a general assembly, accord- 
 ing to the animadversions humbly offered to 
 your lordship upon the declaration concern- 
 ing it ; by causing forbear to meddle with 
 the registers of the kirk, till the general as- 
 sembly in the first instance take some course 
 to set things in order, and by preserving 
 honest men from inconveniences, who mind 
 no other thing, but to get liberty to serve 
 God according to his will, and their engage- 
 m.ents, under his majesty's authority. Our 
 confidence that your lordship doth seriously 
 mind this so needful a work, makes us spare 
 to use any motives. The little advantage it 
 will afford to any lawful interest, (and we are 
 sure the grief it will be to your lordship) to 
 see honest and peaceable men, and a work 
 of God in their hands, crushed, will be of 
 weight to persuade you to endeavour to pre- 
 vent it. And we not only hope, but arc 
 confident, that when it shall be considered, 
 how much it will advance his majesty's 
 afiairs, that things be thus settled, to the 
 satisfaction and comfort of all good men ; it 
 will be accounted special good service to his 
 majesty, to promove so good a design. We 
 are," &c. 
 
 Information, March 1661. 
 
 " Afler our manifold distractions, and 
 grievous afflictions under the heavy yoke of 
 usurping oppressors, it pleased the Lord in 
 his free and undeserved goodness, to look 
 upon our low condition, and to visit us with 
 a gracious deliverance, by the wonderful and 
 unexampled restitution of our dear and dread 
 sovereign, the king's majesty, unto the throne 
 of his three kingdoms, which was to us a 
 resurrection from the dead, and a command- 
 ing of>dry bones to return unto life again. 
 This miracle of mercy the Lord accompanied 
 with a refreshing shower upon his inherit- 
 ance here, by moving the royal heart of his 
 gracious majesty to make kno\vn to the pres- 
 byteries of this national kirk, his fixed pur- 
 pose to preserve inviolable the government 
 of the kirk here settled by law, whereby the 
 hearts of all honest ministers were exceed- 
 ingly encouraged to lay out themselves, unto 
 
 H OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 115 
 
 the utmost of their power, m then- ,„„, 
 Stations, tor advancing his majesty s 
 interest in the affections of his people, which 
 they were careful in the darkest times to 
 hold up in their people's hearts. 
 
 " This assurance from so royal a hand, 
 whose heart was inured to constancy through 
 all his unheard of hardships, made all the 
 lovers of the established order of this kirk 
 rejoice in the Lord, and magnify his name 
 for so rich a mercy, and promise unto them- 
 selves security from any trouble that might 
 flow from the change of our kirk constitu- 
 tion, which is dearer to them than all their 
 other enjoyments ; and though they be some- 
 what startled by the rumoured noise of a 
 designed change, and yet more by some hints 
 at the removal of the law of the land, that 
 establisheth the same, yet they cannot suf- 
 fer it to enter into their hearts, that his 
 majesty hath any knowledge of, or giveth 
 any allowance to any change at all in the 
 matters of our doctrine, worship, discipline, 
 and government. 
 
 " Our single-hearted confidence upon 
 that his majesty's gracious declaration, and 
 our tenderness to do any thing that might 
 savour of the least degree of distrusting the 
 same, hath prevailed with honest ministers 
 to keep silence, and not to make a noise by 
 public addresses and supplications unto the 
 high and honourable court of parliament, 
 and to content ourselves with presenting 
 private informations to my lord commissioner 
 his grace : yet we would not have this to 
 be interpreted as any diffidence of the cause, 
 or as though we were willing to recede from 
 the established government of this kiik, or 
 were afraid to own the same in an orderly 
 way. 
 
 " It is the earnest desire of all honest 
 ministers, that after the parliament, there 
 may be a general assembly called, according 
 to the settled order of this kirk, wherein, 
 they are confident, there will be an effectual 
 course taken for remedying all the evils, and 
 removing all the unsound principles, and 
 irregular practices, which they know, and do 
 acknowledge to have crept in during the 
 late troubles and distractions. They are no 
 less confident, that his majesty shall receive 
 thereby all satisfaction in their hearty and 
 
116 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFf.RINGS [eOOK I. 
 
 ruptions in worship, whereto it made way. 
 
 jggj clieerful attributing to his majesty 
 all that any Christian prince can re- 
 quire in reason of dutiful subjects, reserving 
 only to them the established doctrine, v/or- 
 ship, discipline, and government. 
 
 " If there happen to be a change made in 
 the settled government, (which the God of 
 heaven forbid, and we are loath to allow 
 ourselves the apprehension thereof, upon the 
 account before mentioned), there is none 
 likelier to taste so soon of trouble and vex- 
 ation thereby, as some faitliful ministers, 
 who have been sufferers upon the king's in- 
 terest, and have been active instnunents in 
 keeping it up in the hearts of people, in the 
 darkest time of its eclipse, and were the 
 main, if not the only men, that most with- 
 stood the practices and principles of such as 
 opposed the same : therefore it is confidently 
 expected, that his majesty will be graciously 
 pleased, speedily to interpose himself, and 
 forbid any change of kii'k government, since 
 he hath been well pleased to give hopes of a 
 free general assembly, wherein all disorders 
 may be redressed, and his majesty may re- 
 ceive all desirable satisfaction of this kirk's 
 hearty affection to his royal interest and 
 authority. 
 
 " It hath been the lot of faithful ministers 
 in all times, to be misrepresented unto 
 authority, and to be wronged by misinfor- 
 mation, under which we ourselves have la- 
 boured ere now, and therefore may fear that 
 we are not now altogether free of the same, 
 so long as we abide constant for the govern- 
 ment of this kirk, which is our firm resolu- 
 tion in the strength of the Lord : but it is 
 oiu" comfort against this, that his majesty's 
 princely disposition will not permit any 
 such informations to take impression upon 
 bis royal heart, before he take due trial 
 what truth is in them, and acquaint those 
 that are concerned, that they may clear 
 themselves. 
 
 " It is possible, reports may be going 
 there, as if the plurality of ministers here, 
 were hankering after episcopacy, and look- 
 ing towards it : but we cannot imagine that 
 such surmises will be believed by under- 
 standing men, who have any acquaintance 
 with the state of this kirk, to which that 
 corruption of government, and other cor- 
 
 bave been a burden, whereof they were most 
 desirous to be freed, and wliich they will 
 never willingly take on again, being now 
 free from it, and engaged to the contrary, 
 by the oath of God: yet lest it should take 
 \vith any, we know and hear but of a very 
 few, who have appeared to have a look to- 
 wards that side, and those such as were not 
 of great reputation in this kirk ; and what- 
 ever they had, it is much diminished in the 
 opinion of all that look indifferently on 
 things, upon the verj account of their warp- 
 ing off toward that way ; and they are looked 
 upon as men ready to shift their sails, that 
 they may be before the wind, whatsoever 
 way they conceive it is likely to blow. And 
 we can further assuredly affirm, that the 
 generality of the presbyteries of this land, 
 have returned theii* hearty satisfaction with 
 his majesty's letter, either to his majesty's 
 secretary, or to the presbytery of Edin- 
 burgh ; and we doubt not but the rest would 
 have done the like, if the distance had not 
 denied them the opportunity. 
 
 " It may be supposed by some, that it is 
 good service to his majesty to overturn the 
 government of this kirk, from the very 
 foundations ; but we humbly conceive that 
 his majesty will have far other thoughts of 
 the matter, not only on the account of his 
 gracious declaration to the presbyteries of 
 this kirk, but also because he doth undoubt- 
 edly esteem that to be the best service can 
 be done to him, which doth most engage the 
 affections of his subjects unto him, and en- 
 dear his government unto them : for which 
 there can be no more efficacious mean, than 
 that they still enjoy the gospel of the Son 
 of God, the purity of worship, and the sim- 
 plicity of kirk government, which they do 
 enjoy under the refreshing shadow of their 
 lawftil sovereign, and secured to them by 
 his laws, 
 
 " Tliere want not strenuous endeavours 
 of some, to rake into all the proceedings of 
 our kirk, in the times of heat and animosi- 
 ties, thereby to render the government hate- 
 ful, notwithstanding that the judicatories of 
 the kirk, have by their practices, those ten 
 years bygone, witnessed, that whatever was 
 done or declared in times of confiision, yet 
 
CHAP, ir.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 117 
 
 they were so far from judging those to be 
 their principles, that upon a riglit under- 
 Btanding betwixt his majesty and his people, 
 they were careful to rectify those things, 
 and so to act for his majesty, and their 
 country's service, as might witness their 
 honest intentions and desires, even in the 
 heat of debates. And when for this their 
 fidelity and honesty, they have been all this 
 while traduced by some among ourselves, as 
 making defection from their principles, and 
 they by their apologies and vindications have 
 clciired their own integrity, it is hoped his 
 majesty will not allow those things to be 
 backtraced, at least till he hear them speak 
 for themselves and their mother-kirk ; and 
 they are hopeful to wipe off all the asper- 
 sions and calumnies that are frequently and 
 unjustly cast upon the kirk and honest 
 men." 
 
 I am apt to think this information, and 
 the papers I have been inserting, are of the 
 reverend INIr. Douglas's drawing; and they 
 savour much of his prudence and solidity. 
 The reader will perceive those proposals are 
 made, and such considerations and argu- 
 ments used, as probably would have weight 
 at this juncture, and with the persons he is 
 dealing with ; and this is all the length they 
 could go in their immediate applications to 
 the government, considering present cir- 
 cimistances. And had not the managers 
 been resolved to please the high-fliers in 
 England, to follow Mr. Sharp's ambitious 
 designs, and carry through their project 
 over all reason, gratitude, and justice, they 
 could not have stood out against such plain 
 and home dealing. Thus the reader hath 
 some view of the efforts of the ministers of 
 Edinburgh at this juncture, with persons 
 mostly engaged. 
 
 By the time the synods met in April and 
 May, the parUament were far through their 
 work; now the keys were changed, and 
 every reflecting person began to suspect the 
 house was to be rifled ; and so in all the 
 corners of tiie church, ministers endeavoured 
 to do somewhat, and great was the opposi- 
 tion they met with; which brings me to 
 give some account of what was done by 
 s}Tiods at this juncture, and their violent 
 treatment, as far as narratives have come to 
 my hand. 
 
 The synod of Glasgow and Ayr 
 convened April 2d, and when they 
 came to consider the present state of the 
 church, they generally agreed, it was their 
 duty, in this time of the church's danger, to 
 supplicate the parliament ; and accordingly a 
 committee was named to form an address and 
 supplication for a new security to religion and 
 this church, when the old fences were fast 
 removing. And Mr. William Guthrie read 
 from the committee, a draft of an address, 
 which was generally satisfying to the inem- 
 bers, but the generality were overruled : 
 some worthy men of the resolutioners, but 
 especially such as were gaping after a bish- 
 opric, vehemently opposed the supplication, 
 and threatened to dissent, such as Mr. 
 James Hamilton, minister at Cambusnethan, 
 afterward bishop of Galloway, Mr. Robert 
 Wallace at Barnwell, afterward bishop of 
 the Isles, and the correspondent from the 
 synod of Lothian, Mr. James Ramsay, first 
 dean of Hamilton, and afterward bishop of 
 Dumblane. These gentlemen did not so 
 much oppose the draft read, or petitioning 
 in the general, as the seasonableness of sup- 
 plicating in the present circumstances ; and 
 urged the synod's adjourning to a short and 
 new diet. They alleged the west of Scot- 
 land was jealoused (suspected), and ill 
 looked on by many in power; that they did 
 not as yet know the practice of other synods, 
 and so it would be much better to delay for 
 a short time, till they saw what other synods 
 did. Such as were for supplicating, could 
 have easily outvoted them ; yet considering 
 that without harmony and unanimity, their 
 address would lose much of its weight, they 
 yielded to the adjournment of the synod for 
 a month. 
 
 Meanwhile, as a present exoneration of 
 their consciences, they agreed unanimously 
 upon the following declaration, and none 
 were more forward in it, than the members 
 just now named, who in a few months be- 
 came prelates. 
 
 Declaration of the si/nod of Glasgow concern- 
 ing the present government of the chur:h of 
 Saolland, April 4:th, 1661. 
 " Whereas there is a scandal, as if some 
 ministers in this church, had made, or were 
 intending to make defection from the govern* 
 
118 
 
 1661. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS |]bOOK I. 
 
 inhibition, the constituting ourselves into a 
 
 ment of the church of Scotland, to 
 prelatical episcopacy ; therefore the 
 whole synod, and every member thereof, do 
 willingly declare, that they are fixed in the 
 doctrine, discipline, worship, and church 
 government, by sessions, presbyteries, 
 synods, and general assemblies, as it is now 
 professed and practised within this church ; 
 and that they are resolved, by the grace of 
 God, so to remain. And because divers of 
 the members are absent, therefore the synod 
 recommends it to the several presbyteries to 
 require the same of them," 
 
 To this all the members present person- 
 ally assented. The distinction of prelatical 
 episcopacy, and the omitting of the obliga- 
 tion of the covenants, grieved many ; and 
 when this last was urged, Mr. James Hamil- 
 ton threatened not to concur. Thus the 
 desire of unanimity among themselves, made 
 it pass jjro tanto, and the synod adjourned 
 unto the second Tuesday of May. At 
 which time the ministers came to Glasgow. 
 But when they were about to convene in 
 the synod-house, they were discharged, in a 
 proclamation from the cross, by orders from 
 his majesty's commissioner, to meet, as be- 
 ing an adjourned meeting, and not warranted 
 by law. Providence is just and righteous, 
 in depriving of opportunities of doing good, 
 when duty is not fallen into in its season. 
 However, the ministers in town convened in 
 Mr. Ralph Roger's house there, to consider 
 what was fit now to be done; and after 
 some deliberation they drew up, and com- 
 missioned three of their number to go to 
 Edinburgh, with the following supplication 
 and representation, 
 
 ' To his grace his Afajcsty's High Commis- 
 sioner. 
 
 " Humbly sheweth, 
 
 " That whereas your grace, for reasons 
 best known to yourself, hath been pleased 
 to interdict this adjourned meeting of our 
 synod of Glasgow and Ayr, as illegal and 
 unwarrantable by the laws of this kingdom ; 
 we judged it oiu- duty, to testify the due re- 
 spect we owe to the supreme magistrate, 
 ■whom the Lord in his good providence hath 
 set over us, to forbear, in obedience to your 
 grace, his majesty's high commissioner, youi- 
 
 synod ; yet lest we should be found wanting 
 in the discharge of the duty we owe to our 
 Lord and Master Jesus Christ, who hath 
 given power to the ministers of the gospel 
 to meet in their respective judicatories, as 
 the edification of the congregations com- 
 mitted to their oversight doth necessarily 
 require and call for ; we also find it incum- 
 bent upon us, a considerable number of us, 
 the members of this synod of Glasgow and 
 Ayr, having come to meet in a synod, and 
 being now occasionally in providence cast 
 together, to signify to your grace, that as we 
 are hopeful, whatever may be your grace's 
 apprehensions of the inconvcniency of our 
 meeting at this tune, it is not the intent of 
 your grace's proclamation to declare that 
 our synod can at no time warrantably meet, 
 whatever be the necessity of the church 
 within our bounds, but twice in the year : 
 so we do humbly, and with all due respect 
 and reverence to oiu- sovereign, the king's 
 majesty, and your grace his high commis- 
 sioner, seriously testify, that our forbearing 
 to meet in a synod at this time, in obedi- 
 ence to your grace's prohibition, doth not 
 import our yielding that the provincial as- 
 semblies of this church have no provincial 
 power to meet, when the edification of the 
 church doth call for it, even oftener than 
 twice a year. All which we have desired 
 our reverend brethren, Mr. Patrick Colvil, 
 moderator in our synod at the last meeting 
 thereof, Mr. Hugh Blair, minister at Glas- 
 gow, and Mr. James Stii'ling, minister at 
 Paisley, humbly to represent to your grace; 
 which we persuade ourselves will not only 
 not be offensive to your grace, but will be 
 constructed a piece of necessarily called for 
 exoneration of ministers of the gospel, who 
 desire to be found faithful." Accordingly 
 those three persons went to Edinburgh, and 
 presented the minister's petition and repre- 
 sentation to the commissioner, but had no 
 return. And there were no more synods of 
 presbyterian ministers in Glasgow, till Sep- 
 tember, 1687. 
 
 The provincial synod of Fife met like- 
 wise in the beginning of April, at St. An- 
 drews ; and the hazard of the church being 
 very evident, they unanimously resolved to 
 petition the parliament for a new act, rati- 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 fying religion, and tlie privileges of the 
 church. The draft agreed upon follows. 
 
 To kis grace his jnajesty''s high commissioner, 
 and the high and honourable court of par- 
 liament, the humble petition of the synod of 
 Ffe, convened at St. Andrews, April, 1661. 
 
 " That whereas the honourable court of 
 parliament hath judged the parliaments, 
 (thought to have been such) held in the 
 years 1639 and 1640, to be null, and of no 
 authority in themselves, and by this means, 
 all acts ratifying the reformed religion, as it 
 is now received, professed, and practised in 
 this kirk and kingdom, in all the parts and 
 heads thereof, viz. doctrine, worship, church 
 government, and discipline, and rescinding 
 all acts of preceding parliaments, contrary 
 to some parts of the reformed religion, par- 
 ticularly some matters of the worship of 
 God, and government of the church, as all 
 other acts therein made, are become void, 
 and of no force ; so those acts of former par- 
 liaments, by those acts now made void, are 
 ipso facto revived and restored to the autho- 
 rity of standing laws. And albeit it be not 
 competent to us, and is very far from our 
 thoughts to judge of the validity, or invali- 
 dity of any parliament, or acts of parliament, 
 this being a thing properly belonging to his 
 majesty and the high court of parliament; 
 yet being, by clear connncing light, per- 
 suaded in our consciences, that the reformed 
 religion, in all the parts of it, doctrine, wor- 
 ship, government, and discipline, received, 
 professed, and practised at present within 
 this kirk and kingdom, is grounded upon, 
 and warranted by the word of God revealed 
 in the holy scripture; and knowing how 
 great a mercy and blessing it is to the church 
 of Christ, that true religion, in the profession 
 and practice thereof, be ratified, confirmed 
 and established by the authority and laws of 
 the magistrate, who is the nursing father of 
 the chiu-ch, and protector of religion ; and 
 that there be no laws of hii standing against 
 the true religion, in any part thereof: where- 
 fore we find ourselves bound, as the servants 
 of Christ, \vith all loyal and humble submis- 
 sion of heart to his sacred majesty's autho- 
 rity, and his high and honourable court of 
 parliament, to supplicate and beg, for the 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 Lord's sake, that your grace his ma- 
 
 110 
 
 1661. 
 
 jesty's high commissioner, and this 
 high court of parliament, may be pleased to 
 enact now a law, ratifying, confirming, and 
 establishing the reformed religion, at present 
 received, professed, and practised in this 
 kirk and kingdom, in doctrine, worship, 
 government, and discipline, which will not 
 be unacceptable to our dread sovereign, the 
 king's majesty, as we are hopeful, having 
 had by his majesty's letter to the presbytery 
 of Edinburgh, a declaration of his gracious 
 resolution concerning this matter. It will 
 be a refreshing mercy to the people of God 
 in this kingdom, and procure from them 
 abundant praises unto God, and prayers for 
 blessings from heaven upon your lordship, 
 and will exceedingly enlarge the hearts of us 
 who are ministers of Christ, to teach, in- 
 struct, and exhort the people of God within 
 our charge, to all loyalty and obedience to 
 his majesty, all submissiveness and subjec- 
 tion to his government, and obedience to all 
 having authority from him ; which also we 
 are resolved to exhort them to, and to prac- 
 tise ourselves, by the Lord's grace, however 
 it shall be with us, and whatsoever exercise 
 it shall please the Lord to put us to." 
 
 Jointly with this supplication, the synod 
 designed a warning and admonition to the 
 people under their charge ; wherein, after a 
 full declaration of their loyalty to the king, 
 and their abhorrence of the English usurpa- 
 tion, they show their resolution of standing 
 by the doctrine, worship, government, and 
 discipline of the church, declare against pre- 
 lacy, and admonish their people to be con- 
 stant in God's way, and to be much in re- 
 pentance. They were not permitted fully 
 to finish this paper ; but the draft of it, as 
 it came from the committee, to which, no 
 doubt, the synod would have agreed, with 
 very little alteration, I have inserted below. ♦ 
 
 * A seasonable word of necessary exhortation 
 and admonition, bv the synod of Fife, convened 
 at St. Andrews, the 2d of April, 1661, to all 
 the people of GckI within their charge. 
 
 Many and divers have been the tempta- 
 tions and trials of the church of God, from 
 the beginning even unto this day, our holy 
 Lord, in his -wisdom, ordering all these things 
 for manifesting those that are approved, for 
 clearing of his truth, purging of his house from 
 
120 
 
 1661. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 Before the synod had formally of Rothes, in the king's name. Him the 
 
 voted the supplication, and finished 
 the warning, they were interrupted by the earl 
 
 dross and corruption, exercising his servants 
 and people in a holy contending for truth and 
 piety, against the speat (Hood) of evils that hath 
 been always running in the world, and for the 
 greater advancement of the glory of his power 
 and goodness, in preserving and giving outgate 
 in end to his afflicted people tossed with tempest. 
 And now (right worthy, and dearly beloved in 
 the Lord) the concernments of religion, and the 
 work of God in this land, being under apparent 
 hazard, sad trials likely to ensue, unless the 
 mercy of God, and piety and justice of our 
 dread sc-vei'eign, using his authority for God, 
 avert tho same, we were most unfaithful, if we 
 should n<vt at such a time (when prelacy, with 
 the dangerous attendants thereof, (of which this 
 church hath had sad experience) is like to be 
 introduced again amongst us) declare our con- 
 stant resolutions, according to the tie that lies 
 upon us, by the authority of God, and our 
 engagements to him, and give timeous warning 
 to you the people of God, to keep your gar- 
 ments clean, and that ye may not be led away 
 to any measure of accession to these evils, where- 
 unto many may be turning aside. We know 
 perfectly, that in our so doing we shall not 
 escape the common lot of faithful humble con- 
 tenders for the truth, and be represented as 
 intending reflections on the lawful authority 
 God hath set over us, or as going about to raise 
 jealousies and disaffections in the people towards 
 them, or to move sedition and trouble; and it 
 may fall out that none be more ready to cast 
 black colours upon our actions, than men of our 
 own order and rank. In giving this our faith- 
 ful admonition and declaration, we have laid 
 our account with all that such persons can load 
 us with, and much more, being confident, that 
 tlie constant tenor of our deeds hath sufficiently 
 wiped, and shall wipe off all such unjust asper- 
 sions. We have our witness in heaven, and a 
 witness every one of us within us, how much 
 our souls did long to have our present sovereign 
 established upon the throne of his kingdom 
 (imong us, (after the horrible barbarous murder 
 of his royal father, of blessed memory, by the 
 Knglish sectaries) and it is great joy to our 
 hearts, that God blessed us with fidelity to the 
 king's majesty, in a very dark and dangerous 
 time, in the year 1650, when we, with other 
 faithfid subjects through the land, followed our 
 duty to his majesty, when our land was half 
 subdued, and the rest under the saddest pres- 
 sures ; and we bless God that at that time, and 
 until this day, we have not been following after 
 tho unwarrantable principles and practices of 
 sundry in this land, not a little injurious to 
 his majesty's just right. It is also our joy, that 
 under ten years' bondage, neither tlie real cruel- 
 ty, nor seeming civilities of usurpers, have pre- 
 vailed to debauch our loyalty to our dread sove- 
 reign, in whose absence we sat on the ground, 
 as a widow mourning for the loss of her hus- 
 band. In our dai'kuess we wished for the dawn- 
 ing of that day, when the Lord shall bring 
 back our captivity, and restore our sovereign, 
 that under his shadow we might rest; and how 
 greatly we were affected with tliat signal work of 
 God, (who is wonderful in counsel, and excel- 
 
 commissioner had appointed inspector, visi- 
 tor, or commissioner, I do know what name 
 
 lent in working) in that happy restoration of 
 his majesty, what praises were rendered to God 
 witli signal cheerfulness, will not soon be for- 
 gotten by the Lord's people. liut our hearts 
 were more confirmed in loyalty, when, at our last 
 meeting, we received his majesty's gracious letter 
 to the presbytery of Edinburgh, to be communi- 
 cated : a letter worthy to be engraven in marble 
 or in gold, wherein his majesty declares himself 
 not only well satisfied with the carriage of the 
 gener.dity of tlie ministers of Scotland, in the time 
 of trial ; but also, to prevent jealousies which any 
 mightcreate in the minds of well-meaning people, 
 is pleased to give us assurance, that, by the grace 
 of God, his majesty resolves to discountenance 
 profanity, and all contemners and opposers of the 
 ordinances of the gospel, and to protect and pre- 
 serve the governnment of the kirk of Scotland, as 
 it was then settled by law, without violation. 
 Which letter, so graciously sent to us by our 
 sovereign, preventing our desires to express his 
 royal resolution, as to the maintenance of the 
 work of God amongst us, we look upon an<i 
 esteem as a kind of magiia charta, given by 
 our gracious king for our church-order and 
 privileges. And as in our letter, directed 
 from us at our last meeting, to his majesty's 
 noble secretary for Scotland, to be humbly 
 presented in our name to his majesty's own 
 hands, we did express our sense of God's mercy 
 to us, in putting such a thing into the king's 
 heart ; so shall we be most loath to suffer such 
 thoughts to take place in our hearts, as if so 
 pious and royal a resolution were to be altered 
 upon any instance whatsomever ; and we would 
 count it a most undutiful part in us, to be ready 
 to suggest or express to the people of God, tiie 
 subjects of the king, any fears of that sort : but 
 as our loyalty in former times hath appeared, 
 so we trust that our carriage upon all occasions, 
 shall argue in us indelible evidences of unstained 
 loyalty and love to our sovereign, whom we 
 honour as a man next unto God, inferior to 
 none but God, who is his only judge, invested 
 by God with a peerless supremacy over all per- 
 sons and ranks of persons, within his majesty's 
 dominions, the chief nurse-father of the chuj'ch, 
 and keeper of both tables of God's law, the sove- 
 reign protector and defender of the worship 
 and ordinances of God, God's vicegerent, sent by 
 him to bear the sword, with imperial power to 
 punish all evil deeds, and evil-doers trespassing 
 against religion and piety, or moral honesty, 
 and duties that man doth owe to man, and to 
 put every one in his dominions to the doing of 
 their duty to God and man, the supreme civil 
 governor of all persons, and in all causes civil 
 and ecclesiastic ; though the power of the keys 
 of spiritual government belongs to the officers of 
 the church, appointed by Christ : in a word, we 
 do willingly yield whatsoever that pious and 
 learned divine, Dr. Usher, attributes to the 
 king, in the exposition of the oath of supremacy, 
 for which he was solemnly thanked, in a letter 
 yet extant in print, by that learuedest of princes, 
 king James of blessed memory, who knew tho 
 bounds of royal supremacy, as well as any king 
 on earth : no less do we acknowledge to be duo 
 to our sovereign lord king Charles, that wo 
 
CHAP. 11.^ OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 to give to tliis new aiiJ erastian usurpation, their business, and commanded si- 
 
 121 
 
 1661. 
 
 to watch over the actings of that synod; and lence in the king's name, and re- 
 he came in, while they were in the noidst of quired them to insist no more upon what 
 
 may for ever stop the moutlis of thcsp who seek 
 <)Co;i.Nioii aijaiiist us in this matter, and may 
 clear our loyalty as with a sunheam. And we 
 appi'al to the great God, in the point of heiirty 
 loyalty to our sovereiijn, though wo dare not 
 (and we know lie wills us not) in the least 
 thini; depart from the known mind ut' our God, 
 in the matters concerning his house and wor- 
 ship. And having premised this ius a guard 
 against mistakes, we aver it to be the true zeal 
 »t our hearts, towards the matters tif our (iod, 
 his house and worship, that hath laid a necessity 
 on us thus to declare ourselves, and to admonish 
 the people of God in our charge, without any 
 intention of wronging lawful authority, whom, 
 if in any thing to ije enjoined, we cannot please 
 with active obeiiience, we hope Ihey will be 
 pacitied by our j'assive obedience, which we 
 resolve to yielil, as our God calleth us, rather 
 than to sin M^'Minst him. Therefore, we declare 
 to you the Lord's people in our charge, whom he 
 hath appointed us as ministers to instruct, that 
 we are convinced, that prelacy of any one, with 
 majority of power and jurisdiction over presby- 
 teries anil churches, hath no warrant from 
 Christ in his written word, which we are per- 
 suaded is a perfect sufficient rule of religion, 
 holding forth all the fundamentals of church 
 government, whereunto belong the offices and 
 officers, by which the Lord's people are to 
 expect his blessing ; it being certain and un- 
 doubted, that no spiritual efficacy can be in faith 
 expected by any office in the church, or any 
 other religious ordinance, but that which is 
 appointed by God in his word, but is contrary 
 thereto, it being evident that our Lord Jesus 
 Christ hath discharged and inhibited all such 
 majority jimong the ministers of his church, 
 having committed the whole parts of the spirit- 
 tial government tliereof, to one united company 
 of rulers, and never to one alone ; neither did 
 his apostles, when they are purposely mention- 
 ing, in their writings, the officers given by 
 Christ to his church, ever make mention of any 
 su<'h prelates over many pastors and churches, 
 nor of his priority and power, or work, as dis- 
 tinct from the presbyters ; but do always speak 
 of the presbyter and bishop, as of one office 
 under divers names. And it being so that this 
 office hath no footing in divine scripture, it 
 ought to be refused and rejected by those who 
 know themselves to be bound to follow tlie rule, 
 not of human but of divine wisdom, in the gov- 
 ernment of the church of Chi'ist. And although 
 those who stand in opposition to us in this point, 
 do make a great noise (to amaze the simple) 
 about antiquity, and the primitive times of the 
 churches and fathers, as if they all stood on 
 their side, it ought not to stumble the people of 
 God, seeing that (were it so) christian con- 
 sciences, w~anting the warrant of the word to 
 bottom faith upon, can liave no consistency nor 
 establishment upon human constitutions; and 
 yet we dare plead with them at the bar of purest 
 antiquity, nearest the times of the apostles, 
 wrhilst the church remained a chaste virgin, and 
 are confident, that for some hundi'eds of years 
 after the apostles, there is no evidence of such a 
 bishop iis we reject and plead against ; and from 
 
 history we can make apjiear, that there wiis no 
 such bishop in our own church, miu'e than 
 three hundred years after receiving of the chris- 
 tian religion among us; but vi'henev<'r that office 
 did creep in, we are bold to affirm, as our Lord 
 said in another case, it was not so from the 
 beginning. 
 
 a. Next, we declare to you our dear people, 
 our own resolutions, by the strength of divine 
 grace, to adhere constan-tly, all tin; day:^ of our 
 life, to the doctrine, worship, and present gov- 
 ernment of the kirk of Scotland, by presbyteries, 
 without the foresaid prelacy in any degree, 
 under the name of a constant modei'ator, or 
 what else soever, which we have renounced 
 upon the strongest enforcements of srripture 
 authority upon our consciences, and are in that 
 matter under an indispensable tie of a solemn 
 oath to God ; and although we cannot, for our 
 conscientious resolutions, expect trouble, being 
 under the protection of so gracious a sovereign, 
 (to whom we would not doubt to justify the 
 sincerity of our hearts, in cleaving to that which 
 is good, had we the opportunity to represent 
 our faithfulness to Cod, and loyalty to his 
 majesty) yet, however, in this our distance from 
 his majesty, we should meet with extremities in 
 our duty, we shall with quietness commit our- 
 selves and cause to him that judgeth righteously, 
 resolving, in so honourable a cause, to endure, 
 through God's strength, whatsoever trial and 
 hardship it may please the Lord to exercise 
 us with. 
 
 3. We do, in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
 exhort you the people of God in our charges, 
 (which we shall also endeavour, through grace, 
 tor our parts) speedily to renew our repentance 
 for our unthankfulness under the means of 
 grace, neglect and contempt of the gospel, un- 
 gospel-like conversation, for the which the Lord 
 may justly remove all his gospel ordinances 
 from us, and plague us with sundry sorts 
 of judgments, pursuing us as dry stubble, 
 until we were consumed. As also we enti-eat 
 that ye would stand fast to the profession 
 of the truth of Christ, and to every pait of 
 it, and to love the order of the house of 
 Christ, which is so well grounded on his word, 
 and tends so much to the advancement of 
 godliness, and the glory of God, not making 
 light accounts of that which is a part of the 
 truth of the gospel and of the kingdom of Christ, 
 after the lukewarm indifferency of too many, 
 in the holy things of God. We are persuaded 
 better things of you, than that ye should be 
 removed, from youi' steadfastness, after the 
 shining of so much light, after so strong engage- 
 ments to the Lord ; what horrilile guiltiness 
 should this draw on us? How great should oiu- 
 infamy be among all the churches of Christ ? 
 Whether should we not caus«! our shame to go 
 for our unsteadfastuess in the solemn oath of 
 God which is on our spirits, iu a matter imi 
 only lawful, but also necessary for us to adhen- 
 to, having so mudi light in it? Remember how- 
 dangerous backsliding is ; what better fruits 
 can be looked for from thht ivay of g<i\HTnnient 
 th«n appeared among us ? How loaih i.i e we to 
 sutler it to enter in our heai'ts, that thi:> Und 
 
122 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 1660. 
 
 was before them, and iuimediately 
 to depart. Obedience was given, 
 and they dismissed themselves presently. 
 The case was new, they were perfectly sur- 
 prised, and in confusion ; but it was matter 
 of regret to many of them afterwards, that 
 they had not protested against so plain an 
 invasion of the liberties of Christ's house. * 
 The synod being thus violently raised, the 
 presbyteries at their first meeting did ap- 
 prove of what they got not finished in synod ; 
 and all of them, in a very solemn manner, 
 did record, and declare their adherence to 
 the principles of this church, in their several 
 presbytery books. I have only seen an ex- 
 tract of the declaration to this purpose, by 
 the presbjtery of Cupar ; probably they were 
 all much of a piece, and so I insert it here. 
 
 Ai Cupar, April 18th, 1661. 
 
 " The brethren of this presbjtery, after 
 serious consideration of a grievous scandal, 
 raised upon the ministers of Scotland, as if 
 they were falling from their steadfastness in 
 
 shall make the fruit of their loosing from ten 
 years' boinliige, a shakeloosc of the government 
 of Christ ? or, that good patriot or people, will 
 embrace that which hath been so bitter to them- 
 selves and their antecessors? How sad a thing 
 will it be to lie in chains of our own making, 
 and in end conclude with the simple repentant, 
 non putaram % Be exhorted to avoid that evil of 
 prelacy, and all attendants to it, under what- 
 soever colours, as ye would have the Lord 
 regard you. 
 
 4. Finally, we exhort you to all loyalty and 
 obedience in the Lord, to our sovereign the king, 
 not only for wrath, but for conscience' sake, and 
 to due obedience to all who have authority from 
 him, judicatories and persons. We have the 
 Lord to be our witness, that neither the matter 
 of our present administration, nor our purpose, 
 hath any tendency to make trouble; we have 
 done this merely for om- own exoneration, and 
 with respect to your good and the honour of 
 Christ. The Lord establish you with us, by his 
 free spirit. 
 
 * This pusillanimous conduct on the part of 
 the members of this synod, as well as that of 
 many others, forms a melancholy contrast to 
 what had been the practice of the ministers 
 of the Scotish church, on almoet all former 
 occasions of a like kind ; and the apology offered 
 for them by our historian, we cannot but 
 regard as ill-timed and not at all corresponding 
 with the fact of the case. It was unhappily 
 no new thing in Scotland, for the government 
 to interfere with ministerial freedom, and the 
 liberties of the church in almost every possible 
 form. James VI. of wisdom-affecting and 
 power-loving memory, left nothing in this re- 
 spect for any of his successors to aclilL-e, having 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [^BOOK I. 
 
 the refomied religion, and inclmable to de- 
 sire, endeavour, or embrace the introducing 
 again of the renounced, abjured, prelatical 
 government, with its unwarrantable attend- 
 ants, have thought it our duty to express 
 our sense and judgment thereof, in sincerity 
 of heart, as becomes the sen^ants of God, 
 and in his presence ; and accordingly all and 
 every one of the brethren, severally, and 
 with one consent, profess, as in the sight of 
 God, that we are thoroughly persuaded, and 
 fully satisfied in our consciences, by the 
 clear light of the scriptures of God, touch- 
 ing the divine truth of the reformed religion, 
 as it is at present, and hath been for divers 
 years, received, professed, and practised in 
 the church of Scotland, in doctrine, worship, 
 government, and discipline; and that we are 
 convinced in our consciences, that prelacy 
 of any one, v/ith majority of power and juris- 
 diction over presbyteries and churches, under 
 the name of constant moderator, or any 
 other name or notion whatsomever, hath no 
 warrant from Jesus Christ in his written 
 
 through a long life, maintained an unceasing 
 struggle with them, from the pulpit up to 
 llie council board, and from tlie general assem- 
 bly down to the kirk session ; but he was grap- 
 pled with, by the Blacks, the Bruces, the 
 Calderwoods, the Davidsons, the Melvilles, and 
 the Johne Rosses of that day, in a very different 
 manner, than his grandson was now by the 
 synod of Fife. The truth of the matter "seems 
 to be, that the Covenanters generally cherished 
 throughout a romantic attachment to Charles 
 II., and were exceedingly reluctant to change 
 their opinion of him; while the greater part 
 of the ministers of the church of Scotland, and 
 the synod of Fife in particular, in their zeal 
 against Cromwell, and the sectaries as they were 
 called [the independents], and theremonstrators, 
 had wrought themselves into a state of phrensy, 
 under which they had so committed themselves 
 that now they dared not utter a word in defence 
 of their own principles, lest it might be inter- 
 preted as favouring the notions of these now 
 totally proscribed classes, the tide of i>rejudice 
 against which they had weakly contributed to 
 swell, and so intemperately united to condemn. 
 This, while it has excited painful regret among 
 all who have been friendly to their cause, has often 
 drawn forth the bitterest sarcasm from their 
 enemies; and it must be confessed gave too good 
 ground for the bitter taunt of the gossipping Bur- 
 net, when speaking of their submitting to the 
 managements of the traitor Sharp, after his char- 
 acter was manifested to all the world. " The poor 
 men were so struck, with the ill state of their af- 
 f^iirs, that they either trusted him, or at least 
 seemed to do it, "for, indeed, they had neither sense 
 nor courage left them."— Burnet's History ot his 
 Own Times, Edin. ed. vol. i. p. \1\.—Ed. 
 
OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 CHAP. II. J 
 word, to be received in his church : and we 
 do from our htuirt.s the more abhor and de- 
 test any motion or purpose of apostatizing 
 to that way ; not only because of many sin- 
 ful errors in doctrine, and corrupt practices 
 in worship, which formerly did, with and by 
 the foresaid prelacy, creep into this church ; 
 but also because of the sacred and indis- 
 pensable ties of the oath of God thereanent, 
 under which we are before the Lord. And 
 fiu-ther, we all declare, that we are not a little 
 encouraged and strengthened in this our 
 duty, and comfortably borne up against the 
 fear of sinistrous designs, in prejudice of the 
 present government of the church, by that 
 refreshing declaration of our sovereign, the 
 king's majesty, in his letter directed to the 
 presbytery of Edinburgh, and by them to be 
 communicate to the rest of the presbyteries 
 of this church, dateil at Whitehall, August 
 10th, 16G0, of his royal resolution, to pro- 
 tect and preserve the government of the 
 church of Scotland, as it was then estab- 
 lished by law, without violation, and to coun- 
 tenance, in the due exercise of their func- 
 tions, all such ministers who shall behave 
 themselves dutifully and peaceably; which 
 also we purpose, in the Lord's strength, care- 
 fully to endeavour. All which the brethren 
 present unanimously consented unto, and 
 ordained to be recorded in the presbytery 
 register, adfulurmn rei memoriam." 
 
 In other parts of the church ministers 
 were not idle, when their all was at the stake; 
 but generally they were hiternipted by those 
 whom the managers named for commission- 
 ers and inspectors ; and it would seem some 
 such were directed to every suspected sjoiod; 
 an office never before used, and I hope shall 
 never more be tried. Upon the north side 
 of Tay, they had no great fears of public ap- 
 pearances against their procedm-c; but on 
 the south of it, they had their spies in most 
 .synods, clothed with, I do not know, whose 
 or what authority. 1 can find no act of 
 parliament constituting them, nor any com- 
 mission from the king; yea, from the fore- 
 cited account of the proceedings of parlia- 
 ment, I find, March 28th, " there was like- 
 wise presented and agreed unto, a paper, 
 bearing, that ministers shall have power to 
 exerce their ministerial functions in pro- 
 
 123 
 
 IGGL 
 
 vincial assemblies, presbyteries and 
 sessions, during the king's pleasure." 
 And I cannot guess how they came to be 
 set up, unless it was by the paramount power 
 of the commissioner, exerting his jirivilege in 
 his commission, by Mr. Sharp's importunity, 
 to do whatever the king might do, if present. 
 
 At Dumfries, the synod was upon the 
 same design with that of Fife, and had agreed 
 to an act, censuring all ministers who com- 
 plied with prelacy, by deposition ; but they 
 were interrupted, and summarily dissolved 
 by Queensberry and Ilartfield, pretending 
 orders from the commissioner. I find it re- 
 marked, that they were both miserably drunk, 
 when they came in to their work. 
 
 The synod of Galloway met this same 
 month, and were drawing up a petition to 
 the parliament, iigainst episcopacy, and for 
 the preser\'ation of the liberties oi'this church, 
 (and under all regular governments, subjects 
 are allowed humbly to supplicate) the copy 
 of which is added. * But when at this, the 
 
 * Supplication of the Synod of Galloway, 
 against the intended change of government, 
 1661. 
 
 May it please your honours, 
 
 We the ministers of Jesus Christ, within the 
 synod of Galloway, laying seriously to heart 
 the wonderful mercies of God, manifested from 
 time to time to this poor nation, first, in the 
 days of our forefathers, many hundred years 
 ago, in which time, a little after the rising of 
 the Sun of righteousness to give light to the 
 gentiles, the Lord was graciously ple.'ised to visit 
 this land with the light of the glorious gospel, 
 and to bless and honour the whole nation, both 
 with purity of doctrine and government, for 
 sundry generations together : During which 
 time, until the incoming of Paladius, ordained 
 bishop bv pope Celestine, ths Scots knew not 
 such a tiling as a prelate-bishop, but had, for 
 the teachers of the faith, administers of the 
 sacraments, and exercisers of discipline, presby- 
 ters only, (called culdees, or colidei, because of 
 their piety) of whom some were appointed over- 
 seers or superintendents, but had no pre-emi- 
 nence or rank of dignity tibove the rest, neither 
 were they of any distinct order from the rest 
 of their brethren. Next, in the days of our 
 fathers, when the nation was involved in the 
 darkness of popish superstition, and idolatry, 
 it graciously pleased the Lord to nnisom the 
 land from the bondage of popish tyranny and 
 superstition, and again to bless it With the light 
 and liberty of the gospel, and with discipline 
 and government established according to the 
 pattern showed in the inoimt : the beautiful 
 lustre of wliich glorious reformation, remained 
 for many years utistaiiied, uutil si-uie ambitious 
 and covetous men-jileasing churchmen, imbold- 
 ened with the smiles of authority, not only 
 m:uTed and eclipsed the beauty aud glory of 
 
124 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 John Park, author of the excellent essay 
 
 IQQl earl of Galloway came in, and in 
 the king's name dissolved their 
 
 meeting. 
 
 name 
 The moderator of the synod, Mr. 
 
 Christ's government by j)resbytery, but almost 
 overthrew the government itself, in obtruding 
 upon it, and setting over it a lordly government 
 in tht' persons of prelates. Which course of 
 defertion, to the great grief of the godly, and 
 not without tlie constant reluctancy, counteract- 
 ing, protesting, and witnessing of the most 
 learned and fViithful pastors in the land to the 
 contrary, was tyrannically carried on for the 
 space of thirty-eight years or thereby. Yet, in 
 the third place, even in our own day, the out- 
 goings of the Lord, in the year S7, and the 
 years following, has appeared so glorious and 
 conspicuous, to the dashing and execrating of 
 that lordly prelacy, and to the replanting and 
 re-establishing of Christ's own government by 
 presbytery, in its integrity, that it were super- 
 fluous for us to make mention of these things, 
 which many of your lordships' eyes have seen, 
 wherein many of your lordships have been 
 honoured to be eminent actors, and whereof all 
 our hearts have been joyful and glad. The 
 serious consideration of these things, speaking 
 the Lord's unwillingness to depart, fixes a strong 
 (and we trust) well grounded persu;ision on our 
 spirits, that our covenanted Lord has thoughts 
 of peace, and not of evil, towards this poor land, 
 so often, so deliberately, so seriously, and so 
 solemnly, by oath and covenant, engaged to the 
 most higii God, and that he will be graciously 
 pleased to fix his tabernacle amongst us, and rest 
 in his love: and though on the contrary, he 
 should, in his righteousness, threaten a depart- 
 ure from us, and denounce also wo unto us 
 when he departeth from us, (the fears whereof, 
 as swelling waves, overwhelm the spirits of the 
 Lord's people at this present time, who, for the 
 most part, are trembling under the sad appre- 
 hensions of a change) yet the thoughts of his 
 ancient and late love to this land, should persuade 
 all, in their respective stations, to lay hold on 
 the skirts of his garments, and not to let him 
 go: and therefore, the earnest desire of our 
 hearts is, to plead in secret with the Lord, that 
 he would mercifully preserve his staves of beauty 
 and bands, in their beauty and strength amongst 
 us: so (Christ commanding, necessity urging, 
 and duty calling for it at our hands, to be faithful 
 pfBce-bearers in the house of God) we trust that 
 it will not be offensive to your lordships, that 
 (keeping within .our own sphere, and holding 
 ourselves within the bounds of that christian 
 moderation which becomes godliness) we do in 
 all humility exhort your honours, that with all 
 singleness of heart, with all love and zeal to the 
 glory of God, with all tender compassion to this 
 yet panting kirk, faintly lifting up the neck 
 from beneath the yoke of" this late exotic tyrant 
 of perfidious men,' that witli all pious respect to 
 your posterity in the generations to come, whose 
 sDuls will bless your remembrance, for trans- 
 mitting a pure refonnation to tliem, and that 
 with all prudent and christian regard to prevent 
 the stumbling, and provoke the holy emulation 
 of the nations round about, whose eyes are upon 
 your lordships, ye wouM see unto tlie exact and 
 faithful keeping of the engagements, oaths and 
 70VV8 of the Lord, lying on youi- lordships and 
 
 upon patronages, modestly, and yet very 
 pointedly, protested against the encroach- 
 
 the whole land, to preserve the reformed religion 
 in the church of Scotland, in doctrine, worship, 
 discipline, and government, against all the 
 enemies thereof: and that the Lord's people, his 
 majesty's loyal subjects, may be delivered from 
 the present fears of a change, which they are 
 groaning under, we humbly supplicate your 
 lordships would be pleased to ratify all former 
 acts of parliament, in favours of the reformed 
 religion in this church, in doctrine, worship, 
 discipline, and government : and that, as his 
 majesty has been pleased, in his gracious letter 
 directed to the presbyterj' of Edinburgh, and 
 by tliem to be directed to the rest of the pres- 
 byteries in this kirk, to declare his resolution to 
 protect and preserve the government of the 
 church of Scotla-id, as it is settled by law, with- 
 out violation; so your lordships would be pleased 
 to declare your fixedness to the present settled 
 government, without the least purpose of ever 
 altering the same, or overcharging it with lordly 
 episcopacy : and that (besides the considerations 
 already hinted at) for the reasons following, 
 pai'tly relating to the terminus a quo of such a 
 change, which we pray the Lord to avert, partly 
 relating to the terminus ad quern, and partly 
 relating to the change itself. 
 
 First, If your lordships will consider the 
 terminus a quo of this change we supplicate 
 against, to wit, the government of the chui'ch 
 of Scotland by presbytery ; First, It is the true 
 government of Christ's kirk, who being faithful 
 to him that appointed him, yea, and faithful as 
 a Son ovei his own house, Heb. iii. 2, C. has not 
 left his house to confusion, without government, 
 but has appointed the same as to be fed by 
 doctors and pastors, so to be overseen and 
 ruled by seniors or elders, in their lawful assem- 
 blies in Christ's name, where he has promised 
 to be in the midst of them ; the whole platform 
 of which government, erected in Christ's church 
 in this nation, as to all the essentials, is so clearly 
 wju-ranted in the holy scriptures, that we may 
 confidently say, it is the only government accord- 
 ing to that pattern showed in the mount. 
 
 Secondly, Albeit in the reformation of religion, 
 whether in doctrine, worship, discipline, or 
 government, the example of the best reformed 
 churches is not to be contemned, but to have its 
 due respect ; yet we have good ground to assert, 
 that the present government of the church of 
 Scotland by presbytery, w<as not inconsiderately 
 borrowed from any other as the pattern, nor 
 headily obtruded on this kirk, (a calumny fre- 
 quently cast on our government by the adversa- 
 ries thereof (but that it is the fruit of the many 
 prayers, and tlie result of the faithful pains and 
 labours of cur pious predecessors, who, by the 
 space of six or seven years, did, in free and full 
 assemblies, deliberately debate every point and 
 article of the said government and discipline, 
 and so did in end, by the good haiul of God upon 
 them, determine and conclude the same accord- 
 ing to the word of God, by the common votes 
 and uniform consents of the whole assembly of 
 this church. 
 
 Thirdly, This government clear in scriptuie, 
 deliberately «'.losed with by our progenitors, has 
 
CHAP. II. J 
 
 ment made upon the judicatory, and took in- 
 struments in the hand of their clerk, to which 
 all the members adhered. INL% Park protested 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 1^25 
 
 against what was done, as an injury , . 
 to a court of Jesus Christ, and 
 incompetent to the civil msigistrate. And 
 
 now been fref(uently engaged unto, both, In the 
 days of our foretatliorg. by the king's majesty, 
 the nobles, and all ranks of people within the 
 land, (whose nation;il oath is no less obliging of 
 us their offspring, than the oath of Joshua and 
 the princes of Isi-ael to the Gibeonites, was 
 obliging of their posterity, who were (mir 
 hundred yeju's thereafter dreadfully punished 
 for the breach thereof,) and also in our own time 
 we have solemnly engaged ourselves by the 
 sacred oath of God, now thrice, to the said 
 government: and wi- maybe sure, that such a 
 threefold knot aii<l tie will not be easily taken 
 off the conscience upon which it is indispensably 
 and indissolvably fistoncd by the divine authority 
 of that Almighty God, the searcher of all hearts, 
 whose oath it is. 
 
 Fourthly, This government has been ratified 
 and established hy many acts of parliament : it 
 were impertinent for us to multiply citations; 
 yoiu" honours know how clear and full the 114th 
 act, pari. 12th, of king James VI. is, both for 
 establishing the government and discipline of 
 the church, by assemblies national and provin- 
 cial, by presbyteries and sessions, and also, for 
 abrogating, cassing, and annulling all former acts 
 of parliament, against the liberty of the true 
 kirk, the jurisdiction and discipline thereof, as 
 the same was used and exercised within the 
 realm at the time, anno 1592. Neither is it 
 needful to mention his late majesty, of worthy 
 memory, his ratifying, anno 16-H, the whole 
 progress then made in the work of reformation, 
 which was matter of much joy to all the godly 
 within the land. 
 
 Fiftlily, This government has been attended 
 with rich spiritual blessings, such as purity of 
 doctrine, the suppressing of popery, error, and 
 heresy, the curbing of licentiousness and pro- 
 fanity, by the prudence and zealous exercise of 
 discipline : so that it has been remarkable, that 
 in all the periods of the flourishing of this govern- 
 ment, the pulpits have sounded with pure doc- 
 trine, speaking the language of Canaan, and not 
 of Ashdod ; gross profanity and mocking of 
 pifty retired from the streets, and durst not keep 
 the causey (the generality studying at le;ist, if 
 they attained no more, to walk civilly) and 
 popery, error, and heresy, at such times, durst 
 never adventure to look out of their cells and 
 secret corners ; which things are no small mercies 
 to a land. 
 
 On the other hand, if your lordships will 
 respect terminus ad quern of this feared, threat- 
 ened, and begim change, to wit, lordly episco- 
 ' pacy : first it is a plant which our heavenly Father 
 never planted, here being no ground nor footing 
 for it in the word of God, even some of the ablest 
 asserters of it themselves being j udges. Secondly, 
 After the extirpation of it in the times of refor- 
 mation, its regress has never been fair, but 
 always through violent intrusion, by the force 
 and fraud of corrupt carnal men, minding 
 their own things, and not the things of Christ, 
 and that contrary to law, reason, equity, 
 conscience, solemn oaths and engagements, and 
 clear scripture light. Thirdly, It is a govern- 
 ment that we are solemrdy bound, as by the law 
 of God, so by the oath of God upon us, to extir- 
 
 pate from the foundation. Fourthly, It is a 
 government that symbolizes with that in popci-)-, 
 and indeed is not different specie froni the popish 
 government ; yea, and by the erecting of it, the 
 j)apists will be hardened and heartened, as for- 
 merly, in the iiourishiug of episcopacy, they 
 evidenced themselves to be, by their insulting 
 song, Ye come to us, but we come not to you ; 
 and, to speak truth, what difference is there 
 betwixt iui archbishop in St. Andrews, pooping 
 it over all Scotland, and an universal bishop at 
 Rome, but a iiiajus and minus, qute non vnricnit 
 speciem ? Fifthly, It has been always attentled 
 in this land with manifold corruptions in doc- 
 trine, ^vorship, and manners. How did j)opery, 
 Arminianisni and Socinionism sound in our 
 pulpits? Was it not in time of lordly episco- 
 pacy ? Then it was that the pure worship of 
 God was polluted with the mixture of man's 
 muddy inventions, with mimic gesticulations, 
 idolatrous geniculations, superstitious cantings, 
 &c. Then it was that episcopal licenses in the 
 matter of marriage to blank persons, that episco- 
 pal connivances at the grossest of scandals, 
 and ej)iscopal simony in selling the ordinances, 
 and satisfactions, made way and opened the door 
 to the slight esteem and profane contempt of the 
 Lord's ordinances, and to bold licentiousness. 
 Let the legend of the bishops, their life and their 
 government, be looked back to with an impartial 
 eye, we are confident it will be acknowledged tliat 
 the raking them out of the dust, will prove like 
 the breaking up of graves, and opening up of rot- 
 ten sepulchres. Sixthly, Albeit we lay no weight 
 upon the fallacious arguing, from the accidental 
 corruptions in government, to the eversion of the 
 same, (a calumny most falsely cast upon the 
 instruments of the glorious work of reformation 
 anno 28,) yet, as they having first struck at the 
 root of episcopacy, because not rooted in the 
 word of God, did, m the next place, look upon 
 the sinful and judicial corruptions attending it, 
 as gravamina iutulcrnbiUa ■ so we being convin- 
 ced of the unwarrantal)leness of the episcopal 
 office, may desire yom- lordships to call to mind 
 what was the high swelling pride, and the inso- 
 lent actings of these persons, who in this nation 
 entered in that office, not only in lording it 
 over their brethren and the Lord's inheritance, 
 but also in their presumptuous browbeating the 
 nobles in the land, and in their ambitious, both 
 aspiring unto, and screwing themselves in the 
 highest places of public ti'iust in the state. Wliich 
 things we look upon not only as having been 
 the effects of the men's corrupt hearts, but as 
 having been likewise the effects of the right- 
 eous judgment of God upon their spirits, for 
 entering in that office contrary to the oath of 
 God lying on them and the whole nation. 
 Neitlier need any to think that they may lie 
 now better bounded and regulate : caveats will 
 not fetter them, they will soon prove like the 
 princes of Judah, that remove the bound ; and 
 we have freedom to assert it, that if tliey were 
 plagued before with proud, ambitious, presump- 
 tuous spirits, they sh;dl be ten times plagued 
 more with these and the like spiritual judgments, 
 who sliiiU succeed the former in their chairs. 
 . Anrl if they did formerly act to the great i)re- 
 
■|2G THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 the ministers would not remove till \ In the synod of Lothian things were car- 
 
 1661. 
 
 he had prayed, and regularly con- 
 cluded their meeting. 
 
 judice of the nobles in the land, (to whom they 
 became a terror, and whom they began to tram- 
 ple upon and abase) they who enter heir to the 
 lormer, shall no less, if not to the double, more 
 insolently fict in their time, and that in the 
 Lord's righteous judgment, for the punishment 
 of such nobles and statesmen as shall be active 
 for their reintroduction into this kirk. Take 
 good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye 
 love the Lord your God ; else if ye in any wise 
 go back, and cleave unto that abjured genera- 
 tion, know for a cert;;iiity that they sh;Jl be 
 snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your 
 sides, and pricking thorns in your eyes, Joshua 
 xxiii. 11, 12, 13. 
 
 In the l.ist place, we conceive the following 
 reasons, relating to the change itself, will be 
 obvious to any. First, If it be an axiom ap- 
 proved in experience and policy, (as it is) that 
 omnis inutatio reipubliccB est periculosa, etiamsi in 
 melius, much more will it be assented to, that 
 omnis Jtuitatio in ecclesia, quando in deterius, (such 
 as this is) est periculosa ; and therefore sound 
 reason will conclude that it should be eschewed. 
 That the feared and threatened change will be 
 in deterius, is evident ; for it is from such a gov- 
 ernment, as is conform to the word of God, to 
 the best estate of the primitive church, to good 
 laws and constitutions, to solemn vows and 
 engagements, and conform to the government of 
 the best reformed churches from the coruption 
 of popery, to a government plain contrary to all 
 these ; and so it cannot but prove a change most 
 pei'nicious both to the civil estate of the king- 
 dom (which we leave to the judginent of juris- 
 consults and politicians,) and likewise to the 
 church of Jesus Christ, which we may confident- 
 ly conclude, both from former sad experience in 
 the like case, and from the inevitable bitter con- 
 senuences which naturally spring from such a 
 sad and sinful change. Secondly, It will be pal- 
 pable, not only to ourselves, who are members of 
 this church, but to all the nations and churches 
 abroad, whether protestant or popish, that are 
 in the least measure acquainted with the aft'aii-s 
 of the church of Scotland, and the settlement of 
 government therein, what they have been now 
 these hundred years bygone, since our reforma- 
 tion from popery, that this feared and threatened 
 change wiU involve persons of all ranks within 
 the land, (who shall in any way have accession 
 to it) in the dreadful and hori'id guilt of perjury, 
 which will ')oth expose the land to the wrath of 
 an angry God, who will not hold them guiltless 
 that take his name in vain, but will prove a swift 
 witnes'S against them that swear falsely, and also 
 expose our religion and nation to the insolent 
 blasphemy and derision of our adversaries the 
 papists, who may justly, with all others that hear 
 tell of such a change, change the ignominious 
 proverb, Punica fides to Scotica fides, and im- 
 bolden the papist to give us (ironically) no sm;ill 
 thanks, for that by our perjury we have made 
 the Lord angry with us, as did the Grecian 
 Agesilaus to the Persian Tissaphernes, when lie 
 broke the league he made with him. 
 
 There be none that have the least spark of rea- 
 son and foresight, wlio may not say what sad 
 loss and hurt wlU spring' from this feared 
 
 ried with a very high hand by our statesmen ; 
 they were unmediately under their eye, and 
 
 change, unto the Lord's people under our min- 
 isterial charge. \\']1\ not poor souls be in the 
 same case and distraction of thought, the people 
 in Syria, Arabia and Egypt, were in about the 
 600 year, anent the opinion of Eutyches, when 
 some denying, some affirming, the poor people 
 were so brangled and shaken with contrary doc- 
 trines, that in the end they lost ;ill well ground- 
 ed persuasion of the true religion; so that with- 
 in short time, they did cast the gates of their 
 hearts open to receive the vile, devilish, and blas- 
 phemous doctrine of Mahomet ? Even so what 
 can b.« expected in this land, upon such a change, 
 which will unquestionably occasion not only one 
 to affirm, and another to deny the same position, 
 but one and the same man to affirm what he 
 denied, and deny what he affirmed anent one 
 and the same position, in matter of religion ? 
 The forebreathings of which inconstancy are 
 beginning to puff out already. Vv'e say, what 
 can be expected in this case through the land, 
 but that the generality of the people shall become 
 so doubtful and indifferent in the matters of re- 
 ligion, that they shall abandon all piety, open 
 their hearts to poperj', and what religion, or 
 I'ather what ei'ror and fancy instead of religion, 
 you will ? So that the blood of their poor souls 
 will lie heavy on the authors of the change. 
 
 1. We are aggrieved that ways are taken to 
 seal up the lips of the most faithful ministers 
 of Jesus Christ within the laud, from delivering 
 their Master's message with that freedom and 
 plainness that becomes ; while, upon occasion of 
 the proclamation at Edinbiu'gh, September 20th, 
 1660, men disalfected to, or entertaining gi'ud- 
 ges and heart-burnings against ministers, may 
 and do take encouragement to delate honest men, 
 using freedom against sin, as iniloy.d slanderers 
 and trumpeters of treason, sedition, and rebel- 
 lion, when they are, in the simplicity of their 
 heart, only giving obedience to the Lord's com- 
 mands. Isa. Iviii. 1. " Cry aloud, sp;ire not," &c. 
 We hope it will be acknowledged, that neither 
 private nor public sins, personal nor national 
 sins, sins in the state-members or in church- 
 members, are excepted in the commission of the 
 ministers of the gospel, (if any deny the truth 
 hei-eof, we are ready to instruct it i'rom tlie word 
 of truth) and it being so, why shoidd the min- 
 isters' faithful discharge of duty, in the dis- 
 covery of national sins, whether in church or 
 state, be charged with the ignominious aspersions 
 of railing, slandering, &c. or they staged before 
 civil tribunals for the same, seeing that, accord- 
 ing to their commission, they are herein only 
 aiming at the upstirring of people to repentance, 
 and to serious deprecating of the wrath of God, 
 that public national sins, and particular faidts in 
 rulers ordinarily draw on upon lands ? as ijs clear 
 from Jer. xv. 4. and elsewhere. 
 
 2. We are aggrieved that the oath of alle- 
 giance does upon the matter carry the oath of 
 supremacy fully in its bosom, and that in such 
 an absolute, general and comprehensive term, 
 without any express limitation or qualification, 
 that in our humble conception, there is conferred 
 upon the king by it a power to do ecclesiastio 
 matters as he pleases; and this is in effect to 
 confer the same, or the like headship over tlie 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHUIICH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 were treated most insolently. They were 
 not suflered so much as to spcMk of any 
 testimony, yea, were forced to do what was 
 
 127 
 
 church, upon the king, as that which is taken 
 fruui the pope. 
 
 8. We are ayijfieved that the civil sanction is 
 taken from the covenant, wlicreujion the iiivi- 
 olable obligation of the sacred oath of God 
 upon the conscience, is trampled upon with cdii- 
 tempt, by very many, wliich cannot but giii-v- 
 ously provoke the Lord, who has declared that he 
 will be a swift witness against them, that swear 
 falsely. 
 
 4. We are aggrieved that there be such sad 
 breaches made in the walls of our Jerusalem, 
 which once was built a city compact together ; 
 we mean, that the church judicatories have not 
 only sutiered violent interruption, but also are 
 prohibited and discharged, through which in- 
 iquity has more insolently faced the rausey these 
 three quarters of a year bygone, tlian it did for 
 many years before. 
 
 o. Looking upon these but as making a wide 
 gap in the walls, the beautiful porches whereof 
 denied an entry, we are most of all aggrieved to 
 see the Trojan horse now a hauling in over the 
 gap, we mean, the reintroduction of lordly pre- 
 lacy upon this church and kingdom, which being 
 once execrate, and the whole nation solemnly 
 sworn before the Almighty God to its extirpa- 
 tion, it makes our ears to tingle, when we think 
 of what may be the sad tokens of God's displea- 
 sure against the lands, for endeavouring to give 
 rooting again to that plant which our heavenly 
 Father never planted. And this being the ag- 
 grieving evil which does most sadly atfllct our 
 spirits, for exoneration of our own consciences 
 before the Lord, and that it may appear that we 
 are not aggrieved without cause, we do in all 
 humility offer unto your lordships, these few 
 subsequent reasons against the change of our 
 long established government by presbytery, 
 unto that abjured hierarchical government by 
 lordly prelacy. 
 
 Besides the foresaid reasons drawn from the 
 terminns a qrio, the terminus ad quern of the 
 change, and from the change itself, we do in all 
 himiility beg leave to add two experimental con- 
 siderations, which we desire to express with that 
 simplicity and singleness of heart, in the sight 
 of God, that becomes the ministers of Jesus 
 Christ, who are looking to give shortly an ac- 
 count of their stewardship unto their Lord 
 and Master. And the first is this : we do find 
 in our experience, that when the Lord at any 
 time is graciously pleased to grant unto any of us 
 more near and familiar access unto himself, and 
 to put our spirits in a more lively, spiritual, and 
 heavenly frame, then arc we also tilled with 
 more perfect hatred, abhorrency, and detestation 
 of that prelatlcal dominion we plead against, and 
 in our souls, at such times, we are encouraged 
 and strengthened in the Lord, to set our faces 
 as riint against that course and w?y, whatever 
 the hazard be we may incur; and when fears 
 of hazard, in opposing that course, lo creep up- 
 on our spirits, we do ingenuously confess it is 
 but then, when we are at a greater distance from 
 God, and in a more common and natural frame. 
 The next is this : we do find in our experience, 
 that when at any time, any of us are summoned 
 with the messengers of death, or w^hen free of 
 
 very much contrary to the inclina- ,„„. 
 
 tions of many. Some members of 
 
 the synod, fully ripe for a change, and ready 
 
 these, we fall upon the serious thoughts and 
 meditations of death, presenting, as in God's 
 sight, to ourselves, what is the course in the pro- 
 fession, avowing, and maintaining whereof we 
 durst venture upon death, upon eternity, and 
 upon the last judgment; and upon the other 
 hand, propose to ourselves what is the course in 
 the profession, avowing, and maintaining where- 
 of we durst not venture upon death, upon eter- 
 nity, and the last judgment ; we do as of sincer- 
 ity, as of God, in the sight of God, declare, that 
 we durst not, for ten thousand worlds, venture 
 upon eternity, and face the great Judgo of the quick 
 and the dead, with the guilt of being instrumental 
 to re-establish, or with the guilt of embracing or 
 conforming unto re-established lordly episco- 
 pacy, lying upon our consciences ; where:is, upon 
 the other hand, oiu- desires and endeavours to be 
 faithful and constant in the received and establish- 
 ed government by presbytery, according to the 
 scripture pattern, is a mean of gladdening and 
 rejoicing our hearts, when we look and hope for 
 the coming of the Lord. 
 
 And now, right honourable, having "In itie 
 simplicity of oiu- hearts, opened up our giiev- 
 ances in part to your lordships, we do in the 
 last place, for remedy, in all humility, prostrate 
 ourselves before your lordships, most humbly 
 and earnestly begging, in the name of Jisus 
 Christ, that your honoin-s would be pleased to 
 intercede with the king's most excellent majesty, 
 First, To take off the restraint laid upon the 
 exercise of the government of the church, in 
 her assemblies, by the late proclamations, with- 
 out which profanity will abound. Next, 'Ihat 
 his majesty would be graciously pleased to free 
 and deliver his faithful and loyal subjects of 
 this his ancient kingdom, under our respective 
 charges, and the godly through the whole land, 
 from all fears of innovating and changing the 
 government of the church, by sessions, presby- 
 teries, synods, and general assemblies, which is 
 ratified and approven by king James \T. of 
 blessed memory, as is evident, pari. 114-, June, 
 1392. Thirdly, That his majesty would be 
 pleased to ratify all former acts of parliament in 
 favours of the church and her said government, 
 that she may fully exercise the power granted 
 to her by Jesus Christ, with freedom and 
 liberty. Fourthly, That his majesty would be 
 pleased to ratify all acts both of parliament and 
 the general assemblies, against papists and poji- 
 ery, against prelates and jirelacy, that aspiring 
 men get not the church of Christ in this land 
 fetched under bondage again. Fifthly, 'ihat 
 his majesty would be graciously pleased to 
 renew the national covenant of this land, fir^st 
 subscribed by king James VI. of worthy mem- 
 ory, and then taken by persons of all ranks and 
 degrees throughout the nation ; and also that he 
 would be pleased to revive the solemn league 
 and covenant, subscribed by his majesty's self, 
 and that he would be graciously pleased, by his 
 royal mandate, to ordain that "both these cove- 
 nants would be renewed, sworn to, and sub- 
 scribed to, by persons of all ranks and degrees, 
 within his majesty's three kingdoms of Scotland, 
 England, and Ireland, and the dominions there- 
 to belonging. Thus will there be a strong hiS 
 
1661. 
 
 128 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 to fall in with the manager's designs, 
 proposed that the synod should be- 
 gin at censuring and sentencing the brethren 
 who had been for the protestation, even 
 though it had been agreed among the re- 
 solutioners and protesters in the year 1658, 
 that none of either side should be questioned 
 
 drawn in the way of popery, and prelacy which 
 ushers the way to popery, that neither of them 
 sliall have a regress to a replanting in these 
 lands : thus shall there not an evil beast be left 
 to push in all the mountain of the Lord ; and 
 thus may we confidently expect that the Lord 
 shall be one, and the name of the Lord one, in 
 all his majesty's dominions. 
 
 Having, in the zeal and fear of God, with all 
 humble and due respect unto your honours, 
 ofiFered these considerations against a change, 
 we humbly beg, that your honours would lav 
 them (with many more that cannot but be 
 obvious to your lordships) seriously to heart, 
 and in the pensitation of them, and the whole 
 matter in hand, sist yourselves as in the sight 
 and presence of the all-seeing God, who stand- 
 eth in the congi-egation of the mighty, and 
 judgeth amongst the gods, and will arise to 
 judge the earth ; weigh the matter (we beseech 
 you) in the balances of the sanctuary, and not 
 of carnal reason and policy: remember that 
 God has set you up not to be stepfathers, but 
 nursing fathers of his liirlj, not to be crossers, 
 but promoters of purity and piety, not to be 
 destroyers of that which many of yourselves 
 have builded, (and so makers of yourselves 
 transgressors) but to be accomplishers and on- 
 putters of the cape-stone upon the building of 
 the Lord's house; acquit yourselves zealously 
 and faithfully in this so honourable and reason- 
 able service; and beware, above all things, 
 to strive against God with an open and dis- 
 played banner, by building up again the walls 
 of Jericho, (we mean lordly prelacy, the very 
 lalr-stone of antichristian hierarchy) which the 
 Lord hath not only casten down, but also laid 
 them under a terrible interdiction and execra- 
 tion, that they be not built up again. These 
 walls in this land, by the power of God. have 
 been once and again demolished : they now lie 
 under the Lord's terrible interdiction and exe- 
 cration , ^ea, w» have all of us, with uplifted 
 hands to the most high God, sentenced ourselves 
 to this dreadful curse, if we re-edify these walls 
 again: assuredly, if there be amongst your 
 lordships, or within the land (which the Lord 
 forbid) an Hiel, one or more, as was in the days 
 of Ahab, to re-edify cursed Jericho, they shall 
 not miss the dreadful execration, and the judg- 
 ment threatened. 
 
 Therefore, we do once again, with all due 
 and reverend respect prostrate at your honours' 
 feet, humbly sujiplicate, First, That your hon- 
 (HU's would ratify all foi-mer acts of parliament, 
 'n favours of the work of reformation, in fav- 
 ours of presbyterial government, in favours of 
 the freedom and privileges of the church, and 
 particularly of the ministers of the gospel, in 
 their faithful and free dispensing of the word ; 
 and that your lordships' would cass and annul 
 all acta in the contrary. Next, We humbly 
 supplicate, that your honours, in your wisdoms, 
 would draw such a bar in the way of episcopacy, 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 in their judicatories for their different prac- 
 tices. 
 
 This unaccountable proposal, IMr Robert 
 Douglas, Mr. Daxid Dickson, and many 
 others of the best note in the synod, endea- 
 voured to wave, and p'lobably would soon 
 have warded off, had not the two commis- 
 
 that this kirk may be fully delivered from the 
 feai-K and evil thereof, and that corrupt and 
 carnol-mludc'd churchmen, who have the pre- 
 eminence, may be for ever put out of the hopes 
 of lording it hereafter any more over the Lord's 
 inheritance. Howe^•er it shall please the Lord 
 to incline your honours' hearts to hearken unto 
 these our just and lawful desires, it is the firm 
 resolution of our hearts, to live in all dutiful 
 obedieni'e unto oui" dread sovereign the king's 
 most excellent majesty, whom we pray the 
 Lord long to preserve under the droppings of 
 his grace, and overloadiugs of his best benefits, 
 and special blessings. Yet wo crave liberty, 
 first, in all humility, to say, that it will tend 
 much to the cheerful quieting of our hearts, 
 and the hearts of the Lord's people we laboiu- 
 among, that your honours f;ivourably grant our 
 foresaid desires, for which the present and suc- 
 ceeding generations shall call you blessed. But 
 next, if your lordships proceed, (which we pray 
 the Lord forbid) to act any thing to the preju- 
 dice of the work of reformation, to the prejudice 
 of the government of this church, and to the 
 freedoms and liberties thereof, or to do any 
 thing less or more, directly or indirectly, in 
 favours of episcopacy, or tending towards the 
 change of our present church government, by 
 sessions, presbyteries, synods, and general assem- 
 blies ; then, and in that case, we crave liberty to 
 except and protest : likeas, by these presents, 
 we do, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 who shall hold that great court of parliament, 
 to judge both the quick and the dead, at his 
 glorious manifestation, and in the name of our 
 mother kirk, so richly blessed of God these 
 many years bygone, under the government we 
 plead for, and in the name of the synod and 
 respective presbyteries and sessions we are 
 members of, and in the name of the particular 
 congregations we labour among, for discharging 
 of our necessary duty, and disburdening of our 
 own consciences, except and protest against 
 every thing of the kind aforesaid, done or to be 
 done to the prejudice of reformation, of presby- 
 terial government, and of the liberties of the 
 church, and against all and every thing done or 
 to be done for the advantage of episcopacy, or 
 any way tending to the introduction, erection, 
 confirmation or ratification thereof, at this pre- 
 sent parliament; earnestly beseeching the Lord, 
 that yoiu- honours, this whole nation, and our- 
 selves, may be kept free of the hon-id guilt of 
 such a sinful change of Christ's government, and 
 encroachments upon his royal crown, and free 
 of all the sad inconveniences ensuing inevitably 
 thereupon, both to kirk and state ; and most 
 humbly craving, that this our supplication and 
 protestation may be admitted by your honours, 
 and registrated among the acts and statutes of 
 this present parliament, in case (as God forbid) 
 any thing be done to the prejudice of Christ's 
 government, and advantage of episcopacy. Your 
 honours' refreshing answer humbly we expect. 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 sioners appointed for this synod, the earl of 
 Callendar, and Sir Archibald Stirling of 
 Carden, come in, no doubt by concert with 
 the corrupted members, just when tliey vrere 
 reasoning this matter, and required the mo- 
 derator to purge the synod of rebels, mean- 
 ing ministers of the protesting judgment : 
 yea, they threatened plainly, that if this was 
 not presently fallen in with they would dis- 
 solve them, and stage them before other 
 judges. The synod were so far forced in 
 with the proposal, that they suspended Mi-. 
 Alexander Livingstone, minister at Biggar, 
 Mr. John Greig, minister at Skii'ling, Mr. 
 Archibald Porteous, and Mr. James Don- 
 aldson, ministers in Biggar presbytery, and 
 Mr. Gilbert Hall, minister at Kirkliston ; 
 all of them ministers of great piety, and some 
 of them persons of great ability in the church, 
 I find that at this synod, Mr. William Weir, 
 minister at Linlithgow, and Mr. William 
 Creighton, minister at Bathgate, were like- 
 wise removed from their charges, upon ap- 
 plication of some malignant and disaffected 
 persons in their parishes. After this sad 
 work, the commissioners proposed some 
 overtures in favour of prelacy, which the 
 plurality of the synod very briskly opposed, 
 and thereupon were dissolved in the king's 
 name, and obliged to dismiss without prayer. 
 
 There seems to have been at this time a 
 formed design to bear down such ministers 
 as had not been for the public resolutions : 
 and therefore in the northern synods I find 
 some harsh dealing with the few there of 
 those sentiments. One instance may suf- 
 fice, and it is of that extraordinary person 
 we shall meet with frequently afterward, Mr. 
 Thomas Hogg, minister at Kilteam, in the 
 synod of Ross. The date is not sent me by 
 the reverend minister who gives me the in- 
 formation, which he hath from Mr. Hogg 
 himself, and Mr. Fraser after mentioned; but 
 the fact itself leads us to this synod in the 
 beginning of this year. 
 
 Mr. Murdoch Mackenzie was moderator 
 of this synod of Ross, and now gJ^jing after 
 the bishopric of Murray, though he had 
 shown a particular liking to the covenants, 
 and sworn them, some say ten, others fourteen 
 times. Mr. Hogg was one from whom the 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. \qC) 
 
 1G6L 
 
 and therefore a tash must be put on 
 him at this synod ; and he, not being 
 to be reached in any point of practice, must 
 be stciged for his opinion, and that upon the 
 protestation. When Mr. Hogg appeared be- 
 fore the synod, the moderator interrogate 
 him what he thought of the protestation, and 
 the assemblies of St. Andrews, Dundee, &c. ? 
 he modestly replied, that living at a great 
 distance from the places where those things 
 were agitate, he never meddled much in that 
 matter. And being further asked, if he 
 thought the protestation a just and reason- 
 able deed? Mr. Hogg declined to give an 
 answer, knowing what improvement was de- 
 signed to be made of it, and therefore he 
 would neither own nor disown it judicially. 
 
 Mr. Hogg being removed, the moderator 
 had a discourse to the synod, to this effect, 
 that the brother they had before them, was 
 known to be a great man : notwithstanding, 
 the king having espoused the defence of those 
 assemblies against which the protestation 
 was given in, it behoved them to go on in 
 their work. Therefore Mr. Hogg was called 
 in, and required judicially to disown and 
 disclaim the protestation. This he refused 
 to do, and thereupon the synod passed a 
 sentence deposing him from the ministry. 
 Mr. Hogg, in giving account of this, my in- 
 former tells me, observed, the sentence was 
 pronounced with a peculiar air of venera- 
 tion, and looked rather like their conse- 
 crating him to a higher office, than a depo- 
 sition ; and that the moderator, in a kind of 
 consolatory discourse after the sentence, 
 spoke very near nonsense. Among other 
 things he was pleased to remind Mr. Hogg, 
 that our Lord Jesus Christ had suffered 
 great wrong from the scribes and Pharisees. 
 
 At that same synodical meeting, a motion 
 was made for deposing Mr. James Fraser, 
 of Liny, from his office as ruling elder, for 
 the very same reasons on which they pro- 
 ceeded against Mr. Hogg ; but the moderator 
 opposed the proposal, and expressed his re- 
 gard to him, as an honomable gentleman, 
 and not so far engaged in that way as some 
 others ; therefore he moved that they might 
 suspend Mr. Fraser from officiating for some 
 time, and appoint some brethren to confer 
 
 greatest opposition to prelacy was expected | with him, for reclaiming him from his mis- 
 
130 
 
 1661. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [[bOOK I. 
 
 ship's own hand, and copies of others. From 
 
 takes. A brother rose up and 
 professed himself against that pro- 
 posal, for this reason, that he was more 
 afraid the gentleman would draw to his side 
 those who should converse with him, than 
 he could entertain hopes of their prevailing 
 on ^im. What the issue was, my informer 
 does not remember. 
 
 This is but a short swatch of the unprece- 
 dented force, violence, and heavy oppression 
 of ministers, in their ministerial and judica- 
 tive capacity ; the parallel of which, I doubt, 
 if it can be given, as to any of the reformed 
 churches, or in any well ordered government ; 
 especially when laws authorizing their meet- 
 ing, were yet standing, and they had the 
 king's promised protection. I might name 
 many other aggravations of this surprising 
 procedure, but the naked narrative of facts 
 sufficiently exposeth it. From these the 
 reader will have some view of the oppression, 
 I might say overturning, of our church estab- 
 lishment, the essays used, and testimonies 
 given against this melancholy change, and 
 the attacks made upon church judicatories, 
 while the parliament sat. Those I thought 
 good to give some account of, before the 
 sufferings of particular persons, which I now 
 come to. 
 
 Of the stiffenngs and martyrdom of the noble 
 Marquis of Ar gyle. May 21th, 1661. 
 
 In giving the narrative of the hardships par- 
 ticular persons underwent this year, we shall 
 find many attacked in their name and repu- 
 tation, others in their liberty, and others in 
 their estates and lives. I shall begin with 
 the last : and the excellent marquis of Argyle 
 deserves the first room, and after him, the 
 reverend Mr. James Guthrie j each of whose 
 Bufferings will fill a section by themselves. 
 
 The case of the marquis of Argyle, con- 
 taining his indictment for high treason, with 
 his large answers, having been several times 
 printed, the less needs be said here concern- 
 ing this great man. It is pity the whole of 
 this eminent person's management, speeches, 
 and petitions to the lords of articles, and the 
 parliament, cannot now be recovered ; some 
 of them I have before me, under his lord- 
 
 those, and other memoirs of this period, I 
 shall essay as short and distinct an account 
 of this noble peer, his treatment and trial, 
 with what followed upon it, as I can. 
 
 When the king came home last year, the 
 marquis was very much solicited to go to 
 court, and some say, he had assurances of 
 welcome. No doubt he was inclinable to 
 wait upon a prince, upon whose head he had 
 set the crown. Indeed several of his best 
 friends were against his going up to court, 
 till matters were come to some settlement ; 
 and particularly Mr. Robert Douglas used 
 manj' arguments to dissuade him : he was 
 forewarned of a change in his majesty's af- 
 fections towards him, and acquainted that 
 he wanted not enemies at London, who had 
 taken pains to raise calumnies upon his per 
 son and conduct. All those prevailed with 
 him to delay his journey for some time : at 
 length he resolved to vindicate himself; and 
 knowing he was able, upon his access to the 
 king, soon to remove whatever dust, a set 
 of people, for their own base ends, had raised 
 against him, he took journey, and arrived at 
 London, July 8th, and with a confidence 
 flowing from the testimony of a good con- 
 science, entered Whitehall, to salute his ma- 
 jesty. I am told that his enemies had so 
 prepossessed the king against him, that even 
 whUe upon his road to London, orders were 
 given to seize him, and carry him back 
 prisoner to Scotland : if so, he escaped the 
 messengers, and got safe to court. But as 
 soon as the king was told he was come to 
 Whitehall, he ordered Sir William Fleming 
 to go and carry him straight to the Tower of 
 London. The marquis lu-ged much to be 
 allov/ed to see the king, but our Scots man- 
 agers took care to prevent that ; and he was 
 hurried away in the greatest haste possible. 
 In the Tower he continued under close con- 
 finement, until he was sent down to Scot- 
 land. 
 
 The springs of such surprising treatment 
 of this great man, are either a secret, or not 
 very fit to be propaled. * This much may 
 
 • The following passage in Kirkton's History 
 of the Church of Scotland, appears to ivo to 
 throw considerable light upon what aie here 
 
CHAP. 11. j 
 
 bs said, he was the head of the covenanters 
 in Scotland, and had been singularly active 
 in the work of reformation there; and of any 
 almost who had engaged in that work, he 
 stuck fastest by it, when most of the nation 
 (juit it very much. He had kept his power 
 and influence in Scotland under the various 
 turns of affairs, and stood when many Of his 
 rivals fell : and tliis attack upon him was a 
 stroke at the root of all that had been done 
 in Scotland from the (year) 1G3S to the 
 usurpation. It is not improbable, besides 
 the emulation of our Scots noblemen about 
 court, and the peculiar spite of the highfliers 
 in England, against the marquis, for his 
 known principles in church government, and 
 eminent appearances for civil liberty, that 
 general Monk, and others about the king, 
 knowing his great abilities and experience, 
 and how much the king once valued him, 
 might be afraid of his soon coming to have 
 such interest with his majesty, and making 
 such discoveries ofaffliirs, as were not agree- 
 able to their present circumstances and pro- 
 jects. What holy freedom the marquis had 
 used in reproving some vices, and what pro- 
 mises had been made him, which were not 
 now to be performed, I shall not say : but 
 some of those, if not all, concurred to begin 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 131 
 
 passed over, as the concealed motives of this 
 prosecution. " This [Charles'] unsuccessfulness 
 la all his other attempts, prevailed with him to 
 close with the Scots more than all the arguments 
 their commissioners could use of ane episcopal 
 man, [a papist he should have said] to become 
 a covenanted presbj-terian. And the marquis 
 of Argyle, being all that time almost dictator of 
 Scotland, to make all sure for himself being in 
 great danger from the envy of his enemies, 
 thought good to strike up a match betwixt the 
 king, and his daughter lady Anne, to which the 
 king consented with all a-ssurance, though all 
 that poor family h.id by the bargain was a dis- 
 appointment, so grievous to the poor young lady, 
 that of a gallant young gentlewoman, she losed 
 her spirit and turned absolutely distracted. So 
 unfortunately do the back wheels of private 
 design, work in the puppet plays of the public 
 revolutions in the world." After this, no man 
 at all acquainted with human nature, will be in 
 the least surprised when the historian goes on 
 to say that, " the first clap of royal indignation 
 fill upon the marquis of Argyle who, upon the 
 news of his majesty's return, and, as it was 
 believed, upon good encoiu^agement to expect 
 hearty welcome, when he had posted to London 
 with the rest, ctitering Whitehall with confi- 
 dence to salute his majesty, had only this for 
 his eutertaiument, that so soon as ever the king 
 
 IGGl. 
 
 and help forward this violent storm 
 now come upon him. 
 
 While in the Tower, he made application 
 for liberty to have the affidavits and declara- 
 tions of several persons in England, taken 
 upon some matters of fact, when he was con- 
 cerned in the public administration, before 
 the usurpation ; but thie piece of justice was 
 flatly refused him. From the Tower he was, 
 toward the beginning of December, sent 
 down to Scotland in a man-of-war, to abide 
 his trial before the parliament. Sir John 
 Swinton came down prisoner with him, and 
 they had a severe storm in their passage, in 
 which the ship before mentioned, with the 
 records of the kingdom, was lost. December 
 20th, they landed at Leith, and next day, 
 Swinton being a quaker, and excommunicate, 
 was carried up the street of Edinburgh, dis- 
 covered, and guarded by the town officers ; 
 and the marquis walked up the street covered, 
 betwixt two of the bailies of Edinburgh, to 
 the castle, where he continued till his trial 
 came on. 
 
 By the minutes of parliament formerly 
 mentioned, I find, January 18th,. the lord 
 Cochran, president of the committee for 
 bills, reported to the parliament, that a sup- 
 plication was presented to them by the laird 
 
 heard he vras there, with an angry stamp of the 
 foot, he commanded Sir William Meming to 
 execute his orders, who, thereupon conveyed the 
 marquis straight to the Tower there to lie, till 
 he was sen' down to Scotland to die a sacrifice to 
 royal jealousy and revenge." The above it is 
 probable was one of the reasons, which our his- 
 torian did not think " very fit to be propaled ;" 
 but there was another, which could not surely 
 esciipe his observation, though he has omitted to 
 record it, Middle^^on and his associates who had 
 now got into their h.inds, the administration of 
 Scotish affairs were very poor, and they were 
 equally avaricious; the estate of the marquis of 
 Argyle was a large one ; and there appears to be 
 no reason for misdoubting Burnet, when he 
 says, " they had a desire to divide it among them- 
 selves." This we may well believe, they suppos- 
 ed, after having cut off the marquis, would net 
 be a matter of much difiiculty. Differences 
 among themselves combined with other causes, 
 however, after they had committed the crime, 
 prevented them from reaping those happy re- 
 sults they had anticipated ; and Widdleton, who 
 unquestionably hoped to have had the ■»vtoole to 
 himself, was in the issue completely disappointed. 
 Vide Kirkton's History of the Church of Scot- 
 land, jm. 50, 69, 70. Burnet's History of his 
 Own Times, Edin. Ed. vol. i. pp. 149, 150, 177» 
 
 im.—£d. 
 
132 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ,«„, of Lawmont, cravin? warrant to a 
 
 1661. ■ , ■ c 
 
 messenger to cite the marqms ot 
 
 Argj-le, and some others, to appear before 
 the parliament, to answer to the crimes con- 
 tained in the bill. Some opposition was 
 made to this ; but it was carried, by a vast 
 plurality, to grant warrant. This gentleman 
 was hounded out by the managers, to bring 
 in this charge of severities against the mar- 
 quis ; from which he vindicates himself in his 
 printed defences. 
 
 When thus cited, upon the first of Feb- 
 ruary he gives in two petitions to the parlia- 
 ment, the one craving advocates to be al- 
 lowed him, and the other that the day of his 
 compearance might be delayed. After much 
 debate in the house, both were referred to 
 the lo.ds of articles, where the managers 
 were sure to carry their point as they pleased. 
 What their answer was, I have not seen. 
 February 5th, I find it represented to the 
 house, that the lawyers, given in list by the 
 marquis, being heard before the articles, did 
 prevail to be excused ; and a new petition, 
 with a nev/ list, being presented, the parlia- 
 ment granted the desire of it, leaving room 
 for the advocates to plead their excuses be- 
 fore the articles. All this looks like a trick, 
 to deprive him of the benefit of advocates, in 
 a cause which so nearly concerned him ; or 
 at least, so to protract the time, that there 
 should be very little room for drawing of 
 answers. The names of his advocates were, 
 judge Ker, Mr. Andrew Birnie, Mr, Robert 
 Birnie, Mr. afterwards Sir George, Macken- 
 zie of Rosehaugh, Mr. afterwards Sir John, 
 Cuningham, and IVIr. George Norvel. The 
 day of his compearance was ordered to be 
 February 13th; and till then terrible stories 
 were buzzed about of the marquis's horrid 
 barbarities used against the gentlemen of 
 the name of Lawmont, M'Coul of Lorn, the 
 laird of Appine, the gentlemen of Clanron- 
 ald, and others, from which there lies a full 
 vindication in his printed defences. But this 
 was necessary, to prepare members of par- 
 liament, and the nation, for the barbarous 
 tragedy that was now shortly to be acted. 
 
 Upon the 13th of February, the marquis 
 was brought down from the castle in a coach, 
 with three of the magistrates of Edinburgh, 
 attended with the town guards, and pre- 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 sented at the bar, where Sir John Fletcher, 
 the king's advocate, accused him, in common 
 form, of high treason, and presenting an in- 
 dictment, craved it might be read. The 
 marquis humbly craved, that he might have 
 liberty to speak before the reading of his 
 dittay, (indictment) promising that he should 
 not say any thing to the matter therein con- 
 tained. WTien the advocate opposed this 
 with violence, the mai-quis was removed, and 
 after some debate, the house refused his rea- 
 sonable desire, and ordered his dittay to be 
 read. When my lord was called in, and this 
 intimate to him, he moved that a bill he had 
 by his advocates given in to the lords of the 
 articles, might be now read in the parlia- 
 ment ; the desire of it was, a precognition, 
 with many reasons why this ought to be 
 granted. The lords of articles would not 
 transmit this bill to the parliament, and the 
 marquis had no other method left him, but 
 to move the reading of the petition in the 
 house; this was likewise peremptorily re- 
 fused. This petition, not being printed in 
 the common copies of his case, and giving 
 considerable light to this trial, I have added 
 in a note, * 
 
 • Marquis of Argyle's petition, with reasons 
 for a precognition, February 12th, 1661. 
 
 That forasineikle as the petitioner canj with 
 a safe conscience, affirm, and solemnly protest, 
 that whatever his actings or accession hatli been, 
 in relation to public business, since the hegin- 
 ning of the troubles, tiU. his majesty's departure 
 hence in the year 1651, though he wiU not 
 purge himself of eiTors, failings, and mistakes, 
 both in judgment and practii-e, incident to 
 human frailty, and common to him, if not witlt 
 the whole, at least the gi'eatast part of the na- 
 tion ; yet, in one thing, thougli he were to die, 
 he would still avouch and retain bis innocency, 
 that he never intended any thing treasonably, 
 out of any pernicious design against his majes- 
 ty's late royal father, of ever glorious memory, 
 or his present majesty, (whom God may long 
 preserve) their persons or government, but en- 
 deavoured always, to his uttermost, for settling 
 the differences betwixt their majesties and their 
 people. And as to any actings before the year 
 1641, or since the said j'car, till his majesty 
 being in the parliament at Perth and Stirling, 
 your petitioner did, with a full assurance, rely 
 upon his gracious majesty, and his royal father, 
 their treaties, approbation, oblivion, and indem- 
 nity, for what was past, and firmly believed, 
 tliat the same should never have risen in judg- 
 ment, or that the petitioner should have been 
 dra^vn in question therefore ; and during his 
 majesty's absence, and being forced from the 
 exercise of his royal government by the late 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 Being overruled thus in every thing, the 
 indictment was read. The reader hath it in 
 his printed case, and I would most willingly 
 insert it in the appendix, were it not very 
 large, and the answers to it necessarily much 
 larger, so that this volume would swell ex- 
 ceedingly were they added. I shall only 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 133 
 
 1661. 
 
 then point at the heads thereof 
 as brieHy as I can, that the reader 
 may have some view of the unaccounta- 
 ble injustice of this procedure. In the 
 general it may be noticed, that this libel 
 was more months in fonning, than the mar- 
 quis had days allowed him to frame his an- 
 
 without any prejudice, passion, or prcliraitation, 
 or precipitation. Likens, by the said declara- 
 tion, there was a freedom for all the people 
 interested, to make their application to the par- 
 liament, or in the meantime to the committee, 
 from whom only his majesty is pleased to declare 
 he would receive address and information ; and 
 seeing it was the petitioner's misfortune, during 
 the sitting of the said committee, to be prisoner 
 in England ; whereas if he had been prisoner 
 here in Scotland, he ■would have made applica- 
 tion to them, and would have craved, and in 
 justice expected, that precognition might have 
 
 usurpers, and long after that the nation, by 
 their deputies, had accepted of their authority 
 and government, and they in possession, the 
 petitioner was forced to capitulation with them, 
 being in their hands, and under sickness; and 
 the same was, after all endeavours used, accord- 
 ing to the duty of a good subject, and, upon the 
 petitioner's part, so innocent, and necessary for 
 self-preservation, without the least intention, 
 a(;tion, or etfect, to his majesty's prejudice; that 
 albeit, upon misinformation, (as tlie petitioner 
 humbly conceives) his actings and compliance, 
 both in their designs and quality, have been 
 
 misrepresented, as particularly singular and } been taken by them to whom the preparing and 
 personal, stating the petitioner in a degree of ordering of that affair (to wit, anent the subjects' 
 guilt bej'ond others, and incapable of pardon; trials during the troubles) was recommended, 
 the same have so fur prevailed upon his majesty, j that the petitioners absence, which was his 
 aa to cloud and damp the propitious and com- punishment, not his fault, may not be preju- 
 fortable rays of his royal grace and favour, and dicial, seeing the petitioner has lately received 
 have strained his gracious inclination bej-ond two several dittays, wherein there be many 
 its natural disposition of clemency, expressed to ' crimes grossly false, with all the aspersions and 
 his other subjects, to commit the petitioner's 
 person, and give way to the trial of his carriage 
 and actings : yet, so firmly rooted is the petition- 
 er's persuasion of his majesty's justice and 
 clemency, and that he intends the reclaiming, 
 and not the ruin of the meanest of his subjects, 
 who retain their loyalty, duty, and good affec- 
 tion to his person and government; that, upon 
 
 aggravations imaginable laid to his charge, im- 
 porting no less than the loss of his life, fame, 
 and estate, and the ruin of him and his poster- 
 ity, which, he is confident, is not intended by 
 his majesty; and that by the law and practice of 
 this kingdom, consonant to all reason and equi- 
 ty, the petitioner ought, upon his desire, to have 
 a precognition, for taking the deposition of cer- 
 true and right representation of the petitioner's | tain persons, which being fre(iuently and usually 
 caiTiage and actings, he shall be able to vindi- j practised in this country, when any person is 
 cate himself of these aspersions, and shall give i defamed for any crime, and therefore incarce- 
 his majesty satisfaction, at least so far to ex- ! rate, before he was brought to a trial, at his 
 tenuate his guilt, as may render him a fit object I desire precognition was taken in all business 
 of that royal clemency, which is of that depth, i relating thereto; which the petitioner iu all 
 that having swallowed and past by, not only | humility, conceives ought much more not to be 
 personal, but national guiltiness, of much more 
 deep die as <iny the petitioner can be charged 
 with, or made out against him, and so will not 
 strain to pass by and pardon the faults and 
 failings of a person who never acted but in a 
 
 denied to him, not only by reason of respect to 
 his quality, and of the importance and conse- 
 quence thereof to all his majesty's subjects, of 
 all quality, in all time coming, but also iu 
 regard it has been so meaned and intended by 
 l>ublic joint way, without any sinistrous or I his majesty's declaration foresjiid. Likeas, the 
 
 treasonable design against his majesty, or his 
 royal father; and against which he can defend 
 himself either by acts of approbation and obliv- 
 ion, iJi verba principis, which he conceives to be 
 the supreme, sacred, and inviolable security, or 
 which he was forced to much against his incli- 
 nation, by an insuperable necessity. And albeit 
 his majesty's grace and favour is strictly tied to 
 no other rule but his will and pleasure, yet his 
 majesty's so innate, essential, and insuperable a 
 quality of his royal nature, that the petitioner 
 is persuaded, in all human certainty, that the 
 leaving and committing to his parliament, (as 
 i« expressed in his majesty's declaration, October 
 )2th, last bypast) the trying and judging ot the 
 carriage of his subjects, during the late troubles, 
 as indeed it is in its own nature, and ought to 
 be so accepted of all, as an undoubted evidence 
 of his majesty's affection to, and confidence ia 
 his people ; so no other trial oi- judging is therein 
 meant, but a fair, just, legal, and usual trial, 
 
 manner of the crimes objected, being actings in 
 times of wars and troubles, the guilt thereof 
 was not personal and particular, but rather 
 national and universal, and vailed and covered 
 with acts of indemnity and oblivion, and so 
 tender and ticklish, that if duly pondered, after 
 a hearing allowed to the petitioner, in prudency 
 and policy, will not be found expedient to be 
 tossed in public, or touched with every hand, 
 but rather to be precognosced upon by some 
 wise, sober, noble, and judicious persons, for 
 these and several other reasons in the paper 
 hereto annexed ; nor does the petitioner desire 
 the same animo protdandi, nor needs the same 
 breed any longer delay, nor isit sought without aa 
 end of zeal to his majesty's power, and vindication 
 of the petitioner's innocency, as to many particu- 
 lars wherewith he is aspersed ; and it would be 
 seriously pondered, that seeing cunctatio miHa 
 longa, ubi agitur de vita humtids, far less ca:i 
 this small delay, which is usual, and iu this case 
 
13 if THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ,„„, swers to it. Besides ordinary form, 
 the indictment consisted of fourteen 
 articles, wherein a heap of slander, perver- 
 sion of matters of fact, and misrepresenta- 
 tions are gathered up against this good and 
 great man ; all which he abundantly taJkes 
 oiF in his answers. He is indicted, that he 
 rose in arms in opposition to the king's good 
 subjects, the anticovenanters, and said to 
 Mr. John Stewart, " that it was the opinion 
 of" many divines, that kings, in some cases, 
 might be deposed." 2. That he marched 
 with armed men against the house of Airlie, 
 and biu-ned the same. 3. That in the year 
 IG-tO, he laid siege to his majesty's castle of 
 Dumbarton, and forced it to render to him- 
 4. That he called, or caused to be called, the 
 convention of estates, 1643, and entered into 
 the solemn league and covenant with Eng- 
 land, levied subsidies from the subjects, 
 raised an army, and fought against his ma- 
 jesty's forces. 5. That in 1645, he biu-ned 
 the house of Menstrie. 6. That in 1646, he 
 or those under his command, besieged and 
 took in the house of Towart and Escoge, 
 and killed a great many gentlemen. 7. That 
 he marched to Kintyre, and killed 300 men 
 of the name of M'Donald and M'Coul, in 
 cold blood, and transported 200 men to the 
 uninhabited Isle of Jura, where they perished 
 by famine. 8. That he went up to London, 
 and agreed with a committee there, to de- 
 liver up the king to the English army at 
 Newcastle, upon the payment of 200,000/. 
 pretended to be due for the arrears of 
 the army, treasonably raised, 1643. 9. 
 That 1648, he protested in parliament 
 against the engagement for relieving his 
 majesty, and convocated an army to op- 
 pose the engagers, met with Oliver Crom- 
 well, commander of the English army, and 
 consented to a letter writ to him, October 
 6th, 1648, and to the instructions given to 
 
 most expedient, if not absolutely necessary, be 
 refused, iibi agitur, non solum de vita, sed de fama, 
 and of all worldly interests that can be dear or of 
 value to any man. 
 
 Upon consideration of the premises, it is 
 humbly craved that your irrace and the 
 honourable estates of parliament, may 
 grant the petitioner's desire, and to give 
 w^arrant to cite persons to depone before 
 your grace and the estates of parliament, 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 Sir John Chiesly to the parliament of Eng- 
 land, and in May following signed a warrant 
 for a proclamation, declaring the lords Ogilvie 
 and Rae, the marquis of Huntly, John, now 
 earl of Middleton, their wives and families, 
 to be out of the protection of the kingdom. 
 10. That he clogged his majesty's invitation 
 to his kingdom of Scotland, 1649, with many 
 unjust limitations, and consented to the mur- 
 der of the marquis of Montrose, to obstruct 
 his majesty's resolution of coming to his 
 kingdom ; that he corresponded with Crom- 
 well, without his majesty's knowledge ; that 
 he contrived and consented to the act of the 
 West Kii-k, August 13th, 1650, and the de- 
 claration following thereupon. 1 1 . That in the 
 years 1653 and 1654, he abetted and joined 
 with, or fm'nished arms to the usurper's forces 
 in the Highlands, against the earls of Glen- 
 cairn and Middleton, and gave remissions to 
 such as had been in the king's service. 12. 
 That he received a precept from the usur- 
 per of 12,000 pounds sterling, and did consent 
 to the proclamation of Richard Cromwell ; 
 accepted a commission from the shire of 
 Aberdeen, and sat and voiced in his pre- 
 tended parliament. 13. That he rebuked 
 the ministers in Argyle, for praying for the 
 king. 14. That he positively gave his ad- 
 vice to Cromwell and Ireton in a conference 
 1 648, that they could not be safe till the king's 
 life were taken away, at least did know and 
 conceal that horrible design. 
 
 After reading the indictment, the marquis 
 was allowed to speak, and discoursed at con- 
 siderable length to the parliament. This ex- 
 temporary speech was taken from his mouth 
 in shorthand, and is insert in his printed 
 case; and the reader will find it full of 
 close reasoning, and strong sense. " After 
 he had declared his joy at the restoration, 
 and his trust in the king's goodness, and the 
 justice of his judges, he says with Paul in 
 
 upon such interrogatories as your petitioner 
 shall give in, for clearing of several things 
 concerning his intention and loj'alty dur- 
 ing the troubles ; and for such as are out 
 of the country, and strangers, residenters 
 in England, commissions may be directed 
 to such as your grace and the pai'linment 
 shall think fit, to take their depositions 
 upon oath, and to return the same : and 
 your petitioner shall ever pray, &c. 
 
CHAT. II.] 
 
 another case, the tilings alleged against him 
 cannot be proven : but this he confesses, 
 that in the way allowed by solemn oaths 
 and covenants, he served his God, his 
 king, and country. He complains he had 
 neither a hearing, nor pen, ink, or paper, al- 
 lowed him, until this heavy charge was given. 
 He notices in Sir Walter Raleigh's words, 
 that dogs bark at such as they know not, 
 and accompany one another in those clam- 
 ours : and though he owns he wanted not 
 failings common to all engaged in public 
 business in such a time, yet he blesses God, 
 he is able to make the falsehood of every ar- 
 ticle of liis charge appear. That he had 
 done nothing with a wicked mind ; but with 
 many others had the misfortune to do several 
 things, the unforeseen events of which 
 proved bad." 
 
 After this he comes to obviate the prin- 
 cipal calumnies in his indictment. " As to 
 the king's murder, he declares, that if he had 
 been accessary to the counsel or knowledge 
 of it, he deserved no favour ; but he was the 
 first mover of the oath in parliament, 1649, 
 to vindicate the members, and discover the 
 viilany. And in a latter will made 1656, he 
 entirely made it appear he was free of that 
 execrable crime, the original copy whereof 
 was ready to be produced. That he never saw. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 would have prevented much hurt 
 
 135 
 
 1661. 
 
 afterwards, and it was none of 
 their faults matters were not then compro- 
 mised. 
 
 " As to his dealings with the English after 
 Worcester, he offers to prove he laid out 
 himself with his vassals to oppose the Eng- 
 lish ; and a strong force being sent into 
 Argyleshire, and he under sickness, he was 
 made prisoner, and at all hazards refused in 
 the least to join with them. This he shows 
 would have been contrary to his interest, as 
 well as duty ; and evidences, that all along 
 he did oppose a commonwealth. He com- 
 plains that the advocate had dealt very un- 
 generously and unfairly, in forming his 
 libel ; and as to other things, refers to his 
 defences." 
 
 When the marquis had ended, the advo- 
 cate subdolously (artfully) endeavoured to 
 bring him to speak upon some heads, which 
 he declined, and referred to his defences; 
 and yet when he came in, after he had been 
 removed, while the house were fixing the 
 time of his next appearance, he spoke to 
 what the advocate had cast up, as to his op- 
 position to the engagers at Stirling, 1648, 
 and made it appear, that he was attacked by 
 Sir George Monro, several of his fi-iends 
 killed, and he himself hardly escaped. The 
 
 or had the least correspondence with Crom- lawyers for the marquis took a protest, " that 
 
 ivhat should escape them in pleading, either 
 by word or writ, for the life, honour, and 
 estate of their client, might not thereafter be 
 obtruded to them as treasonable ;" and took 
 instruments. When the pannel and his ad- 
 vocates were removed, the king's advocate, 
 in order to intimidate and frighten the mar- 
 quis's lawyers, got the parhament to refuse 
 to record their instrument: yet common 
 rules obliged the house to permit them to 
 speak as freely as is usual in such cases. 
 
 The parliament fixed the 26th of Febru- 
 ary, for the day of the defender his giving in 
 defences in writ. A very short diet indeed, 
 for replying to a charge which contained so 
 many particulars, and related to persons and 
 times at such a distance, and an indictment 
 contrived in so general and cajitious terms*; 
 all which is better represented in the printed 
 defences, than I can pretend to do. Wien 
 this was signified upon the party's being 
 
 well, till sent by the committee of estate; 
 1648, to stop his march to Scotland; and 
 that he declined corresponding with the 
 sectarian army, which he offers instantly to 
 make appear. 
 
 " He next asserts his regard to the late 
 duke of Hamilton, and owns that he declined 
 to compliment Cromwell in his behalf; 
 which if he had done, would have been an 
 article of his indictment. He declares he 
 used his utmost endeavours to preserve the 
 marquis of Huntle}', and that he never had 
 any thing out of his estate, but what was 
 absolutely necessary for his own rehef, and 
 that he was of very great use to that family. 
 As to the marquis of Montrose's death, he 
 appeals to many of the members' knowledge, 
 that he positively refused to meddle, either 
 in the matter or manner of it ; and declares, 
 that in the (year) 1645, the marquis and 
 himself had agreed upon a treaty, which 
 
136 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 . „ „ . called in, the marquis, with his advo- 
 cates, craved again, that his bill for 
 a precognition might be read, and granted 
 by the house. To which the chancellor 
 replied, " that it had been formerly refused 
 at the articles, and that it would not be 
 granted." Thus we see, whatever the com- 
 missioner pretended, in pressing the nomi- 
 nation of the lords of articles, they were an 
 illegal and unreasonable bar to the affairs of 
 the kingdom, their coming under the cogniz- 
 ance of the parliament, and so most justly 
 complained of in our claim of right, and hap- 
 pily taken away at the revolution. 
 
 By a petition the marquis applied (to) the 
 parliament, February 26th, that he might 
 have a further time to form his defences, be- 
 cause his advocates were strangers to the 
 process, till put into their hands ; and the 
 matter of his indictment was of such extent : 
 and they granted him until the 5th of March ; 
 which day, I find him before the lords of 
 articles, desiring the continuation of his affair, 
 till the meeting of parliament to-morrow. 
 This short delay was not allowed him ; but 
 by tvi'o or three votes he was peremptorily 
 appointed to produce his defences ; where- 
 upon he had a most pathetical speech, and 
 when he ended it, gave in a very mo\ing sup- 
 plication, remitting himself to the king's 
 mercy, and beseeching the parliament may 
 intercede for him. This speech is printed 
 in his case, and he acquaints them, " that 
 this trial nearly concerns him, and is a pre- 
 parative to the whole nation, themselves, 
 and posterity ; and wishes them to talie heed 
 what they do ; for they judge not for men, 
 but the Lord, who is with them in judgment. 
 He observes, there are many of them young 
 men, who, except by report, know not what 
 was done since the (year) 1638, and are ig- 
 norant of the grounds of the procedure of 
 this church and kingdom, in that time: 
 Therefore he desires their charity, till the 
 circumstances be heard and weighed, and 
 proposes several important maxims to their 
 consideration. That circumstances chang- 
 ing sometimes, make what is lawful appeal 
 unlawful. That when an invading usurper 
 is in possession, making former laws crimes, 
 the safety of the people is certainly the su- 
 preme law. That necessity has no law. That 
 
 [book I. 
 
 inter arma silent leges. That of two evils, 
 the least is to be chosen. That no man's 
 intention must be judged by the event of 
 the action, there being a vast difference be- 
 twLxt the condition of a work, and the in- 
 tention of the worker. That it cannot be 
 esteemed virtue to abstain from vice, but 
 where it is in our power to commit the vice, 
 and we have a temptation." 
 
 Unto those maxims he subjoins the fol- 
 lowing considerations : " That subjects' ac- 
 tions are to be differently considered, when 
 their lawful prince is in the exercise of his 
 authority, and when there is no king in 
 Israel ; yea, even when the sovereign is in 
 the nation, and when forced to leave his 
 people under the power of a foreign sword. 
 That subjects' actions are likewise mightily 
 altered, when a usurper is submitted unto by 
 the representatives of a nation, and for some 
 years in possession of the government. That 
 submission to a usm'ping invader, in this case, 
 when after assisting the lawful magistrate to 
 their power, they are made prisoners, and 
 can do no better, softens the case yet more, 
 especially when they continue prisoners upon 
 demand, and are particularly noticed and 
 persecuted for their affection to their sover- 
 eign. That a great difference is to be made 
 between a thing done ad lucrum captandmn, 
 and that done only ad damnum evitandum. 
 That all princes have favourably considered 
 such, as in such circumstances voluntarily 
 cast themselves upon their clemency. That 
 his majesty's natural clemency, evidenced to 
 all his EngUsh subjects, cannot but be dis- 
 played to his subjects in Scotland, who suf- 
 fered, even by them whom he pardons, for 
 their affection to his majesty. 
 
 " Upon the whole, knowing his majesty's 
 good nature, and his declared incUnations in 
 his speech to the English parliament, ' con- 
 juring them to abolish all notes of discord, 
 separations and differences of parties, and to 
 lay aside all animosities, and past provoca 
 tions ;' he hopes their lordships will concur 
 in following so worthy a pattern ; and for 
 this end he humbly presents his submission 
 to them." 
 
 Accordingly the marquis gave in a signed 
 supplication and submission, which I have 
 insert here. 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 To my Lord Commissioner his Grace, and 
 High Court of Parliameut. 
 
 " Forasmuch as I, Archibald, marquis of 
 Argyle, am accused of treason, at the in- 
 stance of his majesty's advocate, before the 
 hiijh court of parliament; and being alto- 
 gether unwDUng to appear any way in oppo- 
 sition to his sacred majesty, considering also 
 that this is the first parUament called by his 
 majesty, after his happy return to his king- 
 doms and government, for healing and re- 
 pairing the distempers and breaches made by 
 the late long troubles ; I have therefore re- 
 solved that their consultations and debates 
 about the great affairs and concernments of 
 his majesty and this kingdom, shiJl have no 
 interruption upon occasion of a process 
 against me. 
 
 " I will not represent the fatality and con- 
 tagion of those times, wherein I, with many 
 others in those three kingdoms, have been 
 involved, which have produced many sad ef- 
 fects and consequences, fai" contrary to our 
 intentions : nor will I insist upon the de- 
 fence of our actings in this kingdom, before 
 the prevailing of the late usurpers ; which 
 (if examined according to the strictest inter- 
 pretation, and severest censure of law) may 
 be esteemed a trespass of his majesty's 
 royal commands, and a transgression of the 
 law : but notwithstanding thereof, are by his 
 majesty's clemency covered with the vail of 
 obUvion, by divers acts of parliament, and 
 others to that purpose, for the safety and 
 security of his majesty's subjects ; and that 
 my actings since, and my compliance with 
 so prevalent a power (v.hich had wholly 
 subdued this, and all his majesty's other do- 
 minions, and was universally acknowledged) 
 may be looked upon as acts of mere neces- 
 sity', which hath no law. And it is known, 
 that during that time, I had no favour from 
 those usurpers ; it was inconsistent with, and 
 repugnant to my interest, and cannot be 
 thought (unless I had been demented and 
 void of reason) that I should have had free- 
 dom or affection to be for them, who being 
 conspired enemies to monarchy, could never 
 be expected to tolerate nobility. 
 
 " And whereas that most horrid and 
 abominable crime of taking away the preci- 
 ous life of the late king, of ever glorious 
 
 OF THL CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 187 
 
 16C1. 
 
 memory, is most maliciously and 
 falsely charged upon me; if I had 
 the least accession to that most vile and 
 iieinous crime, I would esteem myself most 
 unworthy to live, and that all highest punish- 
 ments should be inflicted upon me : ' but 
 my witness is in heaven, and my record on 
 high that no (such) wicked thing, or dis- 
 loyal thought, ever entered into my heart.' 
 
 " But choosing to shun all debates, rather 
 than to use any words or arginnents to rea- 
 son with his majesty, ' whom, though I were 
 righteous, yet I would not answer, but make 
 supplication ;' and therefore (without any ex- 
 cuse or vindication) I do in all humility 
 throw myself down at his majesty's feet and 
 (before his majesty's commissioner, and the 
 honourable estates of parliament) do submit, 
 and betake myself to his majesty's mercy. 
 And though it be the great unhappiness of 
 these times (the distempers and failings ot 
 these kingdoms being so epidemic and uni- 
 versal) that his majesty should have so much 
 occasion and subject of his royal clemency ; 
 yet it is our great happiness, and his ma- 
 jesty's high honour, that he hath expressed 
 and given so ample testimony thereof, even 
 to those Avho did invade his majesty, and this 
 nation, for no other cause, than their faith- 
 ful and loyal adherence to his majesty, and 
 his just royal interests ; which rendereth his 
 majesty's goodness incomparable, and with- 
 out parallel ; and giveth me confidence, that 
 his grace, his majesty's commissioner, and 
 the honourable parliament, of their own 
 goodness, and in imitation of so great and 
 excellent a pattern, will compassionate my 
 condition. 
 
 " And seeing it is a special part of his 
 majesty's sovereignty and royal prerogative, 
 to dispense with the severity of the laws; 
 and that it is a part of the just liberty of the 
 subjects, that (in cases of great extremity 
 and danger) they may have recourse to his 
 majesty, as to a sanctuary and refuge ; it is 
 in all humility supplicated, that the lord com- 
 missioner's grace, and the honourable par- 
 liament, would be pleased favourably to re- 
 present my case to his majesty ; and that 
 the door of the royal mercy and bounty, 
 which is so large and patent to many, may 
 not be shut upon one, whose ancestors for 
 s 
 
138 
 
 ,p„, many ages (without the least stain) 
 have had the honour (by many sig- 
 nal proofs of their loyalty) to be reputed ser- 
 viceable to his majesty's royal progenitors, 
 in defence of the crown, and this his ancient 
 kingdom. And if his majesty shall deign to 
 hold out the golden sceptre of his clemency, 
 as an indehble character of his majesty's 
 royal favour, it will lay a perpetual obliga- 
 tion of all possible gratitude upon me, and 
 my posterity, and will ever engage and de- 
 vote us entu'ely to his majesty's service : and 
 the intercession of this honourable parlia- 
 ment in my behalf to his gracious majesty, 
 will be a real evidence of their moderation, 
 and they shall certainly be called a healing 
 parliament ; and God, whose mercy is above 
 all his works, shall have the honour and 
 glory which is due to his great name, when 
 mercy triumphs over justice." 
 
 Next day, March 6th, the marquis being 
 brought before the parliament, it was re- 
 ported from the articles, that he had been 
 before them, and offered a submission to his 
 majesty, with a desire the parliament might 
 transmit it to the king. Whereupon, after 
 long reasoning, and much debate, the ques- 
 tion was put, if the submission was satisfac- 
 tory or not ? It carried in the negative. 
 When the marquis was called in, he spoke 
 as follows : " 
 
 " May it please your grace and lordships, 
 my lord chancellor, and this honourable as- 
 sembly, to consider his majesty's proclama- 
 tion to Scotland, October 12th, 1660, com- 
 pared with his gracious declarations and 
 speeches in England, manifesting to his 
 people his inclination to clemency, and com- 
 manding, requii'ing, and conjuring them, to 
 put away all notes of discord and separation, 
 and to lay aside all form6r animosities, and 
 the memory of bypast provocations, and to 
 return to unity among themselves under his 
 majesty's government ; for he never intended 
 to except any from the benefit of his bounty 
 and clemency, but the immediate murderers 
 of his royal father. 
 
 " I desire, therefore, your lordships to ob- 
 serve, as all other subjects do, the two con- 
 ditions only in his majesty's declaration. 
 1st, The vindication of his majesty's honour, 
 and that of his ancient kingdom. 2dly, The 
 
 THE HISTORY Ol THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 asserting of his ancient royal prerogative. 
 
 Those two being done, he promiseth a full 
 and free pardon, and act of indemnity to all 
 his subjects in Scotland. 
 
 " I confess, my lords, it is all subjects' duty 
 to concur in those ; and this oiFer of my sub- 
 mission is all I can contribute to it at this 
 time. It is his majesty's royal honour, not 
 to question what himself and his royal father 
 hath done to his subjects by their former 
 acts, especially such persons who have done 
 and suffered so much for him ; and it cannot 
 be misconstructed in me, not to desire to 
 dispute the same, but to fly to that privilege 
 of the subjects in their distress, his majesty's 
 clemency and mercy, whereby I may have 
 share of the benefit of his majesty's preroga- 
 tive, which, as his royal father saith, ' is best 
 known and exercised, rather by remitting 
 than exercising the rigoiu- of the laws ; than 
 which there is nothing worse :' and Solomon, 
 the wisest of kings, saith, ' mercy and truth 
 preserve the king, and his throne is upholden 
 by mercy.' The same way the two most 
 righteous kings (being of God's own choos- 
 ing) practised, to wit, David and Saul : 
 David, after a most horrid and unnatural re- 
 bellion; and Saul, towards the sons of 
 Belial, (which is, wicked men) who refused 
 to admit him for their king. 
 
 " So I humbly desire a larger time to con- 
 sider what I can do more to give your lord- 
 ships satisfaction; that I may have your 
 lordships' conciu-rence, that the door of his 
 majesty's mercy may not be shut upon me 
 alone, of all the subjects in his majesty's do- 
 minions ; for a dead fly will spoil a box of 
 precious ointment." 
 
 This affecting discourse had no influence 
 at all ; and the chancellor, without so much 
 as removing my lord, and before he had fully i 
 ended what he had to say, gave him for an- ' 
 swer, that the parliament commanded him 
 next day to give in his defences to the lords 
 of articles. Accordingly, March 7th, being 
 called before the articles, to give in his de- 
 fences, he told them, " he had seen their 
 lordships' order, that he might forbeai' his 
 coming, if he would produce his defences : 
 therefore he acquainted their lordships, that 
 if he had them in readiness, he would neither 
 have troubled them, nor himself; but hav- 
 
CHAP. II. J 
 
 ing a petition ready to desire a delay, he 
 thought it his duty to come and propose it 
 himself, hoping their lordships would con- 
 sider, that his presenting his defences, either 
 wanting somewhat, or blotted, so as they 
 could not be well read, was a very great pre- 
 judice to him, and a delay of a few days was 
 no piejuchce at all to any thing my lord ad- 
 vocate could say : and therefore he hoped 
 their lordships would not refuse him some 
 competent time to get them ready." When 
 my lord was removed, and, after some de- 
 bate, called in again, the chancellor told him, 
 in name of the committee, that he was or- 
 dained to give in his defences before Mon- 
 day, April 9th, at ten of the clock, to my 
 lord advocate; otherwise the lords would 
 take the whole business before them, ^vith- 
 out any regard to what he had to say. The 
 advocate added, that the marquis must give 
 in his whole defences. To which his lord- 
 ship answered, that was a new form, to give 
 in peremptory defences before the discussing 
 of relevancies. Sir John Gilmor rose up, 
 and said, he was commanded to inform his 
 lordship, that there was a difference betwixt 
 a process in writ, and the ordinary way be- 
 fore the session or justiciary. The marquis 
 answered, he was very ill yoked with so able 
 men, but he behoved to tell them, he had 
 once the honour to sit as chief justice in this 
 city, and he knew the process before them 
 was in writ, and yet the relevancies were 
 always first answered, before any peremptory 
 defences were proposed, since relevancies 
 are most to be considered in criminals. 
 Both of them urged, that it was his lord- 
 ship's interest to give in his defences as 
 strongly as he could, othenvise the advocate 
 might refer the whole business to the judge, 
 and make no other answer. My lord re- 
 plied, he would follow the advice of his law- 
 yers, and hoped any order of their lordships 
 at present, was without prejudice to his of- 
 fering more defences afterwards, since he 
 was so narrowed in time, and commanded to 
 give what was ready. He added, that if 
 their lordships and the parliament had been 
 pleased to grant his desire of a precognition, 
 which, as he hiunbly conceived, was agreea- 
 ble both to law and practice, and his majes- 
 ty's proclamation, which he acquiesced in, 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 139 
 
 1661, 
 
 it could not but have been the readi- 
 est way for trying his carriage dur- 
 ing the late troubles ; whereas now he must 
 of necessity in the process (which he hopeth 
 will not be refused) crave a way for an ex- 
 culpation in many particulcU"s ; for he both 
 was, and is resolved to deal very ingenuously 
 as to matters of fact. And if that had been 
 first tried, which he was most desirous of, 
 both from the committee and the parliament, 
 he is hopeful there would not remain so 
 much prejudice against him, in most part of 
 things of greatest concernment in the libel. 
 For his own particular, he desired nothing 
 but the truth to have place. They might do 
 with his person as they pleased, for by the 
 course of nature he could not expect a long 
 time to live, and he should not think his life 
 ill bestowed, to be sacrificed for all that had 
 been done in those nations, if that were all. 
 
 The lords, in nothing moved by any 
 thing of this nature, told him, if his defences 
 came not in against Monday, they would 
 take the whole business before them, with- 
 out any regard to what he should after- 
 wards say. His defences, for any thing I 
 can learn, were given in the day named. 
 They are printed in his case, and in them, 
 at great length, the marquis's management 
 is vindicated from all the falsehoods, 
 calumnies, and misrepresentations malici- 
 ously cast upon him; and they contain 
 one of the best accounts of the transactions 
 of those times pointed at in his libel, that 
 I know of. Being thirteen sheets of small 
 print, I cannot take upon me to give an 
 abstract of them : but the most considerable 
 perversions of fact in the indictment being 
 already taken off, by what I have above 
 inserted from the marquis's discourses, little 
 more needs be added ; yet, for the setting 
 this affair in its due light, and as the best 
 abstract I can give of the large defences, 
 I shall here insert a paper, drawn up by 
 a very sufficient person at this time, which 
 contains the substance of what is more 
 fully cleared in the defences, which I must 
 still refer the reader to. 
 Information for viy Lord Argi/le, agaitui 
 
 the dUtat/ given in against him bj/ the 
 
 King^s Advocate. 
 " The deeds alleged done, either before his 
 
140 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ,gg, majesty left Scotland, 1651, or 
 since, are either deeds of public 
 concernment, or private, relating to private 
 persons. 
 
 " As for the public, he never acted with- 
 out the approbation of parhament, and 
 general assemblies, which were ratified by 
 his majesty's royal father, and his majesty 
 who now reigns. And as for things relating 
 to particulai" persons, he never had any 
 accession to any thing, but what is warranted 
 by acts of parliament, approven by his 
 majesty, and his royal predecessors. 
 
 " As for actings, after his majesty left 
 Scotland, 1631, the marquis was still a 
 prisoner upon demand, and did never capit- 
 ulate till August 1652, being surprised in 
 his house, lying sick, and that long after 
 the deputies had taken the tender, and 
 gone to London, and all others in arms 
 had capitulated, and the whole kingdom 
 were living peaceably, under the power and 
 government of the usurper. 
 
 " 1. The first deed is a speech, 1640, at 
 the Ford of Lyon, in Athole, where it is 
 affirmed, that he said it was the opinion 
 both of divines and lawyers, that a king 
 might be deposed for desertion, vendition, 
 or invasion ; and said to Mi\ John Stuart, 
 that he understood Latin; from whence, 
 treason against the king, and the murder 
 of the said IVIr. John is inferred. This is 
 plainly against law, for speeches against the 
 king, by Scots law, go not above the pain 
 of death. 2do, It is not relevant to infer 
 any crime, though those words had been 
 spoken in the abstract terms related, no 
 more than any should speak the tenet of 
 the Sorbonne or Canon law, upon the 
 pope's power. 3tio, To infer the murder 
 of the said Mr. John is absurd, seeing the 
 said Mr. John was, upon his own con- 
 fession and witnesses' depositions, con- 
 demned, having slandered not only my 
 lord Argyle, but the whole committee of 
 estates. 4to, This deed is 1640, and the 
 act of oblivion 1641. 
 
 " 2. The second deed is the slighting [dis- 
 mantling] the house of Aii'lie, and burning 
 of Forthar in Glenyla. It is answered, 
 those houses were kept out in opposition 
 to the committee of estates, and so might 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS ['bOOK J. 
 
 be slighted and destroyed; which is clear 
 by acts of parliament yet in force, act 4tb, 
 parliament 3d, king Charles, June 24th, 
 1644, and 35th act, 2d parliament king 
 Charles. By which it is expressly acknow- 
 ledged, that holding out of houses against 
 the estates, is a crime. And by act 35th, 
 parliament, anno 1640, the same is made a 
 crime. 2do, Oppones the act of oblivion, 
 1641. 3tio, The said service is ratified and 
 approven in parliament, 1641. Jtege prce- 
 sente, unprinted acts, number 70, bearing 
 ratification, exoneration, and approbation, 
 in favours of the marquis of Argyle. 
 
 " 3. The third deed is, the taking the 
 castle of Dumbarton. It is answered, this 
 was done by order of the committee of 
 estates ; and the act of oblivion was after 
 this. As to the taldng of cannon, there 
 were only two of them gifted to the marquis 
 by the late duke of Lennox, then lying 
 there. 
 
 " 4. As to the calling of a convention of 
 estates, and going into England with an 
 army. It is answered, this was done by 
 the conservators of the peace, secret council, 
 and commissioners of common burdens, 
 appointed by the king's majesty for govern- 
 ing the country, and ratified in parliament 
 since ; and the general assembly went along 
 in all the steps. 2do, It was allowed by 
 the king, in his agreement at Breda, and 
 by his act of oblivion 1651, at St. Johnston 
 and Stirling. 
 
 " 5. As to the burning of Menstrie by his 
 command. It is answered, Imo, he denies 
 any command. 2do, Whereas it bears by 
 men under his command, there is no law to 
 make that treason, nor is it relevant or 
 reasonable, for noxa caput sequitur, ct 
 delicta suos tenent authores. 3tio, It is 
 remitted by the act of oblivion 1651. 4to, 
 General Bailie had the command, whose 
 service in that expedition, is approven m 
 the parliament 1646, and though he had 
 done this, he had commission from the 
 parliament 1644. 
 
 " As to the taking of Towart and Escoge, 
 and murdering a number of men after capit- 
 ulation. It is answered, the marquis was 
 not in the country, but in England in the 
 time of the said deeds. To the murdering 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH 
 
 of 200 men, after the taking of Dunavertie, 
 it is answered, that David Leslie had the 
 command there, and what was done, was 
 by a council of war, and Lesly's service was 
 approven by the parliament IG48. And 
 whereas the said article beai's, that my lord 
 Argyle caused take 200 persons from Ila to 
 Jura, where they perished : this is false 
 against him ; for he knew nothing of it, nor 
 ever heai'd of it, till he received his dittay. 
 But the truth is, that David Lcsly was with 
 his army in Ila, against old Coil M'Gilles- 
 pick, who held out a fort there, called 
 Dunivaige ; and by the continuing of his 
 army there, the isle w;is spoiled of meat : 
 but Coil being taken, and the fort sur- 
 rendered, David Lesly came home with his 
 army, and the iu"my left the pestilence in 
 the country. And shortly after the removal 
 of the army, the captain of Clanronald, with 
 Angus M'Donald, son to old Coil, came 
 and destroyed all that was left in the isle, 
 ^whereupon the sickness being among the 
 inhabitants, and all their food destroyed, it 
 was a joint resolution of the gentlemen in 
 that isle, belonging to the laird of Caddel, 
 that those people should go, some to 
 Ireland, some to Argyle, some to Jura, for 
 their safety, and meat, of which there was 
 abundance in Jura, and if they wanted, it 
 might be had in Lorn and Argyle. But 
 this is a most false and base aspersion on 
 the marquis, who was neither there at that 
 time, or had the least accession to it. The 
 gentlemen of Ila can clear this. 
 
 " To the giving up of the king at New- 
 castle. It is answered, it was a parliament 
 deed, which cannot come upon him ; for by 
 law divine and human, a voice in parliament 
 is still free, and cannot be censured. Likeas 
 by act of parliament 1641, rcgc prcesente, 
 members of parliament are sworn to give a 
 true judgment to their light : but the tnith 
 in fact is, that my lord Argyle was not in 
 Scotland, when the king's majesty came to 
 the Scots army at Newark ; and the king's 
 majesty had emitted his declaration to both 
 houses of parliament in England, dcclaiing 
 his resolution to settle matters, by advice 
 of his parliaments. Neither ever did the 
 marquis meddle in that business, but in the 
 parliament 1647. 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 141 
 
 " As to the protest in parliament .„.. 
 1648, calling in the sectarian army, 
 writing to Cromwell, that none of those who 
 engaged should be put in places of trust, 
 and emitting a proclamation against certain 
 families. It is answered, that there was no 
 protestation, but a declaration before the 
 vote, that the general assembly ought to 
 be consulted anent the engagement, and 
 that the articles of the large treaty might 
 be kept by previous dealing by all fair 
 means for peace ; and that if all fair deal- 
 ing were refused, that there might be 
 a due warning. As for the letter, no an- 
 swer can be given, till the letter be seen ; 
 and though there were a letter in the terms 
 libelled, yet it is an act of the commit- 
 tee; and as matters went, the army being 
 lost at Preston, and the enemy lying on the 
 border, if they had demanded the strengths 
 of the kingdom, and pledges, or any thing 
 harder, it would scarce have been refused, 
 the Scots army being lost, and a strong one 
 lying on the border. Besides, he never saw 
 Cromwell tUl 1648, and he was called in by 
 the committee; and the marquis did what 
 he could to stop his career. As to the 
 alleged proclamations, nothing can be said 
 till they be produced, and indeed they were 
 neither proclaimed, neither did any thing 
 follow upon them. 
 
 " 10. To the clogging of his majesty's pro- 
 clamation, murdering Montrose, correspond- 
 ing with Cromwell, and his accession to the 
 act of the West Kirk, and declaration. It 
 is answered, that it was the act of the par- 
 liament then sitting, by which the first alle- 
 gation was done, and the king acknowledged 
 any thing of that kind done good service, 
 by admitting the marquis to places of trust 
 afterwards, accepting the crown from him, 
 and granting a general oblivion. As to 
 Montrose ; he had no accession to his death, 
 or the manner of it, but endeavoured to 
 have him brought ofl^ to prevent effiision of 
 blood, 1645, as colonel James Hay can yet 
 witness. His corresponding with Cromwell 
 is scandalously false, and one Hamilton, 
 who was hanged at Stirling, and had said 
 this, declared at his death, that report to be 
 a false calumny. As to the act of the West 
 Kirk ; the mai-quis was at no committee of 
 
142 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 ,„-, the kii'k, after his majesty's happy 
 arrival, until they came to Perth, 
 nor did he know of the same : but when the 
 word came to Dumfermline, where the king 
 was, his advice was, to obviate the same, 
 that the king should draw a declaration, and 
 go as great a length as he might safely do; 
 but for all the world would not advise the 
 king to sign the said declaration against his 
 mind, seeing it did reflect, as his majesty 
 thought, against his majesty's father, and 
 was against his majesty's conscience, and 
 desires the duke of Buckingham and the earl 
 of Dumfermline's depositions may be taken 
 herein, and his sacred majesty consulted 
 anent the verity hereof. 
 
 " 11. To the opposition to Glencaii'n and 
 IVIiddleton, when appearing for the king, and 
 his joining with the English, at least giving 
 them counsel. It is ansvvered, that their 
 commission was never intimate to hun, either 
 by letter or message ; that he sent an ex- 
 press to Mddleton to have a conference 
 with him, but received no answer ; that in- 
 deed the defender did express his dislike 
 with their enterprise, as a business which 
 could not frame, [succeed] and that it had 
 been wsdom to have stayed all mo\dng till 
 the event of the Dutch war had been seen, 
 or that the kings of Spain and France should 
 agree, or the English army divide among 
 themselves : but the rising in the liills made 
 the English stick faster together. As to 
 joining the English in their expedition to the 
 hills ; he denies any joining with them, to 
 oppose the Scots forces : but he being a 
 prisoner, and required to be with them, durst 
 not refuse; and denies any kind of acting, 
 either by counsel or deed. The selling of 
 the cannon out of the castle of Dumbarton 
 to Dean ; it is false that they were taken out 
 of Dumbarton : but Dean being informed of 
 the cannon, told he would either have them 
 at a price, or take them. As for taking pay 
 from the usurper for a foot company ; the 
 practice of all the Highlands in Scotland is, 
 in troubles for safety of their country goods 
 from robbers and limmers, [villains] to keep 
 a watch, which the sheriffdom of Argyle 
 could not do, by reason of the payment of 
 .heir cesses, and other great burdens and 
 'astations sustained of late by them • and 
 
 [book I. 
 
 therefore general Monk allowed pajTnent 
 for one hundred soldiers to keep the coun- 
 try, as said is; and because they did not 
 oppose the forces in the hills, the gen- 
 eral discharged payment. The keeping of 
 watch was the practice of all the High- 
 lands during the last troubles, and was 
 practised during the usurper's power, in 
 Perth, Inverness, Mearns, Aberdeen, Stir- 
 ling, and Dumbarton; and all got allow- 
 ance, less or more. 
 
 " 12. As to the assistmg at Richard Crom- 
 well's proclamation, his receiving a precept 
 of 12,000/. sterling, and sitting in the parlia- 
 ment of England. It is answered, he was 
 not at all at Richard's proclamation, but by 
 command indeed he was at Oliver's, but not 
 at Dumbarton, being in Edinburgh, Monk's 
 prisoner, he was commanded to come to the 
 English council, and assist at the proclama- 
 tion, and could not refuse, without being 
 made a prey in life and fortune. No law 
 can make this a crime, fai' less treason ; and 
 it cannot be instructed from any history, 
 that a people overcome by an enemy, and 
 commanded to do outward deeds of subjec- 
 tion, were questioned by their lawful prince, 
 when he hath pardoned the invader, or that 
 the subject should be prosecute, for doing 
 what he, being a prisoner, could not refuse, 
 without hazai-ding life and fortune. The 
 12,000 pounds is falsely adduced. The par- 
 liament of Scotland gave the marquis in pay- 
 ment of just debts half of the excise on wine 
 and strong waters for a time : he having, by 
 his capitulation, his fortune safe, procured 
 a warrant that he might have a yearly duty 
 forth of the said excise, but never received 
 a sixpence of it. And this can no more be 
 censured, than the whole kingdom's taking 
 their just debts one from another, during the 
 usurpation. As for his sitting in the parlia- 
 ment of England, after so long an usurpa- 
 tion ; no case or precedent can be shown in 
 any age in this country, whereby this was 
 made a crime, far less treason. The cases 
 adduced in the proposition, relate only to 
 peaceable times, the righteous king being in 
 power. 
 
 " 13. To his forbidding to pray for the 
 king, and the rest of the alleged speeches. 
 It is answered, they are false and calumni- 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURC 
 
 ous. His parish minister and chaplain did 
 always pray for the king in the time libelled, 
 and that in face of the English. The story 
 of what he said at London, is basely false, 
 and he desires gentlemen, without distinction, 
 with whom he conversed, may be asked. 
 And the passage alleged in Masterton's 
 house, it is false, and craves depositions may 
 be taken, by which it will appear, that he 
 has been of a contrary judgment. 
 
 " 14-. The last head, it is basely fidse, and 
 oppones thereto the Marquis's oath given 
 in parliament, 1649, and leaves it to all to 
 judge how unlikely and improbable it is, that 
 he would speak any thing contrary to the 
 oath that he had sworn. From this infor- 
 mation, some tolerable view may be had of 
 the marquis his defences against the calum- 
 
 16G1. 
 
 H OP SCOTLAND. 143 
 
 nious libel given in. Those and the 
 reasonings before the lords, took 
 up all the time the parliament had to spare 
 I to this matter, for some weeks. 
 
 April oth, I find the parliament pass a 
 
 I certification, that the marquis of Argyle shall 
 
 ' have hberty to propound no more in his de- 
 
 ' fence after Monday next. Accordingly Tues- 
 
 j day, April 9th, he is brought before the par- 
 
 I liament, where he had a very pointed and 
 
 pretty long speech, wherein he goes through 
 
 the different periods, from the (year) 1G33, to 
 
 the restoration, and ■vindicates his conduct ; 
 
 and earnestly desires his supplication and 
 
 submission to his majesty,may be considered, 
 
 and recommended to the king. This speech 
 
 not being in print, I have annexed at the 
 
 foot of the page. * When his bill was read. 
 
 • ^larquis of Argyle's Speech, April 9th, 
 1661. 
 
 " My regard to parliaments is well known, 
 and my regard to this cannot be doubted, having 
 his majesty's commissioner upon the throne, 
 and so many rvorthy members in the same ; 
 therefore I hope it will not be mistaken, that I 
 show that parliaments have in them two differ- 
 ent inherent powers or qualities, the one legisla- 
 tive, the other executive, or judicial. The legis- 
 lative consists in the making and repelling laws ; 
 the executive, or judicial, in judging according 
 to law, whether it be betwixt subject and sub- 
 ject, or in relation to any particular person ; 
 which I doubt not but your lordships will seri- 
 ously and wiiely consider in all your actions ; 
 whereby all parliaments, and this in particular, 
 Trill be the more acceptable to the people : and 
 for this purpose his majesty indicted the sane, 
 that therein all his subjects' carriage during the 
 troubles, might be tried, his honour and the 
 honour of this his ancient kingdom vindicated, 
 and the ancient prerogatives of the crown assert- 
 ed ; which being done, his majesty declareth he 
 will grant such a full and free pardon and act 
 of indemnity, as may witness there is nothing he 
 more desireth, than that his people should be 
 blessed with the abundance of happiness, peace, 
 and plenty, under his government. Your lord- 
 ships' care and endeavour in these things is not 
 doubted, neither have I been wanting, according 
 to my present condition, to witness my submis- 
 sion and concurrence with the same, by offering 
 myself and all I have, at all occasions, to be dis- 
 posed of as his majesty should think fit. And 
 although his majesty's proclamation be general, 
 for trying all his subjects' carriage during the 
 troubles, yet (without envy or prejudice to any 
 I speak it j no laick man's carriage is brought in 
 question but mine own, whereby ray actions, 
 however public and common, may be the worse 
 liked, when singly looked upon ; which if seen 
 otherwise, Tvould appear less censurable : and I 
 am so charitable as to concede the main reasons 
 are these two, which I take from the libel, my 
 alleged being a prime leader and plotter in all the 
 pablie defences from the beginning, vrhich a 
 
 short narration of affairs, I hope, will easily 
 clear. The next, my being an enemy to his 
 majesty, and his royal father, which are both 
 most unjustly charged upon me : therefore I am 
 confident, when these are cleared, I shall find 
 more charity and less prejudice from this hon- 
 ourable meeting of parliament. And for satis- 
 fying your lordships and all men in these things, 
 I shall say nothing but truth : that in all the 
 transactions of affairs wherein I ever had my 
 hand (I thank God for it) I was never led in 
 them by any private design of advantage to my- 
 self, either of honour or benefit, which are the 
 main things that sway the most part of men's 
 cictions : so far was I from desiring benefits, 
 that I never had pay as a committee-man or 
 soldier in Scotland, England, or Ireland : few 
 men can say the like who were in employment. 
 And sure if I had aimed at honours, I wanted 
 not opportunities, if I durst have forsaken other 
 things wherein I was engaged by very strict 
 obligations, more binding upon me nor particular 
 ends. Another observation I have from the 
 libel, which is this, that alter such an inquisi- 
 tion, the like whereof was never known in 
 Scotland, there is not one particular crime found 
 of my maleadministration in any public trust, 
 though I had the honour to be in public 
 employment since the year J626, neither any 
 ground for a challenge in my private conver- 
 sation. 
 
 " But to return to the narration of affairs, for 
 vindicating myself from being the prime plotter 
 and leader of affairs during the late troubles; 
 as I forbear to mention the particular gi-ounds 
 and reasons of the kirk and kingdom of Scot- 
 land's proceedings, which might readily be mis- 
 taken, as many things concerning me have been, 
 and are; neither shall I mention any man's 
 name, because I intend no reflection, some of the 
 prime actors being already with the Lord ; I 
 shall, for clearing the more easily to your lord 
 ships, comprehend all my actings during the late 
 troubles, in three periods of time. First, be- 
 twixt the years 16:33 and 1641 ; secondly, be- 
 twixt that and 1651 ; thirdly, betwixt that and 
 the year 1660, in which it pleased the Lord, in 
 
144. 
 
 , „ „ I and he removed, the chancellor gave 
 
 him for answer, when called in 
 
 again, that the pai-liaraent, after consider- 
 
 niE HISTORY OF THE SUFFEIllNGS [cOOK J. 
 
 inj^ the relevancy and probation, would 
 take his bill to their consideration, and 
 urged him presently to give in his du- 
 
 his mercy, to restore his majesty to the posses- 
 sion of his just rif^ht, to the great comfort of all 
 his people, and of myself in particular. 
 
 " Now, in the first period, from 1633 (at which 
 time tlie differences first appeared) until the year 
 1638, (thoutjh I amnotto judge any other man's 
 actions) there are none who then lived, but know 
 that I had no hand during that time, in any of 
 the public differences; neither, after that, did I 
 subscribe the covenant, until I was commanded 
 by his majesty's special authority ; and it was in 
 council then declared, that the subscribing of it 
 was with the same meaning which it had when 
 it was first taken, in the years 1580 and 1581. 
 I may add likewise, that I was at that time very 
 earnestly dissuaded by some then called covenant- 
 ers, who are now dead, from subscribing the 
 same by his majesty's command; not that they 
 disliked the covenant, or the king's command for 
 subscribing of it, but fearing a contrary inter- 
 pretation upon the covenant, because it was 
 thought, that oaths were to be understood ac- 
 cording to the meaning of the giver, and not of 
 the taker of them. Notwithstanding whereof, 
 I subscribed, according to the meaning given by 
 the council, which was cleared afterwards in the 
 general assembly of Glasgow, whereupon many 
 supplications were sent to his majesty, for ap- 
 probation, but without effect : yet thereafter, I 
 did not so much as subscribe any of the national 
 covenants, until the year 1639, when there was 
 an English army upon the border, and the 
 Scottish army at Dunse. And at that time, 
 my endeavours were not wanting to my power, 
 for a settling betwixt the king's majesty and his 
 people, which was then effectuate. And vvhat- 
 soever I had acted, from my first taking of the 
 covenant, until his majesty being in Scotland, in 
 the year 1641, was not only warranted by pub- 
 lic commissions, but all my service is approven 
 by his majesty in his parliament, which, with 
 his majesty's act of oblivion at that time, put a 
 close to that period. 
 
 " From that time thit his majesty left Scotland, 
 in the year 1641, until the year 1644, what I acted 
 in the fields or counsels was by public commis- 
 sions, and the service approven by the triennial 
 parliament indicted by his majesty, who met in 
 the year 1G44. And though in that interval, 
 betwixt 1641 and the parliament 1644, there was 
 a meeting of the convention of estates, appointed 
 by the council, commissioners for conserving the 
 peace, and these for common burdens : which 
 council had power by themselves to call a con- 
 vention of estates, in which convention the 
 league and covenant with England was agreed 
 unto, and thereafter approven in the parliament 
 1644, yet it is very well known, and I can make 
 it very evidently appear, that I was one of the 
 men in Scotland who had least correspondence 
 iri England. There are yet some of the com- 
 missioners alive who were at that time in Eng- 
 land, who may evidence the truth of this : where- 
 by it is manifest I was no prime plotter in such 
 & business. 
 
 " And from the year 1644, until his majesty's 
 coming unto Scotland, 1649, I never acted in 
 relation to the late troubles, but by virtue and 
 command of the parliament and their commit- 
 
 tees, as I shall instruct by their commissions, 
 and ratifications of my service. I shall forbear 
 here to repeat what I spake formerly, concern- 
 ing my proceedings with JMontrose, Mr. Mac- 
 donald, and the Irish rebels, and of my agree- 
 ment with Montrose, which 1 could not get ra- 
 tified by the committee of estates, and therefore 
 it broke off again ; but one thing I may say, 
 that from the year 1638 until 1648 there was 
 never any considerable difference (in public 
 offices) among all these, of kirk or state, w^ho had 
 once joined together, except a few who went to 
 Montrose after Kilsyth. And any difference 
 which seemed to be in the year 1648, w;is only 
 auent the form and manner of proceeding, and 
 not in the manner of rescuing his majesty, or 
 relieving the parliament of England from any 
 violence upon them ; and'the little power that I 
 had either in the parliament 1647 or 1648, show- 
 eth that I was no prime leader in affairs. 
 
 " And for what was done in the years 1646 
 and 1647, concerning the disposal of his late royal 
 majesty's person, the return of the Scottish army, 
 and the agreement for the money to be paid for 
 their arrears ; it is well known that instructions 
 were sent to and again in these affairs, both from 
 committees and commissioners in Scotland and 
 England : yet it shall never be found, that ever 
 either myhand or presence was at any commit- 
 tees where any thing was debated or resolved 
 concerning the disposal of his late royal majesty's 
 person, or upon any treaties or conclusions for 
 return of the Scots army, or for the money for 
 the sati-sfaction of their arrears. So that I liope, 
 when it is seriously considered, that I was one 
 of the last in Scotland who subscribed the na- 
 tional covenant, and never did the same till com- 
 manded by his majesty, and that I was (of all 
 these who acted in public affairs) one of these 
 who had least accession to those things, though 
 I be most blamed by common report, that your 
 lordships wilhnot find my carriage during the 
 late troubles, to have deserved to have been put 
 in so singular a condition. 
 
 " And as for what was acted in the year 1649, 
 it is very ■vvell known that what povper and 
 interest I then had in the parliament, I did, to 
 my utmost endeavours, employ the same for 
 bringing home his majesty, and possessing him 
 with his crown, and exercise of his royal autho- 
 rity. I shall not mention any difficulty I had 
 in the same, lest I might be thought to reflect 
 upon others : but this I will say, that what I did, 
 I did it really and faithfully for his majesty'ij 
 service, and by his own command, which was 
 afterw^ard ackno^vledged by his majesty for good 
 service ; and with the like affection I assisted all 
 the time his majesty w^as in Scotland ; for, 
 without vanity and presumption, I may also 
 say, if my counsel had been followed, his ma- 
 jesty's affairs had probably gone better ; not that 
 I condemn any other man's different opinion, 
 because of success, which is a very bad rule to 
 judge by ; but only to testify mine own sincerity 
 in all my proceedings, during his majesty's 
 being in Scotland. 
 
 " As to the last period, after the year '651, 
 it is well known the condition that my nearest 
 relations were in when his majesty went i'loin 
 
OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 145 
 
 CHAP. II.] 
 
 plies. The marquis pressed for a siiort de- j them, for any thing he knew; and he ,„„, 
 
 lay, that he might read over his duplies, since asked but till next day to look over 
 
 he and his lawyers were so straitened in time, his own papers : but this was refused ; which 
 
 that he had not got some sheets of them made him complain that this was hard mca- 
 
 read over, and there might be treason in sure, and such haste was never made in a par- 
 
 Stirling, and that I did not tlien stay behind his 
 niiijesty, without his own particular allowance, 
 aud kissing of his hand, though no particular 
 charge or employment was left upon ine. I shall 
 here mention nothing that past before the defeat 
 at Worcester, which, I may truly say, was as 
 grievous to myself as any Scotsman; neither 
 shall I trouble this honourable parliament to 
 mention many several meetings which were 
 held by several noblemen and gentlemen iu this 
 house, after that time, wherein I was willing and 
 ready to contribute what was in any power ; 
 but nothing being found possible to be done, 
 every man was necessitate to retire to his own 
 family. And immediately after that defeat of 
 Worcester, his majesty being driven from his 
 dominions, there were commissioners sent from 
 the pretended parliament of England, unto 
 Scotland, with whom I would never make any 
 agreement, neither did I ever capitulate, till 
 long after aU these in arms, bj' commission from 
 his majesty, had done the same, and the repre- 
 sentatives of the nation had accepted the tender 
 of union, to be under one government, and 
 thereafter had jointly met together at Edin- 
 burgh, and sent their deputies to London. 
 
 " And it is likewise well known, that myself 
 and the gentlemen (my vassals and tenants) 
 within the shire of Argyle, had endeavoured to 
 
 fet a coiijunction with our neighbours in the 
 lighlands, for resistance of the English power; 
 wliich was refused by our neighbours, and the 
 English acquainted therewith: whereupon they 
 resolved upon very hard courses against us. 
 Yet, upon a safe pass, I did meet with major- 
 general Dean, and others, at Dumbarton ; but 
 because nothing would satisfy them, except I 
 myself would take the tender, and promise to 
 promote their interest, we parted without any 
 agreement, as a very eminent noble person in 
 this house can testify, who came to Dumbarton 
 at that time: so their prejudice against me did 
 the more increase. And they then fully re- 
 solved to invade the Highlands, and the poor 
 shire of Argyle in particular, on all hands, by 
 sending regiments both of horse and foot, by sea, 
 on the east side of it, and general-major Dean 
 himself marching by land to Lochaber, on the 
 west side. 15ut when he came there, missing 
 Lis ship with his provisions, he returned back 
 very speedily, and shortly thereafter came very 
 unexpectedly to my house of Inveraray, by a 
 frigate from Ayr, and (as it appeared afterwards) 
 be bad ordered his wlnde party to meet him 
 there, and to lie nenr unto my house. It pleased 
 t he Lord that the same time I was in a very 
 great fit of sickness, as Doctor Cunningham's 
 certificate will testify, ^vho was with me when 
 Dean came there ; and after himself, and others 
 of his otRcers, had been a few days in my house, 
 keeping sentry both within and without the 
 same, he presented a paper to me, under his 
 secretary's hand, (which paper I yet have) which 
 I did absolutely refuse ; but the next day he 
 
 Presented me with another, which, he told me, 
 must either yield unto, or he would carry me 
 
 with him, and send me to some other prison ; 
 whereupon, after some few alterations of it, I 
 did agree, and signed the said paper, which 1 
 have likewise ready to be shown. And although 
 I shall say nothing for justifying of it, yet all 
 circumstances, and my condition being seriously 
 considpred, I hope it shall be found a fault, 
 though not altogether excusable, yet very par- 
 donable in me to do it, and afterwards, as affairs 
 stood, not to break the same. And for any thing 
 which I did after that, in my compliance with the 
 English, being their prisoner upon demand, I 
 never meddled, but, as I conceived, out of neces- 
 sity, for the good of my country in general, and 
 preservation of myself and family from ruin, 
 and in nothing to hinder his majesty's happy 
 restoration. 
 
 " There are many other things which I might 
 instance, of many aspersions falsely cast upon 
 me by this libel, which I shall pass by at this 
 time, being unwilling to be too troublesome to 
 your grace and this honourable meeting. And 
 because many of them are fully answered and 
 cleared in my defences and duplies, 1 shall only 
 humbly desire this honourable meeting of par- 
 liament, to consider the great difficulty and dis- 
 advantage I am put unto, if I shall be forced to 
 debate the grounds and reasons, from the law- 
 fulness of the kirk and kingdom of Scotland's 
 former proceedings, or of the lawfulness (cir- 
 cumstances being considered) of Scotland, or any 
 person in it, their compliance with a prevalent 
 usurping power, which had the full possession 
 which his majesty (in his declaration concerning 
 the treaty with Portugal) acknowledgeth they 
 had. So that I hope, and am confident, that, 
 these things being considered, his majesty will 
 never allow that his father's or his own .icts of 
 ol)livion and ratification should be called in 
 question, or his subjects pursued for any deed or 
 thing whereby they are indemnified by the 
 same, they having nothing which they hold for a 
 better securitj'. The truth of these things is 
 very well known to the most part of this honour- 
 able meeting, that there wiis an act of oblivion 
 by his late royal majesty, in the year 1641, it is 
 in print ; and that his gracious majesty, who 
 now is, did pass an act of approbation, at St. 
 Johnstoun and Stirling, in the years 1660 and 
 1631, after his majority, there being none at 
 that time kept out of the parliament, nor from 
 his majesty's service in the armies; for all acts 
 of classes were rescinded. And I am also con- 
 fident, if it were represented to his m.ijesty, by 
 your grace and this honourable parliament, that 
 he would not be less gracious and merciful to 
 these in Scotland (who acted for him so long na 
 they were able, till a j)revailing sword had 
 driven him away, and subdiu'd them) when his 
 majesty hath so freely pardoned and indemnified 
 the iiiv.-xders themselves. And therefore I hum- 
 bly desire, before I be put to any further neces- 
 sary dispute in the business, that your grace and 
 this lionourable parliament may be pleased to 
 rend this my humble supplication and submis- 
 sion, and recommend the same to his majesty." 
 
146 
 
 , „„, liament of Scotland. When he gave 
 them in, the advocate took them up 
 to advise, as he said, whether he should give 
 in triplies or not. I have not seen a copy 
 of the marquis his duplies, if they diiFer from 
 his answers in print, or of the advocate's an- 
 swers, if there were any j but I suppose we 
 have the substance of both already. 
 
 After the advocate had considered the 
 duplies, upon the 16th of April, the marquis 
 is again before the parliament, and his pro- 
 cess was read over in the house. Upon the 
 reading of it, he had a very handsome and 
 affecting speech, wherein at considerable 
 length, he removes the reproaches cast upon 
 him, and touches at some things not in his 
 papers, and concludes with rene\ving his de- 
 sire, that his supplication and submission 
 may yet be recommended to the king's ma- 
 jesty. This speech tending to clear several 
 matters of fact, and not hitherto, that I know 
 of, pubHshed, I have added as a note. * 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 Whatever the marquis or his lawyers could 
 
 * Marquis of Argyle's speech, after reading of 
 his process, April 16th, 1661. 
 
 " My Lord Chancellor. 
 " It is no small disadvantage to me to be standing 
 before this honoiu-able assembly, in this condi- 
 tion, and any, much more so many unjust pre- 
 judices against me : but I hope, as my duplies 
 which have been read, have taken off many, as 
 to the libel, 1 desire to speak to some of them, 
 and others not in the papers ; and I shall com- 
 prehend the prejudices against me in two. ITie 
 first against my personal carriage, the second 
 against my public. For the first, of what con- 
 cerneth my personal, some are in the libel which 
 are answered in the defences and duplies, and 
 they are three. First, Lawmont's business. 
 Secondly, the sending men to starve in Jura. 
 And thirdly, the business in Kintyre. For the 
 first two, 1 am as free of them as any man ; for 
 I was not in Scotland when Towart was taken, 
 and articles broken : and I may say, I never 
 harboured so base a thought as to break articles, 
 neither did I ever allow it in others ; yet that 
 can be no excuse to others ; for I hold it not 
 lawful in any to do that which they condemn in 
 others ; yea, if the one side of a relation fail in 
 their duty, I think it no excuse for the other to 
 do the like. And for the second, the business of 
 Jura, it is so ridiculous, that till I came to Scot- 
 land last, I never hsard a colourable pretence for 
 the report. For the third, it will be clear it was 
 the act of a council of war, by public authority, 
 approven in parliament, and no deed of mine. 
 I bless God, there is not one deed in the libel 
 against me, for any prejudice done to any man's 
 person, wlien I was in the fields commanding 
 forces in chief, (as I was several times) neither 
 is there any thing in it for deeds while his ma- 
 jesty was in Scotland, but two gi-eat calumnies; 
 the first, my accession to the act of the West 
 Kirk : tlie second, my corresponding at that time 
 with the Cnglibh army. 
 
 say, had little weight with the members oi 
 parliament ; most of them already were re- 
 solved what to do. The house had many 
 messages to hasten this process to an end ; 
 though by what is above, it appears they lost 
 no time : but the misgiving of many of their 
 designed probations against this good man, 
 embarrassed them mightily for some time. 
 I have it from a very good hand, that up- 
 wards of thirty different libels were formed 
 against him, for alleged injuries, oppressions, 
 and the like; and all of them came to 
 nothing, when they began to prove them, as 
 lies use to do. And after they had accom- 
 plished their most diligent search, they were 
 forced to betake themselves to his innocent, 
 because necessary, compliance with the 
 English, after every shire and burgh in Scot- 
 land had made their submission to their con- 
 querors. Thus, as the sacrifice under the 
 law was washen before it was offered, those 
 
 " The prejudices out of this libel are many, 
 w^hich some of the parties say they were pressed 
 to give in ; some ot them for deeds thirty, some 
 more years ago, being lawful decreets before the 
 session, when such fools as Lauderdale, Hadding- 
 ton, Southesk, and such men, were in employ- 
 ment, where truly I had no more influence nor 
 the justice of my cause procured to me. 1 hope 
 no man mistaketh my ironical word, in calling 
 these worthy able men fools. 
 
 " I confess I thought it strange, when I came 
 from before your lordships on Monday last, I 
 had a summons, by warrant of the lords of arti- 
 cles, at the earl of Airlie's instance, for these 
 things done before the year 1641, so contrary to 
 his majesty's act of approbation of my service, 
 and his own act of oblivion in the same year, 
 1641, but nothing of that kind is strange to me. 
 One thing not in the libel, which I am informed 
 taketh great impression on some, to my preju- 
 dice ; it is this : though I told to your lordships 
 formerly, that the marquis of Huntley's debt 
 was a million of merks in the year 1640, yet it is 
 said, his estate bemg great which I have pos- 
 sessed, i am satisfied of what was due to me, 
 yet I possess all. The very narration of his 
 rent what it is, will show the falsehood of this 
 calumny ; for after the death of Lewis, marquis 
 of Huntley, my nephew, now earl Aboyn, and 
 others of his friends, with the chamberlains of 
 the estate, met me and some others who are in 
 this house, at Stirling ; and when they had put 
 the least peat or poultry in money, the height of 
 all the rent, as themselves gave it up, is but 
 about fifty thousand merks Scots, which 1 
 could never find it to be by a good deal ; out of 
 which was to be deduced some ministers' sti- 
 pends, chamberlains' fees, waste lands, and ill 
 payments, with all public dues. And, (although 
 it be but very small to a person of that quality) 
 the lady Huntley had, by my connivance, six 
 thousand merks in possession, and the earl 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 
 
 attempts were so many absolutions of the 
 marquis, in every body's eye but his pur- 
 suers ; the more his enemies dived into his 
 conduct, the more innocent he was like to 
 
 117 
 
 Aboj-n, upon the same account, had four thou- 
 SHJiii, thoiii^h 1 acknowledtjc it is but small to a 
 person of his wortli ;uid cjuality. Yt-t these 
 thiiu^^s being deduced, I dare contidi-ntlv say, I 
 came very little above half interest of the sums 
 acknowledjfed due to ine, under the hands of 
 Lewis, miu'quis of Ilunlk'V, and earl of Aboyn. 
 And I did eertainly offer to give more case of 
 the sums than ever I got, if 1 might either get 
 money, creditors taken off, or land secured to me : 
 and no reasonable man can question the justness 
 of the debts, wlien tl»ey shall but hear them. 
 
 " The second prejudice against ine, is in my 
 public carnage and constancy' in the way where- 
 in I was engaged, which I think a hard case 
 to make my crime. I pi-ofess if I liad not thought 
 the engagement upon ni'! binding for tlie time, 
 to sucli things as I did, 1 think truly I had been 
 much more guilty in doing as I did ; for it is 
 observable in one of the heathen emperors, who, 
 to try his Christian servants, imposed some 
 things contrary to their profession, and such as 
 refused he honoured, others he rejected. And I 
 shall here add an argument, not in my papers, 
 to show clearly to all, I was no prime leader. 
 It liath been told your lordships by a noble lord 
 of this house, that in the year 1647, which is the 
 year and parliament wherein all the business 
 concerning the late king's remaining in Eng- 
 land (when the Sctits army returned) was ended : 
 in that parliament it is tidd your lordships, in 
 Montrose's process, that I pressed a ratification 
 of my son's disposition of Muckdock, but could 
 not carry the same ; and when I was not able 
 to carry such a particular, was I prime leader ? 
 let any rational man judge : so with what is in 
 my papers, this point cannot stick with any to 
 my prejudice. IJut, on the contrary, I acknow- 
 ledge my duty to the lawful magistrate to be 
 jure divinn, and to be contained under the fifth 
 commandment, 'Honour thyfatherand thy mo- 
 ther.' .And as it is well observed by some, they 
 have that style of fathers to procure them all 
 fatherly subjection, reverence, and duty, from 
 their inferiors, and to stir them up to all ten- 
 derness and affection toward their subjects. 
 
 " I liave forborne many things in my papers, of 
 the causes and motives of the church and king- 
 dom of Scotland's proceeding, lest I should have 
 been mistaken : I must do so here likewise, for 
 if 1 should but mention king James VI. his 
 words, in his own book, concerning a king's 
 duty to his people, and the people's to their king ; 
 I might run the same hazard. I shall therefore 
 direct any to his works, and the lojth page, so 
 157, 195, 200, 171 ; so 493, 494, 495. I shall here 
 likewise clear that point of compliance, by an 
 observation wliich divines have from this same 
 fifth conmiand, and the former, the fourth, aud 
 it is this ; that all the rest of the commands are 
 negative but these two, and therefore they admit 
 of some exceptions: for, as they say, athrmative 
 precepts semper ohligant, sed non ad semper, bind 
 not .It all times ; but negative jtrecepts seviper et 
 ad semper oblipant, birui always, and at all times. 
 This is not only the doctrine of divines, but of 
 Cbriiit aud his disciples, which they practised . 
 
 IGGl. 
 
 appear ; and several of the members 
 
 of parliament were like to cool in 
 
 this process, especially after they heard his 
 
 clear and evident defences in the matter of 
 
 so did David, and so he instructeth his children 
 on his deathbed ; so teach the apostles, and so 
 is every man ready to interjiret the fourth com- 
 mand, though the latitude of liberty on that day 
 be not so great as many presumt; : but doubtless 
 it is much for works of necessity and charity. 
 And the same latitude cannot be well denied to 
 the fifth command, as may be evidenced both by 
 precept and practice of the prophets and apii>iles. 
 ijut I will not insist in this, hoping it is cle;ir to 
 any. I shall only at this time, without reflec- 
 tion upon any, regret to your lordships, my own 
 conditi(ui, that when his majesty recommendeth 
 the trial of his subjects, I am alone singled out, 
 not to try my carriage, it secnu'th, but to find 
 out any crime, which is hard, nemo sine crimine 
 vivit; neither am I to justify myself, who am as 
 free as any, of all things which have been worst 
 looked upon in ptiblic transactions during the 
 troubles ; and was as willing as any to contri- 
 bute at all times for a settling betwixt his ma- 
 jesty and liis people, that his throne might be 
 established in righteousness; whereof 1 gave 
 evidence at Dunse, in the year 1639, and by my 
 constant advice and correspondence with that 
 noble person the earl of Rothes, at London, 1C40, 
 and no man could do his majesty better service 
 at that time than I did, in refusing some things 
 thereafter in the year 1641, in Scotland, where, 
 in public parliament, I had his majesty's gra- 
 cious testimonj', that I dealt over honestly with 
 him, though I was stiff as to the point in con- 
 troversy. And as king James saith, many de- 
 signations are taken in Scotland, from ill hours. 
 Some present know my tenderness of his majes- 
 ty, to bring that business of the incident to any 
 public trial. After that time, my endeavours 
 in the j'ear 1646 were extended for his m.ijesty'a 
 service, in going twice to London by his com- 
 mand and allowance, at which time (though it 
 be otherwise falsely alleged) no mention was 
 ever made of any thing relating to the disposal 
 of his majesty's person, wherein I get tlie blame; 
 though 1 may and do say truly, 1 deserve as 
 little as any. But yet to show the reiison of it, 
 I shall mention a few words of a very honest, 
 learned, and godly minister, I\Ir. Gee, in his 
 book of the Return of Prayer, in his third query 
 concerning the reason of God's hiding himself 
 from his people's pi-ayers, grounded on his pro- 
 mises, and his seeming to answer the contrary 
 by his providences : I hope no man will mistake 
 me in using his words and scripture examples. 
 When he comes to speak of the second way of 
 inquiry for this, he telleth of three indispositions 
 of men, that blear our eyes : first, oftence at the 
 thing fallen out ; secondly, men's partiality to 
 themselves ; thirdly, their ]»rejudice against 
 others. I intend only the last : for the first 
 he mentioneth the 37th psalm, David's stum- 
 bling at the prosperity of the wicked. For the 
 second, partiality to ourselves, he saith, self- 
 indulgence spreads a veil over the cj'es, and fore- 
 stalleth the judgment, that whatsoever cause of 
 the thing be in ourselves, we caiuiot easily see 
 it. Few will say, ' What have I done?' whereof 
 the prophet complaineth ; fewer, with the dis- 
 
148 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1661. 
 
 the king's murder, and his pursuers 
 began to fear hazard in a vote of the 
 house. Therefore the parliament was cun- 
 ningly enough brought in to send a letter to 
 
 ciplps, ' Is it I, Lord?' but fewest with David, 
 • 1 1 is I, what have these done ?' The third indis- 
 position is, prejudices against others; for we are 
 no less (saith he) hasty and severe in sentencing 
 and faulting other men, than we are well con- 
 ceited and favourable in judging ourselves ; 
 which humour Christ decyphereth, while he 
 saith, ' Why beholdest thou the mote in thy bro- 
 ther's eye, and considerest not the beam in thine 
 own ?' And as there is in men a prejudice to- 
 wards others in general, through which they 
 are disposed to find fault with all but themselves, 
 and to lay that blame, which must rest some- 
 where, at another man's door rather than their 
 own ; so there is a more speci<al and vehement 
 prejudice, when men are banded (as he saith) in 
 parties, each against other, when usually men, 
 without standing to inquire or reflect on any 
 other way, they cast all the charge and procure- 
 ment of calamitous events, upon their contrary 
 way or party : and for tliis he instanceth that 
 of korah, which, after the Lord had cut them 
 off by his own immediate hand, the conspirators 
 said, it was Moses and Aaron had killed the 
 people of the Lord. So did the Jews cast all the 
 blame of their hard usage from the Romans, on 
 Christ and his apostles : so did the Romans, the 
 destruction of Rome by the Goths and Vandals, 
 on Christians and Christianity, which occa- 
 sioned Augustine to write that book, De Civitate 
 Dei. All this may evidently show the ill of 
 these three indispositions of mind, and particu- 
 larly this of prejudice against others, especially 
 to all who are concerned in it. 
 
 " I have but only a few words to say, in remem- 
 bering your lordships of three things observ- 
 able in my carriage during the late troubles. 
 First, my never joining in the national covenant, 
 till commanded by his late royal majesty. 
 Secondly, my never receiving any pay during 
 all the troubles, either as committee-man, com- 
 mander-in-chief, colonel, or captain, in aU the 
 services of England, Scotland, or Ireland, in a 
 parliament of the year 1646, which was after all 
 1 had was destroyed by the Irish rebels and 
 their associates : and what I got from the par- 
 liament 1647, was after my estates and lands 
 were ruined, and was only for my family's 
 subsistence, and paying some necessitous credi- 
 tors some annual rents ; as the act of parliament 
 1647, and order to the Scots commissioners at 
 London, the same year can show. And for the 
 first negative part, Sir William Thomson's hand 
 will prove it, who was either depute or principal 
 receiver and layer out of all public monies all 
 that time. Thirdly, my being free of any act- 
 ings in the years 1646 and 1647, anent the dis- 
 posing of his majesty's royal father's person, 
 never having concurred in committees in Scot- 
 land or England, nor as a commissioner at Lon- 
 don, anent the same, nor in any resolutions 
 concerning the return of the Scots army, nor 
 the money for their arrears agreed to in these 
 times; except that I was present in the parlia- 
 ment 1647, which I do not well know. By all 
 which it is evident, how clearly and freely I 
 may sny, that I do not deserve to be the single 
 
 [book I. 
 
 the king, wherein the whole of their past pro- 
 cedure was owned, and no room left for them 
 to go back ; and Glencaim and Rothes go 
 post to court with it.* This letter was 
 
 sufferer in all his majesty's dominions, for my 
 carriage during the late troubles, his m.ojesty 
 having (to his eternal praise) pardoned all but 
 some of the murderers of his late royal father. 
 
 '• Therefore I take the boldness, now that all 
 the papers are read, to show your lordships, that 
 so much pains needed not to have been taken 
 in summoning witnesses, and otherwise, in this 
 business ; for I ever offered, and do offer to 
 acknowledge all matters of fact which any man 
 can justly prove, (much of the libel being matter 
 of fact) except some alleged words which are 
 notoriously false and irrelevant, and even so 
 libelled. And as I did formerly, so I do still 
 entreat, before any further procedure, my hum- 
 ble submission, with your grace and this hon- 
 ourable parliament's recommendation, may be 
 sent to his majesty, which I hope none of your 
 lordships will ever have cause to repent you of, 
 having now heard and seen the favourableness 
 of my cause, and desire in this." 
 
 • The following is Sir George M'KenTie's 
 account of this affair ; it is a little different, 
 and contains, besides a testimony to the fact of 
 the marquis being a martyr for religion, some 
 circumstances which Wodrow, full and cir- 
 cumstantial as he is, has omitted : " Lau- 
 derdale had passionately opposed the intended 
 marriage betwixt the king and Argyle's daugh- 
 ter; yet Lauderdale being now raised above 
 all hazard of his opposition, and being desir- 
 ous to lessen Middleton, and to oppose what- 
 ever he owned, did many good offices to the 
 marquis ; and some ascribed this .issistance 
 to the respect he had still to the good old 
 cause, for which the marquis mainly suffered, 
 and to the intercession of the lord Lorn, who had 
 married the countess of Lauderdale's niece, and 
 who stayed at court to manage his father's 
 business. To balance .ill which, the commis- 
 sioner did send the earls of Glencairn and 
 Rothes, commission ated, as was pretended, by the 
 parliament, to i-epresent what they had done in 
 his service, but tl»e true design was, that they 
 might oppose all applications tiiat should be made 
 in favours of the marquis of Argyle: and I re- 
 member, that the marquis hearing of the com- 
 mission, did immediately conclude himself 
 destroyed, and his conjecture was very well 
 founded ; for Glencairn did daily incense the 
 duke of Albemarle [Monk], and the chan- 
 cellor of England [Clarendon], and Rothes, 
 who was very intimate with Lauderdale, 
 and knew very well how to manage his hu- 
 mour, did much lessen Lauderdale's kindness 
 to the marquis, by representing to him how vio- 
 lently Argyle had i)ersecuted him formerly ; 
 what new trouble he might bring to his lord- 
 ship's affairs, if he escaped ; and that all his en- 
 deavours would at last prove ineffectual, and so 
 it was not prudence to engage too far in a des- 
 perate quarrel." What follows is particularly 
 worthy of the reader's attention, as exhibiting 
 on the part of the parliament, one of the most 
 perfect specimens of legal tyranny, and on the 
 part of lord Albemarle, of personal depravity, 
 that has yet been put on record. — " The rele- 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 signed by almost all the members, and the 
 pretext was, that some misinformations had 
 been given at London of their procedure; 
 and that their actings might be the better 
 cleared, the parliament desire Mr, James 
 Sharp, late minister of Crail, and now divi- 
 nity professor at St. Andrews, may go up in 
 company with them as one of the churchmen 
 best acquaint with his majesty. The event 
 showed the mystery of this. The two states- 
 men were to push the marquis's business, 
 regulate the act of fines, and other matters, 
 and Mr. Sharp was to join the highfliers in 
 England, and take off any impressions left 
 by the representation made by the ministers 
 of Edinburgh, of which before, and model 
 matters as to the church. They set out for 
 London, April 29th. A little before this. 
 
 vancy of the articles being discussed, probation 
 was led for proving the late complianc-o after 
 the y^ar IftSl, and his acression to tlie king's 
 murther which was excepted out of the letter ; 
 and though very many w^ituessps wr-re adduced, 
 yet some thought the probation not full enough. 
 But after the debate and probation were all 
 closed, and tlie parliament ready to consider the 
 whole matter, one who came post from London 
 knockt most rudely at the parliament door; and 
 upon his entry with a packet, which he present- 
 ed to the commissioner, made him conclude that 
 he had brought a remission, or some other war- 
 rant, in favours of the marquis, and the rather 
 because the bearer was a Campbell. But the 
 packet being opened, it was found to have in it a 
 great many letters which had been directed by 
 the marquis to the duke of Albemarle, when he 
 was governor of Scotland, and which he reserved 
 to see if they were absolutely necessary: and 
 baing by these diligent envoys advertised of the 
 scantinesfl of the prohatim, he had sent them 
 post by M'Naugh tan's servant. No sooner were 
 these produced, btit the parliament whs fully 
 satisfied as to the proof of the compliance ; and 
 the next day he was forefaulted, and the man- 
 ner of his execution was put to the vote ; and 
 being stated 'hang, or behead,' it was concluded 
 that he should be beheaded, and that his head 
 should be placed on the tolbooth, where Mon- 
 trose's head had formerly stood."— Jl'Kenzie's 
 History of Scotland, pp. 38, 40. 
 
 As a conclusion to this note, we shall give one 
 paragraph on the state of the nation that issued 
 in such monstrous proceedings, and the character 
 of the man who thus frankly lent liis honour 
 and sold his integrity to promote tlitin, from 
 the pen of certainly one of the first of orators, aa 
 ■well aa the most experienced of statesmen : 
 " The short interval betwwn Cromwell's 
 death and the Restoration, exhibits the picture 
 of a nation either so wearied with changes as 
 not to feel, or so subdued by military power as 
 not to dai'e to show any care or even preference 
 with regard to the form of their government. 
 All was in the army ; and that army, by such a 
 concurrence of fortuitous cii cumstauces a:> his- 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 149 
 
 1661. 
 
 the marquis's son, lord Neil Camp- 
 bell, had gone up to court, and re- 
 presented his father's defences, with all the 
 advantage he could ; and had done this, as 
 was then said, not without some consider- 
 able influence upon a good many there. 
 
 In the beginning of May, witnesses were 
 examined against the marquis. I have not 
 seen their examination and depositions, and 
 can only set down the list of witnesses given 
 in to him, with diets of their examination. 
 May 3d, anent my lord's being in arms with 
 the English, and exchanging prisoners with 
 the Scots, " William, duke of Hamilton, 
 John, earl of Athole, James lord Forrester, 
 Sir Norman M'Leod, John M'Naughtan, 
 John Semple, younger, of Fulwood, Gavin 
 Walkinshaw, of that ilk, "Walter Watson. 
 
 tory teaches us not to be surprised at, had fallen 
 into the hands of one, than whom a bapcr could 
 not be found in its lowest ranks. Personal 
 courage appears to have been Monk's only vir- 
 tue ; reserve and dissimulation made up the whole 
 stock of his wisdom. But to this man did the na- 
 tion look up, ready to receive from his orders the 
 form of government he should choose to prescribe. 
 There is reason to believe, that, from the general 
 bias of the presbyterians, as well as of the cava- 
 liers, monarchy was the prevalent wish ; but it 
 is observable, that although the parliament was, 
 contrary to the principle upon which it was pre- 
 tended to be called, composed of many avowed 
 royalists, yet none dared to hint at the restoration 
 of the king, till they had Monk's permission, or ra 
 ther command, to receive and consider his letters. 
 It is impossible, in reviewing the whole of this 
 transaction, not to remark that a general, who had 
 gained his rank, reputation, and station, in the 
 service of a republic, and of what he, as well as 
 others, called, however falselj-, the cause of liber- 
 ty, made no scruple to lay the nation i)rostrate 
 at the feet of a monarch, without a single pro- 
 vision in favour of that cause ; and, if the pro- 
 mise of indemnity may seem to argue that there 
 was some attention, at least, paid to the safety 
 of his associates in arms, his subsequent conduct 
 gives reason to suppose that even this provision 
 waa owing to any other cause rather than to any 
 generous feeling in his breast. For he afterwards 
 not only ac<[uie9ced in the insults so meanly put 
 upon the illustrious corpse of Blake, under vvliose 
 auspices and command he had performed tlie 
 most creditable services of his life, but in the 
 trial of Argyle, produced letters of friendship 
 and confidence to take away the life of a noble- 
 man, the zeal and cordiality of whose co-opera- 
 tion with him, proved by such documents, was 
 the chief ground of his execution ; thus gratui- 
 tously surpassing in infamy those miscraWe 
 ■wretches, who, to save their own lives, are 
 sometimes persuaded to impeach, and swear 
 away the lives of their accomplices." — History 
 of the Ewly Pai't of the Iteign of James II. by 
 Chaj-les James Fox, pp. 19, SO. 
 
150 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 j^„j provost of Dumbarton, John Cun- I 
 ningham, bailie there, John White, 
 trumpeter, Alexander Ramsay, sen'ant to 
 the earl of Glencairn, John Carswel, one of i 
 his majesty's lifeguard, Hugh M'Dougal, 
 in Lorn, Duncan M'Culloch there, Hal- 
 bert Glaidstains, in Edinburgh, commissary 
 Beans, at Leith. May 7th, anent my lord's 
 joining in arms with the English, Donald 
 M'CIean, of Borlas, Major David Ramsay, 
 captain James Thomson, in Leith citadel, 
 Daniel O'Neil there, Jonathan Moisly there, 
 James Savel there, Robert Darkems, James 
 Hersky, John Moisly there. And for prov- 
 ing the words spoken in parliament, 1G4-9, 
 John lord Kii-kcudbright, James lord Cowpar, 
 Robert lord Burleigh, John Corslate, pro- 
 vost of Kirkcudbright, William Grierson, of 
 Bargatton. May 8th, anent his joining in 
 arms, Henry O'Neil, of the lifeguard, Archi- 
 baldM'Clean, servant to the tutor of M' Clean, 
 Angus M'Claughson, son to the captain of 
 Inchconnel, Donald M'Clean, of Calzeach, 
 John Campbell, of Dunstafnish, Mr. James 
 M'Clean, of Kilmaloag. Words spoken at 
 London, and James Masterton's house in 
 Edinburgh ; George, earl of Linlithgow, earls 
 of Callendar, Hume, and Aboyn, Sir James 
 Fowlis, of Collingtoun. There were a great 
 many other witnesses, hut I have not seen 
 either their names or declarations, and the 
 reader will find the plain facts, as indeed 
 they were, in the marquis's defences. 
 
 How those who went up to court, man- 
 aged matters there, I shall not say ; but from 
 their arrival, to the day of the parliament's 
 sentence, the parliament had, almost every 
 day, renewed messages to haste through his 
 trial. These were obeyed as much as might 
 be. Accordingly upon Saturday, May 25th, 
 he was brought to the bar, and received his 
 sentence in face of parliament, " That he 
 v/as found guilty of high treason, and ad- 
 judged to be execute to the death as a trai- 
 tor, his head to be severed from his body at 
 the cross of Edinburgh, upon Monday, the 
 27th instant ; and afBxed in the same place 
 where the marquia of Montrose's head was 
 formerly, and his arms torn before the par- 
 liament, and at the cross." And from the 
 bar he was sent to the common prison of 
 Edinburgh. That day the parliament was ex- 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK 1. 
 
 tremely thin, and all withdrew, but such who 
 were determined entirely to follow the course 
 of the times. When he was brought to the 
 bar to receive his sentence, he put the par- 
 liament in mind of the practice of Theodo- 
 sius the emperor, who enacted, that the sen- 
 tence of death should not be execute till 
 thirty days after it was passed ; and added, 
 " I crave but ten, that the king may be ac- 
 quainted with it." This was refused, and he 
 was told, that now he behoved to receive 
 the parliament's sentence upon his knees ; he 
 immediately kneeled, and said, " I will, in all 
 humility." The sentence being pronounced, 
 he offered to speak : but the trumpets sound- 
 ing, he stopped till they ended, and then 
 said, " I had the honour to set the crown 
 upon the king's head, (and indeed the mai'- 
 quis brought him to the crown) and now he 
 hastens me to a better crown than his own." 
 And directing himself to the commissioner 
 and parliament, he said, " You have the in- 
 demnity of an earthly king among your 
 hands, and have denied me a share in that, 
 but you cannot hinder me from the indem- 
 nity of the King of kings, and shortly you 
 must be before his tribunal, I pray he mete 
 not out such measure to you, as j'ou have 
 done to me, when you are called to account 
 for all your actings, and this among the rest." 
 Without doors it was said, the marquis of 
 Argyle had done nothing, but what was ne- 
 cessary by the natural law of self-preserva- 
 tion, and just, since conquest and consent 
 make a good title in the conqueror; and April 
 2d, 1652, all Scotland had in a very solemn 
 manner consented to Oliver's government at 
 Dalkeith, and his solitary resistance could 
 never have restored the king. And though 
 the marquis had not been the last man who 
 stood out, but had done as all the rest of 
 the nation did, and submitted to the usur- 
 per, it was observed, that not a man in 
 England or Ireland had suffered merely for 
 owning Cromwell, though he was there a re- 
 bel, and in Scotland a conqueror. It was fur- 
 ther asked, Where was the justice to punish 
 one man for a guUty nation ? or the mercy 
 to forgive many, and not take in so good and 
 great a man with others ? and every body 
 saw that the marquis was sentenced by his 
 socii criminis, his complices, as he himself 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH 
 
 told Sir John Fletcher in the house, and 
 those who were in the transgression, if it 
 must be made one, long before he was in it. 
 But who can stand before envy, revenge, 
 and jealousy ! The tree of prelacy and 
 arbitrary measures behoved to be soaked 
 when a planting, with the noble blood of 
 this excellent patriot, staunch presbyterian, 
 and vigorous asserter of Scotland's liberty : 
 and much bitter and bloody fruit did it 
 bear in the following twenty-six years, as 
 will appear in the sequel of this history. 
 
 The sentence against this noble persori 
 was, not only, in the eyes of onlookers, 
 iniquitous and unrighteous in itself, l.iif 
 really contrary to their own new made law, 
 and an act made by this very parliament, 
 no longer since than March 30th, act 15, 
 pai-liament 1, session 1, Charles II., where 
 in express terms, " his majesty, by advice of 
 the estates of parliament, grants his indem- 
 nity and full assurance, to all persons that 
 acted in, and by virtue of the said pretended 
 parliaments, (viz. those from IGiO to 1650,) 
 and other meetings flowing from them, to 
 be unquestioned in their lives and fortunes, 
 for any deed or deeds done by them in 
 their said usurpation." By a proclamation, 
 June 10th, this year, concerning ecclesias- 
 tical affairs, which the reader will find at 
 the bottom of the page, * I find the fore- 
 
 • The Kind's IMajostv'.s Prorlamation con- 
 cernint; Churrli affairs, June lOth, 1661. 
 Ciiarles K. 
 
 CharU's, by the grace of God, king of Scot- 
 land, England, Franco, and Ireland, defender 
 of the faith, to our lovits, lyou king at arms, 
 and his brethren heralds, messengers, our 
 sheriffs in that part, conjunctly and severally, 
 speciidly constitute, greeting. As soon as it 
 pleased Almighty God, by his own outstretched 
 arm, wonderfully to bring us back in peace, to 
 the exercise of our roy;d government, ■we did 
 apply ourself to t)ie restoring of our kingdoms 
 to tliat liberty and happiness which they enjoyed 
 under the government of our royal ancestors ; 
 and in order thereunto, we called a parliament 
 in that our r-^ncient kingdom of Scotland, as 
 the most proper mean to settle the same, after 
 so many years' troubles, and to restore its ancient 
 liberty, after those grievous sufferings, <iiid that 
 heavy bondage imposed of late by blo<idy usui-p- 
 ers, because of their loyalty expressed to us. 
 And whereas the estates of parliament of that 
 our ancient kingdom, have so fully, Ireely. and 
 unanimously vindicated their own honour, in 
 asserting our royal power, prerogative, the pri- 
 vileges of our crown, and our supremacy over 
 all persons in all causes, as absolutely as ever 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 151 
 
 said date of this act, and the kine ,^„, 
 . ... , . , 1661. 
 
 approves it. And it is very plain the 
 
 marquis's indictment and sentence nins upon 
 deeds done in those parliaments, and during 
 that alleged usurpation in them, save what 
 relates to his joining with the English, as to 
 which enough has been set down for his \'indi- 
 cation : so that I cannot but be of opinion, 
 that the parliament, in condemning the 
 marquis for these deeds, contradict them- 
 selves. There is indeed a resen-ation 'n 
 the act, as to such as shall be excepted in 
 the general indemnity to be passed by his 
 majesty, and such who were guilty of the 
 king's murder : but that exception only 
 concerned the persons who afterwards were 
 fined, and neither that nor the other concern 
 the marquis. Thus in this sentence the 
 parliament must be reckoned /eld's de se. 
 
 As through the whole of his trial, this 
 noble person gave the brightest example 
 of meekness and patience, when most un- 
 accountably abused by the king's advocate 
 and others ; so he received his sentence 
 with that composure which became so inno- 
 cent a man, and excellent christian; and 
 would by no means depart from the honour- 
 able testimony for religion and liberty he 
 was engaged in. When his case was beyond 
 all hope in his friends' eyes, and no prospect 
 of any justice appeared, some gallant gentle- 
 
 any of our royal progenitors, kings of Scotland, 
 at any time possessed, used and exerced the 
 same, not only by taking away of these inva- 
 sions, brought on by the iniquity of the times, 
 during the late troubles ; but also by their re- 
 scinding all those pretended parliaments, where- 
 in any force might have appeared to have been 
 put on our royal father, since the year 1633, 
 reserving private rights, and indemnifying our 
 subjects, for what was done during that time: 
 and whereas our pai'liament, by their act the 
 twenty-ninth of March, hath declared, that it ia 
 our full and lirm resolution, to maintain the 
 true protestant religion, in its purity of doctrine 
 and worship, as it was established within that 
 our kingdom, during the reigns of our royal 
 father and grandfather of blessed memory, and 
 that we will be careful to promote the power of 
 godliness, to encourage the exercises of religion, 
 both public and private, and to suppress all 
 profaneness and disorderly walking ; and for 
 that end, will give all due countenance and 
 protection to the ministers of the gospel, they 
 containing themselves within the bounds and 
 limits of their ministerial cidling, and behaving 
 themselves with tliat subnjissitm and i.liedience 
 to our authority and commiuids, that is suitable 
 to the allegiance and duty of goo<l subjects. 
 
152 
 
 .„„, men undertook to bring him out of 
 the castle, partly by force, and partly 
 6y a stratagem. The project was so far gone 
 into, that I am told, the marquis was once 
 in a complete disguise; but on a sudden 
 he altered his mind, thanked his friends, 
 and told them, he would not disown the 
 good cause he had so publicly espoused, 
 and threw aside his borrowed habit, and 
 resolved to suffer the utmost. * When after 
 the sentence he entered the tolbooth, his 
 excellent lady was waiting for him there. 
 Upon seeing her, he said, " they have given 
 me till Monday to be v/ith you, my dear, 
 therefore let us make for it." She embracing 
 him, wept bitterly, and said, " the Lord will 
 require it, the Lord will require it." The 
 bailie who accompanied his lordship, though 
 no great fnend to him, was deeply affected, 
 yea none in the room could refrain from 
 tears. The marquis himself was perfectly 
 composed, and said, "forbear, forbear: truly 
 I pity them, they know not what they are 
 doing : they may shut me in where they 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 please, but they cannot shut out God frora 
 
 And as to the government of the church, that 
 we will make it our care to settle and secure the 
 same in such a frame as shcdl be most agreeahle 
 to the word of God, most suitable to m,onarchical 
 government, and most complying with the 
 public peace and quiet of the kingdom : and in 
 the meantime, that we do allow the present 
 administration by sessions, presbyteries and 
 synods (they keeping within bounds, and be- 
 having themselves as said is) and that notwith- 
 standing of the act passed that day, rescissory of 
 all pretended parliaments since the year 1633. 
 Therefore we have thought fit, by this oui* pro- 
 clamation, not only to declare our gracious 
 acceptance of these ample testimonies of the 
 duty and aifection of that our parliament, by 
 which the -vvorld may take notice, how unani- 
 mously loyal that kingdom is, and how hearty 
 in our service, of which we om-self was ever 
 confident : but also to make known our firm 
 resolution, to maintain and preserve that our 
 kingdom in their just liberties : and likewise to 
 make good what our parliament have declared 
 in our name, as to matters of religion. And 
 considering how much our interest and the 
 quiet of that kingdom is concerned, in the right 
 
 * Burnet says, " For some time there was a 
 stop to the proceedings in which lord Argyle 
 tvas contriving an e«cai)e out of the castle. He 
 kept his bed for some days, and his lady being 
 of the same stature with himself, and coming to 
 him in a chair, he had put on her clothes and 
 was going into the chair, but he apprehended 
 he should be discovered, and his execution 
 hastened, and so his heart failed him." — Vol. i. 
 p. 177. 
 
 me : for my part I am as content to be here 
 as in the castle, and as content in the castle 
 as in the Tower of London, and as content 
 there as when at liberty ; and I hope to be 
 as content upon the scaffold as any of the^Ti 
 all." He added, " that he remembered a 
 scripture cited to him by an honest minister 
 lately in the Castle, and endeavoured to put 
 it in practice, when Ziklag was takea and 
 burnt, and the people spoke of stoning 
 David, he encouraged himself in the Lord." 
 This account, and much of what follows, I 
 have under a worthy minister's hand, who 
 was present with the marquis, and took 
 notes of what he spoke at the time. 
 
 All his short time till Monday, the marquis 
 spent with the greatest serenity and cheer- 
 fulness, and in the proper exercises of a 
 dying christian. He said to some ministers 
 allowed to be with him in the prison, " that 
 shortly they would em^ him who was got 
 before them," and added, " mind that I tell 
 it you, my skill fails me, if you who are 
 
 settlement and peace of that our church, which 
 through the confusions of these latter times, 
 hath been much discomposed, we do purpose, 
 after mature deliberation, w^ith-such as we shall 
 call, to employ our royal authority, for settling 
 and securing the government and the adminis- 
 tration thereof, in such a way as may best con- 
 duce to the glory of God, to the good of religion, 
 to unity, order, and to the public peace and 
 satisfaction of our kingdom : and in the mean- 
 time, we will and command all our loving sub- 
 jects, ministers and others, as they will answer 
 at their peril, to abstain from meddling with 
 w^hat may concern the public government of 
 that our church, either by preaching, remon- 
 strances, warnings, declarations, acts, or petitions 
 of church judicatories, or any other way; and 
 to compose themselves to that quietness and 
 inoffensive deportment, which their duty to us, 
 and the peace of the church doth require. Our 
 wiU is herefore, and we charge you straitly and 
 command, that, incontinent these our letters 
 seen, ye pass to the market-cross of our burgh 
 of Edinburgh, and to the remanent market- 
 crosses of the head burghs of that our kingdom, 
 and there, by open proclamation, in our name 
 and authority, make public<ition hereof to all 
 our lieges and subjects, -wherethrough none 
 pretend ignorance of the same, as you wiU 
 answer to us. The which to do we commit to 
 you conjunctly and severally, our full power by 
 these our letters, delivering the same by you 
 duly execute and indorsed, again to the bearer. 
 Given under our hand at Whitehall, the tenth 
 day of June, 1661, and of our reign the thirteenth 
 year. 
 
 By his majesty's command, 
 
 Lauderdale. 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 ministers will not either suffer mucii, or sin 
 much ; for though you go along with those 
 men in part, if you uo it not in all things, 
 you are but where you were, and so must 
 suffer ; and if you go not at nil with them, 
 you shall but suffer." During his life the 
 marquis was reckoned rather timorous than 
 bold to any excess ; and in prison he said, 
 he was naturally inclined to fear in his 
 temper, but desired those about him to 
 observe, as he could not but do, that the 
 Lord had heard his prayers, and removed 
 all {bar from him. Indeed his friends' work 
 was to restrain and qualify his iervent long- 
 ings after his dissolution, and not to support 
 him under the near views of it. At his 
 own desire his lady took her leave of him 
 upon the Sabbath night. Mr. Robert Doug- 
 las, and Mr. George Hutcheson preached 
 to him in the tolbooth on the Lord's day, 
 and his dear and much valued friend IMr. 
 David Dickson, and others, prayed with 
 hun at night, and I have been told, JMr. 
 Dickson was his bedfellow the last night 
 he had in time. 
 
 Upon Monday, w hen very much thronged 
 in subscribing papers, making conveyances, 
 and with other necessary things relating 
 to his business and estate, of a sudden, 
 about seven of the clock in the morning, 
 when in the midst of company, he was so 
 overpowered with the sensible effiision of 
 the joy of the Holy Ghost, that he could 
 not contain, but brake out in the greatest 
 affection and rapture, and said, " I thought 
 to have concealed the Lord's goodness, but 
 it will not do, I am now ordering my affairs, 
 and God is sealing my charter to a better 
 inheritance, and just now saying to me, 
 ' son, be of good cheer, thy sins ai'e forgiven 
 thee.' " Such expressions I know will be 
 reckoned the effects of enthusiasm, and 
 reproached under the name of cant, and I 
 doubt not but it will be construed weakness 
 in me to regard or relate them in so degen- 
 erate an age as we are fallen into : but I 
 have this passage confirmed by so many 
 and indubitable hands, some of them alive 
 when I write this, that I cannot only assert 
 it for truth, but likewise record a remarkable 
 harmony betwixt this and the wrestlings 
 and prayers of many, before, and at that 
 
 153 
 
 1661. 
 
 very moment, on the marquis's be- 
 half. And if any mock at such 
 instances of the divine condescension, I wish 
 their bands be not made strong; he who 
 is ignorant is like to be so still. 
 
 Iv.ther upon Monday or some other time 
 after his sentence, the marquis received the 
 following letter from a minister, who with 
 others was much concerned for the Lord's 
 presence with him : it was sweet to this 
 godly mai'tyr, and contains some things in 
 it, which clear up the marquis's circum- 
 stances, and I reckon it will not be unac- 
 ceptable to the serious reader, being short 
 but substantial. 
 
 " My Lord, 
 " I hope by this time you know that God 
 sendeth no man a warfare upon his own 
 charges ; the report of your seasonable and 
 suitable support, and of what the Lord 
 doth to your soul, with your rising integrity 
 before the world, as it was clear to others 
 before, so it doth much comfort us over 
 many things, so that we can speak with the 
 adversary in the gate. We reckon it was 
 a mercy to the cause, (if I may speak so) 
 and to many friends of it, that God has 
 brought your lordship upon the stage : he 
 hath vindicated his reproached work in 
 spite of reproach, so that it will be advan- 
 tageous for the nation ; neither do I doubt 
 but it was a singular mercy to yourself, and 
 shall be a relief to your oppressed name, 
 which this day is visibly come above water. 
 If you had been in favour with the greatest 
 of men, and had the world smiling upon 
 you, I much question if it had been so well 
 with your soul and conscience, and if you 
 had had that room in gracious hearts, which 
 I can confidently say now you have. We 
 enjoy the sweet fruits of what you now 
 sweat for; and your lordship may reckon 
 your labours and sufferings sold at a good 
 rate, when you consider how many souls 
 have been refreshed these twenty-three 
 years bygone ; the reward of which we wish 
 may now richly return to yoiu- bosom : so 
 arc many wishing this day who never saw 
 your face, to whom your name and chain 
 are savoury. Be of good courage, and God 
 shall strengthen your heart, and be yoiu 
 
154 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 J 661 g'^^'^'^ ^^6" ""to cketh. O death! 
 where is thy sting ? Thou art now a 
 smiling bridge to eternal serenity, where no 
 inbreaking, no sin shall be, but sweet breath- 
 ings of the Holy Ghost, and songs of victory; 
 no dreadful sentence, where the Accuser of 
 the brethren has no place : a little bit of 
 time might have sent you thither with less 
 credit, and not capable of so large a crov;n ; 
 for great is the reward of some there ! My 
 lord, keep the kindly sense of your failings 
 upon your heart, that Christ may be as 
 precious to you as to the beggar that never 
 was honoured to suffer for him. The Lord 
 Jehovah be your shield and exceeding great 
 reward; to him we commit you, and do 
 submit ; and we hope he shall give a good 
 account of all we have in dependance before 
 him. I am," &c. 
 
 This same day, a little before his going 
 out to the place of execution, the marquis 
 wrote and subscribed a letter to the king, 
 which, I persuade myself, the curious reader 
 will desire to have inserted here, and it is 
 as follows. 
 
 " Most sacred Sovereign, 
 
 " I doubt not but your majesty hath an 
 account given you from others, of the issue 
 of that strange process and indictment laid 
 against me, before this can come to your 
 royal hands ; of which if I had been guilty 
 according to the charge, I should have 
 esteemed myself unworthy to breathe upon 
 the earth, much less would I have pre- 
 sumed to make any appUcation to your 
 majesty. But of all those great crimes 
 which have been charged upon me, there 
 hath nothing been proven, except a com- 
 pliance with the prevalent usurping rebels, 
 after they had subdued all your majesty's 
 dominions, whereby I was forced, with 
 many others, to submit unto their unlawful 
 power and government, which was an epi- 
 demic disease, and fault of the time. 
 
 " What measure soever I have met witli, 
 and whatever malice or calumny hath been 
 cast upon me, yet it is my inexpressible joy 
 and comfort under all these sufierings, that 
 I am found free, and acquit of any accession 
 to that execrable murder committed against 
 the life of your royal father, which (as I 
 
 [book I. 
 
 desire a comfortable appearance before the 
 Judge both of the quick and the dead) my 
 soul did ever abominate; for death, with 
 the inward peace of my innocency is much 
 more acceptable to me, than life itself, with 
 the least stain of treachery. 
 
 " And now I am confident that your 
 majesty's displeasiu-e will be satisfied, and 
 you will suffer my failings to be expiate 
 with my life, which with all humility and 
 submission I have yielded up ; and in this 
 small period that remains of my life, no 
 earthly thing shall be more cordially desired 
 by me, than your happiness ; and that your 
 majesty and your successors to all genera- 
 tions, may sway the sceptre of these nations, 
 and that they may be a blessed people 
 under your government. 
 
 " And now hoping that the humble sup- 
 plication of your majesty's dying subject, 
 may find some place within the large extent 
 of your princely goodness and clemency, I 
 have taken the boldness to cast the desolate 
 condition of my poor wife and family upon 
 your royal favour ; for whatever may be 
 yoiu" majesty's displeasure against m}'self, 
 these, 1 hope, have not done any thing to 
 procure your majesty's indignation. And 
 since that family have had the honour to 
 be faithful subjects, and ser%'iceable to your 
 royal progenitors, I humbly beg my faults 
 may not extinguish the lasting merit and 
 memory of those who have given so many 
 signal proofs of constant loyalty for many 
 generations. Orphans and widow, by special 
 prerogative Jind command from God, are 
 put under your protection and defence, that 
 you suffer them not to be wronged : they 
 will owe their preservation so entirely to 
 your majesty's bounty and favour, that 
 your countenance, and nothing else that is 
 human, can be a shield against their ruin. 
 
 " I shall add no more, only being addebted 
 to severals of your majesty's good subjects, 
 and your royal justice being the source and 
 fountain of all equity, whereby all your 
 people are preserved in their just rights 
 and interests, I humbly beg, that none of 
 them may suffer for my fault, but that you 
 would allow them satisfaction and payment 
 of what is justly owing unto them, of those 
 sums and debts which are truly resting to 
 
CHAP. II. J 
 
 my son and me. And as it is my serious 
 and last desire to my children and posterity, 
 next to their duty to Almighty God, that 
 they may be faithful and serviceable to your 
 majesty ; so, were I to enjoy this frail life 
 any longer, I would endeavoiu* before ail 
 the world, to evidence myself to be 
 
 * Your majesty's most humble, devoted, 
 and obedient subject and servant, 
 
 " Akgyle." 
 " From your prison, Edinburgh, 
 May 27th, 1661." 
 
 The marquis had a sweet time, as to his 
 soul, when he was in the tolbooth, and this 
 increased still, the nearer he was to his 
 end. As he had sleeped most calmly and 
 pleasantly liis last night, so in the intervals 
 of his necessary business, he had much 
 spiritual conversation with Mr. Hutcheson 
 and other ministers upon iMonday before 
 dinner. He dined with his friends precisely 
 at twelve of the clock, %vith the utmost 
 cheerfulness : and after he had retired some 
 lime alone, when he opened the door, IVIr. 
 Hutcheson said, " what cheer, my lord ?" 
 He answered, " good cheer, Sir, the Lord 
 hath again confirmed, and said to me from 
 heaven, * Son, be of good cheer, thy sins 
 are forgiven thee,' " and he gushed out in 
 abundance of tears of joy, so that he drew 
 back to the window and wept there ; from 
 that he came to the fire, and made as if he 
 would stir it a little to cover his concern, 
 but all would not do, his tears ran down 
 his face j so coming to Mr. Hutcheson, he 
 said in a perfect rapture, I think his kind- 
 ness overcomes me, but God is good to me, 
 that he lets not out too much of it here, 
 for he knows I could not bear it : get me 
 niy cloak, and let us go. Then they told 
 him the clock was kept back since one, 
 till the bailies should come. He answered, 
 they are far in the wrong; and presently 
 kneeled down and prayed before all present, 
 in a most sweet and heavenly manner, to the 
 ravishment of all there. As he ended prayer, 
 the bailie sent up notice to him to come 
 down. Upon which he called for a glass of 
 wine, and asked a blessing upon it standing, 
 and continuing in the same frame ; and said, 
 " Now let us go, and God go with us." 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 155 
 
 1661. 
 
 After he had taken liis leave of 
 such in the room, as were not to go 
 to the scaffold with him, when going towards 
 the door he said, " I could die like a Roman, 
 but choose rather to die as a christian. Come 
 away, gentlemen, he that goes first goes clean- 
 liest." When going down, he called INIr. 
 James Guthrie to him, and embracing him in 
 the most endearing way, took his farewell of 
 him. ]\Ir. Guthrie at parting addressed the 
 marquis thus, " My lord, God hath been with 
 you, he is with you, and God will be with 
 you ; and such is my respect for your lord- 
 ship, that if I were not under the sentence 
 of death myself, I could cheerfully die for 
 your lordship." So they parted for a very 
 short season, in two or three days to meet 
 in a better place. 
 
 The marquis was accompanied to the 
 scaffold by divers noblemen and gentlemen ; 
 he was, and all with him, in black, had his 
 cloak and hat on as he went down the street. 
 He mounted the scaffold with the greatest 
 serenity and gravity, as one going to his 
 Father's house, saluted all who were on it : 
 and then Mi\ Hutcheson prayed ; and next 
 the marquis delivered his speech, which hath 
 been many times printed, but deserves a 
 room in this collection ; and so it is added 
 below. * 
 
 * Marquis of Argyle's Speech upon the scaflFoId, 
 May 27th, 1661. 
 " Gentlemen, 
 
 " Many will expect that I will speak many 
 things ; and according to their sereral opinions 
 and dispositions, so will their expectations be 
 from me, and constructions of me : but I resolve 
 to disappoint many; for I came not either to 
 justify myself, but the Lord, Avho is holy in all 
 his ways, and righteous in all his works, holy 
 and blessed is his name ; neither come 1 to con- 
 demn others. I know many will expect that 1 
 should speak against the hardness of the sentence 
 pronounced against me, but I wiU say nothing 
 to it. I bless the Lord I pardon all men, as 1 
 desire to be pardoned of the Lord myself: let the 
 will of the Lord be done, that is all that I desire. 
 I hope that you will have more charity to me 
 now, than you would have had at another time, 
 since I spea.i before the Lord, to whom J must 
 give account shortly. I know very well that my 
 words have had but little weiglit with many, 
 and that many have mistaken my words ; many 
 have thought me a great enemy to those great 
 works that have of late been brought to pass ; 
 but do not mistake me, people, I speak it in the 
 presence of the Lord, I entered not upon the 
 work of Reformation with any design of advan- 
 tage to myself, or prejudice to the king or his 
 government, as my will Cwhii'h was writtea iu 
 
156 
 
 16G1. 
 
 After this pertinent, pathetic, sea- 
 sonable and affecting speech, Mr. 
 James Hamilton prayed. After him, my lord 
 prayed most sweetly himself, then he took his 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [boOK I. 
 
 leave of all his friends on the scaffold. He 
 gave first to the executioner a napkin, end 
 some money in it. To his sons-in-law, Cath- 
 ness [Caitness] and Ker, his silver watch, and 
 
 the year 1655, and then delivered to a friend, in 
 whose hands it still remains) can show. As for 
 these calumnies which have gone abroad of me, 
 I bless God I know them to be no more but 
 calumnies ; and as I go to make a reckoning to 
 my God, I am free as to any of the.m, concerning 
 the king's person or government. I was real 
 and cordial in my desires to bririg the king 
 home, and in my endeavours for him when he 
 was at home ; and I had no correspondence with 
 his advei'saries' army, or any of them, in the 
 time his majesty was in Scotland ; nor had I 
 any accession to his late majesty's murder, by 
 counsel or knowledge of it, or any other manner 
 of way. This is a truth, as I shall answer to 
 my Judge : and all the time his majesty was in 
 Scotland, I was still endeavouring his advantage : 
 my conscience beareth me witness in it. That 
 is for that. (At this he turned about, and said, 
 • I hope, gentlemen, you will all remember this.') 
 
 " I confess many look on my condition as a 
 suffering condition, but I bless the Lord, that he 
 hath gone before me, hath trod tlie wine-press 
 of his Father's m'ath, by whose sufferings I hope 
 that my sufferings shall not be eternal. I bless 
 him that hath taken away the sting of my sulfer- 
 ings. I may say my charter was sealed this 
 day ; for the Lord hath said to me, ' Son, be of 
 good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee :' and so I 
 hope my sufferings sliall be easy ; and ye know 
 the scripture saith, ' That the Captain of our 
 salvation w^as made perfect through sufferings.' 
 I shall not speak much to these things that I am 
 condemned for, lest I seem to condemn others : 
 it is well known, it is only for compliance, 
 which is the epidemical fault of this nation; I 
 wish the Lord may pardon them, I say no 
 more. There was an expression in my submis- 
 sion, presented to the parliament, of the conta- 
 gion of the times, which may be misconstrued, 
 as if I had intended thereby to lay imputation 
 upon the woi'k of Reformation ; but I declare I 
 intended no such thing, but it was only in rela- 
 tion to the corruptions and failings of men, 
 occasioned by the prevalency of the usurping 
 power. 
 
 " Now, gentlemen, I think there are three 
 sorts of people that take up much of the world, 
 and this nation : there are, first, the openly 
 profane : and truly, I may say, though I have 
 been a prisoner, yet I have not had mine ears 
 shut ; I hear assuredly that whoring, swearing, 
 and drinking were never more common, and 
 nevei' more countenanced than now ; and truly 
 if magistrates were here, I would say to them, 
 ' If they lay forth their power, for the glorifying 
 of God by the restraining of this, they would 
 fare better ; if they continue in not restraining 
 of it, they will fare the worse.' I say no more, 
 but let either people shun profanity, or magis- 
 trates restrain it, or assuredly the wrath of God 
 will follow on it. 
 
 " Secondl)'. Others they are not openly pro- 
 fane, every one will not allow that, but yet 
 they are Gallios in these matters ; if things go 
 well as to their private interests, they care not 
 whether religion and the church of God sink or 
 
 swim : but whatever they think, God hath laid 
 engagements upon Scotland, we are tied by 
 covenant to religion and Reformation; those 
 that wei'e then unborn are engaged to it, and in 
 our baptism we are engaged to it, and it passes 
 the power of any under heaven to absolve a man 
 frotn the oath of God, they deceive themselves, 
 and it may be will deceive others that think 
 otherwise ; but I would caveat thi:s. People 
 \vould be ready to take this as a kind of instiga- 
 tion to rebellion, but they are very far in the 
 wrong that think so, and that religion and 
 loyalty are not consistent; if any man sepai'ate 
 them, religion is not to be blamed, but they : it 
 is the duty of every christian to be loyal, yet I 
 think the order of things is to be observed, as 
 well as their nature, the order of religion as well 
 as the nature of it : religion must not be the 
 cockboat, but the ship ; God must have what is 
 his, as well as Caesar what is his; and those ai"e 
 the best subjects that are the best christians : 
 and that I am looked upon as a ft'iend to refor- 
 mation, is niy glory. 
 
 " Thirdly. There is another sort that are 
 truly godly, and to speak to them I must say 
 what 1 fear, and every one hath reason to fear, 
 (it is good to fear evil.) It is true that the Lord 
 may prevent it, but if so, I do not, and truly I 
 cannot see any possibility of it. These times 
 are like to be very sinning times, or very suffer- 
 ing times ; and let christians make choice ; 
 there is a sad dilemma in the business, sin or 
 suffer : and truly he that wiU choose the better 
 part will choose to suffer ; others that will choose 
 to sin, shall not escape suffering ; fhey shall 
 suffer, but it may be not as I do here, (turning 
 him to the maiden when he spake it) but worse ; 
 mine is but temporal, but theirs shall be eternal; 
 when I shall be singing they shall be howling : 
 beware therefore of sin, whatever ye beware of, 
 especially in such times. Yet I cannot say of 
 my own condition, but the Lord in his provi- 
 dence hath minded mercy to me, even in this 
 world ; for if I had been more favourably dealt 
 with, I fear I might have been overcome with 
 temptations, as many others are, and I fear 
 many more will be, and so should have gone out 
 of the world with a more polluted conscience 
 than, through the mercy of God, now I have : 
 and hence my condition is sucli now, as when I 
 am gone, will be seen not to have been such as 
 many imagined. It is fit God take me away 
 before I fall into these temptations that I see 
 others are fallen into, and I fear many others 
 will fall : I wish the Lord may prevent it. Yet 
 blessed be his name that I am kept both from 
 I>resent evils and evils to come. 
 
 " Some will expect that I will regret my own 
 condition ; but truly I neither grudge nor re- 
 pine, nor desire I any revenge. And I declare 
 I do not repent my going to London ; for I had 
 always rather have suffered any thing than lie 
 under such reproaches as I did. I desire not 
 that the Lord should judge any man, nor do I 
 j udge any but myself : I wish, that as the Lord 
 hath pardoned me, so may he pardon them for 
 this and other things, and that what they have 
 
CHAP. 11.] OF THE CHURCH 
 
 some other things in his pocket. He gave to 
 Loudon his silver penner, to Lothian a double [ 
 ducat; and bowed round, and then threw off 
 his coat. When going to the maiden, Mr 
 Hutcheson said, " My lord, hold now your 
 grip sicker." [fast] He answered, " Mr. Hut- 
 cheson, you know what I said to you in the 
 chamber, I am not afraid to be surprised 
 with fear." The laird of Skelmorlie took him 
 by the hand when near the maiden, and 
 found him most composed. His last words 
 before his kneeling ai'e added to his speech. 
 He kneeled down most cheerfully, and after 
 he had prayed a little, he gave the signal, 
 which was the lifting up of his hand, and the 
 instrument called the maiden struck off his 
 head, which was affixed upon the west end 
 of the tolbooth, as a monument of the par- 
 'iament's injustice, and the hind's misery. • 
 His body was received by his friends, and 
 put into a coffin, and carried away with a 
 good many attendants, through Linlithgow 
 and Falkirk, to Glasgow, and thence with a 
 numerous company to Kilpatrick, where it 
 was put in a boat, and carried to Denune, 
 and buried in Kilmun church. 
 
 It is scarce worth while here to take 
 
 1661. 
 
 done to me m;»y never meet them in their 
 accounts. I huvi- no more to say, but betf the 
 Lord, that since I go away, he may bless them 
 that stay behind." 
 
 His last words, immediately before he laid 
 his liead upon the block, were the vindication ot 
 bis innoceiicy f)o;n that horrid crime of the 
 king's murder, in these words : 
 
 " I desire yon, irentlenien, and all that hear 
 me, again to take notice, and remember, that 
 now when I am entering on eternity, and am to 
 appear before my Judge, and p.s 1 desire salva- 
 tion, and expect eternal hai)i)iness from him, I 
 am free from any accession, by knowledge, con- 
 triving, counsel, or any other way, to his late 
 majesty's death ; and 1 pray the Lord to pre- 
 serve the present king his majesty, and to pour 
 his best blessings upon his person and govern- 
 ment, and the Lord give him good and faithful 
 counsellors." 
 
 • As in a previous note we have given a pas- 
 sage from 15tirnet, which looks like an attempt 
 to detract from the courage of the marquis, jus- 
 tice requires that we should give the following 
 relating to his appearance on the scaffold. " lie 
 came to the scatfold in a very solemn but un- 
 daunted manner, accompanied with many of the 
 nobility and some ministers. He spoke tor half 
 an hour with a great appearance of serenity. 
 Cunningham, his physician, told me, he touched 
 his pulse, and it did then beat at the usual rate, 
 calm and strong." — Burnet's Hist, of his Own 
 Times, Ediu. edit. vol. i. p. 179. JEd. 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 157 
 
 notice of the ill natured account Mr. 
 archdeacon Eachard gives of the 
 marquis's trial and death in his history, vol. 
 iii. p. 03. He is pleased to bespatter the 
 miu-quis's defences, with the character of long 
 and subtle. How they could have been 
 any shorter, and yet go through so great a 
 heap of scandal as lies charged against him 
 in his tedious indictment, I cannot see. 
 Where the subtilty of his defences lies, 
 needs to be explained, since in every point 
 that noble person is most plain and home 
 in his answers, and insists upon evident 
 facts and reasonings. This writer seems to 
 have glanced over the marquis's case, to pick 
 out some of his expressions, in order to ex- 
 pose him ; had he duly pondered what he ad- 
 vances in his defences, petitions, and speeches 
 in print, and inclined to represent this great 
 man fairly, we should have had quite another 
 state of this affair than Mr. Eachard gives, 
 from detached sentences here and there 
 culled out. How unjust will it appear to 
 any unprejudiced person to land the whole 
 stress of the marquis's defences upon the in- 
 demnity, IG-il. W^hen, if he had considered 
 his defences, he might have observed a mul- 
 titude of other things after that time ad- 
 vanced ? he ought in justice to have conde- 
 scended upon the treasonable actings, not 
 fairly accounted for in the defences, proven 
 against him, and brought proofs of the aggra- 
 vating expressions he talks of, had he acted 
 the part of an impartial historian. Of a 
 piece with all this are the lame and unfair 
 hints from the marquis's last speech, which 
 Mr. Archdeacon concludes with an idle 
 story, one at first sight may observe to be 
 childish and evidently false, that the marquis 
 tore his written speech into six parts, and 
 gave to six of his friends. Nobody of sense 
 can give credit to so foolish a representation. 
 Where Mr. Eachard has raked it up I cannot 
 imagine, unless it be from some of the scan- 
 dalous diiu-nals writ about this time. Un- 
 doubtedly such an account as he has patched 
 up of this great man, must very much weaken 
 his reputation as a historian in Scots affairs. 
 However, Mr. Archdeacon, in his Appendix 
 to the three volumes of his history, printed 
 after I had wrote what is above, does the 
 marquis's memory the justice, as to insert 
 
15B 
 
 J ^P . the following letter or declaration, 
 written by the hand of king Charles 
 II. and signed with his seal manual, com- 
 municated to him by his grace the present 
 duke of Argyle. 
 
 " Having taken into my consideration the 
 faithful endeavours of the marquis of Argyle 
 for restoring me to my just rights, and the 
 happy settling of my dominions, 1 am desir- 
 ous to let the world see, how sensible I am of 
 his real respect to me, by some particular 
 marks of my favour to him, by which they may 
 see the trust and confidence which I repose 
 in him : and particularly I do promise, that I 
 v/ill make him duke of Argyle, and knight of 
 the garter, and one of the gentlemen of my 
 bedchamber; and this to be performed 
 when he shall think it fit. And I do farther 
 promise him, to hearken to his counsels 
 (worn out) 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [^BOOK I. 
 
 against the marquis, I am well assured, that 
 
 whenever it shall please God to restore me 
 to my just rights in England, I shall see him 
 paid the forty thousand pounds sterling, 
 which is due to him. All which I do pro- 
 mise to make good upon the word of a king. 
 " Charles R." 
 « St. Johnston, Sept. 24.th, 1650." 
 
 I have given the narrative of this proto- 
 martyr for religion, since the reformation 
 from popery, at greater length than at once 
 I designed, having the fullest assurance of 
 these facts, and my accounts of them from 
 unquestionable vouchers ; and it is pity they 
 should not be known. His character I dare 
 not adventure to draw : enemies themselves 
 must allow the marquis to have been a per- 
 son of extraordinary piety, remarkable wis- 
 dom and prudence, great gravity and autho- 
 rity, and singular usefulness. Though he 
 bad been much reproached, his trial and 
 death did abundantly vindicate him. And as 
 he was the great promoter and support of 
 the covenanted work of reformation during 
 his life, and steadfast in witnessing to it at 
 his death, so it was much buried with him in 
 the grave for many years. 
 
 After the revolution, when the most ac- 
 curate search was made into the procedure 
 
 though indeed his sentence was passed in 
 parliament, yet there was no warrant given 
 or signed for his execution, commonly called 
 the dead warrant,- so great a haste were the 
 managers of this bloody design in : and as 
 his sentence was against many former laws 
 and statutes in Scotland, as well as against 
 their laws just now made ; so the execution 
 was directly illegal and without warrant, and 
 consequently a non habente potestatem. And 
 this excellent person's death, by the very 
 letter of our Scots law, is murder : so in- 
 fatuate in their thirst after blood have some 
 people been. But I shall have done with this, 
 when once I have observed, that so utterly 
 unaccountable was this procedure against the 
 marquis, that Sir George M'Kenzie, who, 
 among the last things he did while in this 
 world, wrote a vindication of the govern- 
 ment in Scotland during king Charles's 
 reign ; though he was every way the ablest 
 advocate ever that party had, yet is so far 
 from adventuring to justify the conduct 
 against this noble person, that he does not 
 so much as name the marquis or his process. 
 And though he was one of the lawyers al- 
 lowed to my lord Argyle, this would not 
 have hindered him afterwards to have ad- 
 vanced what would have softened that mat- 
 ter, if he had had any thing to produce upon 
 this subject. Mu^t not then the party own 
 that his vindication, whereof they boast so 
 much, is lame ? but indeed that is not its 
 worst fault ; I am well assured I shall, ere I 
 have done, prove it false, as well as lame. 
 In short, upon searching the parliament re- 
 gisters, I find there is not one word of this 
 great man's process or sentence in them : 
 though those took up a good many se- 
 derunts, there is nothing in record, when 
 many things of far less import are there, as 
 to the marquis, Mr. James Guthrie, or the 
 lord Warristoun's trial. The reasons of 
 this may be easily guessed, indeed it was for 
 the reputation of this parliament, that so 
 foul steps and black processes should not be 
 in their books. 
 
CHAP. 
 
 ii.J 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 prayer and conference, he was en- 
 
 Of the sufferings and marti/rdom of the Rev. 
 Mr. James Guthrie, minister of the gofpel 
 at Stirling, June 1st, 16(51. 
 
 Some account of the beginnings of the trouble 
 this excellent and singular person met with 
 last year, is already given in the first chap- 
 ter, where we left him in prison at Stirling ; 
 and there he was, and at Dundee, till by 
 order of parliament he came in prisoner to 
 Edinburgh. From first to last he was near 
 ten months close prisoner. 
 
 Mr. James Guthrie was son to the laird 
 of Guthrie, a very ancient and honourable 
 fiunily. He had taught philosophy in the 
 university of St. Andrews, where, for a good 
 many years, he gave abundant proof that he 
 was an excellent philosopher, and exact 
 scholar. His temper was very stayed and 
 composed, he would reason upon the most 
 eristical points ^vith great solidity, and when 
 every one about him was warm, his temper 
 was never ruffled. At any time, when in- 
 decent heat or wrangling happened to fall in 
 in reasoning, it was his ordinary to say, 
 " Enough of this, let us go to some other 
 subject, we are warm, and can dispute no 
 longer with advantage." Perhaps he had 
 the greatest mixture of fervent zeal and 
 sweet calmness in his temper, as any man in 
 his time. 
 
 I am well assured he was educate in op- 
 position to presbyterian government; per- 
 haps it was this made the writer of the diur- 
 nal, no friend of his, say, about the time of 
 his trial, " That if IVIr. James Guthrie had 
 continued fixed to his first principles, he had 
 been a star of the first magnitude in Scot- 
 land." When he came to judge for hijnself, 
 Mr. Guthrie happily departed from his first 
 principles, and upon examination of the way 
 he had been educated in, left it, and was in- 
 deed a star of the first magnitude. He was, 
 I am told, highly prelatical in his judgment 
 when he came at first to St. Andrews ; but 
 by conversation with Mr. Samuel Ruther- 
 ford and others, and especially through his 
 joining with the weekly societies there, for 
 
 159 
 
 1661. 
 
 tirely brought off from that way. 
 
 Even while at that university he wanted 
 not some fore notices of his after sufferings 
 for the cause of reformation, now heartily 
 espoused by him. And the year before the 
 king's return, when minister at Stirling, he 
 had very plain, and some way public warn- 
 ings of what afterwards befell him : those 
 were carefully observed by him, and closely 
 reflected upon. But I am not writing the 
 history of this great man's life, otherwise I 
 might narrate a good many very remarkable 
 providences concerning him, and say much 
 as to many steps of his carriage, from his 
 entry into the holy office of the ministry, 
 until this time : therefore I shall only take 
 notice of two pretty singular passages which 
 may help us a little into the springs, original, 
 and occasion of his s-afferings. 
 
 When the commission of the general as- 
 sembly at Perth, came into the public reso- 
 lutions we have heard of, December 14th, 
 1650, Mr. Guthrie and Mr. David Bennet 
 were ministers of Stirling, and jointly with 
 the rest of that presbytery wrote a letter to 
 the commission at their next meeting, show- 
 ing their dissatisfaction with the resolutions ; 
 which was done likewise by many other pres- 
 byteries. But it seems the two ministers of 
 Stirling went some further, and preached 
 against the pubHc resolutions, as invohdng 
 the land in a conjunction with the malignant 
 party. 
 
 In February, 1651, by a letter to Messrs. 
 Guthrie and Bennet, the chancellor ordered 
 them to repair to Perth, and answer before 
 the king and committee of estates for their 
 letter to the commission, and their doctrine. 
 The two ministers sent an answer to his 
 lordship, excusing their not coming to Perth 
 that week, and promising to come the next. 
 The curious reader will desire probably to 
 see it, and it follows : 
 
 " Right Honourable, 
 " We did this afternoon receive from the 
 king's majesty, and committee of estates, 
 a letter desiring and requiring us to repair to 
 Perth, against the 19th of this instant, for 
 the effect therein specified ; and albeit the 
 
160 
 
 ,^f,, diet assigned to us be very short, 
 yet should we have striven to keep 
 that day, if one of us had not been under so 
 great weakness of body at this time, as that 
 he hath come Httle abroad in the congrega- 
 tion where we serve, these ten days past : 
 therefore we entreat so much favour of your 
 lordship, as to signify to the king's majesty, 
 and the committee of estates, that it is not 
 from any disrespect to their letter, or from 
 any purpose to disobey their commands, that 
 we did not immediately, upon the receipt of 
 their advertisement, hasten to wait upon 
 whatsomever they had to signify to us, but 
 merely upon the ground we have already re- 
 presented unto your lordship ; and you will 
 be pleased withal to show them, that if the 
 Lord shall please to give any probable mea- 
 gm-e of strength to him who hath been in- 
 firm those days past, that both of us shall 
 attend at Perth towards the end of this 
 week; or if he shall not be able to travel, 
 that the other of us shall come with the 
 mind of both. We commend your lordship 
 to God, and continue, 
 
 " Your affectionate servants, 
 
 " Mr. James Guthrie. 
 
 " Mr. David Bennet." 
 
 Accordingly, February 22d, I find the 
 ministers of Stirling appearing at Perth, 
 where they gave in the following paper 
 signed, to the committee, which, with what 
 followed upon it, being much insisted upon 
 in Mr. Guthrie's trial, I shall here insert : 
 
 Protestation of the ministers of Stirling, Feb- 
 ruary 22d, 1C51. 
 
 " Whereas the king's majesty and your 
 lordships have been pleased, upon a narra- 
 tive relating to our doctrine and ministerial 
 duties, to desire and require us to repair to 
 this place against the 19th of this instant, 
 that, after hearing of us, such a course might 
 be taken as shall be found most necessary 
 for the good and safety of the place where 
 we serve in the ministry : therefore con- 
 ceiving the judicatories of the church to be 
 the only proper judges of our doctrine, and 
 carriage in those things that concern our 
 ministerial calling, as we do, from the respect 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 we owe to the king's majesty and your lord- 
 
 ships' authority, compear before you, being 
 desirous to hear what is to be said to us, 
 and ready to answer thereunto ; so we hum- 
 bly protest, that it is with preservation of the 
 liberties and privileges of the church of Scot- 
 land, and of the servants of Jesus Christ, in 
 those things that do relate to their doctrine, 
 and the duties of their ministerial function. 
 And though we be most willing in all things 
 to render a reason to those who ask us of 
 our faith ; and in a more special way to the 
 king's majesty, and your lordships, a reason 
 of our writing to the commission of the gen- 
 eral assembly, a letter containing the grounds 
 of our stumbHng at the present resolutions 
 of kirk and state, in order to a levy, and of 
 our preaching against these resolutions, as 
 involving a conjunction with the malignant 
 party in the land, which we hold to be con- 
 trary to the word of God, and the solemn 
 league and covenant, and to our solemn vows 
 and engagements, and to the constant tenor 
 of the declarations, warnings, remonstrances, 
 causes of humiliations, and resolutions of 
 this kirk these years past, and to be destruc- 
 tive to the covenant and cause of God, and 
 scandalous and offensive to the godly, and a 
 high provoking of the eyes of the Lord's 
 glory, and of our protesting against and ap- 
 pealing from the desire and charge of the 
 commission of the general assembly in this 
 particular, and of our persisting to preach 
 the same doctrine still ; yet that our com- 
 pearing before the king's majesty and your 
 lordships, doth not at all import any acknow- 
 ledgment in us, that his majesty and your 
 lordships are the proper judges of those 
 things. And this our protestation we make, 
 not from any disrespect to the king's majesty 
 or your lordships' authority, nor from any 
 purpose to decline or disobey the same in 
 any thing ci\Til, but from the tender regard 
 which we have and owe unto the liberties 
 and privileges of the church of Jesus Christ, 
 which both the king's majesty, and your 
 lordships, and we, are in so solemn waj' 
 bound to maintain and preserve inviolable. 
 We do acknowledge the king's majesty and 
 your lordships are the lawful civil power and 
 authority in the land, to whom we owe, and 
 
CHAP 
 
 "•] 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 shall be most willing and ready to jield ' humble excuse, and appearance be- 
 
 obedience in all things, which the king and 
 your lordships shall command, according to 
 the will of God ; or if in any thing his or 
 your commands to us shall fall out to be 
 contrary to that rule, we shall patiently, 
 in the Lord's strength, submit ourselves to 
 any civil censure and punishmevt inflicted 
 upon us because of our denying obedience to 
 the same. 
 
 " James Guthrie, 
 " David Bennet." 
 " Perth, February 22d, 1651." 
 
 What passed in the committee, upon 
 their giving in this paper, I have seen no 
 particular accounts of, and only from the 
 ministers' following paper observe, that by a 
 second letter the matter was delayed for 
 some days, and put off till the king's return 
 from Aberdeen ; and in the meantime the 
 two ministers were confined to Perth and 
 Dundee, whereupon they offered a second 
 paper, February 28th, which was read, and 
 the tenor of it follows. 
 
 Ministers of Stirling, their second Protes- 
 tation. 
 
 " Whereas the king's majesty and your 
 .ordships have been pleased, upon a narra- 
 tive relating to our doctrine and ministerial 
 duties, to desire and require us to repair 
 to this place, against a certain day contained 
 in your letter, viz. the 19th of February; 
 in answer whereunto we excused ourselves, 
 that we could not so precisely come hither, 
 because of bodily indisposition of the one 
 of us, known to be of verity, promising 
 withal to wait on his majesty and your 
 lordships so soon as the Lord shall remove 
 
 l6l 
 
 1661. 
 
 fore your lordships, it hath pleased 
 his majesty and the committee of estates, 
 not only to require us to come again to 
 this place, which upon the first letter 
 we have been careful to do with all 
 possible diligence ; but also to ordain that 
 v.e should stay here, or at Dundee, tUl 
 his majesty's return from Aberdeen, that, 
 in a full meeting of the committee, such 
 course might be taken as might be found 
 most conducing for the safety of that place 
 where we serve in the ministry, as his ma- 
 jesty and your lordships' second letter, of the 
 date February 20th, 1651, bears. Wliich let- 
 ter, albeit it came not to our hands before the 
 time of our appearing before your lordships, 
 and was then delivered and communicated to 
 us ; yet in relation thereunto, we have like- 
 wise offered to your lordships' assurance that 
 we should return hither against his majesty's 
 coming back from Aberdeen; until which 
 time his majesty and your lordships' letter 
 did continue and delay the business; as 
 also was declared by your lordships at 
 our appearance before you : notwithstanding 
 whereof your lordships have not been 
 I pleased to accept of any such assurance, 
 i nor to allow us your liberty to repair to 
 our charges till that time. And albeit this 
 seems strange to us, especially in a matter 
 of our ministerial function, and yet in de- 
 pendance, between the church judicatories 
 and us, undecided; nevertheless, that we 
 even should not so much as seem in any 
 wise to irritate, yea, that offence be not in 
 any wise taken by any, especially by the 
 civil magistrate, do resolve, for preventing 
 of mistakes, and testifying our respect to 
 civil authority, to endeavour to satisfy such 
 
 the necessity of our delay ; and in case of i an appointment so far as we can, without 
 the not removal thereof, the other should ! prejudice to our conscience, and the liberties 
 
 come towards the end of that week, with 
 the mind of both : and we accordingly 
 appearing before your lordships, did show 
 how willing we were to hear what was to 
 be said unto us, and to answer thereunto, 
 as is contained in oiu- protestation and 
 declaration, formerly given in to your lord- 
 ships thereanent : yet, nevertheless in the 
 interval of time betwixt his majesty's and 
 
 of our ministry, and the solemn bonds and 
 obligations that lie upon us to preach the 
 gospel in the stations where God set us, 
 adhering always to our former declaration 
 and protestation. Likeas, we do now pro- 
 test, that we do not hereby acknowledge 
 his majesty and your lordships to be com- 
 petent judges to presbyterial acts and letters, 
 or our ministerial function, or preaching, or 
 
 your lordships' receipt and reading of our ; any part thereof, which are the subject 
 
162 
 
 , ^ „ J matter of your lordships' Ietter,requi- 
 sition, and ordinance ; because that 
 they are ecclesiastical, and belong to ecclesi- 
 astical assemblies, as the only proper judges 
 thereof; and because neither the presbytery 
 of Stirling, who are the proper authors of the 
 foresaid letter, which is the first ground of the 
 foresaid requisition and ordinance, nor have 
 we been convened therefore before any 
 ecclesiastic judicatory, neither were ever 
 convened or convinced for breach of any 
 ecclesiastical act in the premises ; and so 
 there has proceeded no antecedent sentence 
 of the said judicatories, finding that we 
 have violated any act of the church, in 
 preaching against the present way of levy, or 
 that we have ill or unwarrantably appealed 
 from the commission of the general assembly 
 their desire and charge to us in that par- 
 ticular. And also we humbly protest, that 
 there be reserved to us all remedy com- 
 petent of the law, against the injury we 
 suffer by being thus convened and confined 
 by a civil judicatory, and having your liberty 
 refused to us to return to oui* charges, 
 notwithstanding of assurance offered to 
 attend at the time to which our business 
 is continued ; seeing this procedure is con- 
 trary not only to divine law, the word of 
 God, the covenant, and solemn engagements 
 unto the acts of our church; but also to 
 the acts of parliament, and laws of this 
 kingdom, and established rights, pri\Tleges, 
 and liberties of the judicatories of the kirk. 
 And upon supposal that his majesty and 
 your lordships were competent judges of 
 these things, which we do not acknowledge, 
 but protest against, for the reasons con- 
 tained in this and our former protestation, 
 and for many other reasons of that kind ; 
 yet the hearing of parties before judgment 
 passed upon them, being a part of that 
 native liberty, that is due to all men, who 
 do not by their wilful absence from, and 
 contempt of the judicatory, forfault the 
 same, as being founded on the light of 
 nature, common equity, and reason, and 
 agreeable to the word of God, and laws of 
 all nations ; and the king's majesty and 
 your lordships having, in your first letter 
 to us, propounded that method of proceed- 
 ing with us: notwithstanding thereof, and 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 our undertaking to compear in competent 
 
 time, his majesty and your lordships have, 
 without hearing us, passed such a judgment 
 in reference to us ; therefore we also protest 
 against such method of procedure, as being 
 contrary to that liberty which is due to us, 
 and which we may justly challenge as 
 subjects, and which his majesty and your 
 lordships are bound by the light of nature, 
 law of God, the covenant, and laws of the 
 land, to maintain and preserve inviolable. 
 And albeit we do not resolve, upon any 
 light consideration, to depart from this 
 place, or from Dundee, where his majesty 
 and your lordships have commanded us to 
 stay till his majesty's return from Aberdeen, 
 but for preventing of mistakes, and testifying 
 our respects to civil authority, to endeavour, 
 as we have already declared, to satisfy such 
 an appointment, so far as we can, without 
 prejudice to our consciences, the liberty of 
 our ministry, and the solemn bonds and 
 obligations upon us to preach the gospel in 
 the stations wherein God hath set us : yet 
 do we protest, that our staying here, or at 
 Dundee, may not be esteemed or inter- 
 preted an acknowledgment of the ordinance 
 in reference to our stay ; but that notwith- 
 standing thereof, it is still frete for us to 
 make use of all these privileges and liberties 
 which are due to us as ministers of Jesus 
 Christ, in as free a way in time coming, as 
 we might have done before our compearing 
 before your lordships, or having any such 
 ordinance intimate to us. 
 
 " James Guthrie. 
 
 " David Bennet." 
 " Perth, February 28th, 1651." 
 
 Those protestations are so fully spoken 
 to, and the arguments the authors of them 
 had in their defence, set down in Mr. 
 Guthrie's first speech before the parliament, 
 afterwards to be insert, that I shall say 
 nothing of them here. I can give no 
 further account of the procedure of the 
 committee of estates in this affau', save 
 that the king and they thought fit to dismiss 
 the two ministers, and to go no further on 
 in this matter. Yet now ten years after, 
 this is trumped up, and made a principal 
 article of Mi*. Guthrie's indictment, after 
 
CHAP. If.] OF THK CHURCH 
 
 he had suffered not a little for his loyalty 
 to the king. I have it from good hands, 
 that Mr. Guthrie defended the king's right in 
 a public debate with Hugh Peters, Oliver's 
 chaplain, and from the pulpit he asserted 
 the king's title, in the hearing of the English 
 officers : but now all this nuist be forgot, 
 and give way to a personal picjue Middleton 
 had against him; which brings me to the 
 other passage relative to Mr. Guthrie, which 
 I promised, and it lets us into the real 
 spring of the hard measure this excellent 
 man met with. 
 
 By improving of an affi'ont the king met 
 with in the year 1650, some malignants, as 
 then they were termed, prevailed so to 
 heighten his majesty's fears of evil designs 
 against him by some about him, that a cor- 
 respondence with the malignants, papists, 
 and such who were disaffected to the cove- 
 nant in the north, was set on foot. Matters 
 were brought in a little time to such a pass, 
 as a considerable number of noblemen, 
 gentlemen, and others, were to rise and 
 form themselves into an army, under Mid- 
 dleton's command; and the king was to 
 cast himself to their arms and management. 
 Accordingly the king, upon a sudden, with 
 a few in his company, as if he had been 
 going to the hunting, left his fastest friends, 
 crossed Tay, and came into Angus, where 
 he was to have met with those people. 
 The circumstances of this story are to be 
 had in the historians of that time. But the 
 king soon found himself disappointed, and 
 came back to the committee of estates, 
 where indeed his strength and safety lay. 
 Meanwhile several, who had been upon the 
 plot of engaging his majesty to go and head 
 the north, fearing punishment, got together 
 under Middleton's command. General Lesly 
 mai'ched against them, and the king wrote 
 to them most earnestly to lay down their 
 anns, and the committee of estates send an 
 indemnity to such as should submit. 
 
 While the state are thus dealing with 
 them, the commission of the assembly 
 were not wanting to show their zeal for 
 the king, against such who ventured to 
 disturb the public peace. And it is said, 
 RL'. James Guthrie there proposed sumraar 
 
 163 
 
 1661. 
 
 OF SCOTLAND, 
 
 excommunication, as a censure Mid- 
 dleton deserved, and as what he 
 took to be a seasonable testimony from the 
 church at this juncture. This highest sen- 
 tence was carried in the commission by a 
 plurality of votes, and Mr. Guthrie is aji- 
 pointed the very next sabbath, and accord- 
 ingly did pronounce that censure upon Mid- 
 dleton in the church of Stirling. 
 
 When the committee of estates had 
 agreed, not without some debate, to an 
 indemnity to Middleton, and had hope to 
 get matters some way compromised in the 
 north, there was one sent express to 
 Stirling, with accounts how things stood, 
 and a letter desiring Mr. Guthrie to forbear 
 the intimation of the commission's sentence. 
 I am told, this letter came to Mr. Guthrie, 
 just when going into the pulpit, and he did 
 not open it till the work was over; and 
 though he had opened it, it may be doubted, 
 if he would have ventured to delay the ex- 
 ecution of the sentence of the commission, 
 which he was obliged to pronounce, and 
 could not cut and carve in, upon a private 
 missive to himself. Thus the sentence was 
 inflicted, and it was believed Middleton 
 never forgot nor forgave what Mr. Guthrie 
 did that day ; though I find the commission 
 of the church, January 3d, 1651, at their 
 next meeting, did relax Middleton from 
 that censure, and hiid it upon a far better 
 man, colonel Strachan. However after this, 
 Middleton conceived such prejudice against 
 Mr. Guthrie, as abundantly discovered itself 
 in his trial before the session of parliament. 
 So, January, or February 1661, Mr. Guthrie 
 was brought to Edinburgh, and had his 
 indictment given him by the king's advocate 
 for high treason. 
 
 It is pity we have not this case in print, 
 as well as that of his fellow-martyr the mar- 
 quis. I have not seen his indictment at 
 large, nor the answers formed by his law- 
 yers, among whom Sir John Nisbet was 
 one : had we those, I doubt not but the ini- 
 quity and injustice of his severe sentence 
 would fully appear. To retrieve the want 
 of those, I shall put together what hints I 
 have met with as to his trial, and give his 
 own excellent speeches before the parlia- 
 
164 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 jggj ment, hitherto not published for 
 
 what I know ; and from those the 
 
 state of his process will pretty clearly appear. 
 
 February 20th, he was first before the 
 parliament. The chancellor told him he 
 was called before them, to answer to the 
 charge of high treason, a copy whereof he 
 had received ; and the lord advocate pro- 
 posed his indictment might be read, which 
 the house went into. The heads of his 
 dittay were, " 1. His contriving, consenting 
 to, and exhibiting before the committee of 
 estates, the paper called. The Western Re- 
 monstrance. 2. His contriving, writing and 
 publishing that abominable pamphlet called, 
 The Causes of God's Wrath. 3. His con- 
 triving, writing, and subscribing to the paper 
 called, The humble Petition, of the 23d of 
 August last, when he was apprehended. 4. 
 His convocating of the king's lieges at seve- 
 ral times, without warrant or authority, to 
 the disturbance of the peace of the state and 
 of the church. 5. His declaring his majesty, 
 by his appeal and protestation, incapable to 
 be judge over him, which he presented at 
 Perth : 6. And some treasonable expres- 
 sions he was alleged to have uttered in a 
 meeting, 1650 or 1651." 
 
 His indictment being read, he had an ex- 
 cellent speech to the parliament. It is con- 
 siderably long ; but containing the best and 
 almost the only account I can give of his 
 case, I have chosen rather to put it here 
 than in the appendix. 
 
 " My Lord Chancellor, 
 " I being indicted at the instance of Sir 
 John Fletcher, his majesty's advocate, for 
 his majesty's interest, upon things alleged to 
 be seditious and treasonable, I humbly de- 
 sire, and from your equity expect, that ray 
 lord commissioner his grace will patiently 
 and without interruption hear me, as to a 
 few things which I have to say for myself, in 
 answer to that indictment : and that I may 
 proceed therein distinctly, following the order 
 of the indictment itself, I shall speak first a 
 word to the laws that are mentioned and 
 acted, whereby I am to be judged ; then to 
 the things whereof I am accused concerning 
 those laws. 
 
 [book I. 
 
 " I am glad that the law of God is named 
 in the first place; it being indeed the su- 
 preme law, not only of religion, but also of 
 righteousness, to which all other laws ought 
 to be squared and subordinate ; and there 
 being an act of the 1st pari, king James VI. 
 whereby all clauses of laws or acts of parlia- 
 ment, repugnant to the word of God, are re- 
 pealed, an act most worthy of a christian 
 king and kingdom, I hope your lordships, in 
 all your proceedings, will give most respect 
 to this, that I may be judged by the law of 
 God especially, and by other laws in subor- 
 dination thereunto. 
 
 " As to those laws and acts of parliament, 
 mentioned in the indictment, concerning his 
 majesty's royal prerogative, and declining his 
 majesty's judgment and authority, and keep- 
 hig of conventions ; I hope it will not be de- 
 nied that they are to be understood accord- 
 ing to the sense and meaning that is given 
 thereof by posterior acts of parliament, it 
 being a maxim in law, no less true than 
 equitable, that when there is any seeming Or 
 real contradiction betwixt laws, posteriora 
 derogant prioribus ; otherwise laws, instead 
 of being preservatives to states and common- 
 wealths, might prove nets to entangle the 
 lives, reputations, and estates of the subjects : 
 and it must also be granted, that laws and 
 acts of parliament are to be understood and 
 expounded by our solemn public vows and 
 covenants, contracted with God by his ma- 
 jesty and subjects, which are not only de- 
 clared by the laws of the land, to have the 
 strength of acts of parliament, but both by 
 the law of God, and common law, and hght 
 of all the nations in the world, are more 
 binding and indispensable than any municipal 
 law and statute whatsomever. 
 
 " As to those acts of parliament that are 
 cited against scandalous, slanderous, and un- 
 true speeches, to the disdain, contempt, and 
 reproach of his majesty's authority ; I think 
 I need not say, that none, much less his 
 majesty's commissioner, and this honourable 
 court of parliament, does understand them 
 of truths pronounced in sobriety, b;-' those 
 who have a lawful call thereunto ; and that 
 those acts which speak against the meddling 
 in the affairs of his majesty and state, are 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 165 
 
 not to be understood of such meddling as 
 men are bound unto by virtue of their calling, 
 and wherein they do not transgress the 
 bounds of it. 
 
 " The next thing I shall speak to, are the 
 particulars wherewith I am charged, con- 
 cerning which I shall give your lordships a 
 true and ingenuous account of my accession 
 thereunto, knowing that I stand in the sight 
 of him who sits in the assembly of the gods. 
 Next, I shall be bold to offer to your lord- 
 ships some defences for vindicating my cju"- 
 riage from the breach of his majesty's laws, 
 and exempting me from the punishment ap- 
 pointed thereby. 
 
 " As to the matters of fact I am charged 
 with in the indictment, I am first charged in 
 general, of being culpable of sundry seditious 
 and treasonable remonstrances, declarations, 
 positions, instructions, letters, preachings, 
 declamations. To which I say, that gener- 
 alia non pungunt, they canhave no strength 
 in the inferring of a crime or guilt, except in 
 so far as they are instanced in particulars ; 
 but arc like to those uiiiversalia which have 
 no foundation in re, mere chimeras or no- 
 tions. 
 
 " Only one thing there is in that general 
 charge, that I cannot, and ouglit not to pass, 
 to wit, that I have seditiously and traitor- 
 ously purposed the eradicating and subvert- 
 ing of the fundamental government of this 
 his majesty's ancient kingdom, at least the 
 enervating, or violating, or impairing of his 
 authority, &c. concerning which I am bold 
 to say, it is an unjust charge; there was 
 never any such pui'pose or design in my 
 heart : and since I am thus charged, I may 
 ■A-ithout vanity, or breach of the law of so- 
 briety, affirm, that as I had never any com- 
 pliance with the counsels or designs of the 
 late usurping powders, against his majesty's 
 royal father, or himself, or against his king- 
 dom, or the ancient government thereof, or 
 of the kingdoms of England or Ireland ; so 
 was there no part of their ungodly or unjust 
 actings, but I did^ in my station and calling, 
 bear open and public testimony against the 
 same, both by word and writ ; which is a 
 thing better known and manifest than that I 
 can be liable to suspicion therein, many of 
 these testimonies being given oefore many. 
 
 1661. 
 
 and many of them being extant to 
 the world, and such as will be ex- 
 tant to posterity. 
 
 " My lord, albeit it does become me to 
 adore God in the holiness and wisdom of 
 his dispensations, yet I can hardly refrain 
 from expressing some grief of spirit, that my 
 house and family should not only be so many 
 months together cessed by a number of 
 English soldiers, and myself kept from the 
 pulpit for preaching and speaking against the 
 tender, and incorporating this nation in one 
 commonwealth with England ; and that I 
 should thereafter, in time of Oliver Crom- 
 well his usurping the government to himself 
 under the name of protector, being delated 
 by some, and challenged by sundry of his 
 counsel in this nation, for a paper published 
 by me, wherein he was declared to be an 
 usurper, and his government to be usurpa- 
 tion ; that I shoidd have been threatened to 
 have been sent to the court for writing a 
 paper against Oliver Cromwell his usurpmg 
 the crown of these kingdoms ; that I should 
 have been threatened with banishment for 
 concurring in offering a large testimony 
 against the evil of the times, to Richard 
 Cromwell his council immediately after his 
 usurping the goverrunent ; I say, my lord, it 
 grieves me, that, notwithstanding of all those 
 things, I should now stand indicted before 
 your lordships, as intending the eradicating 
 and subverting of the ancient civil govern- 
 ment of this nation, and being subservient to 
 that usurper in his designs. The God of 
 heaven knows that I am free of this charge ; 
 and I do defy all the world, allowing me 
 justice and fair proceeding, which I hope 
 your lordships will, to make out the same 
 against me. 
 
 " The first particular wherewith I am 
 charged in the indictment, is, that I did com- 
 pile and draw up a paper, commonly called 
 The Remonstrance, and presented it, or 
 caused it to be presented to his majesty and 
 committee of estates, October 22d, 1650. 
 To which I answer, by denying that part of 
 the incUctment. I never did compile or con- 
 trive that Remonstrance, nor did I present 
 it, or cause it to be presented to the com- 
 mittce of estates, then, or at any other time. 
 I indeed being a member of the commission 
 
1G6 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 J ^j, I of the general assembly, when they 
 gave their judgment upon it, did 
 dissent from the sentence which they passed 
 upon it, which cannot be reckoned any culp- 
 able accession thereunto, every man being 
 free, without hazard or punishment, and 
 bound in conscience, as before God, to give 
 his judgment freely in the judicatory where- 
 of he is a member. If it be alleged that I 
 did afterwards abet the same in the book of 
 The Causes of God's Wrath, in the 6th 
 Book, in the 9th Article thereof, by assert- 
 ing the rejecting of the discovery of the 
 guiltiness contained therein to have been a 
 sin. It is answered, 1st, That it was no more 
 than the asserting of my former dissent. 
 2dly, That it was no more upon the matter, 
 than was acknowledged and asserted by the 
 whole commission of the general assembly, 
 when they passed sentence upon it ; in 
 which sentence it is acknowledged, that it 
 did contain many sad tniths which yet were 
 not received, nor any effectual remedy en- 
 deavoured for the helping the evils repre- 
 sented thereby. 3dly, It cannot be ac- 
 counted culpable in a minister of the gospel, 
 who is thereunto bound by virtue of his 
 calling, to assert the rejecting of the disco- 
 very of guiltiness to be a sin. 
 
 " The next particular I am charged with, 
 is the book of The Causes of God's Wrath, 
 especially the fifth and sixth articles there- 
 of, which are particulars, I believe, upon the 
 looking thereof, will not be found to con- 
 tain any just matter of accusation, much less 
 matter of sedition and treason ; there being 
 nothing mentioned therein, but the disco- 
 very of the sin of covetousness, and abuse 
 of the public faith of the land in borrowing 
 money. But because I did apprehend it was 
 the fifth or sixth step of the 9th article was 
 intended by my lord advocate, I humbly 
 profess to your lordships and this honour- 
 able court of parliament, that I am very un- 
 willingly drawn forth to speak of those 
 things, and shall only say, 1st, That the God 
 of heaven is witness, my accession thereunto 
 did not flow from any disrespect unto, or 
 dissatisfaction with his majesty's person or 
 government, much less from any malicious 
 purpose to render him odious to the world 
 or to his subjects, or to give advantage to 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [_BOOK I. 
 
 his enemies and the enemies of these king- 
 doms, or from any purpose in any thing to 
 be subservient to the designs or actings of 
 the late usurping powers; but merely and 
 singly from a constraining power of con- 
 science, to be found faithful, as a minister of 
 the gospel, in the discovering of sin and 
 guiltiness, that it being taken with and re- 
 pented of, wrath might be taken away from 
 the house of the king, and from these king- 
 doms. Your lordship knows what charge 
 is laid upon the ministers of the gospel to 
 give faithful wai-ning to all sorts of persons, 
 and how they expose their own souls to the 
 hazard of eternal damnation, and the guilt of 
 the blood of those with whom they have to 
 do, if they do not this ; and you do also 
 know that the prophets and apostles of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ himself, did faithfully 
 warn all men, though it was their lot, be- 
 cause of the same, to be reckoned traitors 
 and seditious persons, and to suffer as evil- 
 doers on the account thereof. Next, my 
 lord, I wish it may be seriously pondered, 
 that nothing is asserted in these causes as 
 matter of sin and duty, but what hath been 
 the common received doctrine of the church 
 of Scotland, as may appear from the records 
 of the work of reformation from popery, 
 from the national covenant, and solemn 
 league and covenant, and the public declara- 
 tions and acts of this church and kingdom, 
 concerning the necessary security of religion ; 
 the truth of M'hich doctrine is confirmed 
 from the word of God, and divine reason, in 
 those public papers themselves ; tmd as to 
 matters of fact, they are no other than are 
 mentioned in the solemn public causes of 
 humiliation condescended upon, and kept by 
 the whole church jointly, and his majesty 
 and family, with the commission of the gen- 
 eral assembly, and committee of estates, be- 
 fore his coronation at Perth. As to the 
 sixth step, there is nothing therein men- 
 tioned but what is truth ; all the particulars 
 therein mentioned, even the Remonstrance it- 
 self, containing some discovery of known and 
 undeniable sins and guiltiness, the rejecting 
 whereof behoved to be a sin, and therefore 
 the asserting of it cannot be sedition and 
 treason. 
 
 " The thii'd particidar wherewith I am 
 
CHAP. II. J OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 167 
 
 charged, is the supplication at Edinl)argh, 
 August 23d, to which I acknowledge my ac- 
 cession, but deny it to be treasonable or se- 
 ditious ; because, besides the former vindi- 
 cation of my former carriage and actings 
 from the compliances with the late usurping 
 powers, and a humble profession of the sub- 
 jection, loyalty, and obedience which I owe 
 to his majesty, of my resolutions to render 
 the same unto him as the supreme and right- 
 ful magistrate over these kingdoms, and some 
 serious prayers and supplications for his 
 majesty, it doth contain nothing but a hum- 
 ble petition concerning those things, to which 
 his majesty, and all the subjects of this king- 
 dom, are engaged by the solemn and indis- 
 pensable oath of the covenant, with a sober 
 and serious representation of the danger that 
 threatens religion, and of those things that 
 are destructive unto the duties contained in 
 those articles of the covenant ; and being 
 established by law, and confirmed by the 
 public oath of God, which is more than a 
 law, a humble petition and representation, 
 concerning those things, cannot be accounted 
 sedition, or treasonable. The indictment is 
 pleased to say, that I charged his majesty 
 with dissimulation and perjury ; but there is 
 no such thing in the supplication, which doth 
 only put him in remembrance of holding fast 
 the oaths of the covenant. 
 
 " As to what is alleged against the law- 
 fulness of our meeting : it was presbyterially 
 resolved that I should keep that meeting ; 
 and suppose that had not been, yet that 
 meeting cannot fall within those acts of par- 
 liament that strike against unlawful conven- 
 tions; because every meeting for business, 
 in itself lawful, is agreeable to the word of 
 God and laws of the land, and when kept 
 without tumult and multitude, such as that 
 was, needs no particidar warrant from autho- 
 rity ; as may be instructed from several other 
 meetings up and down the land every day, 
 for several sorts of business. Are there not 
 some meetings kept by persons of all sorts 
 in all the parts of the country, in reference 
 to application to judicatories, and the su- 
 preme magistrate, for civil interest and right ? 
 and if so, how much more may ministers 
 meet for the supplicating his majesty for the 
 interest and rights of Jesus Christ, keeping 
 
 lfi61 
 
 themselves for the matter of their 
 I supplication within the bounds of 
 i the covenant, and of those things which arc 
 established by law ? yea, such meetings are 
 clearly exempted from the breach of those 
 acts of parliament by a posterior act of par- 
 liament, viz. act 29, pari. 2, Charies I. 
 
 " As to the last particular of the indict^ 
 ment, to wit, my declining of his majesty's 
 authority, I acknowledge I did decline the 
 civil magistrate as a competent judge of 
 ministers' doctrine in the first instance. His 
 authority in all things civil, I do with all my 
 heart acknowledge, and that according to the 
 Confession of Faith in this church ; and that 
 the conservation and purgation of religion 
 belongs to him as civil magistrate, and that 
 ecclesiastical persons are not exempted from 
 obedience to civil authority and the com- 
 mands thereof, nor from punishment in case 
 of their transgression : but that the declin- 
 ing of the civil magistrate his being judge of 
 ministers' doctrine in the first instant, may 
 appear not treason and sedition, but lawful 
 and warrantable, I do humbly offer, 
 
 " 1st, That such dechnatures are agreeable 
 to the rule of God's word, and to the Con- 
 fession of Faith, and doctrine of this church, 
 confirmed and ratified in parliament by many 
 several acts, and therefore have the strength 
 both of divine and human laws. That they 
 are agreeable to God's word is evident from 
 this, that the Scriptures do clearly hold forth 
 that Christ hath a visible kingdom which 
 he exerces in or over his visible members 
 by his spiritual officers, which is wholly dis- 
 tinct from the civil power and government of 
 the world, and not depending upon, or sub- 
 ordinate to those governments and the acts 
 thereof, John xviii. 36, 37. Matth. xvi. 19. 
 John XX. 23. That they are agreeable to 
 the Confession of Faith and doctrine of this 
 church is evident, because those do acknow- 
 ledge no head over the visible church of 
 Christ but himself, nor any judgment or 
 power in or over his church, but that which 
 he hath committed to the spiritual office- 
 bearers thereof under himself: and therefore 
 it hath been the ordinary practice of this 
 kirk, in such cases, to use such declinatures, 
 since the time of the reformation from 
 popery; as may appear from many clear. 
 
IGS 
 
 l„„, undeniable and approven instances, 
 extant in the acts of the general 
 assembly, and records of this chmxh, parti- 
 cularly those of Mr. David Black, 1596, 
 which was owned and subscribed by three or 
 four hundred ministers, besides sundry others 
 which are well known. And I believe, my 
 lord, this is not only the doctrine ©f the 
 church of Scotland, but of many sound pro- 
 testant divines, who give unto C^sar the 
 things that are Caesar's, and to God the 
 things that are God's. 
 
 " 2d. Such declinatures are agreeable to, 
 and founded upon the national covenant, and 
 solemn league and covenant, by which the 
 king's majesty himself, and all the subjects 
 of this kingdom, are bound to maintain the 
 doctrine, worship, discipline, and govern- 
 ment of this church, with solemn vows and 
 public oaths of God; which hath always in 
 all kingdoms, states, and republics, been ac- 
 counted more sacred and binding than any 
 municipal law or statute whatsomever ; and 
 being posterior to the act of parliament 1584, 
 do necessarily include a repeahng of it. 
 
 " Upon these grounds it is that I gave in, 
 and do assert that declinature for vindicat- 
 ing the crown, dignity, and royal prerogative 
 of Jesus Christ, who is King of kings, and 
 liOrd of lords ; but with all due respect to 
 his majesty, his greatness and authority. 
 
 " As to that act of parliament, 1584, it 
 was made in a time wherein the settled 
 government of this church by presbyteries 
 and synods was wholly overturned, and their 
 actings utterly discharged, and the deposi- 
 tions of ministers, and things properly spi- 
 ritual and ecclesiastical, put into the hand of 
 the civil magistrate. Further I do assert, 
 that that act, in so far as concerns decliners, 
 hath, since the making thereof, been often 
 repealed and rescinded, and stands repealed 
 and rescinded now at the downsitting of 
 this parliament. 
 
 " It was reversed and annulled by a pos- 
 terior act, 1592, viz. 1st act, 12th pari. 
 James VI. in the last section of which it is 
 expressly declared, ' that that act, 1584, 
 shall noways be prejudicial, nor derogate 
 any thing from the privilege God hath given 
 the spiritual officers in the church, con- 
 cerning heads of religion, matters of heresy. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK 1. 
 
 collation, or deprivation of ministers, or 
 
 any such like essential censui'e, especially 
 grounded upon, and having warrant from the 
 word of God.' But so it is, that the free- 
 dom and independency of the spiritual office- 
 bearers of the church of God, in things ec- 
 clesiastic that concerned their calling, is a 
 special privilege, and a special head of reli- 
 gion ; and that the free discovery of the sins 
 of all persons, by ministers, in theii- doctrine 
 from the word of God, is an essential cen- 
 sure, grounded upon, and having warrant 
 from the word of God. 
 
 " And accordingly, king James VI., anno 
 1585, considering the great offence given 
 and taken by that act, 1584, did, for remov- 
 ing thereof, send a declaration penned and 
 signed with his own hand, to the commis- 
 sioners of the kirk of Scotland at Linlith- 
 gow, December 7th, which, he saith, shall be 
 as good and valid as any act of parliament 
 whatsomever ; in which declaration he hath 
 these words : ' I for my part shall never, 
 neither ought my posterity, ever summon or 
 apprehend any pastor or teacher, for mat- 
 ters of doctrine, religion, salvation, heresy, 
 or true interpretation of the Scripture : but 
 accorchng to my first act, which occasions 
 the liberty of the preaching the word, ad- / 
 ministration of the sacrament, I avow the 
 same to be a matter merely ecclesiastical, 
 and altogether inexpedient to my calling; 
 and therefore shall not, nor ever ought they, 
 I mean my posterity, claim any power or 
 jurisdiction in the foresaids.' 
 
 " It is also to be considered, that that act, 
 1584, is also repealed by the 4th act, pari. 
 2, Charles I. which reckons it among the 
 evils that had sore troubled the peace of 
 kirk and kingdom, that the power of the 
 keys and kirk censures was given to persons i 
 merely civil; and therefore doth provide, / 
 that for preservation of religion, and prevent- f 
 ing of such evils in time coming, general as- 
 semblies rightly constitute, as the proper and 
 competent judge of all matters ecclesiastical, 
 hereafter be kept yearl}', and oftener pro re I 
 nata, as occasion and necessity shall require. || 
 
 " The same act, 1584, is also repealed by 
 the 6th act, pari. 2, Charles I. called 'the i 
 Act Rescissory,' which exprcsssly provides j 
 and declares, ' that the sole and cnly power oi \ 
 
niAP. 
 
 II.] 
 
 jurisdiction within tiiis church, stands in the 
 cluirch of God, as it is now reformed, and in 
 the general, provincial, and presbyterial as- 
 semblies, with kirk sessions established by 
 that act of parliament, June, 1592.' Which 
 act is expressly revived and renewed in the 
 whole heads, points, and articles thereof, in 
 the foresaid Act Rescissory, and is appointed 
 to stand in full strength, as a perpetual law 
 in all times coming, notwithstanding of what- 
 somever acts and statutes made in contrar 
 thereof, in whole or in part, which the estates 
 by that Act Rescissory, casses and annuls all 
 and whatsomever acts of pai'liament, laws, 
 or constitutions, in so fai" as they derogate, 
 and are prcjiulicial to the nature, jurisdiction, 
 discipline, and pri\'ileges of this kirk. 
 
 " By all which it is evident, that not only 
 that act, 1384, but also the 1st act, pari. 18, 
 Jaraes VI. and the 3d act, pari. 1, Charles 
 I. which ratify and establish the royal prero- 
 gative over all estates, persons, and causes 
 within this kingdom, is declared to be of no 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 estates, after the ingiun 
 
 169 
 
 1061. 
 
 thci eof, 
 and Mr. Ciuthrie sent home without 
 ever challenging him for the same, and per- 
 mitted to exercise his ministry in Stu-ling. 
 
 " Those few things, my lord, I thought fit 
 at present to say in vindication and defence 
 of my own innocence, notwithstanding of any 
 thing contained in the indictment now read 
 against me. The sum of what I have said 
 I comprise in these two: ist. That I did 
 never purpose or intend to speak or act any 
 thing disloyal, seditious, or treasonable against 
 his majesty's person, authority, or govern- 
 ment, God is my witness, and that what I. 
 have spoken, written, or acted in any of those 
 things wherewith I am charged, hath been 
 merely and singly from a principle of con- 
 science, tha-t according to the weak measure 
 of light given me of God, I might do my 
 duty in my station and calling as a minis- 
 ter of the gospel. Next, because con- 
 science barely taken is not a sufficient plea, 
 though it may extenuate, yet cannot wholly 
 
 force, in so far as the same may be extended, excuse, I do assert, that I have founded 
 
 to make the supreme magistrate the com- 
 petent and proper judge of matters spiritual 
 and ecclesiastical. I 
 
 " It is to be observed further, that it hath j 
 been lawful, and in continual practice, that I 
 his majesty's secret council hath been de- I 
 clined in sundry causes, and the cause drawn 
 to the ordinary and competent judge ; as 
 
 my speeches, and writings, and actings, in 
 those matters, on the word of God, and on 
 the doctrine, confessions of faith, and laws 
 of this church and kingdom, upon the na- 
 tional covenant of Scotland, and the solemn 
 league and covenant, betv/Lxt the three king- 
 doms of Scotland, England, and Ireland : 
 if those foundations fall, I must fall with 
 
 matters civil to the lords of session, matters ■ them ; but if they sustain and stand in judg 
 
 criminal to the chief justice, matters of di- 
 vorce to the commissaries ; yea, the meanest 
 regality in the country hath power to decline 
 the supreme judicatory. 
 
 " As to what is alleged in the close of the 
 indictment, of protesting for remeed of law 
 against his majesty, the protestation was but 
 an appendix and consequent of the other, 
 made only in reference thereunto; and a 
 protestation against any particular act for 
 remedy, according to his majesty's law, can- 
 not be treason against his majesty, there be- 
 ing no act of parliament declaring it to be so; 
 
 ment, as I hope they mil, I cannot acknow- 
 ledge myself, neither I hope will his ma- 
 jesty's commissioner, and the honourable 
 court of parliament, judge me guilty of sedi- 
 tion and treason, notwithstanding of any 
 thing contained in the indictment." 
 
 This pointed and pathetic speech wanted 
 not some influence upon the house ; but his 
 death was designed, and the process behoved 
 to go on. When he was ordered to remove, 
 he humbly craved that some time might be 
 given him to consult and advise with his law- 
 yers. This was granted, and he allowed till 
 
 and it being not authority in itself that is i the 29th to give in his peremptory defences. 
 
 protested against, but only a particular act 
 
 of the authority, against which protestations 
 
 in many cases are ordinary. Lastly, It is to 
 
 be observed, that this declinature was buried 
 
 in silence by his majesty, and committee of' 
 
 I shall only further take notice, that the 
 article in his indictment with most shadow 
 of reason insisted upon, was, his declining 
 the king's authority to judge in matters of 
 doctrine /}ri»wa instantia, and the protestation 
 Y 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 , „g , and declinature he gave in upon this, 
 above set down. This we have al- 
 ready seen he fully takes off, as what was 
 reasonable in itself, and every way legal, and 
 according to the common practice of that 
 time. To clear this matter of fact, I have 
 cast it in at the foot of the page, * a protes- 
 tation and declinature, August 22d, 1655, 
 with the summons whereupon it was given 
 in to the sheriff principal of Mid Lothian, by 
 the ministers of Edinburgh, when called be- 
 fore that civil com-t, for their praying for the 
 king contrary to the order given by the 
 usurpers. And the reader will find it comes 
 close up to Mr. Guthrie's declinature, and 
 if. signed by Mr. David Dickson and Mr. 
 Robert Douglas. And the reader will find 
 
 • Summons to tlie Ministers of Edinburgh, 
 before the SherilF, for praying for the King, 
 August 20th, 1655, with their declinature. 
 
 I, John Cockburn, summon you, Mr. James 
 Hamilton, (and so the rest of the ministers after- 
 mentioned) minister within the old kirk of 
 Edinburgh, to compear before the sheritF-prin- 
 cipal of Mid Lothian and Linlithgow, in the old 
 Exchequer-house at Edinburgh, upon the 22d 
 day of August, at two hours in the afternoon, 
 to hear and see witnesses led and deponed against 
 you, for not observing and obeying the order and 
 inhibition lately emitted by the honourable com- 
 missioners for visiting universities, against the 
 praying for the late king, and that under the 
 highest pain and charge that may follow there- 
 upon, conform unto the principal warrant di- 
 rect thereanent. Dated at Edinburgh, the 20th 
 day of August, 1655. 
 
 The Ministers' Declinature. 
 We, undersubscribing, ministers of Edinburgh, 
 having received summons to compear at this 
 diet, before the sheriff of Lothian, about a matter 
 that directly concerns our ministerial function, 
 and being unacquainted in this land with sum- 
 mons of this nature, thought it incumbent on us 
 to declare, likeas, by thir presents we do declare, 
 that by this our compearance we do not subject 
 the liberties of the kingdom of Christ, or the 
 immediate acts of our ministry, to the judgment 
 and determination of a civil judicatory; and 
 declare in all humility, according to the duty we 
 owe to our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, that 
 his ministers are not convenable for the imme- 
 diate acts of their ministry, before any civil 
 judicatory; and that we do compear only to 
 make our Master's interest known, and lest our 
 not compearing should be reckoned contempt. 
 And since, by the providence of our God, we 
 are brought here, we do earnestly desire and 
 obtest, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 whose servants we are, that nothing be done 
 prejudicial to the liberties of this kirk, and to 
 the standing ministry settled therein. Sub- 
 sciibed at Edinburgh, August 22, 1663. 
 
 David Dickson. 
 Mr. Robert Douglas. 
 Mr. Tho. Garvan. 
 
 [book I. 
 
 Mr. James Hamilton, minister at Edin« 
 burgh, his declinature at the same time:* 
 from which it is plain, that as Mr. Guthrie 
 takes notice, " there were many instances of 
 this procedure at that time well known." 
 And great numbers, as well as he, might have 
 been staged upon this score of declining civil 
 courts, as judges of doctrine, and ministerial 
 actings. Indeed those declinatures in the 
 reasoning and very phrases, agree so much 
 with Mr. Guthrie's, that one woidd think 
 they had his in their eye, when they formed 
 theirs. 
 
 I have it from very good hands, that when 
 Mr. Guthrie met with his lawyers to form 
 his defences, he very much sm'prised them by 
 his exactness in our Scots law, and suggested 
 several things to be added, which had escaped 
 his advocates. Sir John Nisbet express- 
 ed himself upon this head to those I have it 
 from, to this purpose. " If it had been in 
 the reasoning part, or in consequences from 
 scripture and divinity, I would have won- 
 
 ■• Mr. James liamiltcn's Dec^inatiire at the 
 same time. 
 
 Forasmuch as I am brought before you, the 
 sheriff of Mid Lothian, to answer in matter of the 
 discharge of my ministerial function, the judging 
 whereof, in the first instance, is only competent 
 to the officers and judicatories of the kirk of 
 Christ, our Lord and Master, according to the 
 order and government of this kirk, warranted 
 by the word of God, acknowledged and esta- 
 blished by many civil and ecclesiastical laws, 
 and peaceably possessed and enjoyed these many 
 years, to the preservation whereof this nation is 
 bound, as by many obligations, so by the nation; J 
 covenant, and both nations are obliged thereto 
 by the first article of the league and covenant : I 
 therefore, being in this case called to give testi- 
 mony for that interest, not out of any worldly 
 design or wilful obstinacy, but (my witness 
 being on high) out of zeal to the glory of God, 
 conscience of the oaths of God, love to the pre- 
 cious liberties of the kirk of Christ within this 
 kingdom, which are dearer to me than my life, 
 fear of being found accessory to the betraying 
 the interests of Christ to the power of men, and 
 desire to be found faithful in the day of my 
 accounts to the great Shepherd of souls, accord- 
 ing to the laudable examples of our worthy pre- 
 decessors, and of other reformed kirks, in tlie 
 like case, am necessitate to give this testimony, 
 against the subordinating the privileges given to 
 the officers and government of the kirk of Jesus 
 Christ, on whose shoulders the government of 
 his house lieth, unto the will and power of men ; 
 and do hereby decline your judgment, as no ways 
 competent in these matters, my appearance be- 
 fore you being only to give a reason of my 
 actions, for clearing and vindicating them, my 
 ministry, and myself from all unjust aspersions. 
 Jas. Hamit.tok. 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 dered the less he had given us some help ; 
 hut even in the matter of our own profession, 
 our statutes and acts of parliament, he 
 pointed several things which had escaped us." 
 I am likewise told, that the day before his 
 first appearing in parliament, he sent a copy 
 of his speech just now inserted, to Sir John 
 and the rest of his lawyers, at least of the 
 reasoning and law part of it, and they could 
 mend nothing in it. 
 
 The giving in his defences, and the advo- 
 cate's considering of them, took up some 
 weeks, until the 11th of April, when I find 
 him again before the parliament, and his pro- 
 cess is read over the first time. Whereupon 
 he had a most moving speech, which like- 
 wise deserves a room here. 
 
 Mr. Guthrie's speech in parliament, imme- 
 diale/i/ after the reading of his process, 
 April \Uh, 1661. 
 
 " My Lord Chancellor, 
 
 " I did, at my first appearance before his 
 majesty's commissioner, and this honourable 
 court of parliament, give an account of my 
 accession to the particulars contained in the 
 indictment, and of the grounds and reasons 
 thereof; 1 have now done it more fully in 
 my defences and duplies to the replies given 
 by my lord advocate ; in all which I have 
 dealt ingenuously and without shifting, hold- 
 ing it the duty of a christian, especially of a 
 minister of the gospel, in the matter of his 
 duty and calling, so to do. I have now only 
 to add these few words. 
 
 " I hope I have made it sufficiently to ap- 
 ]5ear, that what I have spoken, written, or 
 acted in this matter, was from no malicious 
 or sinistrous end or intention against his 
 majesty's person or government, but from a 
 principle of true piety towards God, and true 
 loyalty towards his majesty : as I have de- 
 monstrated those from the tenor of my car- 
 riage and actings, so have I herein confi- 
 dence towards God, and, in the persuasion of 
 the integrity of my soul in this particular, 
 may, with a good conscience, not only make 
 this declaration before your lordships, but 
 also hazard to step into eternity. 
 
 " Next, my lord, I hope I have made it 
 appear that besides the conformity my ac- 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 cession to these things hath with 
 
 171 
 
 1661. 
 
 the word of God, so they have a 
 foundation in the national covenant, and in 
 the solemn league and covenant, the obliga- 
 tion whereof I dare not but profess to own 
 as binding and standing on those kingdoms ; 
 and that they are agreeable to the actings 
 of public authority before the English their 
 invading of this nation, to the canons of the 
 church, laws of the kingdom, and the public 
 declared judgment both of church and state 
 before those times. And, my lord, if this 
 will not plead an oblivion and indemnity for 
 me, but that, notwithstanding of all this, I 
 shall be judged a seditious person and trai- 
 tor, not only shall the whole church and 
 kingdom of Scotland be involved in the guilt 
 of sedition and treason, and few or none 
 have any securit)' for their lives, honours, 
 and estates, further than the king's mercy 
 doth give, but also a very dangerous founda- 
 tion shall be laid in time to come, for men 
 of differing judgments, upon every emerging 
 revolution, to prosecute the worsted party 
 unto death, notwithstanding they have the 
 public authority, and the laws then standing, 
 to plead in defence of their actings. 
 
 " I know, my lord, it lieth on the spirits 
 of some as a prejudice against me, that I am 
 supposed to have been a chief instrument 
 and ringleader in those declarations, laws, 
 canons, and public actings of the kirk and 
 kingdom, which I do now plead in my own 
 defence. I shall not say that this hath any 
 rise from any, who, to lighten their own bur- 
 den, would increase mine, holding that un- 
 worthy of any man of an ingenuous spirit, 
 and most unworthy of a Christian. As I 
 charge no man in particular, with accession 
 to any of those things, so, as for myself, I 
 do for the tnith's sake ingenuously acknow- 
 ledge, that throughout the whole course of 
 my life, I have studied to be serious, and 
 not to deal with a slack hand in what I did 
 look upon as my duty ; and j-et, my lord, 
 lest I shoidd attribute to myself what is not 
 due to me, I must, for staining of pride and 
 vain glory, say, T was not honoured to be of 
 those who laid the foundation in this kirk 
 and kingdom. I am not ashamed to give 
 glory to God, in acknowledging that until the 
 year 1638, I was treading other steps, and 
 
172 
 
 1()61. 
 
 the Lord did then graciously re- 
 cover me out of the snare of prelacy, 
 ceremonies, and the service book, and a little 
 thereafter put me into the ministry. Yet I 
 never judge myself worthy to be accounted 
 a ringleader in any of these superstructures 
 of that blessed work, there being a great many 
 elder for years, and more eminent for piety, 
 parts, prudence, faithfulness, and zeal, whom 
 I did reverence and give precedency to in 
 those things. 
 
 " It may also, my lord, haply be, and a little 
 I have been informed of it, that besides any 
 thing contained in the indictment, there be 
 some other things that beai' weight upon the 
 spirits of some of the members of this house, 
 from some reports that have passed of my 
 carriage towards his majesty's royal father, 
 towards himself, and some others. As to 
 those things, my lord, if there be any thing 
 of that kind, I do most humbly and seriously 
 beg, and I think I may most justly expect, 
 both in order to justice, and to the peace of 
 their own consciences, that seeing they have 
 no proof of it, but at least have taken it upon 
 information, that they would altogether lay 
 it aside, and lay no weight upon it ; or else, 
 before they give judgment of me, they would 
 let me know of it, and allow me a fair hear- 
 ing upon it ; and if I cannot vindicate myself, 
 let me bear the weight of it. 
 
 " In the next place, my lord, knowing 
 that it is wondered at by not a few of the 
 members of this parliament, that I should 
 stand to my own justification in those things 
 whereof I am challenged, and that this is 
 looked upon as a piece of peremptory and 
 wdlful humour, which if I pleased I might 
 easily lay aside : my lord, I humbly beg so 
 nmch charity of all that hear me, as to think 
 that I have not so far left the exercise of all 
 conscience towards God, and of all reason 
 towards myself and my dearest relations in 
 the world, as upon deliberation to hazard, if 
 not cast away both my life and soul at once. 
 God knows, it is not my humour, but con- 
 science that sticks with me ; and could I lay 
 it aside, and not sin against God, and dis- 
 semble with men, by professing or confessing 
 what I think not, I should not stand in the 
 defence of one of those things for the minute 
 of an hour : but, my lord, having, with 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 prayer and supplications to the God of 
 
 truth, searched the word of God, and con- 
 sulted the judgment and practice of the re- 
 formed churches, especially our own since 
 the reformation from popery, and the writ- 
 ings of many sound and orthodox divines, 
 and having fi*equently conversed with the 
 godly ministry, and praying people of this 
 nation, and tried the pulse of their spirits 
 anent the national covenant, and solemn 
 league and covenant, the particulars con- 
 tained in them, and the superstructures that 
 have been builded upon them, and anent sin 
 and duty, and the power of the civil magis- 
 trate in matters ecclesiastical; I find my 
 practice and profession anent these, agree- 
 able to all those, and therefore cannot reckon 
 my light for humour and delusion, but must 
 hold it fast, till better guides be given mc to 
 follow. 
 
 " My lord, in the last place I shall humbly 
 beg, that, having brought so pregnant and 
 clear evidence from the word of God, so 
 much divine reason and human laws, and so 
 much of the common practice of kirk and 
 kingdom in my own defence, and being already 
 cast out of my ministry, out from my dwelling 
 and maintenance, myself and family put to 
 live on the charity of others, having now suf- 
 fered eight months' imprisonment, your lord- 
 ships would put no fm-ther burden upon me. 
 I shall conclude with the words of the pro- 
 phet Jeremiah, * Behold, I am in your hands,' 
 saith he, ' do to me what seemeth good to 
 you : I know for certain that the Lord hath 
 conamanded me to speak all those things, 
 and that if you put me to death, you shall 
 bring innocent blood on yourself, and upon 
 the inhabitants of this city.' 
 
 " My lord, my conscience I cannot sub- 
 mit, but this old crazy body and mortal flesh 
 I do submit, to do with it whatsoever you 
 v/ill, whether by death, or banishment, or 
 imprisonment, or any thing else ; only I be- 
 seech you to ponder well what profit there 
 is in my blood : it is not the extinguishing 
 me or many others, that will extinguish the 
 covenant and work of reformation since the 
 year 1638. My blood, bondage, or banish- 
 ment will contribute more for the propaga- 
 tion of those things, than my life or liberty 
 could do, though I should live many years. 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 I v.ish to ray lord commissioner his grace, 
 and to all your lordships, the spirit of judg- 
 ment, wisdom, and understanding, and the 
 fear of the Lord, that you may judge righte- 
 ous judgment, in which you may ha%'e glory, 
 the king honour and happiness, and your- 
 selves peace in the day of your accounts." 
 
 This singidar and most affecting speech 
 had very little weight in the house, by what 
 might have been expected from the native 
 eloquence, close dealing with their reason 
 and consciences, and the full removal of all 
 that could be even insinuate against this holy 
 man, contained in it ; yet it had influence 
 upon a good many of the members, who re- 
 tired after he had ended, and declared one 
 to another at their coming out of the house, 
 they would have nothing to do with the 
 blood of this righteous man. I could name 
 noblemen, and no presbyterians either, who, 
 after hearing IVIr. Guthrie till he ended, not 
 only came out themselves, but prevailed with 
 some of their friends to go with them, from 
 the strong convictions raised in them of his 
 innoccncy, by this melting speech; than 
 which I have seen little in our modern mar- 
 tyroiogies, that comes so fully up to the 
 apologies of tne primitive martyrs and con- 
 fessors, for themselves and the cause they 
 suffered for. 
 
 But his judges were determined to go on, 
 and in a very little time, that same diet, 
 though in a thin house, the relevancy of 
 the indictment was sustained, and he found 
 liable to incur the pains and penalties in the 
 acts of parliament, specified in the several 
 articles of his dittay. I do not find the day 
 of his execution named, till the 28th of 
 May, -rt-hen the parliament, after the marquis 
 of Argj'le's execution, ordain, " Mr. James 
 Guthrie and William Giffan, or Govan, to 
 be hanged at the cross of Edinburgh, Satur- 
 day June 1st, and the head of the first to be 
 affixed on the Nether Bow, his estate to be 
 confiscate, and his arms torn, and the head 
 of thfc second upon the West Port in the 
 city of Edmburgh." 
 
 It was resolved that this excellent minis- 
 ter should fall a sacrifice to private personal 
 pique, as the marquis of Argyle was said to 
 be to a more exalted revenge. I am told 
 the managers had no small debates what his 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 sentence should be. 
 
 173 
 
 166L 
 
 Mr. Guthrie 
 was dealt with, by some (sent) from 
 some of them, to retract what he had done 
 and written, and to join in with the present 
 measures ; and he was even offered a bishop- 
 ric. The other side were in no hazard in 
 making the experiment, for they might be 
 assured of his firmness in his principles. 
 A bishopric was a verj- small temptation to 
 him, and the commissioner improved his in- 
 flexibleness, and insisted to have his life 
 taken, to be a terror to others, and that they 
 might have the less opposition in erecting 
 of prelacy. Thus a sentence of death was 
 passed upon him, for his accession to the 
 Causes of God's Wrath, his writing the Peti- 
 tion last year, and the Protestations above 
 mentioned ; matters done a good many years 
 ago, and when done, not at all insisted on 
 by the king himself, and every way agreeable 
 to the word of God, and principles and prac- 
 tice of this and other churches, and the laws 
 of the kingdom.* 
 
 Since the writing of what is above, I have 
 lately had access to all the original papers 
 
 ♦■ Burnet says, " his declining^ tbe king's au- 
 thority to judge of his semnons, and his protest- 
 ing for remedy of law against him, and the late 
 seditious paper, [as he is pleased to style the peti- 
 tion of the preceding year] were the matters ob- 
 jected to him. He was a resolute and stiff man ; 
 so when his law^'ers offered him legal defences, 
 he would not he advised by them, but resolved to 
 take his own w^ay. He confessed and justified 
 all that he had done as agreeing to the principles 
 and practices of the kirk, who had asserted all 
 along, that the doctrine delivered in their ser- 
 mons did not fall under the cognizance of the 
 temporal courts till it was first judged by the 
 church, for which he bnmght much tedious 
 proof." The bishop, however, is candid enough 
 to add, though contrarj- to the assertions of some 
 of his episcopal friends, that " he gave no ad- 
 vantage to those who wished to have saved him 
 bj' the least step towards any submission, but 
 much to the contrary. I saw him suffer. He 
 wa.s so far from showing any fear, that he rather 
 expressed a contempt of death. He spoke an 
 hour upon the ladder with the composedpess of 
 one that was delivering a sermon rather than 
 his last words. He justified all he had done, 
 and exhorted :ill people to adhere to the covenant, 
 which he magnified highly." Hist, of his Own 
 Times, vol. i. pp. 180, 181. 
 
 M'Kenzie, though he repeats the foolish story 
 of his being willing to liave saved his life by sub- 
 mission, from which he was driven by the up- 
 braiding of ladies, &c. &c. sajs, " It was to be 
 regretted, that a more tractable and quiet person 
 had not the keeping of his great parts and car- 
 riage, for he was both the secretarj- and cham- 
 pion of his partv." Hist, of Scotland, pp. 50, 61. 
 —Ed. 
 
174 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ,„p, relative to Mr. Guthrie's process, 
 yet remaining at Edinburgh among 
 the warrants in the parliament house, and 
 have for the reader's satisfaction, added in a 
 note, Mr. Guthrie's indictment, his defences, 
 and the minutes of the criminal process. 
 The advocates' replies, and Mr. Guthrie's 
 duplies are likewise before me, but they are 
 so large that I have not insert them, since, 
 as far as I can judge, the state of this pro- 
 cess is fully and at length enough contained 
 in the indictment and defences, given below. • 
 
 * Indictment against Mr. James Guthrie, 
 February 7th, 1661. 
 
 Mr. James Guthrie, sometime minister at 
 Stirling, you are indicted and accused, and are 
 to answer at the instance of Sir John Fletcher, 
 knight, his mtijesty's advocate, for his majesty's 
 interest, that whereas bj' the laws of God, of 
 nations, and of all well governed realms, the 
 Cf)mmon law, municipal law, acts of parliament, 
 and practick of this his majesty's ancient king- 
 dom, especially by the first act, 18th parliament 
 of king James V I. of blessed memory, and by 
 several other acts of parliament, holden by his 
 majesty's royal predecessors, all his majesty's 
 gy id and loyal subjects are bound and obliged 
 p i-petually to acknowledge, obey, maintain, and 
 d fend, and advance the life, honour, safety, 
 dignity, sovereign authority and prerogative 
 royal of their sovereign lord and king's majesty, 
 their heirs and successors, and privileges of their 
 throne, with their lives, lands, and goods, to the 
 utmost of their power, constantly and faithfully 
 to withstand all and whatsomever persons, pow- 
 ers, or estates, who shall presume, press, or 
 intend any ways to impugn, prejudge, hurt, or 
 impair the same, and shall no ways intend, 
 attempt, enact, or do any thing to the violation, 
 hurt, derogation, impairing, prejudice of his 
 majesty's sovereign authority, prerogative, or 
 privilege of his crown, in any point or part, and 
 ^vhoever does in the contrary, to be punished as 
 traitors, and forfeit their honours, lives, lands, 
 and goods ; likeas, by the 129th act of king James 
 VI. parliament 8th, upon some treasonable, 
 seditious, and contumelious speeches uttered in 
 pulpits, schools, and otherwise, to the disdain 
 ind reproach of his majesty's progenitors and 
 council, some persons being called before his 
 raajtsty and his council, did contemptuously 
 decline his and thsir judgment in that behalf; 
 his majesty and his three estates in parliament 
 did ratify, approve, and perpetually confirm the 
 royal power and authority over all states, as well 
 spiritual as temporal, within this realm, in the 
 person of the king's majesty, their sovereign lord, 
 his heirs and successors, and did. statute and 
 ordain, that his mrtjesty, bis said heirs and suc- 
 cessors, by themselves and their council, were, 
 and in time to come should be judges competent 
 to all persons his majesty's subjects of whatsoever 
 estate, degree, function, or condition that ever 
 they may be of, spiritual or temporal, in all 
 matters wherein they or any of them shall be 
 apprehended, summoned, or charged to answer 
 to such things as shall be inquired of them by 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 One who attended Mr. Guthrie in the 
 prison, and during the whole of his trial, 
 tells me, that day he received his sentence, 
 he was removed from the bar to the outer 
 house, and in a hurry of soldiers, piu-sui- 
 vants, servants, and such like, until the clerk 
 wrote his sentence, and he well enough knew 
 the house were debating about the disposal 
 of his body ; yet this extraordinary person, 
 as afterwards he owned, never felt more of 
 the sensible presence of God, sweet intima- 
 tions of peace, and real manifestations of the 
 
 his majestj' and his said council, and that none 
 of them who shall happen to be apprehended, 
 railed, or summoned to the efl'ect aforesaid, pre- 
 sume, or take upon hand to decline the judgment 
 of his majesty, his heirs or successors, or their 
 council, in the premises, under the pain of trea- 
 son. As also by the 134th act, parliament 8fb, 
 the 10th act of the 10th parliament, the SOath 
 act, parliament 14th, king James VI. of blessed 
 memory, it is statute and ordained by his said 
 majesty and three estates in parliament, that 
 none of his subjects (of whatsoever degree, 
 function, or quality,) in time coming, shall pre- 
 sume or take upon hand, privately or publicly, 
 in sermons, declamations, or familiar conferences, 
 to utter any false, slanderous, or untrue speeches, 
 to the disdain, reproach, contempt of his ma- 
 jesty, his council, and proceedings, or to the 
 dislumour, hurt, and prejudice of his majesty, 
 his parents and progenitors, or to meddle in the 
 affairs of his majesty and his estates, present, 
 bygone, and in time coming, under the pains 
 contained in the acts of parliament made against 
 makers and tellers of leasings : and that whoso- 
 ever hears any such slanders, and reports not 
 the same with diligence, the like pains should 
 be executed against them with all rigour, as at 
 more length is contained in the said acts. And 
 also, by the act of the 26th day of November, 
 1660 years, passed by his majesty and his com- 
 mittee of estates, thereafter ratitied upon the 4th 
 day of June, 1661 years, by his majesty and his 
 estates of parliament, a paper called a remon- 
 strance, presented to the said committee upon 
 the 22d day of October, and insisted upon there- 
 after upon the 19th day of November, 1660, was 
 declared to be scandalous and injurious to his 
 majesty's person, prejudicial to his authoritj', 
 dishonourable to his kingdom, holding forth the 
 seeds of division, strengthening the hands of the 
 enemy, and weakening the hands of many 
 honest men : and also by the 131st act of the 8th 
 parliament of king James VI. it is statute and 
 ordained by his said majesty and his three 
 estates, that none of his majesty's subjects, of 
 I whatsomever quality, estate, or function they be ■ 
 of, spiritual or temporal, presume or take upon 
 hand, to convocate, convene, or assemble them- 
 selves together, for holding of councils, conven- 
 tions. Or assemblies, to treat, consult, or deter- 
 minate in any matter of estate, civil or ecclesias- 
 tical, (except in the ordinary judicatories) with- 
 out his majesty's special commandment, or ex- 
 press license had and obtained to that effect, 
 under the pains ordained by the laws and acts 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 divine love and favour, than at this very 
 time, when in that outwjird confusion : and 
 when called in, received his sentence with 
 
 of parliament, a(;ainst such as unlawfully convo- 
 late his niajcsty'S free liefjes. Nevertheless it is 
 of verity, that you the said Mi. .lames Guthrie, 
 haviiij; laid aside all fear of God, loyalty to his 
 majesty your sovereign lord and kine, natural 
 duty and atlection to your country and eoini- 
 trymen, respc^ct and obedience to the laws of all 
 well governed realms, the common law, and the 
 laws, statutes, acts of parliament, and i)ractick 
 of this his majesty's ancient kingdom, anil having 
 seditiously and traitorously intended and pur- 
 posed the eradicating and subverting the furida- 
 ment.ll government of this his majesty's ancient 
 kingdom, at le.ist the enervating, violating, dero- 
 gating, or impairing the sovereign authority, 
 roy.al prerogative, and privilege of his majesty's 
 crown, did, for raising division amongst his 
 subjects, and sedition .against his majesty's per- 
 son, dignity, authority, and privilege of his 
 crown, and, so far as in you lay, the alienating 
 of the affections, and brangling the loyalty and 
 allegiance of his majesty's people, to the great 
 encouragement and advancement of the designs 
 and attempts of that bloody usurper, Oliver 
 Cromwell, and bringing of his majesty, and his 
 ancient and your native country in subjection 
 and bondage under him, contrive, complot, 
 counsel, consult, draw uji, frame, invent, spre.id 
 abroa<l, or disperse, speak, pre.ich, declaim, or 
 utter divers and sundry vile, seditious, and 
 treasonable remonstrances, declarations, peti- 
 tions, instructions, letters, speeches, preachings, 
 declamatfoii-, and other expressions tending to 
 the vilifying and contemning, slander and re- 
 proach of his majesty, his progenitors, his per- 
 son, majesty, dignity, authority, prerogative 
 royal, and government, not only within this his 
 ancient kingdom of Scotland, but also in his 
 m.ijesty's kingdoms of England and Ireland ; 
 at least did hear ar.d conceal, and not reveal the 
 same to his majesty, nor to any of his judges or 
 officers, mentioned in the said acts of parliament ; 
 at le.ast did aid and abet, or was art and part 
 thereof, or of one or other of them, in so far as, 
 after the cruel bloody usurper, Oliver Cromwell, 
 and his accomplices, had most barbarously and 
 cruelly murdered his majesty's royal father, of 
 ever blessed memory, their dread sovereign and 
 lord, and his m.ajesty's aiTival to this his ancient 
 kingdom from foreign parts, after a most tedious 
 and dangerous voyage at sea, and after that 
 treacherous usurper, in pursuance of his horrid 
 and treasonable designs, for hindering his ma- 
 jesty to inherit that his just and lawful right to 
 the crown of the said kingdom, had, with an 
 .irmy of sectaries, invaded the same ; and that 
 God Almighty had been pleased to blast and 
 frustrate his majesty's first endeavours for op- 
 posing his said treasonable invasion, by suffering 
 his majesty's armies to fall and flee before him 
 at Dunbar, upon the 3d day of September, KioO 
 years. First, you immediately thereafter did 
 compile and draw up a paper, commonly called 
 the " Remonstrance," and presented, or caused 
 present the same to his majesty's committee of 
 estates at Perth, upon the 22d day of October, 
 wherein most treasonably you utter and belch 
 forth a great many d.imnablc and execrable 
 IcHsings, slanders, and reproaches against his 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 the greatest composure and cheer- , . 
 fulness. 
 
 The iniquity of this sentence appears fully 
 
 majesty's dearest father, of eternal memory, and 
 others his majesty's noble progenitors, their per- 
 sons, majesty, dignity, authority, and govern- 
 ment: and also, you not only disclaim his nia- 
 jesty's authority over you, and disown him in • 
 the exercise of his royal power and government, 
 in the right whereof his majesty and his pre- 
 decessors were invested by God, and in posses- 
 sion by a series of one hundred and eight pro- 
 genitors ; but also most treasonably reproach 
 others, his majesty's good subjects, for doing the 
 same, and most impiously held forth, that the 
 main and great cause of the sufferings of his 
 majesty's people, under the tyranny and opj)res- 
 sion of the bloody usurper, is the owning of his 
 majesty's interest in this his ancient kingdom, 
 and the purpose of restoring his mjijesty to his 
 throne and government of his kingdom of Eng- 
 land, from which most wretchedly and godlessly 
 you iiver, that his majesty was most justly 
 removed ; wherein also are many more bitter and 
 ignominious reflections, seditious, treacherous, 
 and treasonable expressions, tending to the con- 
 tempt and disdain, slander and reproach of his 
 majesty, his progenitors in his person, majesty, 
 dignity, authority, and government, as at more 
 length is contained in the said malicious paper, 
 and which is here repeated, as a p.irt of the libel, 
 brevitatis causa. Secondly, After it had pleased 
 God to suffer the said bloody enemies and mur- 
 derers of his majesty's roj'al fath'^r so far to pre- 
 vail as to avoid their fury and cruelty, his ma- 
 jesty was necessitate to withdraw himself from 
 his dominions, and live in foreign parts, under 
 great difficulty and hardships, (which low con- 
 dition of his m.ijesty's, might have calmed and 
 quieted the wicked and malicious spirits of his 
 majesty's rebellious subjects, at le.ist their venom- 
 ous and viperous tongues and pens) not the less 
 the bitterness and insatiable malice of you the 
 said Mr. James Guthrie, was such, that not 
 satisfied with the injuries committed by you 
 against his majesty's person, dignity and autho- 
 rity, expressed in the foresaid paper of remon- 
 strance, you did contrive, write, compile, and 
 that it might be the more public, and follow his 
 majesty beyond seas, and defame and bring him 
 in contempt with foreign princes and states, 
 caused print, i)i amw 1653 years, a seditious pam- 
 phlet, called " The Causes of God's Wrath," not 
 only containing all the former injurious, wictk- 
 ed, and seditious reflections and expressions, 
 fully set down in the foresaid p.ipers, formerly 
 condemned by a(;t of p.irliament, and expressly 
 relative thereto, but also many more malicious, 
 ignominious, dishonourable, and treasonable 
 passages, at length set down in the said pam- 
 phlet, and specially in the fifth and sixth articles 
 thereof, and enlargements in the said .irticlcs 
 which is repe.ited as a p.irt of the libel, and 
 which being considered by the said committee 
 of estates, they have found the same, by their act 
 of the d.ite the 19th day of Septeiiilier, iOGO years, 
 of so high and treasonable a nature, antl that it 
 deserves publicly to be burned with the hand of 
 the hangman, and the havers and users thereof 
 hereafter to be punished, in manner as at more 
 length is expressed in the said act. Thirdly, 
 (jod, in his gieat mercy to his majesty and his 
 
170 
 
 1661. 
 
 THE HISTOUY OF THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 from Mr. (Juthrie's own speeches time, though not unto blood, the author of 
 
 ah'eady inserted, and is very well 
 discovered by a fellow-sufferer of his at this 
 
 oppressed kingdoms, having wonderfully, con- 
 trary, and in despite of all the wicked, damnable, 
 and treasonable practices and machinations of 
 you and your accomplices, restored his majesty 
 again to his just and lawful inheritance, as to 
 the exercise of his regal power and authority in 
 all his dominions, in peaceable manner, which 
 so wonderfid and immediate acting of divine 
 providence might have justly quieted the spirits 
 of all his majesty's enemies, and have made ihem 
 acknowledge the sinfulness of their former ways 
 and courses, and that God was displeased there- 
 with, and that they had highly provoked him 
 thereby, and have made them walk more answer- 
 able to such deliverances and mercies, and have 
 behaved themselves more dutifully and obedient- 
 ly to his majesty : yet the evil spirit wherewith 
 they are possessed, prevails so in them, that the 
 moi'e they see of the Lord's appearances, the 
 more they are hardened in their former wicked, 
 malicious, and treasonable designs and attempts ; 
 and therefore knowing, that without great haz- 
 ard to themselves, (now when the Lord has 
 returned the hearts and affections of his majes- 
 ty's good subjects to him) they durst not so 
 openly and avowedly act, speak, or write against 
 his majesty, his authority or government, or any 
 ways meddle in the government, affairs, or estate 
 of either his majesty's kingdoms, as formerly 
 they have done, and as is more fully expressed 
 in the above written article ; you, in a most 
 subtile and covered manner, under the pretext 
 and cover of piety, loyalty, and zeal for religion, 
 with many insinuating expressions of your joy 
 and gladness for his majesty's restoration, and 
 your good wishes for him in time coming, did, 
 by way and in the dross and garb of an humble 
 petition to his majesty, not only most wickedly 
 calumniate, traduce, and asperse his majesty 
 with dissimulation and perjury, but also most 
 unwarrantably, seditiously, and treasonably re- 
 flect upon his majesty, and the lawful govern- 
 ment and order of his church and estate of 
 England and Ireland, and of his majesty's 
 chapel and family, and calling him to alter and 
 invert the same, and most grossly encroach upon 
 his majesty, his authority and prerogative, in 
 meddling with his majesty's affairs, and filling 
 of all places of power and trust under his 
 majesty, contrary to the foresaid laws and acts 
 of parliament, as is more fully expressed in the 
 said pretended petition, whicli is here repeated, 
 hremtatis causa, as a part of the libel. Fourthly, 
 Not only did you and your accomplices convocate 
 yourselves, but also by missive letters, commis- 
 sions, and instructions drawn up by you at tlie 
 same time, you did frame the foresaid pretended 
 petition, did presume and take upon you to con- 
 vocate and convene his majesty's subjects and 
 lieges, whereby it is evident that you have not 
 only contravened his majesty's foresaid acts of 
 parliament, made against unlawful convocations 
 of his majesty's lieges, but that your only pur- 
 pose and intent In contriving the slanderous and 
 infamous pretended petition, was to publish and 
 disperse the same, thereby to sow sedition 
 amongst his majesty's subjects, and, so far as in 
 you lay, to render his majesty and government 
 hateful and contemptible to them, as if his 
 
 the Apologetical Narration, in his fifth sec- 
 tion. Mr. Guthrie was undoubtedly one of 
 
 majesty intended to subvert the true Protestant 
 religion, and bring in popery and idolatry 
 amongst them. Pifthly, You, the said iVIr. 
 James Guthrie, being convened before his 
 majesty and committee of estates at Perth, to 
 answer for some seditious and unwarrantable 
 speeches uttered by you in your sermons, at 
 Stirling, and otherways, against his majesty, his 
 authority and laws, and having appeared, you 
 most contemptuously, disobediently, and treach- 
 erously did disclaim and decline his maji-sty 
 and his authority, and did protest for remede of 
 law against his majesty, for a pretended grava- 
 men, as you term it, in convening you before his 
 majesty, and confining you, as the same had 
 been contrary to the laws of God, of nature, and 
 the laws of the land, the right and privilege of 
 his majesty's subjects, as is more fully contained 
 in two protestations given in and subscribed by 
 you, dated in February, 1651 years, which are 
 here also repeated as a pai't of the libel, brevitatis 
 causa. And further, you, the said Mr. James, 
 are indicted and accused for having, in Stirling, 
 at a meeting with certain ministers and ruling 
 elders, iii anno 1650, or 1651, most treasonably 
 moved, and offered as your judgment, that his 
 majesty should not only be debarred the exercise 
 of his royal power, but that his person might be 
 secured and Imprisoned within the castle of 
 Stirling ; and in answer w^as made thereto by 
 some of the said number, " that they might as 
 well proceed to the taking of his life as the im- 
 prisoning of his person : " you did replj-, " it was 
 not yet seasonable, nor time to speak to that, but 
 that it was necessary to do the one before the 
 other." 
 
 By all which particulars respective above 
 expressed, it is clearly evinced, that you were 
 author, contriver, deviser, consulter, adviser, or 
 art and part of the foresaid crimes of treason, 
 and others respective above libelled, or one or 
 other of them, in manner above declared, and 
 thereby has incurred the pains and punishment 
 of higli treason, and others contained in the laws 
 and acts of parliament, whicli might and should 
 be inflicted upon you with all rigour, in example 
 to others in sill time coming. 
 
 Edinburgh, 7th February, 1661. 
 The lords of the articles having heard, seen, 
 and considered the above written indictment of 
 treason, do ap])oint the same to he given up to Mr. 
 James Guthrie, to be seen by him, and to answer 
 against Tuesday, the 19th of this instant. 
 
 Gl.ENCAiaX, 
 
 Canccllarius, I. P. D. Art. 
 
 Mr. James Guthrie's Defences. 
 Whereas Mr. James Guthrie is indicted before 
 my lord commissioner his grace, and the three 
 estates of parliament, upon sundry particulars 
 alleged to be seditious and treasonable ; he is 
 glad, that through the holy and good providence 
 of God, it is his lot to plead his cause not before 
 strangers, usurpers, who, as they were not ac- 
 quainted with the doctrine and laws, and the 
 estate of the affairs of thischtirch and kingdom, 
 so have they not just title or claim to exercise 
 any power or jurisdiction in or over the same, but 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 the most eminent of the ministers of the 
 church at this time^ and of the protesting 
 way; and all of that set were now hated and 
 
 before an honourable court of parliament of his 
 own nation, well acquainted with the laws of 
 this kingdom, and bred up in the dix'trine and 
 profession of the church, and called and coun- 
 tenanced by his majesty, whose native and just 
 title to the crown of these kingdoms, as he did 
 ever acknowledge, so doth he bless (Jod for the 
 preservation of his person, and for removing out 
 of the way these usurping powers that hindered 
 tlie exercise of liis government, and prays that 
 his throne may be established in righteousness 
 over these nations, that the Lord's people midcr 
 him may live a quiet and peaceal)le life, in all 
 godliness and honesty. The defeniler is glad also, 
 that among the laws mentioned in the proposi- 
 tion of his indictment, the law of God is set in 
 the first room, that being the sovereign and 
 siupreme law which is the fountain and source 
 of all other laws, according to which they are to 
 be squared, and there being an express act of 
 parliament, James \'I. parliament 1st, cap. 3d, 
 whereby all laws and st.atutes made against God's 
 holy word, are declared to be void and imll in 
 themselves ; a law well beseeming, and most 
 worthy of a christian king and kingdom : there- 
 fore, the defender doth humbly expect that judg- 
 ment shall be given of him, and of his proceed- 
 ings by this law, especially as by that which is 
 most perfect and absolute, and, iu confidence 
 hereof, comes to his defences. 
 
 And alleges, first, that there can be no process 
 upon this libel, till the act of the committee of 
 estates, of the date 25th of November, 1650, and 
 the act of parliament whilk is libelled upon, as 
 ratifying the same, dated 24th of June, 1651, 
 anent the paper called the " Remonstrance," be 
 produced and given up to tire defender to see; 
 because albeit printed laws allegari debent non 
 probari ; yet wliatever is not a written law, 
 whether .icts, decreets, and writings, whereupon 
 processes are founded as they must be produced 
 to the judge, and not alleged only; so for the 
 same reason they must be given up to the party 
 to see, which is both our law and practick, and 
 consonant to common law, /. \,^3,ff. de edendo ; 
 ubi edenda sunt omnia qua: quis apud judicem 
 editun/s est ; that is, whatever the party pur- 
 suer is to produce before the judge, that ought 
 to be given up to see to the defender, and the 
 reason is given there, and I. 3, cod. eod. to wit, 
 that the defender may come prepared to make 
 his defence. This is so uncontroverted that it 
 needs be confirmed by no more law. But so it 
 is, the foresaid acts of committee of estates and 
 parliament, anent that remonstrance were never 
 printed, and therefore ante omnia they ought to 
 be produced, and, before they be produced, no 
 process. 
 
 Secundo. Every libel ought to be clear, and 
 criminal dittays ought to be most clear. I)am- 
 hond. T. .3, N. 4, and should contain no ambi- 
 guity nor obscurity, chap, constitutis 6. Extra 
 de Relig. Dom. and therefore, Libdlus criminalis 
 obscurus, parte etizm non excipiente, extenditur 
 favore rci ; that is, a criminal libel that is obscure, 
 IS extended in favours of the defender, tho'jgh he 
 should propound no defence against it. Bald, in 
 L. edita N. 10, C. dc Edend. and other doctors. 
 
 177 
 
 persecuted to satisfy Mr. Sharp's ,„_, 
 r • 1 ,• • 1 • TT 1661. 
 
 malicious and ambitious designs. He 
 
 had likewise been a steady opposer of tlie 
 
 But so it is, this libel is indistinct and obscure, 
 in so far as in the proposition there .ire several 
 different acts of parliament libelled upon, made 
 upon facts of divers natures, and containing 
 divers pains; and in the subsumption different 
 iacts and alleged crimes falling under the com- 
 pass of one and the same law, ought, as the 
 defender humbly conceives, to have been libelled 
 and subsumed immediately after the same, 
 whereby the defender might have known for 
 contravention of what law by every fact he was 
 convened, whereanent he is left now in an im- 
 cectainty, and therefore the libel herein is uncer- 
 tain and obscure, and there can be no process 
 thereupon. 
 
 Tertio. As to the first part of the proposition 
 of the libel, founded upon the act I, parliament 
 18, James VI. there is no such act as is libelled, 
 for it is libelled otherwise than it bears, against 
 act 107, parliament 7, James I. whereby it is 
 forbidden that any man interpret his majesty's 
 statutes otherwise than the statutes bear ; but so 
 it is, that statute, act 1, parliament 18, aforesaid, 
 bears no pain at all, let be the pain of treason, 
 and forfeiture of honour, life, lands, and goods, 
 and therefore there can be no process of treason 
 thereupon founded to infer any pain, far less the 
 pain of treason, seeing it bears no pain, as said 
 is, which is confirmed. 2do. Because there can 
 be no process of treason, but upon particular acts 
 of parliament, made under the pain of treason 
 against disobeycrs and contraveners, by the ex- 
 press act of parliament, act 28, parliament 2, 
 Charles I. an7io 1640. But so it is, the act 
 libelled on, as said is, bears no such pain ; there- 
 fore it can found no process of ti'eason. And 
 Stio. Every pain ought to be irrogate and estab- 
 lished by a law, I)oct. ad L. At si qvis § 
 divus ff. de relig. et sumpt. fun. For it is by a 
 sanction of law that punishments are established, 
 legis II. Virtus est imperare, vetare, permittere, 
 punire L. 7. de kg. that it is the virtue of law to 
 command, forbid, permit, and punish. Now 
 there is nothing in tiie said law an-d act of par- 
 liament, but a declarature of the king's royal 
 prerogative, and of an obligation of the three 
 estates to maintain the same ; and therefore 
 seeing that law hath made no sanction, neither 
 of treason nor any other, this part of the propo- 
 sition of the dittay founded thereupon, is .alto- 
 gether without ground, and there can be no 
 process thereupon. 
 
 Quarto. No process upon the act of the com- 
 mittee of estates, libelled to be of the date 25tJj 
 November, 1650, and act of ratification in par- 
 liament, libelled of the date 24th of June, 1()5I, 
 anent the paper called the " Remonstrance," be- 
 cause these are not printed acts, and are not 
 produced, as said is. 
 
 The next thing in the indictment is the sub- 
 sumption, in which there is first a general charge 
 upon the defender, of his being culpable of sun- 
 dry seditious and treasonable remonstrances, 
 declarations, petitions, instructions, letters, 
 speeches, declamations, &c. To all which he 
 saith, that generdlia non pungunt, they can have 
 no strengtli as to the inferring one crime or 
 guilt upon the defender, except in so far as they 
 
178 
 
 jggj malignant party, and prelacy now 
 
 fast hastin-; in, and a vigorous enemy 
 
 to scandalous ministers ; and the coramis- 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 sioner could never forgive his excouimuni- 
 tating him. The king himself was so sen- 
 sible of ills good services to him, and hi-s in- 
 
 are instanced and verified in particulars, and 
 therefore doth he not judge liimself bound to 
 make any answer thereunto, were it not that he 
 is therein charged, to have seditiously and trai- 
 torously intended and proposed the eradicating 
 and subverting the fundamental government of 
 this his majesty's ancient kingdom, at least the 
 enervating, violating, and Impairing liis majes- 
 ty's authority, by complying with, and being 
 subservient unto the designs and purposes of 
 inat usurper, Oliver Cromwell, and his com- 
 plices ; concerning which he is bold to say, that 
 it is an unjust charge, and mere forgery,' there 
 was never any such intention or purpose in his 
 heart, nor can it be proven from any of his 
 speeches, or writings, or actions. He dare and 
 doth truly affirm, that as he never had any com- 
 pliances with the designs and counsels, or act- 
 ings of the late usurping powers, against his 
 majesty's royal father, or himself, or against the 
 kingdom, or the ancient government thereof, or 
 of the kingdom of England or Ireland, so there 
 was no part of their ungodly courses, and unjust 
 attempts, and violent usurpations and actings, 
 hat he did, in his station and calling, dotli by 
 word and writ, bear testimony against the same, 
 which is a tiling better known and more mani- 
 fest than that he can be liable in the least to 
 suspicion therein, many of these testimonies 
 being given before many living witnesses, and 
 many of them being yet extant, and such as will 
 be extant to posterity for his vindication in this 
 particidar ; besides two or three common solemn 
 public testimonies, in which he joined with 
 many of his brethren against these things, one of 
 which was condescended upon and directed to 
 these usurping powers, at the very time the 
 causes of the Lord's controversy were conde- 
 scended upon, which may sufficiently c.'ear the 
 honesty of his intentions and actings as to these 
 causes: besides these common public testimo- 
 nies, he was violently thrust from the pulpit, 
 and quartered upon for six months together, for 
 preaching against the tender, and giving warn- 
 ing to his congregation not to take the same, as 
 being destructive to religion, and the liberties of 
 the nation, and the ancient civil government of 
 this kingdom in his majesty's person and family. 
 He was called before the president and some 
 others of Oliver Cromwell liis council in Scot- 
 land, for writing and spreading a paper, holding 
 him forth in express words to be an usurper, 
 and his govertnnent to be usurpation ; he was 
 threatened with imprisonment for writing and 
 communicating a paper against Oliver Crom- 
 well his usurping of the crown of these king- 
 doms ; he was threatened with banishment for 
 being accessory to the offering of a public sub- 
 Bcribed testimony against the actings of the late 
 usurping powers, unto Richard Cromwell his 
 council in Scotland, immediately after his usurp- 
 ing of the government of these kingdoms : which 
 things he should not mention, knowing that he 
 hath nothing wherein to boast in himself, were 
 it not that he is thereunto constrained, for vin- 
 dicating himself from the unjust aspersions that 
 are cast upon him, and that by telling of known 
 and manifest truths, concerning his faithfulness 
 
 and zeal against the king's enemies, he may 
 make it appear, that not only is he innocent of 
 these aspersions, Dut also in his accession to 
 " The Causes of God's Wrath," and to the 
 " Supplication," and " Declinator," mentioned 
 in the indictment, he had no dole, or fraud, or 
 intention to defame or reproach the king, but in 
 these things he walked in the simplicity of his 
 heart, with an eye upon his duty both to God 
 and to his majesty, and acted in these things 
 from a true principle of piety towards God, and 
 loyalty towards his majesty, and therefore can- 
 not, because of his accession to any of these 
 things, be judged guilty of treason and sedition. 
 
 The first particular deed subsumed in the 
 indictment against the defender, is, that he did 
 compile and draw up a paper, commonly called 
 " the Remonstrance," and presented it, or caused 
 it to be presented to his majesty, or the com- 
 mittee of estates, upon the 22d October, 1630. 
 To which he answers, Imo, By denying what is 
 alleged. He did not compile or draw up that 
 remonstrance, neither had he any hand in the 
 compiling or drawing up thereof, nor did he 
 present it, nor caused it to be presented to his 
 majesty and the committee of estates; and it ia 
 i notour, and the defender could prove by many 
 hundreds of witnesses, if need were, that he 
 was so far alibi in the time of the drawing up 
 thereof, that he was at Stirling that time, many 
 miles distant : and that he did not present the 
 same, nor caused it to be presented, is also 
 notour. And as to what may be alleged of hla 
 abetting the same in the " Causes of Wrath," he 
 shall answer in its own place. 
 
 The second particular head, or article of the 
 indictment, is anent the defender's contriving, 
 compiling, causing print, in anno 1653 years, 
 that seditious pamphlet (as it is libelled) called, 
 " The Causes of God's Wrath," containing many 
 malicious, ignominious, and treasonable pas- 
 sages, as is alleged therein, and specially in the 
 6th and 6th articles thereof, and which is de- 
 clared against by an act of the committee of 
 estates, of the date the 19th day of September 
 1660. To this article the defender answers aa 
 follows: Imo. That act of committee, if any 
 thing be intended to he founded thereon, ought 
 to have been produced, and given up to see, 
 and till then no process, for the reasons above 
 alleged. Secundo, If it were produced, no act 
 can be a ground to found a dittay of treason, 
 and to infer the same, but an act of parliament, 
 by the express act of parliament before cited, 
 act 28, pari. 1640 years, and that must be an 
 act made under the pain of treason against the 
 contraveners. But, Tertio, It seems, from the 
 place wherein this is libelled, being in the sub- 
 sumption, it is only intended for an argument 
 of the alleged guilt of that paper, and the 
 defender doubts nothing, but whatever it pleased 
 the committee to do anent that paper, there 
 being none concerned therein called and heard 
 before them at that time or before, yet the 
 commissioner's grace and the estates of parlia- 
 ment will be very far from condemning the 
 defender unheard, and therefore he shall shortly 
 premise the true case of his accession to that 
 
CKAP. II.] 
 
 terest when at its lowest, and the severity of 
 this sentence, that when he got notice of it, 
 be asked with some warmth, " And what 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. I79 
 
 have you done with Mr. Patrick 
 Gillespie f"' It was answered, that 
 Mr. tiillespie had so many friends in the 
 
 1G61. 
 
 paper, and motives, and ends tliereiii ; and 
 thereafter shall proceed to his further defences. 
 The case is truly thus : The Lord, by the sad 
 defeats of our armies at Dunbar, Inverkeithinj^f, 
 and Worcester, and rendering our whole nation 
 captives in all their precious interests, unto the 
 cruelty and lusts of usurping strangers, having 
 declared from heaven much of his wrath and 
 indignation against this whole land, and all 
 ranks of persons therein, from the highest to 
 the lowest, especially against the ministry of 
 this church ; the defender, with many of these 
 ministers and elders ^vho had been dissatisfied 
 in their consciences with the public proceedings 
 of the former year, did come together after 
 Worcester, not to comply with or strengthen in 
 any thing the hands of adversaries, or to cast 
 any reproaches upon the person of the king's 
 majesty, or do any injury to the ancient civil 
 government of the kingdom in his majesty's 
 person and family, but in singleness of heart to 
 search into the causes of all this great wrath, 
 both as to their own sins, and the sins of all 
 sorts of persons in the land, so far as God 
 should be pleased, from the light of his word, 
 to discover the same to them. Therefore, hav- 
 ing first searched into and acknowledged their 
 own sins, they did, in the next place, search 
 into the sins of the land ; and after conference 
 and prayer, to the best of their light and appre- 
 hension, ^vin at some discoveries thereof, they 
 did draw the same first into some short heads 
 and articles, which they did afterwards eidarge, 
 merely in order to a more clear discovery of sin 
 and guilt to such of the land, especially of their 
 own congregations, whom God shouhl be pleased 
 by his word and Spirit to convince thereof. 
 
 The case being thus truly, the defender 
 alleges. Quarto, Whatever may be in the matter 
 of that paper, yet this article of the dittay is 
 no ways relevantly libelled, nor subsumed under 
 the acts of the proposition to infer the crime 
 and pain of treason, because this article can 
 only be subsumed on that part of the propo- 
 sition founded upon the acts of James VI. 
 pari. 8th, 10th, and 14th, mentioned therein 
 against authors of slanderous speeches or writs 
 against his majesty, the pain whereof is not the 
 pain of treason in none of those, nor no other 
 acts of parliament whereunto they may relate; 
 for in the foresaid l:J'lth act, pari. 8th, James 
 VI., relation is made to the pains statuted 
 against leasingmakers, ■which is not the pain 
 ot treason, but of tinsel of life and goods, as 
 is clear by the 4.3d a(^t, pari. 2. James I. unent 
 leasingmakers, wherein, by goods is only under- 
 stood goods moveable, and that pain is no ways 
 the pain of treason, nor is that crime ordained 
 to be treason by any of our acts of parliament, 
 as is clear by the style and tenor of the same by | 
 Skene in his Tract of Crimes in the end of 
 the -Majesty, and by his Index of the Acts of 
 Parliament on the word treason : and therefore, 
 in so far as the passages of that paper are 
 libelled here to be treasonable, the article cannot 
 bo reasonably subsumed under the aforesaid 
 acts, nor no other acts of parliament, and the 
 defender ought to be aiiiiolied thuretVom. 
 
 Quinto, This article, as It is subsumed upon 
 the acts of parliament, false and scandalous 
 speeches and writs against his majesty, &c. is 
 no ways relevantly libelled, because as all crimes 
 require as well malice in the person as evil in 
 the thing done, that is, dole et malitia suhjectiva 
 as well as ohjectiva, d. d. ad I. i. ff. de sua, 
 so specially in injuries, whether by word, writ, 
 or otherwise, dole and an intention to injure 
 and reproach, is essentially requisite, so that 
 without that there can be no action of injury; 
 num. ad hue debitum, requiritur animus injuriandi, 
 say the doctors, and the law is express, lib. iii. 
 § \. ff. de injuriis et famosis libellis. In that 
 title of the law anent injuries and infamous 
 libels, the words are, injuria ex affectu consistit, 
 that is, an injury depends aU upon the intention 
 of him who does it, thereby to injure ; and the 
 doctors, following the words, express that law 
 and principle, instit. de injuriis ; and specially 
 Craveta Concilia 419, No. 1, and Concil. 9, 
 No. 36, says, That agens actione injvriarum debet 
 ullegare dolum, that is, he that pursues an action 
 of injury should allege dole. And Menoch. 
 says in Concil. 197. lib. 12. that the words 
 must be injurious, and must be prolata anima 
 injuriandi, that is, they must be also spoken and 
 written with intention to injure; and many 
 others, whom it were tedious to allege. But so 
 it is that there is nothing libelled to infer 
 that the defender had an evil, seditious, igno- 
 minious, dishonourable, or any ways sinister 
 intention, in order to his majesty, in what hand 
 he had in that paper, without which the dittay 
 in this part is not relevant ; but that neither is 
 nor can be libelled : but on the contrar, to clear 
 that the defender had no dole or intention of 
 injury against his sacred majesty, it is evident, 
 Imo, because Menoch. in the forcited place, 
 Concil. 197. lib. 12. disputing the c;ise of words 
 of a subject that may seem to reflect against 
 his prince, says, animus injuriandi 7ion pracsu- 
 mitur in bono subdito adversus principem, but 
 rather prolata esse bono animo et zelo versus 
 principem, that is, in a good subject it is not 
 presumed that he intended to injure his prince, 
 but rather that his words (whether spoken or 
 written, for both are but words) was from a 
 good zeal towards his prince. Now what a 
 good subject the defender hath been, and what 
 zeal he has had for his prince and against his 
 enemies, and how much he did suffer therefore, 
 he is confident has been evident from the trua 
 information thereanent abovewritten, and which 
 is notour, as has been said : whence law and 
 reason will presume, that he intended no injui-y 
 against his majesty by that paper, especially 
 seeing, 2do. (which if need be, he propones 
 jointly) That the nature and quality of the act, 
 being that by which the intention of the agent 
 is best known, as lawyei's observe well from d. 
 L. i. ff. ad L. Cornel, de Sicar. it is clear from 
 the nature of the act whereabout the defender 
 ■tvas in that paper, that he intended no injury 
 to his m.njesty, nor was there any dole or malice 
 in it ; fur it is an act directory of acknowledg- 
 ment of sins and repentance, which consists of 
 two partS; conviction and sorrow for sin, wLicU 
 
180 
 
 1661. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 house his Hfe could not be taken. ) I would have spared Mr. Guthrie." And 
 
 WeU," said the king, "if I had 
 known you would have spared Mr. Gillespie, 
 
 is no ways dole or malice against the supposed 
 sinner, and without which dole and malice 
 there is no crime or injury ; but on the contrar 
 the very end of it is the recovery of the sup- 
 posed sinner, and appeasing of divine wrath 
 against him: whereuiito adding Stio, That re- 
 pentance is 3-^0; Tov Siiv, that is, towards God, 
 and so has no tendence toward, and cannot be 
 a crime against any creature. And \to, Though 
 there ^vei'e even a mistake upon the matter, in 
 acknowledging and I'epentiiig of wliat ■jvcre 
 duty, (or at least what were not sinful) for sin, 
 yet a naked error in opinion, without dole or 
 malice is no crime, as has been said, though the 
 error were even latce cvlpa, that is, not to under- 
 stand that that all understand, as it is defined 
 In L. lata culpa, ff. de Verb. Signif. For where 
 even a law or statute irrogates corporal punish- 
 ment or death, there that lata culp<i, or gross 
 mistake, is not sufficient to infer it D. JD'. in 
 Xiib. i. ff. de Sicar, and Godscid, super L. pen. 
 Cod. de custod. rear, et J^. pen. ff'. de in litem 
 jurand. Battand. Iteg. 8. prox. crim. in prima, 
 citing many doctors for it, and Damhond. cap. 
 85. iV. 11. Yea, it is not sufficient and relevant 
 to infer but infamy per Gloss, in L. in action- 
 ihus, ff] de in lit. jurand. SasioL in X'. Cod. nee 
 Num. 20. cum seqq. ff. de possit. But as to 
 levis culpa, which is not giving that diligence to 
 do or to know, which other exact pei'sons may 
 give, as it is commonly defined, was never ma<le 
 equivalent to dole, or made the ground of a 
 crime by no lawyer, and yet the defender sub- 
 sumes, that if there were any mistake upon the 
 matter in that paper, specially the 5th step 
 (called) of defection; it was an opinion common 
 to him and the church, and states of the king- 
 dom, as by many of the declarations may ap- 
 pear ; and therefore in him had neither Latam 
 nor levem culpam in it, far less dolum, and so he 
 is, as not culpable, so not t'riminiil therein. 
 bto. Qurnvis causa, injusta etiam et fatua, excu- 
 sata dolo, and so from injury, CLtrns, lib. v. 
 Sent. § Jin. et alii per L. igitur. Gloss, in L. 
 Num. ff'. Si qjiis jus dicenti non obtemp. et 
 Jason, ibid. How much more ought the de- 
 fender to be excused, ^vho had foi the cause and 
 motive of his and others' acknowledgments in 
 that paper, the declarations, warnings and other 
 papers, both of church and state, particularly 
 aftermentioned, and had a far other end than 
 malice, imported in the very nature of the 
 action, as said is, to wit, deprecating and appeas- 
 ing divine wrath, which had gone out against 
 the whole land, reconciling him by repentance, 
 as -well to the defender as others, from love to 
 aU, eminently to his majestj', as having emin- 
 ently suffered by that displeasure, under the 
 chastisement whereof all of us then Avere: in 
 respect whereof the defender ought to be as- 
 solied from any dole or culpa, and so from any 
 action of injury, and from all crime and pains 
 libelled in or upon that article. As for the 
 two articles specially condescended on of the 
 said paper, viz. the 6th and 6lh articles, as they 
 are designed in the libel, it is answered, hno, 
 That these articles are anent the sin of covet- 
 oiuuess of the peonle, and ministers and others 
 
 indeed there was reason for it, as to one who 
 had been so firm and zealous an assertor of 
 
 who had been in the army, and other places 
 military and civil over them, and their abusing 
 of public faith ; and tis to these they are both 
 incontroverted sins, and clearly meant no ways 
 of his majesty, but of the people and other in- 
 ferior rulers, who, before his majesty's return, 
 had been in places of power over them ; but it 
 seems, it is not meant of the 6th and Sth steps 
 (tUilled) of defection and therefore the defender, 
 adhering to his general answer made against all 
 this article, upon this paper in general, alleges 
 specially to the 6th step. Imo, That for what 
 is contained therein, has proceeded according to 
 the proper rules of acknowledgment of sins, 
 and of repentance, viz. church canons in their 
 declarations, and therefore culpa vacabat ; the 
 defender was not culpable, and so not criminal 
 therein, having therein walked according to 
 ecclesiastic rules and declarations then standing. 
 2rfo, It is alleged that there is nothing in these 
 acts of parliament cited in the indictment, that 
 concerns lies, and slanders, and reproaches, &c. 
 of his majesty, that can infer or include the 
 crime of treason and sedition against the de- 
 fender, because any thing asserted in that part 
 of the book of Causes of Wrath. For, first, 
 Mr. Coke, in his Reports of the English Law, 
 tells, that all the judges certified his majesty, 
 that the speaking of any words, whereby a 
 personal vice is charged upon the king, cannot 
 be treason, and this he said, judge Zelvertoun 
 said, was held by the judges in debate, about 
 Mr. Pothin's case, who was judged for divers 
 treasonable speeches in his sermon. And the 
 same Mr. Coke in his Treatise of Treason, tells 
 us, that words may make an heretic but not a 
 traitor. And for this there is an excellent law. 
 Cod. Si quis iinperatori maledixerit, si quis 
 modesticB nescius, et pndoris ignnrus, improbo 
 petulantiqiie maledicto nomina vesira tradiderit 
 lacessenda, ac temulentia turbidentus obtrectator 
 temporum nostrorum fverit, eutn pcena nolumvs 
 subjugari, neque durum aliquid nee asperum vol- 
 umus sustinere ; quoniam si id ex levitate pro- 
 cesserit, contemnendum est, si ex iiisania, miser- 
 atione dignissimus, si ab injuria, remittendum seu 
 condonandum. That is to say, if any man 
 ignorant either of modesty or shame, thinks to 
 provoke our majesty or name, by wicked or 
 reproachful speeclies, and being troublesome 
 through drunkenness, become a reproach of our 
 times, we will not have him punished, nor 
 suffer any hard thing therefore ; because if it 
 has proceeded of levity it is to be despised, 
 if of madness, it is worthy of pity, if of in- 
 tention to injure it is to be forgiven. And in 
 France, as Coke well observes, it is no treason 
 for a Hugonote to call the king an heretic, for 
 says he, it is no treason to say, the king is a 
 catholic, neither is treason to say, that a catholic 
 is an heretic, ■which seems very agreeable to 
 that of tlie prophet Isaiah, wherein he reproves 
 it as one of the sins in his time, that a man 
 ■was made an offender for a word. But, 
 secondly. If it be true that it was a sin, to 
 close a treaty with the king for investing him 
 with the exercise of his royal power, he still 
 continuing in his former known opposition of 
 
cfiAP. ri.] 
 
 his majesty's title and interest, and had suf- 
 fered so much for his continued opposition 
 to, and disowning of the English usurpation . 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 After the sentence, and a little be- 
 
 the work of refurmation, as is .isscrtcd in the 
 .'jtli step of the article, then cannot the defender 
 fall within the compass of the breach, or pains of 
 any of these acts of parliament relating to slan- 
 ders, lyings, &c. But that it is true, that this 
 was a sin, is, as the defender hiimhly conceives, 
 holden forth and proven in the comiiiou received 
 doctrine of this church, and public declared 
 judgment of tiiis kingdom, both before the 
 treaty, and in the time of the treaty, and after 
 the close of the treaty with the king at Breda. 
 Therefore, for making out of the sul)sumption, 
 he doth humbly offer unto your lordships, the 
 serious perusal of the following paper herewith 
 presented, in which are mentioned many clear 
 testimonies, out of the public papers of kirk 
 and state, confirming the same to have been 
 their judgment likewise ; and craves it might 
 be read, and as tlie papers therein mentioned 
 are notour, so your lordships will find them 
 conform to the registers and records, both of 
 kirk and state; and humbly craves, that your 
 lordships would hold these testimonies suffi- 
 ciently verified notorietufe juris, most of them 
 being printed ; or if any thing further be need- 
 ful for the verifyi'ng thereof, that your lord- 
 ships would search the registers, and allow 
 him extracts out of the registers themselves, 
 in which these testimonies are contained, and, 
 as a part of the public proceedings of this kirk 
 and kingdom, are ratified by his majesty's treaty 
 at Bri^da, and act of ratification at St. John- 
 ston, or Stirling, or is conform to that which 
 was ratified. From all which, Stio, The de- 
 fender alleges, that seeing what is asserted in 
 the 5th step was warranted by the acts of 
 church and state, and ratified in manner fore- 
 said, it cannot be libelled to infer a crime 
 against him, and he ought to be assolied from 
 that part of the <iittay; neither can these acts 
 of parliament cited in the indictment, against 
 meddling with his majesty's affairs, conclude 
 the defender culpable in this matter, because 
 the crime condemned by these acts, is only 
 extravagant and unwarrantable meddling, or 
 such as do not fall within the compass of, or is 
 not confined within the bounds of a man's 
 station and calling ; otherwise it should be 
 culpable for any of his majesty's officers, or for 
 any subordinate magistrate, or any person what- 
 somever, to meddle in his majesty's affairs: but 
 so it is, that the defender his meddling in this 
 business was not extravagant or mi warrantable, 
 but that ^vhereunto he was called, and to ^vhich 
 he was bound virtute or necessitate officii, as a 
 minister of the gospel. It is competent and 
 incumbent to the ministers of the gospel, to 
 cry aloud, and not to spare in showing the 
 Lord's people their transgressions and sins, to 
 warn persons of all sorts concerning sin and 
 duties, and to declare the whole counsel of God, 
 the whole book of God, which contains the 
 whole counsel of God, without excej>tion of any 
 part thereof; being the subject matter of that 
 commission, which ministers do receive from 
 Jesus Christ their Lord and Master, and there- 
 fore, there be many instances in the book of 
 God, the practices of the prophets and apostles, 
 and of Jesus Christ himself, discovering and 
 
 181 
 
 1661. 
 
 fore his death, Mr. Guthrie received 
 
 the following letter from a dear friend of his. 
 
 reproving sin in persons of all ranks, though 
 it was their lot often to be misconstructed and 
 mistaken iti their doing thereof, as though they 
 had been no friends to civil authority. 
 
 In defence of the Hth step of the 9th article 
 of the Causes of Wrath, the defender doth 
 offer to your lordships' consideration, that there 
 is nothing therein that can be accounted treason- 
 able, because there is nothing asserted therein 
 but what is true, even that which rekates to 
 the Remonstrance itself, to wit, that it doth 
 contain a testimony concerning sin and duty, 
 the discovery whereof was rejected, as may 
 appear from the public judgment of the com- 
 missioners of the general assembly at Perth, the 
 29th of December, 1650, in their Remonstrance 
 to the honourable estates of parliament, con- 
 cerning this business. The words be these: 
 " Whatever has been your lordships' sense of 
 that paper, presented to you by the gentlemen, 
 officers and ministers attending the forces in 
 the west, yet we wish you seriously to lay to 
 heart the many sad truths contained therein ; 
 we will not here mention the sins relating to 
 the king and the royal family, having parti- 
 cularly represented these to his majesty's self, 
 and appointed a day of solemn humiliation 
 therefore; but we do with all earnestness exhort 
 your lordships to take to consideration, the sins 
 herein held forth relating to yourselves, and 
 to mourn before the Ijord for them : and parti- 
 cularly, and in the first place, that your lord- 
 ships may imparfiall)', and in a self-denying 
 way, as in the sight of the Lord, seriously 
 ponder if there has not been, at least in some 
 of you, sinful precipitance, unstraight designs 
 and carnal policy in appointing addresses for 
 treating with the king, and in a way of carry- 
 ing on and closing of the same." 
 
 As to what is asserted in the close of this 
 step, concerning the rejecting of the means of 
 peace, it doth not strike against any act of 
 parliament whatsomever, nor can be judged 
 culpable, seeing robbers and pirates, and brigan- 
 dines, and usurpers, and unjust invaders may, 
 yea, sometimes ought, in some cases, be com- 
 muned or treated with, upon conditions that 
 are sinless, and there may be pride and pre- 
 sumption of spirit in not doing so. 
 
 To the third article of the dittay, bearing, 
 that the defender inider colour of pie'tj', loyalty, 
 and zeal for religion, and in the address and 
 garb of a humble petition, did calumniate his 
 majesty with dissimulation and perjury, re- 
 flected upon his majesty, and the lawful govern- 
 ment of the church and state of England and 
 Ireland, and of his chapel and family, and 
 challenged him to alter and invert the same, 
 encroached upon liis authority and prerogative, 
 in meddling with his majesty's affairs, and 
 filling all places of power and "trust under his 
 majesty. It is answered. Into, It is not rele- 
 vantly libelled, except it had been libelled that 
 the said petition had been publicly presented, 
 divulged and exhibited, being otlicrwise but 
 nuclus conatus, especially, seeing though the 
 same had been, and of the contents and tenor 
 libelled, yet could it not, upon any act of the 
 proposition, infer the crime and punishment of 
 
182 
 
 ,^„, if I am not mistaken, a very eminent 
 
 minister, which as it was supporting 
 
 to him, so it shows the sense, that not only 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 the writeV of it, but many others had of the 
 present procedure of the managers, and of the 
 dark cloud coming upon this church. 
 
 treason, seeing the acts made against slanderous 
 speeches and writs and slanderers, under the 
 which only it can be subsumed, are not made 
 under the pain of treason, as has been abun- 
 dantly evinced in the answer to the former 
 article anent the paper, called " The Causes of 
 God's Wrath." In which crime of lese majesty 
 allenarly affectus sine effectu is humilis. 'Zdo, 
 Although the same had been printed, yet as to 
 the calumniating his majesty thereby, as the 
 defender denies any intent or purpose he had 
 for that ert'ect, so, with confidence, thereto he 
 doth oppone the petition itself, bearing no such 
 thing. Stio, As to his reflecting upon, and 
 meddling with his majesty's affairs, and the 
 government of his church in EngLind and 
 Ireland, his majesty's chapel and family, and 
 filling of places of trust, &c. non relevat, except 
 it had been libelled, and made appear by the 
 petition, that the same was to the disdain, 
 reproach, and contempt of his majesty or his 
 government, as he is hopeful, no word in that 
 petition can genuinely infer. Next for any 
 expressions relating therein to the government 
 of the church of England and his majesty's 
 chapel, as there is no mention made thereof in 
 any of the acts of the proposition, wherein his ma- 
 jesty's lawful government is only expressed and 
 "forbidden, so he humbly conceives that prelacy 
 and the chapel is no such lawful government 
 and form, but that a minister of the church of' 
 Scotland, sworn against the same by the oath 
 of the national covenant, and solemn league 
 and covenant , both which are approven, author- 
 ized, and enjoined by the canons of this church 
 and law of this land, and declared to have the 
 strength of acts of parliament, may in all humi- 
 lity petition his majesty, who is in the same cove- 
 nant with him, that the same be not established 
 nor received in any part of his dominions, because 
 of the oath of God foresaid, and that he may, ac- 
 cording to the received doctrine of the church of 
 Scotland, and Confession of Faith of both king- 
 doms, ratified by parliament, publicly preach, 
 that prelacy is no lawful government, and that 
 the order of the chapel is no warrantable worship, 
 without incurring the pains of sedition and trea- 
 son, which yet is more than a private petition ; 
 and without being thought a meddler, or busy- 
 body in re aliena : in respect whereof he humbly 
 conceives, he cannot be convict of any crime, much 
 less high treason, upon this ai-ticle of the dittay: 
 and the whole subjects of this nation, being ob- 
 liged by the solemn public oath of God in the 4th 
 article of the solemn league and covenant, to 
 endeavour the discovery of malignants, which rs 
 approven not only by an act of the committee of 
 estates in the year 164S, but also by an act of par- 
 liament 1649,"that all places of power and trust 
 mi"ht be filled with men of unquestionable in- 
 tegi'ity and affection to the cause of God, and of 
 a blameless and Christian conversation ; he doth 
 humbly conceive that his petitioning his majesty 
 to this* effect, is so far from being treasonable, 
 or seditious, or any ways culpable by the laws 
 of God, or of the land", that he was thereimto 
 enwaoed by the indispensable oath of God in 
 the covenant, and in the solemn public engage- 
 ment unto duties. 
 
 The next part of this article bearing, that the 
 defender and his complices did not only convo- 
 cate themselves, but filso by their missive letters, 
 conimissions, and instructions drawn, they did 
 presume to convocate his majesty's lieges, &c. 
 It is answered, Imo, It is not relevantly sub- 
 sumed under the act of parliament 131, i)arlia- 
 ment 8th, James VI. in the proposition. For 
 first, in that act meetings only that take upon 
 them jurisdiction, lead process, give forth sen- 
 tence, and put the same to execution, are prohi- 
 bit, as is clear from the occasion, ground, and rise 
 of that law in the beginning thereof, seeing that 
 during twenty-four years preceding the making 
 of that act, sundry forms of judgments and juris- 
 dictions, as well in spiritual as temporal causes, 
 are entered in the practice and custom, whereby 
 the king's majesty's subjects are often convo- 
 cated, and assembled together, and pains as well 
 civil and pecunial as ecclesiastical enjoined to 
 theui, process led and deduced, sentence and 
 decreets given, and the same put to execution. 
 It is, secondly, clear from the dispositive reason 
 of the act, which is, that there was no such 
 order, that is aforesaid, of jurisdiction established 
 by his majesty and three estates, which is con- 
 trai"y to the common custom o.bscrved in any 
 well governed commonwealth. Thirdly, From 
 the statutory words, which prohibit jurisdictions, 
 spiritual and temporal, not approven by his 
 majesty and three estates of parliament, and 
 convocating for holding of council, conventions, 
 or assemblies, to treat, consult and determine 
 (not alternative, or determine, as it is libelled) 
 in matters of state : but so it is, the meeting or 
 convocation libelled was not taking upon them 
 any jurisdiction, nor to determine as having 
 pow^er in any matter to either, of state or others : 
 and therefore comes not under the compass of 
 that act, and cannot be relev<"vntly subsumed 
 thereupon. 2do, Non relevat drawn up except 
 subscribed, nor subscribed except sent, nor sent 
 except thereupon some convocation had hap- 
 pened, nor convocation except the same had 
 been tumultuary and seditious ; and the defender 
 oppones the common unquestioned and proven 
 custom of the nation, by which persons of all 
 ranks, according to their several occasions, bring 
 together many of his majesty's lieges, and were 
 never quarrelled therefore, except it manifestly 
 appear, that they had been brought together of 
 purpose to disturb the peace, the contrary whei'eof 
 was manifest in the convocation, wherein the 
 petition was drawn up, they being assembled 
 neither with multitude nor tumult, but in a 
 i very small number, and for business in Itself 
 I lawful, to wit, humble petitioning of his majesty 
 I for preserving and carrying on the work of 
 ! Reformation and uniformity in religion, accord- 
 ing to the covenant, which obliges them to do 
 the same sincerely, really, and constantly, all 
 the days of their life. Next, 3tio, Absolvitor, 
 because by the act 29, parliament 40, it is found 
 and declared, that councils, conventions, and 
 assemblies, intended for the defence and preser- 
 vation of religion, ai'e not prohibit by any 
 preceding laws, such as the acts of the propo- 
 sition are, and for this purpose the meeting was 
 clearly intended of them : therefore, 
 
CHAP. 11.3 OF TIIC CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 183 
 
 " t)ear Sir, .lings of my poor soul on your behalf 
 
 " I am now past hopes of seeing your face .were not worth your time, but that 
 
 1661. 
 
 any more in tlie flesh ; to tell you the wrest- 
 
 The fifth article bears, that the defender being 
 convened before Iiis majesty and tlie committee 
 of estates at Perth, to answer for souie seditious 
 and iiiiwarrantalde speeches nttered by him m 
 seiinoiis, ill Stirling-, and otiierways, against his 
 niaje:,ty's authority, and having <ouipeared, that 
 tlie defender did treasonably disclaim and decline 
 his majesty and his authority, and that he did 
 protest for remeed of law tor' his confinement, 
 which at more length is contained in the decli- 
 nator and protestation, repeated as a part of the 
 libel hretiliitis causa. It seems that this article 
 is specially founded on the 129th act, parliament 8, 
 James VI. anno 158-1., confirming his majesty's 
 royal power over all estates and subjects within 
 this realm ; to which the defender says, Imo, 
 Non rehvaiit as to the inferring the crime and 
 punishment of treason. First, that act confirms 
 no power and authority to his majesty, but his 
 royal power and authority. And albeit the 
 defender doth most readily acknowledge his 
 majesty's royal power and authority to extend 
 to all things civil, and that as civil magistrate, 
 the conservation and i)urgation of religion, as is 
 asserted in the Confession of Faith of this 
 church, doth belong unto him, or tbat as it was 
 said of the chi islian emperor, that he is episcopus 
 ad extra : yet he humbly conceives, that the 
 power and authority to judge of ministers' doc- 
 trine in the first instant, especially in an ortho- 
 dox and rightly constituted church, whose 
 judicatories are acknowledged and established 
 by his majesty's own authority and laws, is not 
 a power and authority that belongs to him as 
 civil magistrate; but being a power and autho- 
 rity in its own nature spiritual and ecxlesiastical, 
 which properly belongs to the spiritual office- 
 bearers of the house of God under Jesus Christ, 
 who is Lord and Master over his own house, 
 and Head of his church, whose kingdom is not 
 of this world, and hath appointed that the spirit 
 of the prophets should be subject to the pr<)phets ; 
 and the magistrate's power is not spiritual and 
 ecclesiastic, but civil only, and what is most con- 
 sistent with, and consonant to his majesty's 
 royal prerogative, as it is established by the 
 1st act, parliament IS, James VI. aforesaid, can 
 never contravene, as not that act itself libelled 
 on, so neither the other act 129, parliament 8, 
 James VI. also libelled on. That establishes that 
 same royal power in his majesty's person over 
 all estates, in respect whereof he is judge com- 
 petent to all his subjects of whatsoever estate, 
 and his judgment to prohibit to be declined, 
 because prior laws are drawn to posterior laws, 
 non est novum, et I. irleo. ff. de leq. and this 
 posterior act 1, parliament 18, is declaratory of 
 that prerogative confirmed in that first act, in 
 respect whereof his majesty is judge comjietent 
 to persons of all estates in matuicr therein con- 
 tained : but so it is, the declinator and protesta- 
 tion mentioned in this article does contravene 
 that act pari. 18, in so far as all that is declared 
 there, is that liis majesty lias the sovereign 
 authority over all estates, persons, and causes, 
 which does no way take away nor exclude the 
 proper jurisdictions of the several iudicatorics 
 established by the laws of the kinglloni, other- 
 wise it should tvacuate all the juuisdiotions of 
 
 affection constraineth me to say, I am both in 
 
 the same, and presently might bring all causes 
 immediately before his majesty and council j 
 which will n')t be aflirmed. 
 
 2do, Nwi rctevat, because of the transferring 
 tile judgment of a minister's doctrine from liis 
 majesty's immediate decision in a civil court, 
 to the decision of the judicatories of the kirk, 
 is not a declining, but an acknowledging and 
 maintaining and confirming his majesty's power 
 and authority in an orderly way, or in such a 
 manner as his power and authoi'ity is asserted 
 and established by himself, and his own author- 
 ity, in his laws; because he hath by many laws 
 and acts of parliament, ratified and established 
 the judicatories of the kirk, as the proper and 
 competent judges of ministers' doctrine, parti- 
 cularly in his 114th act, pari. 12, anno 1592, 
 in which the haill jurisdiction and discipline 
 of the kirk over judicatories is ratified and 
 confirmed; and the 6th act of the 12th pari. 
 Charles I. And therefore, though there may 
 be reason to condemn these declinators of his 
 majesty's royal power and authority, that are 
 made upon respect to powers, foreign and ex- 
 otic, which are not acknowledged by his majesty, 
 nor established by his laws ; yet there can "be no 
 reason to condemn this, because the avocating 
 of a cause from one court, or his majesty's 
 jurisdiction and authority in one court, to 
 another court established by the same authority, 
 in and by the laws of the kingdom ; it is but 
 a taking of it a C<esare ad Cwsarem, and from 
 that authority in one court to the same, as 
 approving the other, and that the doctrine 
 contained in the protestation libelled on, be- 
 longed to the spiritual jurisdiction of the kirk 
 doth yet more appear, because it' was, as is 
 clear by the protestation itself, upon a question 
 merely spiritual, to wit, whether the resoUi- 
 tions were contrary to the word of God, to the 
 oaths of the covenant, and league and covenant, 
 to the solemn engagement, to the de<larations, 
 remonstrances, warnings, causes of humiliation, 
 and rescdutions of the kirk, offensive and scan- 
 dalous, which are all mere spiritual considera- 
 tions, and no ways civil and politic. 
 
 3tio, Non relevat, because declinators that are 
 not made upon the account of foreign and ex- 
 otic jurisdictions, are lawful in all the judica- 
 tories of the kingdom from the higlx st to the 
 lowest. It is usual to propone a declinator or 
 exception of incompetency, against any judge 
 or judicatory within the nation, when in the 
 exercise of their jurisdiction, they do excei-d 
 the bounds prescribed by the law, which could 
 not be said, if it were treasonable to decline the 
 king and the council as incompetent judf,es in 
 some cases, because the king's majesty mav be 
 personally present, and is always virtually and 
 by his authority present in all "the judicatcrics 
 of this nation, as eflectunlly quoad on:iies rffcvtus 
 juris, as in the committee of estates ; and is it 
 not daily ordinary that when jiarties trouble 
 his majesty's commissioner's grace, and thiee 
 cstiites of parliament, with causes and business 
 proper to the lords of session, th it they refer it 
 to the judge ordiKai-y, and will not meddle 
 therewith ? 
 
 ito, Absolvitor, because that act, since the 
 
184i THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 bonds and in the body with you, and 
 will travail till you be delivered, 
 and I may well do it, for it draweth near, 
 
 1661. 
 
 making thereof, hath been often repealed, first 
 materially in the year immediately thereafter, 
 by a declaration under king James his own 
 hand, sent to the commissioners of the general 
 assembly of the kirk of Scotland at Linlithgow, 
 December 7th, 1585, which, he says, shall be 
 as good and valid as any act of parliament 
 ■whatsomever, insert in the register of the kirk; 
 in which declaration he hath these words : " I 
 for my part shall never, neither my posterity 
 ougVit ever cite, summon, .ipprehend any pastor 
 or preacher for matter of doctrine in religion, 
 salvation, heresies, or true interpretation of the 
 scripture, but, according to my lirst act, which 
 nontirmeth the liberty of preaching, ministra- 
 tion of the sacraments, I avouch the same to be 
 a matter mere ecclesiastic, and altogether im- 
 pertinent to my calling ; therefore neither shall 
 I, nor ever ought they, I mean my posterity, 
 acclaim any power or jurisdiction in the fore- 
 saids." Which declaration we cannot but look 
 upon as a material repealing of that act, be- 
 cause it was directly and of purpose penned 
 and subscribed, and sent by the king to the 
 commissioner of the general assembly, for re- 
 Miiving the stumbling offence, and easing of the 
 grievance and complaint, which was made by 
 the whole kirk of Scotland, because of the 
 making of that act. Secondly, That act is 
 formally and expressly rei)ealed in the 12th pari. 
 James VI. act 114, in ^vhich the government 
 and jurisdiction is established by assemblies, 
 presbyteries, &c. And the act libelled upon, in 
 so far as concerns or is prejudicial to the privi- 
 lege of spiritual office-bearers, concerning heads 
 of religion, heresy, e.vcommunication, or any 
 censure, specially grounded, and having war- 
 rant from the word of God : but so it is, that 
 the act of parliament propounded upon by the 
 pursuer, doth in nothing concern the jurisdic- 
 tion of the kirk, or the privileges of the spirit- 
 ual officers tliereof, but in so far as the same 
 floes establish his majesty's jurisdiction in spirit- 
 u.al causes, and prohibits all declinators of that 
 judgment, which, as in this derogatory and 
 prejudicial clause to the privilege of the kirk, is 
 in this rescissory act expressly cast and made 
 void : likeas, the 1st act, pari. 18, James VI. 
 proponed upon, with the 3d act of 1st pari. 
 Charles I., whereby the king's authority and 
 prerogative is established over all estates, persons 
 and causes, is repealed, in so far as the same 
 are prejudicial and derogatory to the privilege 
 of the kirk of God, the discipline and govern- 
 ment of her officebearers and church judica- 
 tories, in the 4th act, pari. 2d, Charles I., and 
 act 5, of the same parliam.ent, wherein amongst 
 the causes of bj'gone evils, the jurisdiction of 
 secular powers in matters spiritual is com- 
 plained upon, and the committing of the power 
 of both swords to persons merely ecclesiastical, 
 and the giving the keys to persons merely civil 
 against the privilege of the church, her officers 
 and judicatories, and remedy provided against 
 the same for the time to come ; and likewise 
 by the 6th act, 2d pari. Charles I., jurisdiction 
 and power of the kirk is solely and only in 
 the general assembly, provincial synods, pres- 
 byteries, as was established by the act 1592. If 
 
 [book I. 
 
 and you may lift up your head, when ours as 
 yet must hang down. God hath provided a 
 sacrifice for himself, not an Isaac, but your- 
 
 therefore the act 1592, did rescind that act 1584, 
 anent the jurisdiction of the king in all causes 
 sjjiritual, and since by this act of Charles I. the 
 act 1592 is confirmed, it must rescind and repeal 
 the act 1584, and doth in express words rescind 
 and annul all and whatsomever acts of parlia- 
 ment and constitutions, in so far as they dero- 
 gate and are prejudicial to the spiritual nature, 
 jurisdiction, discipline, and privileges of this 
 kirk in her general, provincial, presbyterial 
 assemblies and kirk sessions. Lastly, That act 
 anno 1584, and all other acts of that nature, are 
 rescinded and annulled both by the national 
 covenant, and by the solemn league and cove- 
 nant, which were not only posterior in time, 
 and are ratified in parliament, and declared to 
 have the strength of laws and acts of parlia- 
 ment ; but also in the nature of them are of 
 moz'e stren-gth than any municipal law or 
 statute, as being confirmed by the solemn public 
 oath of God taken by his majesty and aU the 
 subjects of this kingdom, which binds to main- 
 tain and defend the doctrine, worship, discipline 
 and government of this kirk ; which covenant 
 is confirmed by the treaty at Breda, and rati- 
 fications at St. Johnston and Stirling, ratifying 
 the said treaty, and acts of parliament that 
 ratify these covenants. 
 
 That it may further appear how good reason 
 there was for repealing and rescinding that law, 
 and for declining the civil magistrate, as com- 
 petent judge of ministers' doctrine in the first 
 instance, the defender doth humbly propone, 
 that such declinators are warrantable. First, By 
 the word of God, which is the sovereign and 
 supreme law by which all other laws are to 
 be regulated and squared. Secondly, By the 
 confessions of faith, and doctrine of this church, 
 which doubtless ought to be acknowledged by 
 all the members thereof, to be binding and 
 obligatory, and by all the subjects of this king- 
 dom, seeing they are ratified and confirmed in 
 parliament. Thirdly, Bj' the practice of this 
 church, not only before, but also since that act of 
 parliament, anno 1684, wasmade. And Fourthly, 
 By the judgment of sound orthodox divines, and 
 the strength of divine reason. 
 
 The word of God doth clearly hold forth, 
 that Jesus Christ hath a visible kingdom, which 
 he exercises in or over his visible church, which 
 is wholly distinct from the civil powers and 
 governments of the world, and not depending 
 upon nor subordinate unto these governments 
 in the administrations thereof, which are spi- 
 ritual, and are to be regulated not bj' the laws 
 of men, but by his own laws set down in his 
 word, who is King and Lawgiver of his house, 
 and hath committed the ministry to his own 
 office-bearers under himself, John xviii. 36, 37. 
 Matth. xvi. 19. John xx. 28. Ezek. xliii. 10, 
 11, 12. Heb. iii. 6, 6. The Confessions of Faith 
 and doctrines of this church do also affirm the 
 same thing ; these do acknowledge no head or 
 lawgiver over the visible church of Christ, but 
 Jesus Christ himself, and do assert the govern- 
 ment of the church to be distinct from that of 
 the civil magistrate, and such as ought to be 
 squared by Christ's own laws, and exercised by 
 the office-bearers of his own house, and majr 
 
OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 185 
 
 CHAP. II. J 
 
 self. That eminent peer of tlie land, highly 1 after an liiindred years' interrup- jg^j 
 honoured of the Lord, and yourself, are the tion and indulgence : who may or 
 first-fruits, and the first blood in this kind shall follow God knoweth ; every one can- 
 
 be seen in the Confessions of Faith and Books 
 of Discipline of this church : for the practice 
 of this church there, there be many instances 
 of such declinators extant in the registers and 
 story thereof, particularly that of 5lr. David 
 Black in the year lj96, which was first sub- 
 scribed and given in by himself to the king's 
 majesty and his council, then sitting at Edin- 
 burgh, upon occasion of his being cited to 
 compear before them to answer for some doc- 
 trine which he had preached at St. Andrews, 
 where he was then minister, which was alleged 
 by the king's majesty and his council to be 
 treasonable and seditious ; which declinator was 
 owned by the assemblies of this kirk; and a 
 little after his giving in thereof, was subscribed 
 by three or four hundred ministers, who yet 
 were not, because of so iiuini;') judged nor pro- 
 ceeded against as guilty of treason and sedition. 
 It would be tedious to cite the testimonies of 
 orthodox and sound divines, who have wa-itten 
 on this subject, both ancient and modern. It 
 is known what was said to the emperors who 
 were Arian, and took upon them to judge of 
 the doctrine of the orthodox. Tibi 2)eus im- 
 perium commisit, nobis quce sunt eccleslce con- 
 credit ; date, scriptnm est, qua: sunt Ccesaris 
 Ccesari, qua: sunt Dei Deo, neque fas est nobis 
 imperium in terra tenere, neque cum, imperator 
 thyaniameton, et sacrorum, aut eluvium ecclesicB 
 potestatem habes. The treatises and books of 
 Scots, English, Belgic, and Frencli, and other 
 divines, written for the defence and clearing of 
 the divine right of church government, and of 
 the power of the magistrate about holy things, 
 and that appeals from the church in church mat- 
 ters to the civil magistrate are not lawful, do 
 contain many assertions and testimonies to this 
 piu-pose. As for divine reason, the defender 
 doth only say, that if the function of the magis- 
 trate be distinct from the ministerial function in 
 all the causes thereof, then must needs the juris- 
 dictions and exercises thereof be also distinct, and 
 not depending one upon another ; as the church 
 cannot lay hold upon the sword of the magis- 
 trate, so neither can the magistrate take the keys 
 of the church. The confounding of these, and 
 the clashings and encroachments of the civil and 
 ecclesiastical powers, have been the cause of 
 much trouble and confusion in the ■world, and 
 the preserving of them distinct, and giving to 
 " God the things that are God's, and to Caesar 
 the things that are Caesar's, is the best founda- 
 tion of order, union and peace, both in church 
 and state. 
 
 For the other branch of this article, viz. for 
 protesting for remeed of law, 7ion relevaf, because 
 there is no act of parliament contained in the 
 proposition, which doth prohibit the same, nei- 
 ther doth the act anent declining his majesty's 
 authority, concern the protestation, seeing the 
 same is consistent and compatible with his ma- 
 jesty's authority, and in criminalibus, especially 
 in atrocibus delictis, as that of treason, there can 
 be no extension of an act of parliament from the 
 genuine native sense of the words of the act 
 itself, specially seeing by the 28th act, pari. 2, 
 Charles I. it is expressly provided, that nothing 
 ehall be counted treason, but that which is de- 
 
 clared and statute to be such by an act of parlia- 
 ment. Secondly, such a protestation for re» 
 meed, against a particular law for remeed> 
 against a particular gi-ievance according to law, 
 is so far from importing any declamation of his 
 majesty's authority, that it doth import an ac- 
 knowledging and establishing of the same, be- 
 cause it imports an establishing of his majesty's 
 authority in his laws, according to which, and 
 no otherwise, remeed is desired. 
 
 The last article wherein the defender is accused, 
 for giving advice in a certain meeting of minis- 
 ters and elders at Stirling, not only to suspend 
 his majesty from the exercise of his royal power, 
 but also to imprison him in the castle of Stir- 
 ling, and when it was answered by one of the 
 number, they might as well proceed against his 
 life, that the defender replied, that it was not 
 yet seasonable to speak of that, but that it was 
 tit he should first be secured. To which tt« de- 
 fender answers, hno. That the same is an unjust 
 and false aspersion ; he had never such a pur- 
 pose in his heart, much less did he utter any 
 such words. 2do, The article, as it is conceived, 
 is not relevant in so far as it doth condescend 
 upon such a lax and ■wide space of time, viz. 
 1650 or 1651, whereas in law the pm-suer ought 
 to condescend upon the year, month, and day of 
 the crime alleged, especially in delictis momenta- 
 neis, which are not reiterated nor repeated ex 
 sua nature, but once only committed, L. 3. ff. 
 de Accus. L. si quando, and if the day were con- 
 descended upon, the defender might have good 
 ground thereby given him to prove that he was 
 alibi that day. Lastly, The said article is no 
 ways relevant, in respect it doth not condescend 
 upon the names of the ministers, and ruling 
 elders in the meeting, to whom these words were 
 alleged to have been spoken, neither upon the 
 name of that person who did answer the defender 
 his alleged overture, nor upon the circumstance 
 of the place, in Stirling, in which these speeches 
 are alleged to have been spoken, by which gen- 
 eral libelling the defender is deprived of his law- 
 ful defences, viz. that those persons were alibi, 
 or were dead : in respect whereof the libel is ir- 
 relevant, and ought not to be sustained by your 
 lordships. 
 
 The defender having now ans^wered the whole 
 indictment, concludes thus, Imo, That he did 
 never purpose or intend to speak, •write, or act 
 any thing disloyal, or seditious, or treasonable 
 against his majesty's person, or government, God 
 is witness. And what he has spoken, written, 
 or acted, in any of these things wherewith he is 
 charged, hath been merely and singly from a 
 principle of conscience; that according to the 
 weak measure of light given him of God, he 
 might do his duty in his station and calling, as a 
 minister of the gospel, upon which account onlj-, 
 and no other, he hath meddled in these matters, 
 keeping himself within the bounds of what was 
 competent to a minister of the gospel. 2rfo, Be- 
 cause conscience taken giiovis modo, is not a suf- 
 ficient plea, though it may in a good measure 
 extenuate, it cannot wholly excuse ; he doth 
 humbly say, that he hath foun Jed his speeches, 
 and writings, and actions in tLcse things, so far 
 as he was accessary thereunto, apou the word of 
 2 A 
 
186 
 
 ,^«j not receive ihis dignity, save they 
 
 to whom it is given. The buried 
 
 cause of Christ shall live in youi* death, and 
 
 God, anf" the Confessions of Faith, and doctrine of 
 this church, and upon the national covenant, and 
 solemn league and covenant, and solemn public 
 acknowledgment of sins, and engagement unto 
 duties, and upon the 'aws of the land, and public 
 declared judgment of the kingdom : and there- 
 fore humbly prays and expects, that your lord- 
 ships will not look upon him as a person guilty 
 of any disloyalty, or sedition, or treason against 
 his majesty and his laws, hut that ye will absolve 
 him from the charge thereof libelled against him 
 in the indictment. 
 
 Addition to the defence of the bth step, of the 9th 
 
 article of the Causes of Wrath. 
 Testimonies out of the Declarations and public 
 
 Papers of the kirk and kingdom of Scotland. 
 
 First, the commissioners of the general assem- 
 bly, in their " Solemn and Seasonable Warning," 
 December 19th, 1646, printed at Edinburgh, 
 page 4th, have these words: " So long as his 
 majesty doth not approve in his heart, and seal 
 with his hand, the league and covenant, we can- 
 not but apprehend that, according to his former 
 principles, he will walk in opposition to the same, 
 and study to draw us in to the violating thereof." 
 
 Secondly, The kirk of Scotland did, before the 
 treaty with the king, in many of their public de- 
 clarations and papers, hold forth, that the king's 
 interest was subordinate to the interest of God, 
 and of religion ; and therefore we find this sub- 
 ordination holden forth, and engaged unto both 
 in the national covenant, and in the solemn 
 league and covenant, v.liich doth oblige us to 
 maintain and defend the king's person, and au- 
 thority, in the defence and preservation of true 
 religion, and liberties of the kingdom, upon 
 which consideration the commissioners of the 
 genera! assembly, in their humble representation 
 to the honourable estates of parliament, the 28th 
 of April 1648, printed, do take notice of a new 
 interpretation, which the declaration of the par- 
 liament puts upon this article of the solemn 
 league and covenant, and tells their lordships, 
 that no such interpretation hath been made by 
 the assembly of the kirk, of the solemn league 
 and covenant, as their lordships are pleased there 
 to make of it. 
 
 The commissioners of the general assembly, in 
 their declaration at Edinburgh, 1st March, 164S, 
 printed, do declare, " that although in the cove- 
 nant, the duty of defending and preserving the 
 king's majesty's person and authority be joined 
 with, and subordinate unto the duty of preserv- 
 ing and defending the true religion and liberties 
 of the kingdom ; and that although from the be- 
 ginning of the cause, the good, safety, and secu- 
 rity of religion have been principally sought 
 after, and insisted upon, yet solicitations, per- 
 suasions, and endeavours have not been, nor are 
 wanting for his majesty's restitution to the exer- 
 Jse of his royal power, and for espousing his 
 majesty's quarrel, notwithstanding his not gi-ant- 
 ing the public desires, concerning the covenant 
 and religion ; and this course is clearly contrary 
 to the declared resolution of the parliament of 
 this kingdom, ifter advice desired from us, upon 
 the case concerning the king then propounded to 
 us; and it is ro less contrary (say they) to the 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 [book I. 
 
 what all your contendings for it while you 
 were alive could not do, your blood shall do 
 when you are gone. The Lord seemeth 
 
 principles and professions of the convention and 
 of the committee of estates, before any such ad- 
 vice was desired or had from us." 
 
 The commissioners of the general assembly, in 
 the year 1650, in their answer to the estates' 
 observations upon the assembly's declaration, 
 printed, speak thus, page 23d, concerning the 
 subordination of civil power, to the good of re- 
 ligion : " It is granted by your lordships, and 
 that it is a great sin in kings to do otherwise, 
 but that, if kings fail in religion, the subjects are 
 notwithstanding tied to obedience in things civil. 
 We conceive that it will not be denied, (say the 
 commissioners) that subjects are as straitly tied 
 to a subordination of all to God as the king 
 is. Doth not the word oblige all men, whether 
 king or subjects, to prefer the glory of God, and 
 the good of religion to all things, to seek it in the 
 first place, to postpone it to nothing whatsomever ? 
 And again, page 28th, of the same answer. We 
 are sorry (say they) to see their interests still so 
 carefully provided for, and so little security for 
 religion, which indeed was the main and prin- 
 cipal cause of our engagement in the late wars. 
 The declaration also of the general assembly in 
 the year 1648, printed, speaketh thus : " Where- 
 as tiie duty of defending his majesty's person 
 and authority, is, bj' the 3d article of the cove- 
 nant, qualified w^ith a subordination unto the 
 preservation and defence of the true religion and 
 liberties, there is no such qualification nor sub- 
 ordination asserted in the present engagement, 
 but is so carried on, as to make duties to God, 
 and for religion; conditional, qualified, limited, 
 and duties to the king absolute and unlimited :" 
 And again, in the same declaration, malignancy 
 is revived, in spreading of specious pretences, 
 vindicating ^vrongs done to his majestj-. We 
 desire not to be mistaken, as if respect and love 
 to his majesty were to be branded with the in- 
 famous mark of malignancy ; but we warn all 
 who would not come under this foul stain, not 
 only in their speech and profession, but really in 
 their whole carriage, not to own nor prefer their 
 own nor the interest of any creature whatsom- 
 ever, before the interest of Christ and religion." 
 
 The representation also of the commissioners 
 of the general assembly, 1648, April 28th, page 
 4th, printed, speaketh thus : " Your lordships 
 are obliged by the .'^d article of the covenant, to 
 defend his majesty's person and authority, in the 
 defence and preservation of the true religion and 
 liberties of the kingdom ; we suppose your lord- 
 ships should not demand from, nor press upon 
 the kingdom of England, his majesty's restitu- 
 tion, except with that qualification in the cove- 
 nant, and with subordin.ation to religion, and 
 the liberties of the kingdoms ; and how can this 
 subordination according to the covenant, be said 
 to be observed in your lordships' demand as it 
 stands, if his majesty be brought with honour, 
 freedom and safety, and without security foi 
 establishing religion and peace? we then leave it 
 to your lordships' consciences, whether his ma- 
 jesty shall be restored to his honour, before Jesus 
 Christ be restored to his honour, and set upon 
 his throne of government, before Jesus Christ be 
 set upon his throne of government of his church, 
 and his majesty put in a condition of liberty, be- 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 187 
 
 now to be about to set and fix his standard and sortsof persons within the land, 
 for a while in the blood and sufferings of his ere all be done : and whether many 
 servants and people, it may be of all ranks . or few, or none at all, (which is not likely) 
 
 1661. 
 
 fore the ordinances of Christ have a free course ; 
 and whether his majesty's safety shall not be 
 provided for, and secured, before either church 
 or kingdom can say, that they ai'e in a condition 
 4)f safety. Antl is this to erHieavour the settling 
 of religion, before all worldly interests, or rather 
 it come after the king's interest ?" The same 
 representation in the 26th page, speaketh thus : 
 " We only put your lordships in mind, that the 
 national covenant doth join with his majesty's 
 safety, his good behaviour in his office, saying, 
 that the quietness and stability of religion and 
 kirk, doth depend upon the safety and good 
 behaviour of his majesty, as upon a comfortable 
 instrument of God's mercy, granted to this 
 country for the maintenance of this kirk, and 
 ministration of justice : otherwise, if a king do 
 not his duty for the maintenance of true reli- 
 gion, and ministration of justice, it is not his 
 safety alone that makes the people to be in 
 quietness and happiness withal, as our quietness 
 and happiness dependeth on his majesty, and 
 his doing of his duty, as an instrument and 
 minister of God for good, so the honour, great- 
 ness, and happiness of the king's royal majesty, 
 and the welfare of his sulrjects, doth depend 
 upon the purity of religion, as is well expressed 
 in your lordships' oath of parliament. In the 
 printed answer of the commission to the 
 est.ites' observations on the assembly's declara- 
 tion, August 1648, p. 19th, be these words : Their 
 lordships press doing duties to his majesty, viz. 
 his restoring to honour, freedom and safety, 
 notwithstanding of the fear of any bad conse- 
 quence, how much more ought we to do duties 
 to God, viz. to see the security of religion before 
 his majesty's restitution, whatever danger or 
 bad consequence come ? In the declaration of 
 the general assembly to England, in the year 
 1618, printed, be these words : " We are not 
 against the restoring of his majesty to the ex- 
 ercise of his power in a right and orderly way, 
 yet considering the gi'e it expense of blood, and 
 pains this kingdom hath been at, for maintaining 
 their just liberties, and bringing the work of 
 reformation this length, and considering his 
 majesty's averseness from the reformation, and 
 his adhering to episcopacy, we trust, that secu- 
 rity sh;dl yet be demanded for religion," &c. 
 And which is yet more considerable, not only 
 is it acknowledged to be a sin, in the solemn 
 acknowledgment of public sins, and breach of 
 the covenant, condescended by the commis- 
 sioners of the general assembly, and approven 
 by the committee of estates, October 1648, and 
 afterwards by the parliament, and solemnlj' 
 Kept with a day or two of solemn public humi- 
 liation, by all the ministers and congregations 
 of the land : " That some among ourselves 
 have laboured to put into the hands of our king, 
 an arbitrary and unlimited power, and that 
 under the pretence of relieving and doing for 
 the king, whilst he refuses to do what is neces- 
 sary for the house of God, some have ranversed 
 and violated most of all the articles of the 
 covenant." But also in the solemn engagement 
 to duties, condescended upon by the commis- 
 sioners of the general assembly, and approven 
 by the committee of estates and parliament, 
 
 and solemnly sworn by the whole land at the 
 time of the renewing of the covenant, we are 
 all of us solemnly obliged in the first article 
 of that engagement, " That because religion is 
 of all things the most excellent and precious, 
 the advancing and promoving the j)ower thereof 
 against all ungodliness and profanity, the secur- 
 ing and preserving the purity thereof against 
 error, heresy, and schism, and carrying on the 
 work of uniformity, shall be studied and en- 
 deavoured by us before all worldly interests, 
 whether concerning the king, ourselves, or any 
 other whatsomever." 
 
 Secondly, There be many things to be found 
 in the public papers of the kirk of Scotland, 
 arguing the sinfulness of restoring the king to 
 the exercise of his royal power, whilst con- 
 tinuing in known opposition to the work of 
 reformation, or before necessary security given 
 for religion, from the great end and duty of 
 magistracy itself, from the mutual covenants 
 and contracts betwixt the king and his people, 
 from the oath of coronation, which is ratified 
 by act of parliament, and is to be taken by all 
 the kings that reign over the realm, at the time 
 of their coronation, and receipt of their princely 
 authority, whereby they are obliged to be of 
 one perfect religion, or to serve the same eternal 
 God to the utmost of their power, according as 
 he hath required in his most holy word, and 
 to maintain the true religion of Christ Jesus, 
 the preaching of his holy word, and the due 
 and right administration of the sacraments, 
 now received and preached within this realm, 
 and that they shall abolish and gainstand all 
 false religion contrarj' to the same, and from 
 the danger of arbitrary and unlimited power ; 
 and sundry other grounds and reasons of that 
 kind, which would be tedious to repeat, with 
 the passages of the public papers wherein they 
 are mentioned. Therefore, passing other papers 
 emitted by the kirk concerning those things, we 
 do only refer unto the printed declaration of the 
 general assembly, 1649, in which we will iind a 
 brief sum of the arguments and reasons that 
 are more largely scattered in former papers to 
 this purpose, with a conclusion drawn therefrom 
 concerning the sinfulness of admitting the king 
 to the exercise of his royal power, before the 
 obtaining real security for religion, which secu- 
 rity could not be obtained, he continuing in his 
 former known opposition to the work of refor- 
 mation ; which declaration, in so far as concerns 
 this business, is repeated in the book of " the 
 Causes of Wrath," in the enlargement of the 
 oth step of the 9th article. 
 
 In the third place it is to be remembered, 
 that the commissioners of the general assembly, 
 in the years 1649 and 1650, do hold forth in 
 their instructions and letters relating to the 
 treaty with the king, concerning this purpose. 
 First, in their instructions 1649, they do require 
 their commissioners effectually and seriously to 
 represent unto the king's majesty, the evil of 
 the popish, prelatical and malignant party, and 
 to labour to persuade him to forsake their 
 counsel? and courses, and to cleave to those who 
 would be faithful to God and to his majesty. 
 And in their instructions 1650, they are in- 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 188 
 
 , „ „ , shall be added unto you, I believe 
 
 to it shall be the gathering of his 
 
 people ; and then I am sure your sufferings 
 
 structed to desire him to take course, that his 
 council and family may consist only of such as 
 are of known integrity and aflfection to the 
 cause of God, and of a blameless and Christian 
 conversation ; which, they say, there is the 
 more reason to urge, because most of the evils 
 that have afflicted the king's house and his 
 people, have issued in a special manner from 
 the king's council and family, their disaifection 
 and looseness. 
 
 The commissioners of the general assembly, 
 upon report of closing of the treaty with the 
 king at Breda, in the year 1650, by an express 
 sent from them for that effect, they do in a 
 large letter written to their commissioners, of 
 the date 20th of May 1650, profess their dis- 
 affection therewith, in which letter are these 
 passages. " We cannot," say they, " but pro- 
 fess ourselves to be exceedingly unsatisfied with 
 his majesty's concessions, as coming short of 
 many of the material and important desires of 
 this kirk and kingdom, concerning the security 
 of religion, and the peace of the kingdom." 
 And in another place of that letter : '^ Albeit," 
 say they, " we conceive ourselves bound wth all 
 cordial affection, heartily to invite and welcome 
 his majesty upon complete satisfaction to the 
 desires of kirk and kingdom ; yet it is matter 
 of stumbling to us, that he should, not only 
 without such satisfaction so far as we could 
 discern, but that assm-ances are also given to 
 him in matters of great importance, not yet 
 determined by the parliament of this kingdom, 
 or general assembly, or commissioners of the 
 kirk." And again in the same letter : " As v/e 
 earnestly pray for, and desire to endeavour a 
 sound agreement ■with his majesty, so we con- 
 ceive ourselves bound to discover and avoid the 
 evil of such an agreement as will prove dan- 
 gerous and destructive to the kii'k of God in 
 our hands ; and therefore, as we are confident 
 that ye will be short in no duty that ye owe to 
 the king, or that may procure a right under- 
 standing or happy settling betwixt his majesty 
 and this kirk and kingdom, so we also persuade 
 ourselves that ye will take heed of snares, and 
 discern well of the counsels of all these who 
 have been involved in the late defection, and 
 are not yet convinced of, nor humbled for the 
 offence given thereby." The commissioners of 
 the general assembly, did at the same time send 
 this particular instruction to their commis- 
 sioners at Breda. " You shall not fail, for 
 preventing and removing of all questions and 
 debates anent the king's oath, to declare by a 
 paper to his majesty, that it doth not only 
 import his allowance and approbation of the 
 national covenant and solemn league and cove- 
 nant, to his subjects, but also that his own 
 swearing and subscribing the same, and in the 
 •words subjoined thereto, imports his allowance 
 and approbation of aU the heads and articles 
 thereof, in his own particular judgment, and 
 his engagement to every one of them, as much 
 as the oath of any of the subjects thereto, im- 
 ports their approbation and engagement." 
 
 By these things we hope it is manifest and 
 dear, that the kirk of Scotland did require in 
 the king, a discontinuing from his former op- 
 
 [book I. 
 
 are well rewarded, and not only yours, but 
 all the blood that shall be shed, well be- 
 stowed in the gathering of his scattered 
 
 position to the work of reformation, before ad-, 
 mitting him to the exercise of his royal power, 
 as a thing necessary for the security of religion, 
 and that they judged it not duty, but sin to do 
 otherwise. 
 
 Fourthly, We shall show this to have been 
 the common received doctrine, and public judg- 
 ment of the kirk of Scotland, after the treaty 
 with the king, or after the king's homecoming 
 into Scotland; which appears first from the 
 printed declaration of the commissioners of the 
 general assembly, the 1.3th August, 1650, which 
 speaks in this manner : " The commission of 
 the general assembly considering, that there 
 may be just ground of stumbling, from the 
 king's majesty's refusing to subscribe and emit 
 the declaration offered to him by the committee 
 of estates, and commissioners of the general 
 assembly, concerning his former carriage, and 
 his resolution for the future, in reference to the 
 cause of God, and the enemies and friends 
 thereof, do herefore declare, that this kirk and 
 kingdom do not own nor espouse any malignant 
 quarrel or interest, but that they fight merely 
 upon their former grounds and principles, and 
 in defence of the cause of God, and of the 
 kingdom, as they have done these twelve years 
 past, and therefore, as they disclaim all the sin 
 and guilt of his house, so they Avould not own 
 him nor his interest, otherways than with sub- 
 ordination to God, and so far as he owns and 
 prosecutes the cause of God and the covenant, 
 and likewise all the enemies and friends there- 
 of." Secondly, It appears from the cause of the 
 fast at Stirling condescended upon, first, by the 
 presbytery with the army, and afterwards ap- 
 proven by the commissioners of the general assem- 
 bly at Stirling, a little after the defeat at Dunbar, 
 in which it is offered, that we ought to mourn 
 for the manifold provocations of the king's 
 house, which we fear are not truly repented of, 
 nor forsaken by him to this day, together with 
 the crooked and precipitant ways that were 
 taken by sundrj' of our statesmen for carrying 
 on the treaty with the king. Secondly, The 
 commissioners of the general assembly, in a 
 remonstrance of theirs to the states, of the date 
 at Perth, 29th of November, 1650, do exhort, 
 " That they would seriously lay to heart any 
 sin or guiltiness through sinful precipitancy, 
 and unstraight designs and carnal policy, in 
 appointing addresses for treating with the king, 
 and in the way of carrying ni iiid closing the 
 same, and what, upon seri'ous search, your lord- 
 ships shall find may give glory to God, in an in- 
 genuous confession and acknow.edgment thereof, 
 and sincere humiliation beiure him for the 
 same." Thirdly, The causes of the fast at 
 Perth, condescended upon by the commissionei's 
 of the general assembly, for the king and his 
 family, 26th of December, 1650. In which causes, 
 besides what relates to the king, his royal father, 
 and his royal grandfather, are these things re- 
 lating to the king himself, the present king, 
 " His entering to tread the same step, by closing 
 a treaty with the popish Irish rebels, who had 
 shed so much blood, and granting them not only 
 their personal liberty, but also the free exercise 
 of the popish religion, so that he might use 
 
CHAP. II. J 
 
 people. The healing and reparation of all 
 their breaclies shall begin at your ashes, who 
 in jour days have been esteemed a man of 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 strife and contention. 
 
 189 
 
 them aijainst his protestant subjocts. 2flly, By 
 roininissionating ■ James Graham again to 
 
 invade the kingdom, who were striving to be 
 faithful to the cause and to his majesty, and 
 to give commissions for sundry at sea and land 
 for that end. 3diy, By his refusing for a time 
 the just satisfaction which w;i.s desired by the 
 kirk and kingdom. 4thly, His entertaining 
 private correspondences with malignants and 
 enemies to the cause, contrary to the covenant, 
 whereupon he was drawn it last to a public 
 and scandalous deserting of the public judica- 
 tories of this kingdom, so contrary to the treat}', 
 his oath, declarations, and confessions; where- 
 upon followed-many otfences and inconveniences, 
 and to join with malignants and perverse men, 
 who were by his warrant encouraged to take 
 arms at such a time, to the hazarding of the 
 cause, fostering of jealousies, and the disturbing 
 the peace of tliis kingdom. These things, say 
 the commissioners of the general assembly, in 
 the causes of humiliation, being sensibly laid 
 out before the Lord, he is with fervent prayers 
 to be entreated to do away the controversies he 
 has against the king or his house for these 
 transgressions, and that he may be graciously 
 pleased to bless the king's person and govern- 
 ment." These causes of fast at Stirling and 
 Perth, and the remonstrance cited, are lo be 
 found in the registers of the kirk. 
 
 In the last place, we shall bring some things 
 which may also prove the same to have been the 
 public judgment of this state or kingdom of 
 Scotland. First, The parliament 1648, in their 
 declaration concerning their resolutions for re- 
 ligion, king, and kingdoms, in pursuance of 
 the ends of the covenant ; as they do all along 
 acknowledge the first motive of these king- 
 doms engaging in a solemn league and cove- 
 rnint, to have been for reformation and defence 
 of religion ; so in the 6th page of that declara- 
 tion, as it stands printed in the acts of parlia- 
 ment, they do expressly declare, " that they 
 resolved not to put in his majesty's hands, or 
 any other whatsomevcr, any such power, where- 
 by the ends of the covenant, or any one of them 
 may be obstructed or opposed, religion or pres- 
 byterian government endangered ; but on the 
 contrar, before an agreement or condition to be 
 made with his majesty, having found his majes- 
 ty's late concessions and offers concerning re- 
 ligion not satisfactory, that he give assurance 
 "by his solemn oath under his hand and seal, 
 that he shall for himself and his successors 
 give his royal assent, and agree to such act or 
 ucts of parliament, and bills, as shall be present- 
 ed to him by his parliaments of both or either 
 kingdoms respective, by enjoining the le<ague 
 and covenant, and fully establishing presbyterial 
 government. Directory of Worship, and Con- 
 fession of Faith, in all his dominions, and that 
 his majesty shall never make any opposition to 
 any of these, nor endeavour any change thereof." 
 2dly, The parliament 1649, as they do in their 
 second act, January 5th, approve of the solemn 
 public confession of sins, and engagement unto 
 duties; so do they in the 4th act, of the date 
 16th of Januarj'-, 1649, approve of the desires, 
 
 1661. 
 
 God hath 
 much to do for you and yours, 
 when you are gone ; but alas ! I fear a dark 
 
 supplications, remonstrances, declarations of the 
 kirk, and representation of the commissioners 
 of the general assembly, against the restoring 
 the king without sufficient security first had 
 from him concerning religion, and <lo condemn 
 the unsound gloss that is put upon the covenant 
 and acts of the general assembly, in the close of 
 the declaration of the parliament 16-lS, in these 
 things that concern our duty to the king. 3dly, 
 The parliament 1649 in the act of the 7th of 
 February, anent the securing the covenant, 
 religion, and peace of the kingdom, doth provide, 
 " that before the king's majesty who now is, or 
 any of his successors, shall be admitted to the 
 exercise of his roy.il power, they shall not only 
 swear the oath of coronation, and his allowance 
 of the national covenant, and obligation to pro- 
 secute the ends thereof in his station and calling, 
 and that he shall for himself and his successors, 
 consent and agree to acts of parliament enjoin- 
 ing the same, and fully establish presbyterian 
 government. Confessions of Faith, and cate- 
 chisms of this church, and parliament of this 
 kingdom, in all his majesty's dominions, and 
 that he shall observe these in his own practice 
 and family ; and that he shall never make oppo- 
 sition to any of these nor endeavour any change 
 thereof: but it is also declared and ordained in 
 the same act, that before the king, who now is to 
 be admitted to the exercise of his royal power, 
 he shall leave all counsel and counsellors pre- 
 judicial to religion and to the national covenant, 
 and to the solemn league and covenant." 4thly, 
 The parliament at Edinburgh, 18th May, 1650, 
 taking to consideration the invitation that was 
 given to his majesty by their commissioners at 
 Breda, in their explanation of the invitation 
 do declare, " that the assurance given to his 
 majesty therein, doth include the condition 
 of his majesty's performing satisfaction to the 
 desires of the kingdom, according to the four 
 demands which they sent with that explana- 
 tion : and in their instructions sent at that 
 time to the commissioners, they do expressly 
 instruct them, that they shall not fail, for re- 
 moving all questions and doubts about the 
 king's oath, to declare by a paper to his majesty, 
 that it doth not only import, that the national 
 covenant, and the solemn league and covenant 
 be taken by the subjects, but also that his own 
 swearing and subscribing the same, and the 
 words subjoined thereto, imports his approba- 
 tion of all the heads and articles thereof in his 
 own particular judgment, and his engagement 
 to every ons of them, as much as the oath of 
 any of the subjects imports their approbation 
 and engagement thereto." And it is consider- 
 able, that in these instructions they do require 
 dear satisfaction from his majesty to their ne- 
 cessary desires, and that they do declare, that 
 without such satisfaction not only will that joy 
 and cheerfulness, wherewith all his majesty's 
 good subjects desire to receive him, be impeded, 
 but also his coronation be delayed, and this kirk 
 and kingdom be necessitate to declarations, 
 which wiU be inconvenient both for his majesty 
 and them. For instructing these things we 
 refer to the registers of the kingdom. 
 
190 
 
 1661. 
 
 and woful clay on these nations, ere 
 these things be. As for myself I 
 have been kept off from public appearance 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS ["bOOK I. 
 
 hitherto ; I know no more than some in my 
 name have communicate to you. Whereto 
 or wherein any forbearance I have, shall re- 
 
 Lastly; As the parliament and committee of 
 estates of this kingdom did not for a good while 
 after his majesty's coming into Scotland, admit 
 the king to the exercise of his royal power ; so 
 the committee of estates, in order to the neces- 
 sary security of religion, did, with advice of the 
 general assemhly, judge it necessary to desire 
 him to subscribe a declaration, concerning his 
 former carriage, and resolutions for the future 
 iu reference to the cause of God, and the enemies 
 and friends thereof; and upon his majesty's re- 
 fusing to subscribe that declaration of the com- 
 missioners of the general assembly, of the 13th 
 of August, 1650, did approve of the declaration, 
 and heartily concur therein, as is evident from 
 their own act subjoined thereto, and published 
 therewith. 
 
 From these things, we hope, it is manifest, 
 that it was the common received doctrine of the 
 church, and the public judgment of this king- 
 dom, concerning the necessary security of reli- 
 gion, that it was not our duty, but our sin, to 
 close a treaty with the king for inventing him 
 Ti^ith the exercise of his royal power, he still 
 continuing in his former known opposition to 
 the work of reformation. 
 
 Minutes of the Process against Mr. James 
 Guthrie. 
 
 At Edinburgh, 11th April, 1661.— In the 
 criniinal pursuit and indictment of sedition and 
 treason, at the instance of Sir John Fletcher, 
 his majesty's advocate for his majesty's interest, 
 against Mr. James Guthrie, sometime minister 
 at Stirling, before the lord commissioner the 
 earl of Middleton, and the three estates of par- 
 liament, compeared for the king's majesty's in- 
 terest, the said Sir John Fletcher ; and for and 
 with the panncl at the bar, INIr. Robert Burnet, 
 Mr. John Cunningham, Mr. Andrew Birnie, 
 and Mr. George Mackenzie, advocates. After 
 reading of the libel, defences, replieSj and duplies, 
 in open parliament, his majesty's advocate de- 
 clared he insisted against the pannel upon the 
 tirst article, concerning the " Remonstrance," 
 without prejudice to the rest, so far allenarly as 
 he did own and homologate the same, by framing 
 the 6tli and 6th steps of the Pth article of " the 
 Causes of God's Wrath," and explanation there- 
 of; and declared he did not insist upon the act 
 of the committee of estates, in anno 1650, con- 
 demning the " Remonstrance," nor upon the 
 act of parliament in anno 1651, ratifying the 
 said act of the committee of estates, because they 
 have not been, nor are produced for instructing 
 that part of the libel. The pannel at the bar, 
 being inquired concerning his accession to " the 
 Causes of Wrath," acknowledges, that he was 
 one that framed the same. 
 
 Edinburgh, 12th April, 1661. 
 
 The estates of parliament, after advising the 
 relevancy of the w»hole procevss, do repel the 
 allegances against the first two articles of the 
 dittay, concerning the " Remonstrance" and 
 " Causes of Wrath ;" and notwithstanding 
 thereof, find the libel, as to those two articles 
 thereof, relevant to bring the pannel under the 
 compass of the acts of parliament made against 
 slanderers, viz. lS4th act, pari. 8, James VI., 
 
 the 205th act, 14th pari. James VI., and other 
 acts mentioned in this last act. As likewise the 
 said estates of parliament repel the allegances 
 against the third and fourth articles of the 
 dittay, concerning the meeting libelled, and the 
 petition and instructions, and others done there- 
 in ; and notwithstanding thereof, find the meet- 
 ing, with the petition, instructions, and what 
 else was in that meeting, to have been unlawful 
 and seditious : and also the said estates of par- 
 liament repel the aliegance against the fifth 
 article of the dittay, concerning the declining 
 his majesty's authoritj', and protesting for re- 
 meed of law against his majesty and committee 
 of estates, for a pretended gravamen ; and not- 
 withstanding thereof, find the declinator con- 
 taining the protestation falls under the 129th 
 act of the parliament 15S4, made anent the 
 king's majesty's royal power over all estates. 
 
 Edinburgh, 15th April, 1661. 
 The lord advocate declares, for proving the 
 articles of the dittay, he repeats the pannel's 
 confession at the bar, and throughout the whole 
 defences, with the Remonstrance, Causes of 
 Wrath, Petition, Instructions, Declinators, and 
 others produced, all acknowledged, written, 
 or subscribed by the petitioner's own hand, and 
 renounces further probation. Thereafter, the 
 estates of parliament having this day again con- 
 sidered the former interlocutors, as also having 
 considered the pannel's confession at the bar, 
 and extant throughout his whole defences, anei\t 
 his accession to the pamphlet, entitled, " the 
 Causes of God's Wrath," wherein one of the 
 causes is mentioned to be the rejecting of the 
 " Remonstrance," and having considered the 
 said two pamphlets themselves, they find the 
 libel sufficiently proven thereby, in so far as re- 
 lates to the first and second articles ; as also 
 h.aving considered the petition, instructions, and 
 others done in that meeting, mentioned in the 
 third and fourth article, and his judicial acknow- 
 ledgment, that he was at the meeting, and sub- 
 scriber of the petition, and writer of the instruc- 
 tions ; they find these articles also proven : and 
 having considered also the declinator containing 
 the protestation, with the other protestation, 
 both acknowledged by the pannel, and sub- 
 scribed with his hand ; the estates of parlia- 
 ment find the fifth article thereby proven. The 
 lord advocate takes instruments upon the 
 dittay being found relevant and proven, and 
 protests, that the pains contained in the acts of 
 parliament may be inflicted upon the pannel. 
 Glen CAIRN, Cancel. I. P. D. Pari, 
 
 At Edinburgh, 25th May, 1661. 
 The estates of parliament find, that Mr. 
 James Guthrie, sometime minister at Stirling, 
 has committed the crime of treason against the 
 king's majesty, his sovereign authority and royal 
 government, and has slandered his majesty's 
 person, state, and government, in so far as the 
 said Mr. James had accession to the framing of 
 a pamphlet called, " the Causes of God's Wrath," 
 wherein one of the causes is mentioned to be the 
 rejecting of the "Remonstrance,"and that thereby 
 he has contravened the 205th act, 14th pari. James 
 VI., and the lOth act of the 10th parL James 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH 
 
 solve, God knoweth; I can say in the apos- 
 tle's words, not unapplicable in this case, I 
 think, if my heart deceive me not, to will 
 and to resolve is present with me in my best 
 times, but how to perform I find not ; which 
 makes me ofttimcs to doubt of the very truth 
 of my resoluteness, yet he knoweth that I 
 desire to be sincere before him ; and what- 
 ever may become of me, it is the present im- 
 pression and persuasion of my heai't, that 
 whoever they be that through their shrink- 
 ing shall put a stain upon the cause of your 
 suffering now to be sealed with your blood, 
 shall have and draw upon themselves a guUt 
 of a double dye. 
 
 " Dear Sir, forgive me for such a trouble 
 at such a nick ; but it is the last expression 
 of my affection which can reach you, to 
 whom my soul hath been ever knit since my 
 first acquaintance with you : I shall say no 
 more, but that I cannot pass the mention- 
 ing of that scripture which hath been often 
 in my mind concerning you, and which I re- 
 member you once told me was borne in 
 upon your mind, amidst some of these for- 
 mer conflicts you have been essayed with 
 before it came to this. You know the place; 
 ' I have made thee this day a defenced city 
 and a brazen wall, &c. and they shall fight 
 against thee, but they shall not prevail 
 against thee, for I am with thee to deliver 
 thee, saith the Lord.' I confess I would 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 191 
 
 VI., and incurred the pain of death therein 
 contained : and likewise, the said Mr. James 
 did coutrive and petition at a meeting of some 
 ministers in the month of 1660, last bj-- 
 
 past, which meetirifj, petition and instructions, 
 and what else was done at the said meeting, the 
 estates of parliament find unlawful and scandal- 
 ous ; and in so far as the said ]\Ir. Jiimes did 
 decline his majesty's authority, and protested 
 for remeed of law against his majesty and com- 
 mittee of estates, for a pretended gravamen, and 
 that thereby he has contravened the 1st act, Hth 
 pari. James VI., in anno 1684', and incurred 
 the pain of treason therein contained : and 
 therefore, upon the ground of the foresaid trea- 
 sonable crimes and acts of parliament above- 
 mentioned, thereby contravened, the kif)g"s ma- 
 jesty, with advice and consent of the estates of 
 parliament, finds and declares, that the said 
 Mr. James Guthrie has incurred the pain of 
 high treason, and other pains contained in the 
 said acts, and decerns and ordains him to un- 
 derly the punishment due to traitors, viz. the 
 tinsel and confiscation of his life, and of all his 
 lands, goods, moveable Jind immoveable, offices, 
 dignities, sums of money, and all rights and 
 others wbatsumever belonging to him, or which 
 
 have fain drawn forth the perform- ,„„, 
 ance of that promise to a longer 
 life to you, and more work therein ; but 
 God hath performed it well, you have had 
 very great and undeniable performances of 
 it already, and now the best is at hand. 
 Within a little it shall be said, they have 
 got the foil, and you the victory ; and no 
 wonder, for ' he is still with you to deliver 
 you.' 
 
 " Now that the Lord may send down 
 upon your soul liberal showers of divine in- 
 fluences, and his plentiful rain to confirm you 
 against all weariness ; that the tongue of the 
 learned may be given to you for your last 
 words, and that all the communicable bles- 
 sings of the cross of Christ may run over 
 yoiu-s, till that word be made out in your 
 sufferings, * except a corn of wheat fall into 
 the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if 
 it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.' The 
 words following, John xii. 25, &c. are well 
 worth your reading. God can, and I trust 
 will make you that corn of wheat, that the 
 brethren in the Lord may wax bold through 
 resisting unto blood ; and that the Lord may 
 recompense your work, and a full reward be 
 given you of the Lord God of Israel, under 
 whose wings you trust. These are the re- 
 quests and supplications of his soul to the 
 Lord for you, who earnestly desires your 
 blessing and best wishes to be left behind 
 
 may any way pertain or belong to him, and 
 ordains the same to be confiscate and appertain 
 to the king's majesty, and to remain for ever 
 with his majesty in property ; and that he 
 be hanged to death at the cross of Edinburgh, 
 upon Saturday next, the 1st day of June, at 
 two of the clock in the afternoon, as a traitor 
 against his majesty ; and thereafter his head be 
 cutted off, and affixed on the Nether Bow of 
 Edinburgh, and that presently his arms be 
 delete out of the books of heraldry, and torn in 
 pieces by the lion-herald, at the market cross of 
 Edinburgh, and there to be left torn and ran- 
 versed, as a testimony of the vile and abomin- 
 able treason ; and declares his children and 
 posterity incapable in all time coming, to bniik, 
 possess, or enjoy any office, dignities, succes- 
 sions, possessions, lands, goods, moveable and 
 immoveable, or any other thing within this 
 kingdom. 
 
 At Edinburgh, 2Sth May, 1G61. 
 This de.reet read and voted in parliament, 
 approven and pronounced, touched with the 
 royal sceptre, and appointed to be recorded, 
 published, and put in execution accordingly. 
 Crawford I. P. U. pari. 
 
192 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Ififil y**" ^^ ^'^ behalf. ' Even so come 
 Lord JesuSjhe saith, I come quickly.' 
 Amen, amen." 
 
 Betwixt Mr. Guthrie's sentence and the 
 execution of it, he was in a perfect compos- 
 ure and serenity of spirit, and wrote a great 
 many excellent letters to his friends and ac- 
 quaintances, which, could the3' ^'e recovered, 
 might be of great use. In this interval he 
 had not a few prophetical expressions, spme 
 of which I have well attested, but I shall 
 not insert them here. I wish this great 
 man's life were published by some good 
 hand. 
 
 The day he was execute, June 1st, upon 
 some reports spread most groundlessly, that 
 he was to buy his life at the expense of re- 
 tracting some things he had formerly said, 
 owned, and done, Mr. Guthrie wrote, and 
 before the underwritten witnesses subscribed 
 the following declaration. 
 
 " These are to declare, that I do own 
 • The Causes of God's Wrath,' the ' Suppli- 
 cation at Edinburgh,' August last, and any 
 accession I had to the * Remonstrance ;' and 
 if any do think, or have reported that I was 
 willing to recede from any of these, they have 
 wronged me, as never having any ground 
 from me so to think, or so to report. This I 
 attest under my hand, at Edinbiu-gh, about 
 eleven of the clock in the forenoon, before 
 these witnesses, 
 
 " James Guthrie." 
 
 " Mr. Arthur Forbes, 
 
 " Mr. Hugh Walker, 
 
 " Mr. John Guthrie, and 
 
 " James Cowie." 
 
 That day he dined with his friends in the 
 greatest cheerfulness. After dinner he called 
 for a little cheese, which he had been dis- 
 suaded from eating for some time, as not 
 good for the gravel he was troubled with, 
 and yet had a great liking to it, and said, I 
 hope I am now beyond the hazard of the 
 gravel. When he had been in secret some 
 time, he came forth in the greatest serenity 
 and composure, and was carried down under 
 a guard from the tolbooth to the cross of 
 Edinburgh, where a scaffold was erected, 
 and there the sentence was executed in all 
 its branches. He gave to his friends a copy 
 of what he designed for his speech, if he 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 should be alloived to deliver it on the scaf- 
 fold, subscribed and sealed, to be delivered 
 to his son, and, he being a child, to be kept 
 for him till he came to years. The copy of 
 it is in " Naphtali," and hath been many 
 times printed, yet I add it at the bottom of 
 the page.* 
 
 * Mr. James Guthrie his last speecli, June 1st, 
 1661. 
 
 Men and brethren, I fear many of you are 
 come hither to gaze rather than to be edified by 
 the carriage and last words of a dying man : but 
 if any have an ear to hear, as 1 hope some of 
 this great confluence have, I desire your audience 
 to a few words. I am come hither to lay down 
 this earthly tabernacle and mortal flesh of mine, 
 and, I bless God, through his gi'ace, I do it wil- 
 lingly, and not by constraint. I say, I suffer 
 willingly : if I had been so minded, I might 
 have made a diversion, and not been a prisoner ; 
 but being conscious to myself of nothing worthy 
 of death, or of bonds, I would not stain my In- 
 nocency with the suspicion of guiltiness, by my 
 withdrawing : neither have I wanted oppoi-tu- 
 nities and advantages to escape since I '"'•^ 
 prisoner, not by the fault of my keepers ( God 
 knoweth) but otherwise ; but neither for this 
 had I light or liberty, lest I should reflect upon 
 the Lord's name, and oftVnd the generation of 
 the righteous: and if some men have not been 
 mistaken, or dealt deceitfully in telling me so, 1 
 might have avoided not only the severity of the 
 sentence, but also had much favour and counten- 
 ance by complying with the courses of the time. 
 ]3ut I durst not redeem my life with the loss of 
 n»y integrity, God knoweth, I durst not ; and 
 that since I was prisoner he hath so liolden me 
 by the hand, that he never suft'ered me to bring 
 it in debate in my inward thoughts, much less 
 to propone or hearken to any overture of that 
 kind. I did judge it better to suffer than to sin ; 
 and therefore I am come hither to lay down my 
 life this day, and I bless God I die not as a fool ; 
 not that I have any thing wherein to glory in 
 myself: I acknowledge that I am a sinner, yea, 
 one of the greatest and vilest that has owned a 
 profession of religion, and one of the most un- 
 worthy that has preached the gospel. My cor- 
 ruptions have been strong and many, and have 
 made me a sinner in all things, yea, even in fol- 
 lowing my duty ; and therefore righteousness 
 have I none of my own, all is vile. But I do 
 believe that Jesus Christ came into the world to 
 save sinners, whereof I am chief: through faith 
 in his righteousness and blood have I obtained 
 mercy ; and through him, and him alone, have 
 I the hope of a blessed conquest and victory over 
 sin and Satan, and hell and death, and that I 
 shall attain unto the resurrection of the just, 
 and be made partaker of eternal life. I know 
 in whom I have believed, and that he is able to 
 keep that which I have committed unto him 
 against that day. I have preached salvation 
 through his name, and as I have preached so do 
 I believe, and do commend the riches of his free 
 grace and faith in his name unto you all, as the 
 only way whereby ye can be saved. 
 
 And as I bless the Lord that I die not as a 
 fool, so also that I die not for evil-doing. Not 
 a few of you may haply judge, that I sutler as a 
 
CIIAF. 11.3 
 
 We have seen tliat tlie parliament or- 
 dered William Govan, in some papers I find 
 hiin termed captain Govan, to be hanged 
 
 OF THR CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 with Mr. James Gutiiric. There 
 were different accounts of the rea- 
 son why the parliament sentenced him : 
 
 thief, or as a murderer, or as an evil-doer, or as a 
 busybody iii other men's matters. It was the 
 h)t ot' the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and hath 
 been of njany of his precious servants and people, 
 to suffer by the world as evil-doers ; and as my 
 soul seareth not at it, but desiretii to rejoiee in 
 being brought into conformity with my blessed 
 Head, and so blessed a company, in this thing; 
 and so I desire and pray tiiat 1 may be to none 
 of you to-day upon this account a stone of 
 stumbling and a rock of oft'ence. Blessed is he 
 that shall not be offended at Jesus Christ, and 
 his poor servants and members, because of their 
 being condemned as evil-doers by the world. 
 God is my record, that in these things for which 
 sentence of death hath passed against me, I have 
 a good conscience. I bless God they ai"e not 
 matters of compliance with sectaries, or designs 
 or practices against his majesty's person or gov- 
 ernment, or the person or government of his 
 royal father: my heart (I bless God) is con- 
 scious unto no disloyalty; nay, loyal I have 
 been, and I commend it unto you to be loyal and 
 obedient in the Lord. True piety is the foun- 
 dation of true loyalty: a wicked man may be a 
 Hatterer and a timeserver, but he will never be 
 a loyal subject. But to return to my purjtose ; 
 the matters for which I am condemned are mat- 
 ters belonging to my calling and function, as a 
 minister of the gospel, such as the discovery and 
 reproving of sin, the pressing and the holding 
 fast of the oath of God in the covenant, and pre- 
 serving and carrying on the work of religion 
 and reformation according thereto, and denying 
 to acknowledge the civil magistrate, as the pro- 
 per competent immediate judge in causes ec- 
 clesiastical : that in all these things (which a 
 God so ordering by his gracious providence) are 
 the grounds of my indictment and death, I have 
 a good conscience, as having walked therein ac- 
 cording to the light and rule of God's word, and 
 as did become a minister of the gospel. 
 
 I do also bless the Lord, that I do not die as 
 "one not desired." 1 know that by not a few, 
 I neither have been nor am desired. It hath 
 been my lot to have been a man of contention 
 and sorrow; but it is my comfort, that for my 
 own things I have not contended, but for the 
 things of Jesus Christ, for what relateth to his 
 interest and work, and the wellbeing of his i)eo- 
 ple. In order to the preserving and promoting 
 of tliese, I did protest agrdnst, and stood in op- 
 position unto these late assemblies at St An- 
 drews, Dundee, and Edinburgh, and the public 
 resolution for bringing the malignant jmrty into 
 the judicatories and armies of this kingdom, 
 conceiving the same contrary to the word of 
 God, and to our solemn covenants and engage- 
 ments ; and to be an inlet to the defection, and 
 to the ruin and destruction of the work of God. 
 And it is now manifest to many consciences, 
 that I have not been therein tnistaken, nor was 
 not fighting against a man of straw : I was also 
 desirous, and did use some poor endeavours, to 
 have the church of God purged of insutlicient 
 and scandalous and corrupt ministers and elders ; 
 lor these things I have been mistaken by some, 
 and hated by others : but I bless the Lord, as I 
 had the testiuxDiiy of my own conscience, so I 
 
 16GJ. 
 
 ^vas and am therein approven in the consciences 
 of many of the Ijord's precious servants and 
 people ; and however so little I may die desired 
 by some, yet by these I know I do die desired, 
 and their approbation aiul prayers, and affection 
 is of more value with me, than the contradic- 
 tion, or reproach, or hatred of many others; the 
 love of the one I cannot recompense, and the 
 mistake, or hatred, or reproach of the other I 
 do with all my heart forgive; and wherein I 
 have offended any of them, do beg their mercy 
 and i'orgiveness. I do from my soul wish that 
 my death may be profitable unto both, that the 
 one may be confirmed and established in ths 
 straight ways of the Lord; and that the other, 
 if the Lord so will, may be convinced, and cease 
 from these things that are not good, and do not 
 edifj', but destroy. 
 
 One thing I would warn you all of, that 
 God is wroth, yea, very wroth with Scotland, 
 and threateneth to depart and remove his can- 
 dlestick. The causes of his wrath are many, 
 and would to God it were not one great cause, 
 that causes of wrath are despised and rejected 
 of men : consider the cause that is recorded, 
 Jer. xxxvi. and the coiisec(uences of it, and 
 tremble and fear. I cannot but also say, that 
 there is a great addition and increase of wrath,, 
 1st, By that deluge of profanity that overtloweth 
 all the land, and hath reins loosed unto it every- 
 where, in so far that many have lost, not only 
 all use and exercise of religion, but even of 
 morality, and that common civility that is to 
 be found amongst the heathen. 2d, By that 
 horrible treachery and perjury that is in the 
 matter of the covenant, and cause of God, and 
 work of reformation : " Be astonished, O ye 
 heavens, at this, and be ye horribly afraid, and 
 be ye very desolate, sailh the Lord ; for my 
 people have committed two great evils, they 
 have forsaken me the Fountain of Waters, and 
 hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that 
 can hold no water: Shall he break the covenant 
 and prosper? shall the throne of iniquity have 
 fellowship with God, which frameth mischief 
 by a law ?" I fear the Lord be about to bring 
 a sword on these lands, which shall avenge the 
 quarrel of his covenant. 3d, Horrible ingrati- 
 tude ; the Lord, after ten years' oppression and 
 bondage, hath broken the yohe of strangers 
 from oil" our necks : but what do we render 
 unto him for this goodness? Most of the fruit 
 of our delivery is, to work wickedness, and to 
 strengthen ourselves to do evil. '1th, A most 
 dreadful idolatry and sacrificing to the creature ; 
 we have changed the glory of the incorruptible 
 God, into the image of a corruptible man, in 
 whom many have placed almost all their salva- 
 tion and desire, and have tin'ued that which 
 might have been a blessing unto us (being kept 
 in a due line of subordination under God) into 
 an idol of jealousy, by preferring it before him. 
 God is also wroth with a generation of carnal, 
 corrupt, timeserving ministers; 1 know and 
 bear testimony, that in the church of Scotland 
 there is a true and faithful ministry : blessed 
 be God, we have yet many who study their 
 duty, and desire to be found faithful to their 
 Lord and Master; and I pray you to honour, 
 
 2b 
 
194, 
 
 THE IJISTOUY OF THE SUrFEllIXGS 
 
 [book I. 
 
 Iggj in his own speech he sajs, it was j notice, that he carried up Montrose's stand- 
 
 for hiying down his anns at Ham- ard through the streets of Edinburgh. It 
 
 ilton, as all the company did, and takes ; was alleged he was j>rescnt upon tlio scaf- 
 
 and reverence, and esteem much of these for 
 their work's sake ; and I pray them to be en- 
 couraged in tlieir Lord and Master, who is 
 with them, to make them as iron pillars and 
 brazen walls, and as a strong def'enced city in 
 the faithful following of their dut}-. But oh ! 
 that there were not too many who mind eartlily 
 tilings, and are enemies to the r.i'oss of Jesus 
 Christ, who push with the side and shoulder, 
 who strengthen the hands of evil-doers, who 
 make themselves transgressors, by studying to 
 build agani what they did formerly, warrant- 
 ably destroy ; I mean prelacy, and the cere- 
 monies, and tlie Service-book, a mystery of 
 iniquity that works amongst us, whose steps 
 lead unto the house of the great whore Babylon, 
 the mother of fornication ; or whosoever else he 
 be that buildeth this Jericho again, let him 
 take heed of the curse of Hie! the Bethelite, 
 and of that flying roll threatened, Zech. v. 
 And let all ministers take heed that they watch, 
 and be steadfast in the faith, and quit them- 
 selves like men, and be strong; and give faith- 
 ful and seasonable warning, concerning sin and 
 duty. Many ot the Lord's people do sadly 
 complain of the fainting and silence of many 
 Avatchmen, and it concerneth them to consider 
 what God calleth for at tlieir hands in such a 
 day : silence now in a watchman, when he is 
 80 much called to speak, and give his testimony 
 upon the peril of his life, is doubtless a great 
 sin. The Lord open the moutlis of his ser- 
 vants, to speak his word witli all boldness, that 
 covenant-breaking may be discovered and re- 
 proved, and that the kingdom of Jesus Christ 
 may not be supplanted, nor the souls of his 
 people be destroyed without a witness. I have 
 but a few words more to add : all that are 
 profane amongst you, I exhort them to repent- 
 ance, for the day of the Lord's vengeance 
 hasteneth, and is near ; but there is yet a door 
 of mercy open for you, if ye will not despise 
 the day of salvation. All that are maligners, 
 and reproachers, and persecutors of godliness, 
 and of such as live godly, take heed what ye do; 
 it will be hard for you to kick against the 
 pricks; you make yourselves the butt of the 
 Lord's furj', and his flaming indignation, if you 
 do not cease from, and repent of all your liard 
 sj)eeches and ungodly deeds. All that are natn- 
 Tiil, and IndiH'erent, and lukewarm professors, 
 be zealous and repent, lest the Lord spue j'ou 
 out of liis mouth. You that lament after the 
 Lord, and mourn for all tlie abominations that 
 are done in this city and in the land, and take 
 pleasure in the stones and dust of Sion, cast not 
 away your confidence, but be comforted and en- 
 couraged in tlie Lord ; he will yet appear to 
 your joy : God hath not cast away his people 
 nor work in Britain and Ireland, 1 hope it shall 
 once more revive by the power of his Spirit, and 
 take root downward, and bear fruit upward, 
 and of this 1 am now confident. There is yet a 
 holy seed and precious remnant, whom God 
 will pi'eserve and bring forth : but low long or 
 diirk our night may be, I do not know, the Lord 
 shorten it for the sake of his chosen. In the 
 meanwhile be ye patient and steadfast, im- 
 move.ible, always abounding in the work of the 
 
 Lord, and in love one to another ; beware of 
 snares whicii are strewed thick ; cleave to the 
 covenant and work of reformation ; do not de- 
 cline the cross ol' Jesus Christ, choose rather to 
 suff'er affliction with the people of Goil, than to 
 enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, and 
 account the reproach of Clirist greater riches 
 than all the treasure of the world. Let my 
 death grieve none of you, it will be more profit- 
 able and advantageous, Lot'a for me and for 
 you, and for the church of God, and for Christ's 
 interest and honour, than my life could have 
 been. I forgive all men the guilt of it, and I 
 desire you to do so also : pray for them that 
 j)ersecute you, and bless them that cinse you, 
 bless, I say, and curse not. I die in the faith 
 of the apostles and primitive Cliristians, and 
 protestant reformed churches, paiticularly of 
 the church of Scotland, whereof 1 am a mein- 
 bcr and minister. 1 do bear my witness and 
 testimony to the doctrine, worship, discipline, 
 and government of the church of Scotland, by 
 kirk sessions, presbyteries, synods, and general 
 assemblies; popery and prelacj-, and all the 
 trumpery of service and ceremonies, that wail 
 upon them, I do abhor. I do bear my witness 
 inito the national covenant of SiOtlaml, and 
 solemn league and covenant betwixt the three 
 kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Irclinid: 
 these sacred, solemn, public oaths of Cod, I 
 believe can be loosed nor dispensed with, by no 
 person or party or ]K>wer upon eartii ; but are 
 still binding upon these kingdoms, and will be 
 for ever hereafter; ami are ratified and sealed 
 by the conversion of many thousand souls, since 
 our entering thereinto. 1 bear my witness to 
 the protestation against the controverted assem- 
 blies, and the public I'esolulions, to the testi- 
 ni'iuies given against the sectaries, against 
 the course of backsliding and defection that 
 is now on foot in the land, and all the 
 branches and parts thereof, under whatso- 
 ever name or iH)tion, or acted by whatsoever 
 party or person. And in the last place, I bear 
 my witness to the cross of Jesus t hrist, and 
 that 1 never had cause, nor have cause this day 
 to repent, because of any thing I have s;ifl'ered, 
 or can now sufl'er for his name : I take God to 
 record upon my sou), 1 would not exchange 
 this scaftold with the palace or mitre i f the 
 greatest pielate in Britain. Blessed be God 
 who hath showed mercy to such a wret( h, and 
 hath revealed his Son in me, and made me a 
 minister of the evilasting gospel, and that he 
 hath deigned, in the midst of much contradic- 
 tion from Satan and the world, to seal my 
 ministry upon the liearts of not a few of his 
 people, and especially iu the station wherein i 
 was last, I mean the congregation and presby- 
 tery of Stirling ; and I liope the Lord will visit 
 that congregation and jiiesbytery once more, 
 with faithful pastors. God forgive the poor 
 em])ty man that did there intrude upon my 
 labours, and hath made a prey of many poor 
 souls, and exposed others to reproach and op- 
 pression, and a famine of the word of the Lord. 
 God forgive the misleaders of that part of the 
 poor people, who tempted them to reject their 
 own pastor, and to admit of intruders : and the 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHUIIC 
 
 fold when king Charles was beheaded, but, to 
 the conviction of all, he proved himself 
 alibi.* The commissioner had no orders 
 from court about him, and many were of 
 opinion he was cast in among so good com- 
 pany as tiie Marquis and Mr. (nithrie, both 
 executed this week, that so unknown an at- 
 
 Father of mercies pity that poor misled people, 
 and the Lord viiit the coiijn'egation and presby- 
 tery of Stirling oiire more witit Ciiithfiil pastors, 
 and grant that the work and people of God, 
 may he r.'vived tln-ough all Britain, and over 
 all the world. Jesus Christ is my light and mj- 
 life, my righteousness, my slienglh, and my 
 salvation, and all my desire : him, O him I do 
 with all the strength of my soul commend unto 
 yon : " lilessed are they that are not olfended in 
 liiin; blessed are they th;it trust in him. Bless 
 him, O my soul, from henceforth even for ever." 
 llejoiee, rejoice all ye that love liim, be patient 
 and rejoice in trihulation : blessed are you, and 
 blessed shall you be for ever and ever ; ever- 
 lasting righteousness and eternal salvation is 
 yours ; all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and 
 Christ is God's. " Ilemember me, O Lord, 
 with the favour thou bearest to thy people; () 
 visit me with thy salvation, that I may see the 
 good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in tlifl 
 gliidness of thy nation, that I may glory with 
 thine inheritance. Now let thy servant depart 
 in peace, since mine eyes have seen thy salva- 
 tion. 
 
 • It is evident from Baillie's letters, that Govan's 
 crime, like tliat of the illustrious confessor whom 
 he thus nobly and honourably accompanied, was 
 his accession to the Western Remonstrance, 
 &c. &c. ; and from the peculiar bitterness with 
 ■which that very partial writer speaks of him, 
 he must have been a man of more consequence 
 than either from his own speech, or IMr. Wod- 
 row's account of him, the reader would be led to 
 believe. Speaking of colonel Strachan, when, 
 by the favour of the church for his services 
 against that infamous ruffian, but eminent loyal- 
 ist, James Graham, marquis of Montrose, he 
 liad obtained a regiment " stronger than any 
 two regiments in the kingdom." Baillie siiys, 
 " many of his old doubts revive upon him, which, 
 by the knavery of his captain, lieutenant Govan, 
 and frequent messages of his late friends, Crom- 
 well, and those about him, became so high, tliat 
 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 when upon giving 
 in the Remonstrance from the army, Straclian 
 ■jvas, by the committee of estates, under the in- 
 fluence of the public resolutions, forbid to again 
 join his regiment ; " Govan," he tells us, " was at 
 the same time cashiered !" Relating tlie defeat of 
 colonel Ker at Hamilton by general Lambert 
 too, he adds, " Some speak of treacliery, for 
 Govan, for all his cashiering, was admitted by 
 Ker upon fair promises." There is not the 
 emallest evidence of treachery in the case ; yet 
 it would appear, that in some of those frantic fits 
 of loyalty to which the judicatures of the church 
 were at this period too liable, captain Govan 
 had, under some surmise of the kind, been ex- 
 communicated ; for the last notice taken of him 
 
 II OF SCOTL.\ND. l;'^ 
 
 tcndant might obscure and cloud, if ,^„ , 
 1 • 16i>l. 
 possible, such remarkable and emi- 
 nent sufferers. lie was reckoned a pious goo.! 
 man, and had been a soldier under colonel 
 Strachan. His speech is the largest and 
 best account I can give of him ; and there- 
 fore I have insert it below.f After he had 
 
 by Baillie is, when he is lamenting; the relaxing 
 of lord Swinton from that sentence by the Ro- 
 solutioners, when he lemarks that, "our lirethren 
 [the protesters] would not long be behind with 
 us, for at once the presbytery of Ayr relaxed 
 good Willi iim Govan, who was at least on the 
 scaff(dd at the king's execution if no more." 
 Baillie's Letters, vol. ii. pp. 352, 262, 2G4, 40P. 
 
 " So inconsider.iblea person," says Mackenzie, 
 " had not died if he had not been suspected of 
 being upon the scaffold ^vIlen king Charles the 
 first was murthercd, tliOMgh he purged himself 
 of this when he died, and his guilt was, that he 
 brought the first news of it, and seemed to be 
 well satisfied with it." I\I acken zie's History of 
 Scotland, p. 51. — JEd. 
 f Captain Govan's speech upon the scaffold 
 at his death, June 1st, 1661. 
 Gentlemen and countrymen, 
 I am here to sufi'cr this day; and that I may 
 declare to you tiie cause, it is for laying down 
 my arms at Llaniilton, as did all the rest of the 
 company that was there. Vv'hat was I, tliat 
 king and parliament should have taken notice 
 of me, being a private boy thrust fortli into the 
 fields, who was not worthy to be noticed by 
 any? for as 1 was obscure in myself, so were 
 my actions not conspicuous : yet it pleased the 
 Lord to employ me as a mean and instrument 
 (unworthy as 1 was) for carrying on a ])ai t of 
 the late reformation ; which 1 did faithfully 
 endeavour in my station, not going beyond 
 it ; for which I am to suii'er here this day. 
 Licentious peojd*' have taken occasion to calum- 
 niate me this time past, in saying I was an 
 instrument of his late majesty's death, and that 
 I should have said, I was on the scaffold in the 
 time of his execution; all which I do here deny 
 in the presence of Alinighlj' (jod, to whom I 
 must shortly ans^vcr: and before you all, I do 
 here protest, as I hope for salvation, that 1 was 
 not instrumental in that, either in word or 
 deed; but, on the contrary, it was sore against 
 my heart, who was still a w-jllwisher to his 
 majesty, and even wished he might be unto 
 these lands as David, Solouum, and Josiali: nut 
 wliat could a simple protestation of one who is 
 the least among men do? I do indeed remem- 
 I her, I was honoured to bring up IVlontrose his 
 I standard through these streets, and deliver it to 
 the parliament, in which I glory, <^s thousano's 
 I more than I did at that time, for I ^vas but an 
 ; executioner, but now I am a sufferer for thosi; 
 I things. Let me now speak a word to seme 
 sorts of people. First of all, you that are pro- 
 fane, leave off your profanity, forbear sin .-.nd 
 I seek mercy, otherwise you will undoubtedly 
 repent it when too late; for ere long you must 
 answer, as I am shortly to do, before a just 
 God. Again, to yiui civilians and indifferent 
 folks, who if your own private earthly interest 
 prosper, do not care how the affairs of Christ 
 and his chtirch go; know that that will not do 
 
196 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ,p^, ended it, he took off a ring from 
 1661. . ' . ° . 
 
 his finger and gave to a friend of his 
 
 upon the scaffold, desiring him to take it to 
 his wife, and tell her, " He died in hmnble 
 confidence, and found the cross of Christ 
 sweet." He said, " Christ had done all for 
 him, and it was by him alone he was justi- 
 fied ;" and being desired to look up to that 
 Christ, he answered, " He looketh down 
 and smileth upon me." Then cheerfully 
 mounting up some steps of the ladder to the 
 cord, he said, " Dear friends, pledge this 
 cnp of suffering before you sin, as I have 
 now done; for sin and suffering have been 
 presented to me, and I have chosen the suf- 
 fering part." Then the cord being about his 
 neck, he said, " Now I am near my last, and 
 I desire to reflect on no man, I would only 
 acquaint you of one thing, the commissioner 
 and I went out to the fields together for one 
 cause, I have now the cord about my neck, 
 and he is promoted to be his majesty's com- 
 missioner, yet for a thousand worlds I 
 would not change lots \iith him, praise and 
 glory be to Christ for ever." After he had 
 prayed again a little, and given the sign, he 
 was turned over. 
 
 It was very confidently asserted at this 
 time, that some weeks after Mr. Guthrie's 
 head had been set up on the Nether Bow 
 Port in Edinburgh, the commissioner's 
 coach coming down that way, several drops 
 of blood fell from the head upon the coach, 
 which all their art and diligence could not 
 wipe off. I have it very confidently af- 
 firmed, that physicians were called and in- 
 quired, if any natural cause could be as- 
 
 your turn, you must bear testimony for God, 
 be zealous for his cause, and repent now of 
 your sins; so shall you avoid that curse pro- 
 nounced against the lukewarm Laodiceans, " I 
 will spue you out of my mouth." As to the 
 really godly, I would say this, be not afraid 
 nor astonished to bear testimony, and suffer for 
 his truth. As for myself, it pleased the Lord, 
 in the fourteenth year of my age, to manifest 
 his love to me, and now it is about twenty-four 
 years since, all which time I professed the truth, 
 ■which I suffer for, and bear testimony to at this 
 day ; and I am not afraid of the cross upon 
 that account : it is sweet, it is sweet, otherwise 
 how durst I look upon the corpse of him who 
 hangs then-, with courage, and smile upon those 
 sticks and that gibbet, as the gates of heaven. 
 1 din confident in the faith of the prophets and 
 
 THE SUIFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 signed for the blood's dropping so long after 
 the head was put up, and especially for its 
 not washing out of the leather ; and they 
 could give none. This odd incident be- 
 ginning to be talked of, and all other me- 
 thods being tried, at length the leather was 
 removed, and a new cover put on : this was 
 much sooner done than the wiping off the 
 guilt of this great and good man's blood from 
 the shedders of it, and this poor nation. 
 The above report I shall say no more of. 
 It was generally spoken of at the time, and 
 is yet firmly believed by many ; at this dis- 
 tance I cannot fully vouch it as certain, per- 
 haps it may be thought too miraculous for 
 this age we are now in : but this I will af- 
 firm, that Mr. Guthrie's blood was of so cry- 
 ing a nature, that even Sir George Macken- 
 zie was sensible, that all his rhetoric, though 
 he was a great master in that art, had not 
 been sufficient to drown it ; for which cause 
 he very wisely passed it over in silence. 
 This is another instance of the lameness of 
 his vindication. 
 
 Of the sufferings of Mr. Alexander Moiicrief, 
 Mr. Robert M'Vaird, and some other min- 
 isters, 7iot unto death ; as Ukeiuise of seve- 
 ral gentlemen, during this session ofj^arlia- 
 ment, 1661. 
 
 The sufferings to be narrated in the after 
 books of this history, were alleged to be for 
 crimes and misdemeanors contrary to the 
 then laws : but it is plain the things alleged 
 
 apostles, bearing my testimony to the gospel, as 
 it is now preached by an honest ministry in 
 this city; though alas! there be a corrupt gen- 
 eration among the ministry. I bear witness 
 with my blood to the persecuted government of 
 this church, in general assemblies, synods, and 
 presbyteries, and also to the protestation against 
 the public resolutions. I bear witness to the 
 covenants, national and solemn league, and now 
 am to seal these with my blood. I likewise 
 testify against all popery, prelacy, idolatry, su- 
 perstition, and the Service-book, for I have not 
 taken a little pains in searching out those things, 
 and have found them to be but the relics of the 
 Romish superstition and idolatry, left in king 
 Henry A'lII. his time, who, though it pleased 
 the Lord to make use of him for beginning the 
 work of reformatio;«, yet he was no good man. 
 
CHAP. II. J 
 
 .Tgainst the two martyrs we have been hear- 
 ing of, were evidently according to standing 
 law and equity, our constitution and statutes, 
 overturned by this parliament, and those 
 which followed. 
 
 After the reader hath had the vouched 
 narrative of the managers' proceedings against 
 the two first worthies in Scotland's wrest- 
 lings and battles, he cannot but stand amazed 
 at the impudence of some episcopal writers, 
 who assert, that no presbyterians in the reign 
 of king Charles II. suffered for their princi- 
 ples, and upon matters of conscience. 
 Though it should be pretended, that ray 
 lord Argyle and Warriston suffered for their 
 compliances with tiie English, after they had 
 conquered the nation, and this be made trea- 
 son against all sense and reason, yet what 
 can be said of Mr. Guthrie, whom the king 
 himself vindicates, and all the world knew 
 had opposed Cromwell, and several other 
 ministers and gentlemen in this section, and 
 the after part of this book ? To those then 
 I come forward, and shall give some account 
 of a good many ministers and gentlemen, 
 who, during the meeting of parliament, suf- 
 fered very much, though by the good provi- 
 dence of God, their lives were spared for a 
 season. I begin with the ministers. 
 
 I have little more to record of the ten 
 ministers who were seized with Mr. Guthrie, 
 than what has been pointed at upon the for- 
 mer chapter. Their paper, designed for a 
 testimony, was, when sent to court, enter- 
 tained with threatenings and ridicule. This, 
 with the restless endeavours of the managers 
 at Edinburgh, in this hour and power of 
 darkness, prevailed so far, that one or two 
 concerned in it, fainted, and, after some ver- 
 bal acknowledgments, of which I have not 
 heard the tenor, got off, and were permitted 
 to retire to their houses. 
 
 None, I have heard of, was dealt more 
 severely with by this session of parliament, 
 tlian Mr. James Simpson, minister at Airth, 
 of whom some accoimt hath been given 
 upon the first chapter. He was a person 
 of singular piety, considerable Iciu-ning, and 
 a most aflTectionate and melting preacher. 
 I am told he came a great length in writing 
 a critical and very exact commentary upon 
 tiie whole Bible, which was once in his 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 197 
 
 friends' hands ; but now, with many .^„j 
 other valuable remains of this ex- 
 cellent suflcrer, it is lost. 
 
 AL-. Simpson was not at the meeting in 
 Edinburgh, August last, though I find he is 
 charged with this in his indictment, whicii, 
 with his answers, falling much in with Mr. 
 Guthrie's process, above insert, I do not in- 
 sert here. Towards the beginning of June, 
 after he had been accused in parliament by 
 the king's advocate, of seditious practices, 
 and the copy of a libel sent him to answer 
 in prison ; such was the justice of this pe- 
 riod, that the parliament, without allowing 
 him to be heard, or, as far as I can find, so 
 much as once sisting him before them, ban- 
 ished liim the king's dominions ; which some 
 questioned whether a Scots jjarliament could 
 do.« He was cast in with Mr. INI' Vaird, and 
 underwent the same fate, both of them dy 
 ing in Holland. 
 
 The reverend Mr. Alexander iNIoncrief, 
 minister of the gospel at Scoonie in Fife, 
 was another of those ministers, and was in- 
 deed very hardly dealt with. I shall give a 
 distinct account of this singularly pious and 
 useful minister, from some hints I have from 
 very good hands, and the parliament records: 
 his papers were burnt some time before his 
 death, and his contemporai-ies much gone; 
 
 * The editor of Kirkton's History of the 
 Church of Scotland informs us, th.it ]\ir. Simp- 
 son's life w.is spared at the intercession of Sharpe ; 
 and in support of tliis opinion, quotes from the 
 AVodrow INISS. the following letter from that 
 prelate to Primrose, lord register : " That your 
 parliamentary acts of justice have been tempered 
 with mercy, I think, should not be displeasing, 
 especiallj' since the object of that mercy hath 
 made a confession, Avhich I wish may have as 
 binding an influence for converting those of his 
 way as his former actings had in perverting 
 them. I did, at my first access to the king, beg 
 that the lives of Mr. Gillespie and IMr. Guthrie 
 might be spared, which his majesty denied me 
 but now the recommendation of the parliament, 
 u])on a ground which I could not bring, I hop.! 
 will prevail with so generous a prince, more 
 merciful than the kings of Israel. Upon an 
 earnest letter from i\Ir. James Simpson to me, 
 to whom I did owe no great kindness, I begged 
 of the king that he might not be proceeded against 
 for his life and corporal punishment, wliich his 
 majesty was ple.ised generously to grant to me 
 by a letter for that purpose, directed to my lord 
 commissioner. When your lordship sh;ill iiear 
 my inducements, I hope you will not condemn 
 me." Kirkton's History of the Churcli of Si ot- 
 land, p. 113, AWc. — £i/. 
 
16G1. 
 
 193 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 and it is to be regretted so lame an 
 account can be given of this man 
 of God. I shall put all I have to say of 
 this good man in this place; and indeed 
 much of it concerns this period. 
 
 During the usurpation, Mr. Alexander 
 Moncrief was persecuted by the English for 
 his loyalty to the king, and his constant 
 praying for him. His house was many times 
 searched and rifled by the English, and he 
 obliged to hide. Upon the Sabbath he had 
 spies set upon him, and was closely watched 
 where he went after preaching. Frequently 
 he was hotly pursued ; and one time a party 
 of horse came after him when fleeing, and by 
 a special providence, though attacked once 
 and again by them, by his own fortitude and 
 resolution he got clear of them, and escaped 
 at that time. Thereafter in a neighbouring 
 congregation he was seized, and imprisoned 
 some time, merely for praying for the king. 
 
 Being shortly after liberate, he was pitched 
 upon, as a person of great courage and bold- 
 ness, to present the protestation and peti- 
 tion against the toleration, and other en- 
 croachments upon the church and state, Oc- 
 tober, 1658, signed by himself and several 
 other ministers of Fife, to general Monk. 
 This he did with the greatest firmness, and 
 it exposed him further to the extremities of 
 that time. All the return he had to those 
 sufferings for his loyalty, was, as we heard, 
 August 23d last, to be seized when pe- 
 titioning according to law. For any thing 
 I can find, he continued under confine- 
 ment till July 12th this year; and every 
 body, and he himself expected he should 
 never have been liberate till he came to a 
 scaffold. 
 
 Much about the time with Mr. James 
 Guthrie, he had his indictment and charge 
 sent him, which I have not seen, but find it 
 run upon his having a share in the " Re- 
 monstrance," and in forming the " Causes of 
 God's Wrath;" and he refused to retract 
 any thing in them. He was several times 
 brought before the parliament, and his pro- 
 secution for his life was so hot, that the earl 
 of Athole and others in parliament, particu- 
 larly interested and concerned in Mr. Mon- 
 crief and his wife, being importuned by her 
 to appear for him in parliament, dealt with 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [iiuOK I. 
 
 her to endeavour to prevail with him to re- 
 cede from some of his principles, otherwi><o, 
 they told her, it was impossible to save his 
 life. This excellent woman answered, " That 
 they all knew she was happy in a good hu".- 
 band, that she had great affection to him, 
 and many children ; yet she knew him to be 
 so steadfast to his principles where his con- 
 science was concerned, that nobody needed 
 deal with him upon that head; for her part, 
 before she would contribute any thing that 
 would break his peace with his Master, she 
 would rather choose to receive his head at 
 the Cross." About this time likewise, two 
 ladies of the first quality were pleased to 
 concern themselves so far in Mr. Moncrief, 
 as to provide a handsome compliment in 
 plate, (which was not unusual at this time) 
 and send it to the advocate's lady. After- 
 wards they went and visited her, and atl- 
 di'essed her in his behalf, but were told, it 
 was impossible to save his life; and tlic 
 compliment was returned. Yet providence 
 so over-ruled this matter, that Mr. Moncrief 
 being much respected, and his hardships al- 
 most universally regretted upon account of 
 his eminent piety, integrity, and uprightness, 
 severalsof all ranks and different persuasions, 
 and unknown to him, did zealously, and with- 
 out any application,interpose for him; so that 
 the spirits of some of his hottest and most 
 violent persecutors, who had resolved upon 
 his death, began to soften and become more 
 friendly. His process lingered till, after a 
 tedious imprisonment, he fell sick, and ob- 
 tained the favour of confinement to a cham- 
 ber in Edinbm-gh. By the records of par- 
 liament, I find they passed the following 
 sentence upon liim, July 12th, " The king's 
 majesty and estates of parhament, having 
 considered the report of the lords of articles 
 anent the process against Mr. Alexander 
 Moncrief, minister of Scoonie, and his own 
 carriage before them, in owning his acces- 
 sion to the " Remonstrance" and " Causes of 
 God's Wrath," do accordingly declare the 
 said Mr. Alexander to be for ever incapable 
 of exercising any public trust, civil or eccle- 
 siastic, and also discharge him of all public 
 trust, civil or ecclesiastic within this king- 
 dom, until, in the next session of parlia- 
 ment, further order be taken concerning him. 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHUIICH 
 
 and discharge him in tlie meantime to go to 
 the said parish." 
 
 And to give the reader all I have of this 
 worthy person together. After this sen- 
 tence, when living peaceably some eight or 
 nine miles from his parish, people began to 
 resort to him, and hear him preach in his 
 own family; whereupon, under a most se- 
 vere storm in the middle of winter, by vir- 
 tue of an act we shall afterwards meet with, 
 he was charged to remove from his house, 
 and required to live twenty miles from his 
 charge, and seven or eight miles from a 
 bishop's seat or royal burgh, and was with 
 his family forced from his house, and obligeil 
 to wander in that great storm. And when 
 he had transported his furniture to a place 
 at a competent distanc:?, even there he got 
 a second charge to remove to a further dis- 
 tance, till he was obliged to transport his 
 family to a remote place in the Iligldands, 
 where his good God, who had all along 
 countenanced and supported him wonder- 
 fully in his troubles, honoured him to be in- 
 strumental in the conversion of many. 
 
 Thereafter, the persecution somewhat 
 ubating, he brought his family to Perth for 
 the education of his children, where he con- 
 tinued preaching the gospel ; a fev/ at first, 
 but aftenvards a great many attended his 
 ministry. Being informed against, we may 
 easily guess by whom, a party of the horse 
 guai'ds were sent to apprehend him, but he 
 escaped, though his house was narrowly and 
 rudely searched : this forced him from his 
 family, and he was obliged to lurk a good 
 while. At length he came in with his fa- 
 mily to Edinburgh, where he preached the 
 gospel many years in private, under a series 
 of trouble and persecution. He was inter- 
 communed, as we shall hear, and his house 
 and many other places in and about the city 
 narrowly searched for him, yet he was al- 
 ways marvellously hid. Many instances 
 might be given when he went to the coun- 
 try. Many times parties of the guards were 
 sent in quest of him, and sometimes he 
 would meet them in his return, and pass 
 through them unknown. When he was 
 lodged in a remote part of the suburbs of 
 Edinburgh, a captain with a party of the 
 regular troops, searched every house and 
 
 1661. 
 
 OF SCOTL.AND. 199 
 
 chamber of the close, save the house 
 where he lodged, into which they 
 never entered, though the door was opi;n. At 
 another time when he was lurking in a private 
 family without the wall of Edinburgh, a party 
 was sent to apprehend him ; providentially 
 he had gone out to walk near by the house 
 where he was : the party observing him, 
 and by his gravity suspecting him a minister, 
 one of them said, " That may be the man 
 we are seeking :" " Nay," said another, " he 
 would not be walking there ;" thus they en- 
 tered into the house and searched it nar- 
 rowly for him. Again, when advertised that 
 the soldiers were coming to search for him 
 in his own house, he lingered till another 
 minister came in to him, and said, " Sir, you 
 must surely have a protection from heaven, 
 that you are so secure here, when the town 
 is in a disorder, and a general search to be 
 made ;" and immediately he went off. In a 
 little Mr. Moncrief went out, and he was not 
 well down stairs, when the guard came up 
 and searched his house. He took a little 
 turn in the street, and came back to hia 
 house again, just as the guards went off. 
 
 Those and many other preservations he 
 could not bivt remark. But the persecution 
 still continuing, and turning hotter, he was 
 obliged to dismiss, and scatter his family for 
 some time. He was solicited, when in those 
 circumstances, to leave the kingdom, and 
 had an ample call to Londonderry in Ire- 
 land ; yet he always declined to leave his 
 native country, and in his pleasant way used 
 to say, " He would suffer where he had 
 sinned, and essay to keep possession of his 
 Master's house, till he should come again." 
 He had a sore sickness about the beginning 
 of June, 1680. I have in mine eye a large 
 collection of heavenly expressions he then 
 had, too long to be here inserted. 
 
 Mr. MoncriePs memory is yet savoury to 
 many ; and there are several alive who can 
 bear witness that God was with him and io 
 him of a truth. He left many seals of his , . 
 ministry in Fife, and was a most faithful 
 and pinnful minister. His sufferings are a 
 little hinted at in " The P'ulfilling of the 
 Scriptures," p. 343. But such was his self- 
 denial, that though he be not named nor his 
 persecutors, as long as he lived he woidd not 
 
200 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 jgg, suffer that book to be in his family. 
 He lived till harvest, 1G88, and so 
 may be said indeed to " iiave kept possession 
 of his Master's house till he came back ;" as 
 he frequently used to express his own hopes 
 under this dark period of sufferings. He was 
 mighty in prayer, and a singular prevailer ; 
 and I have some remarkable and strange 
 returns of his prayers well vouched before 
 me, not so needful to be insert here. I wish 
 his worthy son, at present a reverend and 
 useful minister in this church, could be pre- 
 vailed with to give us the life of this holy 
 person. 
 
 I find Ml-. Robert Trail, Mi-. John Stir- 
 ling, and some other of the ministers who 
 were seized, August last, toward the begin- 
 ning of March this year before the lords of 
 the articles ; where it is observed by one who 
 appears no great friend of theirs, that they 
 had very handsome speeches in their own 
 vindication. None of them I have heard 
 of were brought before the parliament, save 
 Mr. Trail, a copy of whose speech to the 
 parliament deserves a room here, being all 
 I have to gi\'e the reader of this worthy 
 person, and from it he may easily gather 
 both his indictment and defences; and it 
 follows. 
 
 " My Lord, 
 
 " I do rejoice to see my lord commis- 
 sioner his grace, your lordships, and this 
 honourable company upon this bench, and 
 shall, in the beginning, humbly beg, that I 
 may be allowed to answer my libel as be- 
 comes a minister of the gospel, and as one 
 (vho desires to remember that I have an 
 higher Judge to answer, even one who is 
 higher than the kings of the earth, before 
 whose tribunal all of us must ere long be 
 sisted, there to be judged, and receive ac- 
 cording to what we have done in the body, 
 whether good or evil. Knowing therefore 
 the terror of the Lord, and the certain and 
 speedy coming of that day, I dare not use 
 flatteries to men, nor dissimulation, but speak 
 the truth in sincerity and singleness of heart, 
 as before him who tries and searches the 
 rems. 
 
 " My whole libel drives at this, to prove 
 me guilty of high treason, as having been 
 disloyal to my king, and his authority and 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK 7. 
 
 government, grievous crimes, and iniquity 
 to be indeed punished by the judges, if it 
 could be proven against me, and would con- 
 tradict the doctrine which I have at that 
 time preached before many witnesses, yea, 
 in the face of unjust usurpers, for which I 
 was challenged, when I was preaching to my 
 own people, in hearing of some of their com- 
 manders upon my ordinary text, which there- 
 fore I would not balk, [alter] John xvi. 2. 
 * The time shall come, when they who kill 
 you, shall think that they do God service :' 
 but I bless the Lord, I came fair off in that 
 debate, without any advantage to them, or 
 shame to myself, or the v.ord I preached. 
 
 " I did often, both in private and public, 
 witness and declare against that base and 
 treasonable tender, when it was pressed 
 upon the land. I have always laboured, 
 and do still, to keep in mind that divine 
 precept given by a great king, even Solo- 
 mon ; ' Fear God and the king, and follow 
 not them that are given to changes :' and of 
 a greater than Solomon, * Give unto Coesar 
 the things that are Caesar's, and to God the 
 things that are God's.' I willingly subscribe 
 to that which is in the imperial law, where 
 it is said to be a great sacrilege, cripere 
 CcEsari quod ejus est ; how much more must 
 it be the greater sacrilege, eripere Christo 
 quod ejus est ? 
 
 " In answering the particulai-s of my libel, 
 I cannot altogether keep silence as to the 
 many bitter and injurious words wherewith 
 it is stuffed, as that I have laid aside all 
 lo3'alty to my prince, all natural affection to 
 my country and countrymen, and all respect 
 to law: those of your lordships who know 
 me, will allow me more charity than to think 
 me such an one; and such as know me not, 
 I hope, will suspend their judgment till they 
 know me : yea, I durst appeal to my lord 
 advocate's own conscience, if he thinks me 
 to be such a man. But I have not so learned 
 Christ, yea, I have learned of him not to 
 render evil for evil, or railing for railing, but 
 contrariwise, blessing; and therefore I do 
 from my heart pray for the honoured drawer 
 up of the libel, as I would do for myself, 
 that the Lord would bless him with his best 
 blessings, and would give him to find mercv 
 in the day of the Lord Jesus. 
 
CHAP. 1 1.3 
 
 " The particulars of my libel are four, and 
 I shall answer to them shortly and ingenu- 
 ously as they lie there. 
 
 " The fust is, that Remonstrance which 
 was presented to the committee of estates 
 ftt the end of the year IGoO. Whatever be 
 said against that paper in my libel, or what- 
 ever be said for it by the presenters and 
 compilers of it, I shall need say nothing of it 
 at present, but that I was neither at the 
 contriving or presenting of it. It is well 
 known that I was then in the castle of 
 Edinburgh, besieged there by the unjust in- 
 vaders of this land ; and what my carriage 
 was there in exhorting and encouraging that 
 garrison to be faithful to the great trust 
 committed to them, ha\ing the chief strength 
 of the land in their custody, and the regis- 
 ters embarked with them ; what, I say, my 
 carriage was there, my brethren who were 
 there with me, Messrs. Hamilton, Smith, 
 and Ciarvan can testifj'. I did resolve to lay 
 down my life in the defence of that place for 
 liis majesty and my country's service, if the 
 Lord should please to call me to it ; yea, I 
 did run a very great hazard by a dangerous 
 wound which I received; and shall I be no 
 otherwise rewarded than by having such a 
 libel drawn up against me ! which, I may 
 say, hath been more sad to read and think 
 upon, than all the pain and danger I was at 
 that time under; yet I hope your lordships, 
 especially my lord commissioner, know bet- 
 ter how to reward soldiers who have haz- 
 arded life in their service. 
 
 " The second point of my libel is, the 
 book of * The Causes of God's Wrath,' 
 which, I grant, is more ticklish to answer, 
 and therefore I shall speak the more warily 
 to it. I do not deny that I was present at 
 ihat meeting, when those things were spoken 
 of and confessed, when some brethren did 
 meet to mourn before the Lord, who hid his 
 Aice from us, and whose hand had gone 
 forth against us with much wrath and sore 
 judgments, and had brought kirk and state 
 under the feet of proud usurpers : I believe 
 your lordships will judge it no treason at 
 such times, for ministers of the gospel, who, 
 by virtue of their office, are called to be 
 among the wise men, to whom the mouth of 
 the Lord hath spoken, to declare wherefore 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 201 
 
 lC6i. 
 
 the land does mourn ; for these, I 
 say, to meet for prayer, and con- 
 fessing their own sins, and of their rulers, 
 according to the commanded practice of the 
 servants of God in former times, in the like 
 case. Neither can it be accounted treason 
 in such a case to seek the Lord's face, and 
 to inquire into the provoking and procuring 
 causes of so much wrath as had come upon 
 us. I am persuaded there are many things 
 in that book which none here will deny to 
 be the uncontroverted guilt of this land, 
 such as atheism and ignorance in many, 
 despising of the Lord Jesus Christ offered 
 in the gospel, neglect of the exercises of 
 religion and godliness in families, greater and 
 smaller; those have been great sins in the 
 land, yea, continue to be so, and receive a 
 great aggravation from the great and won- 
 derful deliverance which the Lord hath 
 wrought for us, as if we had been delivered 
 to continue in all those abominations ; and 
 when the Lord hath bound up and strength- 
 ened our arm, we rebel against him. 
 
 " But I know it is not those things I am 
 challenged for, neither is it the two articles 
 cited in the libel, but the 5th and 6th step 
 of defection, under the 9th article, to vvhich 
 I shall answer. 
 
 " The first of them, ' The closing a treaty 
 with the king, after he had given such evi- 
 dences of his disafibction and enmity to the 
 work of God,' as it is in the book. To this 
 I say two things, 1st, That I never did deny 
 his majesty's just right and title to the gov- 
 ernment of these kingdoms, and did always 
 acknowledge him the only righteous heir of 
 those crowns ; and I do now from my heart 
 bless the Lord, who hath in so wonderful 
 and peaceable a way brought him to the full 
 possession of them, purposing to live in all 
 true and due I03 alty under his government, 
 and praying, that he who is set over men, 
 may be just, ruling in the fear of God, that 
 his reign may be long and prosperous, and a 
 blessing to these lands, that when he shall 
 have fulfilled his days, and laid by his earthly 
 crown, he may receive a greater and bet- 
 ter, which fadcth not away, but is eternal in 
 the heavens. But in the 2d place, I cannot 
 deny, unless I shouid lie against my own 
 conscience, that I was at that time con- 
 2c 
 
202 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 166J. 
 
 vinced, there was not care enough 
 to get hmi brought off from his pre- 
 judices against the work of reformation, and 
 •ft-om some contrary principles which he had 
 di-unk in from his tender years, that so when 
 he came to be invested with the royal power, 
 he might improve the same the more for the 
 Lord, and for his work in his dominions, 
 according to the oath to be taken by the 
 king who shall reign in Scotland ; the which 
 oath his majesty did take at the coronation 
 at Scone. Neither is my meaning in that 
 article, as if his majesty, not giving full sat- 
 isfaction to the just desii-es of church and 
 state, should never have been invested into 
 his power, but tha*' more cai'e should have 
 been taken, previously thereunto, to have 
 brought him to a cordial owning of the work 
 of God in these lands, which, as I believe, 
 would have been acceptable service to God, 
 and much conducing to the peace and hap- 
 piness of his majesty in his dominions. In 
 a word, my meaning in that article is, that 
 security for religion, and the work of refor- 
 mation, should be endeavoured in the first 
 place, that so we, according to our Lord's 
 direction, seeking first the kingdom of hea- 
 ven, and the righteousness thereof, other 
 things may succeed the better with us. 
 
 " The next article is, concerning ' taking 
 of malignants into the army and judicatories,' 
 as it is set down in ' The Causes of God's 
 Wrath.' To this I say, there is nothing 
 asserted there, but what is clearly consonant 
 to the word of God, and to the received 
 doctrine of this church accortling to the 
 word, as may be seen in the many ' declara- 
 tions, remonstrances, warnings, and causes 
 of fasts,' emitted and printed by the supreme 
 judicatories of this church : for if it be a 
 commanded duty to put into places of trust 
 and power, men fearing God, men of truth, 
 and hating covctousness ; then must the ne- 
 glect of that be a sin, and so a cause of 
 •Vi-rath. 
 
 " Tlie third point of my libel is, that 
 supplication which was drawn up and sub- 
 fecribed by some few ministers here at Edin- 
 bm-gh, in August last, for which we were 
 imprisoned by the honourable committee of 
 estates, and upon which I am cited this day 
 to answer before your lordships. That pe- 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [_nOOK I. 
 
 tition is misrepresented in the libel, as if I 
 had therein been injurious to his majesty ; 
 whereas, I can say, I had not in that the 
 least tuought of disloyalty against his ma- 
 jesty, but on the contrary, I did most wil- 
 lingly and cheerfully subscribe that suppli- 
 cation, as a testi:nony of my loyalty to my 
 king, and of my ardent desire to have wrath 
 holden off his throne and dominions, by a 
 humble minding him of the sacred ties of 
 the covenant which he had taken on, and 
 by earnestly supplicating him, that he would 
 walk according to those, both in his court 
 and family, and in the government of his 
 kingdoms ; and I do desire, in the Lord's 
 strength, and through his grace, to adhere 
 to that supplication as long as I live, as a 
 real evidence of my loyaltv, and as a testi- 
 mony to those blessed covenants, which are 
 now so much spoken against. 
 
 " The last point of my libel is, ' Th.e im- 
 perfect scroll of a letter and instructions,' 
 which were found with us at our meeting. 
 Though I might say I need not own these, 
 they never being fully written out, or once 
 read among us, yet I will ingenuously ac- 
 knowledge, they were intended to ha^■e been 
 sent to some of our brethren in another part 
 of the country, for procuring their subscrii>" 
 tion to our petition, and for advising anent 
 a way for charges to be furnished for send- 
 ing of it up to his majesty, by one of our 
 number. But the honourable committee 
 did soon free us of that trouble, and of those 
 charges, by sending it up their own way, and 
 by putting us to another sort of trouble, 
 and other charges, by seven months' impris- 
 onment. I may confidently say, there was 
 not the least thought of stu-ring up any to 
 rise in arms, yea we would have accounted 
 such a thought not only disloyalty, but de- 
 mentation and madness. 
 
 " Kow, my lord, having shortly and in- 
 genuously answered my long libel, I must in 
 all humility beg leave to entreat your lord- 
 ships, that you would seriously consider 
 what ye do with poor ministers, who have 
 been so long kept, not only from their liberty 
 of preaching the gospel, but of hearing it, 
 that so many congregations are laid desolate 
 for so long a time, and many poor souls 
 have put up their regrets on their deathbed 
 
CHAP. II. 3 OF THE CHUllC 
 
 for their being deprived of a word of comfort 
 from their ministers m the hour of their 
 greatest need. " The Lord give you wis- 
 dom in all things, and pour out upon 
 you tiie spirit of your liigh and weiglity 
 employment, of understanding, and of the 
 fear of the Lord; that your government 
 may be blessed for this land and kirk ; that 
 you may live long and happily; that jour 
 memory may be sweet and fragrant when 
 you are gone ; that you may leave your 
 name for a blessing to the Lord's people; 
 that your houses and families may stand 
 long, and flourish to the yeai's of many 
 generations ; that you have solid peace and 
 heart-joy in the hour of the breaking of 
 your heart-strings, when pale death will sit 
 on your eyelids, and when man must go to 
 his long home, and the mourners go about 
 the streets ; for what man is he that liveth 
 and shall not see death ? or can he deliver 
 himself from the power of the grave ? No 
 assuredly, for even those to whom he saith, 
 ye are gods, must die as men, seeing it is 
 appointed for all men once to die, and after 
 death is the judgment, and after judgment 
 endless eternity. Let me therefore exhort 
 your lordships in the words of a great king, 
 a great warrior also, and a holy prophet, 
 ' Be wise, and be ye instructed, ye judges 
 of the earth, serve the Lord with fear, and 
 rejoice before him with trembling : kiss the 
 Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from 
 the way; when his wrath is kindled but 
 for a little, then blessed will all those, and 
 those only be, who put their trust in him.' 
 Now the Lord give you in this your day 
 to consider the things that belong to your 
 eternal peace, and to remember your latter 
 end, that it may be well with you, world 
 without end." 
 
 From the seven months' imprisonment 
 Rlr. Trail speaks of, we may guess this 
 speech was delivered towards the end of 
 March. I find this good man with the 
 rest, continuing in prison, June 13th, when 
 in an original letter of his to Mr. Thomas 
 Wylie, minister at Kirkcudbright, I find him 
 giving this account. " I need not write to 
 you how matters go here, this I must say, 
 your imprisoned and confined brethren are 
 kindly dealt with by our kind Lord, for 
 
 203 
 
 1661, 
 
 H OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 whose cause and interest we suffer ; 
 and if any of us be straitened, it is 
 not in him, for we have large allowance from 
 him, could we take it. We know it fai-es 
 the better with us, that you and such as 
 you mind us at the throne. We are waiting 
 from day to day what men will do with us; 
 we are expecting banishment at the best, 
 but our sentence must proceed from the 
 Lord ; and whatsoever it be, it shall be good 
 as from him, and whithersoever he shall 
 send us, he will be with us, and shall let us 
 know that the earth is his, and the fulness 
 thereof." This was the resigned Christian 
 temper of those worthies. 
 
 I have before me the original summons 
 of high treason, against Mr. John Murray, 
 minister at Methven, who was at the meet- 
 ing in Edinburgh August last, with his 
 answers to the charge contained in the sum- 
 mons. By the first I find, that a general 
 form has been used in the citations given to 
 all these ministers, and, mutatis vmlandis, 
 it falls in with Mr. Guthrie's indictment ; 
 therefore I do not swell this work with it, 
 nor with Mr. Murray's answers, which agree 
 with Mi-. Guthrie's and Mr. Trail's, save 
 that Mr. Murray was neither at the framing 
 " the Remonstrance," or " Causes of God's 
 Wrath." What issue the parliament came 
 to as to Mr. Murray, I know not ; it would 
 seem he was turned over with others to the 
 council. We shall find, that the parliament 
 some way remitted those imprisoned and 
 confined ministers to the council ; and from 
 their registers this year, I shall be in case 
 to give some further hints about them. The 
 two ministers of Edinburgh were soon turned 
 out, and all the rest of their brethren there 
 save one, who was termed the nest egg. 
 
 This is all come to my hand, as to the 
 sufferings of those worthy and excellent 
 persons, who were in the meeting August 
 last ; unless it be those of Mr. James Kirkn 
 of Sunday-well, which I shall likewise give 
 a hint of in this place. This religious and 
 zealous gentleman was detained prisoner 
 near four months after he was seized : there- 
 after he was not forgot in the act of fines, 
 and paid 600 nierks of fines, and 300 by 
 way of cess to the soldiers who uplifted it. 
 In a little time after one Paterson, by an 
 
204 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFEIlIxNGS 
 
 I6fil ^'"'^6'' from the council, got his 
 bond for a considerable sum, which 
 afterward he compounded for 200 merks. 
 In the year 1666, for mere not hearing, he 
 was fined by Sir James Turner in 500 
 merks, and paid 300 to him, after eight 
 soldiers had continued in his house a long 
 time. Before the rising at Pentland, be- 
 cause of his nonconformity, he was so op- 
 pressed with parties of horse and foot sol- 
 diers every day, that he was obliged to 
 dismiss his Aimily in the month of October, 
 and leave his house and all he had in it, to 
 be disposed of as they saw good. And after 
 Pentland, upon allegance that he had been 
 there, though it could never be proven, he 
 was obliged to leave the kingdom for three 
 years. And when he returned, he was put 
 to a prodigious charge by a process of for- 
 feiture, raised against him by the lord Lyon, 
 which continued till his death. lie was 
 succeeded in his estate by James M'Cleland, 
 whom we shall afterwards meet with under 
 very grievous suiferings. 
 
 The next minister I name is INIr. Patrick 
 Gillespie, first minister in the town, and 
 then principal of the college of Glasgov/. 
 His works speak for him, and evidence him 
 a person of great learning, solidity, and 
 piety, particularly what remains we have of 
 his excellent treatises upon " the Covenants 
 of Grace and Redemption ;" and it is pity 
 we want the three other parts upon those 
 subjects, which he wrote and finished for 
 the press. 
 
 By some he was said to be a person of a 
 considerable height of spirit, and was blamed 
 by many for his compliances with the usmper, 
 and there is no doubt he was the minister in 
 Scotland who had the greatest sway \\ith 
 the English when they ruied here, yea, 
 almost the only presbyterian minister that was 
 in with them. This laid him open to many 
 heavy reflections, and we need not wonder 
 he was attacked by the managers at this 
 time, when so many who had stood firm to 
 the king's interest, were so ungenerously 
 treated: besides, he was on the protesting 
 side, and had no small share in the " Wes- 
 tern Remonstrance," and probably it fared 
 the worst with all the ministers of that 
 judgment, because of the reproaches cast on 
 
 [book I. 
 
 him, and the compliances made by him. 
 The king had a particular design against 
 him for his open dealings with the usurpers, 
 and we have heard, it was with some diffi- 
 culty the managers were excused for sparing 
 him. We left him last year imprisoned in 
 Stirling castle, and he was brought in to 
 Edinburgh, and Mai'ch Cth, staged before 
 the parhament, where his indictment was 
 read : I have not seen a full copy of it, but 
 find the following abstract in the papers of 
 this time. 
 
 " That he contrived, compiled, consented 
 to, and subscribed the paper called ' the 
 Western Remo.istrance,' which he also pro- 
 duced in several judicatories, when it was 
 declared treasonable, and condemned by the 
 parliament or committee of estates. That he 
 consented to, or approved that abominable 
 pamphlet, called ' the Causes of God's 
 Wrath,' containing many treasonable wicked 
 lies and expressions against the king and his 
 royal father, and which by the late committee 
 of estates was appointed to be burnt by the 
 hand of the hai>gman. That he kept con- 
 stant correspondence with Cromwell the 
 usurper That at Westminster, and in and 
 about London, he preached in his presence 
 seditious sermons ; that he prayed for him 
 as supreme magistrate ; that for his so doing 
 he received from lum several gifts, and great 
 sums of money." 
 
 After his indictment was read, he had a 
 long and pertinent speech, which I have not 
 aeen, but am told that therein he gave his 
 sense of " the Western Remonstrance," and 
 of " the Causes of God's Wrath :" and as to 
 his receiving money from Cromwell, he con- 
 fessed it ; but said, he never put a farthing in 
 his own pocket ; that he sought it and got 
 it for the university, and if that was blame- 
 worthy, he acknowledged Ms crime : but it 
 was his opinion, if he could have drained the 
 usurper's coSers for so good an end as the 
 service of the college, it could have been no 
 disservice to the king. He ended with a 
 desire that he might be allowed to give in a 
 paper containing his sense of the " Remon- 
 strance," and other things in the late 
 times. The parliament ordained him to give 
 in his defences in writ, to the lords of 
 articles, the 13th instant ; and if he should 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 Q03 
 
 offer any paper to them, that they should 
 hear it. 
 
 Nothing further as to his process hath 
 come to my hand. He had friends in the 
 house, and favoiu* was shown him ; an ag- 
 gravation certainly of the managers' severity 
 against such who had never gone his lengths. 
 Towards the end of May I find him before 
 tiie parliament, confessing civil guilt, and 
 asking pardon of the house, submitting him- 
 self to his majesty's mercy and favour ; and 
 the parliament transmitted his supplication 
 to the k'wiX. I have not seen a copy either 
 
 1661. 
 
 great fainting in a person of iiis 
 forwardness, zeal, and activity, dur- 
 ing the preceding years. The beginnings 
 of his 3iclding, when signified to Mr. 
 Rutherford, were distressing to him on 
 his deathbed; and Mr. James Guthrie, 
 who lived to see his paper, said, " And 
 hath he sufl'ered so much in vain, if 
 it be in vain?" In an original letter of 
 JMi-. M'Vaird's, dated June 3th, this year, he 
 expresses himself thus, " Mr. Gillespie's 
 submission in quitting the * Remonstrance,' 
 with some other expressions in the submis- 
 
 of his sense of the " Remonstrance," or this i sion, that are strained beyond his meanmg. 
 
 supplication ; but have heard that he re- 
 nounced the " Protestation," and some ex- 
 pressions in " the Causes of God's Wrath," 
 and " Lex Rex," and declared his grief for 
 his compliance with the English. And his 
 supplication bears, that, " he acknowledged 
 he had given oflTence to his majesty by the 
 ' Remonstrance,' and otherwise, which he 
 now was sorry for, and did disclaim, and 
 therefore cast himself upon the king's mercy, 
 and humbly desired the commissioner his 
 grace, and the parliament, to proffer his pe- 
 tition to his majesty;" or to this effect. 
 This was interpreted by the parliament an 
 acknowledgment of guilt ; and some words 
 in his declaration and supplication were in- 
 deed strained further than he intended : and 
 they interceded for him, and in a little time 
 he was liberate, an() confined to Ormiston, 
 and six miles round it, as we may after- 
 wards hear.* 
 
 Mr. Gillespie's going this length was 
 much condemned at this time, as a step of 
 
 • " Mr. Patrick Gillespie," says I^Iackenzie, 
 speaking of Mr. Guthrie, " was guilty of the 
 same and greater crimes, having courted the 
 Protector, whom Guthrie really hated ; nor had 
 his majesty so great aversion for any minister 
 as for liim, because he lieiiaved hiinsclf so inso- 
 lently in his own presence, and toward his own 
 person ; yet upon a humble submission, (which 
 was the more regarded, because it was refused by 
 Guthrie, and might be exemplary to others,) he 
 was brought ort by the lord Sinciair and others, 
 with whom he had behaved himself as a gentle- 
 man when he was youfg ; and in his case the 
 courtier served the minister : yet his majesty 
 retained so far his former resentments, that he 
 would never allow iilm to be brought into the 
 ministry, notwithstanding of many interces- 
 sions." — History of Scotland, p. 51. — Bd. 
 
 have sadly stumbled many, and ai-e like to 
 be the minmum quod sic of satisfaction that 
 shall be accepted from any that follow." 
 
 That bright sliining light of this time Mr 
 Samuel Rutherford, may very justly come 
 in among the sufferers, duiing this session 
 of parliament. To be sure he was a martyr 
 both in his own resolution, and in men's 
 designs and determination. He is so well 
 known to the learned and pious world, that 
 I need say verj' little of him. Such vho 
 knew him best, were in a strait whether to 
 admire him most for his sublime genius in 
 the school, and peculiar exactness in matter 
 of dispute and controversy, or his familiar 
 condescensions in the pulpit, where he was 
 one of the most moving and affectionate 
 preachers in his time, or perhaps in any age 
 of the church. He seems even to have 
 outdone himself as well as every body else, 
 in his admu'able, and every way singular 
 letters; which, though jested upon by pro- 
 fane wits, because of some familiar expres- 
 sions, yet will be owned of all v\ho have 
 any relish of piety, to contain such sublime 
 flights of devotion, and to be fraughted 
 with such massy thoughts, as loudly speak 
 a soul united to Jesus Christ in the closest 
 embraces, and must needs at once ravish 
 and edil'y every serious reader. 
 
 The parliament were to have had an in- 
 dictment laid before them, against this holy 
 man, if his death had not prevented it. 
 After his book " Lex Rex," had been . 
 ordered to be burnt at the Cross of Edin- 
 burgh, and the gate of the new college of 
 St. Andrews, where he was divinity pro- 
 fessor; in their great humanity they wore 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 206 
 
 if«i pleased, when every body knew INIr. 
 Rutherford to be in a dying con- 
 dition, to cause cite him to appear before 
 them at Edinburgh, to answer to a charge 
 of high treason. But he had a higher tri- 
 l)unal to appear before, where his Judge was 
 his friend. Mr. Rutherford died in March 
 this year, the very day before the act re- 
 scissory was passed in the parliament. This 
 eminent saint and faithful servant of Jesus 
 Christ, lamented, when near his end, that 
 he was witheld from bearing witness to the 
 work of reformation since the year 1638, 
 and giving his public testimony against the 
 evil courses of the present time; otherwise 
 he was full of peace and joy in believing. 
 I have a copy before me of what could be 
 gathered up of his dying words, and the ex- 
 pressions this great man had during his 
 sickness, too large to be insert here. 
 
 The reverend Mr. Robert M'Vaird de- 
 serves the next room in this section. He 
 was minister of the gospel at Glasgow, and 
 a person of great knowledge, zeal, learning, 
 and remarkable ministerial abilities. This 
 good man, and fervent affectionate preacher, 
 in February this year, when the designs of 
 the managers in parliament began to appear, 
 and that nothing less was resolved upon 
 than the overturning the whole covenanted 
 work of reformation, had a sermon in the 
 Tron church at Glasgow, upon a week-day, 
 wherein he gave his testimony against the 
 courses now entered upon, which was the 
 foundation of a severe prosecution. A copy 
 of this excellent sermon lies before me : 
 the text was, Amos iii. 2. " You only iiave 
 I known of all the families of the earth ; 
 therefore I will punish you for all your iniqui- 
 ties." He had preached upon it for some time 
 upon the week days, and in this discoursegoes 
 through the sins and iniquities now abound- 
 ing, which were drawing down the punish- 
 ment threatened in the text, in a most serious, 
 close, and pathetical manner ; and after he 
 has in a fluent oratory, of which he was 
 peculiarly a master, run through abounding 
 personal sins, and those of the city he 
 preached to, lie comes to the general and 
 rational sins at present abounding. Some 
 few hints may not be unacceptable ; he be- 
 gins with national backsliding from God. 
 
 [book 
 
 " Alas," says he, " may not God expos- 
 tulate with us, and say, we are backslidden 
 with a perpetual backsliding, ar d what ini- 
 quity have you found in him ? We make 
 ourselves transgressors by building the things 
 we Ia\vfully and laudably destroyed : and if 
 a word in sobriety be dropt against such 9 
 course, one presently forfaults his reputa- 
 tion, and passes for a hotheaded and tur- 
 bulent person — this leaven hath leavened 
 the whole lump; we are backslidden in zeal 
 and love — the glory of a begun reformation 
 in manners is eclipsed, and an inundation of 
 profanity come in — those who once cried, 
 ' Grace, grace,' to the building, are now 
 crying, ' Raze, raze it' — many who once 
 loved to walk abroad in the garment of god- 
 liness, now persecute it — the faithful ser- 
 vants of Christ are become enemies, because 
 they tell the tiuth — the upright seekers of 
 God, are the marks of great men's malice — 
 he that in this general backsliding departs 
 from iniquity makes himself a prey; and 
 may become .so to councils and synagogues. 
 May it never be said of faithful ministers 
 and Christians in Scotland, * We have a 
 law, and by this law they must die !' Back- 
 sliding is got up to the very head, and 
 corrupts the fountains, and wickedness goeth 
 forth already from some of the prophets, 
 through the whole land. The whole head 
 is sick, the whole heart is faint, and many 
 of his disciples are like to go back. What 
 would our fathers, who laid the foundation 
 of our reformation, think, if they' saw our 
 state ? Would they not say, is this the 
 church of Scotland ? How is thy gold be- 
 come dim ? — The foundations are out ol 
 course, the noble vine is degenerate to the 
 plant of a strange vine — Is this the land 
 that joined in covenant with the Lord ? Are 
 those the pastors and rulers that houno 
 themselves so solemnly, and acknowledged 
 their former breaches ? — How hath the faith- 
 ful city turned an harlot ! What shall the 
 end of those things be ? — We are in a forlorn 
 condition ; sin is become national by precept 
 and practice ; sins nationally condemned are 
 become national by precept, and evil is called 
 good, and good evil — We walk willingly 
 after the commandment, and there is not a 
 party so much as to offer a dissent " 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 After he lias tnUirgeJ upon these things, 
 in scripture eloquence, and a most moving 
 way, he gives a good many pertinent direc- 
 tions to mourn, consider, repent, and return. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 207 
 
 1661. 
 
 they were expecting Mr. Sharp's 
 brother with some new orders, 
 which made them sist. I expect to be 
 called in to-morrow, the 6th. Dear brother, 
 
 to wrestle and pray, and pour out their , there is no way for us to stand upon our 
 
 souls before the Lord ; and encourages them 
 to those from this, " that God will look 
 upon those duties, as their dissent from 
 what is done prejudicial to his work and 
 interest, and mark them among the mourners 
 in Zion." But the passage most noticed 
 was that, with which he closes the sermon, 
 after what I have just now set down. " As 
 for my own part, as a poor member of this 
 church of Scotland, and an unworthy minis- 
 ter in it, I do this day call you, who are the 
 people of God, to witness, that I humbly 
 offer my dissent to all acts which are or 
 shall be passed against the covenants, and 
 work of reformation in Scotland : and 2dly, 
 protest, that I am desirous to be free of 
 the guilt thereof, and pray, that God may 
 put it upon record in heaven." Thus he 
 ends his sermon, as my cop)', taken from 
 his mouth bears. 
 
 The noise of this sermon quickly flew 
 abroad, and Mr. M'Vaird was brought in to 
 Edinburgh under a guard, and imprisoned : 
 very soon he had an indictment given him 
 by the king's advocate, for sedition and 
 treasonable preaching. I have not seen the 
 copy of it, but we may easily guess its 
 nature from what I have extracted from the 
 sermon ; and Sir John Fletcher could easily 
 flourish his pen on such a subject. He was 
 allowed lawyers, and his process was pretty 
 long and tedious. I know no further of it, 
 than by his own papers following, and the 
 original letter above cited, to INIr. Wylie, 
 June 5th. 
 
 ^\^lere he says, " I know you have heard 
 of the sad, and yet, in many respects, sweet 
 and comfortable news of steadfast and faith- 
 ful Mr. Guthrie's death, Saturday, last. 
 Upon Thursday I was called in before the 
 parliament, and expected to have accom- 
 panied him, but the president, my lord 
 Crawford, shifted it oft" that day. I was 
 sent back again to prison, to be in a readi- 
 ness against the next diet. That night they 
 adjourned to this Tuesday, when I expected 
 to be called, but was not. It is thought 
 
 feet before such fury and force, but by your 
 and our falling upon our knees, praying with 
 all manner of prayer and supplication, to be 
 strengthened with all might, according to 
 his glorious power unto all long-suffering 
 and patience with joyfulness. What will 
 be the issue of my process, whether death 
 or banishment, I know not ; and he can 
 put me in case to say, I care not. Pray 
 for nothing to us but steadfastness." Mr. 
 Gillespie's submission, &c.,as I have already 
 set down above. And then he tells him, 
 he has sent Argyle and Mr. Guthrie's 
 speeches. And adds, " before this come to 
 your hands, my business will be at some 
 close. God may restrain them, but I ex- 
 pect the sentence of death. O ! for a 
 heart to give him this head. I desire not 
 this to be much noised till you heai* further, 
 lest my friends hear of it ; only pray for 
 strength to us to endure to the end. Time 
 will permit me to say no further, save that 
 I am, 
 
 " Your unworthy brother in bonds, 
 " R. ?.I." 
 Accordingly, June 6th, he was brought 
 before the parliament, where he had a very 
 public opportunity to give a proof of his 
 eminent parts and solid judgment. His 
 charming eloquence was owned even by his 
 adversaries, and he defended, by scripture 
 and reason, his expressions in his sermon. 
 I have no more of this great man's case 
 than his speech at the bar of the house ; 
 and therefore I insert it here. 
 
 Mr. Robert M'Vaird, Minister of the Ea)>f- 
 quarter in G/afgow, his Speech be/ore //< 
 Far/iamint, Thursday, June 6th. 
 
 " My Lord President, 
 " Since it is pern.itted, that I may speak 
 before my lord commissioner his grace, and 
 this honourable court of pariiamcnt, I must 
 in the entry confess, that 1 am neither so 
 far below nor above all passion p.nd per- 
 turbation of mind, as not to be some\\hat 
 troubled, yea sensibly touched, to see and 
 
1661. 
 
 208 THE HISTORY 
 
 feel myself thus loaded with the 
 crime, and lashed with tlie reproach 
 of a traitorous and seditious person : but 
 with all I must say this also, that nil con- 
 scire sibi, nulla j)allescere culpa, doth ex- 
 ceedingly sweeten the bitterness of this lot, 
 and mitigate the asperity of my present 
 trouble. It is to me mums ahencus indeed, 
 a brazen wall and bulwark against the storm, 
 tempest, and impetuosity of calumny and 
 reproach, that herein, according to my weak 
 measure, I have endeavoured to exercise 
 myself, to have and keep a conscience void 
 of offence, as to that particular guilt, wliere- 
 with I am charged in my indictment : this, 
 I say, is sufficient to make me digest those 
 hard and heavy things, without grieving or 
 grudging, and to guai'd me against an un- 
 
 OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I, 
 
 said, either for feai' of prejudice and hurt, 
 or hope of favour and gain ; knowing that 
 it is a very cold and vanishing advantage 
 which is the price of, and purchased with 
 the loss of a man's peace with God and 
 himself; nay, what gain can be in such a 
 case, when the gainer himself is lost ? 
 
 " The consideration hereof moved me, 
 when challenged for some alleged notes of 
 a sermon, readily to condescend upon, and 
 without reUictancy to give in, for informa- 
 tion in point of fact, all these passages in 
 that sermon which were hinted at, but mis- 
 represented by the informer; which paper 
 I did and do own, according to which I wr.s 
 and am willing to be judged. If it had 
 been a matter of mere humour or indiffer- 
 ence, I would, in order to the satisfaction 
 
 profitable overplus of cutting and disquiet- i of any who might have offended at what 
 ing anxiety, even when I am so odiously ; was said, much more in order to the satis- 
 
 represented to the world ; so that my ene- 
 mies are not those of mine own house, be- 
 cause not within me." 
 
 " And now, my lord, I hope I may, with- 
 out vanity or offence, say, what in part is 
 known to be no fiction or falsehood, that 
 my carriage, since my first appearance be- 
 fore my lord commissioner his grace, and 
 the honourable parliament, (whatever else 
 was wanting in it, which were to be wished, 
 as much was, I grant, and yet is) hath, to 
 conviction, spoke forth so much ingenuity 
 and candour, as I may some way suppose 
 myself above the just suspicion of having 
 chosen the tongue of the crafty, or used 
 deceit or dissimulation in any thing about 
 which I was questioned ; since I have, with 
 so much simjjlicity, and in so much single- 
 ! ness of heart, declared, either without alta-- 
 ation or addition, what I spoke, notwith- 
 standing I easily foresaw how I might, and 
 probably would be supposed by many to 
 have lost, at least laid aside the greatest 
 part of my little reason, while I plainly 
 spoke my knowledge and conscience : but, 
 my loi'd, it neither was nor is my desire to 
 covet or court the reputation of wise and 
 prudent, especially of being wise above what 
 is written. I am satisfied to be looked 
 upon as an ingenuous man, who dare not 
 venture to unsay or gainsay what, with some 
 clearness and conviction of truth, I have 
 
 faction of my superiors, whom I honour 
 and obey in the Lord, without any hesita- 
 tion, have relinquished and retracted it, 
 though in so doing I had crossed my own 
 inclination, judging it below a man and a 
 Christian to adhere to those things peevishly 
 and petulantl}', which he may let go without 
 shipwreck of a good conscience; much more 
 unworthy of a minister of the gospel, who 
 should not have an humom* of his own, 
 being obliged to become all things to all 
 men, in order to the gaining and engaging 
 them to be Christians. 
 
 *' But, my lord, I cannot, I dare not dis- 
 semble, that having spoken nothing in those, 
 but what I hope will be the truth of God, 
 when brought to the touchstone, and such 
 a truth, as without being guilty of lese- 
 majesty against God, I durst not conceal 
 while I spoke to the text. I conceive my- 
 self obliged to own and adhere to it ; and 
 being persuaded also as to what was said in 
 hypothesi, I was _ so far from doing or de- 
 signing what is charged upon me in the in- 
 dictment, that it was the highest part of 
 loyalty toward my prince, the greatest note 
 of respect I could put upon my superiors, 
 the most real and unquestionable evidence 
 of a true and tender affection to my country- 
 men, and the congregation over whom the 
 Holy Ghost made me, though most un- 
 worthy an overseer to give seasonable 
 
CHAT. II.] 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 209 
 
 warning of the hea\'y judgment which the 
 sin of Scotland's backsliding will bring on, 
 that so we may be instructed at length to 
 scarcli and try our ways, and turn to the 
 Lord, lest his soul be sejmrated from lis, 
 for wo will be to us if our glory depart. 
 Ko njan will or ought to doubt, whether it 
 be a minister's duty to preach this doctrine in 
 season, and out of season, which is yet never 
 unseasonable, and to avow, ' that the back- 
 slider in heart shall be filled with his own 
 ways,' and, ' if any man draw back, his soid 
 shall have no pleasure in him :' and if so, 
 what evil have I done, or whose enemy am 
 I become for telling the truth ? 
 
 " This, my lord, being the sum of what I 
 said, and the scope of my discourse, as 
 also of the paper I gave in to his grace, and 
 the honourable lords of articles, and which, 
 together with my defences which I have re- 
 produced, I cannot disown or retract, with- 
 out making myself a transgressor, by de- 
 stroying what I have builded, and building 
 what 1 have destroyed, and so bring on 
 myself the guilt and punishment of unfaith- 
 fulness to my God, my prince, to the high 
 and honom'able court of parliament, to the 
 wliole nation, and souls committed to my 
 oversight ; which I hope God will not suffer 
 me to do, and whereof I desire to be free 
 in the day when 1 must give an account of 
 my stewardship. But, my lord, if these 
 things sliould seem hard, or sound harsh to 
 any at first hearing, which I shall not sup- 
 pose, then, besides the tranqiullity and calm 
 in mine own conscience for the present, 
 which is tlie very rest of the soul in motion, 
 and affords a strict inward peace and sere- 
 nity of mind, in the deepest distress, and 
 greatest extremity of outward trouble ; be- 
 sides this, 1 say, my lord, I want not a 
 confidence, (at least a rational ground for 
 it) that I shall find more favour afterward 
 Loth of God and men, than if I had flattered 
 with my lips, and, by daubing with untem- 
 pered mortar, had essayed to heal the wound 
 of this nation slightly. 
 
 " This is all, my lord, I intend by way of 
 apology : and as to tiie indictment itself, I 
 hope it shall be found, when things are 
 weighed in an even balance, that my advo 
 cates have so abundantly, to the conviction 
 
 1661. 
 
 of all, both in law and reason, de- 
 monstrated the irrelevancy in the 
 whole, and each article thereof, that it would 
 be judged a needless undertaking, and a 
 superfluous waste of words, to offer any 
 addition to what, with so much evidence 
 and strength of reason, is by them adduced 
 to invalidate the same ; only I judge it in- 
 cumbent and necessary for me, as a minister 
 of the gospel, to offer a word for txj.li- 
 cation and vindication, (not of the whole, 
 for that were needless) but of what I have 
 said, and do own in the 6th article, (which 
 jet I do not own as it is libelled) because I 
 hear this is most struck upon, and stumbled 
 at, and may possibly be most liable to mis- 
 take and misconstruction : therefore, in 
 order to the removing of any thing that 
 may seem to stumble, or give offence in my 
 practice, as either rash and irrational, or 
 ridiculous and unwarrantable, I humbly de- 
 sire it may be considered. 
 
 " That a ministerial protestation against, 
 or a dissent from any acts or act which a 
 minister knows, and is convinced to be con- 
 trary to the word of God, is not a legal 
 impugnation of that or those acts, much less 
 of the authority enacting them, which it 
 doth rather presuppose than deny or im- 
 pugn ; but it is a solemn and serious attested 
 declaration or witness and testimony against 
 the evil and iniquity of these things, which, 
 by the word of God, is a warrantable prac- 
 tice; and here and at this time a necessary 
 duty : and for which way of protesting, or 
 testifying, or witnessing, a minister hath the 
 prophets a pattern for his imitation ; as is 
 clear, 1 Sam. viii. 9. " Howbeit, yet protest 
 solemnly unto them, and show them the 
 manner of the king that shall reign over 
 them. Where the Lord, to signify his great 
 resentment and dislike at the people's course 
 and carriage towards him, commands the 
 prophet in his name to protest against their 
 proce lure ; ' Howbeit, yet protest solemnly 
 unto them,' (saith he) or, as the words are 
 rendered on the margin of our Bible, and 
 spoke to by interpreters, ' notwithstanding, 
 when thou hast solemnly protested against 
 them,' &c. Which reading seems best to 
 agree both with the scope, and what is said 
 ver. 19. It is clear also, Jer. xi. 7. when 
 2d 
 
^210 
 
 1661. 
 
 the Lord sums up all his serious 
 exhortations to obey his voice, and 
 all his sharp expostulations for not obeying 
 his voice, and keeping his covenant, in this 
 very term ' of protesting earnestly:' 'for I 
 earnestly protested unto your iathers, in 
 the day,' &c. * rising up eai-ly, and protesting, 
 saying, obey my voice.' So that my pro- 
 testation, testimony, and dissent not being 
 without a precedent practice in the pro- 
 phets, and so not without divine precept, 
 cannot be called, nor ought to be accounted 
 a contravention of the acts libelled in the 
 indictment ; neither can I for this come 
 under the lash of the law, unless it be said 
 and asserted, which I know will be denied 
 v.dth abhorrency and detestation, that these 
 acts do discharge, under pain of treason, 
 what (iod the supreme Lawgiver commands 
 his servants to do under pain of his dis- 
 pleasure, as they would not, by their un- 
 fiiithful silence, lose their own, and betray 
 the souls of others. So that take the word 
 * protesting' in the scripture sense, for solen^n 
 declaring and witnessing against sin, and fm 
 duty, in which sense alone I take it, it will 
 not be liable to any just exception, rior is 
 it quai-rellable, there being nothing more 
 frequent in the word, than such protesting, 
 declaring, and witnessing against sin, and 
 for duty." 
 
 " And it is observable to this purpose, 
 that the word in the original, which is 
 rendered ' testify against,' Deut. viii. 19. 
 and xxxi. 22. 2 Kings xvii. 13. 2 Chron. 
 xxiv. 19. Nehem. xiii. 13 — 21. Psalms 1. 
 7. and elsewhere, is the same word which 
 Jeremiah xi. 7. is rendered to ' protest,' 
 and ' protest earnestly,' and it is so ren- 
 dered often in the old translation : Junius 
 and Tremellius expound it ' contestor.' And 
 besides, I hope it will not a little contribute 
 to remove what matter of offence is taken 
 at the manner of my testimony, because in 
 the term of ' dissenting' and ' protesting,' 
 if it be considered that all the reformed 
 churches of Christ this day have their de- 
 nomination and distinction from the church 
 of Rome, from a solemn pnblic protestation 
 against the decree which was made by 
 Charles V., and the estates of the empire, 
 at [Spires in Germany], anno [1529], inpre- 
 
 TIIK HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS ^BOOK I. 
 
 judice to religion and reformation, though I 
 
 do not plead a perfect parallel betwixt this 
 and that. 
 
 " As to the matter of my protestation, 
 I 'hope it will be found no less justifiable 
 than the manner, which, I humbly conceive, 
 the word of God doth put beyond excep- 
 tion. I do not presume to play the Juris- 
 consult, nor do I pretend to any knowledge 
 in the formalities and suhtilties of law, 
 neither am 1 holden to know them ; neither 
 is it a secret to any seen in the municipal 
 law of the nation, how that nothing is, or 
 ought to be accounted for treason, which 
 is not a formal, direct, and downright con- 
 travention of some act of parliament made 
 thereanent, with this express certification, 
 * that the contravention thereof shall be 
 treason.' But there is nothing spoken of 
 by me in the 6th article, which is a direct 
 contravention of any such act, there being no 
 act of parhament which saith, either recto or 
 o/jliquoy (directly or indirectly) that it shall 
 be treason in a minister to protest, that is, 
 in the scripture sense already given, to tes- 
 tify, declare, and witness against such acts 
 as are contrary to the covenant, and pre- 
 judicial to the work of reformation: therefore 
 I humbly conceive it cannot be said, that I 
 fall under the compass of any such acts, nor 
 am I punishable by them, cjnH non cutis nulla 
 sunt accidentia, non causcB nullns affectus. 
 
 " But, my lord, besides, my practice seems 
 neither contrary to reason nor religion, 
 and consonant to both, it being conunonljr 
 taken as a principle, rather than tossed as 
 a problem, that where there is a jus qucesi- 
 tum domino, it is competent, incumbent, and 
 necessary for the servant and ambassador 
 in the behalf and interest of his Lord and 
 Master, to dissent from, and protest against 
 all acts made to the prejudice of that right : 
 but so it is, and there was a right acquired 
 to the Lord my Master, whose servant and 
 ambassador 1 am, though most unworth}', 
 to wit, the confirmation civil of those cove- 
 nants and vows made to and with him, for 
 reformation in this church, according to 
 his will revealed in his word, and the 
 obligation civil of the lieges tliereunto by 
 the interposition of civil authorit)' ; there- 
 fore I humbly conceive, that as a right 
 
CHAP. 11.] 
 
 cannot, at least ought not to be taken away 
 in prejudice of a third party, so far less in 
 things concerning the Lord and his interests, 
 the public faith of the kingdom being en- 
 gaged to God to promote and secure that : 
 so that in this case, for me to have pro- 
 tested for my Master's interests, to whom 
 there was a civil right made, and to dissent 
 from all acts prejudicial to the same, will, 
 I hope, be thought to be the duty of the 
 man who desires to approve himself to 
 God, and who expects in the day of his 
 accounts, the approbation of * well done, 
 good and faithful servant.' 
 
 " These, my lord, with many other ob- 
 vious and weighty reasons, did at first pre- 
 ponderate with me, and presented them- 
 selves with such evidence and conviction 
 of truth and duty, that they were in my 
 weak judgment sufficient enough to per- 
 suade and press me to give this testimony 
 against whatsomever is prejudicial to the 
 covenant and work of reformation : and 
 those, I hope, when weighed in the balance 
 of the sanctuary, which is absolutely the 
 evenest one, or in the scales of rectified 
 reason, will still be found to have so much 
 weight in them, as to acquit me of any 
 guilt, and warranting adherence to what 
 1 have done. 
 
 " Neither can I conceal this, my lord, 
 which is the primum and principale movens, 
 that when I reflect upon, and remember 
 what I have said and sworn to God, in th^ 
 day when, with an uplifted hand to the 
 most High, 1 bound my soul with the bond 
 of the covenant, and engaged solemnly as 
 I should answer to the great God the 
 searcher of hearts, in that day when the 
 secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, never 
 to break these bonds, nor cast away these 
 cords from me, nor suffer myself directly 
 nor indirectly, neither by terror nor per- 
 suasion, to be withdrawn from owning the 
 same. 
 
 " And when withal I have some clear- 
 ness in my conscience, that the matter of 
 the covenant is not indifferent, which if it 
 were, yet in regard of the oath and vows of 
 God which are upon me, it is no more 
 indifferent to me, but puts a subjective 
 obligation upon me, never to be shifted or 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 211 
 
 1661. 
 
 shaken off at pleasure : the matter, 
 I say, is not indiflferent, but neces- 
 sary, and so hath an objective obligation in it^ 
 and did morally oblige antecedaneously to all 
 oaths taken, and acts made thereanent, and 
 unalterably also : I cannot conceive it, I 
 say, my lord, when I think upon the matter 
 thus, that in reflection, whether I consider 
 myself as a Christian, who, when swearing 
 to his own hurt, ought not to change, or 
 in the capacity of a minister of the gospel, 
 and watchman, whose office it is to give 
 warning of sins and snares, in order to the 
 preventing of wrath that follows upon a 
 resolved and deliberate violation of the 
 sacred bonds and engagements to God, or 
 sdence at the matter, in others, when called 
 to declai'e, testify, and bear witness against 
 it, and banishment from the presence of the 
 Lord, and the glory of his power, do never 
 present themselves apart to my judgment ; 
 that ever holding true, 'he will not hold 
 him guiltless,' (however men may plead 
 innocent, and palliate the matter) ' who 
 takes his name in vain ;' nay, he holds him 
 for his enemy, and will handle him so ; and 
 therefore I humbly conceive it ought not to 
 stumble, and I hope it will not seem strange 
 to any, that I cannot make light of so 
 weighty a matter as a covenant made with 
 God, for reformation in his churchy accord- 
 ing to his will revealed in his word, and 
 righteousness in the land, so long as I be- 
 lieve the obligation to be permanent and 
 perpetual, because of divine imposition: 
 nay, when I lay all temporal disadvantages, 
 which can only affect the outward man, 
 that may be supposed to wait upon the 
 keeping of that covenant, and witnessing for 
 it, in the balance with the hazard of in- 
 curring present misery, and future destruc- 
 tion by breaking thereof, (if it be persisted 
 in) the loss appears gain, and the one is 
 downweight by so far, that it seems suf- 
 ficient to anticipate all deliberation and 
 consultation, as to what is to be done 
 in my case, seeing there needs but small 
 deliberation where there is no choice. My 
 lord, if the cogency of that obligation on 
 my conscience had not been such as it is, 
 and if matters had not stood thus with mc, 
 I have not so great a desire to speak at any 
 
212 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ,„„, time, but I could have laid my 
 
 IDOl. ... 
 
 hand upon my mouth at that time 
 when I spoke, and at this time also, and 
 carried as one not concerned in the present 
 affairs. 
 
 " I have, my lord, only a desire or two 
 to add to what I have said, and so shall 
 shut up all I intend further to say at pre- 
 sent. And, first, I humbly beseech my lord 
 commissioner his grace, and this honourable 
 and high court of parliament, that I may 
 not be looked upon as a dislojal person, 
 either as to my principles or practice : 1 
 shall without debate both give and grant, 
 that I was never in case to do his majesty 
 any service which deserves to be publicly 
 mentioned ; nor could I have showed my- 
 self so void of discretion, as to have spoken 
 any thing to that purpose at this time, if, 
 being charged with disloyalty and treason, 
 the credit of my ministry had not imposed 
 the necessity, and extorted it from me ; so 
 that I ought, and do mention it rather for 
 the vindication of my function, than for 
 preventing and removing prejudice against 
 my person. And therefore I humbly crave 
 liberty to say, that though I have not been 
 in case to make my loyalty remarkable by 
 any signal or singular action, yet I have 
 sufficient matter to clear me of disloyalty ; 
 and if pure negatives will not prove it, 
 never having acted, or consented to act any 
 thing prejudicial to his majesty, I hope it will 
 be sufficient in a minister of the gospel to 
 bring his loyalty to the quality and con- 
 sistency of a positive. If in his station he 
 preached against those who usurped his 
 majesty's right, and prayed, they themselves 
 being present, that God would give us go- 
 vernors of our own : if this, I say, be suffi- 
 cient, either to prove a minister loyal, or to 
 clear him of the stain and imputation of dis- 
 loyalty ; then I want not a cloud of witnesses 
 who can testify my integrity in this matter. 
 And I hope, through the grace of God, never 
 to be tempted, or if tempted, never to yield to 
 such a temptation, whatever measure I meet 
 vv'ith to repent or regret that I desired this 
 as a mercy of the Lord, to these much 
 tossed and long troubled kingdoms, ' that 
 he would overturn, overturn, overturn, till 
 he come whose right it was ;' and that I j 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [boOK I. 
 
 rejoiced in the day when he broke the yoke 
 of the oppressors, who kept us captive in our 
 own land, and made the foot of pride who 
 came against us, to slip. Now, my lord, 
 my conscience is so clear, that there was 
 neither iniquity in my heart, nor wickedness 
 in my hands against his majesty, that I have 
 confidence to wish, that the issue and de- 
 cision of my business were put upon this, 
 whether the informer's carriage, (be who he 
 will, in the place where I live) or mine, 
 during the prevalency and usurpation of the 
 enemy, hath had most loyalty in it ? But 
 I do not suspect him to be of so little 
 prudence, as to \vish to come to this reck- 
 oning. 
 
 " The next and last desire which I have 
 at present humbly to propose to my lord 
 commissioner his grace, and the high and 
 honourable court of parliament, before whom 
 I now stand to be judged, and from whom 
 I am holden to expect all equity and justice, 
 is, since your grace and honours have heard 
 my indictment and defences, and are to pro- 
 ceed towards a sentence, that thei'e may be 
 same caution and tenderness as to what 
 shall be determined in this matter : nay, I 
 am obliged to hope and expect, that his 
 grace and the honourable parliament, over- 
 looking the despicableness and worthlessness 
 of the person to be judged, who is really 
 below the indignation of any whom God 
 hath set so high, will carry so in reference 
 to this cause and conclusion, as it may 
 appear, that he who is higher than the high- 
 est, who regai'deth, and will bring all causes 
 and sentences under a final recognition, is 
 regarded and eyed as standing among the 
 gods in this decision. But as for me, my 
 lord, while I wait for the coming forth of 
 my sentence from his presence, whose eyes 
 behold the things that are equal ; I declare, 
 that however I cannot submit my conscience 
 to men, yet I humbly, and as becometh, 
 submit my person. Behold, I am in your 
 hands, do to me whatsoever seemeth good 
 in your eyes. 
 
 Ml-. M'Vaird's former speech and defences, 
 he here refers to, I have not seen; but from 
 this, and the strong and pathetical reason- 
 ings in it, we may have a tolerable view of 
 his case; and though it had not the influ. 
 
CU.AP. II.] 
 ence might have been expected, yet it had 
 some, and the house delayed coming to an 
 issue at this time. He indeed expected a 
 sentence of death, which no way damped 
 him; but his Master h.ad more and very con- 
 siderable work for him elsewhere. Whether 
 it was from orders from court to shed no 
 more blood, or what was the reason, I know 
 not, but his affair was delayed some time; 
 and upon some encouragement given him of 
 success, upon Monday thereafter, he gave 
 in the following supplication. 
 
 7'u mi/ Lord Commissioner his grace, and the 
 honourable and high court of Parliament, 
 the hwnhle supplication of Mr, Robert 
 ArVaird, minister of the gospel. 
 
 " Sheweth, 
 " That whereas your grace, and honoui-able 
 estates of parliament, out of much clemency 
 and tenderness towards me, have sisted your 
 procedure as to final determination, and 
 forborne to draw forth a censure, or pro- 
 nounce a sentence against me, (which favour 
 I hope shall not be forgotten so long as I 
 can remember any thing, and whereof I 
 resolve I shall not cease to be sensible) 
 until my mind should be further and more 
 fully known, in reference to some particu- 
 lars in my process; I conceive myself obliged 
 not only in order to my own preservation, 
 but to his grace and your lordships' satisfac- 
 tion, to dechu-e positively and plainly my 
 min.d in these things, which my want of 
 dexterity in expressing myself, hath made 
 more dark, or liable to mistake or miscon- 
 struction. 
 
 " And whereas I myself have perceived, 
 and am further informed by others, that 
 the main and principal, if not the very thing 
 in my indictment, and all along my defences, 
 and throughout my discourse, which hath 
 been offended at, is, my making use of the 
 words, ' protest' and ' dissent,' as if I had 
 intended thereby a legal impugnation of the 
 acts or authority of parliament ; wherein, 
 though I did, in my last discourse, in so- 
 briety, and according to my measure, en- 
 deavour at some length to clear my meaning, 
 asserting that I did intend a mere ministerial 
 testimony, against what I conceived to be 
 sin ; 3'etthat it may appear that I desire not to 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 213 
 
 1G61. 
 
 contend about words and formali- 
 ties, since the words * protest' and 
 ' dissent' are forensic, and for the most part 
 made use of as legal salvos and irnpugnations, 
 (however the word ' protest' be used several 
 times in scripture by the prophets, as a min- 
 isterial testimoii}^ and solemn declaration 
 against sin, as I have already hinted and held 
 forth in some particular instances) I am satis- 
 fied to change and pass from the expressions 
 of ' protesting' and ' dissenting,' and only to 
 use those of ' testifying' solemn ' declaring,' 
 and ' bearing witness,' by which I still hold 
 the matter of my testimony, the great and 
 only thing first and last intended by me, 
 from which to pass, now especially when 
 the hazard is great, I assure myself, your 
 grace and lordships would not only not 
 allow me, but would count me, in doing so, 
 void of a principle, and unfaithful. 
 
 " I beg leave therefore in all humility to 
 signify to your grace, and this honourable 
 and high court, that I am brought to ofrbr 
 this alteration, not so much, if my heart 
 deceive me not, for the fear of prejudice to 
 my person, (though being but a weak man, 
 I am easily reached by such discomposing 
 passions) as from an earnest desire to re- 
 move out of the way any the least or 
 remotest occasion of stumbling, that there 
 may be the more ready and easy access, 
 without prejudice of words, to ponder and 
 give judgment of the matter; and that like- 
 wise, if the Lord shall think fit to call me 
 forth to suffer hard things on this account, 
 it may not be said or thought by any, that 
 it was for wilful and peremptory sticking to 
 such expressions, whereas I might, by using 
 others, without prejudice to the matter, and 
 no less significant, have escaped the danger ; 
 and lest withal I should seem to insinuate, 
 which is far from my thoughts, and would 
 be a rash judgment, and harsh censm-ing of 
 others, that a minister of the gospel could 
 not have sufficiently exonered his own con- 
 science as to that matter, without such 
 formal and legal terms and expressions. 
 
 " I shall presume to add, that if your 
 grace and the honourable court of parlia- 
 ment shall be graciously pleased to show 
 me favour, then, as I have designed and 
 desired to carry hitherto as a loyal subject. 
 
214 
 
 16G1. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 abstaining from all things that might ] vindication accounts for the banishment of 
 
 ' INIr, M'Vaird and Mr. Simpson; if they 
 
 look like a shadow of reflection 
 upon his majesty's person or government, 
 so I still purpose through grace to continue, 
 as knowing, that giving to God the things 
 that are God's, and to Cesar the things that 
 are Cesar's, and the fearing of God, and 
 honouring the king, are inseparably joined 
 of the Lord together. And however, I do 
 humbly, as becoraeth, prostrate my person 
 at your grace and honours' feet, to be dis- 
 posed upon as shall seem good in your eyes. 
 Your grace and the honourable parliament's 
 answer is expected by yoiu- truly loyal sup- 
 plicant. 
 
 " Mr. Robert M'Vaird." 
 
 This supplication was given in, and though 
 one would think, with what went before, it 
 might have softened the persecutors, yet it 
 had no great effect. Mr. Sharp and his 
 friends resolved now to be rid, as much as 
 they could, of the most eminent of the 
 presbyterian ministers; and therefore he 
 behoved to be banished, which was the 
 highest they could go to, unless they had 
 taken his life. And so, July 5th or 6th, I 
 find the parliament give him for answer, 
 " That they pass sentence of banishment 
 upon the supplicant, allowing him six months 
 to tarry in the nation, one of which only in 
 Glasgow, with power to him to receive the 
 following year's stipend at departiu'e." His 
 master had work for him elsewhere, and 
 that very considerable work too; and he 
 submitted to the sentence, and transported 
 himself and family to Rotterdam, where, 
 for a while, (after the reverend and worthy 
 Mr. Alexander Petrie) he was employed as 
 minister of the Scots congregation at Rot- 
 terdam, and edified many. Even thither 
 his persecutors' rage followed him, as we 
 may afterwards hear; and he with some 
 others were again forced to wander further 
 off from their native land. This worthy 
 person died at Rotterdam about twenty 
 years after this. 
 
 Thus the acts of this parliament were 
 sealed with blood, and many tears of people 
 who had their beloved pastors torn from 
 them, and scattered into strange lands. The 
 episcopal party will oblige us, if they can 
 show what part of Sir George Mackenzie's 
 
 cannot, I hope this will be another instance 
 of its lameness, and an argument of its 
 falseness too : for, if to be banished from 
 one's country, for dissenting from acts 
 against the covenanted work of reformation, 
 was not suffering upon principle and perse- 
 cution for conscience' sake, pray what can 
 be such ? If exhorting people to mourn for 
 the defection of the land, be rebellion, then 
 indeed Mr. M'Vaii-d was guilty; but I hope 
 every body will allow, that mourning and 
 fighting are two things, unless prcccs et 
 lachrymcB sunt arma eccleiice, be judged a 
 rebellious maxim. 
 
 Besides those sufferings of ministers to 
 blood and banishment, bonds and bondage, 
 I might insist upon other branches of their 
 sufferings ; but they will come in afterwards 
 when they turn more conspicuous in the 
 following years. I have already noticed 
 the attacks made upon synods during this 
 session of parliament, which, as it was a 
 contrivance of Mr. Sharp's, so in itself was 
 an high invasion of the prerogative of the 
 Redeemer, and the exerting the Erastian 
 supremacy before it was an iniquity estab- 
 lished by a law. I shall shut up the suffer- 
 ings of ministers with a hint at the perse- 
 cution of the tongue, liberally enough be- 
 stowed upon them at this time. 
 
 Mr. James Sharp, and the noblemen who 
 joined him about the king, under the patron- 
 age of chancellor Hyde, and the English 
 highfliers began then- designs of overturning 
 the government and discipline of the church 
 of Scotland, by buzzing into the king's ear 
 that wicked lie, and scandalous misrepre- 
 sentation, that the generality of the old, 
 wise, and learned ministers of the church of 
 Scotland, were for prelacy, at least a moder- 
 ate episcopacy. This 1 find some of the 
 ministers, then living, complaining heavily 
 of in their letters ; and Mr. Douglas takes 
 off this calumny, as we have heai-d in the 
 introduction. I have formerly regretted the 
 unhappy difference betwixt the resolutioners 
 and protesters. The woful heats betwixt 
 them effectually stopped any joint applica- 
 tion to the king from presbyterian ministers, 
 or general declaration of their principle^ 
 
criAi>. II.] 
 
 and adherence to j)resb3terian government, 
 save what we heard of at some length, 
 section 2d. This silence, and these heats, 
 cunning Mr. iSharp did not fail to improve 
 into this gross untruth, that the bulk of 
 Scots ministers were not against prelacy. 
 Nothing was stuck at by this unhappy man, 
 now entirely corrupted by Hyde's party at 
 London, and bribed by and gaping after 
 what in a little now lie got, the archbishopric 
 of St. Andrews. Whereas indeed, except- 
 ing a few lax men in the north, under Mr. 
 Sharp's conduct, and promises of bislioprics, 
 who influenced the synod of Aberdeen, to 
 send up to court a flattering address in 
 favour of episcopacy; which, by the way, 
 came afterwards to lie very heavy on the 
 consciences of some of the best of the 
 ministers who signed it ; there was indeed 
 nothing could be more disagreeable to the 
 whole of the presbyterian ministers through 
 the kingdom : how far soever they differed 
 in some other things, yet all honest ministers 
 centred in this. 
 
 or Till: CHURCH OF SCOTL.WD. '2\5 
 
 larly the chancellor, that by putting 
 his hand to the ark of God with 
 others, their families and their own peace 
 at death would be ruined. This was evi- 
 dently enough made out in several instances. 
 Yet for all this plain dealing, of which after- 
 wards we shall have several instances, these 
 worthy men were laid under this hellish ob- 
 loquy, and the scourge of tongues. And 
 Thomas Sideserf, son to the bishop of that 
 name, the Diurnaller, made it his daily trade 
 to bespatter the greatest men of this time, 
 without the least provocation or foundation, 
 feuch as Mr. David Dickson, Mr. Robert 
 Blair, Mr. George Hutcheson, and many 
 others, to that pitch of insolence, that the 
 king was pleased to order that libeller to be 
 silenced. 
 
 I promised in this section to take notice 
 next of the trouble and sufferings several 
 worthy gentlemen were brought to during 
 this session of parliament, and shall be but 
 short upon it, because most of them will 
 come in afterward, in the progress of this 
 At great length I could make this out by [ history. We shall just now meet with some 
 
 particular instances of Mr. Robert Douglas, 
 Mr. Robert Bailie, Mr. James Wood, Mr. 
 Dand Dickson, Mr. James Ferguson, and 
 other great men, puljlic resolutioners, with 
 whom the com tiers dealt in the greatest 
 earnestness to accept of bishoprics; but 
 they firmly refused, and used no small free- 
 dom with Mr. Sharp, and the noblemen in 
 this matter: Mr. Douglas told the first, 
 tliat the curse of God would come to him 
 with his bishopric ; * and the last, particu- 
 
 • " In the meantime 3Ir. Shiirp makes for the 
 fashion, a visit to Mr. Robert Douglas at his 
 own house, where after his preface, he informs 
 him it was the kirij;:'s puri)ose to settle the 
 chiiroh under bishops, and that, for respect to 
 liiin, his iiiiijesty was very desirous Mr. Douglas 
 would accept the archbishopric of St. Andrews. 
 JMr. Douglas answered he would have nothing 
 !-> do with it (for in his private conversation he 
 used neither to harangue nor to dispute ;) Sharp 
 insisted and urged him; Mr. Douglas answered 
 as formerly ; whereu|)on Shar[> arose and t<iok 
 leave. iMr. Douglas convoyed him to his gallery 
 door, and after he had passed the door, JMr. 
 Douglas called him back and told him, 'James,' 
 said he, ' I see you ivill engadge. I perceive 
 you are clear, you will be bishop of St. Andrews, 
 take it, and the curse of God with it.' So 
 flapping him upon the shoulder, he shut his door 
 uptm him." — Kirkton's History of the Church 
 of Scotland, p. 136. — £d. 
 
 gentlemen harassed before the council, but 
 it is the processes before the parliament come 
 in here. All could be objected against most 
 of them, was, the ordinary compliance with 
 the English, which every body was necessi- 
 tate to give. This English guilt was a good 
 handle for prosecuting such who had been 
 active in the work of reformation, and had 
 estates, which oin* indigent courtiers had 
 their eye upon, and by the act of fines, and 
 otherwise, they reached a good many: 
 though England was indemnified, yet the 
 ancient kingdom must not enjoy that favour 
 for some time. 
 
 In January, towards the beginning of this 
 parliament, I find the lairds Arkinglass, and 
 M'Condochy, the first a very considerable 
 family we shall afterward meet with, were 
 forfeited by parliament. They had been 
 cited to appear, and did not come, not being 
 in safety as to their lives, because fiiends of 
 the family of Argyle : for any thing I knov 
 of, nothing further was to be charged on 
 them ; and yet they found it not safe to 
 appear. In the unprinted acts I find a 
 decreet D. Ham. against Arkinglass; but 
 whether it refcrreth to this, I know not. ' 
 
21 6 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 .„„. February 1st, the summons of, i 
 and indictment against the lord 
 Warriston, William Dundas, and John 
 Hume of Kello, were this day read in par- 
 liament; none of them were present: the 
 first we shall again meet with. Whether 
 they were separately indicted, or a general 
 charge given against them all, I know not ; 
 all I have seen is the following abstract of 
 the charge against them; that they have 
 contravened many acts of parliament in the 
 following particulars, and therefore are guilty 
 of sedition and treason. The particulars are, 
 " 1st, The protestation at the Cross of 
 Edinburgh against the late king his procla- 
 mation. 2d, The convention of estates, 
 IG^S, their calling, convening, and assisting 
 thereuntil. 3d, Obstructing the engagement 
 in the year 1G48, for the late king's delivery, 
 dissenting therefrom, and voting against the 
 same. 4th, Unlawful convocating the king's 
 lieges, the same year, in opposition to his 
 majesty's forces under the command of duke 
 Hamilton, Monro, &c. 5th, Calling in of 
 the sectanan rebels, in opposition to his 
 majesty's good subjects. 6th, The writing, 
 dictating, and contriving a letter directed to 
 the perfidious Oliver Cromwell, and trysting 
 with him and his officers at the lady Hume's 
 lodgings, tending to the ruin of the late 
 king, and these kingdoms. 7th, The draw- 
 ing up, consulting, advising, and consenting 
 to the instructions then given in to Sir John 
 Chiesly, to be communicated to the parlia- 
 ment of England, or their committee, for 
 the ends foresaid. 8th, The said Warriston 
 his pleading against Newton Gordon, who 
 was executed, though he had the king's 
 express orders to plead for him. 9th, Their 
 •rossing the freedom of the parliament, and 
 people, in their invitation offered to be sent to 
 the king, without limitations, to come to this 
 kingdom. 10th, Their contriving and assist- 
 ing in the murder of the marquis of Mon- 
 trose. 11th, Their constant correspondence 
 with Oliver Cromwell in the year 1649, 
 instanced in several particulars. 12th, Theu* 
 contriving or assisting to the act, called 
 ' the Act of the West-kirk,' and the de- 
 claration of the officers of the army then 
 made. 13th, Their drawing, contri\-ing, oi 
 condcnting to the paper called ' the Western I 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [dOOK I. 
 
 Remonstrance,' and the book called ' the 
 Causes of God's Wrath.' Withdrawing 
 themselves from the king's service and army 
 at Stirling, in the time of his greatest 
 necessity. 14th, The said Warriston his 
 sitting in parliament as a peer in England, 
 contrary to his oath, and accepting the 
 office of clerk-register from the usurper 
 Oliver Cromwell, and being president of the 
 pretended committee of safety, when Richard 
 was laid aside." 
 
 By the unprinted acts of this session, I 
 find decreets of forfeiture are passed against 
 Sir Archibald Johnstoun of Warriston, and 
 William Dundas of Magdallans, and John 
 Hume of Kello. They did not appear, and 
 consequently had no answers to the above 
 articles ; and I may safely enough refer the 
 reader to what hath been said upon most of 
 them, and all of them upon the matter, in the 
 marquis of Argyle's case, and Mr. Guthrie's. 
 
 February 22d, I find the laird of Swinton 
 also brought before this parliament. We 
 have seen he was sent down prisoner with 
 Arayle; being a professed quaker, his hat 
 was taken off for him when he came in to the 
 bar. The heads of his indictment were; 
 " 1st, That being a member of parliament, he 
 contrived and voted to the acts made 1648, 
 relative to the king's delivery; and being a 
 member of parliament, contrived and voted 
 to the murder of the marquis of Montrose, 
 lord Huntley, Hary Spotiswood, and others, 
 the king's friends and servants, and to the 
 displacing of the king's officers of estate, 
 and to the deposition of many who suffered 
 for the king's cause. 2d, That being one 
 of the officers of the king's army at Stirling, 
 after the defeat at Dunbar, he kept constant 
 correspondence with the English and Crom- 
 well, and deserted his trust in the king's 
 army, by joining himself with the usurping 
 party. 3d, His going along with Cromwell 
 to Worcester, and there fighting against the 
 king in proper person, against his duty and 
 allegiance. 4th, His sitting and voicing in 
 the pretended parliament of England, for 
 extirpating the king and his family from their 
 due right of government; and exercising 
 those offices and places which Cromwell 
 had bestowed on him for that service." 
 
 When his indictment was read, he had a 
 
CHAP 
 
 "•] 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 217 
 
 very accurate and pointed speech m his own 
 vindication, and being interrogate by the 
 chancellor, it" he had any more to say for 
 himself? lie answered " not positively," but 
 said, " he knew not whether he would make 
 use of any lawyers or not, seeing he walked 
 not now by his own will." The parliament 
 assigned him till the 13th day of March, to 
 give in peremptory defences. By the table 
 of unprinted acts I find, that the parliament 
 forfeited him ; but the papists at court 
 interposed in the quaker's behalf, and he 
 had favour shown, though he had as great 
 a share in joining with the usurper as any in 
 the kingdom. After the revolution Swinton's 
 son published his case in print, wherein it 
 seems pretty evident, that no direct for- 
 feiture was passed against his father by this 
 parliament : but, upon a paper formed many 
 years afterwards, Lauderdale possessed the 
 estate of Swinton until his death. By the 
 passages there cited from Swinton's de- 
 fences at this time, it appears that he went 
 with Cromwell to England about the time 
 of Worcester engagement, as a prisoner. 
 However, it is undeniable this gentleman 
 did openly enough join in with the usurper, 
 and had no small management of our Scots 
 affairs under him. 
 
 I find by some papers of this time, that 
 Sir John Chiesly was before the lords of 
 articles, March this year, and it is probable 
 received an indictment, since he was singu- 
 lai'ly active in the work of reformation : but 
 I have not seen the articles. We shall find 
 him under confinement after this, for many 
 years. Several other worthy gentlemen and 
 ministers were brought to much suffering 
 during the after-part of this year, before the 
 privy council, who after this have much of 
 the persecution I am to describe among 
 their hands. This brings me to 
 
 Of the estahliskment and crecCwn of I he privy 
 council, their first meeting July I3th, mid 
 procedure against particular noblemen, gen- 
 tlemen, and ministers of the presbytcrian 
 persuasion, this year 1661. 
 
 We have seen the civil government cf 
 Scotland last year in the hands of the com- 
 
 1661. 
 
 mittee of estates, and this year the 
 high court of parliament continued 
 sitting till the 12th of Julyj and the last 
 day of that month, their acts were in great 
 solemnity proclaimed at the Cross of Edin- 
 burgh, and it took from eleven of the clock 
 forenoon, till six at night, to publish those 
 of a public nature. As soon as the parlia- 
 ment was up, next day the privy council 
 met, and a vast power was in their hands. 
 
 In this kingdom there had been a long 
 interruption of all our civil courts; and it 
 may not be unacceptable to the reader to 
 give the list of the members of the different 
 courts at this juncture, and the time of 
 their meeting ; though it has no great rela- 
 tion to the general subject of this history, 
 it will take up no great room, and may be 
 of some use. Some good tune was taken 
 up before persons could be fallen upon to 
 fill up the total vacancies ; and in the be- 
 ginning of April the lists came dov.n from 
 court. 
 
 April 5th, as many as were in town of 
 the lords of the session took the oath of 
 supremacy, and de fideli administratione, 
 before the pai-Iiament; and the parliament 
 ordered them to sit down June 4th, they 
 were as follows. " Sir- John Gilmour presi- 
 dent, lord Cranstoun, alias Oxenford, Sir 
 Ai-chibald Piimrose clerk-register. Ley, Hal- 
 kertoun, Collingtoun, Carden, Tarbet, Mr. 
 James Itobcrtoun, Mi-. John Scougal, Mr, 
 Robert Nairn of Strathurd, Mr. Robert 
 Burnet elder, Mx. Andrew Aiton of King- 
 lassie, Mr. James Dalrymple of Stairs, and 
 Sir Robert IMurray." The extraordinary 
 were Rothes, Crawford, Cassils, and Lau- 
 derdale. My lord Cranstoun did not accept, 
 and Mr. David Nevoy was put in his place ; 
 and when my lord Cassils, upon refusing 
 the supremacy, was declared incapable of 
 public trust, Mddleton was put in his room. 
 
 June 10th, the exchequer sat down, and 
 the lords of that were, William carl of 
 Glencairn chancellor, Rothes, Marishal lord 
 privy-seal, Lauderdale, Middleton, Halker- 
 toun president of the session, clerk-register. 
 Sir John Fletcher advocate, Sir Robert 
 IMurray justice-clerk, Sir James M'Gill of 
 Crawstoun, Sir James Lockhart of Ley, Sir 
 William Fletcher, Sir Joh« \\'auchopj Mr. 
 2e 
 
218 
 
 THE lilSTOllV OI' TIIK SUFFEIIINGS 
 
 IGCl. 
 
 Robert Burnet elder, Mr. James 
 Robertoun, William Scot of Airdrie, 
 with the treasurer earl of Crawford, or 
 treasurer depute Sir William Bannaiityne, 
 one of the quoioim. 
 
 But the court which the sufferers I am 
 to account for, at least for many years, were 
 mostly before, was the privy council ; and in 
 the intervals of parliaments, they had all the 
 executory power in theu" hand, and assumed 
 little less than a parhamentary power. They 
 were indeed a very sovereign court, and 
 therefore I shall here give the list of them. 
 The earl of Glencairn chancellor, earl of 
 Crawford treasurer, earl of Rothes presi- 
 dent of the council, dukes of Lennox and 
 Hamilton, marquis of Montrose; earls, 
 Lauderdale secretary, Errol, Marishal, Mar, 
 Athole, Morton, Eglinton, Cassils, Caith- 
 ness, Murray, Linlithgow, Hume, Perth, 
 Dunfermline, Wigton, Kellie, Roxburgh, 
 Haddington, Tullibardin, Weems, South- 
 esk, Hartfield, (now Annandale) Callander, 
 Tweeddale, Middleton, Dundee, Newburgh; 
 lords, Sinclair, Halkerton, Duffus ; Sii* 
 Archibald Primrose, Sir John Fletcher, 
 Sir William Bannantyne, Sir Robert Murray, 
 Sir John Gilmouu of Craigmillar, Sii' 
 Wilham Fleming, laird of Ley, laird of 
 Blackball, Sir John Wauchop of Niddry, 
 knight, Gibson of Durie, Sir George Kin- 
 naird of Rossie, Alexander Bruce, brother 
 to the earl of Kincardine, Sir William 
 Scot of Airdrie, The English counsellors 
 added, were, chancellor Hyde, duke of 
 Albemarle, marquis of Ormond, earl of 
 INli.nchester, * and the principal secretary 
 
 * Tliese English counsellors were not very 
 \veU calculated for giving advice upon Scottish 
 affairs. Hyde, earl of Clarendon, was un- 
 questionably the man who had most strongly 
 and most successfully impressed upon Charles 
 the propriety of restoring episcopacy in Scotland, 
 an attempt which imbittered his whole reign, 
 and persisted in by his successor, was a prin- 
 cipal mean of driving his family into an exile 
 from which tht-y were never recalled. Burnet 
 remarks of Clarendon, " that he was a good 
 chancellor, only a little too rough, but very im- 
 j)artial in tlie administration of justice. He 
 iicvei' seemed to understand foreign affairs well, 
 ;iik1 yet lie meddled too much with them. He 
 had too much levity in his wit, and did not 
 always observe the decoilim of his post. He 
 was iiigh, and was apt to reject with too much 
 (■<uii.i'mjit, those who addressed themselves to 
 iiiiii. lie had such a regard to the king, that 
 
 [cook I. 
 
 of state for England. Their quorum is 
 declared to be nine; the chancellor or 
 president, or in theu* absence, the eldest 
 counsellor to be one of the quorum. 
 
 I come now to give some account of the 
 procedure of the privy council, from their 
 registers ; and in this section I shall confine 
 myself to the hardships and sufferings par- 
 ticular persons of all ranks were brought 
 under by this arbitrary court, during what 
 is before us of this year. I shall leave 
 their general acts, with relation to the intro- 
 duction of prelacy, to the following section, 
 where I am to essay some account of this 
 great turn in this church. 
 
 July 13th, the council met at Holyrood- 
 house, and after the public reading of their 
 commission, with their powers, all who were 
 present took the oath of allegiance, which 
 hath been above insert ; and then they took 
 the oath of council, a copy of which the 
 curious reader will perhaps desire to see 
 therefore I insert it. 
 
 Oath of the privy counsellors. 
 
 " I swear to be a true faith- 
 
 ful seiTant to the king's majesty, as one 
 of his privy counsel ; I shall not know 
 nor understand of any manner of thing 
 to be attempted, done or spoken against 
 his majesty's person, crown, or dignity 
 royal, but I shall let and withstand the 
 same to the utmost of my power, and 
 either cause it to be revealed to his 
 majesty hhnself, or such of his privy 
 council as shall advertise his highness 
 ( f the same. I shall, in all things to 
 
 when places were disposed of, even otherwise 
 than as he advised, yet he would justify what 
 the king did, and disparage the pretensions of 
 others, not without much scorn, which cjeated 
 him many enemies. He was indefatigable in 
 business, though the gout did often disable him 
 from waiting on the king, yet during his credit, 
 the king came constantly to him when he was 
 laid up by it." Lord Clarendon's character 
 has been in latter times much less favom-ably 
 treated. From the light thrown upon it in a 
 later treatise by the Hon. Agar Ellrs, there can 
 be no doubt that he was a bigot in leligion and a 
 sycophant in politics. As a man, proud and 
 imperious ; as a judge, covetous, partial, and un- 
 just ; and finally, as a historian, an advocate for 
 tyranny, an apologist for duplicity, and an art- 
 ful pcrverter of truth. The following character 
 of Albemarle from the pen of Burnet, is 
 graphic, and we believe perfectly just. " Mui.k 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURC 
 
 l)C niovctl, craved, and debated in 
 council, faithfully and tnily declare my 
 mind and opinion, according to my 
 heart and conscience, and shall keep 
 secret all matters committed and re- 
 vealed unto me, or that shall be treated 
 of secretly in council ; and if any of the 
 same treaties and counsels shall touch 
 any of the counsellers, I shall not reveal 
 it unto him, but shall keep the same 
 until such time, as, by the consent of 
 his majesty or the councU, publication 
 shall be made thereof And generally, 
 and in all things, I shall do as a faith- 
 ful and true servant and subject ought 
 to do to his majesty. So help me 
 God, and the contents of this book." 
 
 When all present had taken this oath, 
 the commission of Sir Peter Wedderburn, 
 to be clerk, was read, and he admitted. 
 Tlie earl of Crawford is [iresident, and the 
 earl of Callender to preside in his absence. 
 They have little before them till the return 
 of the chancellor and Rothes, who came 
 down on the last of August, with what was 
 concerted at court about the change of 
 church government, of which afterwards. 
 
 In September, they have a very remark- 
 able process before them, with relation to 
 the earl of Tweeddale. Information had been 
 sent up, it seems, to court, of his speaking 
 in favours of Mr. James Guthrie, when his 
 process was in dependance before the par- 
 
 was ravenous as well as his wife, who was a 
 mean contemptible creature. Thcj- both asked 
 and sold all that was within their reach, nothing 
 Ining denied them for some time, till he became 
 so useless, that little personal regard could be 
 paid him. But the king maintained still the 
 appearances of it ; for the appearance of the 
 service he did him, w;\s such that the king 
 thought it fit to treat him with great distinction 
 even after he saw into him, and despised him.' 
 " Ormond," we are told by the same authority, 
 was " a man of a graceful ai>pearance, a lively 
 wit, and a cheerful temper, a man of great 
 experience, decent even in his vices, for he 
 always kept up the form of religion. He was 
 firm to the protestant religion, and so firm to 
 the laws, that he always gave good advices, but 
 when bad ones were followed he was not for 
 complaining too much of them." — " The earl of 
 Blanchester was of a soft and obliging temper, 
 of no great depth, but universally beloved, being 
 both a virtuous and a generous man." — iJurnct's 
 History of his Own' Times, Edin. Ed. vol. i. 
 pp. 133, 138, 139— ad. 
 
 II OF SCOTLAND. 219 
 
 liament ; and it seems this was reck- i^gi 
 I oned a high crune for this noble- 
 man to speak his light in his judicative 
 capacity : therefore he is ordered to be im- 
 prisoned; and the execution of this arbi- 
 trary step is put in the hands of the council, 
 as one of their first works. Tliis is so odd 
 a management, and forebodes so much op- 
 pression and severity in this reign, that I 
 shall venture to say nothing upon it, but 
 give the progress of it from the original 
 records. 
 
 Upon the 13th of September, the follow- 
 ing letter from the king is read, ordering 
 the earl of Tweeddale to be made a prisoner. 
 
 " Right Trusty, &c. Having received 
 information of some speeches uttered by 
 the earl of Tweeddale, in the trial of Mr. 
 James Guthrie attainted and executed, which, 
 as we are informed, did tend much to the 
 prejudice of our authority, we require you 
 to commit the said earl to the castle of 
 Edinburgh, there to remain till we have 
 examined the business, and declare our 
 further pleasure ; and that he be kept in 
 durance, but not as close prisoner. Given at 
 our coui't at Whitehall, September 7th, IGG 1 . 
 " Lauderdale." 
 
 These orders were immediately executed, 
 and the earl entered prisoner in the Castle ; 
 and September 17th, he sent the following 
 petition to the council. 
 
 " To the Right Honourable, the Lords of his 
 Majesty's Privy Council, John carl «/ 
 Tweeddale 
 
 " Humbly sheweth, 
 " Whereas yom* lordships iiave been 
 pleased, upon a command from his majesty, 
 to commit me to the Castle, and being ex- 
 ceedingly affected with his majesty's dis- 
 pleasure, I desire to express to your lord- 
 ships the grief of my heart, for whatsoever 
 has been the occasion of procuring such 
 resentment from so gracious a prince, of 
 whose favour I have so largely shared, and 
 to whose commands I account a perfect 
 submission acceptable service to God, and 
 suitable to the duty of e^ery subject. How 
 observant of them I have been, antl what 
 ready submission I have given, your lordshif s 
 can witness : being filled with the sense of 
 
220 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 , „„ , my obligations, and engaged in duty, 
 to be thus clouded with his majes- 
 ty's displeasure, is a burden I am unable to 
 bear. May it therefore please your lord- 
 ships to give such an account of mine act- 
 ings, as I may be restored to his majesty's 
 favour, and to interpose for my enlargement, 
 that at least my imprisonment may be 
 changed to a confinement, at ray house at 
 Bothams, in regard of my wife's condition, 
 now near the time of her delivery. 
 
 " TWEEDDALE." 
 
 The clerk is ordered to have a draught of 
 a letter ready against to-morrow. Accord- 
 ingly, September 18th, a letter is signed by 
 the council to the secretary, the tenor of 
 which is subjoined. 
 
 « My Lord, 
 " At our last meeting, which was occa- 
 sioned by his majesty's letter, for coramittjng 
 the earl of T\veeddale pi isoncr to the castle 
 of Edinburgh, we issued orders for it ; which 
 were no sooner intimate to him, but he im- 
 mediately obeyed, and entered prisoner. 
 From him we have since received a petition, 
 which we send enclosed, to be presented by 
 your lordship to his majesty ; and find our- 
 selves obliged to give this testimony in his 
 behalf, that, in the late meeting of council, 
 when the matter of church government was 
 under deliberation, he did heartily comply 
 v.ith his majesty's commands, and carry 
 himself as a faithful counsellor, and loyal 
 subject. Wlien his majesty's further plea- 
 sure shall be signified as to this particular, 
 we shall be ready to prosecute the same ; 
 and are, my lord, your lordship's affectionate 
 
 iVieu ds ." 
 
 As in Sederunt. 
 
 Matters stood thus till next council-day* 
 Oc tober 1st, when was read the following 
 let ter from the king. 
 
 " Right trusty, &c. We received yours of 
 th e 7th of this instant, and have seen the 
 proclamation you have published, in obedi- 
 ence to what we recommended by our letter 
 of the 14th of August ; with which we are 
 so well satisfied, that we thought fit to give 
 you hearty thanks. We got notice of the 
 commitment of the earl of Tweeddale, by our 
 order : you sliall examine what his carriage 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK 1. 
 
 was at the late vote in parliament, whicli 
 condemned Guthrie, and report the same 
 speedily to us, to the end that we may 
 declare our further pleasure. And so we 
 bid you heartily farewell. 
 
 " Lauderdale." 
 " Whitehall, September 23, 1661." 
 
 Jointly with this, there came a letter from 
 the earl of Lauderdale to the council, where- 
 of the tenor is : 
 
 " May it please your lordships, 
 " Li obedience to your lordships' com- 
 mands, 1 did yesterday present the earl of 
 Tweeddale's petition. After reading of it, 
 his majesty was graciously pleased to order 
 the change of his prison in the castle, to a 
 confinement at his house : and his majesty 
 hath commanded me to signify his pleasure 
 to your lordships, that he be confi-ued to the 
 Bothams, and three miles about it, until, 
 upon report from your lordships, the king 
 shall declare his further pleasure. This is 
 all I have in command, who am, may it 
 please your lordships, 
 
 " Your lordships' most humble serwint, 
 " Lauderd.vle." 
 "Whitehall, September 26, 1661." 
 
 After the reading of those letters, the 
 council came to the following resolve, " Or- 
 dered, that in pursuance of his majesty's 
 orders, the earls of Haddington, Annandale, 
 and Callender, the lord president of the 
 session, the lord register, lord advocate, 
 and lord Lee, do examine the eai'l of Tweed- 
 dale, in the castle of Edinbui-gh, the morn 
 (to-morrow) at nine of the clock, anent his 
 carriage at the late vote in parliament, which 
 condemned James Guthrie, and to take his 
 own declaration under his hand, upon the 
 several votes which passed upon that process 
 whereupon he is to be interrogate, and 
 report the same next morning." 
 
 This was accordingly done, and to-morrow, 
 October 2d, the lords appointed to exam- 
 ine the earl, gave in his declaration, signed 
 by himself and the lord president ; the ten or 
 whereof follows : 
 
 At the Castle of Edinburgh, October 9, 1661. 
 
 " The earl of Tweeddale being interrogate, 
 what his carriage and expressions were at 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 the vote in parliament, in Mr. (lutbrie's 
 l)roress, dated lith of April, 1G61, and be- 
 ing first interrogate upon the first member of 
 the vote, concerning the first two articles of 
 Guthrie's dittay, wherein he was charged 
 with the Remonstrance and Causes of God's 
 Wrath, which were found relevant to bring 
 the pannel under the compass of the acts of 
 [)arliament mentioned in the said vote 
 made against slanderous speeches against his 
 majesty's person and authority : the said earl 
 of Tweeddale doth declare, that though he 
 was clear in his judgment, and did express 
 so much, that the first two articles brouglit the 
 pannel under the compass of the law, and 
 that the law made him liable to the sentence 
 of death ; yet some circumstances, as the 
 distraction and disorder men were then 
 under, and the epidemic distemper of those 
 times, and the restraining power of the law 
 having been of a long time sadly abated, 
 and upon the consideration of his majesty's 
 compassionate clemency, and construction of 
 the failings of those times, which inclined 
 him to some other punishment than death, 
 he conceived and voted that article not re- 
 levant as to death. As to the 2d member, 
 concerning the petition and instructions men- 
 tioned in the vote, he declares, that, to the 
 best of his memory, he had no discourse 
 thereupon, and doth not remember what 
 was his vote. As to the 3d, concerning 
 the declinatvu-e, he declares, that, having 
 heard the process only once read, and not 
 having heard distinctly the debate upon 
 that article, and being the first criminal 
 process he was ever at, he thought himself 
 unfit to judge in a particular of so large a 
 debate upon once reading, and so coald not 
 be clear to give a positive vote at that time, 
 and therefore was non liquet." 
 
 " Tweeddale, 
 
 " Jo. GiLMOUR, P." 
 
 Upon the producing of this, the council 
 ■.>rder the earl, " to be put to liberty from 
 iiis confinement, and to repair to his house, 
 and confine himself within the same, and 
 three miles about, till his majesty's pleasure 
 shall be further known; he always finding 
 sufficient caution, under the pain of one 
 hundred thousand merks, to appear, or 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 221 
 
 IGGl. 
 
 return to the castle, whensoever 
 his majesty or the council shall 
 order tlie same, and in the meanwhile 
 keep his confinement." And further, Oc- 
 tober 3d, they declare, " that all of their 
 number who were members of parliament, 
 and present when the said votes passed, 
 as to all the articles of the declaration 
 they remember, he went not alongst with 
 them in the affinnative which passed in 
 the parliament." That same day, the coun- 
 cil send a letter to the king, narrating 
 all the steps (above) they had taken, with 
 the declaration. This is ail I meet with 
 in the registers, about this odd treatment of 
 a nobleman. Towards the beginning of May 
 next, the confinement was taken off, and 
 the earl was in very much favour. What 
 were the springs of this prosecution, I can- 
 not say : perhaps it was not so much from 
 any special design against the earl, as to 
 fright people afterwards into their measures, 
 by those terrible inquiries into votes and 
 speeches in parliament. I have scarce ever 
 met with a parallel in history. We see this 
 noble lord's reasons for what he did in his 
 own declaration. His imprisonment about 
 thi'ee weeks, for his vote in parliament, and 
 the exorbitant bail demanded of him, are 
 what cannot be defended, and will not 
 endure reasoning ; and I have seen none of 
 the advocates of this period, who set up 
 for vindicating this unaccountable procedure 
 against the earl of Tweeddale. 
 
 I come now forwai'd, to hint at some 
 begun sufferings of ministers this year, be- 
 fore the council. September 17th, "a let- 
 ter is ordered to be writ to the sheriff of 
 Clydesdale, or his depute, to apprehend two 
 ministers come from Ireland, whose names 
 the chancellor is to condescend on; and 
 they are to be convoyed from sheriff to 
 sheriff till they come to the magistrates of 
 Edinburgh." I know no more about them 
 than is in this ai'ticle of the council regis- 
 ters : it seems plain they were two presby- 
 terian ministers, who had fled over from 
 the persecution of the prelates in Ireland, 
 and probably did not know of the parlia- 
 ment's proclamation above narrated, dis- 
 charging all Scotsmen to come over thence 
 without passes. 
 
222 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1661. 
 
 The reverend Mr. Robert Blaii-, 
 minister of the gospel at St. An- 
 di'ews, was one whom IVIr. Sharp tould not 
 bear to be anj' longer at his work there, 
 though he was under particular obligations to 
 Mr. Blaii-; and therefore matters ai'e so order- 
 ed as the council must attack him, October 
 1st, this year. He was a minister of 
 known piety, gravity, prudence, and great 
 loyalty to the king; and nothing could 
 be laid to his charge, save that he was 
 a presbyterian minister, and now stood 
 in Mr. Sharp's way. Thus, upon some 
 information or other, wherein Mr. Sharp 
 took care not to be seen, the council the 
 foresaid day order the clerk to write to the 
 magistrates of St. Andrews, upon the sight 
 of his letter, to go to their minister Mr. 
 Robert Blair, and in name of the council 
 to demand him to present himself before 
 my lord chancellor at Edinburgh, betwixt 
 and the 9th instant, that by his lordship he 
 might know the council's pleasure. I find 
 no more about Mr. Blair till November 5th, 
 where the registers bear, " information being 
 given of some particulars against Mr. Robert 
 Blair, ordered, that the earls of Linlithgow, 
 Hume, Haddington, lord advocate, and Sir 
 George Kinnaird, examine the said Mr. 
 Robert upon these particulars, and report 
 to the next meeting of the council." The 
 next meeting is November 7th, and that 
 day I find a blank in the records of near 
 half of the page, and upon the margin, act. 
 Ml". Robert Blair. Whether they were 
 ashamed to insert what they went into 
 against so great and good a man, whom 
 every body almost had a regard to, or what 
 was the reason, I cannot say. We shall 
 meet with him again next year, when, in 
 September, the council declai-e his church 
 vacant. 
 
 Last year we heard of the reverend Mr. 
 William Wiseheai't, minister at Kinneil, his 
 confinement : and now I find an application 
 by the presbytery of Linlithgow, to the 
 council, November 7th, which is all I know 
 in this matter, and set it down, with the 
 council's answer. 
 
 " Anent a supplication presented by Mr. 
 James Ramsay, Mr. Patrick Schaw, and 
 Mr. John Wauch, commissioners, for them- 
 
 [^BOOK I. 
 
 selves, and in name and behalf of the rem- 
 anent brethren of the presbytery of Linlith- 
 gov/, showing, that whereas the parish of 
 Kinneil, within the bounds of the said pres- 
 bytery, has long lien destitute of the free 
 exercise of the ordinances, except what the 
 presbytery was able to provide for them, 
 which was but little, having eight kirks 
 besides that to provide with preaching: 
 and this the presbytery's burden of the 
 said parish of Kinneil doth lie upon them, 
 through the imprisonment and confinement 
 of Mr. William Wiseheart minister there, 
 now these thirteen months bypast. The 
 presbytery did consider of the condition of 
 the said kirk, and minister thereof; and 
 having conferred with himself, have pro- 
 ceeded that length, that if his imprisonment 
 and confinement were taken off, access will 
 be had for the present planting of the said 
 kirk with some other, whom the patron 
 shall be pleased to name: desu-ing therefore 
 that such course may be taken, for taking 
 off the imprisonment and confinement of 
 the said Mr. William Wiseheart, as may 
 give access to the presbytery to proceed in 
 the plantation of the said church ; as the 
 petition bears. Which being at length read, 
 heard, and considered, the lords of council 
 do take off the said Mr. William Wiseheart 
 his confinement, and declare him to be free 
 thereof, and of his band of caution given in 
 by him for that effect." 
 
 What were the particular occasions of 
 the favour shown to the two following 
 ministers, confined August, 1660, I have 
 not learned at this distance : but November 
 21st, the council gives warrant to the lord 
 chancellor, to grant liberty to Mr. John 
 Scot minister at Oxenam, to exercise the 
 function of the ministry within his own 
 parish, notwithstanding the restraint put 
 upon him. And December 10th, " the coun- 
 cil, upon good considerations, take off the 
 restraint laid upon Mr. Gilbert Hall minister 
 at Kirkliston, discharging him from preach- 
 ing ; and grant him warrant to exercise the 
 ministerial function as formerly before the 
 restraint was put on him, he behaving him- 
 self peaceably, as becometh a faithful minis- 
 ter." Both these were very worthy minis- 
 ters, and, it seems, got some interest made 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 witli the counsellors. This is all I meet 
 with before the council, as to particular 
 ministers this year. 
 
 November this year, I find a great many 
 west country gentlemen brought to a vast 
 deal of trouble, for their joining with colonel 
 Strachan, and going in with the forces to 
 Nithsdale, 1650: and a fine of 2000 pounds 
 sterling is laid on the lairds of Rowallan, 
 Cunninghamhead, Nether Pollock, Earlston, 
 Aikenhead, Halcraig, and others, who had 
 appeared firm presb3terians, and active in 
 the work of reformation. But this process 
 not coming to a close this year, I shall 
 delay it till I bring it in altogether after- 
 wards. A good many other gentlemen in 
 other parts were brought to ti-ouble this 
 year, as we may hear when I come to the 
 detail of their severer sufferings, in the 
 succeeding years: and therefore I come now 
 forward to the proceedings of the council 
 as to church government, and the regal in 
 troduction of episcopacy. 
 
 IGCI. 
 
 SECT. VII. 
 
 Of the regal erection of bishops, with some 
 new attacks made upon the judicatories of 
 the church. 
 
 As soon as this pliant session of parliament 
 rose, and the council was constitute to 
 manage all in the intervals of parliament, 
 Middleton and the courtiers haste up to 
 London, where, no doubt, they were most 
 graciously received. The subjects of Scot- 
 land were now made as obsequious as ever 
 the former set had been reckoned rebellious. 
 The bishops of England in a very particular 
 manner caressed our Scots peers, for pro- 
 curing them another national church among 
 all the reformed, to bear them company in 
 their prelatical way 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. QQQ 
 
 formation, by their proclamations. 
 Mr. Sharp carries up with him three 
 of his brethren, whom he thought good, and 
 who were as he, thirsting after " dominion 
 over their brethren." Them we have sent 
 down, consecrated, and empowered to make 
 the rest of their order. These, with such as 
 they adopted, were the great authors of all 
 the troubles which followed for many years 
 upon the presbyterians in Scotland. This 
 unscriptural office imposed by the king, and 
 set up by the council, is next year confirmed 
 in parliament ; and the consequence is the 
 laying desolate many hundreds of congi-c- 
 gations in one day, as we shall hear. 
 
 The estates of the kingdom of Scotland, 
 as soon as they convened after the revolu- 
 tion, among other things declare, " that 
 prelacy, and the superiority of any office in 
 the chui-ch above presbyters, is, and hath 
 been a great and insupportable grievance to 
 this nation, and contrary to the inclinations 
 of the generality of the people, ever since 
 the reformation, we having been reformed 
 by presbyters from j)opery." This being 
 the sense of the representatives of this 
 nation, when at their full freedom, and really 
 themselves, and under the nearest \iews, 
 and most intimate knowledge of prelacy 
 that had been rampant for twent3'-seven 
 years, I may well represent the introduction 
 of prelates by the king, without the par- 
 liament, who had indeed put a blank in his 
 hand, as a great hardship, and one of the 
 first branches of the sufferings of this church. 
 It was contrary to the most solemn estab- 
 lishments, ratified by the king himself, sealed 
 with an oath, and contrary to the inclina- 
 tions of the people. And from this plain 
 invasion upon the right of Scotsmen, pro- 
 ceeded much of the bloody persecution 
 which followed. Indeed the whole of the 
 severity, hardships, and bloodshed, from 
 
 When their report is made, and the plani this year until the revolution, was' either 
 
 laid at London, formerly concerted by Mr. 
 Sharp, and the other two who went up, for 
 modelling this church a la viode d'Ans,le- 
 terrc, Mr. Sharp comes down again, and the 
 coimcil fall to execute the orders and letters 
 sent down from London, and overturn one of 
 the best established churches since the re- 
 
 actually brought on by the bishops, procured 
 by them, or done for their support. 
 
 Prelacy was never popular in Scotland, 
 no not in the days of ancient ignorance ; 
 our reformation from popery, and reformers 
 were quite upon another bottom. Abstract- 
 ing from the argimients from antiquity and 
 
224 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 [book I. 
 
 1661. 
 
 history, the common people in 
 Scotland used to advance unan- 
 swerable arguments, and exceptions of a 
 more convincing nature to them, against epis- 
 copacy. They had observed almost all 
 the bishops of Scotland to have been 
 cither patrons or patterns of profaneness > 
 and these few among them who had 
 any reputation formerly, as soon as they 
 became prelates, changed remai-kably to 
 the worse; and, as Beza had foretold, in 
 his letter to Knox, bishops first brought in 
 epicurism, and then atheism ; religion and 
 piety first withered under their shadow, and 
 wickedness grew prodigiously. They used 
 to say, those changelings being perjured 
 themselves, like the fallen angels, they en- 
 deavom-ed to involve as many as they could 
 in their guilt. They noticed likewise visible 
 disasters and curses falling upon their 
 persons and families, yea, upon all such 
 who were active in bringing in prelates to 
 this church. They believed firmly, that as 
 the branch leads to the root, so episcopacy 
 brought in popery; and therefore bishops, by 
 Scotsmen, generally speaking, were looked 
 upon as the pope's harbingers. Upon all 
 those accounts, founded upon feeling and 
 experience, the body of the people in Scot- 
 land were very much against their re-intro- 
 duction. 
 
 Upon the other hand, some of our noble- 
 men were as heartily for them. When our 
 noblemen and Mi-. Sharp were at court, 
 and had the church government in Scotland 
 under their consideration, the commissioner 
 and chancellor were resolute for bishops, as 
 what would please the king, or at least 
 some people about him, whose favour they 
 needed. Lauderdale secretary, Crawford 
 treasurer, and duke Hamilton for some time 
 opposed them. The secretary with some 
 warmth urged, that the introduction of 
 bishops will evidently lose to the king, the 
 affections of the best of his subjects in 
 Scotland ; and bishops would be so far from 
 enlarging the king's power, that they would 
 prove a burden upon it. Both which 
 accordingly came to pass. Those debates, 
 1 am told, continued some days, and it was 
 here the foundation of discord was laid 
 
 betwixt Middleton and Lauderdale, which 
 issued in the ruin of the first. At length 
 Lauderdale yielded to the current that was 
 against him, and his master's alleged incli- 
 nations. A little thereafter, the chancellor, 
 in a conversation with Lauderdale, desired 
 him not to mistake his conduct in that 
 afFau-, for indeed he was not for lordly 
 prelates, such as had been in Scotland 
 formerly, but only for a limited, sober, 
 moderate episcopacy. The secretary, it h 
 said, rephed, " My lord, since you are for 
 bishops, and must have them, bishops you 
 shall have, and higher than ever they were in 
 Scotland, and that you will find." And in- 
 deed he felt it more than once in a few years. 
 The reasons inducing the courtiers to be 
 so much for episcopacy, after their declara- 
 tions and engagements against it, were 
 many. They found it necessary to gratiiy 
 the prevailing party at this time in England, 
 who were highfliers in this matter ; and 
 since the union of the two crowns, the pre- 
 vailing party in England had a vast influence 
 upon our managers in Scotland. It was 
 well known, that prelates in Scotland had 
 never been reprovers of great men, do what 
 they would; their only sting was against 
 presbyterians, and they had the discretion 
 to overlook courtiers' faults, and were no 
 way so strict as presbyterians. The first 
 article of their creed was nonresistance, 
 and their constant doctrine, that kings could 
 do no wrong ; ignorantly or wilfully mis- 
 taking that brocard of the law, as if the 
 meaning were, that nothing a king does is to 
 be reckoned vt rong ; whereas the true sense 
 of it is, that jure be can do no wrong, that is, 
 even the prerogative does not impower him 
 to do wrong, nor can excuse him when he 
 hath done it, and much less justify him. 
 They were the best tools that could be for 
 arbitrary government; the king was still 
 siu-e of the bishops' vote in parliament in 
 all ordinary cases : and it was well known 
 they would quickly plant the church with a 
 set of ministers, who would instil principles 
 of unbounded loyalty into their people, 
 till they were first made slaves, and then 
 beggai-s. All of them were for the king's 
 absolute illimitable power, and some for his 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 universal property, and making him master 
 of tlie people's purse, without the trouble 
 of calling parliaments. * 
 
 When I am ginng some account of the 
 springs of this dismal alteration made in the 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 church of Scotland, 
 
 225 
 
 * These observations seem to have been copied 
 almost verbatim from Kirkton, though tliey are 
 a little softened, especially when the king is 
 mentioned, Wodrow, thougli he was exceedingly 
 loyal himself, being probably ashamed of the 
 senseless servility of the presbyterians of this 
 period. " The king," says Kirkton, " even as his 
 father, was resolute for bishops, notwithstanding 
 his oath to the contrary, he knew well bishops 
 ■would never be reprovers of the court, and the 
 first article of their catechism was nonresistance. 
 They wei'e men of that discretion as to dissemble 
 great men's faults, and not so severe as the 
 presbyterians. They were the best tools for 
 tyranny in the world ; for doe a king what he 
 w^ould, their daily instruction was kings could 
 doe no wrong, and that none might put forth a 
 hand against the Lord's anointed and be inno- 
 cent. The king knew also he could be sure of 
 their vot* in parliament, desire what he would, 
 and that they would plant a set of ministers 
 which might instil principles of loyalty into the 
 people, till they turned them first slaves, then 
 beggars. They were all for the king's absolute 
 power, and most of them for the universal pro- 
 priety, and to make the people believe the king 
 was lord of all their goods, without consent of 
 parliament ; and for tiiese reasons, and such as 
 these, they were so much the darlings of our 
 kings, that king James was wont to say, ' no 
 bishop no king,' so bishops the king would have 
 at any rate. Meantime the king's character 
 stood so high in the opinion and idolatrous 
 affections of the miserable people of Scotland, 
 that a man might more safelj' have blasphemed 
 Jesus Christ, than derogate iu the least from the 
 glory of his perfections. People would never 
 believe he was to introduce bishops till they were 
 settled in their seats ; and there was a certain 
 man had his tongue bored for saying the duke of 
 York was a papist, wiiich the priests at London 
 ■would not believe upon his coronation day ; and 
 that day he went first to mass, fourteen of them 
 choos^d for their text Psalm cxviii. 22. making 
 him the corner-stone of the protestant religion. 
 As for Charles, many a time did the ministers 
 of Scotland, and even many godly men among 
 them, give the Lord hearty thanks that wee had 
 a gracious protestant king, though within a few 
 years he published it to the world that he lived 
 a secret papist all his life, and died a professed 
 one with the hostie in his mouth. Alace that 
 tlie world should be so ignorant of that which 
 concerns them so much !" — Kirkton's History 
 of the Church of Scotland, p. 132. 
 
 The illustrations which these passages afford 
 of the loyalty of the presbyterians, should go 
 far to shut the mouths of those who perpetually 
 rail against the covenanters, on account of their 
 rebellious and democratical spirit. The facts of 
 the case are precisely the reverse; the presby- 
 terians entertained the justest sentiments on the 
 subject of civil obedience; and if they are to be 
 blamed at all on this head, it is because they 
 cai-ried their attachment to monarchy and to 
 Charles, to a questitmable excess. — JEU. 
 
 16G1, 
 
 I think it 
 proper to insert here tiie senti- 
 ments of that truly great man Mr. Robejt 
 Douglas, who, for his prudence, solidity, 
 and reach, was equalled by very few in 
 his time; and he had occasion to know 
 the inmost springs of this great turn, and 
 therefore I will give the reader a pretty 
 large extract from an original paper of 
 his, entitled, " A brief Narration of the 
 coming in of Prelacy to this Ku-k," com- 
 municated to me by his worthy son ; and 
 that in his own words. I choose rather 
 to insert it here than in the appendix, 
 because it contains several particulars relat- 
 ing to the history of this tm-n, which I 
 might have insert in their own places 
 before, but thought it better to leave them 
 altogetlier to this place. 
 
 " By the mercy of God prelacy was re- 
 jected by our kirk, yea, all ranks of persons, 
 from the highest to the lowest, were solemnly 
 bound to extirpate it, and never to assume 
 it again ; all judicatories civil and ecclesi- 
 astic were bound, and every person en- 
 gaged by oath ; and this kirk was free of 
 it by the space of twenty-two years and 
 more. We were certain years indeed under 
 the t\Tanny of usurpers; yet at that time 
 we had the liberty of preaching, and meeting 
 in our kirk judicatories without interruption, 
 save in so far as interruption was made to 
 the assembly, occasioned by our ownselves, 
 upon design to have power in their hands. 
 
 " During this time of our bondage, the 
 whole nation Ij-ing under their feet, yea, a 
 great many taking the tender, renouncing 
 the king and his family, and all the rest 
 under the power of the enemy's sword, our 
 king in a banished condition, none to act 
 for him, or serve him, only not joining with 
 the usurper, yet not able to do any thing 
 for the king, but to pray, and hold up his 
 condition to God. 
 
 " It was maliciously asserted, that we left 
 off' praying for him : the truth of this is, the 
 ministers who all stood for the king and his 
 government, did never leave off praying for 
 him, till they acquainted him by letters, and 
 had advice what to do. The return of our 
 letter came, showing that it was meet to 
 forbear for a time, that we might be the 
 2 F 
 
226 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 liind had sent letters, reiniiring us to be sted- 
 
 better in case to keep up his inter- 
 est in the hearts of his people- 
 After this it was resolved among us to for- 
 bear naming him publicly in our prayers ; 
 yet, notwithstanding of that, the prayers of 
 ministers were so plain for the king's interest, 
 that the usurpers themselves confessed it 
 had been better to suffer us to name him, 
 than pray as we did, for it kept up affec- 
 tion for him in the hearts of the people. 
 Yea, we prayed longer for the king by 
 name, than any did appear to fight for 
 him; all arms were laid aside, and no 
 visMe opposition in all the three king- 
 doms ; and as long as any party appeared 
 for him in Ireland, we prayed and named 
 him king. 
 
 " When all had left the king, we never com- 
 plied with the usurper against his interests, 
 as many did, who nevertheless are counted 
 very loyal, because they can comply with all 
 times and changes. 
 
 " Thus matters continued, till God suffered 
 divisions to fall in among the chief captains 
 of the usurpation. Monk and Lambert. 
 The last brought his forces towards New- 
 castle, and Monk marched from Edinburgh 
 to meet him, but was hindered by some ar- 
 ticles offered him by those in power, which 
 made hun retire, having a purpose to sub- 
 scribe. At this time no man .appeared : 
 divers noblemen dealt with me to go and 
 speak with Monk, which I did early in the 
 morning, before his officers met to agree 
 upon the articles. By the blessing of God, 
 speaking with him succeeded, and he resolv- 
 ed to march, and not return. It is true, I 
 knew he had no great inclination to bring 
 home the king ; but I was persuaded, that if 
 they were divided, it would occasion at last 
 the king's bringing home. 
 
 " Monk went to London, and Lambert's 
 forces evanished. When he came to Lon- 
 don he discovered his averseness to bring 
 home the king ; only the people desu-ed it, 
 and a letter was writ to him from Scotland, 
 pressing him to fall in with every body's de- 
 sires, which were so earnest, that it was 
 thought a call from God. The return to 
 this letter declared his averseness from the 
 thing. 
 " At tliat time, the best affected in Ire- 
 
 fast to the king, and promising all assistance. I 
 These I shoAcd to the chief in this land, and 
 wrote another letter to Monk, requesting him 
 to undertake for the king, and if he did it not 
 that it would be done t^ his hand ; but I did 
 not write by whom. Wliatever was his 
 averseness, God overruled him and others 
 there, so that, upon some discontentment 
 general Monk met with, he inclined to be 
 for the king. 
 
 " The parliament of England meeting, 
 when Scotland might call neither parliament 
 nor meeting, being under the feet of the 
 usurpers, some king's men from Scotland did 
 write to that parliament, before they had 
 resolved to call the king, dealing earnestly 
 for king and covenant ; and a paper, entitled. 
 The Judgment of sober-minded men in 
 Scotland, was sent up, (as hath been noticed 
 in the Introduction ; and the paper is in- 
 serted there.) 
 
 " Now all being ready to call in the king, 
 all the wellwishers to the king and kirk 
 wished that he might come in upon the 
 terms of the covenant ; but the English who 
 had a hand in his coming home, would have 
 him brought in without conditions and limi- 
 tations, giving out that he would satisfy all 
 his subjects in theii" desires. 
 
 " Our Scotsmen, not being a free nation 
 at this time, did not much meddle in any 
 messages to the king. Mr. Sharp, at this 
 time at London, is pitched upon, at the 
 charges of honest men, to go to the king 
 with letters from presbyterian ministers . 
 here ; and Monk was writ to, that he might | 
 have liberty and a free passage to the 
 king. He went, delivered our letters, and 
 wrote back the king's gracious reception 
 of our letters, assuring us of a satisfactory 
 answer. 
 
 " Upon this we wrote a letter to our 
 brethren in London, that we were assured 
 of then- stedfastness, and gave them our ad- 
 vice then to care for the presbyterian inter- 
 est, when the king came to London ; which 
 was delivered by a person of quality. Sharp 
 not being returned. From time to time he 
 wrote, that we needed not doubt of the 
 king's favour to our presbyterian govern- 
 ment. 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH 
 
 " The king was brought home with joy, 
 and if his majesty had kept his cove- 
 nant engagements, he had been the hap- 
 piest king that ever reigned since the 
 days of Christ : but this was marred by 
 the liberty episcoi)aI men took, and the 
 [)arlianient's inclination to bring in bishops 
 or prelates, whicli saddened the iiearts 
 of many, and prelatical government was 
 established in England. 
 
 " Meanwhile, ve wrote exhortations to 
 our brethren in England to stedfastness ; 
 and Mr. Sharp wrote to us, that bishops 
 would be set up in England, but we needed 
 not fear episcopal government in Scotland, 
 since the king had given assurances to the 
 contrary ; and he did earnestly entreat, that 
 we would not meddle with England, for it 
 would be provoking, and it were enough to 
 have our own government settled : but we 
 did not believe, if episcopal government were 
 settled in England, we could be free of the 
 temptation of it now, more than in former 
 times. 
 
 " The king, to give us assurance, wrote a 
 letter to the presbytery of Edinburgh, which 
 was communicated to other presbyteries : 
 and the most part of presbyteries and synods 
 made a return, expressing their thankfulness 
 for his majesty's favour to the established 
 government of presbytery. It was said, that 
 Sharp alleged the letter spoke of the govern- 
 ment settled by law, which was episcopal. 
 Indeed this was objected to some of us min- 
 isters of Edinburgh ; but it was clearly 
 shown, that the king's letter could have no 
 other meaning than the present presbyterial 
 government, because it mentions good ser- 
 vices done by presbyterians, and the general 
 assembly at St. Andrews countenanced by 
 his majesty's commissioner, and aftervvard 
 by himself. And it was told them, to give 
 another meaning, was an intolerable reflec- 
 tion upon his majesty's honour and reputa^ 
 tion. 
 
 " Besides those letters from Sharp, giving 
 assurance of no change with us, when he 
 came down, he dealt with all not to meddle 
 with the government in England, seeing our 
 own was made sure. 
 
 " When the parliament met, Middleton 
 sent for me at his coming, telling me the 
 
 IGGl. 
 
 OF SCOTLAND, 227 
 
 king iiad commanded hun to do 
 so. We spoke at large about 
 the condition of our kiik ; and I told him 
 my mind freely, if the king would v-i 
 break the covenant, nor alter our govern- 
 ment, I could assure him his majesty would 
 get as much as his heart could wish, with 
 the affections and love of all the people ; 
 but many inconveniences would follow, if 
 there were a change of government; for 
 prelates never yet proved profitable to kij-k 
 or commonwealth. He assured me, and I 
 think it was true, he had no instructions for 
 the change of the government, and we were 
 still borne in hand that there would be no 
 change. 
 
 " In the meantime Sharp fearing supj)li- 
 cations, dealt earnestly there should be none; 
 but finding himself disappointed, he caused 
 the commissioner send for some of us. The 
 commissioner, chancellor, and some others 
 present, did allege, that the king's letter did 
 not bear any thing of presbyterian government 
 settled, but the government settled by law, ^ 
 which was episcopal. The answer to this 
 was what I told already, that it could have 
 no other meaning ; and most part of the 
 chiu-ch had returned answer according to 
 that meaning. Always we were still borne 
 in hand, that there was no warrant from the 
 king for this change. 
 
 " And upon this the presbytery of Edin- 
 burgh was dissolved without doing any thing. 
 Yet in the afternoon, heaiing they were 
 upon a rescissory act in the articles, the 
 presbytery were convened, and that same 
 day the supplication was read, and a{)proven 
 by all present, ministers and ruling elders, 
 for keeping the covenant and presbyterial 
 government. This was sent to the com- 
 missioner by Mr. John Smith, and Mr. 
 Robert Lawrie ministers of Edinburgh, and 
 Mr. Peter Blair minister of the West Kirk. 
 They went to the commissioner and de- 
 livered it, but he in wrath rejected it. And 
 after that, the parliament passed the act 
 rescissory of all that was in favours of the 
 covenant, or presbyterial government. So 
 here was a deed wherein a covenant kirk 
 government, solemnly settled in the land, is 
 solemnly broken; a covenant taken before 
 God, men, and angels, broken before God, 
 
228 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1661. 
 
 men and angels : this was the day 
 of the beginning of our sorrow, by 
 breaking covenant, and dissolving govern- 
 ment ; and it was known that the king's con- 
 sent was given after that act was passed. 
 
 " A little after bishops were brought in, 
 and Sharp and others sent for to receive 
 new ordination, that the presbyterian stamp 
 might be abolished, and a new prelatical 
 stamp taken on. Our kingdom lately held 
 of usurpers, now our kirk must hold of an 
 usurping kirk. Those are the men. Sharp, 
 Fairfowl, Lightoun, and Hamilton, that be- 
 trayed the liberties of the kirk of Christ in 
 Scotland. 
 
 " Sharp came to me before he went to 
 London, and I told him, the curse of God 
 would be on him for his treacherous dealing. 
 And that I may speak my heart of this 
 Sharp, I profess I did no more suspect him 
 in reference to prelacy, than I did myself." 
 "V^Tiat follows I have formerly given in the 
 Introduction, p. 24th, and then Mi". Douglas 
 goes on. 
 
 " I profess I blame not the king, for he 
 was not well acquainted with our govern- 
 ment ; and for any acquaintance he had, he 
 met with some hasty dealing : but our evil 
 proceeded from ourselves; some noblemen 
 thinking to make themselves great by that 
 way, were very instrumental in the change, 
 and being wearied of Christ's yoke, they 
 promised unto themselves liberty, they them- 
 selves becoming servants of corruption. They 
 thought they would have more liberty under 
 that loose government, than under presby- 
 tery, which put too great a restraint upon 
 th eir vices. And with them were ministers 
 who loved the world, especially that Sharp, 
 \vh o, as Peter speaks, 2 Epistle ii. 15. ' He 
 w ent astray, following the ways of Balaam 
 who loved the wages of unrighteousness.' 
 Yea, he was in a worse state than Balaam, 
 for God restrained Balaam, so that he con- 
 fessed he durst not, for a house full of gold, 
 wrong God's people : but God put no re- 
 straint on that covetous person ; but he 
 cursed whom God blesseth, and he betrayed 
 the people of God for promotion and gain. 
 That of the apostle is verified in him. 
 * The love of money is the root of all evil, 
 which some having coveted after, have fallen 
 
 [book I. 
 
 from the faith, and pierced themselves through 
 with many sorrows.' 
 
 " Yet we must not look on this man as 
 alone guilty ; he was the chief apostate and 
 prime leader to this wicked course, but 
 others are guilty, even all who followed his 
 vices, making the truth of God to be e\i\ 
 spoken of. God himself will be avenged 
 upon them, for they dealt treacherously in 
 his covenant. 
 
 " And that I may further free the king's 
 majesty of this thing, whatever his opinion 
 might be of episcopal government, and his 
 wish and ardent desii'es to have it, yet he 
 was sparing to impose it in this kingdom, as 
 is evident b}' this one thing. 
 
 " When we heard the king was dealt with 
 to set up bishops in Scotland, we did write 
 a letter to the secretary to be communicate 
 to his majesty, signed by five of our hands, 
 persuading him that they were very con- 
 siderable who were against prelacy, if he 
 would take the trial of it by a general 
 assembly ; and told him, if he made a change 
 in the government, his majesty would be 
 forced to trouble the best men, who were 
 his best fiiends in his low estate, men who 
 had all due respects towards him, and were 
 most loyal, only they could not in conscience 
 admit of the prelatical government, as being 
 against the mind of Christ, and their own 
 engagements. I know that when tliis letter 
 was read in the Scots council, his majesty 
 was at a stand : but those noblemen, with 
 Sharp, did bear in upon him, that it was the 
 desire of his nobles, and the generality of 
 the kingdom, and only a few inconsiderable 
 persons against it. 
 
 " All this being done, we must have epis- 
 copacy; and prelates are set up by the 
 ordination of bishops of another nation. 
 Thus I have brought those men to the chair 
 of worldly estate. I must in the next place 
 show you what means were used to keep 
 them in the chair." Mr. Douglas goes on 
 to naiTate the several acts of council made 
 this and the next year, and to make reflec- 
 tions upon their unaccountableness. In our 
 progress we will meet with those acts of 
 council, and I shall take notice of any thing 
 needful from his remarks, as I go through 
 them. 
 
CHAP. II.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 We have seen the parliament putting the must think the kin< 
 whole power, 
 
 229 
 
 to church affairs, into 
 the king's hands, by their IGth act, which was 
 passed March 29th. I have formerly made 
 remarks upon that act, and it is really of an 
 odd tenor, for it is only declaratory, that 
 the king resolves, and will do, as- in the acp 
 and particularly settle the government as he 
 finds most agreeable to scripture and mon- 
 archy. The parliament docs not desire or 
 empower the king to do so, but only consent 
 to his declarations, that he will do so : so 
 that I really know not what foot the intro- 
 duction oi episcopacy stands upon by this 
 act. The king declares what he is to do, 
 declares so with advice and consent of par- 
 liament; but I do not see that the parlia- 
 ment can be said either to empower him to 
 make this change, or do it themselves. In- 
 deed next session they actually put all 
 
 1661. 
 
 had no great 
 mind to know what was satisfying to 
 his subjects, when he so peremptorily dis- 
 charges all application to him ; certainly he 
 was already determined what to do, to what- 
 ever side his subjects' inclination ran. There 
 is another piece of the proclamation I cannot 
 easily knit together. The king allows synods, 
 presbyteries, and sessions to meet for the 
 present, and yet peremptorily discharges 
 them to meddle with the public government 
 of the church any way, particularly by peti- 
 tioning. Here Mr. Douglas remarks, " that 
 the like has not been heard, that subjects 
 should be debarred from showing their 
 grievances to competent judicatories, to be 
 redressed. This way the king was to be 
 kept from information, and the managers 
 were without control, and honest men 
 were borne down without remedy." It is 
 
 church power in his hand, after episcopacy plain, that the freedom of addressing and 
 is settled by the council, in pursuance of the petitioning the sovereign is never discharged, 
 king's letters to them : but still prelacy does | but when some scandalous and unhappy 
 not appear a proper parliamentary settle- ! measures are concerting to enslave them, 
 
 ment in Scotland, but a mere act of the 
 king's assumed power. But I shall leave 
 this to the gentlemen skilled in law. 
 
 The king, by this power which he is 
 pleased in parliament to declare he hath, 
 emits a proclamation concerning church 
 affairs, June 10th, even when the parliament 
 is sitting, which T. have annexed in a former 
 part of the work.* And there, after nar- 
 rating the foresaid act, is graciously pleased 
 to declare his acceptance of the parliament's 
 duty and affection, in consenting, as I take 
 it, to his own declaration of his power ; and 
 that he purposes to settle the government 
 of the church, as he sees good; and dis- 
 charges all petitions to him with relation 
 to this. 
 
 To me there appears a very remai-kable 
 inconsistency in this proclamation. It is 
 promised, the government of the church 
 shall be settled to the satisfaction of the 
 kingdom : and yet a few lines after, all 
 subjects, ministers, or others are discharged 
 to meddle with the government of the 
 church, or address him thereanent. One 
 
 See page 151. 
 
 in which no interruption is desired. 
 
 The allowance in the proclamation for 
 synods, &c., to meet and act, was a mere 
 jest. It was well enough known synods 
 did not now meet, and before their ordinary 
 time of meeting in October, care was taken 
 about them. By this proclamation the 
 church government is brought entirely to 
 depend upon the royal supremacy, by virtue 
 of which the king is pleased to allow judi- 
 catories to meet. However, ministers did 
 not reckon themselves bound to regai-d this 
 procedure, but went on in their ordinary 
 work; this being a plain force put upon 
 them, which, as they did not approve, so 
 they could not help. 
 
 Thus matters stood till the parliament 
 was up. We have heard of the debates at 
 London, about a new settlement in this 
 church. I am told they were not like to 
 have ended peaceably, had not the king, 
 pushed forward by Mr. Sharp and his sup- 
 porters in England, interposed, and signified, 
 he would not reckon them his friends who 
 were not for establishing prelacy in Scot- 
 land. After this there was no more reason- 
 ing ; the king's friends, they all resolved to 
 be at all hiizards. 
 
230 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [l50()K I. 
 
 1 Rfi Upon the last of August, the c;irls 
 
 of Glencairn and Rothes, with Mr. 
 Sharp, returned from court, and the next 
 council day, September 3th, after the earl of 
 Dumfries and Sir Robert Murray had been 
 admitted counsellors, the lord chancellor pre- 
 sented a letter from his majesty, for estab- 
 lishing of the church government in Scot- 
 land; which was read, the tenor whereof 
 follows. 
 
 " Charles R. 
 " Right trusty and well beloved cousins 
 and counsellors, we greet you well. Whereas 
 in the month of August, 16G0, we did, by 
 our letter to the presbytery of Edinburgh, 
 declare our purpose to maintain the govern- 
 ment of the church of Scotland settled by 
 law ; and our parliament having since that 
 time, not only rescinded all the acts since 
 the troubles began, referring to that govern- 
 ment, but also declared all those pretended 
 parliaments null and void, and left to us 
 the settling and seeming of church govern- 
 ment: therefore, in compliance with that 
 act rescissory, according to our late procla- 
 mation dated at Whitehall the 10th of 
 June, and in contemplation of the incon- 
 veniences from the church government as 
 it hath been exercised these 23 years past, 
 of the unsuitableness thereof to our mon- 
 archical estate, of the sadly experienced 
 confusions which have been caused during 
 the late troubles by the violences done to 
 our royal prerogative, and to the govern- 
 ment civil and ecclesiastical, settled by un- 
 questionable authority, we, from our respect 
 to the glory of God, and the good and 
 interest of the protestant religion, from our 
 pious care and princely zeal for the order, 
 unity, peace, and stability of that church, 
 and its better harmony with the govern- 
 ment of the chm'ches of England and Ire- 
 land, have, after mature deliberation, de- 
 clared to those of our council here, our firm 
 resolution to interpose oiu- royal authority for 
 restoring of that church to its right govern- 
 ment by bishops, as it was by law before 
 \ the late troubles, during the reigns of our 
 ■ royal father and grandfather of blessed 
 ' memory, and as it now stands settled by 
 law. Of this our royal pleasure concern- 
 
 ing church government you are to take 
 notice, and to make intimation thereof hi 
 such a way and manner as you shall judge 
 most expedient and effectual. And we 
 requue you, and every one of you, and do 
 expect, according to the trust and confi- 
 dence we have in your affections and duty 
 to our service, that you will be careful to 
 use your best endeavours for curing the 
 distempers contracted during those late evil 
 times, for uniting our good subjects among 
 themselves, and bringing them all to a 
 cheerful acquiescing and obedience to our 
 sovereign authority, which we will employ 
 by the help of God for the maintaining and 
 defending the true reformed religion, in- 
 crease of piety, and the settlement and 
 security of that church in her rights and 
 liberties, according to law and ancient cus- 
 tom. And in order thereunto, om- will is, 
 that you forthwith take such course with 
 the rents belonging to the several bishoprics 
 and deaneries, that they may be restored 
 and made useful to the church, and that 
 according to justice and the standing law. 
 And moreover you are to inhibit the assem- 
 bling of ministers in their several synodical 
 meetings through the kingdom, until our 
 further pleasui'e, and to keep a watchful eye 
 over all who, upon any pretext whatsoever, 
 shall, by discoursing, preacliing, reviling, or 
 any irregular or unlawful way, endeavour 
 to alienate the affections of our people, or 
 dispose them to an ill opinion of us and 
 our government, to the distmbance of the 
 peace of the kingdom. So expecting your 
 cheerful obedience, and a speedy account 
 of your proceedings herein, we bid you 
 heartily farewell. Given at our court at 
 Whitehall, August 14th, 1661, and of our 
 reign the 13th year. By his majesty's 
 command. 
 
 " Laudeedale." 
 
 To this diet of the council, all the coun- 
 sellors had been called by letters from the 
 clerk : and they were pretty well convened. 
 After reading the king's letter, the clerk is, 
 ordered to draw up an.act^in obedience! 
 thereunto, to be proclaimed and made known, 
 to all his majesty's lieges, that none pretend 
 ignorance. Accordingly the clerk presents 
 
CHAP. II. J OF 
 
 the draught next day, September 6th, and 
 the council approve it, and order it to be 
 printed and published ; and it was proclaim- 
 ed over the Cross with great solemnity, by 
 the lyon king at arms, with all the trum- 
 pets, and the magistrates of Edinburgh in 
 their robes. The proclamation I have in- 
 sert below.* It is very near a resuming of 
 the letter just now insert, with some little 
 alterations in form, and the addition of the 
 penalty of present imprisonment, in case of 
 failzie. And in making remarks upon the 
 proclamation I will have occasion to set all 
 the parts of the letter in their due light. 
 This letter, act, and proclamation, being 
 
 IGfil. 
 
 THE CIIUIICH OF SCOTLAND. 231 
 
 the foundation of the setting up of 
 episcopacy in Scotland at this time, 
 and presbytery having only lived about 
 two months under the shadow of the royal 
 supremacy ; and what is contained in the 
 king's letter and this act being so singular, and 
 of such importance, the reader will bear with 
 me in making some observes upon them, and 
 this great turn in church affairs. It will hav ( 
 been already observed, that the parliamen i 
 for as far as they went, yet would not venture 
 upon the du'ect introduction of prelates ; 
 this might have had inconveniencies. And 
 till once matters were prepared by the in- 
 terposition of the king's credit and authority , 
 
 • Act of council at Edinburgh, the 6th day 
 of ScptcmluT, Kitjl. 
 
 The lords of his majesty's privy council, 
 having considered his majesty's letter, of the 
 date, at Whitehall the fourteenth day of August 
 last, bearing, that whereas his majesty by his 
 letter to the presbytery of Edinburgh, in the 
 month of August, one thousand six hundred 
 and sixty years, declaimed his royal piu-pose, to 
 maintain the government of the church of Scot- 
 land settled by law. And the estates of parlia- 
 ment of this kingdom, having since that time, 
 not only rescinded all the acts since the troubles 
 began, relating to that government, but also 
 declared all those parliaments null and void, 
 leaving to his majesty the settling of church 
 government : therefore, in compliance with that 
 act rescissory, and in pursuance of his majesty's 
 proclamation of the tenth of June last, and in 
 contemplation of the inconveniencies that accom- 
 panied and issued from the chiu'ch government, 
 as it hath been exercised these twenty-three 
 years past, and of the unsuitableness thereof to 
 his majesty's monarchical estate, and of the sadly 
 experienced confusions, which during these 
 late troubles, have been caused by the violences 
 done to his majesty's royal prerogative, and to 
 the government civil and ecclesiastical, established 
 by unquestionable authority : his majesty, having 
 respect to the glory of God, and the good and 
 interestof the protestant religion, and being zeal- 
 ous, of the order, unity, peace, and stability of the 
 church within this kingdom, and of its better 
 harmony with the government of the churches 
 of Englaiul and Ireland, hath been pleased, after 
 mature deliberation, to declare unto his council, 
 his firm resolution to interpose his royal authority, 
 for restoring of this church to its right govern- 
 ment by bishops, as it %vas by law before the 
 late troubles, during the reigns of his majesty's 
 royal father and grandfather of blessed memory, 
 and as it now stands settled by law, and that 
 the rents belonging to the several bishoprics 
 aiul deaneries, be restored and made useful to the 
 church, according to justice and the standing 
 law; have therefore, in obedience of, and con- 
 form to his majesty's royal pleasiwe aforesaid, 
 ordained, and by these presents ordain the lyon 
 king at arms, and his brethren, heralds, pursui- 
 vants, and messengers of arms, to pass to the 
 market-cross of Jiidin burgh and other royal 
 
 boroughs of the kingdom, and there by open 
 proclamation, to make publication of this liis 
 majesty's royal pleasure, for restoring the church 
 of this kingdom to its right government by 
 bishops ; and in his majesty's name, to require 
 all his good subjects, to compose themselves to a 
 cheerful acquiescence and obedience to the same, 
 and to his majesty's sovereign authority now 
 exercised within this kingdom. And that none 
 of them presume, upon any pretence whatsoni- 
 ever, by discoursing, preaching, reviling, or any 
 irregular and unlawful way, the endeavouring 
 to alienate the affections of his majesty's good 
 subjects, or dispose them to an evil opinion of 
 his majesty or his government, or to the disturb- 
 ance of the peace of the kingdom, and to inhibit 
 and discharge the assembling of ministers in 
 their several synodical meetings, until his ma- 
 jesty's further pleasure therein be known : com- 
 manding hereby, all sheriffs, bailies of bailiaries, 
 stewards of stewartries and their deputes, all 
 justices of peace, and magistrates and council 
 of boroughs, and all other public ministers, to be 
 careful within their several bounds and jurisdic- 
 tions to see this act punctually obeyed : and if 
 they shall find any person or persons, upim any 
 pretexts whatsomever, by discoursing, preach- 
 ing, reviling, or otherwise, as aforesaid, f-.iling 
 in their due obedience hereunto, or doing any 
 thing in the contrary thereof, that they forthwith 
 commit them to prison, till his majestj-'s privy 
 council, after information of the offence, give 
 further order therein. And hereof, the sheriffs, 
 and others aforementioned, are to have a special 
 care, as they will answer upon their duty and 
 allegiance to his majesty. And fm'ther, the 
 lords of his majesty's privy council do hereby 
 inhibit and discharge all persons liable in pay- 
 ment of any of the retits formerly belonging to 
 the bishoprics and deaneries, from paying of the 
 rents of this present year, one thousand six hun- 
 dred and sixty-one years, or in time coming, or 
 any part thereof, to any person whatsomever, 
 until they receive new order thereanent from liij 
 majesty or his council : and ordain these pre- 
 sents to be printed and published, as said is, tha: 
 none may pretend ignorance of the same. 
 Extract, per mc. 
 Pet. WEonEKBUBN, CI. Sec. Concili. 
 
 God save the king. 
 
232 
 
 jgp. 1 question if it would have carried 
 in the house. 
 
 Now we have a plain gloss upon the 
 letter to the presbytery of Edinbiu-gh, 
 which indeed the text cannot bear from 
 which it appears that many ministers and 
 others were shamefully bubbled by that trick 
 of Mr. Sharp. However it deserves our 
 notice, that in the resumption of that letter 
 at this time, the little mighty word an, upon 
 which so much weight was laid, is left out, 
 that there might be the fairer room to bring 
 in bishops upon that very ground, which so 
 many took to be an assm-ance given against 
 them. 
 
 We have next a clear ^dew here of the real 
 design of the act rescissory, passed by the par- 
 liament, as we have seen, to unhinge presby- 
 tery, and take away the hedge from about it, 
 and leave it to Mr. Sharp and his associates, 
 their will. And by Mr. Sharp's spite against 
 presbyterian government of Christ's institu- 
 tion, and his ambition, Scotsmen must be 
 deprived of many excellent laws about civil 
 things, as well as rehgious, made from the 
 (year) 1640 to the (year) 1651. Indeed 
 religion and civil liberty stand and fall 
 together. 
 
 It appears further from this letter and pro- 
 clamation, that the settlement of episcopacy 
 in Scotland is the child of the regal supre- 
 macj', one of the fii'st-fruits of absolute and 
 arbitrary power, and the mere effect of royal 
 pleasure. The king is so tender of this, that 
 he neither advises with his council in this 
 matter, nor seeks their consent, but requires 
 their publishing of his pleasure in this point ; 
 and the council themselves put it upon this 
 foot, and lay the burden off themselves upon 
 the king's letter. Episcopacy was still thus 
 brought in upon us in this chmxh, and cram- 
 med down our throat in Scotland, not from 
 convincing reasons, or pretext of divine 
 right, but merely as the sovereign's will ; 
 yea, it never had the shadow of parliament- 
 ary authority, till the king's honour was 
 once pledged and engaged ; which, we may 
 easily believe, went very far afterwards in 
 parliament, with such who had no principle, 
 and as little concern about church govern- 
 ment : and our episcopalians have the less 
 ground to object against the throwing out cf 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [cOOK I. 
 
 prelacy at the revolution, by a king and par- 
 
 liament jointly acting, and in the fullest free- 
 dom. 
 
 A heap indeed of alleged grounds for 
 bringing in of bishops are cast into the let- 
 ter and act, which might be at much length 
 exposed, were not this a little foreign and 
 wearisome in a history. The inconvenien- 
 cies accompanying and issuing from the ex- 
 ercise of church government these twenty- 
 three years past, are put in the front. In- 
 conveniencies, I own, is a softer term than 
 I expected at this time ; those may, and do 
 accompany the best constitutions, the exer- 
 cise of just power, and the execution of the 
 most excellent laws ; what they were I shall 
 not affirm : but this I am sure of, much real 
 piety, conversion of multitudes, a signal 
 bearing down of profaneness, and a great re- 
 formation of manners accompanied presby- 
 tery in the interval spoken of, to the obser- 
 vation of all the reformed churches. Per- 
 haps some people now might reckon these 
 inconveniencies,at least theii- practice seemed 
 to speak out this. 
 
 Presbytery, though never named, is next 
 supposed contrary to monarchy : the reasons 
 of this cry have in part been already noticed. 
 King James VI., whose apophthegm seems 
 here pointed at, was of another opinion, till 
 he had the gaining and gratifying the Eng- 
 lish prelates in his eye; and if the two 
 crowns had not been to be united, I cannot 
 help thinking he would have continued m 
 his first and justest sentiments : yea, king 
 Charles I. did not stifle the conviction he 
 had, " that the covenanters were his best 
 friends," when he wrote his sentiments to 
 his queen, without any bias, and for the 
 benefit of his children : and since the revo- 
 lution, as the presbyterians, by their un- 
 shaken loyalty, have demonstrate the false- 
 ness of this calumny, so the repeated ac- 
 knowledgments of the consistency of their 
 carriage to their principles, and of their real 
 regard to our limited monarchy, now during 
 four reigns, from our sovereigns themselves, 
 almost every j^ear to our assemblies, do 
 abundantly prove the same. 
 
 The confusions of the late times, and 
 other things in the letter, can never be 
 charged upon presbyterian ministers, without 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 tlie greatest impudence, since they were the 
 <>nly bod}- in the three kingdoms, who stood 
 out against the usurper j and tlicir loyalty 
 since the reformation, and in the period 
 here spoken of, hath been lately made 
 evident in more books than one, and fully 
 vouched. 
 
 I do not enter upon the motives made up 
 by somebody for the king, and in the letter 
 alleged to swaj- him in this change. How 
 far there was regard to the glory of God, in 
 acting contrary to the solemn oath, wherein 
 God's name was called in, when presbytery 
 was overturned, the world must judge. In 
 the next clause, the religion of England and 
 Ireland ought to have been put instead of 
 the reformed religion, and then the sentence 
 woidd have run agreeably to truth ; since 
 no other reformed church save these two, 
 ever thought their good or interest consisted 
 in having bishops. Whether unity, order, 
 or peace followed upon this prelatical estab- 
 lishment, the reader will be in case to form 
 some judgment, after he has perused this 
 history : indeed confusion, division, and 
 cruelty were still the produce of prelacy in 
 Scotland. The true and real reason, though 
 but a partial one, of this change, comes last, 
 that there may be a harmony betwixt the 
 government of England, Ireland, and Scot- 
 land. The altar at Damascus was a model 
 of old, and now the English constitution in 
 church must be Scotland's model. Our civil 
 affairs were very much henceforth to be 
 under English influence, and as a step to this, 
 and to gratify the highflying party in Eng- 
 land, and bishops there, our excellent church 
 government, legally and solemnly settled, 
 nmst be overturned. The days have been 
 when this would not have gone so well down 
 in Scotland, as it did at this juncture. 
 
 These are the reasons, such as they are, 
 given in the letter, for this vast alteration in 
 the church of Scotland. It is good in so 
 far, that neither a jus divinum, first the Tri- 
 dentine, and then the Laudean scheme of 
 episcopacy, neither scripture, nor uninter- 
 rupted lineal succession from the apostles, 
 nor boasted antiquity, are so much as pre- 
 tended. Oiu- noblemen, through whose 
 hands this letter was to come, were of better 
 sense than to insist on those ; and if they 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 233 
 
 were in Mr. Shai-p's first draught, ,„„, 
 they found it proper to drop them. 
 
 Perhaps I have been too long in my remarks 
 on this letter, and therefore I only further take 
 notice, that episcopacy, as in the reign of the 
 king's father and grandfather, is set up ; and 
 so Perth articles are brought in, and the en- 
 croachments upon religion and liberty begun 
 again, which were the true inlets to what is 
 so nfuch talked of now, the troubles of the 
 late times. The solemn charge given unto 
 all subjects, to compose themselves to a 
 cheerful acquiescence and obedience to the 
 king's will, in this imposition, says, that it 
 was scarce expected this change of govern- 
 ment would be acceptable, yea, that it was 
 against the inclinations of the most part 
 The positive requisition of obedience to the 
 king's sovereign authority, in this very thing 
 exercised now in Scotland, lets us see again, 
 that bishops came in here fi'om the sole exer- 
 cise of the prerogative, and all who subjected 
 to them homologated the supremacy. To 
 support this establishment persecution is 
 begun, and iniquity established by a law. 
 Imprisonment is ordered for all who speak 
 according to their conscience, known princi- 
 ples, and solemn engagements, or preach 
 against episcopacy, or any thing now enacted. 
 Men must either be silent and dumb ; or, if 
 they have any principles and conscience, lie 
 and dissemble. The contraveners are to be 
 punished by the privy council ; and we shall 
 find tliis court very much under the manage- 
 ment of the bishops, and most arbitrary. 
 And all in civil offices are requii-ed to begin 
 this persecution upon their allegiance to his 
 majesty. This was the first remarkable act 
 of our new constitute council, and the pre- 
 face to many severe processes and oppres- 
 sions, as we may hear. 
 
 That same day, September 6th, the coun- 
 cil order a just double of the above act and 
 proclamation to be forthwith transmitted to 
 his majesty, with the following letter. 
 
 " Most Sacred Sovereign, 
 " We no sooner penised your majesty's 
 letter, of the date the 14th of August last, 
 but in the acknowledgment of your majes- 
 ty's piety and care for the preservation oi 
 the protestant religion, the establishment of 
 2 G 
 
23'i 
 
 lOGl 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [boOK I. 
 
 not but you will obey this command, signified 
 to you from 
 
 " Your affectionate friend, 
 
 " Glencairn, Chancellor." 
 
 tlie right government of the church, 
 and peace and happiness of all your 
 subjects, we did innneihately issue a procla- 
 mation, to be printed and published, fully 
 relating to all your royal commands ; whereof 
 we have sent a copy herewith enclosed We 
 hope all your majesty's good subjects will 
 acquiesce and give due obedience to them, 
 and thereby testify their faithfulness and 
 affection to your majesty's government* and 
 authority. We shall endeavour to have a 
 watchful eye over all persons, and be ready 
 to prosecute your majesty's commands, in 
 order to what is enjoined, as becomes, 
 " Most sacred Sovereign, 
 " Your Majesty's most humble, dutiful, 
 and obedient subjects and servants, 
 " Tweeddale, Sinclair, Dundee, Duffus, 
 President of the Session, Register, Advo- 
 cate, Ley, Blackball, Niddrey, Alexander 
 Bruce, Sir George Kinnaird, Sir Robert 
 Murray, Glencairn chancellor, Rothes, 
 Montrose, Morton, Hume, Eglintou, 
 Murray, Linlithgow, Roxburgh, Had- 
 dington, Southesk, Weemj'ss, Callender." 
 
 The king, as we have seen above in 
 lus letter about the earl of Tweeddale, ap- 
 proves of, and returns his thanks for this 
 pr oclam.ation, September 23d. Thus episco- 
 pacy is brought in again to Scotland, and 
 every thing now must be done for supporting 
 the prelates, and taking away any power 
 presbyteries yet essayed to exercise. Ac- 
 cordingly, December 10, the council desire 
 the chancellor to send the following letter to 
 the presbytery of Peebles, upon information 
 they were about to ordain a minister. 
 
 " R. R. 
 
 " The lords of his majesty's privy council, 
 being informed, that you are about to proceed 
 to the admission of Mr. John Ha}', student 
 of divinity, to the kirk of Manner, which is 
 within the diocese of the archbishop of 
 Gla sgow, and so cannot be admitted by you, 
 siice the archbishop is restored to all the 
 rights and privileges belonging to any of his 
 predecessors since the reformation, have 
 th erefore desired me to intimate to you, in 
 their name, that you do not proceed to the 
 admission of the said Mr. John, but continue 
 the same until the return of the archbishop. 
 
 At their next sederunt, they go on to 
 make a general act to reach all presbyteries 
 and patroi^Sj that no ministers be ordained 
 unless their presentation be directed to the 
 bishop. This act I have not seen in print 
 and therefore insert it here. 
 
 " Apud Edinburgh, Dec. 12th, 1661. 
 " Forasmuch as by an act of privy council, 
 dated September 6th, last, his majesty's 
 royal pleasure, to restore the church of this 
 kingdom to its government by bishops, as it 
 was by law before the late troubles, during 
 the reigns of his majesty's royal father and 
 grandfather of blessed memory, and as it 
 now stands settled by law, was made known 
 to all the subjects of this kingdom, by open 
 proclamation at the market-cross of all royal 
 burghs: and that it is statute by the act i. 
 pai'l. 21. James VI. that all presentations 
 to benefices should be directed thei'eafter to 
 the archbishop or bishop of the diocese, 
 within the bounds whereof any vacant church 
 lieth ; so that since their restitution to 
 their former dignities, and privileges, and 
 powers settled upon them by law and acts 
 of parliament, no minister within this king- 
 dom should be admitted to any benefice, but 
 upon presentations directed as said is. And 
 yet notwithstanding hereof, it is informed, 
 that, upon presentations dii-ected to presby- 
 teries, they do proceed to admit ministers 
 to kii-ks and benefices, albeit the bishops be 
 restored to theii- dignities, some of them 
 already consecrated, and all of them in a 
 very short time will be invested in their 
 rights and benefices, and empowered to 
 receive presentations, and grant admissions 
 thereupon. Therefore the council prohi- 
 bits, and by these presents discharges all 
 patrons to dii'ect any presentations to any 
 presbytery : and also discharges all and 
 sundry presbyteries within this kingdom to 
 proceed to the admission of any minister to 
 any benefice or kirk within theii- respective 
 bounds, upon any such presentations, as they 
 
 v/hich will be in a very short time. I doubt j will be answerable. With certification, if 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 235 
 
 they do otherwise, the said presentation and 
 admission shall be void and null, as if they 
 never had been granted. And ordains these 
 presents to be printed, and published at the 
 market-crosses of the head burg-hs of the 
 several shires within this kingdom, that none 
 pretend ignorance." 
 
 That same day the council make the 
 following act concerning the presbytery of 
 Peebles, who, it seems, either had not re- 
 ceived the chancellor's letter to them, of 
 the 10th, or could not stop the ordination, 
 having all necessary to the gospel settle- 
 ment of a minister. 
 
 " Apud Edinburgh, Dec. Ir2th, 1G61. 
 
 " Forasmuch as the presbytery of Peebles 
 have proceeded to the admission of one 
 Mr John Hay to the kirk of Manner, not- 
 withstanding of the letter and command to 
 the contrary from the lords of council, of 
 the loth instant; the council do therefore 
 ordain letters to be directed against the 
 haill members of the said presbj'tery, who 
 were present at the said admission, viz. 
 Messrs Richard Brown minister at Drum- 
 elzier, liobert Brown of Lyne, Robert Eliot 
 at Linton, Hew Craig at Railey, David 
 Thomson at Dask, Patrick Purdie at New- 
 lands, and Patrick Fleming at Stobo, to 
 compear and answer to the premises, under 
 pain of rebellion." 
 
 1 have nothing further of this matter, 
 but what is now insert from the registers, 
 where I do not find any more concerning 
 this presbytery : but next year we shall find 
 some other presbyteries writ to by the 
 council ; and in a little time all presbyteries 
 w^ere suppressed, save such as came and 
 subjected to the bishops. This procedure 
 against presbyteries M'as a stretch beyond 
 the king's letter in August, and the council's 
 own act, September Gth, which only dis- 
 charged synods. They might have as well 
 prohibited presbyteries to cognosce upon 
 scandal, and have abrogate all discipline, to 
 which indeed many were obnoxious, as 
 limit them in point of ordination, which is 
 one great part of their ministerial function, 
 yet reserved to them by the king's last 
 
 lG<i 
 
 letter; and in this the council, m itii- 
 out any warrant from the king or 
 parliament, turn lawmakers, and go beyoml 
 their power, which was only to execute 
 the laws made ; but of this we shall have 
 more flaming instances afterwards. Perhaps 
 they thought nothing beyond their sphere, 
 which might be a service to the prelates, 
 and they would rather suffer many congre- 
 gations to lie vacant, than hazard the ad- 
 mission of one who might happen to be 
 averse from episcopacy. Thus I have gone 
 through Avhat I find done by the council 
 this year, for the erection of episcopacy, by 
 the king's orders, and their abridging church 
 judicatories in their liberties ; I shall now 
 shut up this section, with some account of 
 the bishops themselves now set up, their 
 character and reordination in England. 
 
 When law, such as it Avas, had made way 
 for the prelates, solicitations begin apace 
 for bishoprics. No great disliker of prelacy 
 observes, " In September and October this 
 year, many of the ministry were seeking 
 after the episcopal dignity, while in the 
 mean time a great many others spoke and 
 taught against it as unlawful." Such apos- 
 tate, ambitious, and aspiring ministers as 
 had most friends in court, carried them. 
 Mr James Sharp had secured the primacy 
 and archbishopric of St Andrews to him- 
 self : though he w anted not the impudence 
 and dissimulation to make ofl'ers of it to 
 some eminent presbytcrian ministers, one 
 of which told him, he doubted not but he 
 designed that for himself, and he would 
 receive tlie curse of God with it. 
 
 Our bishoprics in Scotland are far from 
 the fatness and opulency of those in Eng- 
 land. An account before me bears, that 
 in bulk they came but to .£4000 or .£5000 
 sterling a year, in ordinary years, much of 
 their rent being in victual. I suppose I 
 will not be much out, when I say the 
 bishopric of Winchester is better than all 
 our Scots bishoprics put together. Some 
 of them are very mean ; the revenue of 
 that of Argyle is but about £130 a 
 year. That of Dumblane is al)out .£l-xiO. 
 But a weak temptation goes far, where 
 there is a strong corruption. Siu-ely it was 
 
^36 
 
 IGGI. 
 
 violent avarice and ambition, which 
 could persuade them to accept an 
 office so odious, and of so inconsiderable 
 incomes. 
 
 For the honour of the first and great 
 authors of all the ensuing sufferings of pres- 
 byterians, I thought it not improper to give 
 here a short hint of the persons the king 
 was pleased to pitch upon for the first set 
 of our bishops ; and as they were persons 
 abundantly obsequious to the designs now 
 on foot, so it will easily appear that none 
 of them were any great ornaments to their 
 office, which was so much hated in Scot- 
 land, neither any great credit to theii* 
 brethren in England. 
 
 Mr. James Sharp was metropolitan, and 
 placed as primate at St. Andrews. I shall 
 not offer any large character of him j some- 
 what has been narrated, and more is yet 
 before us. His life, until his arriving at the 
 top of his ambition, I have read, written by 
 one of the after-sufferers, a worthy gentle- 
 man ; and should I give an abstract of it, 
 the portrait would be very black and sur- 
 prising. His dream, when at the university ; 
 his taking the tender ; his proposal to Oliver 
 Cromwell, which made the usurper to assert 
 him very publicly to be an atheist ; his be- 
 traying presbyterian ministers when at court, 
 and afterwards pursuing them for his charges; 
 his baseness with Isobel Lindsay, as she 
 declaimed in his face openly enough, and 
 share in the murder of the poor infant ; his 
 perjury in Mr. James Mitchel's case ; his 
 cruel life and strange death, would make 
 up a very black history ; and as they were 
 commonly talked of, so I find they were 
 generally believed by those who lived with, 
 and had access to know him. But this is 
 not a place to insist on them. His great 
 talents were caution, cunning, and dissimula- 
 tion, with unweai-ied diligence ; these very 
 much qualified him for his terrible under- 
 takings. He got himself into the arch- 
 bishopric of St. Andrews, as a reward for 
 betraying this church. Indeed when he 
 first came down, August 1660, as we have 
 heard, with the double faced letter to the 
 presbytery of Edinburgh, and gave a narra- 
 tive of his pains at London, the cheat was 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS QbOOK I. 
 
 not perceived, and the suspicions the pro- 
 
 testing ministers had about him, were not 
 regarded : but very soon he opened out, 
 and at length appeared in his true colours ; 
 and none were more grieved at his base 
 dealing than the reverend Mr. Douglas, and 
 the ministers of Edinburgh, who had for- 
 merly so much confided in him; and we 
 have seen Mi-. Douglas's thoughts of him. 
 However, he got his ambition satisfied, and 
 his patent and gift under the great seal in 
 November this year, of which some notice 
 may be taken afterwards. 
 
 Mr. Andrew Fairfoul got the arch- 
 bishopric of Glasgow; a man of some 
 learning and neat expression, but never 
 taken to be either serious or sincere. He 
 had been minister first at Lcith, and at this 
 time was at Dunse, and in that country 
 there was no small talking of his intrigues 
 with a lady, who shall be nameless ; but 
 death cut him off in little more than a 
 year after his promotion, as will be noticed 
 afterwards. 
 
 Ml-. George Wiseheart is placed at the 
 see of Edinburgh. He had been laid under 
 church censure by the old covenanters, 
 about the time of the encampment at Dunse- 
 law, in the year 1639, and this probably 
 recommended him now. This man could 
 not refrain from profane swearing, even 
 upon the street of Edinburgh ; and he was 
 a known drunkard. He published some- 
 what in divinity; but then, as I find it 
 remarked by a very good hand, his lascivious 
 poems, which, compared with the most 
 luscious parts of Ovid, de Arte Amandi, are j 
 modest, gave scandal to all the world. | 
 
 IVIr. Thomas Sideserf is fixed at Orkney. 
 He had been bishop of Galloway, and de- 
 posed in the year 1638, for the common 
 faults of the prelates at that time, and in 
 particular for erroneous doctrine ; and now , 
 he is translated to a better benefice. 
 
 Mr. David Mitchel, once minister of 
 Edinburgh, but deposed by the general 
 assembly for heresy, and thereupon going 
 to England, was made one of the preben- 
 daries of Westminster, is named for Aber- 
 deen, but enjoyed it not a full year. 
 
 Mr. James Hamilton, brother to the lord 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 Belhaven, minister at Cambusnethan, is 
 placed at Galloway. His gifts were reck- 
 oned every way ordinary ; but he was 
 remarkable for his cunning timeserving 
 temper. 
 
 Mr. Robert Wallace, minister at Barn- 
 well in the sliire of Ayr, famous for his 
 large stomach, got the bishopric of the 
 Isles, though he understood not one word 
 of the language of the natives. He was a 
 relation of the chancellor's, and that was 
 enough. 
 
 Mr. David Fletcher, minister at Melross, 
 a remarkable worldling, was named for the 
 bishopric of Argyle : I doubt if he under- 
 stood the Insh language either. Melross 
 was a good stipend, and he continued a 
 while preaching there, and because of his 
 preaching there, he boasted of his diligence 
 beyond the rest of his brethren, who, it 
 must be owned, for the most part preached 
 little or none; meanwhile I do not hear 
 any of them, save he, took two stipends. 
 
 Mr. George Haliburton, minister at Perth, 
 had the see of Dunkeld. His character at 
 that time was, a man who had made many 
 changes, and was sincere in none of them. 
 
 Mr. Patrick Forbes, the degenerate plant 
 of the excellent Mr. John Forbes, who 
 kept the assembly at Aberdeen, 1603, was 
 fixed at Caithness. 
 
 Mr. David Strachan, minister at Fetter- 
 cairn, the commissioner's minister, got the 
 small bishopric of Brechin. 
 
 Ml'. John Paterson, minister at Aberdeen, 
 got the bishopric of Ross, his son made a 
 greater figure than he did. 
 
 Mr. Murdoch INIackenzic, minister at 
 Elgin, was placed at Murray. While a 
 minister, he was famous for searching people's 
 kitchens on Christmas day for the supersti- 
 tious goose, telling them, that the feathers 
 of them would rise up in judgment against 
 them one day ; and when a bishop, as 
 famous for affecting always to fall a preach- 
 ing upon the deceitfulness of riches, while 
 lie was drawing the money over the board 
 to him. 
 
 Mr. Robert Leighton, once minister of 
 Newbottle, and at this time principal of the 
 college of Edinburgh, son to Mr, Leighton 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 in England, * the author of " Zion's 
 Plea against Prelacy," who was so 
 severely handled by the prelates 
 
 237 
 
 16G1. 
 
 there. 
 
 ■ * Alexander Leighton, father to the bishop, 
 had an information exhibited against him in the 
 starcliamber, in the year 1630, for writing a 
 book, entitled, " An Appeal to the Parliament, 
 or a Plea against Prelacy," wherein he was 
 charged with having set forth, " 1st, I'hat we 
 read not of greater i)ersecution of God's people in 
 any Christian nation than in this island, especi- 
 ally since the deatli of queen Elizabeth. 2d, 
 Thai the prelates were men of blood, and 
 enemies to God and the state, and that the 
 establishing bishops by law is a master sin, and 
 ministers should have no voices in council, 
 deliberative or decisive. 3d, That prelacy is 
 antichristian and Satanical ; the bishops, ravens 
 and :nagpies. 4th, That the canons of 1603 
 are nonsense. 6th, He condemns that spawn of 
 the beast, kneeling at the sacraments. 6th, 
 That prelates corrupted the king, and the queen 
 ^vas a daughter of Heth. 7th, He commends 
 him that murdered the duke of Huckingbam, 
 and encourages others in the like attempts. 
 8th, He saith all that pass by spoil us, and we 
 spoil all that rely upon us, and instances in the 
 black pining death of the Rochellers to the 
 number of lifteen thousand in four months. 
 9th, Saith, that tlie church has her laws I'roin 
 the scriptures, and no king may make laws in 
 the house of God, for if they might, the scrip- 
 ture \vould be imperfect. 10th, He saith it is 
 pity, and will be an indelible dishonour to the 
 state's reputation, that so ingenuous and tractable 
 a king should be so monstrously abused to the 
 undoing of himself and his subjects." 
 
 The defendant did not deny the book, but 
 refused to acknowledge any evil intention, his 
 end being only to " remonstrate certain griev- 
 ances in church and state, that the parliament 
 might take them into consideration and redress 
 them." He was, however, sentenced to be 
 committed to the Fleet, during life; to pay a 
 fine of A'10,000; to be carried to the ])illory at 
 Westminster, and there whipped, and after whip- 
 ping to be set in the pillory, have one of his 
 ears cut off, one side of his nose ulit, and be 
 branded on the one cheek with the letters S. S. 
 for a sower of sedition : and on another day to 
 be carried to the i)illory in Cheapside, to be 
 there again whipped, have his other ear cut oif, 
 the other side of his nose slit, and his other 
 cheek branded with the double S. JVIr. Leighton 
 made his escape out of prison the night before 
 his sentence ■was to have been in part executed, 
 but he was soon reUiken, and on the sixteenth 
 of November, underwent the one half of his 
 sentence in Palace Yard, Westminster. On that 
 day sevennight, his sores on his back, ear, nose, 
 and face, not being cured, he was again whipped 
 at the pillory in Cheapside. The hangman on 
 this occasion was purposely half inU)xicated, 
 and performed his duty with the most savago 
 ferocity. After being thus unmercifully whip- 
 ped, the poor culprit was exposed nearly two 
 hours on the pillory in a severe frost, iln<l heavy 
 fall of snow, at the end of vrliich he underwent 
 to the full extent thereof, the remainder of bib 
 brutal sentence, and being imablc to walk, he 
 
238 
 
 THE HISTORV OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 ,„„, made choice of the small bishopric 
 of Dunblane, to evidence his ab- 
 stractedness from the world. His character 
 was by far the best of any of the bishops 
 now set up : and to give him his due, he 
 was a man of very considerable learning, 
 an excellent utterance, and of a grave and 
 abstracted conversation. He was reckoned 
 devout, and an enemy to persecution, and 
 professed a great deal of meekness and 
 humility. By many he was judged void of 
 any doctrinal principle, and his close corre- 
 spondence with some of his relations at 
 Doway in popish orders, made him sus- 
 pected as very much indifferent as to all 
 professions, which bear the name of Christ- 
 ian. He was much taken with some of the 
 popish mystic writers, and indeed a latitudi- 
 narian, and of an over extensive charity. 
 His writings published since the revolution, 
 evidence his abilities, and that he was very 
 much superior to his fellows. 
 
 This is the set of men pitched upon to 
 lord it over the church of Scotland. They 
 were, it must be owned, very well chosen 
 for their work, and agreeable enough to the 
 
 design of setting them up ; unless it was. 
 
 was carried back by water to his confinement, 
 where he remained till he was liberated by the 
 long parliament. — Rushworth's Col. vol. ii. p. 66 
 
 57. Neal's Hist, of the Puritans, vol. ii. p. 188. 
 
 Leighton had the degree of D. D. from two cele- 
 brated universities, Leyden and St. Andrews; 
 and we may rest assured, that this honour, then 
 so rare, would not have been conferred on an 
 ordinary man. 
 
 That the covenanters generally should have a 
 suspicion of the archbishop, his son, is quite 
 natural, when it is considered, that he was bred 
 a presbyterian — had taken the covenant himself 
 and enforced it on others — renounced his former 
 solemn vows — received re-ordination from the 
 bishops — and became successively bishop of Uum- 
 blane and arclibishop of Glasgow. Ikit no man 
 will say that presbyterians of the last 100 years 
 have been severe upon the character of Leighton. 
 Principal Fall, indeed, was the first who publish- 
 ed a portion of his writings, but it is to the Wil- 
 sons of Scottish presbytery, and the Doddridges 
 of English non-conformity, that the public are 
 mainly indebted for bringing the works of that 
 singular man under the notice of the British 
 public. And if we wish to find admirers and 
 vindicators of Leighton, we must not look to the 
 high church party in England : they never relish- 
 ed the moderation of his views, or the spiritual 
 unction of his sentiments. Bishop Burnet is one 
 of the few dignitaries of the church who have 
 thought it worth while to ponder his works, and 
 to imbibe his spirit.— iSrf. 
 
 [book T. 
 
 that the primate turned too heavy for 
 several of our nobility, who would have 
 only had a moderate prelacy brought in : 
 but when considered as to their personal 
 character, they made good the countryman's 
 remark, " that the bishops of England were 
 like the kings of Judah, some good, some 
 bad ; but the prelates in Scotland were like 
 the kings of Israel, not one of them good, 
 but all of them followers of Jeroboam, the 
 son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin." 
 
 There were no bishops, before the year 
 1G.38, alive in Scotland, save Sydeserf; and 
 so it was necessary these persons receive 
 their orders somewhere else : none of the 
 reformed churches, except England or Ire- 
 land, could help them in this matter. It 
 was not so fit, and perhaps not practicable, 
 that the whole fourteen should be brought 
 up to England, therefore the court pitched 
 upon Messrs. Sharp, Fairfoul, and Hamilton 
 to come up to London, and learn the service 
 of that land, and receive episcopal ordina- 
 tion. Mr. Leighton, I think, was in Eng- 
 land this summer and harvest, and October 
 18th, the other three go up. 
 
 At this time the unchurching of all the 
 protestant churches who had not prelatic or- 
 dination, the cassing and voiding theu' min- 
 istry, and consequently their sacraments, 
 with the jus divimim, and absolute necessity 
 of episcopal ordination, M'ere doctrines 
 mightily coming in request. From those 
 abominable principles came the application 
 about this time made by some great names 
 in the English church to the king, that his 
 ambassador in France might be discharged 
 to hold communion with the protestants 
 there, because they wanted prelatic ordina- 
 tion, and that he might no more go to the 
 seat he had appointed for him in the protes- 
 tant church at Charenton, and that he might 
 have a chapel of his own. Hence it was in- 
 sisted upon, that our Scots bishops must be 
 re-ordained, having only formerly had pres- 
 byterian ordination. This was a proper 
 juncture for highfliers to insist in this mat- 
 ter ; and a commission under the great seal 
 of England was dii-ected to Doctor Sheldon 
 bishop of London, the bishop of Worcester, 
 and some other suffragans of the diocese of 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 f'antcrbiiry. The two archbishops in Eng- 
 land declined to be put in, upon what views 
 I shall not say : but one would have thought* 
 that oiu" old prelate Sydcserf might have been 
 joined in connnission with thcni. The royal 
 prerogative from which all their power came 
 in this consecration, might have sufficiently 
 authorized a Scots bishop to have acted in 
 this matter in England; but this was not 
 done : whether the English prelates refused 
 to aot in a concert with a dc[)osed and ex- 
 oonuimnicate bishop, though restored by the 
 king, or what the reason was, I cannot sa}'. 
 
 When Doctor Sheldon matle the proposal, 
 that they must be first ordained deacons, and 
 then presbyters, before they could be conse- 
 crate bishops ; IVL*. Sharp made some bustle, 
 and urged the sustaining of Spotiswood's 
 presbyterian ordination, IGIO, by the Eng- 
 lish bishops, when he was consecrate; with 
 some other arguments. But the Doctor 
 was peremptory, and abundantly fixed on 
 this point. The others very soon yielded, 
 when they found this would be insisted 
 upon ; which made the bishop of London to 
 tell Mr, Sharp, when he came to acquaint 
 him with theu' consent to re-ordination, 
 " that it was the Scots fashion to scruple at 
 every thing, and to swallow any thing." 
 Thus they were justly reproved, but they 
 resolved to boggle at nothing in their way to 
 the prelacy; and one of them frankly declar- 
 ed, he would be ordained, re-ordained, and 
 re-ordained again, if it was insisted upon. 
 So our first prelates cast a slur upon, yea, 
 on the matter nullify all they had done as 
 gospel bishops ; they must become the king's 
 creatures, and renounce their presbyterian 
 ordination, before they can receive the epis- 
 copal dignity and consecration. 
 
 In December, these four with a great 
 parade at Westminster, before a great con- 
 fluence of Scots and Enghsh nobility, were 
 dubbed, first preaching deacons, then pres- 
 byters, and then consecrated bishops in one 
 day, by Doctor Slieldon and a few others. 
 The ceremony was performed in all the 
 modes of the English church, with vestments, 
 and all their cringes and bows ; at which it 
 is said, some indecencies fell out, and after 
 they had received the sacrament kneeling, 
 in all points they were ordained according 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 239 
 
 IGGl. 
 
 to the office and form there. After 
 the consecration, the bishops and 
 peers were feasteil at Westminster, and then 
 went again to church, and heard another 
 sermon. Being thus empowered, early next 
 year they came down, and lay on then- epis- 
 copal hands upon their brethren in Scotland, 
 named by the court for the different sees, as 
 we may afterwards hear. Thus our Scots 
 prelates are set up; and some obvious 
 reflections rise from this, with which I shall 
 end this section. 
 
 Our Scots bishops, by submitting to be 
 re-ordained as presbyters, declared to all the 
 world, that they did not believe their pres- 
 byterian ordination to be valid; and yet 
 when they came down to Scotland, and 
 entered upon the exercise of their episcopal 
 office, they did not re-ordain such of the 
 ministers as complied with them. The na- 
 tural question upon this, which offers to the 
 episcopal party, is, whether such compilers, 
 not having episcopal ordination, were true 
 gospel ministers ? If they were not, as is 
 certain by the episcopal principles they 
 could not be ; was it not the most barbarous 
 thing in the v/orld, to persecute people for 
 not owning them as ministers, who by their 
 own principles were indeed no ministers ? 
 It is in vain to say, that the bishop's allow- 
 ance of them was equivalent to ordination, 
 by the imposition of his hands : for if so, 
 why were they themselves re-ordained by 
 imposition of hands ; and thereby gave scan- 
 dal to all the reformed churches ? I must 
 leave the party to answer this at their leisure, 
 the best way they can ; I am sure they have 
 reason to find a good answer to it if possible, 
 upon more accounts than one; for I do 
 not see how the sacraments dispensed bv 
 them could be valid, any more than how 
 their harassing the presbyterians can be 
 justified. 
 
 Perhaps the curious reader may be willing 
 to have the tenor of the letters patent, and 
 royal gift, establishing those first prelates 
 after the restoration ; and therefore I sub- 
 join here an abstract of these for Mr. Sharp, 
 of the date November this year, from which 
 we will easily guess at the form of the rest ; 
 and they run, 
 
 " That during the tumults in the kingdom 
 
240 
 
 1661. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS (^BOOK I. 
 
 for twenty-three years preceding, ' before, he had done the English presbyte- 
 
 laws were made for the extirpation 
 of the church government by the archbishops 
 and bishops, against the established law and 
 government of the church of this kingdom, 
 in prejudice of his majesty's power and 
 prerogative, which are rescinded by the cur- 
 rent parliament ; so that the authority civil 
 and ecclesiastic is redintegrate, according to 
 the laws in force before the rebellion. 
 
 " And because at this time the deans and 
 members of chapters are for the most part 
 dead, and their offices vacant; so that 
 archbishops and bishops cannot be nom- 
 inated, presented, and elected according to 
 the order prescribed by act of parliament, 
 1617. 
 
 " And that his majesty considereth, that 
 the offices of the bishops and archbishops in 
 this kingdom do vaik in his majesty's hands, 
 by the death and demission of the last in- 
 cumbents, particulai-ly the archbishopric of 
 St. Andrews, by the decease of the last 
 bishop thereof, to wit, Mr. John Spotiswood. 
 
 " And his majesty being informed of the 
 piety, prudence, &c, of IVIr. James Sharp, 
 Doctor in divinity, therefore his majesty, ex 
 autharitate regali, et potestate regia, certa 
 scienfia, proprioque motu, makes, creates, 
 and ordains the said Doctor James Sharp 
 archbishop of the said archbishopric of St. 
 Andi-ews, and jn-imate and metropolitan of 
 all Scotland." 
 
 Before I end this section, let me take 
 some notice of the mistakes, not to say de- 
 signed misrepresentations of some of the 
 most celebrated English historians, when 
 they give the account of the re-introduction 
 of prelacy to Scotland. More than once I 
 shall have occasion to observe their gross 
 blunders in plain facts, for which the best 
 excuse I know of, is, our own unaccountable 
 negligence in giving the world and our 
 neighbours just accounts of Scots affau's. 
 I hope after this they shall do us more jus- 
 tice. The author of the " Complete His- 
 tory of England," generally reckoned to be 
 bishop Kennet, vol. iii. p. 253, first edition, 
 sets this affair in a quite wrong light. He 
 would have us believe, that in Scotland 
 " presbytery began to vanish upon the first 
 appearance of monarchy." Some few sheets 
 
 rians the justice to own they were heartily 
 for monarchy, while the independents, 
 according to him, were for a commonwealth. 
 The Scots presbyterians were not a whit 
 behind them ; so that if presbytery vanished 
 upon the return of the king, the reproach of 
 ingratitude must fall, where perhaps the 
 author did not design it ; and how agreeable 
 this was to promises and engagements the 
 king and his party were under, he cannot 
 be ignorant. I am sorry there is such 
 ground given from the unfair narrative of 
 the act of parliament he cites, and other acts 
 of pai'liament after the restoration, to say 
 that the miseries of Scotland in the former 
 period, came from the kirk pai'ty. But as 
 a historian, he might have known and ob- 
 served, that those narratives were not agree- 
 able to truth, and nothing else but partial 
 and unjust representations, to serve the 
 designs of a prevailing party, vampt up by the 
 earl of Middleton and Mr. Sharp, as a pre- 
 text for introducing prelacy and arbitrary 
 power in Scotland. Indeed I suspect these 
 unhappy narratives have misled many of the 
 English writers into much of theh* foolish 
 satire against the presbyterian establishment ; 
 but had they been so equal as to have con- 
 sidered the public papers of the kingdom, 
 and church of Scotland fi'om the (year) 
 1638, to the usurpation, and the fair ac- 
 counts of that period in the marquis of Ar- 
 gyle's case and other papers, much of this 
 might have been prevented, and the world 
 would not have been so much imposed upon 
 in this matter. 
 
 He adds, " the kii-k had an establishment 
 by law;" which is an evidence of the author's 
 candour, and more than our episcopal 
 writers will allow, and confirms the remarks 
 before made upon the base treatment of this 
 church, in the double-faced letter to the 
 presbytery of Edinburgh. A writer who is 
 heai'tily upon the revolution bottom, cannot 
 in any consistency with himself, treat the 
 procedure of the Scots nation after the 
 (year) 1637, as illegal. What follows, " but 
 weak in the hearts of the people," is appar 
 ently a most groundless innuendo ; witness 
 the insuperable backwardness of the body 
 of the people for twenty-seven years to pre- 
 
t'HAP. II. j OF THE CIlUllCH OF SCOTLAND 
 
 lacy; vvliicli coiilJ not be rootcil out from 
 such who were not either iiulitlercnt about 
 every thing of tliis nature, or plainly under 
 the influence of the nobility and gentry, 
 who set up for prelacy, especially in the 
 northern shires. He adds, " especially the 
 nobles and lairds." That great numbers of 
 those fell in with Middleton's projects, in 
 his two sessions of parliament, I do not 
 deny : but then as to the lairds, no small 
 care had been taken to keep out of the par- 
 liament the most substantial and sensible 
 gentlemen, at least in the east, south, and 
 j west, as much disaffected to prelacy. And 
 our nobility in Scotland were generally 
 against episcopacy, save such who were in 
 places of power, and some of their relations 
 whom they influenced, and those who were 
 of broken fortunes, and inclined to mend 
 them. Some few, indeed, once of other 
 sentiments, when grated by the faithful ex- 
 ercise of discipline under presbytery, turned 
 favourers of prelacy, and with those joined 
 many of our younger noblemen, who knew 
 little but slavery and oppression under the 
 usurpation, and were taught to speak against 
 the presbyterian establishment. 
 
 " Thus," concludes he, " presbytery was 
 to fall without the honour of a dissolution." 
 I imagine the author did not know, that the 
 commissioner, Middleton, notv\ithstanding 
 all his numbers, durst not venture upon a 
 direct dissolution of presliytery : it was 
 thought safest to make a change, so contrary 
 to the inclinations of the best part of the 
 nation, as gradual and insensible as might 
 be ; and when different measures were taken 
 in the act at Glasgow, they soon felt the 
 mistake, and with some difficulty Mr. Sharp 
 retrieved it. The falling of presbytery then, 
 without what the author calls the " honour 
 of a dissolution," was from necessity and 
 fear, and not choice. In short, acconljitg 
 to this author's expressing himself, one 
 would think that presbytery remained the 
 legal establishment during the two brothcc's' 
 reigns. He owns it was established by law, 
 and that these laws were not dissolved and 
 repealed; and in some respect this was in- 
 deed the state of the case, as may afterwards 
 be observed. 
 
 241 
 
 1661 
 
 " Upon the prospect of this 
 flivourable turn," adds the Doctor, 
 " some of the most worthy of the Scots 
 presbyters, Mr. James Sharp, Mr. Hamil- 
 ton, Mr. Farewel, and Mr. Logtoun, were 
 consecrated by the bishop of Winchester." 
 Ilis mistake of Farewel for Mr. Fairfoul, 
 and Logtoun for Lcightoun, may be an 
 error of the press ; and yet the following 
 historians, Mr. Collier, and Mr. Eachard, 
 and other English writers have copied 
 after him. The worth of those pres- 
 byters is well enough known in Scotland, 
 and their character hath been already given. 
 He further observes very justly, that those 
 four obtained the proclamation, September 
 Cth, for restoring archbishops and bishops. 
 This indeed was not the deed of Scotland, 
 but impetrate at London, by the influence 
 of the highfliers there, and chimed in with 
 next 3'ear by our obsequious parliament. 
 His remark in the same place, of the incon- 
 sistency of patronages with presbytery, is 
 also very just. 
 
 This great change in Scotland the author 
 attributes to the earl of Middleton, and so 
 he well might ; but wliat follows is such a 
 blunder as gives us a full proof how little 
 acquaintance the best of our English writers 
 have with our Scots affairs: " But, 1663, 
 Middleton v/as removed, and the eail of 
 Rothes appointed high commissioner of 
 Scotland, a ringleader of the presbyterians 
 under king Chm'les L and even the principal 
 of the consjjirators who subscribed a letter 
 au lid//, to aid the kirk and covenant. And 
 now the presbyterians lost ground more and 
 more." The letter here pointed at, to the 
 French king, I hope will be set in its due 
 light by those who write the history of that 
 period ; and the memory of that extraor- 
 dinary person the earl of Rothes, and others 
 upon whom it is charged, may be easily vin- 
 dicated from the conspiracy this author 
 talks of. Since he wrote the history of the 
 fonner reign, he ought to have known, that 
 that excellent person, the earl of Rothes, 
 was got to heaven many years before the 
 restoration ; and the earl who was commis- 
 sioner at this time, was never so unlike his 
 father and himself, as when serving the in 
 2 n 
 
242 
 
 THE HISTORY C£ THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 [book 
 
 16*51. 
 
 terests of prelacy, and under bishoj) 
 Sharp's management, at the top of 
 the high commission. 
 
 What this author incidentally drops after- 
 wards, p. 405, comes in the last room to be 
 considered here. In giving the duke of 
 Lauderdale's character, among other things, 
 he makes him " the underminer of episco- 
 pacy in Scotland, by laying it upon a new 
 foundation, the pleasure of the king." 
 This is not a place to inquire how far the 
 establishment of prelacy in the Christian 
 church was still from the pleasure of the 
 civil magistrate, and was brought in to model 
 the church government, and governors, in a 
 dependance upon the state : at least this 
 
 SECT. VIII. 
 
 0/ several other remarkahles, which come not 
 in uj)on the former Sections, during this 
 year, 1661. 
 
 Having thus gone through the great turn 
 of affairs in Scotland this year, under such 
 general heads as appeared to me most pro- 
 per, I have, in holding close by them, over- 
 looked several things remarkable enough, 
 and not altogether alien from the design of 
 this history, which I am now to gather up 
 here, and so end what I have upon this 
 year. And I take the greater liberty to 
 
 seems plain enough, that the continuance of ; notice these incidental matters, in this and 
 the hierarchy in protestant churches since the following years, that we have yet almost 
 
 the reformation, is very much owing to this 
 spring. But the Doctor is certainly mis- 
 taken, when he calls this a " new founda- 
 tion in Scotland," since it must be owned, 
 by all who know any thing of our Scots 
 affairs since our reformation from popery, 
 that prelacy here had never any other foun- 
 dation save the " pleasure of the king." 
 What hath been said upon this historian, 
 may serve upon the matter, as remarks upon 
 the other English writers, who have very 
 much copied after " The Complete History 
 of England," in our Scots affairs, and fre- 
 quently keep by this author's words. 
 
 Mr. Collier, in his account of this turn, 
 has nothing different from the former, unless 
 it be an insinuation, " that the presbyterians 
 had seized patronages :" what he means by 
 seizing them, needs to be explained. Pres- 
 byterian ministers still complained of them 
 since the reformation, and a presbyterian 
 parharaent abolished them, but presbyteri- 
 ans never made use of them themselves. 
 ]Mr. Eachard very faithfully copies the two 
 former, without observing that distinctness, 
 as to the years, he might have done. His 
 reader will very readily imagine from his 
 account of this, that the act of parliament, 
 'estoring bishops, was May 8th, 1661, espe- 
 cially since it stands so upon the head of his 
 page ; and several acts he mentions, as well 
 as the proceedings against the marquis of 
 Argyle, were during that year. 
 
 nothing of a history of this period 1 am 
 upon. 
 
 Last year, this kingdom was delivered 
 from the English army, under the fear of 
 which, and an absolute subjection, Scotland 
 had been for a good many years ; and I find 
 some remarkables which were applied, per- 
 haps without any ground, to this turn, in 
 several papers come to my hands. I on y 
 hint at two, which seem most observable. 
 When the EngUsh subdued Scotland, the 
 swans which were in the loch on the north 
 side of Linlithgow, left it, and, as it was 
 then termed, took banishment on them j 
 but last year, or the beginning of this, they 
 came back upon the king's return; and 
 upon the citadel of Perth, where the arms 
 of the commonwealth had been put up, in 
 May last year, a thistle grew out of the wall 
 near the place, and quite overspread them, 
 which was much observed, and our old Scots 
 motto, nemo me im])unclacessct. Both these 
 may be, without any thing extraordinary, 
 accounted for ; but they were matter of le- 
 mark and talk, it may be, more than they 
 deserved. 
 
 At the first session of parliament this 
 year, when the forms were over, January 
 4th, the commissioner signified to the house, 
 that it was his majest3''s pleasure, that the 
 bones of the marquis of Montrose should 
 be gathered together to one place, to be in- 
 terred with the funeral honours due to one 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 who hail died in his majesty's service. Ac- 
 cordingly, Jannary 7th, all the remains of 
 his body were gathered from the places 
 where they were placed. May, 1G30. His 
 corpse was raised from the Burrow Muir, 
 put in a fine coffin, and carried up under a 
 rich canopy to the tolbooth ; where all being 
 ready before, his head was taken down, and 
 put into the coffm, with colours flying, 
 cannons shooting, and trumpets sounding, 
 and carried down to Holyrood-house, and 
 dcpositate in the aisle, till afterwards what 
 of his members had been at Glasgow, Stir- 
 ling, Perth, and Aberdeen, had been taken 
 down, and brought to Edinburgh before- 
 hand : and INIay 1 1th, the solemnity of the 
 funeral was performed in a vast deal of state, 
 and the coffin was brought up to St. Giles's 
 church, with mourners, led horse, the lyon, 
 heralds, and all the members of parliament 
 attending, and the commissioner in a mourn- 
 ing coach. 
 
 Upon the 2d of April, the king's life- 
 guard wiis formed. By their constitution 
 they were to consist of noblemen and gentle- 
 men's sons, and they were to be one hundred 
 and twenty in number, under the command 
 of the lord ^^ewburgh. After their taking an 
 oath to be loyal to his majesty, they made a 
 parade through the town of Edinburgh with 
 carabines at their saddles, and their swords 
 drawn. Whatever was their first settlement, 
 the scum of the nation was taken into them ; 
 and we shall afterwards meet with them as 
 ready instruments in the persecution which 
 followed. 
 
 April 23d was the day of the king's cor- 
 onation at London ; and it was solemnized 
 at Edinburgh, by preaching in all the kirks; 
 and care was taken to have it kept with 
 great state through all the remarkable places 
 in the kingdom. There was sermon in the 
 parliament house, and great rejoicings at the 
 Cross, a sumptuous feast at the Abbey, 
 ringing of bells, bonfires, and all other de- 
 monstrations of joy. 
 
 May 13th, by order of parliament, my 
 lord Warriston's forfeiture was publicly inti- 
 mate at the Cross by the heralds, his arms 
 torn, and set up most contemptuously upon 
 all the public places in Edinburgh. May 
 16th, the proclamation for keeping the 29th 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 243 
 
 IG61. 
 
 of May was intimate by the lyon 
 with great solemnity. 
 
 May 22d, the covenant was burnt with 
 great solemnity at London, by the hand of 
 the common hangman, with all the spite 
 and contempt that could be devised, and 
 several senseless roundels and ballads were 
 printed and spread, particularly one, entitled, 
 " The execution of the covenant burnt 
 by the common hangman, London, May 
 22d, 16G1." One needs not be so much 
 surprised at this by the highfliers in Eng- 
 land, since we shall just now meet with little 
 less contempt poured upon it in Scotland. 
 
 According to the act of parliament lately 
 made and published, the 29th of May this 
 year was observed with the greatest solem- 
 nity at Edinburgh. Sermons suitable to the 
 occasion were preached by timeser\'ing min- 
 isters, in all the kirks there. After sermons 
 a great feast was prepared by the town, in 
 the great college-hall, at which the commis- 
 sioner, the whole nobility, and principal 
 members of parliament were present : the 
 bells were rung, the cannons discharged, and 
 every thing else that could be contrived to 
 grace that solemnity. Some observations 
 have been already made upon the act of 
 parliament for keeping this day. The church 
 of Scotland, since the reformation, had still 
 \agorously opposed the observation of anni- 
 versary holidays. They kept the holy Chris- 
 tian Sabbath with the most religious strict- 
 ness, and from principle refused to keep any 
 other stated holidays : and when upon very 
 good reasons they could not observe Christ- 
 mas and Pasch, they could never think of 
 doing that for their king, which their Savi- 
 our had not required to be done for himself. 
 Certainly many who kept this day, kept it 
 not to the Lord, but it was solemnized with 
 almost as mjjch riot, revelling, and madness, 
 as if it had been one of the heathen holi- 
 days. For all these reasons, the true chil- 
 di-en of this reformed church refused this 
 imposition, as what by their reformation 
 rights and principles, as well as their solemn 
 vows, they were bound up from. However 
 this was a most melancholy day to Scotland, 
 being the triumph of the wicked, betwixt 
 the days of the execution of the noble mar- 
 quis of Argyle, and Mr. James Guthrie ; 
 
244 
 
 IGGl. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 wliich made a very eminent minister majesty's grandfather, James VI., of ever 
 
 blessed memory, from the conspiracy in- 
 
 in the west of Scotland, yet in his 
 church, choose that text to preach upon this 
 day, it being his stated week day for ser- 
 mon, Esth. iii. 15. " And the king and 
 Haman sat down to drink, but the city 
 Shushan was perplexed." 
 
 July 10th, Sir Alexander Durham, lord 
 lyon, was, with a great deal of solemnity, 
 crowned lyon king at arms. In the face of 
 [)arliament there was a gold crown put upon 
 his head, and the commissioner had a speech 
 to him, and the lord register another. Be- 
 fore the solemnity, Mr. Robert Lawrie had 
 a sermon in the house, from that text, Esth. 
 vi. 6. " What shall be done to the man 
 •whom the king delights to honour?" 
 
 When the parliament arose, and the 
 council sat down, with the whole executive 
 power in their hands, at their first meeting, 
 July 13th, they order the citadels built by 
 the English, to be demolished : and the earl 
 of Murray is appointed to slight and demol- 
 ish that of Inverness ; the earl of Eglinton, 
 that of Ayr; the lord Eellenden, that at 
 Leith ; and the magistrates of Perth, with 
 Sir George Kinnaird, that at Perth. 
 
 July 25th, Mr. David Dickson applies (to) 
 the council for their license and privilege lo 
 print his " Therapeutica Sacra," now trans- 
 lated into English by himself. The coun- 
 cil appoint Mr. Andrew Fairfoul to revise 
 it, and report to the council, whether it is 
 fit to be reprinted. Now indeed the world 
 was changed in Scotland, when Mr. Fair- 
 foul is pitched upon to revise Mr. David 
 Dickson, professor of divinity, his books. 
 
 This year and the next, there are vast 
 numbers of commissions granted by the 
 council to gentlemen in every shire, and 
 almost in every parish, especially in the 
 north and east country, to try persons for 
 witchcraft : and great numbers of these 
 wretches confess ; clear probation is found 
 against others, and they are executed. The 
 numbers of these commissions for trial of 
 witches for several years, surprised me when 
 I met with them in the registers. 
 
 August 1st, the council order that day to 
 bs kept with such solemnities as were for- 
 merly used before the late usurpation, in 
 commemoration of the deliverance of his 
 
 tended by the earl of Gowrie, conform to 
 
 the late act of parliament made thereanent; 
 
 , and dii'ect their orders to the magistrates of 
 
 I Edinburgh, and governor of the castle, to 
 
 j see to this. And, October 3d, the like 
 
 orders are given, but more timeously, f jr 
 
 the keeping of the 5th of November. 
 
 j September 17th, the clerk is ordered to 
 
 ' draw up a proclamation, discharging the 
 
 j electing of any person to be magistrate or 
 
 I counsellor within burgh, but such as are of 
 
 known loyalty and affection to his majesty 
 
 To-morrow, September 18, it was approven, 
 
 and the tenor of it follows. 
 
 " Whereas, duringthelateunhappy troubles, 
 some persons who were of fanatical principles, 
 , and enemies to monarchical government and 
 ^ his majesty's lawful authority, to attain their 
 : ambitious designs, did so comply with the 
 usurpers of the government for the time, 
 ' and join with them, to secure their tyranny 
 and usurpation, that by tfieir assistance and 
 countenance they did screw into their own 
 i hands the sole administration of aflairs and 
 jm-isdiction within the most part of the burghs 
 royal in this kingdom, and in time did so 
 settle their interest, that none were chosen 
 to be magistrates, or of the council, but 
 such as adhered to them ; and lest those 
 practices may be endeavoured to be set on 
 foot again, and attempts made to have such 
 persons elected, and the power and govern- 
 ment continued as of late ; which if not 
 remedied, may be of dangerous consequence, 
 and prejudicial to his majesty's service and 
 authority, by obstmcting these who are of 
 known integrity and loyalty, to exercise his 
 majesty's laws and commands, in order to 
 the securing his royal interest, and the peace 
 of the kingdom, which is now necessary to 
 be taken notice of, when the time of elec- 
 tion of magistrates for royal burghs is ap- 
 proaching. Therefore the lords of his 
 majesty's privy council, inhibit and discharge 
 the electing of any person to be magistrarte 
 or counsellor within burgh, but such as are 
 of known loyalty and affection to his ma- 
 jesty's government, qualified as is expressed 
 in the late acts of parliament, and others 
 
CHAF. II.] 
 
 made for that effect, ami whose carriage, 
 (hiring the late troubles, has been no evi- 
 dence to the contrary : with certification, if 
 any elections be otherwise made, the said 
 elections shall be declared null and void, 
 and the persons elected, and these who shall 
 elect them, shall be censured with all rigour 
 as persons disaffected. These presents to 
 be forthwith published at the INIarket-cross 
 of Edinburgh, and all other royal bui-ghs." 
 
 I will have frequent occasion, in this his- 
 tory, to observe the strict chain betwixt 
 religious and civil privileges and liberty ; 
 when the one is attacked, the other readily 
 sinks. Last year, in September, matters 
 were a little more smoothly mauiiged. The 
 chancellor wrote to the meeting of the royal 
 burghs, and that convention wrote to each 
 of their number, giving them what they call 
 caveats in their elections, that none be 
 chosen but well affected persons to his 
 majesty and his government, whether on the 
 council or magistracy. They forbid like- 
 wise the choosing any who had subscribed 
 the " Remonstrance," " Association," or 
 who concurred in any course for promoting 
 the ends thereof, or who protested against 
 any public judicatories or their determina- 
 tions, since the year 1650. But now the 
 managers grow in these attacks, and, beyond 
 what the act of parliament ordains, declare 
 the elections void, if they be not of such 
 persons who showed their loyalty during the 
 troubles, and other conditions spoken of in 
 the proclamation. I need make but few 
 remarks on it ; several new ways of speak- 
 ing are in it, " the king's laws," and the 
 like. In short, the design of this proclama- 
 tion was to exclude all from any manage- 
 ment of burghs, who were any ways favourers 
 of presbytery, or were not fully and heartily 
 for the bishops, and the king's arbitrary 
 power, and to bring the royal burghs entirely 
 under yoke to the courtiers : and they begm 
 with Edinburgh, as a pattern to all the rest; 
 and when they were thus treated, none of 
 the rest could think to stand out. Thus, 
 October 3d, " the council understanding, 
 that since their last proclamation anent the 
 elections of magistrates, these of Edinburgh 
 are chosen, do ordain one of their macers 
 
 OF THE CHURCri OF SCOTLAND, 
 
 -245 
 
 1631 
 
 to warn the haill magistrates, coun- 
 sellors, and deacons of crafts who 
 are elected, as also these who did vote, or 
 should have voted at the said election, to 
 compear before the council November 1st, 
 and give an account of their carriage as they 
 will be answerable. Accordingly, November 
 1st, the council find the election good, and 
 the present magistrates of Edinburgh, Can- 
 ongate, and Portsburgh, lawfully elected, and 
 authorize the same. They declare against 
 some protestations made by the crafts. 
 Thus we see the liberty of the royal burghs 
 overturned ; and if the council please, they 
 may, by citations and otherwise, harass all 
 the electors, and elected, if not according 
 to their scheme; and we shall find other 
 attacks made upon them afterwards. 
 
 At that same diet, September 18th, the 
 council order that such suffering ministers 
 as petition for redress, and are recom- 
 mended, by his grace the lord commissioner 
 and parliament, to the council, shall have 
 precepts on Mr. John Wilkie, collector of 
 the vacant stipends, for such sums as shall 
 be modified and allowed by the council, 
 notwithstanding any former act. This was 
 only meant of episcopal ministers ; if prcs- 
 byterians had been allowed a share, the 
 fund would have soon been exhausted : 
 and a provision is not only made for minis- 
 ters, but others reckoned sufferers for the 
 king's interest. Accordingly, November 7th, 
 I lind Andrew Glen late provost of Lin- 
 lithgow, and James Glen, represent their 
 losses for adherence to his majesty's interests, 
 and constant affection to his service. Last 
 council day a committee had been appointed 
 to examine their losses, and upon report, 
 the council , find their losses extend to 
 ,£7,834 : 5 : 8d. and recommend them to hij: 
 majesty's favour. I could name presbyterian 
 ministers who lost as much as any of them, 
 by standing up for the king, and yet now 
 they are harassed, turned out, and perse- 
 cuted : whereupon I may safely enough apply 
 the learned and great Doctor Barrow his 
 distich he wrote on such treatment in Eng- 
 land, common to him and many good men. 
 
 " Te magis optavit rediturum, Carole, nemo; 
 Et nemo sensit te rediisse minus." 
 
 October .3d, the council ordain the prcsi- 
 
1 (;()]. 
 
 246 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 (lent of the session, lord register, 
 and lord Ley, and such of the coun- 
 sellors as shall be present, to be auditors for 
 takino- away and composing the differences 
 betwixt the moderators of the univei-sity of 
 Olnsnow, and Mr Patrick Gillespie : and in 
 case of variance betwixt the said auditors, 
 the lord cliancellor is to be oversman ; and 
 eive power to the lord chancellor to j>rant 
 warrant to the said Mr Gillespie to repair 
 to Edinburgh for that effect, notwitlistand- 
 ing of his confinement. 
 
 November 7th, information being given, 
 " that George Swinton, and James Glen, 
 booksellers in lulinburghjhave causedprint 
 several seditious and scandalous books and 
 papers, such as ' Archibald Campbell's 
 Speech,' ' Guthrie's Speech,' ' the Cove- 
 nanters' Plea,' &c. Ordered, that the lord 
 advocate and provost of Edinburgh seize 
 upon these books and papers, and discharge 
 them and the x-est of the printers to print 
 any more books or papers, till they have 
 warrant from the king, parliament, or coun- 
 cil." And, December 5th, they grant liberty 
 to Robert Mein, keeper of the letter office 
 at Edinburgh, to publish the Diurnal week- 
 ly, for preventing of false news. 
 
 When at this time the council are pro- 
 secuting the worthy Mr Robert Blair, and 
 other presbyterians, for shame they could 
 not but do somewhat against trafficking 
 papists now mightily increasing;* and in- 
 deed for some years, as we shall see, the 
 council show pretty much zeal against 
 papists, but are retarded by the backward- 
 ness of the prelates in this affair. There- 
 fore, November 7th, tlie chancellor reports 
 that, upon information that several traffick- 
 ing papists were come into this kingdom, 
 and that John Inglis was one of them, he 
 had caused seize him, and found two letters 
 upon him, which were read in council, and 
 had caused connnit him to prison. Tiie 
 council, finding that the said Inglis and 
 
 * " It was observable in these times, that 
 whenever any thing was done in favours of 
 episcopacy, there was, at the same time also, 
 somewliat 'done against popery, for allaying the 
 humour of the people, who were bred to believe, 
 that episcopacy was a limb of antichrist.". — 
 IVIackunzie's History of Scotland, p (\2.~Kd. 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS. [bOOK I. 
 
 William Bro.vn had brought int > this king- 
 dom several books and papers, order tlie 
 provost of lulinburgh to secui e their persons 
 in the tolbooth, till further order, and cause 
 seize all their books and papers, which are 
 to be revised by the earl of Linlitligow, 
 lord president, Mr. Bruce, and the said 
 provost of Edinburgn, whj are to report ; 
 and that the president, advocate, and clerk 
 draw up a proclamation against trafficking 
 papists. November 14th, the lords above 
 named report, that William Brown was 
 content to take voluntary banishment upon 
 him ; that Inglis acknowledged himself .i 
 trafficking papist, and that he had brought 
 in popish books, and refused to give any 
 account of popish prie>ts lately come into 
 the kingdom, or to relinquish his profession, 
 Botli of them are banished, and ordered to 
 remove in tliree weeks, and never return, 
 under the pains in the acts of parliament. 
 November 19th, The council issue out 
 the following proclamation against papists, 
 Jesuits, and trafficking priests. 
 
 " The lords of his majesty's council, con- 
 sidering that since the reformation and 
 establishment of the protestant religion 
 within this kingdom, many desperate plots 
 and conspiracies have been hatched, and 
 incessantly prosecuted by the emissaries of 
 the pope and his counsels, to tlie hazard of 
 the undermining of tliat gloriousand blessed 
 structure ; wherethrough not only many 
 simple and ignorant people have been de- 
 luded and withdrawn from their holy pro- 
 fession, and those principles of truth wherein 
 they were bred and educated; but the pillars 
 and foundations of allegiance and obedience 
 to supreme authority and laws have been 
 sore shaken, by saying and hearing of mass, 
 resetting of Jesuits, and seminary priests, 
 ti'afficking, and perverting unstable souls, 
 and settling of superiors and other officers 
 depending upon the Romish hierarchy, by 
 wimse council and conduct they may pro- 
 pagate the rebellious principles, and erro- 
 neous doctrines, which in all probability ha«l 
 prevailed to the great hazard of religion, 
 monarchi(;al government, and the peace of 
 the kingdom, if by the wholesome laws an! 
 statutes, and pious care and endeavours of 
 
CHAP, lll.j 
 
 his majesty, and his loyal ancestors, the 
 same had not been prevented: and being 
 informed, that, notwithstanding of the late 
 act of this current parliament, solemnly 
 published against popish priests and Jesuits, 
 whereby his majesty, to witness his royal 
 care of, and zeal for the protestant religion, 
 with consent of the estates of parliament, 
 did command and charge all and sundry 
 Jesuits, priests, and trafficking papists, to 
 depart this kingdom within a month after 
 the publication thereof, and discharged all 
 his subjects to reset, supply, entertain, 
 furnish meat or drink, or keep correspond- 
 ence with any of the foresaids, under the 
 pains contained in that and former acts of 
 pariiament, which, during the late troubles, 
 have not been put in execution against the 
 oontraveners : yet divers persons are come 
 into this kingdom, with instructions, popish 
 books, and writings, and priests' vestments, 
 for prosecution of these abominable prac- 
 tices ; who, finding themselves now mightily 
 disappointed of that great increase of their 
 numbers, and advancement of their designs, 
 whereof they had great hopes from the late 
 horrid confusions, introduced into church 
 and state by sectaries, do again adventure 
 to trace their old steps, and embroil that 
 order and government restored to us by 
 Almighty God. Therefore they command 
 and charge all his majesty's subjects, of 
 vvhatsomever quality and degree, to observe 
 and obey the foresaid act, and all other 
 acts of parliament made against priests, 
 Jesuits, and trafficking papists: with cer- 
 tification, if they do otherwise, the whole 
 pains there contained, shall be inflicted 
 without mercy. And ordains all sheriffs 
 of shires and their deputes, magistrates of 
 burghs, and other judges, and all ministers 
 of the gospel, within their respective bounds 
 and jurisdictions, to make exact inquiry 
 after the offenders, and to apprehend their 
 persons, and secure I hem in the next prison, 
 end immediately to give notice thereof to 
 the privy council : as also to send in yeariy 
 to the lords of the privy council, a list of 
 such persons as are known or suspected 
 to be papists, and to seize on all popish 
 books, writings, commissions, instructions, 
 ftud oiliers belonging to thcin, which they 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 047 
 
 can apprehend, conform to lOith 
 act, pari. 13th, James VI. and other '^^'^' 
 acts and statutes, as they will be answer- 
 able, under all highest pains. And ordains 
 these forthwith to be printed and published." 
 
 That same diet of council, the following 
 letter from the king is read. " Right trusty"^ 
 &c. Having given orders to our archbishops 
 here, that in all the churches and chapels 
 of this our kingdom, our royal consort 
 queen Katharine be jirayed for; we have 
 resolved also, that in our ancient kingdom 
 she be prayed for : and seeing our bishops 
 of that kingdom are not yet consecrated, 
 we have thought fit to require you to issue 
 commands to all the presbyteries of Scot- 
 land, that in all the several churches, im- 
 mediately after their i)ra3er for me, they 
 pray for queen Katiiarine, and for Mary 
 queen mother, James duke of ^'ork, and 
 the rest of the royal family." In the close 
 of the letter, he orders them to raise the 
 value of gold to the same proportion which 
 it is in England. The council order a 
 proclamation to be drawn, and it is pub- 
 lished in the above terms, November 21st. 
 Thus the reader hath a pretty large account 
 of this remarkable year, ICG J. 
 
 CHAP. HI. 
 
 OF THE SUFFERINGS OF PRESBYTERIANS, AND 
 STATE OF AFFAIRS IN SCOTLAND, DURING 
 THE YEAR 1662. 
 
 166?. 
 
 This year, and the second session 
 
 of pariiament, affords the reader a 
 
 new scene of persecution. Though none 
 
 suffered death this year, yet a good ma.ny 
 
 were imprisoned, and not a few ministers 
 
 banished into foreign countries; several of 
 
 whom never returned. 
 
 Till the parliament sit down, the council 
 have but little before them ; the bishops 
 who were consecrated at London, not cominc 
 down till April, antl the rest were not con- 
 secrated till four days before the pariiament 
 sat down. And indeed it was our prelates 
 who pushed the council to most of their 
 severities : however, that arbitraiy court, in 
 the beginning of the year, perfect what liiey 
 
2i8 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1662. 
 
 had begun last year, and discharge 
 all ecclesiastical meetings, and pre- 
 pare matters for the parliament, who sit 
 down May 8th, The parliament set up the 
 prelates, and receive them with solemnity 
 enough into their meeting; they persecute 
 some of the most noted of the presbyterian 
 ministers in the west country, and attack the 
 jninisters of Edinburgh : a new set of acts, 
 for the establishment of bishops, and the 
 further harassing of presbyterians, are made ; 
 they also pass the sentence of death u{)on 
 the lord Lorn, afterwards earl of Argyle, 
 and spend much time upon the fining of 
 presbyterians. 
 
 But the chief part of the persecution is 
 managed by the council, after the parliament 
 rises; and when some things are done at 
 Edinburgh, they come west to Glasgow, and 
 there turn out some hundreds of presbyterian 
 ministers : and upon the commissioner's 
 return from his progress, the council, in the 
 end of the yeai", attack a great number of 
 presbyterian ministers, in all the corners of 
 the country, and banish some of them, and 
 confine others. Those things, with some 
 other incidental matters, will afford nratter for 
 four or five sections upon this cha;)ter. 
 
 Of the proceedings against presbi/terlans, be- 
 fore the down-sitting of the parliament, iiith 
 some essai/s made to bear testimoni/ against 
 those, and some account of the consecration 
 of the rest of the bishops in Scotland, this 
 year 1662, 
 
 Most part of the proper matter for the 
 history of the sufferings of this church, dur- 
 ing this year, falls in during the sitting of the 
 parliament, and towards the end of the year. 
 The council had little before them till the 
 consecrated bishops came down ; and yet in 
 January they perfect the work they had 
 entered upon at the close of the last year, 
 the overturning the judicatories of this 
 cliarch, to pave the way for prelates : and 
 therefore I am to give some account of this, 
 with some hints at the testimony essayed 
 against it by some few ministers ; and shall 
 shut up this section with an account of the 
 
 [book I. 
 
 ordination of the rest of our prelates, which 
 will hand us into the 2d session of this 
 current parliament, held by Middleton. 
 
 Our Scots council receive theii" orders from 
 England, where things were now concertetl 
 by Mr. Sharp, and the rest of our bishops 
 at this time there; and these are carefully 
 executed at Edinburgh, and proclamations 
 accordingly issued out. Thus, January 2d, 
 the council receive a letter from the king, 
 dischai'ging all ecclesiastical meetings in 
 synods, presbyteries, and sessions, until they 
 be authorized by tlie prelates : the tenor 
 whereof follows. 
 
 " Charles R, 
 
 " Right trusty, &c. Whereas, by the ad- 
 vice and consent of our parliament, we did 
 allow the administration of the church 
 government of Scotland, by sessions, presby- 
 teries, and synods, notwithstanding of the 
 act rescissory, until we should take care for 
 the better settlement of the government of 
 that church : and we having, by our late 
 proclamation, declared our royal pleasure for 
 restoring the ancient and legal government 
 of that church, by archbishops and bishops, 
 as it were exercised in the reign of our 
 royal father, before the year 1637, and, in 
 pursuance of that our resolution, have nom- 
 inated and presented persons to the several 
 bishoprics of Scotland, of whom there has 
 been lately foiu* consecrated, and invested 
 with the same dignities, church power, and 
 authority, which was formerly competent to 
 the bishops and archbishops of that cliurch, 
 in the reigns of our royal grandfather and 
 father, 
 
 " Therefore our allowance of the adminis- 
 tration of the government of that church, in 
 the way it hath been since the violent inter- 
 ruption of episcopal government, being incon- 
 sistent with the same now established, ami 
 being now of itself void and expired, seeing 
 it was only for a time, till we should settle 
 and secure church goverrmient in a frame 
 most suitable to monarchy, and complying 
 with the peace of the kingdom, 
 
 " Our will is, that the said allov/ance be, 
 of no further force or continuance ; but that 
 the jurisdiction and exercise of church gov- 
 ernment shall be ordered in the respective 
 
CHAP. 111. J OF THE CllUUCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 249 
 
 synods, presbyteries, and sessions of the 
 cliurch of Scotland, by the appointment and 
 authority of tiie archbisiiops and bishops 
 thereof, according to tiip standing laws, and 
 their known privileges and practice conform 
 thereunto. 
 
 " This our will and pleasure, you are re- 
 (juired forthwith to publish by proclamation, 
 discluu'ging all ecclesiastical meetings in 
 synods, presbyteries, and sessions, until they 
 be authorized and ordered by our archbishops 
 and bishops, upon their entering into the 
 government of their respective sees ; which 
 is to be done speedil}'. 
 
 " We do further require, tiiat you take 
 special care, that all due deference and res- 
 pect be given by all our subjects, to the 
 archbishops and bishops of that church ; and 
 that they have all comitenancc, assistance, 
 and encouragement from our nobility, gentry, 
 and burghs, in the discharge of their office, 
 and service to us in the church ; and that 
 severe and exemplary notice be taken of all 
 and every one who shall presume to reflect, 
 or express any disrespect to their persons, 
 or authority with which they are intrusted. 
 And so we bid you heartily farewell. (Jiven 
 at our court at Whitehall, December 28th, 
 1061. By his majesty's command, 
 
 " Lauderdale." 
 
 The clerk is ordered to draw up a pro- 
 clamation conform to this letter and the 
 connnands lliercin contained, and have it 
 ready next council day. Accordingly, Jan- 
 uary 9th, it is read, agreed to, and ordered 
 to be printed and published. It agrees very 
 much with the above letter ; however, be- 
 cause of the Lnportance of it, I have insert 
 likewi.se the i)roclamation, in a note,* and it 
 
 • At Edinburgh, 9th (if January, 16C2. 
 The lords of his majesty's jirivy couiicil having 
 considt-red his majesty's letter, of the date, at 
 Whitehall the 28th of December last, 1661, 
 bearing, that whereas by the advice and roEsent 
 of the parliament, his majesty did allow the 
 administration of theohureh governtnciit of this 
 kingdom, by sessions, presbyteries, and synods, 
 notwithstanding of the .ict rescissory, until his 
 majesty should t.ike care for tlie better settling 
 of the government thereof: antl that having, by 
 a late ]iroclamation, oi the date the (>th of Sep- 
 tember, Kitjl, declared liis royal pleasure for 
 restoring the ancient and legal government of 
 the church, by archbishops and bishops, as it 
 
 is signed by Glencairn, Rothes, . , .^ 
 Morton, Roxburgh, Southcsk, 
 Weemyss, Annandalc, Dimdec, Sinclair, 
 Bellenden, John Fletcher, Robert Miuray. 
 
 At the same time the council recommend 
 it to the lord chancellor, to sign the follow- 
 ing letter to the sheriffs and their deputes, 
 through the kingdom, to be communicated 
 to each minister. 
 
 " Right Honourable, 
 " There is a proclamation emitted by the 
 lords of privy council, intimating his majes- 
 ty's pleasure for discharging all meetings of 
 synods, presbyteries, and kirk sessions, until 
 they be ordered by the archbishops and 
 bishops of the church of this kingdom: and 
 lest the contributions for the poor, and the 
 distribution thereof within the several par- 
 ishes in the meantime be interrupted, the 
 council has recommended it to me, to write 
 to you in their name, to acquaint the several 
 ministers of all the parishes within your 
 shire and jurisdiction, that notwithstanding 
 of the said proclamation, they may appoint 
 some of their parish for contribution of the 
 collection, and distributing the same to the 
 poor thereof, for which these presents shall 
 be }oia' warrant, from 
 
 " Your affectionate friend, 
 
 " Gi.ENCAiRX, Chancellor." 
 
 What hath been said uj)on the former 
 public papers, may supersede reflections 
 on this letter and proclamation. We see 
 that gradually, yet pretty quickl}-, the 
 presbyterian constitution of this chin-ch was 
 overturned. Synods were first interrupted, 
 and then discharged ; presbyteries were inhi- 
 bit to ordain any to their vacancies, and now 
 
 was exercised in the year 1637, and that in pur- 
 suance of that resolution, his majesty hath nomi- 
 nated and presented persons to the several 
 bishoprics of this kingdcmi, of whom some have 
 been lately consecrated, and invested with the 
 same dignities, church power, and authority, 
 which was formerly competent to the arch- 
 bisliopsand bishops of this church, in the reigns 
 of his royal grandfather and father, of blessed 
 memory ; and that the allowaiice of the adminis- 
 tration of this church, in tlie way it hath been, 
 since the violent interruption of episcopal govern- 
 ment, being inconsistent with the came now 
 established, is now of itself void and expired, as 
 being only for a time, till his majesty should 
 
 2l 
 
'250 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ^cpo '" "icct ; and sessions likewise 
 must die with tlie expiring gov- 
 ernment of tliis church. This proclama- 
 tion razed presbyterian government quite. 
 And we may observe a considerable dif- 
 ference betwixt prelacy now obtruded, 
 and the old Scots episcopacy. Presby- 
 teries and sessions remained under the 
 bishops, during king James VI. his reign, 
 almost in the full exercise of their power, 
 saving that presbyteries were cramped with 
 constant moderators : but now presbyteries 
 and sessions are made entirely to depend 
 upon the bishop, and indeed materially 
 abrogated, as may afterwards be noticed. 
 
 The same day this proclamation is pub- 
 lished, the council having considered a letter 
 from the earl of Lothian, desiring that the 
 presbytery of Kelso may be discharged to 
 plant the kirk of Yetholm, ordered the clerk 
 to sign the following letter to theii- moderator. 
 
 " Right Reverend, 
 " The lords of privy council are informed 
 that the kirk of Yetholm being vacant, the 
 earl of Lothian did give in a presentation, as 
 likewise some other persons pretending to 
 have right to the same ; and that notwith- 
 
 settle and secure church government in a frame 
 most suitable to monai-eliy, and comjjlying with 
 the peace of the kingdom; and so the said 
 allowance should be of no further force and 
 continuance, but the jurisdiction and exercise 
 of church government should be ordered in the 
 respective synods, presbyteries and sessions of 
 this church, by the appointment and authority 
 of the archbishops and bishops tliereof, accord- 
 ing to the standing laws, and their known privi- 
 lege, and practice conCoini thereto: and that 
 special care be taken that all due reverence and 
 respect be given by all the subjects, to the arch- 
 bishops and bishoi)s of the church, and that they 
 have all coinitrnance, assistance, and encourage- 
 ment, from the nobility, gentry, and others, in 
 the_ discharge of their office aiid service to his 
 majesty in the church: and that strict notice be 
 taken of all and every one who shall pn-sume to 
 reflect or express any disrespect to their persons, 
 function or authority, with which they are 
 invested; which his m;ijesty requires to be 
 intimate to the whole lieges by proclamation, 
 discliarging all ecclesiastical meetings in synods, 
 presbyteries or sessions, until they be authorized 
 and ordered by the archbishops and bishops, 
 upon their entry unto the government of their 
 respective sees, which is to be done speedily : 
 therefore, in obedience of, and conform to his 
 majesty's royal pleasure and command, have 
 crdained, and by these presents ordain the lyon 
 king at arms, and bis brethren lieralds, pursui- 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [boOK I. 
 
 standing of the late act, discharging the 
 presentations to presbyteries, you are pro- 
 ceeding in order to the admission of some 
 person to be minister at the said kirk ; and 
 therefore have commanded me to acquaint 
 you of the foresaid proclamation, that you 
 do not proceed to admit any person to be 
 minister at the said church, as j'ou will be 
 answerable, which you are to communicate 
 to your brethren, I am, sir, 
 
 " Yom- humble servant, 
 
 Peter Wedderburn." 
 
 Little more offers from the council registers 
 till the parliament rises, and then we shall 
 meet with enough of matter for this history. 
 Those invasions upon judicatories, but 
 especially the letter and proclamation, quite 
 overturning them, raised an universal sorrow 
 and concern through the kingdom, Presby- 
 terians, formerly broken among themselves, 
 could not easily make any concert, and the 
 ministers were of different sentiments what 
 course was best to take. Now indeed they 
 came to understand one another much 
 better than formerly, when going to a joint 
 furnace. Mr. Douglas, I am told, said, when 
 he saw matters came to this pass, " our 
 
 vants, and messengers at arms, to pass to the 
 market-cross of Edinburgh, and there, by open 
 proclamation, to make publication of his majesty's 
 royal pleasure foresaid ; discharging all eccle- 
 siastical meetings in synods, presbyteries, and 
 sessions, until they be authorized and ordered 
 by the archbishops and bishops, upon their 
 entering unto the government of tlieir respective 
 sees, as said is; and to require all his majesty's 
 subjects of whatsoever rank, quality, or degree 
 they be, to give all due reverence and respect 
 unto the arclibishops and bishops; and that all 
 the nobility, genti^-, and boroughs, sherifis of 
 shires, stewards of stewartries, baillies of regali- 
 ties, magistrates of burghs, justices of peace, and 
 other public ministers, within their respective 
 bounds and jurisdictions, at all times, give all 
 countenance, assistance, and encoin'agcment to 
 them, in the discharge of their office and service 
 to his majesty in the churcli: with certification, 
 that if any shall presinne to reflect or express 
 any disrespect to their persons, function, or 
 authority with which they are invested, they 
 shall be severely and exemplarily punished, 
 according to the nature and quality of their 
 offence. And ordain these presents to be printed, 
 I and published at the market-cross of Edinburgh, 
 as said is, and other places needful, that none 
 may pretend ignorance. 
 
 Pet. Weddereurn, CI. Sec. Concilii. 
 
 God save the king. 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 brethren the protesters have hail their eyes 
 open, anil we have been blind." Mr. Dick- 
 son nseil to say, " The protesters have been 
 much truer prophets than they." And Mi*. 
 Wood acknowledged to several of his breth- 
 ren who differed in judgment from him, 
 " That they had been mistaken in their 
 views the-y took of matters." And till the 
 ashes of those burnings were raised to add 
 fuel to the llainc about the indulgence, and 
 after sej)aration for a good many years, the 
 resolutions and protestation were quite 
 buried. Nevertheless, this was a juncture 
 of very much difliculty; and ministers and 
 honest people had their thoughts perhaps as 
 much spent in the melancholy forecastings 
 of ajjproaching sufferings, as upon due 
 methods of a joint opposition to the en- 
 croachments so fast making upon them. 
 And it is with regret I observe it, that too 
 little of a spirit for this appeared either w ith 
 ministers or people. At the fiist defection 
 to episcopacy in this church, after our refor- 
 mation from popery, a considerable stand 
 was made by ministers then perfectly united : 
 but now the most part of presbyteries silently 
 obtemperated this proclamation. In some 
 places when they did meet, they found 
 they could do nothing; and the essays of 
 some presbyteries to keep themselves in 
 jwsscs.forio by meeting, were useless, and 
 reckoned singular by others ; and by piece 
 and piece all the presbyteries of the church 
 were deserted, save some few, very few, 
 w'ho subjected to the prelates' orders. 
 
 Those heartbreaking encroachments upon 
 the liberties of this church, brought many 
 worthy gray hairs to the grave with sorrow: 
 now indeed the prelatic and old malignant 
 party " saw Zion defiled, and their eyes 
 looked upon her" with pleasure, when many 
 better men mourned and wept to theii* 
 graves. Those may well be reckoned suf- 
 ferers ; and though they were not martyrs 
 by men's hands, because death prevented 
 that, yet they were confessors and mai'tyrs 
 in resolution, and their death is justly 
 chargeable upon the contrivers and carriers 
 on of the iniquity of this time. Among those 
 I shall afterwards, when I come to the suf- 
 ferings of particidar persons, take notice of 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 Q51 
 
 K)G2. 
 
 the earl of Loudon anil ivir. ivuueri; 
 Bailie, who both died, I think, be- 
 fore the parliament sat down. 
 
 Yet some testimony was given by pres- 
 byteries in some places ; besides others 
 recorded in their registers, declarations 
 against prelacy, and the present encroach- 
 ments. In Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other 
 chief places, care was taken by the magis- 
 trates, there should be no more meetings of 
 presbyteries ; so that indeed we can expect 
 little or nothing from them. I shall take 
 notice only of what the presbytery of Kirk- 
 cudbright essayed to do at this time, from 
 some original papers come to my hand, pre- 
 served among others belonging to that truly 
 great man Mr. Thomas Wylie, minister at 
 Kirkcuilbright, whom we shall meet with 
 this year as a sufferer. When the coiuicii 
 proclamations against supplicating, taken 
 notice of last ye.ir, and those discharging 
 synods, and restricting presbyteries, came to 
 then* knowledge, they send two of their 
 number to Edinburgh, with the following 
 commission, which I give from the original 
 before me. 
 
 " At Kirkcudbright, January, 1662. 
 
 " The presbytery taking to their serious 
 consideration the condition of the work of 
 God in the land at this time, upon mature 
 deliberation do judge it expedient to sup- 
 plicate the right honourable the lords of his 
 majesty's privy council for removing the 
 bar that lieth in the way of address ; and 
 therefore do appoint their reverend brethren, 
 Mr. John Duncan, minister at Rerick, and 
 IMr. James Buglos, minister at C'rossmichael, 
 to repair to Edinburgh, or where it shall 
 happen their lordships to be for the time, 
 and present unto their lordships our humble 
 desires, and retm-n their diligence. 
 
 " M. W. Cant, Clerk." 
 
 I do not question but the two came in to 
 Edinburgh accordingly ; and though there 
 be no account of th's in the council records, 
 and scarce can be expected there, I as little 
 doubt they essayed to present the following 
 supplication. 
 
1662. 
 
 ^252 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Unlo the right honourable the lords 
 of his vinjcslt/s privy council, the 
 
 humble supplication of the presbytery of 
 
 Kirkcudbright. 
 
 " Ma}' it please your Lordships, 
 
 " At our synodical meeting in April las?, 
 we were fully resolved in all humility to 
 have presented our earnest petition in Zion's 
 behalf, unto the high and honourable court 
 of parliament, if we had not then been inter- 
 rupted ; and in October last the same reso- 
 lutions did revive in our breasts, and v.-ould 
 have vented themselves, if our meeting had 
 not been prohibited. And truly at this time 
 we do ingenuously confess, if we could ob- 
 tain it of ourselves and our consciences 
 before God, (when in his presence we are 
 most serious upon the search, what Israel 
 ought to do) we say, if we could obtain it 
 of ourselves to be silent, we should content- 
 edly thrust our mouths in the dust, and not 
 so much as presume once to move a lip. 
 
 " But when we consider the v/ork of the 
 Lord, at what height of perfection it was, in 
 the piu-ity of doctrine, worship, discipline, 
 and government in this land ; and when we 
 look upon the sad breaches already made 
 upon the wonted integrity of the discipline 
 and government, without which the purity 
 of worship and doctrine cannot long con- 
 tinue ; and upon the present actings and 
 preachings of some, which sadly threaten 
 the utter aversion and overturning of the 
 established discipline and government ; and 
 when withal we lay to heart, that the Lord 
 requireth of us, ' that for Zion's sake we 
 should not hold our peace, and that for 
 Jerusalem's sake we should not rest, that 
 we should earnestly contend for the faith, 
 and be valiant for the truth upon the eai-th,' 
 and that we should plead with the powers 
 of the earth in behalf of Zion : when we 
 consider and lay to heart those things, we 
 cannot, we dare not any longer lay the hand 
 upon the mouth, lest by sinful silence, and 
 truth prejudising modesty, we betray a good 
 cause, and fetch a cutting lash upon our 
 own consciences, and provoke the holy One 
 to be offended with us. 
 
 " Wherefore, right honourable, we do in 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 all humility prostrate ourselves before your 
 lordships, most humbly and earnestly begging 
 in the name of Jesus Christ, that your hon- 
 ours would be pleased to grant unto us free- 
 dom and liberty to unfold our bosoms unto 
 your honours in those things that, relating 
 to the work of God in the land, do sadly 
 aggrieve our spirits ; or, if your honours do 
 not of yourselves grant this liberty, we 
 humbly beg that your lordships would be 
 pleased to intercede with the king's most 
 excellent majesty, that he would be graci- 
 ously pleased to remove the bars that are 
 drawn in the way of address, that so we 
 may have free and safe access unto your 
 lordships, and the ensuing high and honour- 
 able court of parliament, to represent our 
 sad grievances arising from the undeniable 
 evils and dangers that the work of reforma- 
 tion in this land is now more than ever 
 threatened with, and to supplicate your and 
 their honours for remedy and redress. 
 
 " And particularly we humbly beg, that 
 we may have liberty, with freedom and 
 safety, to express our minds, against the re- 
 introduction of pi'elacy upon this church 
 and kingdom ; in doing whereof v.e resolve 
 in the Lord to walk (according to the mea- 
 sure we have received) close by the rules of 
 scripture, of Christian prudence, sobriety, 
 and moderation ; in all our actings testifying 
 our real affection, faithfulness, and loyalty 
 to the king's most excellent majesty ; the 
 preservation of whose royal person, and 
 whose long flourishing reign in righteous- 
 ness, is the thing in this world that is and 
 ever shall be dearest unto us, next unto the 
 flourishing of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. 
 
 " His majesty's gracious condescending 
 unto those our just and humble desires, will 
 yet more engage our already most deeply 
 engaged hearts and affections unto his ma- 
 jesty's person and government, under whom 
 it is the firm resolution of our hearts, to live 
 in all dutiful obedience, praying that the 
 Lord may long preserve his royal person 
 under the droppings of his grace, and abun- 
 dant loadenings of his best blessings, and 
 special mercies : and your honours' favour- 
 able acceptance of this our humble petition 
 off our hands,and transmitting of the same to 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 his sacred majesty, seconded with your lord 
 ships' intercessions for his majesty's grant of 
 these our just desires, ^vill make the present 
 generation bless you, and the generation to 
 come call you happy, and shall add to our 
 former obligations to supplicate at the throne 
 of grace for the Spirit of counsel and gov- 
 ernment, in the fear of the Lord, unto yoiu- 
 lordships, and that your persons and govern- 
 ment may be richly blessed of the Lord. 
 Thus we rest, expecting your honours' fav- 
 ourable answer." 
 
 When so modest and well drawn a peti- 
 tion could not be heard, we may see what 
 a low pass matters were at in Scotland. 
 All tbey ask is a fair hearing ; and instead 
 of this we shall find afterwards the reverend 
 Mr. Wylie, and a good many others in this 
 presbytery, where I think there was not one 
 conformed to prelacy, were attacked by the 
 council this year and the followmg. This 
 unreasonable and unmanly method of dis- 
 charging addresses and applications to a 
 government, and peremptory refusing the 
 most humble applications for the liberty of 
 them, as it cannot be defended, so it was 
 the occasion of all that can be, with the 
 least show of reason, objected against the 
 loyalty of presbyterians : and who can justly 
 blame them for seeking a hearing to their 
 grievances in an armed postnre, when the 
 oppression of their enemies had forced them 
 to this ? Yet they even came not this 
 length, but after several years' patient suffer- 
 ing of the greatest hardships ; as we shall 
 see in the progress of this history. 
 
 It was expected the parliament would 
 have sit down early this year; and the 
 presbytery of Kirkcudbright had under their 
 consideration the form of an address to the 
 parliament, a copy whereof is before me, 
 under the reverend Mr. Wylie's hand: it 
 is but the first draft, and no doubt would 
 have been smoothed and altered to the 
 better, had any door been opened for pre- 
 .senting it. Imperfect as it is, in my opinion 
 it deserves a room in this work, as the de- 
 signeil testimony of those worthy persons 
 at this juncture; and I persuade myself 
 they did well that they had this in their 
 hearts. The rude draft, with some clauses 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 263 
 
 1662. 
 
 added on the margin of it, wliich 
 seem to relate to the follov/ing 
 years, I have added at the bottom of the 
 
 page.* 
 
 * Address to purliaiuent from the. presbytery 
 of Kirkcudbright. 
 
 " Although we have no desire to appear in 
 public view, but incline rather to weep in secret, 
 and pour out our complaints and supplications 
 in Zion's behalf, before the Lord, who sees the 
 afflictions of his people, and liears tlieir ciy ; yet 
 having this happy opportunity of your honours 
 being assembled in this present parliament, 
 under his most excellent majesty our dear and 
 dread sovereign, (the fruits of whose fatherly 
 caie and gracious inclination to relieve the 
 oppressed, and refresh the wearied, conveyed to 
 us by your honours' endeavours, we hopefully 
 expect to taste of) we should be unfaithful to 
 God and his cause, undutiful to our sovereign, 
 cruel to ourselves, and to the i>resent and fol- 
 lowing generations, if we should let the present 
 occasion slip by in deep silence, not making so 
 much as a mint to gioan out our grievances 
 before your honours, who in the Lord's provi- 
 dence seem to be brought together for such a 
 time as this, that enlargement may arise by you, 
 iis noble and worthy instruments, unto 'the 
 people and work of God. We shall forbear to 
 mention the height that the gloriou'* work of 
 reformation had attained to in this kirk, both 
 in our forefathers' time, and espcci;illv in our 
 own, in this land. All monuments of'idolatry, 
 all sujterfluity of pompous ceremony, all superi- 
 ority of lordly i)relacy, root and branch, being 
 cut off and removed ; the pure worship of God 
 in word and sacraments, the pure government 
 of his house was restored, according to the pattern 
 showed in the mount, and solemnly engaged 
 unto: then were we a crown of glory in the 
 hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the 
 hand of our God ; then the Lord accompanied 
 his word in the mouth of liis faithful servants, 
 with such power and lil'e in converting, com- 
 forting, and confirming souls, that it was indeed 
 the power of God unto salvation, and backed it 
 with such power and authority against sin, 
 that by it the works of the devil were destroyed, 
 and Satan fell like lightning, profanity wjts 
 diushed, and atheists changed either in heart, or 
 at least in countenance ; popery, with all error 
 and heresy, so curbed, that it durst not setup 
 its head. Those are so notour that to insist 
 upon them were to trouble your honours by a 
 recital of things, which are so manifi^stly known 
 that our adversaries themselves cannot denv 
 them; or if they should, many of your honours, 
 being eminently instjumentalin the late glorious 
 reformation, and eye-witnesses of the blessed 
 cffei-ts thereof, wliich increased daily until 
 obstructed by tlie unlawful invasion "of the 
 perfidious usurper, whose feet the Lord made to 
 slide in due time, could put tijem to shame and 
 silence. And though we did give real demon- 
 strations of our loyal affections to his majesty, 
 during that unjust and rebellious usurjiation, 
 and may, as to this, without vanity compare 
 and reckon in the gate with several, "who now, 
 pretending much to loyalty, do restlessly endea- 
 vour to fetch, and keep us," with many others of 
 his majesty's faithful subjects, under "the las • of 
 the law, and discountenance of sacred authority, 
 
254 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1662. 
 
 Little more offers before the 
 sitting down of the parliament, save 
 the consecration of the rest of the bishops ; 
 
 as if we were the most disloyal persons on the 
 ikce of the earth, which, the Lord knows is far 
 from our thoughts; neither can any justly or 
 rational!}' gather any such charge against us 
 from our actions, we having obtained mercy, 
 to carry so under the greatest difficulties, and 
 darkest of times, as oui- heart dotli not reproach 
 us, and, we hope, are approved of God who is 
 greater than our heart ; so we are able sufficiently 
 to stop the mouth of calumny itself in speaking 
 against us in this matter. But the vindication 
 of ourselves, however necessary in its own 
 place, not being our main intendment, ive can 
 easily command ourselves silence, as willing to 
 he repute any thing, or nothing, for God. We 
 spare to speak upon this subject ; if it were our 
 things we were to speak for, we should choose 
 to put our mouths in the dust, and he altogether 
 silent rather than move a lip : but considering 
 the cause we plead for, is the Lord Jesus Christ's, 
 ^vhich nearly concerns the souls of his people, 
 and knowing that sinful silence of the mouth in 
 such matters, will make tlie conscience within 
 to cry, we crave your honours' leave and pardon 
 to pour out our complaints and humble desires 
 before you. 
 
 " After our patient enduring of trouble, and 
 our faithful and loyal deportment in relation to 
 his majesty and his interest, during the time of 
 the usurper's prevailing, and of his majesty's sad 
 suffering, we expected, upon his mnjesty's re- 
 storation, not only a reviving from our bondage, 
 but also the promoving and supporting of the 
 covenanted work of reformation ; and now that 
 it is fallen out otherwise, is the matter of our 
 grief, and lias been the occasion of sad sufferings 
 to many of his majesty's most faithful and loyal 
 subjects, in their consciences, persons, names, 
 and estates, while they refused to give active 
 compliance in such things as they cannot obtain 
 of their consciences to come up to : instead of 
 promoving the reformation, we have lost all 
 that we formerly attained unto; and the glory 
 of our kirk, once beautiful in the eyes of the 
 nations, is now turned into shame, and we are 
 become a reproach unto our neighbours round 
 about : the word ^vns purely and powerfully 
 preached, and followed with a blessing from the 
 Lord, discipline was impartially exercised, then 
 the government of his house did run in the right 
 channel, and was execute by those to whom God 
 had given that charge, in opposition both to 
 episcopacy, independency and erastianism, and 
 the Lord thus feeding his flock, both witli the 
 staves of beauty and bands, by his sent and sealed 
 servants, the staves being in riglit hands, the 
 church of Christ in the land was edified, holiness 
 was countenanced, profanity decried, and the 
 Ijord rested in his love among us. But now 
 the poor of the flock that wait upon the Lord, 
 cry out of soul-starving, and that they are de- 
 stroyed for lack of knowledge. Now profanity 
 and diss(duteness lift up the head, without 
 shame, wihout reproof, and keep the crown of 
 the causey. Now po])ery spreads in all the 
 corners of the land, and papists not only avow 
 themselves, but talk insolently. Now irrational 
 (juakers traffic from place to j)lace, and make 
 tlieir proselytes among the simple and unstable. 
 
 [book I, 
 
 of which, with their admission into that 
 assembly, I shall here give some account. 
 April 8th, the primate and the otlier three 
 
 Now the wicked are hardened and imboldened 
 in their sins, and the tender godly, who will 
 not run with them into the same excess of riot, 
 rei)roached, discountenanced and persecuted. 
 Now atheism abounds, and the generality are 
 become so ignorant of, and indifferent about the 
 matters of God, and their soul-concernments, 
 that thej' are apt to receive the impress of any 
 religion, how corrupt soever. And all these 
 wrath-provoking evils do Row, as may be evident 
 to all who do not shut their eyes, from reintro- 
 duced prelacy; for the prelates having <ibandoned 
 discipline, and thrust in and kept in useless, 
 insufficient and scandalous persons upon the 
 Lord's people, several of whom are not worthy 
 to be members of a civil commonwealth, much 
 less to officiate in the house of God ; from hence 
 it is that profanity, as from a foul puddle, does 
 flow through the whole land. 
 
 " For those things our souls mourn, and for 
 remedy thereof we make this application to your 
 honours, humbly beseeching your lordships, j 
 that as you respect the glory of God, tlie flour- 11 
 ishing of Christ's kingdom in tlie land, the safety 
 of immortal souls, tlie adorning of his majesty's 
 crown, the quiet of the persons of his majesty's 
 loving and loyal subjects, your own endless 
 praise, and flourishing of your honourable 
 families, the comfort of many oppressed minis- 
 ters and groaning congregations within the 
 kingdom; and that as you respect your own 
 comfort and peace in tlie great day of your ac- 
 counts, you ^voidd grant a favourable answer to 
 our most just, reasonable, and in order to the 
 remedying of tlie foreraentioned evils, necessary 
 desires. And, 1st, We humbly beg, that by 
 your honours' timous intercession at his majes- 
 ty's hands (and the Lord grant you favour in 
 the presence of the king) and by your own 
 autliority and pOAver, this poor kirk and king- 
 dom, lying in her tears, gi'ief, and fear, may be 
 delivered from the burdensome yoke of prelacy, 
 a yoke which neither we nor our fatliers were 
 able to bear, a jilant wliich our heavenly Father 
 hath not planted, and wliich never took, even 
 from the reformation hitherto, with this kirk 
 and kingdom as its kindly soil, but has still been 
 the occasion and cause of many grievous evils, ' 
 as experience of old, of late, and at this present, 
 does abundantly witness. 2dly, We humbly 
 beg, that the pure government of the church, 
 by sessions, presbyteries, synods, and general 
 assemblies, may be restored, and suffered with- 
 out all encroachments to reside in right hands, 
 and all former acts of parliament in favours of 
 the same be revived and ratified for its establish' 
 ment ; that the courts of Christ, thus counten- 
 anced by the civil autlioritj', may be in case to 
 purge this church from scandalous ministers and 
 members. Sdlj', That all ministers removed 
 from their charges, be restored to their places 
 and functions, to feed the flock of Christ, pur- 
 clwsed by his own blood, that the banished be 
 called home, and that his gracious majestj' would 
 lay aside his displeasure conceived against others 
 of his majesty's faithful and loving subjects. 
 4thly, That your lordships would take an eflec- 
 tual way for removing the useless, insufficient, 
 and scandalous persons, that have been thrust 
 
CHAP 
 
 IM.] 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 Q55 
 
 consecrated at Loiulon came to Berwick, exhorted tlie bisliops not to en- .„ 
 and were met by considerable nnuibers of croacli upon the nobihty, but to 
 noblemen, gentlemen, and others, upon the keep themselves sober, and not exceed tlic 
 
 road to Edinburgh : some gave themselves 
 the trouble to go as far as Cockburns-path, 
 others to Haddington, and many met them 
 at Musselburgh ; ami under pretext of obe- 
 dience to his majesty's commands to put 
 all respect on them, they were received at 
 
 bounds of their function. The consecrators 
 were the two archbishops. The primate 
 made use of the English forms, and read all 
 from the book, the Lord's Prayer, Creed, 
 and Ten Comriiandnients, and consecration 
 and exhortation after it. I do not find that 
 
 their coming in with all pomp and solemnit;, ] the bishops were re-ordained presbyters and 
 
 and trumpets sounding, which was not a 
 little pleasing to Mr. Sharp's ambitious 
 temper. 
 
 The commissioner Middleton came do^vn 
 from court to Holyrood-house upon Sun- 
 day, May 4th, and the consecration of the 
 rest of our prelates was put oiFtill he should 
 be present to countenance this solemnity, 
 which was indeed a new thing in Scotland. 
 Accordingly, May "Jth was fixed for their 
 consecration, in the church of Holyrood- 
 house. The nobility and gentry in town, 
 with the magistrates and town council of 
 Edinburgh, contributed their best endea- 
 vours to put respect upon this work. The 
 church doors were strictly kept, and none 
 had access but those who had warrants. 
 The two archbishops went to the church in 
 great parade in their pontifical habits, black 
 gowns, sur{)lices, lawn sleeves, copes, and 
 all other things in due form. Before the 
 consecration, a sermon was preached by Mr. 
 James Gordon, minister at Drumblait, in 
 the north of Scotland : his text was, 1 Cor. 
 iv. L " Let a man so account of us as min- 
 isters of Christ, and stewards of the mys- 
 teries of God." And in his sermon he 
 insisted upon the faults and escapes of the 
 former prelates, which made thera fall, and 
 
 Li, and kept in upon the Lord's people, to their 
 great ^'itt, and the starving of their souls. 
 6thly, That a sufficient defence be provided by 
 your lordships, against all novations in doctrine, 
 sacraments, worship and discipline, and that no 
 acts pass in prejudice of our religion, as reforni- 
 ed in all these, or in corroboration of new opi- 
 nions against the same, whether episcopacy, 
 ceremonies, or any thing else which should be 
 rejected and not ratified, fjthly. That all form- 
 er acts of parliament, against cursing, swearing, 
 and fearful blasphemy of God's name, profaning 
 the l-ord's day, drinking, whoring, and other 
 abominable sins, universally abounding in the 
 land, and against popery and popish emissaries, 
 by wliose means it so much spreadeth every 
 
 deacons before their consecration, as the 
 four had been at London ; neither that ever 
 it was once proposed. Three of the bishops 
 nominated were not present, but hasting up 
 as soon as possible, the bishop of Aberdeen, 
 and other two who were out of the king- 
 dom : and those three were consecrate after- 
 wards at St. Andrews, in June this year. 
 
 This ceremony paved the wa^' for their 
 admission as members in the parliament, 
 to-morrow, INIay 8th j where, after the voting 
 of the 1st act, for "restitution of bishops," 
 of which in the next section, they were 
 brought up to the house, and convoyed 
 from it with much pomp. All the bishops 
 were together in the aixhbishop of St. 
 Andrews' lodgings, near the Nether Bow, 
 waiting for the honour to be done them. 
 Six members of parhament, two noblemen, 
 the earls of Kelly and Weemys, and two 
 barons, and two burgesses were sent to 
 invite them to come and take their seats 
 in the house. From the Kether Bow they 
 came up in state: the two archbishops in 
 the midst of the first rank ; the gentlemen, 
 baillies, and the town council of Edinburgh, 
 mixed in with the rest of the bishops, who 
 had all theii" black gowns and robes. When 
 they came to the house, a speech was made 
 
 where, be revived, and put in due and ready 
 execution. Thus, earnestly praying God to 
 bless your honours, v/ith the spirit of righteous 
 judgment in the fear of the Lord, and to direct 
 and enable you to do that which may be right in 
 his sight, profitable and refreshing to this poor 
 languishing kirk, comfortable to your own souls 
 in the day of your appearance bef<u'e the judg- 
 ment-seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to bless 
 and preserve his majesty's royal person, and to 
 establish his throne in righteousness, to endure 
 as long as sun and moon run in their courses, and 
 to bless your honours with sincere zeal for God, 
 true loyalty to his majesty, and endless glory 
 with Christ for ever, we expect your lonlsli., .>' 
 favourable and refreshing answer. 
 
2.56 
 
 . to them, and the parliament's act 
 
 restoring them, read, and the house 
 dismissed tliat da}-. They were all invited to 
 dine with the commissioner ; and he did them 
 the honour to walk down the street with them 
 on foot. Six macers went first, with their 
 maces elevated : next, three gentlemen 
 ushers, one for the commissioner, another 
 for the chancellor, and the thu'd for the 
 archbishop of St. Andrews; and then the 
 pursebearer discovered. The commissioner 
 and chancellor came next, with two noble- 
 men upon their right hand, and the arch- 
 bishops upon their left hand, in their gowns : 
 and the other noblemen and members of 
 parliament invited, and the rest of the 
 bishops, followed, making up the cavalcade. 
 When I come to consider the act for 
 their restitution, some general remarlcs upon 
 the re-introduction of prelacy will offer 
 themselves : only here it may be matter of 
 wonder, that bishops are thus brought in 
 upon this church, without the least shadow 
 of the church's consent or authority. In 
 king James VI. his time, another method 
 was judged better. The corrupted and 
 overawed assembly at Montrose, IGOO, after 
 a great struggle, agreed to the caveats, and 
 paved the way for their coming in under 
 another name than that of bishops : and 
 this was found necessary by the court, to 
 prepare matters for the king's succession to 
 England, and the union of the two crowns. 
 The yet more corrupted assembly at Glas- 
 gow, 1610, which was so scandalously and 
 openly bribed, did more directly counte- 
 nance, and some way ratify prelacy. But 
 now they come in without the least consent 
 of the church ; yea, contrary to many un- 
 rescinded church canons, which made many 
 in Scotland look upon them, and such as 
 they authorized and hatched, as real in- 
 truders, not only without consent, but reni- 
 tente et contrndicente ecclesia. The reasons 
 of such procedure in this obtrusion were 
 various : the bishops and managers durst 
 not hazard any considerable meeting of 
 ministers in Scotland upon this point. 
 Things were not so ripe for this as in 
 the year 1610, nor so gradually prepared 
 for their giving consent. And now when 
 absolute and arbitraiy government was to 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 be set up in the state, and the prerogative 
 
 stretched to its utmost, it was not unfit to 
 have the ministry and the government of 
 the church entirely depending upon, and 
 set up by the royal prerogative and pleasure .* 
 so a church concurrence was not so much 
 as endeavoured, but prelates and prelacy 
 brought in entu-ely by the supremacy. And 
 upon this foot the parliament give their 
 consent to, and settle episcopacy in their 
 second session ; to which I now come, if 
 once I had remarked, that 
 
 May 7th, the commissioner in council 
 declares, that it is his majesty's royal will 
 and pleasure, that the earl of Tweeddale's 
 restraint be taken ofi^ and he restored to all 
 his former rights and privileges, and his 
 bond be delivered up to him. Which the 
 council orders to be done; and he had 
 opportunity to sit in parliament to-morrow : 
 but he and others must be taught, by his 
 eight months' imprisonment and confine- 
 ment, how dangerous it would be to speak 
 their light, and cross the court in any of 
 their votes in the ensuing parliaments. 
 
 Of the acts of the second session of parlia- 
 77ient, luitk reflections upon them, in so far 
 as they concern church affairs tlds year, 
 1662. 
 
 In my account of the sufferings of presby- 
 terians this jear, I shall begin with the 
 laws made by this session of pai'liament, 
 which were the foundation of much after- 
 persecution, and then consider the proce- 
 dure of the council, and their acts, during 
 the rest of the year. The particular suffer- 
 ings of ministers, gentlemen, and others, I 
 shall leave to a section or two by them- 
 selves, though several of them were during 
 the sitting of parliament. I begin now 
 with the acts of this session of parliament 
 under Aliddleton. 
 
 The parliament had been adjourned to 
 March; but it being resolved, that the 
 prelates should have their places in it, and 
 matters not being concerted as to their 
 consecration, it was put off till that could be 
 completed : besides, our nobility at London 
 
CIJAr. 111.] OF THE CIIUJJCl 
 
 were foiul of being there at the solemnity of 
 the queen's reception. When she arrived, 
 her majesty was received with the utmost 
 pomp and expectation : and when, in some 
 years, people's expectations of a successor 
 from her failed, it began to be alleged, that 
 chancellor Hyde pitched upon a barren 
 woman for the king, that his grandchildren, 
 by the duke of York, might succeed : but 
 Providence had a further view in it, and 
 both made way for the wonderful revolution, 
 1688, and deliverance of those kingdoms, 
 when well nigh ruined by the wide steps 
 taken towards popery, during the two 
 brothers' reigns, and the seasonable estab- 
 lishment of the protestant succession, so 
 happily now taken effect, upon the ex- 
 tinction of that line. 
 
 Accordingly, May 8th, the parliament sat 
 down. After the old fashion, this session 
 was, if I might speak so, opened b}' a sermon, 
 preached by Mr. George Haliburton, now 
 bishop of Dunkeld. What his subject was, 
 I do not know, but find he was prolix 
 enough, and exceetled two hours consider- 
 abl}'. But leaving this, 1 come to their 
 acts and proceedings, in as far as they con- 
 cern ecclesiastic matters. The length of 
 my remarks upon the acts of the former 
 session, will help to shorten any observa- 
 tions I have to make upon this session. 
 The same persons were prosecuting the 
 same design, and much by the same methods, 
 only a little more openly and roundly. 
 
 The prelates, already brought in by the 
 king, must now be confirmed by act of par- 
 liament; and that is all the warrant they 
 had in Scotland. They were already set 
 up by his majesty's sole authority, and it 
 was very fit they should lean entirely upon 
 his supremacy : however, the representatives 
 of the nation, his majesty's and his bishops' 
 obedient sen'ants, must give their assent ; 
 yet not until they coidd not refuse it, with- 
 out blaming themselves in giving an absolute 
 power to the king, or casting a bhir upon 
 what his majesty had done. Therefore they 
 fall to work; and their very first act is, 
 " For the restitution and re-establishment 
 of the ancient government of the church, 
 by archbishops and bishops ;" which I have 
 
 I OF SCOTLAND. 257 
 
 added below. * It was the prelates' .....^ 
 fault if this act was not ample 
 enough, for it was drawn at the sight, and 
 
 * Act for the restitution and re-establishment 
 of the ancient government of the church, by 
 archbishops and bishops. 
 
 Forjusmuch as the ordering and disposal of the 
 external government and policy of the church, 
 doth properly belong unto his mjijesty, as an in- 
 herent right of the crown, by virtue of his royal 
 prerogative and supremacy in causes ecclesiasti- 
 cal ; and in discharge of tliis trust, his majesty, 
 and his estates of parliament, taking to their 
 serious coiisideratii)n, that in the beginning of, 
 and by the late rebellion within this kingdom, 
 in the year 1()37, the ancient and sacred ord r 
 of bishops was cast off, their persons and rights 
 wira injured and overturned, and a seeming 
 parity among the clergy fac'tiously and violently 
 brought in, to the gi'eat disturbance of tlie pub- 
 lic peace, the reproach of the reformed religion, 
 ■ and violation of the excellent laws of the realm, 
 for preserving an orderly subordination in the 
 , church : and therewithal considering, what dis- 
 ] orders and exorbitances have been in the church 
 I what encroachments upon the prerogative and 
 rights of the crown, what usurpations upon the 
 ; authority of parliaments, and what prejudice 
 the liberty of the suiject hath suffered, by the 
 invasions made upon the bishops and e]>)scopal 
 government, whicli tliey tind to be the church 
 ; government most agreeable to the word of Cod, 
 i most convenient and effectual for the preserva- 
 , tion of truth, order and unity, and most suitable 
 to monarchy, and the peace and quiet of the 
 state : therefore his majesty, with advice and 
 consent of his estates of parliament, hath thought 
 it necessary, and accordingly doth hereby re- 
 dintegrate the state of bishops to their ancient 
 places and undoubted privileges in parliament, 
 and to all their other accustomed dignities, pri- 
 vileges and jurisdictions, and doth hereby re- 
 store them to the exercise of their episcopal 
 functi<m, presidence in the church, power of 
 ordination, inflicting of censures, and all other 
 1 acts of church discipline, which they are to per- 
 form with advice and assistance of such of the 
 clergy as they shall tind to be of known loyalty 
 and prudence. And his majesty, with advice 
 foresaiil, doth revive, ratify, and renew all acts 
 of any former parliaments, made for the estab- 
 : lishment, and in favours of this ancient gov- 
 , ernment, and doth ratify and approve all acts 
 and proclamations emitted by Ills majesty or liis 
 ! privy council, since the first day c,f June hisr, 
 I in order to the restitution of bishops. And 
 I further, it is hereby declared that whatever 
 shall be deteraiined by his majesty, with advice 
 of the archbishops and bishop:^, and such of the 
 clergy as shall be nominated by his majesty, in 
 the external government and policy of the church 
 (the same consisting with the standing laws of 
 the kingdom) shall be valid and effectual. Ami 
 his majesty, considering how necessary it is, 
 that all doubts or scruples, which from former 
 acts or practices may occur to any concerning 
 this sacred order, be cleared and removed, doth 
 therefore, of certain knowledge, and with ad- 
 vice foresaid, rescind, cass, atui aiirnil all acts of 
 parli.nment, by whicli the sole and only power 
 
 2 K 
 
258 THE IIISTOIIY OF TIIL SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 \i^C'2 '^^ *^^ direction of the primate: ' poned to all that the popish bishops eiij( icd, 
 
 and yet, it was said, some of our j This act, I find, passed in the house with 
 
 bishops grumbled that they were not re- I very little opposition : some objections were 
 
 and jurisdicfion within this church, doth stand 
 in the church, an J in the afeneral, provincial, and 
 presbyterial assemblies, and kirk sessions, and 
 all acts of parliament or council wliicli may be 
 interpreted to have given any chur<di power, 
 jurisdiction or government, to the office-bearers 
 of tlie church, their I'espective meetings, other 
 than that which acknowledgeth a dependance 
 upon, and subordination to the sovereign power 
 of tlie king, as supreme, and which Is to be re- 
 gulated and authorized, in the exercise thereof, 
 by the archbishops and bishops who are to put 
 order to all ecclesiastical matters and causes, and 
 to be accountable to his majesty for their ad- 
 ministrations. And particularly, his majesty, 
 with advice foresaid, doth rescind and annul the 
 first act of tlie twelfth parliament of king James 
 VI. holden in the year 1692, and declares the 
 same, and all the heads, clauses, and articles 
 thereof, void find null, in all time coining. And 
 his majesty considering, that the jurisdiction of 
 the commissariots is a proper part of the rights 
 and privileges belonging to the bishops, doth 
 therefore, with advice foresaid, restore the arcli- 
 bishops and bishops to their said jurisdiction of 
 commissariots, according to the sixth act of the 
 parliament l(j09, which is hereby ratified and 
 renewed : and accordingly ordains, that in all 
 time coming the quotes of testaments be paid in 
 to the archbishops and bishops in their respec- 
 tive dioceses, as formerly ; and rescinds and an- 
 nuls the twenty-eighth act of the last session of 
 this present parliament, anerit the quotes of tes- 
 taments, and declares the same void in all time 
 coming. It is always hereby declared, that this 
 act is without prejudice of the present commis- 
 saries, their clerks and iiscals, their enjoying 
 their places and benefits thereof, conform to 
 their gifts and laws of this kingdom ; unless, 
 for their insufficiency or misdemeanours they be 
 found incapable of the same. Further, his ma- 
 jest}', with advice and consent foresaid, statutes 
 and ordains, that no act, gift, tack, or dead, 
 passed by ■\vhatsoever authority, since the inter- 
 ruption of the government by archbishops and 
 bishops, in the year 1637, to the prejudice of 
 their rights, patronages, admiralties, superior- 
 ities, rents, possessions, and jurisdictions per- 
 taining to the several bislioprics, stand valid or 
 be in force : but that the said archbishops and 
 bishops may have their claim, right and posses- 
 sion for the year 1661, and all years following, 
 to whatsoever was possessed bj', or by the laws of 
 the kingdom was due to their predecessors in 
 anno 1637, and that notwithstanding of any 
 donation or rights made to colleges, churches, 
 corporations, ministers, or any other persons, 
 since the j'ear 1637, by whatsoever order, deed, 
 or warrant, excepting as is aforesaid, in favours 
 of commissaries, clerks, and fiscals. And where- 
 as, divers persons having right to lands, annual- 
 rents, or some other estate holden formerly of 
 bishops, or who had succeeded, or acquired 
 rights to the .said lands, and others of the nature 
 and holding foresaid, have been forced, during 
 the late troubles, there being no other way or 
 superior for the time, to obtain themselves infeft 
 
 therein, holden of his majesty or his roj'al father, 
 or of their donators having right for the time; 
 and to that effect did take precepts out of the 
 cliancery, and to pass infeftments under the great 
 seal, and to obtain precepts and charters from the 
 said other persons who had right to their superi- 
 orities for the time ; and his majesty being gra- 
 ciously pleased, that such rights and infeftinents 
 as, for the time, were necessary and of course 
 taken and passeil in manner foresaid, should not 
 be prejudised : therefore it is statute and declared, 
 that all persons, who, since the beginning of the 
 troubles in the year 1633, are entered or infeft 
 by his majesty or his roj'al father, by the pre- 
 tended authority for the time, or any other per- 
 son having right from them in any land or 
 estate holden immediately of the bishops before, 
 the said troubles, shall now hold the same of the 
 respective archbishops and bishops, their lawful 
 superiors, in the same manner as thej', their 
 predecessors and authors, held the same before 
 the late troubles. And it is declared, that 
 neither this nor any other act of the last or pre- 
 sent session of this parliament, shall prejudge 
 any retours, signatures, charters, precepts, in- 
 feftments, sasines of lands, annual rents, or any 
 other estate holden immediatelj^ of bishops, 
 whereby the same are retoured, or infeftments 
 of the same are taken, to be holden of the king 
 or his donators, since tlie time foresaid, upon 
 retours, resignations, comprisings, adjudications, 
 or by way of confirmation, or precepts of dare 
 constat, or otherways : which infeftments being 
 orderly passed, as they ought to have been for the 
 time, with the retours, signatures and other 
 warrants of the same, his majesty, with consent 
 foresaid, doth ratify and approve, and declares to 
 be valid rights, as if the same had been granted 
 or renewed by the said archbishops or bishops. 
 It is always declared, that the declaration and 
 ratification foresaid, shall not be extended to any 
 new gift or grant, or any other clause or right 
 contained in the said infeftments or signatures, 
 or other warrants of the same, whereby a;ny new 
 gift or original right of the said lands and others 
 are given, or the right of the same is granted or 
 convej'ed otherways than conform to the rights 
 and infeftments thereof, before the time afore- 
 said. Like.is it is declared, that the said ratifi- 
 cation and declaration foresaid, shall not corro- 
 borate or import any ratification to the said 
 vassals, their former rights, which are to be in 
 the same case as they were in the beginning of 
 the said troubles, in the year foresaid; in regard 
 it is his majesty's intention : likeas it is declared 
 by his majesty, with consent foresaid, that the 
 archbishops and bishops shall be, as to their pa- 
 trimony and rents, in the same case and condi- 
 tion as they were in the year foresaid, notwith- 
 standing of whatsoever acts of the pretended 
 parliaments since the time foresaid, to the con- 
 trary: andnotwithstandingof whatsoever rights, 
 grants, or deeds flowing from, or depending 
 upon, or done or granted by virtue of any act 
 or acts of the said pretended parliaments, which 
 his majesty, with consent foresaid, doth de- 
 clare, decern, and determine to be void and null. 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 iiiaJe, as to some clauses, by some ot" tlie 
 lorils of erection. David Lesly, this day 
 admitted to tiie house as a temporal lord, 
 dissented from the act; and when he did 
 so, and some near him began to smile, he 
 roundly told them, " the day was, when 
 none of them durst have mocked him." 
 The reader will bear with me in making 
 a few remarks upon this " act restoring 
 bishops." 
 
 The title of the act would not be at all 
 disagrccal)le to popery, had they been re- 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. Q50 
 
 to his majesty, as an inherent right ^f-^n 
 of the crown." 
 
 This leads me to obsei*vc, that the parlia- 
 ment bottom their bishops '.ipon the king's 
 prerogative, and the ecclesiastical supre- 
 macy ; which abundantly seems to explain 
 the oath of allegiance, really of supremacy, 
 formerly spoken of. I have said so much 
 already upon that oath, that I need only 
 observe, that presbytcrians allow heartily all 
 the prerogatives to theii- sovereign which 
 scrijiture and sound reason can allow of; 
 introducing it. The ancient government of yet the people of that persuasion have still 
 
 the church under antichrist, was by the 
 pope, aixhbishops, and bishoj)s. In the 
 body of the act, indeed they find that 
 government to be most agreeable to the 
 word of God. Had they been as freely 
 chosen representatives, as those after the 
 revolution, and had declared prelacy agree- 
 able to the inclinations of the people in 
 Scotland, as then, upon just grounds, prelacy 
 was declared an insupportable grievance, 
 and contrary to the inclinations of the 
 people, it had been a declaration very com- 
 petent for them, profiling it had agreed 
 with truth. But, without any breach of 
 chaiity, we may suppose, that few who 
 voted this act, had been at any great pains 
 to search into the word of God ; it was 
 enough to many, that it was the king's 
 
 stood up in asserting liberty and property, 
 in conjunction with the prerogative bounded 
 by the laws of the land. And it is worth 
 our notice, that so soon as our princes set 
 up for an unbounded prerogative and abso- 
 lute power, they continually attacked pres- 
 byterian government, as most agreeable to 
 law and liberty. Indeed the cause and 
 interest of liberty and presb3tery have still 
 stood and fallen together in Scotland. 
 
 By this act, the bishops are " restored to 
 their ancient prerogatives, privileges, and 
 functions, which they are to exercise with 
 advice of such of the clergy, as they shall 
 find to be of known loyalty and prudence." 
 Hereby it is left to their choice to pitch 
 upon whom they please, among the under- 
 lings, to join with them in the manage- 
 
 word, and what he was for. For my share, , ment: and, for what I can see, they may 
 I cannot well see the consistency of theii* 
 finding this government agreeable to the 
 word of God, with the very first clause of , ^^'^''• 
 
 act entirely without taking any of them in 
 at all. Thus indeed they generally Jjd in 
 
 the act, " forasmuch as the ordering and 
 disposal of the external government, and 
 policy of the church, doth properly belong 
 
 except in so far as is reserved and ratified in 
 manner above written. It is hereby declared, 
 that this act of restitution shall ^ive no lijfht to 
 any of the said archbishops or bishoY)s, or their 
 successors, nor to the heirs or executors of tlic 
 deceased bishops, of any rents belonging to tiie 
 archbishoprics or bishoprics, preceding the yiar 
 1661, after the said year lf)33, but that all tlie 
 said rents intromitted with by, and pertaining 
 to such persons as had right thereto lor the time. 
 As also, all such pcisous who, huna fide, have 
 made payment of tlieir feu duties, tieiids, and 
 ti.-nd duties, and others, rents of their bishoprics, 
 are and shall be also secured for bygones allen- 
 arly, free of any action or question, notwith- 
 standing of this present act, or any thing therein 
 contained. 
 
 The parliament, in the next room, approve 
 all the acts of council, since they were erect- 
 ed ; and so, by their own deed, discharge all 
 petitioning of the king by his subjects, in the 
 matters of the church, and prohibit all 
 synods, presbyteries, or sessions, to meet, 
 except as the bishops shall allow them, and 
 all subjects to countenance or submit to 
 these judicatories of Christ's institution. 
 We shall afterwards find, that it is very 
 customary for our parliaments to make their 
 acts to look backwards. Yea, they for ever 
 put the power out of their own hand, and 
 from their entire confidence of the infalli- 
 bility of the civil pope, and his council, the 
 archbishops and bishops, the parliament be- 
 forehand ratify, make vaUd and effectual " all 
 
2G0 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 1 fifi'i *^^* ^^^^ ^^ determined by his ma- 
 jesty, with the advice of his bishops 
 and archbishops, and such of the clergy as 
 he shall call, as to the external policy and 
 government of the church ;" and frankly give 
 them liberty to do every thing, but establish 
 presbytery, which was against the (then) 
 standing laws. 
 
 They go on to cass and annul all acts and 
 laws, which gave any jurisdiction to church- 
 men, or judicatories independent of the 
 king's supremacy. One must in charity 
 hope, they mean this only of human laws, 
 and they take not upon them to abrogate 
 the divine law establishing a jurisdiction and 
 ministerial power in the officers of Christ's 
 house, as a spiritual society independent, to 
 be sure, upon the regal supremacy, and some 
 hundreds of years in exercise of those 
 powers, before a regal supremacy was 
 thought upon. However, in as far as in 
 them lies, this is a home-thrust at all eccles- 
 iastical power, and a putting the king, as far 
 as their law could put him, in Christ's room, 
 and making him somewhat above the pope 
 himself, in the eyes of a great many papists. 
 And the act of parliament, 1592, which 
 because not in every body's hands who may 
 read this history, I have annexed, in a note,* 
 
 • Act 114, Pari. 12— James VI., 1592. Rati- 
 fying the liberty of the true kirk, &c. 
 Our sovereign loi'd, and estates of this present 
 pariiainent, following the loveable and good 
 example of their predecessors, has ratified and 
 approved, and by the tenor of this present act 
 ratifies and approves all liberties, privileges, 
 and immunities, and freedoTns whatsomever, 
 given and granted by his highness, his regents 
 in his name, or any of his predecessors, to the 
 true and holy kirk, presently established within 
 this realm, and declared in the first act of 
 his highness's parliament, the twentieth day 
 of October, the year of God, 1579, and all and 
 whatsomevcr acts of parliament, and statutes 
 made of before by his highness and his regents, 
 anent the liberty and freedom of the said kirk: 
 and specially, the first act of the parliament 
 holden at Edinburgh, the twenty-fourth day of 
 October, the year of God, 1581, with the haill 
 particular acts there mentioned : which shall be 
 as suflicient as if tlie same ^verc here expressed, 
 and all other acts of parliament made sensine in 
 favour of the true kirk -. and siklike ratifies and 
 approves the general assemblies appointed by the 
 said kirk, and declares that it shall be lawful to 
 the liirk and ministers, every year at the least, 
 and oftener pro re ymta, as occasion and necessity 
 shall require, to hold and keep general assem- 
 blies, providing that the king's majesty, or his 
 commissioners '.vith them to be appointed by liis 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS TbOOK I. 
 
 is particularly rescinded in all its heads and 
 clauses. This act relates to the doctrine as 
 well as the government of this church, and 
 was one of the greatest bulwarks against 
 popery we had, being the act about religion, 
 framed with the greatest deliberation and 
 care, when James VI. was come to his 
 majority, and about the time when our ex- 
 cellent national covenant was formed : so 
 that the introduction of prelacy was attended 
 with the sapping the very foundations of our 
 reformation in Scotland ; and this act restor- 
 ing bishops, makes not only the government 
 of the church, but also the profession of the 
 protestant religion, in its doctrine, depend 
 entirely upon the king's pleasure. Thus 
 king James VII. had a short and easy game 
 to play in Scotland, had not the happy revo- 
 hition prevented him. Any church power 
 remaining, is to be exercised in a line of 
 subordination to the king, by the archbishops 
 and bishops, who are to put order to all 
 ecclesiastical matters and causes, and to be 
 accountable to the king only, for their 
 administration, no, not to the parliament 
 itself; though, in the beginning of the act, 
 they seem copartners with his majesty in the 
 administration. Certainly the management 
 of all ecclesiastical matters and causes, was 
 
 highness, be present at ilk general assembly 
 before the dissolving thereof, nominate and ap- 
 point time and place when and where the next 
 general assembly shall be holden ; and in case 
 neither his majesty nor his said commissioners 
 be present for the time in that town where the 
 said general assembly beis holden ; then and in 
 that case it shall be leisom to the said general 
 assembly by themselves to nominate and appoint 
 time and place where the next general assembly 
 of the kirk shall be kept and holden, as they 
 have been in use to do thir times past. And 
 also ratifies and approves the synodal and pro- 
 vincial assemblies to be holden by the said kirk 
 and ministers twice ilk year, as they have been 
 and are presently in use to do, within every 
 province in this realm: and ratifies and ap- 
 proves the presbyteries and particular sessions 
 appointed by the said kirk, with the haill juris- 
 diction and discipline of the same kirk, agreed 
 upon by his majesty, in conference had by his 
 highness, v/ith certain of the ministers convened 
 to that efi"ect : of the which articles the tenor 
 follows. IMatters to be entreated in provincial 
 assemblies. Thir assemblies are constitute for 
 weighty matters, necessary to be entreated by 
 mutual consent and assistance of brethren within 
 the province, as need requires. This assembly 
 has power to handle, order, and redress ail 
 things omitted or done amiss in the particular 
 Hsseniblics : it has power to depose the office- 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 a trust too great for any fourteen men upon 
 earth, with the best king at their head. In 
 former times, the bishops, when first palmed 
 upon this church, were accountable to gene- 
 ral assemblies, and the ministry had some 
 share in the government ; but now they have 
 no ne, except the bishops please to call for 
 them. 
 
 To complete the power of the prelates, 
 they are restored to all the commissariats in 
 Scotland, Our Lord would not be judge 
 about inheritances, nor the Apostles serve 
 tables, nay, not so much as take up their 
 time in ordering the money collected for the 
 poor : yet our pretended successors to them, 
 
 1662. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. f26l 
 
 take willingly upon themselves the 
 whole burden of the testamentary 
 causes in Scotland, those of divorces, and 
 many others : and rather than the bishops 
 want this branch of their dignity, this loyal 
 parliament will rescind their own 28th act 
 made last year. In short, by this act, 
 Erastianism is set up in its greatest vigour 
 and extent. The actings approven by the 
 king and his father, in many parliaments and 
 treaties, are branded with rebellion, and all 
 the evils which fell out in the former times, 
 are charged upon the presbyterians ; whereas 
 indeed, it was the bishops themselves, now 
 brought in contrary to the acts of assembly. 
 
 bearers of that province, for good find just cause 
 deserving deprivation : and generally thir as- 
 semblies have the haill power of the particular 
 elderships whereof they <ire collected. Matters 
 to be entreated in the presbyteries. The power 
 of the presbyteries is to give diligent labours in 
 the bounds committed to their charge : that the 
 kirks be kept in good order ; to inquire dili- 
 gently of naughty ungodly persons, and to travel 
 to bring them in the way again by admonition, 
 or threatening of God's judgments, or by cor- 
 rection. It appertains to the eldership, to take 
 heed that the word of God be purely preached 
 within their bounds; the sacraments richly 
 ministered, the discipline entertained, and 
 ecclesiastical goods uncorruptly distributed. It 
 belongs to this kind of assemblies, to cause the 
 ordinances made by the assemblies, provincials, 
 nationals, and generals, to be kept and put in 
 execution ; to make constitutions which concern 
 T« )r;£T3v in the kirk, for decent order in the par- 
 ticular kirk where they govern, providing that 
 they alter no rules made by the provincial or 
 general assemblies; and that they make the pro- 
 vinciid assemblies foresaid privy of the rules 
 that they shall make ; and to abolish constitu- 
 tions tending to the hurt of the same. It has 
 power to excommunicate the obstinate, formal 
 process being led, and due interval of times ob- 
 served. Anent particular kirks, if they be law- 
 fully ruled by sufficient ministry and session, 
 thi-y have power and jurisdiction in their own 
 congregation in matters ecclesiastical. And 
 decerns and declares the said assemblies, presby- 
 teries, and sessions, jurisdiction, and discipline 
 thereof foresaid, to be in all times coming most 
 just, good, and godly in the self, notwithstand- 
 ing of whatsomever statutes, acts, canon, civil, 
 or municipal laws made in the contrar ; to the 
 ■which and every one of them thir presents shall 
 make express derogation. And because there 
 are divers acts of parliament made in favour of 
 the papistical kirk, tending to the prejudice of 
 the liberty of the true kirk of God, presently 
 professed within this realm, jurisdiction, and 
 discipline thereof, which stand yet in the books 
 of the acts of parliament not abrogated nor an- 
 nulled, therefore his highness, and estates fore- 
 said, has abrogated, cassed, and annulled, and by 
 the tenor hereof abrogates, casses, and annuls all 
 acts of parliameut made by any of his high- 
 i-.ess's predecessors fur maintenance of supersti- 
 
 tion and idolatry, with all and whatsoever acts, 
 laws, and statutes, made at any time before the 
 day and date hereof, against the liberty of the 
 true kirk, jurisdiction, and discipline thereof, 
 as the same is used and exercised within this 
 realm. And in special, that part of the act of 
 parliament holden at Stirling, the fourth day of 
 November, the year of (iod 1443, commanding 
 obedience to be given to Eugenius, the pope for 
 the time; the act made by king James III. in 
 his parliament, holden at Edinburgh, the 24th 
 day of February, the year of God 14S0, and 
 all other acts whereby the pope's authority is 
 established : the act of king James III. in his 
 parliament, holden at Edinburgh, the 20th day 
 of November, the year of God 1469, anent the 
 Saturday and other vigils to be holidays, from 
 evensong to evensong. Item, That part of the 
 act, made by the queen regent, in the parlia- 
 ment holden at Edinburgh, the 1st day of Fel)- 
 ruarj', the year of God 1551, giving special 
 license for holding the Pasch and Yule. Item, 
 The king's majesty and estates foresaid declare, 
 that the 129th act of the parliament, holden at 
 Edinburgh, the 22d day of May, 15S4, shall no 
 ways be prejudici;d, nor derogate any thing to 
 the privilege that God has given to the spiritual 
 office-bearers in the kirk, concerning heads of 
 religion, matters of heresy, excommunication, 
 collation, or deprivation of ministers, or any 
 siklike essential censures, speciall_v grounded and 
 having warrant of the word of God. Item, 
 Our sovereign lord and estates of parliament 
 foresaid, abrogate, cass, and annul the act of the 
 same parliament, holden at Edinburgh the said 
 year, 15S4, granting commission to bishops and 
 other judges, constitute in ecclesiastical causes, 
 to receive his highness's presentations to bene- 
 fices, to give coUation thereupon, and to put 
 order in all causes ecclesiastical, which his ma- 
 jesty and estates foresaid declare to be expired 
 in the self, and to be null in time coming, and 
 of none avail, force, nor effect : and therefore, 
 ordain all presentations to benefices, to be direct 
 to the particular presbyteries in all time coming, 
 with full power to give collation thereupon ; 
 and to put order to all matters and causes ecdes- 
 iiistical within their bounds, according to the 
 discipline of the kirk : pioviding the aforesaid 
 presbyteries be bound and astricted to receive 
 and admit whatsomever qualitied minister, pre- 
 sented by his majesty, or laick patrons. 
 
262 
 
 THE HISTORY OF TIIK SUFFERINGS [UOOK I- 
 
 this way they came to have their power aiui 
 
 faCQ ratified in the parHaments held by 
 the king's father and himself in 
 person, who, by their innovations, and 
 imposing the sei-vice book and canons, 
 occasioned any confusion or disorder which 
 was in that period. 
 
 Upon the whole, any body who is acquaint 
 with the history of this church, must observe, 
 that the old set of bishops made by the 
 parliament, 1612, were but pigmies to the 
 present high and mighty lords. A large 
 account might be given of the differences 
 betwixt the former establishment of prelacy 
 in Scotland, and this ; some of them have 
 been pointed at, and I shall notice a few 
 more, and mix in some remarks of the 
 reverend Mr. Douglas, from his paper for- 
 merly spoken of. Our first prelates were 
 not against the meetings of presbyteries in 
 their several jurisdictions, but they continued 
 to meet regularly, and had almost the whole 
 of church discipline in theii" hands : but now 
 there is no chm'ch power save in the person 
 of the bishop, and what he pleases to 
 measm'e graciously out to whom he pleases. 
 All church judicatories, as we have seen, are 
 pulled down, to make way for the episcopal 
 throne. It was some years after this, before 
 the ciu'ates and inferior clergy in most 
 places were allowed to meet for the exercise 
 of then* gifts together; and when at length 
 this was permitted, they were constituted 
 only for such and such ends, by a commis- 
 sion from the bishop, allowing the ministers 
 in such and such a precinct to meet, with a 
 clause excluding ruling elders. Mr. Douglas 
 remarks here, " that he dealt with the 
 statesmen not to discharge presbyteries, but 
 allow them to stand as under the former 
 bishops; and suggested, that several minis- 
 ters would keep those meetings, if permitted 
 to continue as before, notwithstanding 
 bishops were set up ; but, if pulled down, 
 and set up in subordination to the prelates, 
 no honest minister could keep them. But, 
 says he, our prelates would have them dis- 
 charged, fearing that their lordly and abso- 
 lute power would be diminished by them ; 
 and in this they discovered their folly and 
 vanity. The former bishops advanced not 
 without presbyteries, synods, and assemblies. 
 Those indeed were corrupt meetings, yet 
 
 jurisdiction by a sort of consent : but these 
 men want all consent, which shows their 
 usurpation and lordly dominion the more. 
 God, in his providence, infatuated them so, 
 as they waited not for any consent : I am 
 afi-aid they might have met with too many 
 corrupt men to give consent, but they would 
 not hazard this ; and our suffering is the 
 more clear, that they are plain usurpers 
 without consent of the kirk ; and whatever 
 hath been the carriage, or rather miscarriage 
 of particular persons, I am glad the kirk in 
 her courts is free of that usurpation, and 
 only those who joined are guilty of it. 
 
 " When I compare the former prelates 
 with the present, whose little finger is bigger 
 than their predecessors' loins, I would not 
 be thought to approve the former bishops ; 
 for they are both evil, but the last exceed. 
 The former bishops removed very few, but 
 suffered many eminent godly men to live at 
 their charges ; but the present have cast out 
 heaps, and scarce a nonconformist is at his 
 charge. Those who were removed formerly, 
 were suffered to live where they pleased, 
 and even to converse with their people ; but 
 now they must remove at such and such 
 distances from their flock. 
 
 " Formerly, when nonconformists were 
 removed, no restrictions were laid upon 
 them; they might preach any where save in 
 their own charges ; and I know some of them 
 who did preach even in the next congrega- 
 tion ; but now it is made a crime to preach 
 in the kingdom. Now ministers are dis- 
 charged to come near cathedrals or burghs : 
 the former prelates did not think theii' 
 cathedrals so holy as to be defiled by the 
 nearness of nonconformists ; yea, some of 
 them continued in their charges very near 
 them, and were never before prohibited to 
 live in burghs for their own convenience, 
 and the education of their children. The 
 former bishops never cared how many min- 
 isters lived in one place ; and they knew it 
 was better to have the nonconformists 
 together, than scattered abroad : but now 
 none but one must be in one congregation, 
 and that will the more scatter them. The 
 former bishops never thought of such an 
 impossible division of confinements, as 
 
CHAP. in. J or the chur 
 
 twenty inilcb from a minister's former charge, 
 six from a catlietlral,anil three from a burgh, 
 with one only in one parish ; neither of pro- 
 hibiting ministers from coming to Edinburgh, 
 witiiout the bishops or council's license, 
 wliich is against law and reason ; far less did 
 the former prelates ever think of ilischarging 
 charity to suffering ministers." Thus far 
 INIr. Douglas. We shall meet with those 
 acts ai'terward in their j)hicc. 
 
 Those were peculiarities of this prelacy, 
 unknown almost any where save in Scotland. 
 In short, the first prelates claimed only a 
 sort of negative over the brethren of the 
 exercise or presbytery, and great were the 
 struggles before even this was yielded in 
 several places : but now the bishop has not 
 only a negative, but a positive; and all 
 church power and government is lodged in 
 his sole person, his assistants being only his 
 own choice, and mere shadows as to power 
 of deciding in any case. I have run out at 
 so great a length upon this act restoring 
 prelacy, that I shall be the shorter upon the 
 following. 
 
 Their second act, " For the preservation of 
 his majesty's person, authority, and govern- 
 ment," is every way so singular an establish- 
 ing iniquity by law, a foundation for much 
 persecution, and an opening the door to 
 popery, since the national covenant, and 
 acts relating to it, pointed most against 
 popery, that I could not omit inserting it 
 below. * Reflections are now obvious, 
 
 263 
 
 1662. 
 
 CH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 things are no longer disguised, or 
 softly and ambiguously expressed, 
 l)ut the carved work pulled down at once; 
 yea, all petitioning for a redress of grievances, 
 upon the matter is discliarged by this odd 
 act, when the prelates have taken their seats 
 in the house. The very title of the act 
 supposes the king's authority and govern- 
 ment could not be preserved without over- 
 turning all that work in the late times, so 
 signally owned of (iod ; which sober people 
 must reckon a lasting blot upon the king 
 by this loyal parliament. 
 
 They thank the king for " passing by the 
 miscarriages of his subjects ;" witness his 
 unparalleled grace and goodness to the 
 marquis of Argyle, whose son they are just 
 now about to try and condemn ! Next, they 
 thank him for " restoring of bishops," which 
 being really his proper deed, and never the 
 desire of Scotland, had it been worth thanks, 
 they belonged to his majesty. Then they 
 declare it a treasonable position and sedi- 
 tious, " that it is lawful for subjects to enter 
 into leagues and covenants for reformation." 
 This declaration runs so flatly in the face of 
 scripture, reason, and the approven practice 
 of many, that it is a shame and reproach 
 that it stands in the body of our Scots laws, 
 and casts a slur upon our excellent reforma- 
 tion from popery, which upon the matter is 
 here declared to have been seditious and 
 treasonable. And we need not be surprised 
 to find them declaring all done since the 
 
 • Act for preservation of his mnjesty's person, 
 authority, and government. 
 The estates of parliament, taking into their 
 consideration the miseries, confusions, bond.-ige, 
 and oppressions this kingdom hath groaned 
 under, since the year 16.37, with the causes and 
 occasions thereof, do with all humble duty and 
 thankfulness acknowledge his majesty's unpar- 
 alleled grace and goodness, in passing by the 
 many miscarriages of his subjects, and restoring 
 the church and state to their ancient liberties, 
 freedom, rights, and possessions; and the great 
 obligiitions thereby lying upon them to express 
 all possible care and zeal in the preservation of 
 liis majesty's person, (in whose honour and hii]>- 
 piness consisteth the good and welfare of bis 
 people) and in the security and establishment of 
 his royal authority and government, against all 
 such wicked attempts and practices for the time 
 to come. And since the rise and progress of 
 the late troubles, did, in a great mea-snre, pro- 
 ceed from s<mie treasonable and seditious posi- 
 tions infused into the people, " that it was law- 
 
 ful to subjects, for reformation, to enter into 
 covenants and leagues, or to take up arms 
 against the king, or those commissionated by him, 
 and such like:" and that many wild and rebel- 
 lious courses were taken and practised in pur- 
 suance thereof, by unlawful meetings and gath- 
 erings of the people by mutinous and tumul- 
 tuary petitions, by insolent and seditious pro- 
 testations against his majesty's royal and just 
 commands, by entering into unlawful oaths ami 
 covenants, bj' usurping the name and power of 
 council tables and church judicatories, after they 
 were by his m.ijesty discharged, by treasonable 
 declarations, that his majesty was not to be 
 admitted to the exercise of bis royal power, 
 imtil he should grant their unjust desires, and 
 approve their wicked practices, by rebellious 
 rising in arms against his majesty, and such as 
 had commission from him ; and by the great 
 counten.ince, allowance, and encouragement 
 given to these pernicious courses by the multi- 
 tude of seditious sermons, libels, and discourses, 
 preached, printed, and published, in defence 
 
264i THE HISTORY OF 
 
 iffo year 1C37, in meetings, petirions, 
 protestations, &c. to be unlawful 
 and seditious. 
 
 Then they declare, " those oaths, the 
 national covenant, as sworn and explained 
 1638, and afterward, and the solemn league 
 and covenant were, and are in themselves 
 unlawful oaths, and imposed against the 
 fundamental laws of the kingdom. " O tem- 
 pora J O viores ! Will nothing satisfy them, 
 and the prelates now among them, save the 
 making themselves and the king guilty of 
 
 thereof. And considering, that as tlie present 
 age is not fully freed ot those distempers, so pos- 
 terity may be apt to relapse therein, if timous 
 reineed be not provided : therefore the king's 
 majesty and estates of parliament do declare, 
 that these positions, " that it is lawful to sub- 
 jects, upon pretence of reformation, or other 
 pretence whatsoever, to enter into leagues and 
 covenants, or to take up arms against the king; 
 or that it is lawful to subjects, pretending liis 
 majesty's authority, to take up arms against his 
 person or those commissionated by him, or to 
 suspend him from the exercise of his royal gov- 
 ernment, or to put limitations upon their due 
 obedience and allegiance," are rebellious and 
 treasonable ; and that all these gatherings, con- 
 vocations, petitions, protestations, and erecting, 
 and keeping of council tables, that -n^ere used in 
 the beginning, and for carrying on of the late 
 troubles, were unlawful and seditious ; and pai'- 
 ticularly, that these oaths, whereof the one was 
 commonly called " the National Covenant," (as 
 it was sworn and explained in the year 1638, 
 and thereafter) and the other entitled, " a So- 
 lemn League and Covenant," ^vere and are in 
 themselves unlawful oaths, and were taken by, 
 and imposed upon the subjects of this kingdom, 
 against the fundamental laws and liberties of 
 the same ; and that there lieth no obligation 
 upon any of the subjects from the said oaths, or 
 either of them, to endeavour any change or 
 alteration of government eitlier in church or 
 state ; and therefore aniuil all acts and consti- 
 tutions, ecclesiastical or civil, approving the said 
 pretended national covenant, or league and 
 covenant, or making any interpretations of the 
 same or either of them. And also it is hereby 
 declared by his majesty and estates of parliament, 
 that the pretended assembly, kept at Glasgow in 
 the year 1638, was in itself (after the same was 
 by his majesty discharged, imder the pain of 
 treason) an unlawful and seditious meeting; 
 and that all acts, deeds, sentences, ordei's or de- 
 creets passed therein, or by virtue of anj' pre- 
 tended authority from the same, were in them- 
 selves from tlie beginning, are now, and in all 
 time coming, to be reputed unlawful, void and 
 null: and that all ratifications or confirmations 
 of the same, passed by -wliatsoever authority, or 
 in whatsoever meetings, shall from henceforth 
 be void and null. Likeas, his majesty and estates 
 of parliament, I'eflecting on the sad consequences 
 of these rebellious courses, and being careful to 
 prevent the like for the future, have therefore 
 statute and ordained, and by these presents 
 statute and ordain, that if any person or persons 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [l300K L 
 
 taking the Lord's name in vaixi ; and to 
 arraign his majesty as an invader of the 
 fundamental laws of the kingdom : then 
 they assume the pope's power, and declare 
 the consciences of all who had taken those 
 oaths free from the obligation of them. 
 The motive whence all this eccentrical and 
 wild work flows, is plain from what follows ; 
 those solemn oaths had barred out prelates, 
 so they must as far as they can disengage 
 themselves and the nation from them, that 
 no alteration be now made in the church : 
 
 shall hereafter plot, contrive, or intend death or 
 destruction to tlie king's majesty, or any bodily 
 harm tending to death or <le.struc(ion, or any 
 restraint upon his royal person, or to deprive, 
 depose or suspend him from the style, honour, 
 and kingly name of the imperial crown of this 
 realm, or any others his majesty's dominions, 
 or to suspend him from the exercise of his 
 royal government, or to levy war or take up 
 arms against his majesty or any commissionated 
 by him, or shall entice any strangers or others, 
 to invade any of his majesty's dominions, and 
 shall, by writing, printing, preaching, or other 
 malicious and advised speaking, express or de- 
 clare su('h their treasonable intentions, every 
 such ])erson or persons, being upon sufficient 
 probation legally convicted thereof, sliall be 
 deemed, declai-ed, and adjudged traitors, and 
 shall suffer I'orfeiture of life, honoiu', lands, and 
 goods, as in cases of high treason. And further, 
 it is by hrs majesty and estates of parliament 
 declared, statute and ena(;ted, that if any person 
 or pei'sons shall, by writing, printing, praying, 
 preaching, libelling, remonstrating, or by any 
 malicious and advised speaking, express, publisli, 
 or declare any words or sentences to stir up the 
 people to the hatred or dislike of his majesty's 
 roj'al prerogative and supremacy in causes eccle- 
 siastic, or of the government of the church by 
 archbishops and bishops, as it is now settled by 
 law, 01' to justify any of the deeds, actings, 
 practices, or things above mentioned, and declar- 
 ed against 1)}^ this present act, that every such 
 person or persons so olfending, and being, as said 
 is, legally convicted thereof, are hereby declared 
 incapable to enjoy or exercise any place or em- 
 ployment, civil, ecclesiastical, or military, with- 
 in tliis cl)urch and kingdom, and shall be liable 
 to such further pains as are due by the law in such 
 cases : provided always, that no person be pro- 
 cessed for any of the oifences aforesaid, contained 
 in this act, (otlier than these that are declared 
 to be high ti'eason) unless it be by order from 
 his majesty, or by order of his privy council for 
 the time ; neither shall they incur any of the 
 penalties above mentioned, unless thej' be pur- 
 sued within eight months after the oft'ence com- 
 mitted, and sentenced thereupon within four 
 months after the intenting of the process. And 
 it is also declared, that if his majesty grant his 
 pardon to a!iy person convicted for any of the 
 offences contained in this jjresent act, after such 
 pardon, the party pardoned shall be restored to 
 all intents and purposes, as if he had never been 
 pursued nor convicted ; any thing in this act to 
 the contrary notwithstanding. 
 
 1 
 
CHAP. Hi.] OF TIIK CHUUCII OF SCOTLAND. ^Q5 
 
 and to complete all, further they rescind | ages were one of the great pillars of jgg^ 
 all acts, ecclesiastical or civil, approving prelacy. The parliament find, that 
 those covenants, particularly the acts of the patrons' rights were unjustly taken away in 
 assembly at Glasgow, 1638. It is a won- ! the year 1649. Whereas, as we have seen, 
 der they spared the succeeding assemblies, nothing was removed by that act, save the 
 Noxt it is made treason, " to take up arms unreasonable as well as unchristian burden 
 against any commissioned by his majesty, or of the patron's presentation of ministers, so 
 
 to invite strangers to come into any of his 
 majesty's dominions." By this our rcvolu- 
 1 ion, had matters ripened far enough, as 
 lliey were pretty fast hastening some years 
 ago, would have been found to be treason. 
 
 There follows a hedge about the supre- 
 macy and prelacy, which appears odd enough, 
 and became a foundation of a most extensive 
 persecution for conscience' sake, if any thing 
 can be so called ; " all writing, speaking, 
 printing, preaching, praying, &c., tending to 
 stir up a dislike of his majesty's royal pre- 
 rogative and supremacy in causes ecclesi- 
 astical, or the government by archbishops 
 and bishops now settled." Which takes 
 in not only presbyterians, but many pre- 
 latists, and all who were upon any other 
 liiy in this matter, but tliat of absolute 
 supremacy ; " or tending to justify any 
 thing done since the year 1638." Such as 
 were guilty, upon conviction, are declared 
 incapable to enjoy any public trust, civil, 
 ecclesiastical, or mihtary, yea further, made 
 liable to all the pains appointed by law for 
 sedition. The very naming of these clauses 
 of those acts, does abundantly justify the 
 happy revolution; and cannot but expose 
 our prelates, to whom we owe all those 
 iniquitous clauses, and plainly evince that 
 prelacy in the church of Scotland was still 
 the road to tyranny in the state, persecution 
 in the church, horrid invasions upon the 
 liberty of the subjects, and dreadful oppres- 
 sion in the matters of conscience. 
 
 Their third act, concerning benefices, 
 stipends, and patrons, which is added 
 below, • gives us a new proof that patron- 
 
 * Act conceriiiug such benefices and stipends 
 as have been pussesited without pre!>eiitations 
 from the lawful patrons. UMi. 
 
 The king's most excellent majesty being de- 
 sirouK, that all his good subjects may be sensible 
 oitlie hap|iy etfects and fruits of the royal t(ov- 
 eininent, by a free, jteaceable, and safe enjoy- 
 ment of IheLi' due interests and properties under 
 
 obstructive to the planting of congregations 
 according to Christ's rule, the interests of 
 the gospel, and good of souls; and the 
 civil interest and benefit of patrons was 
 preserved and enlarged. 
 
 By this act, all ministers entered since 
 the year 1649, are to take presentations 
 from their respective patrons. The reason 
 given in the act, "at and before which 
 patrons were injmuously dispossessed," seems 
 to lead them higher than that year. Jointly 
 with this, ministers nmst receive collation 
 from the bishop, before the 20th of Sep- 
 tember this year. One of the ordinary 
 clauses of collations was, " I do hereby 
 receive him into the function of the holy 
 ministry :" and one may easily see what 
 a strait this would be to a minister who 
 reckoned his former actings in that holy 
 office good and valid. If ministers neglect 
 this, and the patron present not another 
 before March next year, the right of pre- 
 sentation is declared to fall Jure devoluto 
 to the bishop, and he is ordained to settle 
 a minister in the place, yea, the bishops are 
 appointed to plant the kirks which have 
 vaiked since the year 1637. I imagine 
 they had but few of these, if any ; and to 
 be careful to provide all the kirks of their 
 diocese, according to this act. 
 
 It will be remembered, that last year the 
 parliament had ordained, that both pre- 
 senters and presented should take the oath 
 of allegiance or supremacy, now pretty fully 
 explained ; and by this act the presented 
 must own the j)relate6 : thus a great part 
 of the ministry of the church of Scotland, 
 
 his protection; and that in his restitution 
 they may find themselves restored to these 
 rights which by law were secuied unto them, 
 and by the violence and injustice of these late 
 troubles and confusions have been wrested from 
 them : and considering, that notwithstanding 
 the right of patronages be duly settled and 
 established by the ancient and fundamental law* 
 
 2 L 
 
266 
 
 ,„...j must either quit, their principles or 
 their charges. Certainly it was very 
 hard uj)on tlie ministers, who had been 
 admitted since the year 1649, according to 
 standing law, that they are declared in- 
 truders, and to have no right to their 
 stipends since their admission, merely be- 
 cause a new law was made for the support 
 of prelates. Such, who in that same period 
 had purchased an estate, or possessed a rent, 
 are by this same parliament declared lawfid 
 possessors : but nothing now can be seen 
 unreasonable, which may strike at pres- 
 byterian ministers, the bishops' great eye- 
 sore. Thus a great number of worthy 
 pastors, who had suffered sensibly for 
 noncompliance with the English, and their 
 staunchness to the royal family, who had 
 been admitted to their charges in the 
 scripture manner, where patrons are not 
 to be found, according to law and acts of 
 parliament approven by the king himself. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK !. 
 
 are declared, if thuy will not alter their 
 
 and constitutions of this kingdom, yet divers 
 ministers in this church have, and do possess 
 henefioes and stipends in their respective cures, 
 witliout any right or presentation to tl)e same 
 from tlie patrons : and it heing therefore most 
 just, tliat the lawful and undoubted p.itrons of 
 kirlvs be restored to the possession of the rights 
 of their respective advocations, donations, and 
 patronages ; therefore, his majesty, witli advice 
 and consent of his estates of parliament, dotli 
 statute and ordain, that .ill these ministers who 
 entered to the cure of any parish in burgh or 
 land within this kingdom, in or since tlie year 
 1649, (at and before which time tlie patrons 
 were most injuriously dispossessed of their pa- 
 tronages) have no right unto, nor shall receive, 
 uplift nor possess the rents of any benefice, 
 modified stipend, manse or glebe for tiiis present 
 crop, 1662, nor any year following, but their 
 places, benefices, and kirks are, ipso jure, vacant. 
 Yet, his majesty, to evidence his willingness 
 to pass by and cover the miscarriages of his 
 people, doth, with advice foresaid, declare, that 
 this act shall not be prejudicial to any of these 
 ministers in what they have possessed, or is due 
 to them, since their admission : and that every 
 such minister who shall obtain a presentation 
 fi-om the lawful patron, and have collation from 
 the bishop of the diocese where he liveth, be- 
 twixt and the 20th of September next to come, 
 shall from thenceforth have right to, and enjoy 
 his church, benefice, manse and glebe, as fully 
 and freely as if he had been lawfully presented 
 and admitted thereto at his first entry, or as any 
 other minister within the kingdom doth or may 
 do. And for that end, it is hereby ordained, 
 that the respective patrons shall give presen- 
 tations to all the present incumbents, who in 
 due time shall make application to them for 
 the same. And in case any of these churches 
 shall not be tlius duly provided before the said 
 
 principles, and cast a reproach on their 
 former administration, robbers and intruders. 
 The plain view of this act seems to have 
 bcen,to tempt the youngerministers gradually 
 to conform, and, if they had the courage to 
 stand out, to ruin them and their families. 
 The elder sort were but few, and it might 
 be expected tliey would soon wear out, 
 and less compliance was to be looked for 
 from them, who had been so active in the 
 covenants, and late work of reformation : 
 but our managers were disappointed as to 
 the younger entrants, and they did witli 
 great firmness and resolution stand to their 
 principles, and suffer rather than sin. 
 
 To secure the hierarchy now established, 
 to entail it upon the nation, and to corrupt 
 and bias the youth, the parliament by their 
 fourth act, concerning masters of univer- 
 sities, inserted at the bottom of the page, * 
 turn out " all masters of colleges who do 
 
 20th of September, then the patron shall have 
 freedom to present another betwixt and the 20th 
 day of RIarch, 1663. Which if he shall refuse 
 or neglect, the presentation shall tlien fall to tlie 
 bishop, y!/7'e devoluto, according to former la^vs. 
 And such like his majesty, with advice foresaid, 
 doth statute and ordain the archbishops and 
 bishops, to have the power of new admission and 
 collation, to all such churches and benefices as 
 belong to their respective sees, and which have 
 vaiked since the year 1637, and to be careful to 
 plant and provide these their own kirks conform 
 to this act. 
 
 * Act concerning masters of universities, 
 ministers, &c. 1662. 
 
 The king's most excellent majesty, according 
 to the laiidable example of his royal progenitors 
 in former parliaments, doth, with advice and 
 consent of his estates convened in this present 
 parliament, ratify and approve all and wliatso- 
 ever acts and statutes, heretofore made, concern- 
 ing the liberty and freedom of the true church 
 of God, and the religion now professed ;iii<t 
 established within this kingdom ; and consider- 
 ing how necessary it is for the advancement of 
 religion and learning, for the good of the church, 
 and peace of the kingdom, that the universities 
 and colleges be provided and served with pro- 
 fessors, principal, regents, and masters, well 
 affected to his majesty, and the established gov- 
 ernment in church and state; his majesty, with 
 advice foresaid, doth statute, ordain, and enact, 
 that from this time forth, no masters, principal, 
 regents, nor other professors in universities or 
 colleges within this kingdom, be admitted, nor 
 allowed to continue in the exercise of any i'unc- 
 tion within the same, but such as are of a i>ious 
 loyal and peaceable conversation, submitting to, 
 and owning the government of the church by 
 ■iixlibishops and bishops, now settled by law ; 
 
Cil.Al'. III.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 267 
 
 not submit to, and own the government by act strikes at the elder ministers j„„g 
 
 not thrown out by the former act 
 about patronages. 
 
 Further they discharge all private meet- 
 
 archbishops and bisliops, and who take not 
 the oath of allegiance." The cunning of 
 Julian the apostate, in suppressing and 
 poisoning Christian schools, as the most 
 effectual way for ruining of Christianity, 
 was now much spoken of, and some did 
 not scruple to compare primate Sharp to 
 him in more respects than one. This act 
 further obliges all ministers to wait upon 
 the bishops' visitations and diocesan meet- 
 ings, or synods, which were but seldom kept 
 in many dioceses; and further, ministers 
 are required "to give their assistance in all 
 things, as they shall be required by the 
 bishops :" which certainly was hard enough, 
 and next door to implicit obedience. And 
 this is to be done as a token of theii- 
 complying with the present church govern- 
 ment, and under the penalty of suspension, 
 for the first fault, from benefice and ofRce, 
 until the next diocesan meeting, which, for 
 any constitution I can find, might be long 
 enough ; and deprivation for the next. This 
 
 and who having given satisfaction therein to the 
 bishops of the respective dioceses, and patrons, 
 and having in tlieir presence, taken tlie oatli of 
 sdlegianfie, shrdl procure their attestation of the 
 sajne ; that is to say, the professors and other 
 masters of the \iniversities of St. Andrews, 
 Glasgow, and Aberdeen, to have the approl.-ation 
 and attestation of the archbishops and bishops, 
 who are the respective chancellors of the s:iid 
 universities ; and tlie professors and other mas- 
 ters of the New-town College in Aberdeen, and 
 College of Edinburgh, to have tJie approbation 
 of the respective patrons, the earl of ftlarshal, 
 and magistrates of Ivlinliurgli and Aberdeen, 
 and an attestation ancl certificate under the hand 
 o{ the bishops of Edinburgh and Aberdeen, 
 respective, that they have taken the oath of 
 allegiance, and that they are persons who sub- 
 mit to, and own the church government as now 
 settled by law. Like;is, his majesty, finding it 
 necessary for the peace and quiet of the church, 
 that the ministers be such as will acknowledge 
 and comply with the j)rcsent government of the 
 same, doth therefore, with advice foresaid, sta- 
 tute and enact, that whatsoever minister shall, 
 without a lawful excuse, to be admitted by his 
 ordinary, absent himself from the visitations of 
 the diocese, which are to be performed by the 
 bishop, or some of the ministers to be appointed 
 by him, or from the diocesan assembly; or wiio 
 shall not, according to his duty concur therein, 
 or who shall not give their assistance in all tlie 
 acts of <:hurch discipline, as they shall be requir- 
 ed thei'eunto by the archbishop or bishop of the 
 diocese, every such minister so offending shall, 
 for (he first fault, be suspetided from his office 
 aiul benefice till the next diocesan meeting ; and 
 if he amend not, shall be deprlve<l, and the 
 church and benefice (o be ]>r<>vided as the law 
 
 ings, or conventicles in houses under pre- 
 text of religious exercises. How far this 
 agrees with the IGth act of the former 
 session of this |)arliament, wherein the king 
 promises to promote the power of godli- 
 ness and encourage the exercises of religion 
 both public and private, the advocates for 
 this present management may explain. And, 
 to make thorough work, none are allowed 
 " to preach, or keep school, o^* to be peda- 
 gogues to persons of quality, without the 
 bishop's license." 
 
 By their fifth act, the parliament put the 
 copestonc upon the building of prelacy, 
 and, in as m-uch as is in their power, the 
 gravestone upon the covenants and pres- 
 bytery; and ordain all persons in public 
 trust, to sign and subscribe a declaration. 
 Tlie act itself the reader hath below.* 
 The declaration being the foundation of a 
 
 alloweth in other cases of vacancies. And his 
 majesty considering, that under the pretext ot 
 religious exercises, divers unlawful meetings and 
 conventicles (the nurseries of sedition) have been 
 kept in private families, hath thought fit, with 
 advice foresaid, hereby to declare, that as he 
 doth .ind will give all due encouragement to the 
 ^vorship of God in families, amongst the persons 
 of ihe family, and others who shall be occasion- 
 ally there for the time, so he doth hereby dis- 
 charge all private meetings or conventicles in 
 houses, which under the pretence of, or for 
 religious exercises, may tend to the prejudice of 
 the public worship of God in the churches, or to 
 the alienating of the people from their lawful 
 pastors, and that duty and obedience they owe 
 to church and state. And it is hereby ordained, 
 that none be hereafter permitted to preach in 
 I)ublic, or in families, within any diocese, or 
 teach anj' public school, or to be pedagogues to 
 the children of persons of quality, without tlie 
 license of the ordinary of the diocese. 
 
 * Act concerning the declaration to be sigi.P'? 
 by all persons in public trust. 
 Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God, 
 in his majesty's restitution to his royal govern- 
 ment, to restore this kingdom to its ancient 
 liberties and peace, and to deliver his majesty's 
 good stibjects from these miseries and bondagt 
 whereby they have been oppressed during these 
 troubles; and the estates of parliament, finding 
 themselves obliged, in a due resentment of this 
 mercy, and in discharge of that duty they owe 
 to God, to the king's majesty, to the juiblic 
 peace of the kingdom, and the good of his 
 subjects, to use all means for the due preser- 
 vation of that peace and happiness thi'V now 
 enjoy inider his royal government; and to pre- 
 
268 THE HISTORY 0¥ 
 
 lffi2 S""*^^* P'""*^ ^^ ^^^'^ following suffer- 
 ings, deserves a room in the body 
 of the history, and is as follows. 
 
 " I do sincerely affirm 
 
 and declare, that I judge it unlawful 
 to subjects upon pretext of reforma- 
 tion, or any other pretext whatsomever, 
 to enter into leagues and covenants, 
 or to take up arms against the king, 
 or those commissioned by him ; and 
 that all those gatherings, convocations, 
 petitions, protestations, and erecting 
 or keeping of council tables that were 
 used in the beginning, and for the 
 carrying on of the late troubles, were 
 unlawful and seditious : and particu- 
 larly, that these oaths, whereof the 
 one was commonly called the ' National 
 Covenant,' (as it was sworn and ex- 
 plained in the year 16.38, and there- 
 after) and the other, entitled, * A 
 Solemn League and Covenant,' were 
 and are in themselves unlawful oaths, 
 and were taken by, and imposed upon 
 the subjects of this kingdom, against 
 
 vent and suppress every thing that may tend to 
 the renewing or favouring of these courses, by 
 which the liite rebellion hath been fomented 
 and carried on ; and conceiving that the employ- 
 ing of persons of sound principles and entire 
 loyalty, in all offices of trust, and places of 
 public administration, ■will conduce much to 
 these ends: therefore, and for quieting the 
 spix'its of his majesty's good subjects, and be- 
 getting a confidence in them of their security 
 for the future, his maje-ty hath thought fit, 
 with advice and consent of his estates of parlia- 
 ment, to statute, ordain and enact; likeas his 
 majesty by these presents, doth, -with advice 
 foresaid, statute, ordain, and enact, that all 
 such persons as shall hereafter be called or 
 admitted to any public trust or office, under 
 his majesty's government within this kingdom; 
 that is to say, to be officers of state, members 
 of parliament, privy counsellors, lords of session, 
 commissioners in exchequer, members of the 
 college of justice, sheriffs, stewards or commis- 
 saries, their deputes and clerks, magistrates and 
 council of boroughs, justices of peace and their 
 clerks, or any other public chtirge, office and 
 trust within this kingdom ; shall, at and before 
 their admission to the exercise of such places or 
 offices, publicly, in face of the respective courts 
 they relate to, subscribe the declaration under- 
 written : and that they shall have no right to 
 their said offi'ces or benefits thereof, until they 
 subscribe the same, as said is ; but that every 
 such person Who shall offer to enter and ex- 
 erce any such office, before he subscribe the 
 declaration, is to be reputed and punished as an 
 Usurper of his majesty's authority, and the 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK T. 
 
 the fundamental laws and liberties of 
 the same} and that there lieth no 
 obligation upon me or any of the 
 subjects, from the said oaths, or either 
 of them, to endeavour any change or 
 alteration of the government either in 
 church or state, as it is now established 
 by the laws of the kingdom." 
 
 Some remarks have been made on several 
 clauses of this declaration, upon the acts of 
 this and the former session of parliament. 
 Such who had taken the covenants, and 
 thought them obligatory upon posterity, and 
 their ties indissoluble by human authority, 
 could not but reckon, that perjiu-y was, 
 by this act and declaration, made a chief 
 , qualification and necessary condition re- 
 quired of all to be admitted to places and 
 offices in church and state. The reader 
 cannot but observe, that under this period, 
 and during the establishment of prelacy, 
 there were more ensnaring and conscience- 
 debauching declarations, bonds, and oaths, 
 invented and imposed through the con- 
 trivance and influence of the bishops in 
 
 place to be disposed to another. Likeas his 
 majesty doth, with advice foresaid, remit to his 
 commissioner, to take such course as he shall 
 think fit, how these who are presently iu office 
 may subscribe the said declaration. And it is 
 hereby declared, that this act is without pre- 
 judice of any former acts, for taking the oath 
 of allegiance, and asserting the royal prero- 
 gative. 
 
 " I do sincerely affirm and 
 
 declare, that I judge it unlawful to subjects, 
 upon pretence of refoitnation or other pre* 
 tence whatsoever, to enter into leagues and 
 covenants, or to take up arms against the 
 king, or those commissionated by him ; and 
 that all these gatherings, convocations, peti- 
 tions, protestations, and erecting and keep- 
 ing of council tables, that were used in the 
 beginning, and for carrying on of the late 
 troubles, were unlawful and seditious : and 
 particularly, that these oaths, whei-eof the 
 one was commonly called, " The National 
 Covenant," (as it was sworn and explained 
 in the year 1638, and thereaftej-,) and the 
 other entitled, " A Solemn League and 
 Covenant," were and are in themselves un- 
 lawful oaths, and were taken by, and im- 
 posed upon the subjects of this kingdom, 
 against the fundamental laws and liberties 
 of the same. And that there lieth no obliga- 
 tion upon me, or any of the subjects, from 
 the said oaths, or either of them, to endeavour 
 any change or alteration of the government, 
 either in church or state, as it is now estab- 
 lished by the laws of the kingdom." 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 tliis kingdom, than ever were in so short a 
 space upon any part of the world. We 
 shall see that scarce a year passes but 
 some new declaration, bond, or oath, was 
 brought upon the subjects in Scotland ; all 
 of them dubious, many of them impossible 
 to keep, and some of them evidently self- 
 contradictory. This dreadfully corrupted 
 people's morals, and was a sad inlet to the 
 atheism, profancness, and unrighteousness, 
 which now abounded. 
 
 Some compared this declaration to the 
 receiving the mark of the beast in the right 
 hand. The very matter of the declaration 
 cannot but stun such as seriously reflect 
 upon it. The declaring " all leagues and 
 covenants among subjects, upon any pretext 
 whatsoever, unlawful," is unreasonable and 
 foolish. All resistance upon any pretext, 
 even against the least person who hath a 
 commission from the king, is what will now 
 be laughed at. The covenants are declared 
 to be unlawful in themselves ; and the de- 
 claration goes further, and affirms, " they 
 can have no obligation upon others." Every 
 where but in Scotland, it would have sufficed 
 to declare an oath unlawful, and for a 
 man not to take it himself, or renounce it, 
 without any declaration as to others ; but 
 our prelates can never be secure enough 
 against the covenants. Last session they 
 prociu"e them to be declared illegal ; this 
 session, by act 2d, they are cassed and an- 
 nulled, and now all in public trust declare so 
 much in a separate instrument ; and in a 
 few years the covenants must be forsworn 
 and renounced by the test, that one oath 
 may expel another. In short this declara- 
 tion is but prejudice of the oath of allegiance, 
 that is, both must be taken. The allegiance, 
 this declaration, and in some years after- 
 ward the test, were the great snares of this 
 time. And as upon the one hand the unac- 
 countable and violent pressing of them, run 
 some poor people to extremities, and some 
 measure of wildness ; so upon the other, 
 such methods turned severals of greater 
 knowledge to irreligion, atheism, and reject- 
 ing every thing serious, when they observed 
 the bishops and their time-serving ministers 
 fall in with this declaration ; though a little 
 time iigo they had pressed the covenant, as 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 ^69 
 
 lC)(y2. 
 
 the great duty of the times, a mode 
 of the covenant of grace, • and 
 what not ; yet now it is to them rebelli on 
 and sin. 
 
 * If this was really the view which the bish- 
 ops and their underlings orit^iiially entertained 
 of the covenants, their unsteadiness in them 
 ceases to be a matter of surprise, for men whose 
 conceptions were of such a shapeless character, 
 could not reasonably be expected to be steady 
 to any thing. Such an idea of our covenants, I 
 cannot help regarding as most ridiculous, and 
 nearly, if not altogether, as incomprehensible 
 as the doctrine of transubstantiation. It has 
 not, however, wanted advocates even in modern 
 times, and among those who profess the highest 
 attachment to the covenants. I have just now 
 before me a sermon preached by the late Dr. 
 John Young of Hawick, at what was called the 
 renovation of these covenants by a congregation 
 of Seceders, in which I tind the following as- 
 sertions : " All acceptable covenants are neither 
 more nor less than oiu" acceptance of God's 
 covenant of grace ! W'e neither consider our 
 covenant of duties as a distinct covenant by 
 itself, nor is it properly the same thing with the 
 covenant of grace ! what we say is, our cove- 
 nanting is the same thing ivith our acceptance 
 of the covenant of grace ! We enter into no 
 covenant but the covenant of grace! Cursed be 
 all that religious covenanting that amounts to any 
 thing more than an explicit acceptance of God's 
 covenant." If the views of the congregation, on 
 the subject of the solemn services they were on 
 this occasion assembled to perform, w^ere equally 
 indistinct with those of their preacher, to the 
 question. Who hath required this at your hand ? 
 they must certainly have found it no easy matter 
 to give a satisfactory answer. Held up in this 
 absurd point of view, is it any wonder that our 
 covenants should have been derided, their pro- 
 priety called in question, and their utility de- 
 nied ? No genuine covenanter, however, ever 
 did, or ever can so represent them. " The oath of 
 God," said an eminent defender of these cove- 
 nants, " which we enter into, is not the covenant 
 of grace, but a covenant of duty and gratitude. 
 It is not the covenant of grace, but a covenant of 
 duty which is consequential of our taking hold, 
 or accepting of the covenant of grace." [ V^ide 
 Sermons on Covenanting, by Alexander Mon- 
 crief of Calfergie.] " The Solemn League and 
 Covenant," says a modern author of singular 
 ability, " was a national covenant and oath in 
 every point of view — in its matter, its form, the 
 authority by which it was enjoined, the capa- 
 cities in which it was sworn, and the manner in 
 which it was ratified. It was a sacred league 
 between kingdom and kingdom, with respect to 
 their religious as well as their secuLir interests, 
 and, fit the same time, a covenant in which 
 they jointly swore to God to perform all the 
 articles cuutained in it. National religion, na- 
 tional snfetj', liberty and peace, were tlie great 
 olijci-ts which it embraced. It was not a mere 
 agreement or confederation, however solemn, 
 of individuals or private persons, however nu- 
 merous, entering spontaneously, and of their 
 own accord, into a common engagement. It 
 was formed and concluded by the representatives 
 of kingdoms, in concurrence with those of the 
 church, it was sworn by them in their public 
 
270 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 Some acts in this session about 
 civil affairs, seem designed for the 
 fmiher establishment of episcopacy : but I do 
 
 1C»2. 
 
 capacity ; at their call and by their authority it 
 \v;is afterwards sworn Ijy the body of the people, 
 in t.U.ir dilVerent ranks and orders ; and finally, 
 it w;is ratified and pronounced valid by laws 
 both civil and ecclesiastical. The public faith 
 was thus pliifhted by all the organs through 
 ■svhich a nation is accustomed to express its mind 
 jHid will. Nothing was wanting to complete 
 tiie national tie, and to render it permanent ; 
 unless it should be maintained that absolute 
 unanimity is necessary, and that a society cannot 
 contract lawful engagements to God or man, as 
 long as there <ire individuals wlio oppose and are 
 dissentient. Sanctions less sacred, and pledges 
 less numerous, would have given another nation, 
 or even an individual, a perfect right to demand 
 from Britain the fulfilment of any treaty or 
 contract ; and shall not God, who was not only 
 a witness, but the principal party, and whose 
 honour and interests were immediately concern- 
 ed in this transaction, have a like claim, or shall 
 we "break the covenant and escape ?" [Vide 
 Dr. M'Crie's Unity of the Church, p. 165.] 
 Thus stated, our covenants assume tangibility; 
 they may be approached and examined, and in- 
 deed seem highly worthy of being inquired into. 
 Thus stated, multiplied circumstances present 
 themselves in which they may be interposed, 
 obviously with the greatest propriety, while 
 most of the sophisms wherewith they have been 
 assailed fall to the ground. Thus stated, there 
 is scarcely room for the ridiculous inquiry which 
 has so often been instituted, and not unfre- 
 queiitly settled, in opposition both to revelation 
 and the common sense of mankind, Whether 
 covenants, oaths or vows, bring along with them 
 any superadded obligations, when the persons 
 employing them are already bound by the divine 
 law? for they may in this way be extensively 
 employed, and constitute a bond of duty where 
 there was no previously existing obligation. 
 Thus stated, there is no room for disputation on 
 the character which a man sustains in entering 
 into these solemn covenants, which has often been 
 confidently stated to be simply and solely that 
 of a church member. Covenants, oaths and 
 vows, as above explained, have their foundation, 
 not in positive institution, but in the moral law 
 or law of nature ; consequently men enter into 
 them as subjects of God's moral government. 
 To do so acceptably, we admit they must do it 
 as Christians, but this is something very difier- 
 ent from doing so merely as church members. 
 The subject of the covenant, the oath, or the vow 
 to be taken, may require the person to take or 
 to enter into it as a Christian magistrate, a 
 Christian minister, a Christian soldier, or a 
 Christian citizen, as well as a Christian church 
 member. It was in these characters, and on this 
 broad basis, that our covenants were originally 
 sworn and subscribed. Their foundation is laid 
 as deep as the pillars that support human society ; 
 and till these pillars be removed, or to speak 
 without a figure, till federal representation be no 
 longer necessary to the existence of human so- 
 ciety, so long must they be respected by the good, 
 and so long by the wise their tie must be regarded 
 as indissoluble. 
 
 'ITxe following paragrajih on the resfri-tit!!.' < f 
 
 [book I. 
 
 not enter upon them. Towards the end of 
 the session they came at length to the much 
 loiiged for indemnity, which had been granted 
 
 religious covenants, oaths and vows, to men 
 mcrily in their character of church members, 
 which seems a prevailing idea among covenant- 
 ers of the i>resent day, is so admirable, that I 
 cannot resist adding it to tliis note, though 
 considering the subject, I am afraid of having 
 already borne hard upon the patience of my 
 reader: — " By church members may be meant 
 either those who are in actual communion with 
 a particular organized church, or these who 
 stand in a general relation to the church uni- 
 versal; but in neither of these senses can it be 
 said that religious covenants or bonds are in- 
 competent, or nun-obligatory in every other 
 character. This is to restrict the authority of 
 the divine law in reference to moral duties, 
 and to limit the obligations which result ft'om 
 it in a wsiy that is not waiTanted either by 
 serij>ture or reason. How can that which is 
 founded on the m.oral law, and which is moral- 
 natural not positive, be confined to church 
 members, or to Christians in the character of 
 church members only ? The doctrine in ques- 
 tion is also highly objectionable, as it unduly 
 restricts the religious character of men and the 
 sphere of their actions about religious matters, 
 v/hether viewed as individuals or as formed info 
 societies and communities. Tiicy are bound to 
 act for the h(inour of God, and are capable of 
 contracting sacred obligations, sacred both in 
 their nature and their objects, in all the charac- 
 ters and capaciiies which they sustain. I luiow 
 no good reason for holding that, when a com- 
 pany of men or a society act about religion, or 
 engage in religious exercises, they are thereby 
 converted into a church, or act merely and pro- 
 perly as church members. Families are not 
 chiiiches, nor are they constituted properly for 
 a religious purpose, yet they have a religious 
 character, and are bound to act according to it 
 in honouring and serving God, and are capable 
 of contracting religious obligations. Nations 
 also have a religious character, and may act 
 ;(bout the affairs of religion. They may make 
 their profession of Christianity and legally 
 authorize its instituticns, without being turned 
 into a church ; and why may they not also come 
 under an oath and covenant, with reference to 
 it, which shall be nationally binding. Cove- 
 nanting may be said to be by a nation as 
 brought into a church state, acting in this reli- 
 gious capacity ; the oath may be dispensed by 
 ministers of the gospel, and accompanied by the 
 usual exercises of religion in the church, and yet 
 it may not be an ecclesiastical deed. The mar- 
 riage covenant and vow is founded on the 
 original la^v, and its duties, as well as the rela- 
 tion which it establishes, are common to men, 
 and of a civil kind. Yet among Christians if. 
 is mixed with religious engagements, and cele^ 
 brated religiously in the church. Ministers of 
 the gosiJel officiate in dispensing the vow, 
 and accompany it with the word and pi-ayer. 
 The parties are bound to marry in the Lord, 
 and to live together as Christians, liut is the 
 marriage vow on that account ecclesiastical, or 
 do the parties engage as church members only ? 
 The Christian character is, in such cases, crm- 
 biiud with the ri;?*!!!?.!; (i<.nie tic, civil, iH;litic;iJ. 
 
OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 271 
 
 CHAP. HI.] 
 
 ;n England, almost as soon as the king came '; The last clog upon this indemnity 
 home : but his ancient kingdom nmst not is, " the act containing exceptions *^^^' 
 enjoy such a favour till the prelates had from the act of indemnity;" the tenor of 
 their main interests settled and secured ; ' which will fall in afterwards in the act, 
 though they were the Scots who crowned September 9th, 1GG3, rescinding the ballot- 
 him, fought for him, suffered most for him ing act. I find the reason alleged for this 
 under the usurpation, and moved first his ! act of fines, or the exceptions'' from this 
 restoration. This act of indcnmity and j indemnity is, "that the fines therein imposed, 
 oblivion was clogged with some exceptions j may be given for the relief of the king's 
 in the body of it : besides the ordinary crimes ; good subjects, who had suffered in the late 
 still excepted in such acts, and the murderers ' troubles," as now it is fashionable to term 
 
 of the king's father, if any such were in 
 Scotland, the parliament cxcej)t out of the 
 indemnity, all who had been declared fuo-itive 
 by the committees of estates or parliament, 
 since August 1660, and in particular, " tiie 
 marquis of Argyle, Warriston, Swinton, Mr 
 
 the work of reformation since the year 1G38. 
 The parliament appointed a committee for 
 pitching upon the persons to be fined, with 
 the quota of their fines, the members where- 
 of were solemnly bound to discover none 
 whom they pitched upon, till once the act 
 
 James Guthrie, William Govan, John Hume, | was passed in the house.' This committee" 
 
 William Dundas, and the Campbells of Ard- 
 kinglas, and Ormsav." 
 
 This act of favour was ftirther clogged 
 with an unprinted act, secluding twelve 
 persons from places of trust, who were to 
 be named in parliament by ballots: which 
 act, commonly called tiie balloting act, was a 
 contrivance of Middleton's, to turn out Lau- 
 derdale, Crawford, and Sir Robert Murray, 
 from all their offices and posts. However, 
 tliis turned about to Middleton's ruin, and 
 occasioned an odd reckoning betwixt the 
 king and parliament, as may be seen at the 
 end of the printed acts of parliament, 1663, 
 when the parliament, after a flaunting letter 
 to the king, wherein they, I had almost said 
 blasphemously, declare the king's royal judg- 
 ment is the rule of their actions, rescinded 
 
 most arbitrarily formed a list, which the 
 parliament, I may say, implicitly approved, 
 of seven or eight hundred noblemen, gentle- 
 men, burgesses, and others, mostly in the 
 western shires, to be arbitrarily fined in the 
 sum.s they named, without any libel, proba- 
 tion, or pretended crime, but what was 
 common to the whole nation during the 
 usurpation, and now was indemnified to the 
 rest of the subjects. I have heard of nothing 
 of this nature imposed upon the compilers 
 with Cromwell, in England or Ireland. The 
 persons they name are fined in the sum of 
 one million seventeen thousand, three hun- 
 dred, fifty-three pounds, six shillings and 
 eight pcnies, Scots money, as will appear by 
 the list of them, annexed at the bottom of 
 the page.* This list may be faulty in the 
 
 this balloting act. Some of the members of sj-llabication of some persons' names and 
 parliament, when giving in their lists or bal- I styles, but as to the sums and the bulk of 
 lots, were so merry as to put down any persons named it is exact. The persons 
 twelve of the bishops the parliament pleased. \ contained in this act of fines, as for as I can 
 
 Much confusion also arises on tliis snhject, from 
 not attftnJin;? to the specific ol)io(tof our national 
 covenants and the nature of their stipulations, 
 by which they are distinguished from mere 
 church covenants. 1 shall only add, that several 
 objections usually adduced on "this head, may be 
 obviated by keeping in mind that the oblisration 
 in question is of a moral kind, and that God is 
 the principal party who exacts the fultilnicnt of 
 the bond." IM'Crie's Unity of the Church, pp. 
 Iti", HjS. The reader may consult on this sub- 
 ject, with advantage, The Covenanters' Plea, 
 Croftons Fastening of St. Peter's Fetters, &c. 
 
 * List of fines imposed by IMiddleton, in 
 parliament, 1662. 
 
 EDIKBrRCnSIIIRE. 
 
 Earl of Lothian fined in . , . L.6.000 
 
 J^ord I'ortlnvick .... 2,100 
 
 Lord Ualmerinoch .... 6,000 
 
 Mr. John Inglis of Cramond . . 6,000 
 
 Mr. James Scot of Bonny ton . . 1,200 
 
 Mr. Laurence Scot of Pa"isley . . 2,400 
 
 Thomas Craig of Rickarton . . 2,400 
 
 tir John Scot of Scotstarbet . . 6,000 
 
 Walter Young, merchant in Kdinhurgh 1,200 
 
 Robert Hamilton, elder, merchant there 1,000 
 
272 
 
 tff.) now learn about them, were, gene- 
 rally speaking, of the best morals, 
 and most shining piety in the places where 
 
 James Mason, merchant there . . L.800 
 
 Alexander Brand, merchant there . 6,000 
 
 Mr. John Harper, advocate . . 2,t00 
 
 Henry Hope, merchant in Edinburgh 3,(iOU 
 
 Mr. James Ritchie there . . 1,200 
 
 Hugh Watt in Leith . . . 1,(>00 
 James Dalgleish, late collector of vacant 
 
 stipends 1,SOO 
 
 Mr. Robert Dalgleish of Lauristoii . 3,600 
 Robert Campbell, apothecary . . 600 
 William Blackwood, merchant in Edin- 
 burgh 1,200 
 
 Sir James Stuart of Kirkfield . . 6,000 
 
 George Graham, merchant in Edinburgh 600 
 
 Thomas Lawrie, merchant there . 600 
 
 James Melvile, there . . . 1,800 
 
 William Melvile, merchant there . 3,600 
 
 Adam Mushet there . . . 1,200 
 
 Mr. John EUes, advocate there . 2,400 
 
 Mr. William Hogg, advocate there . 1,800 
 
 John Macklary, there . . . 360 
 
 James Bruce, merchant there . . 600 
 
 James Melross, there . . . 600 
 
 George Blackwood, there . . . 860 
 
 William Hamilton, writer in Edinburgh 1,200 
 
 James Graham, merchant there . 600 
 
 William Rae, vintner there . . 600 
 
 John Lamb, merchant there . . 720 
 
 John Bonnar of Bonnarton . . 1,200 
 
 James Wilson, vintner in Edinburgh 360 
 
 Laird Dodds 2,400 
 
 John Lawrie, in Loganhouse . . 360 
 
 Robert Selkirk, merchant in Edinburgh 3()0 
 
 William Anderson, niert^hant there . 600 
 
 Robert Jack, merchant there . . 360 
 
 Robert Fowlis, merchant there . 1,200 
 
 Robert Simpson, vintner there . . 600 
 
 Robert Lockhart, merchant there . 2,400 
 
 Patrick Crichton, merchant there . 1,200 
 
 John Crawford, merchant there . 600 
 
 Alexander Henderson, merchant there 500 
 
 Joseph Brodie, brother to the lord Brodie 600 
 
 Captain William Bannatyne . . 600 
 
 HADDINGTONSHIRE. 
 
 Patrick Temple, in Lintonbridges . 300 
 
 Hepburn of Bennistoun . . 1,200 
 
 Robert Atchison of Saintserf . . 3,000 
 
 Mr. Robert Hodge of Glaidsmuir . 600 
 
 PEEBLES-SHIllE. 
 
 The laird of Palnin ... 600 
 
 William Russel of Slipperfield . . 600 
 
 Douglas of Linton . . . 360 
 
 Cranston of Glen ... 800 
 
 John Horseburgh, bailie of Peebles . 360 
 Mr. Andrew llay, brother to Mr. John 
 
 HayofHayston .... 600 
 
 Joseph Learmont .... 1,200 
 
 BERWICKSHIRE. 
 
 Sir William Scot of Hardin 
 John Home in the Law 
 John Ker of Westnisbet . 
 Walter Pringle of Greenknow . 
 John Evskine, portioner of Dryburgh 
 Thomas Haliburton of Newmains 
 Robert Brown of Blackburn 
 William Craw of Heughead 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 18,000 
 600 
 3,000 
 3,000 
 600 
 600 
 600 
 600 
 
 [noOK t. 
 
 they lived, and chargeable with nothing but 
 being presbyterians, and submitting to their 
 conquerors when they could do no better 
 
 Mr. Mai'k Ker of Morningston . L.5,00() 
 
 Andrew Gray, portioner of Swincwood 600 
 Patrick Wardlaw, portioner of Wester- 
 
 easter , . . . . 
 John Hunter of Colingslie 
 Abraham H(mie of Kenuetsidehead 
 William Somerwel in Hilton 
 Robert Brownfield of Todri-g 
 Patrick Gillespie in Stempreneze 
 
 SELKIRKSHIRE. 
 
 Georee Currier of Fondoun 
 
 Pringle of Torwoodlie 
 
 Laird of Whytebank younger 
 
 Pringle of Newhal 
 
 James Eliot in Sutherlandhall . 
 William Scot of Tushelaw 
 Robert Scot of Brown hall 
 Andrew Scot of Broadmeadows 
 John Scot of Gilmcnsleugh 
 Andrew Eliot of Phillip . 
 Thomas Scot of Todrig 
 Thomas Scot, bailie of Selkirk . 
 Archibald Eliot of Middlesteed 
 James Scot of Gallowshiels 
 
 LANARKSHIRE. 
 
 Sir Daniel Carmichael 
 Sir James Carmichael 
 
 Hamilton of Halcraig 
 
 William Lawrie of Blackwood 
 
 Moor of Arniston 
 
 William Hamilton of Netherfield 
 
 James Cunningham of Bonniton 
 
 John Weir of Newton 
 
 John Weir of Clowburn 
 
 William Brown of Dolphinston 
 
 John Hamilton, chamberlain of Hamilton 
 
 George Weir of Harwood 
 
 James Hamilton of Neisland 
 
 Mr. John Spreul, late clerk of Glasgow 
 
 John Graham, late provost of Glasgow 
 
 Mr. William Brown of Milridge 
 
 Andrew Hamilton of Overton 
 
 James Alexandei', in Overhill of Drips 
 
 Thomas Petticrew in the barony of 
 
 Glasgow .... 
 
 Bailie of Walston 
 
 Matthew Wilson, tanner in Glasgow, 
 
 Thomas Paterson there 
 
 John Johnston there 
 
 Laird of Auchterfardel 
 
 William Chiesly in Douglas 
 
 Andrew Brown, brother to the laird of 
 
 Dolphinston 
 Michael Somerwel, bailie of Lanark 
 
 Ellon, there 
 
 Alexander Tennent, in Lanark 
 
 Gabriel Hamilton there 
 
 Mr. Andrew Ker 
 
 Gabriel Hamilton of Westburn 
 
 Alexander Wilson in Lanark 
 
 John Nimmo, in the Westport of Glasgow 
 
 James ElpViinston, glasswright there 
 
 Sir John Chiesly . . . 
 
 John Small, in Kilbride 
 
 Mr. Cumming in Glasgow 
 
 William Cortes, merchant there 
 
 John Kirkkmd of Kai'donar 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 OF TIIH CIIUnCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 273 
 
 IGOI 
 
 Middleton thoiiglit to liavc got all this 1 with the addition of the title of 
 money to himself and his dependants, as ! duke ; but he was balked in both ; 
 V. cl! as the estate of the rcai-quis of Argyle, and neither he nor his friends fingered thosa 
 
 iMatthfW Fleming in Kilbride . L.360 , 
 
 Captain Iliiti-liesoii i?i Carstaii's . 6 
 
 John Powdor in Stobberlic . . 8)0 ] 
 
 James Cirav, merchant in CJla!ii;ti\v SfSO 1 
 
 Teller of Ilarecleugh ~ . 2, J<X) 
 
 David Gardener of Honsmat . . 4f-'0 ! 
 
 David Sonierwel of Granpe . . tiOO 
 
 .lohn Menziesof Ilarpcrfiield . . 1,000 
 
 Cleland of Honlioblin or Ilinndble. COO 
 
 James ISailie of 1 odlitdes . . 360 
 
 John Pirry, chamberlain of Mansley SCO 
 
 Claud Hamilton of Barin . . 1,200 
 
 Richard INIaitland in Park of Mansley 300 
 
 Prentice of Thorn ... 300 
 
 James Paterson in Inditshire . . 300 
 
 Archibald Ing .... 240 
 
 James Ujistie in Sandvford . . 360 
 
 John Kid in Overton" ... 300 
 
 •lohn Forest in Thriepwood . . 300 
 
 John Scouler in Law of Mansley . 240 
 
 Geori;e Gilbertson in IJroadwood . 210 
 Hugh Roxburgh in Muirhouseof Libberton 240 
 
 Gladstanes of Overshiels . . 360 
 
 William Bartram, portioner of Nisbet 480 
 
 Walter Carmichael in Grangeliall . 600 
 
 I'atrick N'immo, portioner of Quathiel 490 
 
 Johnston of Newbigging . . 240 
 
 James Brown in Carstairs . . 240 
 
 James Logan in Strafrank . . 240 
 
 James IMurray in Ilartiham . . 240 
 
 John Whyte of Caldyke . . . 360 
 
 James Bailie in Thankerton . . 240 
 George Whyte, brother to the said John 
 
 of Caldyke 240 
 
 CJeorge Portcrfield, late pro vest of Glas-^ 
 
 gow 3,000 
 
 Gideon Jack in Lanark . . . 1,000 
 
 Hamilton of Southfield . . 300 
 
 Hamilton of Hisson . . 240 
 
 Jolin Brown, younger of Draphan . 360 
 
 —— Hamilton of Aikenhead . . 600 
 
 Thomas Stevens in Lesniahago . 240 
 
 John Stevens there .... 210 
 
 Thomas JMacquary there . . . SCO 
 David Hamilton, younger in South 
 
 Cumbeilaid . . . . S60 
 
 David Hamilton in Calderwater . 300 
 
 ^— Hamilton in Both well-bridge . 360 
 Are.hibald Hamilton in Causeyhead of 
 
 Netherton 240 
 
 John Hamilton in Stonebal . . 360 
 David Sonierwel in the Green of Balveth 360 
 
 Thomas Carmichael in Newbigging . 240 
 
 Thomas (Jibson in Cothquh.in . .S60 
 
 John Kello there .... 210 
 
 John Braid in Kilhead of Covington 600 
 itobert Logan of Hintshilnood of Carn- 
 
 wath 210 
 
 William Bruce of Skellieton, elder and 
 
 younger, betwixt them cq\ially . 600 
 
 James Bruce of Kilback of Lesmahugo 240 
 
 John Pillan in Lanark . . . 240 
 
 James Gray in Jerviswood . . 600 
 
 Simpson in Lanark . . . 240 
 
 John Fi.slirr in Lanark . . . 240 
 
 Thomas Ilutton in Hamilton . 1,000 
 
 George Tain in the parish of Monkland 240 
 
 John Hamilton of Lesmahago . . 240 
 
 John Hamilton of Priorhil . 300 
 
 Thomas Steel in Skelliehill 
 Lieutenant Lindsay 
 
 Wardrop of Daldowie 
 
 jNIr. William Somerwel in Douglas 
 — — liobiu in Sheeney 
 
 DUMFRiEs-snnir. 
 Mr. Wiilinm Ferguson of Killoch 
 William Wilson of Lard 
 •Tohn Douglas of Stonehouse 
 John Welsh of Collieston 
 John Scot younger in Katshaw 
 John Macburney, portioner of Leggat 
 John INIaitland, glover there 
 John Short, glover in Dumfries 
 James Moffat, merchant there . 
 James Kalling, glover there 
 Robert Wallace, merchant there 
 James Muirhead, merchant there 
 John Williamson, merchant there 
 Abraham Dickson, merchant there 
 James Grierson of Dogmare 
 John Kirkwell of Bogrie 
 John Kirkwell of San<lewal 
 James Hunter in Townhead 
 William Bell in Albey 
 George Bell in Gotsbridge 
 James Clark of Tilloch 
 John Clerk of Killymie 
 John Craig in Dumfries 
 Andrew Johnston of Lockarbie 
 Patrick Murray of Brockhulrig 
 
 Taggit in Dumfries-shire 
 
 William Macmarran in Kilhin 
 
 John Ewet in Dumfries 
 
 John Gilchrist there 
 
 John Copland there 
 
 John Lawrie of Maxwelston 
 
 John Kennedy of Hellies . 
 
 John Osclencroch 
 
 William Eliot of Birks 
 
 Robert Eliot his brother 
 
 Adam Eliot of Efgel 
 
 William Eliot, called of Unthank 
 
 Gavin Eliot of Waterside 
 
 John Bell of Crowdiknow 
 
 Murray of Murraysiat 
 
 Thomas Glaidstanes 
 
 KOXBURGHSHIUK. 
 
 The Sheriff depute 
 
 John Turnbull of Know 
 
 Robert Flennit of Chestei-s 
 
 The Laird of Langhouse 
 
 Robert Pringle of Elieston 
 
 William Kerr of Swinsidc 
 
 Mr. Gilberi Eliot of Craigen 
 
 Andrew Bell of Mow 
 
 John Fasnel, collector 
 
 Robert Handvside, merchant in Kelso 
 
 Scot of Clasliell 
 
 William Scot of Huslevhil 
 Sir Walter Riddel of that ilk 
 William Ker of Newtown 
 Sir Gideon Scot of Heychesfer 
 
 Scot of Gandilands 
 
 Robert Scot of Bro.-idhatigh 
 Gideon Wauchop, brother to the laird of 
 Robert Ker of Mlddleniaswal . 
 2 ;i 
 
1662. 
 
 i271' THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 fines. They were indeed uplifted, 
 
 and much more, as shall be observed 
 bi its own room, by military force ; but the 
 money came to other hands. 
 
 John Ker of Chester . . . L.360 
 
 Thomas Ker, portioner of Home . 360 
 
 Sir Tlioinas K?r of Cavers . . 6,000 
 
 Patrick Scot of Thirlestone . . 3,000 
 
 Samuel Morison of MassendieH . 1,200 
 
 Sir Archibald Douglas of Cavers . 3,600 
 
 FIFESHIRE. 
 
 George Gairns in Burntisland . 600 
 
 Lord Burleigh . . L. 13,333 6s. 8(i. 
 
 Weems of Belfarge . . . 1,000 
 
 Sir Thomas Nairn of Samford . 1,800 
 
 Thomas Oliphant of Kirkbarn . 1,200 
 
 John Moncrief of Crossel . . 12,00 
 
 John Brown of Burntisland . . 600 
 
 Thomas Glover, late collector in Fife 600 
 
 Colonel Brymer .... 1,200 
 
 Macgill of Rankeilor . . 3,000 
 
 The laird of Ayton in Fife . . 2,400 
 Robert Bailie, late chamberlain in Falk- 
 land 1,200 
 
 Robert Whyte in Kirkaldy . . 1,200 
 
 — — Weems of Ferizies . . . 600 
 
 Hamilton of Grangemuir . 1,200 
 
 John Lindsay, in Anstruther . . 240 
 Thomas Mitchel of Kondan . . 1,200 
 Laird of Leuchart .... 1,200 
 William Hamilton of Anstruther . 360 
 John White in Burntisland . , 1,200 
 Robert Andrew, late collector In Perth- 
 shire 2,400 
 
 Mr. Robert PittuUoch . . . 1,800 
 
 Mr. Robert Preston of Preston . 1,200 
 
 Robert Dempster in Balbongie . . 1,800 
 
 DUMBARTONSHIRE. 
 
 Colin Campbell of Ardentenny . 1,200 
 
 Patrick Ewing in Dumbarton . 600 
 
 ^— . Brown of Bancleugh . . 1,200 
 
 I :VEaNESS, ROSS, AND CROMARTY. 
 
 . Monro of Fowlis . . . 3,600 
 
 Ross of Innercharran . . . 1,200 
 
 John Forbes of Culloden . . . 1,200 
 
 Andrew M'Culloch, burgess of Tain 1,200 
 
 Laird of Strue 1,200 
 
 Belledrum . . 600 
 
 Donald Fowler of Allen . . . 2,400 
 
 Malcom Ross of Kindies . 600 
 
 Gilbert Robston in Inverness . . 2,400 
 
 Hugh Monro, collector there . . 1,200 
 
 David Ross of Pitcaiinay . . 720 
 
 Hector Douglas of Mildarg . . 2,400 
 
 Monro of Culcairn . . . 360 
 
 Malcom Tosh of Kylachie . . 360 
 
 Thomas Clievis of Muirioun . . 1,800 
 
 Alexander Dunbar, burgess of Inverness 3,600 
 
 James Fowler, burgess there . . 600 
 
 George Lesley, clerk of Inverness . 600 
 
 Mr. William Ross of Sandwick . 600 
 
 Duncan Forbes, merchant there . 1,200 
 
 Walter Innes of Innerbrachy . . 2,400 
 
 Macpherson, tutor of Clunie . . 600 
 
 M'acpherson, tutor of Inverness . 600 
 
 ■ Cumming of Kinhardie . . 360 
 
 — Macintosh of Connage . . 3,600 
 — . Mackenzie of Killcourie . . 6,000 
 
 [book r. 
 
 Many observations were made upon this 
 act of fines at this time : that some named 
 in it were in their grave, some upon the 
 nurse's breast, some, never had a being : 
 
 William Duff, collector of the excise of 
 
 Inverness L. 1,800 
 
 ELGIN AND NAIRN. 
 
 of 
 
 3,600 
 4,800 
 
 600 
 6,000 
 1,200 
 
 360 
 1,200 
 
 3,000 
 
 18,000 
 
 12,000 
 
 1,200 
 
 600 
 
 1,200 
 
 2,400 
 
 1,000 
 
 360 
 
 1,200 
 
 600 
 
 1,200 
 
 Sir Lodowick Gordon of that illc 
 Alexander Brodie of that ilk 
 Patrick Campbell of Butli 
 
 Brodie of Lethem 
 
 — — Brodie of Le'.hem younger 
 — — . Hay, tutor of Knockudie 
 Hugh Hay, tutor of Park 
 Francis Broddies elder and younger 
 
 Belnoat .... 
 
 Laird of Grant 
 
 Campbell of Calder 
 
 Colonel Innes of Bt^g 
 
 Mr. John Campbell of Mey 
 
 Patrick Nairn of Alchrose 
 
 Park Hay, in the North . 
 
 John Innes of Culraick 
 
 Robert Stuart of Letherin 
 
 Alexander Anderson of Garmoch 
 
 John Tulloch in Nairn 
 
 Joljn Falconer of Tulloch 
 
 Alexander Dunbar, commissar of Murray 1,200 
 
 David Brodie of Pitgairu . . 1,200 
 
 SHERIFFDOM OF AYR. 
 
 Mr. Robert Barclay, burgess of Irvine 
 
 Laird of Cunninghamhead 
 
 -^— Fullarton of Corsbie 
 
 Sir Hugh C;impbell of Cesnock 
 
 The laird of Rowallan 
 
 Tlie laird of Crawfordlane 
 
 Hunter of Hunterston 
 
 John Reid, late provost of Irvine 
 James Campbell of Newmills 
 John Shaw of Sornbeg 
 John Haldane of Entrekin 
 Alexander Crawford of Skeldoun 
 William Hamiltim of Garrive 
 John Fergushil, bailie of Ajt 
 The laird of Pinkel elder . 
 The laird of Pinkel younger 
 -^— Gruntishaw 
 The laird of Kirkmichael 
 I Eccles of Kildonnan 
 ^-^ Kennedy of Dannare 
 Gilbert Rickart of Barskiming 
 Robert Kelso of Kelsoland 
 Thomas Blair, merchant in Ayr 
 ' Kennedy of Kirkhill 
 
 Caldwell of that ilk . 
 
 Mr. Cuthbert Cunningham 
 Patrick Crawford of Cumnock 
 
 Whytford of Balloch 
 
 Allan Dunlop, provost of Irvine 
 Charles Hall in Nevrmills 
 
 Crawford of Smiddieshaw 
 
 — ^— Reid younger of Ballochmyle 
 
 Boyd of Pitton 
 
 Campbell of Shaw 
 
 ■ Kennedy of Bellimuir 
 
 WiUiam Pedin in Ayr 
 James Wallace of Drummalloch 
 George Crawford in 15roch 
 John Frow in Newmills . , 
 
 1,200 
 
 4,800 
 
 2,000 
 
 8,000 
 
 4,000 
 
 1,200 
 
 600 
 
 COO 
 
 600 
 
 1,200 
 
 1,800 
 
 1,000 
 
 360 
 
 1,200 
 
 4,800 
 
 1,200 
 
 240 
 
 4,000 
 
 400 
 
 600 
 
 1,800 
 
 800 
 
 800 
 
 360 
 
 600 
 
 1,200 
 
 2,000 
 
 4,000 
 
 360 
 
 360 
 
 600 
 
 600 
 
 600 
 
 1,200 
 
 600 
 
 .«?60 
 
 600 
 
 600 
 
 860 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 several were in the act wlio were subsisted 
 upon the weekly collections lor the poor of 
 the parish where they lived; and a good 
 many were put in, as much from little private 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 9.^5 
 
 pique, as for any activity in the late -ip-aa 
 times. Generally speaking, these 
 fines were inflicted upon such whom tliey 
 reckoned presbyterians, and averse from the 
 
 Robert Nisbet in little Cesnock . L.360 
 
 Reid of Dandilling ... 600 
 
 IMitcliel of Dalgen ... 600 
 
 Nisbet of Gieidiiolin . . GOO 
 
 John INI'C'iiIIoch, in Rue . . . 360 
 
 John id 'Hutchison, there . . 360 
 
 of Droihallaii .... 360 
 
 of Ualreoch .... 600 
 
 lirown of Wahvood . . . 060 
 
 Campbell of Harccleugh . . 480 
 
 Campbell of (Jla.siiock elder . 480 
 
 Campbell vouiiyer of Auchmaurioch 600 
 
 Aird of !\iiltoii ... 360 
 
 iJrown of Gordons . . . 600 
 
 Campbell of middle Wahvood . 360 
 
 Kobert Wallace of Caruhill . . 1,200 
 
 Campbell of Shaw .... 1,000 
 
 Kennedy of Bellimuir . . 4S0 
 
 James Gordon, chamberlain to the carl 
 
 ofCassils 360 
 
 Douglas of Carrallow . . 600 
 
 Alexander Kennedy of IMynybole . 3<J0 
 
 Kennedy of Knockdoou . . 600 
 
 John Keiniedy his brother . , 300 
 
 John Fergusson of Millander . . 1,000 
 
 'Fliomas Fci'gusson of F'inage . . 600 
 
 Hugh F'ergusson of Mains . . 600 
 
 Andrew Ross of Travier . . . 600 
 
 James Hunter in Carbton . . 600 
 
 Kennedy of Glenmuir . . 600 
 
 Adam Wright in Dalmelington . 200 
 
 John Shaw in Belloch . . . S60 
 
 Robert W^illace in Holmston . , S60 
 
 David Kennedy of Bandilanachan . 360 
 
 Thomas Kennedy of Grange . , 360 
 
 John Shaw of Niniin^iboun . . 600 
 
 John INJacmirry .... 600 
 
 — — Shaw of Keir .... 360 
 
 Mr. Robert A uld of Hill . . . 1,200 
 
 ofKnockdall .... 1,200 
 
 Earl of Loudon . , . 1,200 
 
 HUTESHIRE. 
 
 Donald Macneil of Kilmorie . . 360 
 
 Neil Macneil of Kilmorie . . 360 
 
 Ninian Spence of W^ester Karnes . 1,200 
 
 James Stewart of Kihvhinleck . . 360 
 
 ABERDEENSHIRE. 
 
 The laird of Echt . . . 3,600 
 Master of Forbes .... 3,600 
 William Forbes of Corsendey . . 1,200 
 F'orbes of Knockquharry . . 300 
 
 Arbuthnot of Cairngall . . 1,000 
 
 Thomas Forbes of Auchortcs . , 600 
 
 Arthur Forbes of Inneniochty . 1,000 
 
 Gilbert Skene of Dyte . . , 2,400 
 
 Sir John Baird, advocate . . 2,400 
 
 Walter Cochran, in Aberdeen . . 3,600 
 
 Alexander Harper there . . 600 
 
 Air. Alexander Burnet in Craigniel 2,400 
 
 Forbes of Culquharry . . 600 
 
 Robert Ker of Meny . . . 3,600 
 
 David Tyrie in Strathbogie . . 600 
 
 John Innes of Culrain . . . 1,200 
 
 Henry Raton 600 
 
 — — Saugster, in Aberdeen . . 600 
 
 Charles Din, litster there . . Jj.60O 
 
 Mr. Robert Burnet of Alberedg.s . 600 
 
 Forbes of Baslayd . . 1,800 
 
 Forbes of Gask . . 1,800 
 
 David Rickart of Aucluiacant , 3,600 
 
 George Cruikshank of Barrihil 1,800 
 
 Patrick Muir, bailie of Aberdeen 1,800 
 
 Burnet of Adors . . . 1,800 
 
 '\\'illiam Allardice in Aberdeen . 1,000 
 
 Thomas Cushny, glasswright there 1,800 
 
 Robert Cruikshank of Ehlck . 1,000 
 
 Andrew Goodale .... 300 
 
 Mr. Alexander Farquhar of Tonley 1,200 
 
 John Ross, merchant in Aberdeen . 1,200 
 
 George Piper there . . . 600 
 
 Tutor of Pitsligo . . . 6,000 
 
 Alexander Jeffray of Kingswells . 2,400 
 Mr. William Moir, late principal of the 
 
 earl Marshal's college, in Aberdeen 8,400 
 
 KINCARDINESHIRE. 
 
 Mr. William Beaton . . . 1,2(10 
 
 of Halgreen, elder . . . 2,400 
 
 Andrew Arbuthnot of Fiddes . . i ,800 
 
 CAITHNESS-SHIRE. 
 
 Robert Innes of Thurston . . 600 
 
 James Smclair of Assery . . 6C0 
 
 William Bailie .... 6C0 
 
 SUTHERLANDSHIRE. 
 
 Robert Gray of Skibo . . . 1,200 
 
 Robert Murray of Pulross . . 1,000 
 
 Patrick Dunbar of Siddery . . 1,000 
 
 Robert Gray of Arbo . . . 4,800 
 
 Gray of Creigh . . . 2,400 
 
 John Sutherland in Clyne . . 1,000 
 
 I-INLITHCOWSniRE. 
 
 Sandilands, tutor of Caldcr . 1,200 
 
 Dundas of Duddiston . . 2,000 
 
 Rlajor Whythead .... 600 
 
 John Gillen 600 
 
 .Tohn Clexam of Cousland . . 1,200 
 Robert Cuthbertson in Linlithgow 360 
 ■ Galloway of Todhaugh . . 600 
 Patrick IJston .... 600 
 .John Mill in Queensferry . . 300 
 John Wardrop in Livingston . . 300 
 Gavin Marshal in Linlithgow . . 600 
 — — Muirhead of Lennox . . 4,000 
 Patrick Young in Killiekanty . 1,200 
 George Drummond of Kartenry . 8,600 
 Walter Stuart in Linlithgow . . 1,200 
 John Crawford, son to umquhile Wil- 
 liam Crawford in Kinneil . . 2,400 
 
 Bailie of Bothkenner . . 1,800 
 
 John Hill in Queensferry . . 600 
 
 John Robertson, merchant there . ti< 
 
 George Logie there . . . 600 
 
 PERTH. 
 
 Lord Cowpar 4,R0O 
 
 Lord Ruthven .... i,800 
 
 Major-general James Holburn . «,6(X) 
 
 .-Vrchibald Stirling of Coldoeh . fi(K) 
 
 James Cami>be41 of Cathwick . I,8«*) 
 
^2j6 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK J. 
 
 \ppo present establishment in the church; after part of this history. I am told, that 
 
 and we shall meet with a good many 
 of them suffering greater hardships in the 
 
 William Hutton of Belnusk . . L.600 
 
 Robert Stuart of Morloch . . 6,000 
 
 Blair of Kinfawns . . . 2,400 
 
 Oliphant of Gask . . . 6,000 
 
 Sir David Carmichael of Kilnedie . 2,400 
 
 Major John Moncrief . . . 1,200 
 
 - Hay Leys, elder . . . 600 
 John Campbell of Aberledui . . 1,000 
 Patrick and John Campbells, ecjually be- 
 twixt them 1,000 
 
 Mr. Henry Stuart, brother to Sir Thomas 
 
 Stuart of GrantuUy . . . 600 
 
 Hugh Craig of Dumberny . . 1,000 
 
 Alexander Robertson of Uownie . 600 
 
 Alexander Robertson of Easter Stralloch 1,000 
 
 Sir Thomas Stuart of Grantully . 18,000 
 
 Colonel Menzies .... 1,800 
 
 James Campbell of Glen whigh of ToUerie 1 ,200 
 
 Campbell of IMackaster . . 1 ,200 
 
 James Stirling in the Mill of Keir . 300 
 
 Mackallan of Kilmadock . 300 
 
 William Oliphant of Forgan . . 1,200 
 
 The Baron Schell .... 600 
 
 Mr. William Blackburn in Middleton 1,200 
 Henry Chrystie, chamberlain to the laird 
 
 of Glenorchie .... 1,200 
 
 James Crichton in Cowpergrange . 1,200 
 
 Andrew Sutor in Newfyle . . 1,200 
 
 Mr. Robert Maegill of Fenzies . 1,200 
 
 John M'Callum of Forther . . 1,800 
 
 Mr. George Blair of . . 2,400 
 
 William Main of PoUockmill . . 1,200 
 
 FORFAR. 
 
 The laird of Edzel .... 3,000 
 
 of Balzordie .... 600 
 
 Xhe laird of Findowrie, elder and 
 
 younger, equally betwixt them 2,400 
 Ogilvie of Balfour . . . 2,400 
 
 Guthrie of Pitforthie . . 600 
 
 Rait of Cunningsyth . . 600 
 
 James Mill in Mendose . . 360 
 
 John Hunter in Glamis . . 600 
 
 BAMFF. 
 
 James Hay in Mildavid . , . 1,000 
 
 William Innes of Killermenie . . 360 
 
 Park Gordon, elder .... 3,600 
 
 Park Gordon, younger . . . 1,200 
 
 John Lyon of Muiresk . . . 3,600 
 
 John Innes of Knockorth . . 300 
 
 RENFREW. 
 
 Sir George Maxwell of Nether Pollock 4,000 
 Mr. James Montgomerie of Wetlands 360 
 ' - ■ of Walkinshaw, younger . . 360 
 John Kelso, bailie in Paisley .■ . 500 
 John Spreul, bailie there . . §60 
 John Park, bailie there . . , 480 
 Mr. Hugh Forbes, sheriff-clerk of Ren- 
 frew . . . . . . 1,000 
 
 Gabriel Thomson in Corshill . . 300 
 
 Robert Pollock of Milburn . . 800 
 
 John Govan in Main . . . 300 
 
 John Fawns, portioner in Neilstounside 360 
 John N orris, elder and younger, equally 
 
 betwixt them .... 360 
 
 John Semple of Balgreen . , 300 
 
 Joljii Orr of Jeffraystock . . 300 
 
 a good many presbyterian ministers were at 
 first named in the list, but it seems upon re- 
 
 John Adam in Bonnyfield 
 —^ Barber of Rushiefield 
 Robert Low of Bavan 
 
 Caldwell of Risk 
 
 Caldwell, portioner of Beltrees 
 
 Barber of Risk 
 
 John How in Damtoun 
 James Orr in Longyard 
 John Fulton of Spreulston 
 
 Fulton of Boydston 
 
 Nicol Craig in Eastmayes 
 James Campbell of Rivoe 
 John Roger of Park 
 Andrew Gaw of Brink 
 Matthew Harvison in Titwood 
 Robert Rankin of Broadlees 
 George Craig of Brome 
 John Rankin of Newton . 
 John Spreul in Renfrew 
 
 Pollock of Flender 
 
 George Pollock of Falside 
 
 James of Cartbridge 
 
 Andrew Gilmour in Newton 
 John Rankin of Mallasheugh 
 John Smith there 
 
 STIRLING AND CLACKMANNAN SHIRES. 
 
 Sir Charles Erskine of Alva 
 
 Sir William Bruce of Stenhouse 
 
 -^— of Leckie .... 
 
 Captain William Monteith, son to 
 umquhile James Monteith 
 
 Sir Thomas Nicholson of Carnock 
 
 William and David Tennents in Slamai- 
 ma-muir, equally betwixt them 
 
 Robert and John I^'oresters equally be- 
 twixt them 
 
 Thomas Fleming there 
 
 William Young there 
 
 David and Patrick Youngs, there, equally 
 betwixt them 
 
 Robert Arthur in Balcastle 
 
 Alexander Waddel there 
 
 Alexander Arthur there 
 
 John Gibson there 
 
 John Boyd 
 
 John Boyd in Lerghous 
 
 Allan Taylor in Middlerigg 
 
 James Boyd in Balmitchel 
 
 John Cardwirhothgus 
 
 William Tender of Burn 
 
 James Mochrie of Strandrigg 
 
 William Row in Bendath 
 
 of Milhaugh 
 
 James Guidlet of Abbotheugh 
 
 Archibald Row of Innerallen 
 
 William Marshall, portioner of Bogston 
 
 Allan Bog, portioner there 
 
 William Dick of Bankhead 
 
 Thomas Robertson, portioner there 
 
 David Robertson, portioner there 
 
 Patrick Eadie, portioner of Bogow 
 
 John Hastie, portioner there 
 
 James Shaw of Dochquhan 
 
 James Binning of Bridge-end 
 
 James Black of Hillend 
 
 James Eadie of Ballinbriech 
 
 John Robertson, portioner of Blackston 
 
 Alexander Lightbody, portimicr there 
 
 L.300 
 300 
 300 
 800 
 300 
 300 
 300 
 300 
 600 
 360 
 300 
 300 
 360 
 360 
 300 
 300 
 200 
 600 
 
 4m 
 
 200 
 480 
 200 
 200 
 300 
 300 
 
 6,000 
 
 1,200 
 
 600 
 
 1,200 
 6,000 
 
 300 
 
 SOO 
 3f)0 
 300 
 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 840 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 §40 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 600 
 600 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 240 
 840 
 240 
 240 
 210 
 
cn\r. III.] 
 
 flection the most piu't of 
 
 themselves were ashamed of this : and 
 
 iiulucd it would have looked odd enough. 
 
 277 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 the managers to levy fines from such as they were 
 turning out of their houses and 
 livings as fast as might be. But enough of 
 
 lOG?. 
 
 Peter Bryce, portioiier of Belbrick . L.2+0 
 
 Archibald liryce, portioiier there . 2W 
 
 James Marshal, portioiier of Kiiiower 240 
 
 John Glen of ('aiidiend . . . 2'1.0 
 
 Ca)<ler of Hill . . . . 210 
 
 James Dick of Millersplace . . 210 
 
 John Arthur of Quarter . . . 240 
 
 Hrown, portioner in Woodside . 240 
 
 Taylor, portioner there . . 210 
 
 John W'ardlaw of Hungriehm . . 240 
 
 Tatrick Calder of Campston . 240 
 
 John Higgen of Bowes . . . 240 
 
 John Jap, portioner of Crownerlaiul 240 
 
 James Gray, (lortiouer of Gilinudie . 240 
 
 Alexander "^larshal of Masterston . 240 
 
 Andrew Baird, late bailie of Stirling 600 
 
 Gilbert Robertson, there . . 600 
 
 Robert Gib, merchant there . . 860 
 
 Thomas Scotland of Daliarbyge . 360 
 
 John Scotland, there . . . 360 
 
 Alexander Fergusson, there . . 600 
 
 .Fames Stirling of Badirnoch . . 1,200 
 
 James Boy<l of Balmitchel . . 600 
 
 RoUock of Bannockburn . . 600 
 
 Monteith of Insholm, younger . 600 
 
 David Bruce in Alva . . . 360 
 
 James Forest of Baukhead . . 480 
 
 'J'homas Buchanan of Boquhan . 360 
 
 Robert Forest of Queenshaugh . 360 
 
 Robei-t Forest of Rushiehill . . 600 
 
 Mr. Robert Bruce of Kennct . 1,800 
 
 John Mitchel in Larber ... 360 
 
 David Guidbet of Langlewiu . . 480 
 
 James Callendar in Falkirk . . 300 
 
 David Campbell there . . . 300 
 
 John Simpson there . . . 240 
 
 John Edet in Dalwhatston . . 200 
 
 James Teniient in Dykehead . . 240 
 
 John Auld there '. . . . 210 
 
 John Wauch there . . . 240 
 
 John Shaw in Greenhill . . 240 
 
 James Easton there . . . 240 
 
 Jolin Moiinghill in Lennox . . 240 
 
 John Lightbody there . . 240 
 
 James Pender in Limemill . . 240 
 
 Peter Russel in Cowholm . • 840 
 
 William Tennent in Burnhoad . 240 
 
 Thomas Fleming in Rushiehill . S40 
 
 George Neil there .... MO 
 
 Thomas Russel in Middleridge . 600 
 
 John Russel in Balcastle . . 300 
 
 Thomas Taylor in Newhousc . . 300 
 
 Andrew Clerkiston .... .?C)0 
 
 J'din Weston in Craigend . . 400 
 
 Alexander Crawford in Mannellingle 6lX) 
 
 James Granton in Morwinside . 240 
 
 John Andrew there . . . 240 
 Thomas Baird in Balinbreich, William 
 
 Black, John, Robert, and James East- 
 ons, William Andrew, Patrick Baird, 
 and William Baird, each of them L.13 
 
 Sterling, inde is ... 1,960 
 
 Alexander Mill of Skene . . 1,000 
 
 William Row in Bawheich . . 600 
 
 I>ord Rollock . ... 6,000 
 
 Thomas IMitchel of Cowdon . . 600 
 
 WICTONSHIKK. 
 
 Colonel \\illism .Stuart ... 600 
 
 Sir Andrew Agnew, sheriff of Galloway L.600 
 
 Gordon oif Grange . . . 1,800 
 
 I\PCulloch, younger of Ardwall 1,200 
 
 John Cathcart of Gennock . , 2,000 
 
 FVancis Hay of Hareliolm . . 1,000 
 
 Patrick Agnew of Sewchan . . 1,200 
 Patrick Agnew of Whig . . . 2,000 
 Gilbert Neilson of Catchcathie . 1,300 
 
 Patrick M'Ghie of Largie . . 260 
 
 William M'Kieffock, collector of Wig- 
 
 tonshire .... 
 
 George Campbell, captain-licutenan 
 
 Sir Robert Adair . 
 Alexander Kennedy of Gillespie 
 James Johnston in Strii^vrawnard 
 John Bailie of Litledoneraclet 
 Alexander Bailie of Meikleton 
 
 M' Donald of Crachen 
 
 John M'Dougal of Creesein 
 Alexander Agnew of Crach 
 Blartin M'Ghie of Penningham 
 William M'Kuflock 
 ■ Stuart, bailie of Wigton 
 
 Cantrair, late provost of Wigton 
 
 William IM'Ghie of Magdallen 
 
 Ramsay of Boghouse 
 
 John M'CuUoch in Glen 
 
 Patrick Agnew ot Caldnoth 
 
 Thomas Boyd ot Kirklaud 
 
 Alexander Martin in Stramavart 
 
 Patrick Kennedy there 
 
 John Machans, tanner there 
 
 Gilbert Adair there . 
 
 David Dunbar ot Calden . 
 
 John Gordon merchant in Stranrawar 
 
 John M'Dougal there 
 
 William M'Culling there 
 
 John Adair of Littlegcnnock 
 
 Alexander Crawford tutor ot Ilerynicn 
 
 William Gordon of Barnfailie . 
 
 John Hannah in Granaiie 
 
 William M'Dougal in Kilroe 
 
 Irissel, burgess of Wigton 
 
 Adam M'Kie, late provost of Wigto 
 
 Stuart of Fintilloch 
 
 James Mackitrick in Kirkmaiden 
 Michael Malrae in Stonykirk 
 James INIacnaught in Portpatrick 
 Nevin Agnew in Clod-house 
 — — Agnew in Kilconquhar 
 John Macmaister in Kirkcum 
 John Macguieston in the Inch 
 Andrew Agne'w ot Park 
 Patrick Hannah in Gask 
 
 Mackinlenie in Darmenew 
 
 Gilbert Macricker in Knockedbay 
 John INIacilvain in Milboch 
 
 Mackinnen of Glenhill 
 
 Mackinnen of Glenbitten . 
 
 — — Kennedy of Barthangan 
 Edward Lawrie in Derwju'd 
 Mr. William Cleland in Shelaud 
 Thomas Macmoran there 
 John Patcrson there 
 iVIackinnen in Polpindoir 
 
 KIRKCUl'tlRinilTSniKK. 
 
 INIajor IMarulloch of liidhomc . . 800 
 
 Robert Kirk of Kildaiie . . 3kV1 
 
S78 
 
 1622. 
 had so 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 the indemnity : it was no wonder remember Sir George Mackenzie, in his 
 
 " Vindication," affirms, " that more indem- 
 nities were granted by this king than by any 
 
 it was so slow a coming, v.'hen it 
 many clogs hanging upon it. I 
 
 Robert Howlson, subcolleetor . . Jj.240 
 Alexander Gordon of Kuockgray, elder 
 
 and younger . . , . 120 
 
 William AVhitehead of Mi'uhouse . 360 
 
 John Corcadi of Sen wick . . 1,200 
 
 David Arnot in Barnkiipel . . S60 
 
 Mr. William Gordon of Earlst(,u . 3,600 
 
 John Gordon of Rusco » , . 2,400 
 
 John Turner in Adwtll , , . 360 
 
 Gordon of Traquair . , , 8,400 
 
 John Fullarton of Carleton , . 1,000 
 
 John Macart in Blaikit . , • 600 
 
 John Gordon in Waterside < > GOO 
 
 Gordon of Ballechstou . . gOO 
 
 James Logan of Ilills . . . 1,000 
 
 — — Logan of Bogrie . . . 480 
 
 Patrick Ewing of Anchescioch . 1,000 
 
 John Maxwell of Milton . . . 800 
 
 of Deiideoch . . . , 600 
 
 WiUiam Gordon of Mid ton . . 240 
 
 Robert Stuart of Mungohill . . 1,000 
 
 Archibald Stuart of Killyreuse . 1,000 
 
 John Thomson of Harriedholm . 240 
 
 John Brown of Muirheadston . 360 
 
 Brown of Lochill . . . 360 
 
 Alexander Gordon of Cultvcning . 600 
 
 John Lindsay of Fadpirth . . 600 
 
 John Aitken of Auchinlaw . . 360 
 
 William Gordon of Chirmcrs . . 600 
 
 James Chalmers of Waterside . . 600 
 
 Heron of Kerrochiltree . . 600 
 
 William Gordon of Robertson . . 360 
 William Corsan, there . . . 240 
 John Logan in Edrick . . . 240 
 William Glendou!ng of Curroch . 360 
 William M'CuUoch of Ardnall . 600 
 Robert M'Lellan of Bargatan . . 360 
 Alexander Mackie, merchant in Kirkcud- 
 bright 200 
 
 Alexander M'Lellan, merchant there 200 
 
 Alexander BI'Lellan, maltman there 280 
 
 William Telfer, in Dunroe . . 300 
 
 — — Gibson of Brock] elo . . . 360 
 
 John Stuait, of Shambellie . . 600 
 
 David Gordon of Glenladie . . 600 
 
 Alexander Gordon of Auchincairn . 200 
 
 Laird Mertine 240 
 
 William Gordon of Meniboe . . 280 
 
 John W'ilson of Corsock . . . 600 
 
 Robert M'Culloch of Auchillarie . 240 
 
 Cornet Alexander M'Ghie of Balgown 480 
 
 Edward Cairns of Tore . . . 240 
 
 Corsan in Dundrenan . . 200 
 
 James Logan of Boge . . . 600 
 
 John M'Michan of Airds . , . 360 
 
 John M'Millan of Brackloch . . 360 
 
 John Cannor of Murdochwood . . 360 
 
 Robert Gordon of Grange . . 2,400 
 
 John Grierson, there . . . 600 
 
 Robert Gibson in the parish of Kells 360 
 
 Edward Gordon of Barmart . . 480 
 
 Alexander Cairns of Dulliparish . 480 
 
 James Glendonning of Mochrum . 480 
 
 James Neilson of Ervie . . . 360 
 
 Grierson, son of Bargatan . . 600 
 
 — Martin in Dullard . . . 360 
 
 V\'iUiain Glendonning of Logan . 360 
 
 Robert Ga, there .... 360 
 
 James Wilson in Creirbrane . . 240 
 
 Alexander Livingstone of Coun- 
 
 tinspie ..... L.S60 
 
 Robert Corsan in Nether-rerick 360 
 
 James of Parberest . . 240 
 
 Patrick Corsan of Cudoe . 600 
 
 John Harris of Logan • . 360 
 
 Telfer of Harecleugh . 1,800 
 
 James Thomson of Inglistoun 1,000 
 
 Robert M'Lellan of Balnagoun 240 
 
 Captain Robert Gordon of Barharro 240 
 
 Gordon of Gedgill . . SOO 
 
 — — Bugbie in Comrie . . 240 
 
 Edward Clauchane in Casselzowere 240 
 
 John M'Gill in Gall . . 240 
 
 John Cannan in Guffartlaid . 240 
 John Hamilton in the Muir of 
 
 Kirkpatrick . . . 240 
 
 Thomas Neilson of Knockwhawock 240 
 
 William Gordon of Mackartnie 240 
 
 James Gordon of Killneluarie 240 
 
 John Welsh of Skair . . 240 
 
 James Smith of Drurnhnv . 240 
 
 Robert Greill in Kinharvie . 240 
 
 William Maxwell in Norther-rait 600 
 
 AEGYLESHIIIE. 
 
 George Campbell, tutor of Caddel 6,000 
 Donald Campbell of Skamadel 600 
 
 Alexander Campbell of Auchinverum 400 
 Mr. Donald Campbell of Auehaird 500 
 Alexander Campbell of Glenverie 200 
 Malcom M' Compter of Letters 500 
 
 James Campbell . . . 1,000 
 Donald M'Allaster, alias Campbell 3,000 
 John Campbell his son . . 1,600 
 John Campbell of Kirktou . 200 
 
 Archibald Campbell brother to Dun- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 stating . . . 200 
 
 Donald Campbell his brother . 400 
 
 Campbell of Ardorane . . 300 
 
 John Campbell of Largs . 600 
 
 ' Campbell of Breghumore 300 
 
 -^ Campbell of Breghubeg . 200 
 
 John Campbell of Auchinrach 600 
 
 Hector M ' Lean of Torloisk 4,000 
 
 Neil oy M'Neil of Drumnammic- 
 
 kloch 1,000 
 
 Duncan M'Arther of Drumack 500 
 
 Duncan M'Arthur of Inchstrenick 1,000 
 James Campbell, brother to the tu- 
 tor of Calder . . . 400 
 Colin Campbell, brother to Dun- 
 
 staifnage . . . . 400 
 
 Donald Campbell of Sonnachaii 300 
 
 Alexander Campbell, captain of 
 
 Craigneish .... 4,000 
 Donald Campbell of Barbraick 2,666 13 4 
 Laird of Duntroon . . 2,666 13 4 
 
 John Campbell of Kilmartin 200 
 
 Neil M'Kellar of Letter . SOO 
 
 John Campbell of Strondour 600 8 
 
 Malcom M'Kellar of Deal . 400 
 
 The Captain of Skipnish . 1,500 
 
 Archibald Campbell of Glencaridale 2,666 13 4 
 Duncan Campbell, bailie of KiJtyre 800 
 John M'Neil of Ross . . 800 
 
 Neil M'Neil, tutor of . . 200 
 
 Lauchlan M'Neil of Ferajgoc« 280 
 
 Patrick Campbell of Kihiioir 3,000 
 
OF THE CHUKCH OF SCOTLAND. QJO 
 
 And iudeed had they for keeping the nniiiversary of the >ppn 
 
 CriAP. III.] 
 
 who ever reigned." 
 
 come seasonably and freely from luni, they 29th of Ma)', the month and day 
 would probably have endeared him to the which they had devised of their own heart 
 sulijects ; but to grant an indemnity after for a feast unto the people. Unto it the 
 the nation had been overawed into so many ' parliament saw good to add a certification o£ 
 ill things by the delay of it ; to grant it so the deprivation of benefice, upon such minis- 
 encumbered with fines and exceptions ; in a j ters as did not keep it. Whereupon a good 
 
 word, to grant it after some of the best 
 blood in the nation was spilt, and more 
 designed, was, I must needs say, but an in- 
 different compliment, and very near the 
 conmion proverb, " when I am dead make 
 caudle." Gratia qua: tarda est, ingrata est 
 gratia. It is the lovely chai-acter of God 
 Almighty, that he is ready to forgive, and 
 which therefore would have well become him 
 who Mas called his vicegerent. But when a 
 favour sticks to the fingers of the giver, it is 
 the less obliging. As for the number of 
 indemnities Sir George boasts of, I believe 
 it will, I am sUre it ought to be granted, that 
 
 many were, without citation, or being heard, 
 deprived of their stipends that year, though 
 they had served the cure ; and their just 
 incomes were uplifted by a common collec- 
 tor, and disposed of otherwise. 
 
 This session of parliament continued long, 
 and did very little, save what we have heard 
 in favours of the prelates. In June, Sir 
 George Mackenzie of Tarbet, was sent up 
 to the king by the commissioner, with some 
 things to be advised with his majesty. He 
 was not well received, but from time to time 
 delayed ; and he was told the king's other 
 weighty aHairs hindered him from minding 
 
 they were much fewer than ensnaring and those n)atters. But Lauderdale was averse 
 oppressive laws, which made people stand to several things proposed by Middleton, 
 
 in need of them. 
 
 Those are the printed acts that chiefly 
 relate to the subject of this history, during 
 this second session, of parliament. Among 
 the unprinted acts I find one concerning the 
 ministers of Edinburgh, of which I may 
 afterwards take notice, when I come to the 
 sufferings of particular persons this year. 
 Those worthy persons, without any citation, 
 libel, or reason given them, are discharged 
 from the ministry, and ordained to remove 
 themselves and families out of the city, some 
 time in September. In the same place I 
 find the title of a proclamation of parliament 
 
 Evan M'lvernock of Obb 
 
 L.500 
 
 
 
 
 
 Donald Campbell of Obb 
 
 1,200 
 
 
 
 
 
 Alexander Campbell, late commis- 
 
 
 
 
 sar of Argyle 
 
 600 
 
 
 
 
 
 John Campbell of Dana 
 
 GOO 
 
 
 
 
 
 Campbell of Kiiab 
 
 2,000 
 
 
 
 
 
 Colin Campbell of Glentibbart 
 
 .■JOO 
 
 
 
 
 
 The laird of Otter 
 
 2,000 
 
 
 
 
 
 Duncan Campbell of Enlane 
 
 1,200 
 
 
 
 
 
 C ilin Campbell of Arteneish 
 
 800 
 
 
 
 
 
 Jolin Campbell, bailie of Glende 
 
 
 
 
 rule 
 
 300 
 
 
 
 
 
 John Ger-Campbell of Glendenile 
 
 24-0 
 
 
 
 
 
 John Mackeruiaisc of Ishanzelaw 
 
 400 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 500 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3,000 
 
 
 
 
 
 .,ohn r.I'Arthur of Dullosken 
 
 400 
 
 
 
 
 
 Summa totalis, 4.1,017,353 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 and the differences betwixt them were draw- 
 ing now to some head, and this was the true 
 spring of this delay. They had my loi'd 
 Lorn's affair before them, and several west 
 country ministers were called in to Edin- 
 burgh during this session of parliament, the 
 accounts whereof may come in as well under 
 the succeeding sections. The matter of the 
 forming the list of persons to be fined, took 
 them up likewise for a considerable time, 
 and it was the 9th of September, before they 
 dismissed, and adjourned till May, next year. 
 So much for this second and last session 
 of parliament, held by the earl of Middletoii, 
 wherein he reckoned he had merited very 
 much at his master's hands, by screwing up 
 the prerogative, and establishing the bishops, 
 to support it, and flatter the king. And yet 
 after he had made a circuit through the west 
 and south, and in council passed many ini- 
 quitous acts against presbyterians, when he 
 went up to court , his reception was but 
 indifferent, and his rival in a short time 
 prevailed against him ; and he never sat in 
 another parliament, and, for any thing I know, 
 never saw Scotland a^^a-.n.* I come now to 
 the procedure of the lounci!. 
 
 ♦ Sen a succeeding Nottj. 
 
2S0 
 
 Of the acts and proceedings of the council 
 after the joarliament rose, and partictdar/^ 
 of the act at Glasgow, October 1st, this 
 year 1662. 
 
 1662. 
 
 Having thus seen the procedure 
 of this second session of parliament* 
 it may be fit to take a view of the acts of 
 council, who begin where they left, and go 
 on vigorously against presbyterians, espe- 
 cially ministers ; and we shall understand 
 the sufferings of particular persons the more 
 distinctly, after we have seen the train of 
 the more public actings this year. 
 
 Now prelacy, that tree of sorrow and 
 death in Scotland, is planted, the fruits it 
 bears will be best gathered from the records 
 of the council, who were for many years the 
 bishops' executioners, and spent much of 
 their time to serve them and harass the 
 presbyterians. There we shall meet with a 
 large harvest of " imprisonments, finings, 
 confinings, scourging, tortures, banishments' 
 selling as slaves, scattering of many poor but 
 religious families, night searchings, heading, 
 hanging." Yet just as Pharaoh's policy to 
 extirpate the children of Israel succeeded of 
 old, so now it did in its copy; the more 
 presbyterians were oppressed, the more they 
 multiplied. 
 
 The very next day after the parliament 
 rose, tlie council begin their iniquitous acts ; 
 and in prosecution of what they left at Jan- 
 uary last, they publish their act anent dio- 
 cesan meetings, September 10th, which I 
 have added in a note.* The council begin 
 
 THE HISTOllY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 with remarking, that the bishops and arch- 
 bishops had been taken up since their con- 
 secration, in attending the service of the 
 parliament, and thereby kept from the exer- 
 cise of the government, and ordering the 
 affairs of the church : which may sufficiently 
 convince even the abettors of prelacy, of the 
 unreasonableness of the civil places and 
 powers of churchmen, and how much their 
 seats in parliament abstract them from what 
 ought to be their proper work. Now they 
 are to go to their respective dioceses, to 
 exercise the authority and jurisdiction estab- 
 lished upon them by the laws : and to be sure 
 they had no other establishment ; and it had 
 been dangerous, for what I can observe, for 
 them to claim any other but what flowed from 
 the regal supremacy. The second Tuesday 
 of October, is to be the diet for the dioceses 
 of St. Andrews, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dun- 
 keld, Brechin, and Duniblane, whereupon 
 theii' diocesan assemblies are to be held ; and 
 the third Tuesday, for those in the dioceses 
 of Galloway, Aberdeen, Murray, Ross, 
 Caithness, Isles, Argyle, and Orkney. All 
 parsons, vicai's, and ministers, are required to 
 be present, and give their concurrence in 
 their stations, for the exercise of ministerial 
 duties, and that under the penalties of con- 
 temners of his majesty's authority : and all 
 other meetings of ministers are henceforth 
 to be held as seditious. This proclamation 
 put it out of the power of presbyterian min- 
 isters to attend those meetings, if they were 
 not resolved to quit their principles, since 
 all their power is derived from the prelates, 
 and theirs from the king. Accordingly they 
 came under a course of sore sufferings. 
 Those diocesan meetings were very ill kept 
 
 * Act of council anent Diocesan INIeetings. 
 
 At Holyrnod-honse, t/ie lOt/t daij of 
 September, 1C62. 
 
 The lords of his majesty's privy council, hav- 
 ing, in i)iirsuance of his mnjesty's royal pleasure 
 and commands, by the proclamation, dated at 
 Edinburgh, the 9th day of January last bypast, 
 discharged all ecclesiastical meetings in synods, 
 presbyteries, and church sessions, until they be 
 authorized and ordered by the ai'chbishops and 
 bishops in their respective sees. And consider- 
 ing, tiiat the lords, archbishops, and bishops, 
 have, all this session of parliament, been engaged 
 to attend the service thereof, and now^ are to 
 repair fo their respective sees, for exercising of 
 the government, and ordering the affairs of the 
 church, according to that authority and jurisdic- 
 
 tion which is settled and established upon them 
 by the laws ; and for that effect, have resolved 
 to hold their diocesan assemblies in the dioceses 
 of St. Andrews, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dun- 
 keld, Brechin, and Dumblane, upon the second 
 Tuesday of October next, and to hold the assem- 
 blies in the dioceses of Galloway, Aberdeen, 
 Miuray, Ross, Caithness, Isles, Argyle, and 
 Orkney, upon the third Tuesday of the said 
 month. Therefore, the lord commissioner his 
 grace, and the lords of his majesty's privy I 
 council, do think fit, by open proclamation, to f 
 make publication hereof to all persons concerned, 
 and to command and require, that all parsons, 
 vicars, ministers in burgh or land, within these 
 respective dioceses, do repair to the said diocesan 
 meetings, upon the foresaid days, and in time 
 
CHAP. HI.] 
 
 save in the north. Svnods antl presb}'- 
 tenes were now dischai'ged, and those nieet- 
 hv^s did entirely depend on the bibliop, and 
 attendance upon them was reckoned a 
 subjection to prchicy. In the diocese of 
 (jlasgow, consisting of tlie presbyteries of 
 Ayr, Irvine, Paisley, Dumbarton, Glasgow, 
 Hamilton, and Lanark, the largest body of 
 ministers, next to the assembly, in this 
 church, together with the shires of Nithsdale, 
 Tweeddale, and Teviotdale, the bishop had 
 only twenty-seven present with him. 
 
 At Edinburgh, the bishop had double their 
 number \\ ith him, and great pains was taken 
 by the noblemen and courtiers, to get minis- 
 ters to be present. October 14th, the 
 bishop and his chapter held the diocesan 
 meeting, which consisted of fifty-eight mem- 
 bers present. To put honour upon this 
 first prelatical synod, the king's advocate, 
 some of the lords of council and session, 
 with the magistrates of Edinburgh, were 
 present. The bishop opened the meeting 
 with a sermon from Phil. iv. 5. " Let your 
 moderation be known unto all men." Two 
 out of every presbytery were pitched upon 
 by the bishop, as a committee, which was 
 named " the brethren of the conference," to 
 prepare business for the synod. They pro- 
 posed, and the synod went into it, that there 
 should be morning and evening prayers 
 in the church, in every burgh, and every 
 other place where any confluence of people 
 could be had. I do not find that this was 
 continued during prelacy. That the Lord's 
 Prayer should be repeated by every minis- 
 ter once at every sermon, or twice as he saw 
 good. That the " Doxology," or " Glory 
 to the Father," being a song composed and 
 sung in the church, when Arians and other 
 sects denied the Deity of our Savioiu-, should 
 be again revived and sung, this being a time 
 
 coming, as they shall be required to give their 
 concurrence in their .stutions, for the exercise of 
 ministerial duties, for the order and peace of 
 the church : with certification, that whosoever 
 shall presume not to give their presence and 
 dutiful attendance npon tliese diocesan assem- 
 blies, and shall not concur in other church 
 meetings, as they shall be appointed and autlior- 
 ized by the respective archbishops and bishops, 
 shall be holden as contemners of his majesty's 
 authority, and incur the censures provided in 
 such oases. And it is hereby always provided, 
 
 OF THE cnuiicii of Scotland. 
 
 281 
 
 16G2. 
 
 when many sectaries deny the 
 Godhead of Christ. That the 
 " Creed," or " Belief," be repeated at the 
 administration of the sacrament of baptism, 
 by the father of the child, or the minister, 
 at his discretion. Probably those things were 
 concerted beforehand among the bishops, 
 and proposed to every meeting, and agreed 
 to. It had been good for them and this 
 church, if they had rested here. 
 
 This meeting likewise agreed, that all 
 ministers within their diocese, who had not 
 conformed to the act of council made at 
 (Glasgow, of which more just now, should be 
 indulged to come in and accept of collation 
 from the bishop, betwixt and the 25th day 
 of November next to come, otherwise the 
 bishop is to proceed against them, and fill 
 their kirks with other ministers. The meet- 
 ing continued part of two days, and were 
 appointed to meet after Pasch next. The 
 writer of the papers, from which I take this, 
 no disliker of prelates, observes, " That all 
 this did not please the people, who much 
 hated the bishops, and favoured the doctrine 
 of their own ministers, and loathed episco- 
 pacy : however, some ministers in the dio- 
 cese came for and accepted collation." But 
 to return to the proceedings of the council. 
 
 To put this act the better in execution, 
 and put the more honour upon the prelates 
 in the western and southern shires, where 
 they were generally disliked, towards the 
 end of September, the commissioner resolves 
 upon a tour through that part of the coun- 
 tr\', where he expected most coldrifeness to 
 the bishops, and makes his best efforts to 
 bring all to a subjection to them. He had 
 a full quorum of the council with him, ready 
 to meet as occasion offered, not only for the 
 executing of what the parliament had enacted, 
 but even to go beyond them. Accordingly, 
 
 that no minister or ministers, upon whatsoever 
 cause or pretence, shall presume to keep any 
 ecclesiastic meetings, who sliall not submit to, 
 and own the ecclesiastic government by arch- 
 bishops and bishops ; with certification, that all 
 such meetings shall be holden henceforth as 
 seditious. And ordain these presents to be 
 printed, and published at the market-crosses of 
 tlie head burghs of the shires, tliat none pretend 
 ignorance. 
 
 Pet. Wedderburn, CI. Seer. ConctliL 
 
 ? S 
 
282 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK 
 
 bishop had to propose, and he sliould 
 
 icpo liis grace the commissioner, the 
 chancellor, the earls of Morton, 
 Linlithgow, Callender, and the lord New- 
 burgh captain of the king's lifeguards, with 
 tlie clerk to the council, and a great many 
 attendants, came to the west country with 
 much Kolenmity, macers, trumpeters, and 
 kettle-drums. They came to Glasgow, Sep- 
 tember 26th, and were regaled and royally 
 treated at Hamilton, Paisley, Dumbarton, 
 Rosedoe, and Mugdock, and, some other 
 places about, by the noblemen and burghs 
 concerned. 
 
 Many remarks upon the prodigality, pro- 
 faneness, and terrible revelling at this pro- 
 gress, were made at this time. Such who 
 entertained the commissioner best, had 
 their dining-room, their drinking-room, their 
 vomiting-room, and sleeping-rooms, when 
 the company had lost their senses. I find 
 it regretted, that while they were at Ayr, 
 the devil's health was dinink at the cross 
 there, in one of their debauches, about the 
 middle of the night ; indeed it was a work 
 of darkness ; but I leave those things to such 
 as shall write a history of the morals of this 
 time, which will be black enough, and un- 
 grateful to Christian ears, but a proof that 
 profaneness and prelacy in Scotland go hand 
 in hand. 
 
 It was given out, that Middleton went 
 •west to press the declaration imposed by 
 parliament upon the presbyterians in that 
 country. Whether the kindness and good 
 company he met with at Glasgow, and the 
 neighbourhood, where every body almost 
 waited on him, softened his spirit, or what 
 was the reason I know not, but I do not 
 find he pressed it. 
 
 When he came to Glasgow, the commis- 
 sioner was entertained with a very heavy 
 complaint from the archbishop, that not- 
 withstanding of the act of parliament, and 
 that the time was elapsed, there was not one 
 of the young ministers, entered since 1649, 
 had owned him as a bishop; that he had 
 only the hatred which attends that office in 
 Scotland, and nothing of the power; that 
 his grace behoved to fall upon some other 
 and more effectual methods, otherwise the 
 new made bishops would be mere ciphers. 
 Middleton desired to know what the arch- 
 
 heartily fall in with it. Fairfoul moved, 
 that the council might agree upon an act 
 and proclamation, peremptorily banishing 
 all the ministers who had entered since the 
 year 1649, from their houses, parishes, and 
 respective presbyteries, betwixt and the 1st 
 of November next to come, if they come 
 not in fo receive collation and admission 
 from the bishop ; assui'ing the commissioner, 
 there would not be ten in his diocese who 
 would stand out, and lose their stipend in 
 this cause. 
 
 Every desire of the prelates was now 
 next to a law : and so a meeting of council 
 was agreed upon, and convened at Glasgow, 
 in the college fore-hall, towards the street. 
 At this time it was termed the drunken 
 meeting at Glasgow, and it was affirmed, 
 that all present were flustered with drink, 
 save Sir James Lockhart of Lee. When 
 the council met, the commissioner laid be- 
 fore them the archbishop's desire and over- 
 ture, and the necessity of supporting the 
 bishops the Idng and parliament had brought 
 in. There was no debate upon it, save by 
 the lord Lee above named. He reasoned 
 some time against it, and assured them 
 such an act would not only lay the country 
 desolate, but cast it in disorder, yea, in- 
 crease their dislike to the bishops, and at 
 length bring the common people into confu- 
 sions and risings ; he peremptorily asserted, 
 that the younger ministers, admitted since 
 the (year) 1 649, would go further than the 
 loss of their stipends, before they would 
 acknowledge and submit to bishops : but 
 reasoning, though never so just, could not 
 have any great weight in the present cir- 
 cumstances. Thus the act was formed in the 
 terms of the archbishop's demand, though 
 some say it was with difficulty, whether for 
 want of a fresh man to dictate or write, 1 
 know not. The tenor of it follows. 
 
 " At Glasgow, October 1st, 1662. 
 " The lords of his majesty's privy council 
 taking to consideration, that notwithstand- 
 ing it is statute and ordained, by an act of 
 the last session of the current parliament, 
 entitled, ' act concerning such benefices and 
 stipends as have been possessed withcu* 
 
CHAP. 111.] 
 
 presentation from 
 all ministers who 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 285 
 
 the lawful i)atron ;' that that no heritor or other, liable in 
 have enteacJ upon the ! payment of any part of the ministers 
 
 1662. 
 
 care of any |)arish in burgh or landward, in 
 or tince the year of (Jod Idid, (at and 
 before which time the patrons were most 
 injuriously dispossessed of their patronages) 
 have no right unto, or shall uplift the rents 
 of their respective benefices, modified sti- 
 pends, manse or glebe, for this instant year 
 16G2, nor for any year following, unless 
 they should obtain presentation from the 
 lawful patron, and have collation from the 
 bishop of the diocese where they live, before 
 the twentieth day of September last : as 
 likewise, tliat it is statute and ordained, 
 that the twenty-ninth of May be yearly kept 
 as a holyday unto the Lord, for a solenm 
 a;miversary thanksgiving for his majesty's 
 lestoration to his royal government, and 
 that all ministers should observe the same 
 in their respective parishes, under the pains 
 therein contained : yet several ministers 
 have not only contravened the foresaid acts 
 of parliament, but, in manifest contempt of 
 his majesty's royal authority, albeit they 
 have justly forfeited their right to the 
 benefices, modified stipends, and others, 
 continue to exercise the function of the 
 ministry at their respective churches as of 
 before ; therefore they prohibit and dis- 
 charge all ministci's who have contravened 
 the foresaid act of parliament concerning 
 the benefices and stipends, to exerce any 
 part of the function of the ministry, at 
 tlicir respective churches in time coming, 
 which are hereby declared to be vacant: 
 and that none of their parishioners who 
 are liable in any part of their stipends, 
 make payment to them of this instant crop 
 and year of God 1G62, or in time coming, 
 as having no right thereunto: and that 
 they do not acknowledge them for their 
 lawfid pastor, in repairing to their sermons, 
 under the pain of being punished as fre- 
 quenters of private conventicles and meet- 
 ings. And command and charge the said 
 ministers to remove themselves and their 
 families out of their parishes, betwixt and 
 the first day of November next to come, 
 and not to reside within the bounds of 
 their respective presbyteries. As likewise, 
 
 stipend, make payment to any minister who 
 hath contravened the foresaid act of parlia- 
 ment, for keeping the anniversary thanksgiv- 
 ing, of any [)art of this year's stipend ; and 
 declare, that the ministers who have contra- 
 vened the said act, shall be liable to the whole 
 pains therein contained. And ordain those 
 presents to be forthwith printed, and pub- 
 lished by the sheriffs of shires, and magis- 
 trates of bmghs, that none may pretend 
 ignorance." 
 
 In the registers, tliis act stands signed 
 by Glencairn chancellor, duke Hamilton, 
 INIontrose, Morton, Egliutoun, Linlithgow, 
 Callender, Newburgh, Sinclair. There are 
 in the sederunt this day, besides the com- 
 missioner, the lairds of Lee and Blackball, 
 who do not sign the act. 
 
 This act appears to be bc}-ond the 
 council's power, which was only to execute 
 the acts of parliament, and not to make 
 new laws ; and they evidently' go beyond 
 what the parliament had statuted. But a 
 little time convinced them that they had 
 taken a false step. The most part of the 
 west and south of Scotland was laid waste 
 of ministers, and people turned discontent, 
 and almost desperate : and what they did 
 at Glasgow, was disliked by some of their 
 best friends ; particularly the primate was 
 mightily dissatisfied, and complained, that 
 Fairfoul's folly had well nigh ruined them. 
 His scheme was to have presbyterian 
 ministers more insensibly turned out at 
 first ; and therefore another proclamation 
 was shaped at Edinburgh, in December, 
 partly rescissory of this, and a little more 
 soft, as we shall hear. 
 
 By this act of Glasgow, near a third part 
 of the ministers of this church were cast 
 out of their charges, and, by the following 
 acts some more, merely for conscience' 
 sake, being free of the least degree of dis- 
 loyalty or rebellion. They could not keep 
 holydays, they could not take the oath of 
 allegiance or supremacy, they could not 
 own patrons, nor subject themselves to 
 bishops ; and therefore nmst be turned out. 
 
28'li 
 
 1GG2. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 I shall afterwards have occasion 
 to observe the lamentable conse- 
 quences of this act ; and only here remark, 
 that, at Glasgow, the council proceeded to 
 severe enough measures with some parti- 
 cular gentlemen and ministers, of which in 
 its own place. 
 
 After this heavy work at Glasgow, the 
 commissioner went forward in his circuit, 
 through Renfrew, Cuningham, Kyle, and 
 Carrick : he was some time at Ayr, and 
 from thence went to Wigton and Dumfries ; 
 and upon the last of October, he returned 
 to Holyrood-house. Wlien the accounts 
 came in to Edinburgh of the rueful cir- 
 cumstances of the west and south, by the 
 silencing theii* ministers, Middleton, who 
 had depended upon the accounts given him 
 by the archbishop of Glasgow, that few or 
 none would lose theii' stipends for non- 
 conformity, raged and stormed exceedingly. 
 He knew many of the ministers had little 
 to sustain themselves and their numerous 
 famiUes ; and cursing and swearing, asked, 
 " What will these mad fellows do ?" know- 
 ing nothing of their living by faith, as 
 sufferers for conscience and a good cause 
 use to do. 
 
 During the month of November, the 
 council are taken up in retrieving, as much 
 as possible, this hasty act at Glasgow. 
 Their prosecutions of particular ministers 
 and gentlemen shall be noticed in the 
 following sections. Accordingly, the very 
 first meeting at Edinburgh, November 4th, 
 they appoint the fc-'lowing letter to be writ 
 to the archbishops of St. Anch-ews and 
 Glasgow. 
 
 " My Lord, 
 " Having considered, that by the exe- 
 cution of the late acts of parliament and 
 council, against several ministers who have 
 contravened the same in many places of 
 the kingdom, the condition of the pa- 
 rishioners will be rendered very hard, through 
 the want of the ministry, and the benefit 
 of the ordinances. We have thought fit 
 your lordship come here with your first 
 convenience, that by your advice we may 
 redress those disorders, and provide for the 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 good of the people, which shall be seriously 
 looked to by 
 
 " Your lordship's friends, 
 " Glencairn chancellor, Hamilton, Morton, 
 Linlithgow, Haddington, Roxburgh, 
 Tweeddale, Sinclair, Halkerton, J. Lock- 
 hart, George Mackenzie, Sir Rober': 
 Murray." 
 
 How much better had it been to have 
 considered those fatal consequences, before 
 they had made such laws and acts, than 
 after they were made to provide remedies ? 
 Had they seriously looked to the good of 
 the people, certainly they had never been 
 made. However, this was the next best : 
 the archbishop of Glasgow seems to have 
 been backward to come to discourse with 
 the lords, as perhaps knowing he was to 
 blame. November 6th, under expectation 
 of the upcoming of the archbishops, the 
 duke of Hamilton, lord register, Tarbet, 
 advocate, and any other the commissioner 
 pleases to name from the council, are ap- 
 pointed to meet with his grace, the chan- 
 cellor, and the two archbishops, anent such 
 matters and business as do concern the 
 afikirs of the church. But it seems the 
 archbishop of Glasgow still hangs off; for, 
 November 18th, the following letter is writ 
 to him. 
 
 " Most reverend, 
 " It is now a fortnight since we did write 
 to your lordship to come here, in order to 
 some affkirs that concern the church : and 
 seeing we have had no return, we thought 
 fit to renew our desires; and the matter 
 being of such importance, your lordship is 
 expected as soon as he can be, jy 
 " Your assured friends, 
 
 " Glencairn, Chancellor, Sec, 
 ut in sederunt.'" 
 
 That same day, the members of council 
 are writ to, to attend on the 21st; and on 
 the 2 1 St, duke Hamilton, Montrose, and 
 other members are again writ to, to attend 
 upon the 27th. Whether the archbishop 
 of Glasgow came up or not, I cannot tell, 
 but, November 27th, the chancellor, Rox- 
 burgh, Haddington, Callender, the register, 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 and Lee, are appointeil to meet in the 
 atteiiioon with the commissioner, ahout 
 such business as his grace shall propose : 
 but I find no account of the lU'chbishop's 
 coming up. INIeanwhile, the council go on 
 to the banishment and confinement of a 
 good many particular ministers, as we shall 
 hear. It seems they could not concert their 
 general act till December 23d, which was 
 tlie last meeting of council Middleton was 
 ever present at. That day the council pub- 
 lish their act and proclamation, which being 
 pretty long, I have annexed it as a note.* 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 285 
 
 • Act of Council. 
 
 At Edinburgh, the 23d dat/ of December, 1662. 
 
 The lords of his miijcsty's privy council, tak- 
 ing to consiilcrution the grout h;i]>pi:i('ss this 
 kingdom doth now enjoy in his majesty's resti- 
 tution, the church being thereby restoi-ed to its 
 jHicient and right government, the laws to their 
 due course and splendour, and the subjects to the 
 l)eaceable possession of their riglits and proper- 
 ties ; and tlie administration of all these, U)m- 
 pered with that moderation, which should justly 
 endear them to all honest and loyal subjects, but 
 especially to these of the ministry, who have so 
 largely shared in his majesty's grace and pardon, 
 both as to their public actings and their undue 
 possessing of benefices, many of them having, 
 during these late troubles, intruded themselves 
 into churches, stipends and benefices, without 
 any right from the lawful patrons, and so being 
 liable in law for their intromission ; yet were, 
 by his majesty's favour, indemnified for what 
 tiiey had possessed, and the patrons ordained to 
 give to them new presentations, and a competent 
 time allowed for obtaining the same, with colla- 
 tion from the bishop of the dioceses thereupon ; 
 which being done, they were from thenceforth 
 to enjoy their churches as freely as any other 
 ministers within the kingdom. And albeit such 
 favourable dealing might have challenged a most 
 cheerful submission and obedience from all con- 
 cerned therein ; yet, such was the froward dis- 
 position of some, in slighting of his majesty's 
 favour, by not accepting of presentations, and 
 in contemning his majesty's authority, by con- 
 tinuing in the exercise of their ministry, that 
 tht? louucil was necessitate by their act at Glas- 
 gow, upon the first of October last, to discharge 
 all such ministers from exercising any part of 
 their ministry, and to charge them to remove 
 themselves and their families out of their par- 
 ishes ; and though in order thereunto, the carriage 
 of divers hath not been suitable to their duty, yet, 
 the council being desirous to exercise further 
 indulgence towards these men, if possibly they 
 may be reclaimed, have therefore tliought fit 
 (being also thereunto solicited by such of the 
 lords of the clergy as were upon the place) to 
 allow a further time until the first day of Feb- 
 ruary next, 16(}3, betwixt and which they may 
 yet obtain presentations and collations, as said 
 is, provided, tliat such who since the first of 
 October arc already placed, or may be jmiged fit 
 to be placed in these places declared vacant, by 
 
 1G62. 
 
 The coimcil, under the sense of 
 the wrong step taken at Glasgow, 
 and how hard it was to leave so vast a 
 number of congregations desolate, as had 
 their ministers ejected by that act, and 
 the bishops having but few ready to 
 fill them, extend the day, and allow 
 ministers to obtain presentation and col- 
 lation before the 1st of February next : 
 but if betwixt and that time they neglect, 
 they are ordained to remove out of their 
 parishes, presbyteries, and the dioceses of 
 St. Andrews and Edinburgh; and such 
 
 act aforesaid, shall enjoy their churches and 
 benefices, any thing in tiiis ait to llie contrary 
 notwitlistauding: certifying always, such as 
 shall fail in obtaining their presentations and 
 collations, they are from thenceforth to be 
 esteemed and holden as persons disaffected to his 
 majesty's government : and such of them as are 
 witliin the dioceses of Glasgow, Argyle, and Gal- 
 loway, are, conform to the former act of council, 
 to remove themselves and their families forth of 
 the bounds of their respective presbyteries, but 
 that tlicy do not offer to stay nor reside within 
 the bounds either of the dioceses of St. Andrews 
 or Edinburgh; and wherever else they shall 
 happen to reside, they are hereby discharged two 
 of them to reside in one parish : and such with- 
 in the dioceses of St Andrews and Edinburgh 
 as sliall not obtain presentation and collation 
 betwixt and the said first day of February next 
 to come, they are from thenceforth to retire 
 themselves, and stay and reside benorth the 
 river of Tay ; and all of them who shall not 
 give satisfaction as aforesaid, are hereby dis- 
 charged from exercising any part of their min- 
 istry in public or in private, and fi'om keeping 
 any meetings in families, upon pretence of reli- 
 gious exercises, except in and with their own 
 families; with certification, to such as shall 
 contravene any part of this act, they are to be 
 punished as seditious persons. And forasmuch, 
 as besides these persons above designed, there be 
 divers ministers, who, in contempt of his ma- 
 jesty's authority and command, did absent 
 themselves from the meetings of the synods 
 whereto they were called by his majesty's 
 authority ; and the lords of his majesty's privy 
 council, being desirous to reclaim all of them, 
 have therefore at this time thought fit, only to 
 confine them within their several parishes, until 
 the next meeting of the synod, discharging thera 
 hereby to transgress the boimds of their confine- 
 ment, imless, upon api)lication to the bishop of 
 the diocese, they obtain a warrant under his 
 hand for the same. And since the disorderly 
 carriage of some ministers hath occasioned, that 
 divers of the people, witli whom they have in- 
 terest, do withdraw fnmi the worship of God 
 in their own parish churches, to the dishonour 
 of (jod, the contempt of his ordinances, and the 
 scandal of the protestaut religion, for making 
 way for atheism, schism, and separation in this 
 reformed church, and for alienating of people 
 from their duty and obedience to the authority 
 established therein, therefore the council do 
 
1662. 
 
 ^86 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ministers as were in those dioceses 
 are ordained to remove beyond Tay 
 before tlie first of March, as the procla- 
 mation itself more fully bears- 
 
 This act some looked upon as a permission 
 to return to th«ir parishes, at least until the 
 first of February ; and so a good many up 
 and down the country did come back and 
 preach. But very soon they found no favour 
 was designed for presbyterian ministers by 
 that act, save what was absolutely necessary 
 for a present conveniency ; and ministers' 
 return and removal so quickly after, at the 
 diets named by the council, was one of the 
 first handles to the common people to 
 censure them. Ignorance, scrupulosity, and 
 censure, ordinarily go together, especially in 
 so dark an hoiu" as this. In reality this act 
 was a cunning fetch of the primate, and an 
 insidious lengthening out of the time, which it 
 now appeared had been too much shortened 
 at Glasgow, for ministers coming in ; and in 
 the event it turned to the disadvantage of 
 the persecuted ministers. Cunningly enough, 
 in the proclamation, ministers are blamed 
 for " refusing to ask a presentation from pa- 
 trons," and no notice is taken of the clause 
 enjoined with this in the act of parliament, 
 " their receiving collation from a bishop," 
 which was a plain renunciation of presbyte- 
 rian principles. And no doubt this was de- 
 signed to exasperate the nobilitj' and gentry 
 at ministers, though out of principle and 
 conscience they refused both ; and beside 
 what hath been observed upon those heads, 
 the remarks of Mr. Douglas on this act, de- 
 
 hereby appoint all his majesty's subjects, to fre- 
 quent the ordinary meetings of public worship in 
 their own parish churches; and in case there be 
 no sermon there, that they go to the next church 
 where sermon is, and that otherways they pre- 
 Bume not, without lawful excuse, to stay from 
 their own parish church, or go out of their own 
 parishes on the Sabbath day: commanding hereby, 
 all magistrates within burgh, and justices of 
 peace, to take trial of the contraveners, and to 
 luinish them as Sabbath-breakers, and to exact 
 twenty shillings Scots from each of them, toties 
 quoties, to be applied for relief of the poor of the 
 parish. And whereas the sacrament of the Lord's 
 supper (which was instituted as a special mean 
 and bond of love and unity, duty and obedience 
 amongst Christians) is, at the administration 
 thereof in some places, abused and perverted, by 
 llie unlicentiate confluence of some peojile, aii<l 
 extravagant sermons of some minister.sot'uniiuiet 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 serve a room here. lie says, " The recei\'ing 
 a presentation and collation may be account- 
 ed a small matter, but who considers it well, 
 will find it very weighty. Taking of presenta- 
 tions condemns the removal of laick patrons, 
 and which is more, condemns the call from 
 the people : and presentations directed to 
 bishops, condemn the call from the presb}- 
 tery ; and it vacates the right to the benefice, 
 and says, they had no right to it ; and yet in 
 law beneftcium sequiter officinm. Besides, 
 the collation is not a simple collation, and 
 giving a right to the benefice, which is toler- 
 able ; but the right is given upon the account 
 of their acknowledging their ordinary, and 
 submission to the present episcopal govern- 
 ment, which is a real acknowledging their 
 power. This honest ministers could not 
 do ; therefore by the act they are removed 
 from their charges ; and more ministers were 
 removed in one mcHith, than ever were 
 removed in Scotland since the reformation. 
 It is no wonder then the complaint against 
 their bishops be, that their little finger is 
 thicker than tlie loins of the former." 
 
 The king's goodness is magnified in not 
 making ministei's pay back all then- stipend 
 since the year 1649, in which period they 
 had as good a title to them as the law of the 
 land and the king's consent to it could give. 
 It is noticed, that this prolongation of the 
 time was at the request of the bishops 
 present, which might be matter of fact, since 
 the act of Glasgow was reckoned by the 
 primate and the wiser part of them, to be of 
 ill consequents to theu* interests ; and they 
 
 and factious spirits, and made a special engine to 
 debauch people from their duty, and lead them to 
 disobedience, schism, and rebellion : therefore the 
 lords of his majesty's privy council, in pursuance 
 of the trust reposed in them, and for preventing 
 of disorder and disturbance, do prohibit and dis- 
 charge every minister of a parish, to use or em- 
 ploy the assistance of any more ministers, by 
 preaching or administrating the holy com- 
 munion, save one or two neighbouring ministers, 
 unless they be licentiate thercinito by the bishop 
 of the diocese; and that no person of another 
 parish be admitted to the participation of that 
 sacrament, without a certiticate under the hand 
 of the minister of the parish where the said 
 person doth reside. And ordain these presents 
 to be forthwith printed, and published at the 
 market-cross of Edinburgh and other places 
 needful, that none may ju'ctend ijinoranct*. 
 
 T'rt Wkdukuhurn, CI. Stcr. Conrilii. 
 
CHAr. III.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 wereglaclto amuse, an. I give a little (jiiiet to iioticeil. The king 1 
 
 €87 
 
 1G62. 
 
 the country, who now hated the bishops 
 more than ever. Their banisiiing ministers 
 from such and such precincts, and tossing 
 tiicm up anil down, as in the prochunation, 
 was botli cruel and beyond the acts of par- 
 liament, of w hich they were only executors, 
 and contrived and calcuhited to hold off ap- 
 plications to persons of influence at Edin- 
 burgli, and to deliver bishop Sharp's diocese 
 of the trouble of presbyterian ministers. It 
 was hard enough measure to oblige the min- 
 isters who lived u|)on the border of England, 
 to which the diocese of I'Alinburgh reacheth, 
 to remove themselves and families lie north 
 Tay, for no other fault save noncompliance 
 with prelates, for which they had already 
 lost their benefices. In the next room, the 
 elder ministers, who were not reached by 
 the act of Glasgow, are imprisoned in tlieir 
 own parishes for their not being present at 
 the diocesan meeting. This is plainly ille- 
 gal ; but harder things come upon them after- 
 ward. Neither does this proclamation spare 
 the people, but after, most groundlessly, the ' much upon my hand, that I am obliged to 
 
 informed 
 of the i)artial manner of imposing, 
 and unreasonableness of the act of fines the 
 conunissioner had brought the parliament to, 
 prorogated the time of paying the first 
 moiety. Middleton for some time kept up 
 the order for this, being fond of a share in 
 the payment of them, and forbare publishing 
 a proclamation for this effect. This irritated 
 the king exceedingly, and Lauderdale was 
 not wanting to improve such a step to his 
 own advantage. Thus we have some view 
 of the more general procedure of tlie council 
 this year. 
 
 SECT. IV. 
 
 Of the particular sufferings of ministers and 
 gentlemen, from the beginning of this year 
 to the j-ising of the parliament. 
 
 The ^sufferings of particular persons, noble- 
 men, considerable numbers of gentlemen, 
 ministers, and others, this year, grow so 
 
 blame of theii* not hearing the curates is 
 laid upon presbyterian ministers, their not 
 keeping their parish churches, while in the 
 meantime they were banished, I know not 
 at what distance, from them, the council 
 orders twenty shillings Scots, to be uplifted 
 by magistrates and justices of the peace, 
 from every one who is absent from his 
 parish church ; which would have been a 
 goodly sum, had it been uplifted ; as indeed 
 it was in a little time upon presbyterians, 
 
 give them in two sections, the one before, 
 and during this second session of parliament, 
 and the other after it was up ; and we shall 
 find great numbers attacked by the council 
 towards the end of the year, I might begin 
 with such whose heart was indeed broke 
 with the change made u[)on this church last 
 yeiU", and the dismal alteration this year, by 
 the introduction of prelacy : those w ere 
 certainly confessors and martyrs in resolu- 
 tion. Theii* death is some way chargeable 
 
 most severely. In the end of the act the upon the present managers, and it is pro- 
 council come to regulate communions, and bable, had not death prevented, they would 
 restrict ministers as to their helpers at them ; . have been attacked in this evil time. Among 
 being grated lately with that which Mr. [ this kind of sufferers I only instance two, 
 John Livingstone kept at Ancrum, with j both very eminent in their stations, and sin- 
 
 sensible measures of the Divine presence. 
 Truly they were a very unfit conipany to 
 make ecclesiastical canons and regulations. 
 
 Under all those acts against presbyterian 
 ministers and people, Middleton is daily 
 losing ground at court, and Lauderdale gain- 
 ing ; and after this proclamation he never sat 
 in a court in Scotland. He was, in the end 
 of December, called up to London, and 
 charged with high treason, and reduced to 
 no small difficulties, as shall be afterward 
 
 gular ornaments to Scotland ; the I'ight 
 honourable the earl of Loudon, and the 
 reverend and learned 1VL-. Robert Bailie pro- 
 fessor of divinity, and for a little space 
 principal of the college of Glasgow. The 
 first died in the beginning of the year, and 
 the other in a little time afterward, and both 
 of them of grief in some measure. 
 
 John, earl of Loudon, late chancellor of 
 Scotland, was a prime instrument in the late 
 work of reformation begun 1G37, and such 
 
288 
 
 1GG2. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 who write the history of that period 
 will do him the justice his memory 
 f deserves. He was a nobleman of excellent 
 ' endowments, great learning, singular wisdom 
 and conduct, bewitching eloquence, as the 
 impartial pen terms it, joined with remarkable 
 resolution and courage. Next to the mar- 
 quis of Argyle, he was the great butt of the 
 spite and malice of the party now in power, 
 as well as their envy. He knew his life 
 was at the king's mercy for the political 
 guilt all the nation lay under : he had fre- 
 quently applied for his majesty's grace, and 
 was as often refused. The courses now so 
 violently carrying on, and the plain invasions 
 upon the liberty and religion of Scotland, 
 made this great man weary of his life. He 
 often exhorted his excellent lady to pray 
 fast, he might never see the next session of 
 parliament, else he might follow his noble 
 friend the marquis of Argyle. The Lord 
 was pleased to grant the request, and he 
 died in a most Christian manner, at Edin- 
 burgh, March loth, this year, and his corpse 
 was carried to the west country, and in- 
 terred with his noble ancestors.* 
 
 Mr. Robert Bailie may most justly be 
 reckoned among the great men of this time, 
 and was an honour to his country, for his 
 profound and universal learning, his exact 
 and solid judgment, that vast variety of 
 languages he understood, to the number of 
 twelve or thirteen, and his writing a Latin 
 style which might become the Augustan age : 
 but I need not enlarge on his character, his 
 works do praise him in the gates. He had 
 been employed in much of the public busi- 
 ness of this church since the year 1637, and 
 was a worthy member of the venerable 
 assembly at Westminster, and at London 
 almost all the time of it ; and hath left be- 
 liind him very large accounts of matters both 
 of church and state, which passed in his j 
 time. He was of a most peaceable and : 
 healing temper, and always a vigorous as- , 
 
 * Kirkton says, " He was a man of excellent 
 endowments, learning, wisdom, judf^ment, and 
 courage ; he died a very godly death, and 
 purged himself of his sins I)y ingenuous confes- 
 sion, and hearty application of the blood of | 
 Jesus" — History of the Church of Scotland, 
 p. ISd— £*/. 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 sertor of the king's interest. And although 
 at the first he wanted not his own difiiculties 
 from his education, and tenderness of the 
 king's authority ; yet after reasoning, read- 
 ing, and prayer, as he himself expresseth it, 
 he came heartily in to the measures of the 
 covenanters. I have it from an unquestion- 
 able hand, one of his scholars, who after- 
 wards was his successor, and waited on him 
 a few weeks before his death this year, that 
 he died under a rooted aversion to prelacy 
 in this church. My author desired Mr, 
 Bailie's judgment of the courses this chmxh 
 was so fast running into. His words to him 
 were, " Prelacy is now coming in like a 
 land-flood ; for my share I have considered 
 that controversy as far as I was able, and 
 after all m}' inquiry I find it, and am per- 
 suaded it is inconsistent with scripture, con- 
 trary to pure and primitive antiquity, and 
 diametrically opposite to the true interest of 
 those lands." The incoming of this land- 
 flood, which lasted twenty-seven years, in- 
 deed shortened his days, and broke his heart. 
 And that the reader may not take this upon 
 my word, it is worth while to insert here 
 this excellent person's sense of things, from 
 two original letters under his own hand, to 
 the earl of Lauderdale ; and they may sene 
 as his testimony against the com'ses of this 
 time. 
 
 His first letter is dated June 1 6th, 1660, 
 and therein he says, " I was one of those, 
 who in my heart, and all needful expressions, 
 adhered to the king in all his distresses; he 
 had my continual prayers to God for his 
 restitution, any way God pleased, even the 
 most hard. Divers know my readiness to 
 have furthered his return to his throne, by 
 laying down my head on the block for it, 
 and the utter ruin of all my worldly fortune. 
 When the Lord latelj', at a very cheap rate, 
 brought all my prayers, and much more, to 
 pass, there were few had a more hearty joy 
 for it than L Wliile I am going on in my 
 daily renewed joy, behold, yom- unhappy 
 diurnals and letters from London have 
 wounded me to -the heart ! Is the service- 
 book read in the king's chapel ? Has the 
 bishop of Ely (I still feared Wren) the 
 worst bishop of our age after D. LauJ, 
 preached there ? Has the house of lonis 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 passed an order for the Kervice-book ? All, 
 where are we so soon ! The granting us in 
 Scotland the confirmation of what we have, 
 brings us just back to James Graham's time. 
 Is our covenant with England turned to 
 Hary Martin's Ahnanack ? Is the solemn 
 oath of the lords and commons assembled in 
 parliament, subscribed so oft by their hands, 
 to eradicate bisliops, turned all to wind? 
 Why did the parliament a few months since 
 appoint the covenant to be hung up in every 
 church in England, and every year to be 
 publicly read ? Is Cromwell the great enemy 
 of GUI' covenant so soon risen out of his 
 grave ? Can our gracious prince ever for- 
 get his solenui oath and subscription ? He 
 is a better man than to do it, if those about 
 hun be not very unfaithful servants. 
 
 " For myself, such are my rooted respects 
 both to his person and place, that do what 
 he will, and tolerate what he will, I purpose 
 while I live to be his most loving and loyal 
 subject. But, believe me, if I were beside 
 him I would tell him sadly and with tears, 
 that oaths to the Almighty are not to be 
 broken, and least of all by him for whom 
 the Lord has wrought, at this very time, a 
 more mari-ellous mercy than he hath done 
 for any, yea for all the princes in Europe 
 those three hundred years. 
 
 " Bishops were the very fountains of all 
 our mischiefs. Will they ever change their 
 nature? Will God ever bless that plant 
 which himself hath not planted ? "lis a 
 scorn to tell us of moderate episcopacy, a 
 moderate papacy ! The world knows that 
 bishops and popes could never keep caveats. 
 The episcopal faction there, were never 
 more immoderate than at this day. You 
 know how far Pierce, Heylin, and Taylor 
 justify all the challenges against episcopacy 
 in their late writs, and go beyond them to 
 all the tridentine popery of Grotius. T. G. 
 Thomas Gallo\ndianus, for his printing doc- 
 tor Forbes bishop of Edinburgh his wicked 
 dictates, is now in his way for London, being 
 sent for by the English bishops who scoff at 
 our church's excommunication. 
 
 " Your lordship was the man who pro- 
 cured and brought down to us the ordinance 
 for abolishing of episcopacy; I doubt not 
 but you and Mr. Sharp have done your en- 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. ^89 
 
 deavoiu's; but could I ever have 
 
 1GG2. 
 dreamed that bishops and books 
 
 should have been so soon restored with so 
 
 great case, and silence of the presbyterian 
 
 covenanters in both houses, the city, and 
 
 assembly at London, of Lancashire and 
 
 other shires ? 
 
 " Be assured that whatever sui-prise it be 
 for the time, this so hideous a breach to 
 God and man, cannot fail to produce the 
 wrath of God in the end. Shall all our 
 blood and labour for that covenant be so 
 easily buried? Though all flesh, English 
 and ScotS; for their own designs, were 
 silent at so needful a time, I doubt not but 
 the Lord himself will hear our cries against 
 the beast which hath got so deadly a wound, 
 that all the kings and parliaments of the 
 earth will never be able to cure. I and 
 many more, who have and will rejoice in the 
 restitution of our king, resolve to complain 
 to God and man, whUe we live, for the re- 
 tm'n of books and bishops. Thus far I have 
 poured out my heart to you at this time." 
 
 The reader will not grudge to have this 
 honest and great man's sentiments, when 
 our parliament last year were overturning 
 the work of Reformation very fast, in an- 
 other letter to the same noble lord, dated 
 April 18th, 1661. 
 
 " My lord, 
 " Having the occasion of this bearer, I 
 tell you my heart is broken with grief, and 
 I find the burden of the public weighty, and 
 hastening me to my grave. My pra}ers 
 daily, when my heart is loosed, are for the 
 king and you, and his blessing on you both. 
 I have no private desires nor fears, but I 
 think we are verj- ill guided, and very need- 
 lessly so. What needed you do that disser- 
 vice to the king, which all of you cannot re- 
 compense; to grieve the hearts of all your 
 gracious friends in Scotland, to whom the 
 king's majesty was, is, and will be, I hope, 
 after God, most dear, with pulling down 
 all our laws at once, which concerned our 
 church since the (year) 1G33? Was this good 
 advice, or will it thrive ? Is it wisdom to 
 bring back upon us the Canterburian times ? 
 Tile same designs, the same practices, will 
 they not bring on the same horrible effects, 
 2 O 
 
290 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1662. 
 
 whatever fools dream ? That old 
 maxim of the state of England is 
 wise and good, That the king can do no 
 fault : but the highest ministers of state 
 ought in all reason to answer on their 
 highest pain for all miscarriages. It was 
 one of king James VI. his wisest practices, 
 to permit his greatest favourites to sink, 
 before that by protecting them, the grief of 
 his people should fall on his back. Ye have 
 seen the contrary principle destructive, and 
 it will be still so. ' 
 
 " My lord, you are the nobleman in all 
 the world I love best, and esteem most; I 
 think I may say and write to you what I 
 like : if you have gone with your heart, to 
 forsake yoiu* covenants, to countenance 
 the re-introduction of bishops and books, 
 and strengthened the king by your advice in 
 those things, I think you a prime trans- 
 gressor, and liable among the first to answer 
 to God for that great sin ; and the opening 
 a door, which in haste will not be closed, 
 for the persecution of a multitude of the 
 best persons, and most loyal subjects that 
 are in all the three kingdoms. And if other- 
 wise your heart be where it was, as I hope 
 it is, and that in your own way you are 
 doing what you can for the truth of God, 
 yet daily I have my fears for you. I think 
 you stand in a ticklish place : remember 
 your cousin Hamilton's poisoning before 
 king James's eyes, without search. My 
 heart whiles trembles for you ; I will con- 
 tinue to pray for you, do what you will. I 
 ever opposed Mr. James Guthrie his way ; 
 but see none get the king persuaded to take 
 ministers' heads. Send them to some place 
 where they may preach and live ; you may 
 obtain this if you will." Then he goes to 
 college affairs, and adds, " I will beg for it 
 while I live, which I think shall not be long ; 
 for presbyterians at London, their misguid- 
 ing has slain me. There are some of my 
 twenty year old pamphlets reprinted at 
 London ; it is totally without my knowledge, 
 though indeed I remain fully in the mind I 
 was then in. If you and Mr. Sharp, whom 
 we trusted as our own souls, have swerved 
 towards chancellor Hyde's principles, as 
 now we see many do, you have much to 
 answer for. This may possibly be my last 
 
 [book I, 
 
 to you, therefore I crave no pardon for its 
 length. I am 
 
 " Your lordship's old friend, 
 " Robert Bailie." 
 
 By another original letter of his to Mr. 
 George Hutcheson, June 24th, this same 
 year, I find Mr. Bailie acquainting him. 
 " What you desire me to write to L. I have 
 done it already, as my testament to him, 
 fully and sharply to obviate the chancellor, 
 &c. at their last going up : I think verily if 
 that wicked change come, it will hasten me 
 to my grave." And in the last letter I have 
 seen of this good man's, dated May 12th, 
 1662, which I take to have been a few weeks 
 before his death, he tells his cousin, Mr. 
 Spang, after some account of the west 
 country ministers being called in to Edin- 
 burgh, " The guise is now, the bishop will 
 trouble no man, but the state will punish 
 seditious ministers. This poor chm'ch is in 
 the most hard taking we have ever seen : 
 this is my daily grief— this has brought all 
 my bodily trouble on me, and is like to do 
 nie more harm."* And very quickly he got 
 
 " It has been fashionable of late, to talk of the 
 covenanters of the seventeenth century, as 'illite- 
 rate' and 'illiberal;' (See Critique of M'Crie's 
 Life of Knox, Quarterly Review, 1813.) and 
 Baillic has been sometimes quoted as an instance ! 
 Baillie's learning, however, has been rarely equal- 
 led ; and it was certainly- not surpassed by any 
 of his cotemporaries. He was born in Glasgow, 
 in the year 1699. His father, Mr. Thomas Bail- 
 lie, was a citizen of that place, and son to Baillie 
 of Jerviston, and allied to some of the first 
 families in Scotland. He received his education 
 in the university of Glasgow ; and when there, 
 he was much distinguished for the superiority 
 ofhis talents, andfurnishedaremarkable example 
 of great literary diligence. Having, about the 
 year 1622, taken orders from archbishop Law, he 
 was chosen a regent of philosophy in the univer- 
 sity. He was afterwards presented to the parish 
 of Kilwinning. In the year 1633, he declined on 
 a principle of modesty, an offer which was made 
 to him of one of the churches of Edinburgh. In 
 1637 he was asked by the archbishop of Glasgow 
 to preach before the general assembly, and to 
 recommend the book of Common Prayer and 
 Canons, then attempted to be thrust upon the 
 church; but this he steadily refused to do. 
 Hitherto his mind seems to have wavered be- 
 tween the two systems, but from this period he 
 became decided in favour of presbytery; and 
 his reputation rose higher and higher among 
 the covenanters. In the assembly at Glasgow, 
 1638, he displayed great wisdom, zeal, and 
 learning ; and was particularly distinguished by 
 his strong opposition to prelacy and Arminian- 
 
CHAP. IJI.] 
 
 to his rest anJ glorious reward. This was 
 the case, and those were the sentiments of 
 many ministers and others at this time. 
 
 But I go on to the dii-ect sufferers of this 
 period. In tlie end of tlie last year, and 
 beginning of this, many worthy gentlemen in 
 the west country were brought to mucii 
 trouble, upon the pretext they had done 
 prejudice to the carl of Queensberry's lands, 
 and were with the forces under colonels 
 Strachan and Ker, in the year 1650. But 
 the real reason was, because most part of 
 them had appeared for the remonstrance, 
 and were heartily against prelacy ; and there- 
 fore some money must be raised from them, 
 and given to Queensberry and his son. All 
 
 1G62. 
 
 OF THE CHUllCH OF SCOTLAND. 291 
 
 of them are likewise in the act of 
 fines, and we shall meet with a 
 good many of them under other branches of 
 suffering, as we proceed in this history. I 
 shall then give as short an account of this 
 affair as I can, from the council registers. 
 
 Tlie parliament, last year, upon a com- 
 plaint of losses sustained by the said earl, 
 and some agreement among parties, by their 
 act of the 29th of March, did state the losses 
 at two thousand pounds sterling, and ap- 
 pointed a committee to meet at Cumnock, 
 to inquire into the persons who were with 
 the army under the foresaid colonels, and to 
 proportion the said sum upon the guilty 
 persons. Accordingly the conmiittee, the 
 
 ism. He was also a member of all the following 
 general assemblies of the church of Scotland, 
 until the year 1653, excepting when he attended 
 the assembly of divines at Westminster. By 
 his brethren he wiis promoted first to the profes- 
 sorship of oriental languages, and next, to that 
 of divinity, in the university of Glasgow. At 
 the restoration he was advanced by the episco- 
 palians to the principality. They who wish to 
 see his talent for controversy, may read what he 
 published on the subjects of Episcopacy and 
 Arminianism, which formed the chief topics of 
 theological dispute in his day. He -wrote also a 
 variety of histories on matters connected with 
 church-government. But the work which estab- 
 lishes his learning beyond all question, is his ' Opus 
 Historicum et Chronologicum'— a book of im- 
 mense research, and written in a style that would 
 not iliscredit Eton or Cambridge. He was held 
 in high esteem by the greatest men of the conti- 
 nent, particularly, Spanheim, Salmasius, Rivrt, 
 Leusden, and Constantine I'Empereur. With 
 many learned men of Europe he held frequent 
 intercourse ; and his printed " Letters," (although 
 a small specimen only) exhibit a mind, alive to the 
 best interests of literature and religion, not in his 
 own church, only, but in the church universal. 
 When the Westminster assembly of divines had 
 finished their labours, the English parliament, to 
 testify their high sense of Baillie's merits, made 
 him a handsome present of silver plate, with an 
 inscription, intimating, that it was a token of 
 their great respect to him, and as an acknow- 
 ledgment of his valuable services. And yet so 
 attached was he in common with his brethren, 
 to the house of Stuart, that after the execution 
 "f Charles L in 104-9, the general assembly 
 :ip[>ointe(l him one of the embassy from their 
 body, to Charles IL at the Hague, after he was 
 proclaimed in Scotland. On that occasion he 
 jiddressed the king in a most loyal speech, 
 expressing in the strongest terms his joy and 
 that of his brethren in his succession to the 
 throne, and their abhorrence of the miu'der of 
 his roj'al father. In Baillie's sentiments oft tliis 
 subject, it api)ears, that the presbyterian divines 
 of that period, both at home and abroad, very 
 generally agreed. (Life of Baillie bv Reid, see 
 his History of the Assembly of JDivines at 
 Westminster, vol. ii. p. 276. See also an able and 
 
 eloquent vindication of Baillie au<l the other 
 covenanters, in the Edinburgh Christian In- 
 structor, for November and December, 1813, in 
 reply to the Quarterly.) Although be sided 
 with the resolutioners he nevertheless remaineS 
 steady to the presbyterian interest, and it is said, 
 refused a bishopric when bribed by the offer 
 of one from the king. Scots Worthies, p. 261, 
 4th edition. Candour requires us, neverthe- 
 less, to say, that amiable and learned as Baillie 
 was, he did imbibe certain causeless prejudices 
 against his more zeidous brethren of the ])roiesiing 
 side; and this accounts for the contemptuous 
 manner in w^hich he speaks of some of those 
 noblemen and ministers, with whom he once 
 walked in the bonds of unity and love. He 
 supposed that all the evils which befell the church 
 and the state, flowed from the protestors refusing 
 to join with the resolutioners; whereas it seems 
 to have been rather the reverse. " Several hun- 
 dreds of the resolutioners, on the very first 
 blast of temptation, involved themselves in fear- 
 ful apostasy and perjurj\ Some of them became 
 violent persecutors (jftheir more faithful brethren, 
 and not a few of them abs(dute monsters of 
 iniquity. The dreadful effects of this have almost 
 ruined both church and state in these latuls." 
 Scots Worthies, p. 263, 4th edition. Neverthe- 
 less, we may remark, that no candid man will be 
 surprised at the conduct of Baillie in regard to 
 the protestors, who recollects the luifortunate 
 quarrels on the same head, between Rutherford 
 and his colleagues Wood and Blair, at St. 
 Andrews ; and the differences, even on slighter 
 grounds, which alienated such congenial spirits 
 as those of Peden arid Renwick. The truth is; 
 among the friends of the good cause, there had 
 been industriousl}' sown the seeds of division ; 
 and we have in those painful schisms, a striking 
 illustration of the well known adage— .<fii-jV/e it 
 impera. With the causes of disunion, which 
 were constantly multiplying, men's minds were 
 more and more heated; and wlint with the 
 violent contests about the resolutions, the in- 
 dulgences, the payment of cess, aiul the toler- 
 ation of conventicles, our wonder rather is, that 
 amid the collision of parties, and the tearing 
 asunder of the bonds of Christian fello^yship, 
 I spiritual religion was not utterly extinguished. 
 
292 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 [book I. 
 
 1662. 
 
 earl of Eglinton, lord Cochran, the 
 sheriff-depute of Nithsdale, Gilbert 
 Richard of Barskinmiing, and some others, 
 meet, and make their report to the council, 
 who had this affiiir committed to them by the 
 parliament, December 3d, last. By their re- 
 port, it appears they found the underwritten 
 persons present in Nithsdale, at the time 
 complained, with the said colonels, when 
 Queensberry sustained his losses, and there- 
 fore, that they ouglit to bear the proportion 
 of the tvt'o thousand pounds sterling. A 
 good many of them are absent, and some off 
 the country ; but all are found guilty of being 
 present with the forces aforesaid, and that 
 many of them were instmmental of the 
 losses sustained. And having taken the 
 most exact trial of the estates real and per- 
 sonal, they rated them at the valuations 
 aftermentioned, as their part of the two 
 thousand pounds. 
 
 The Laird of Rowallan 
 Sir George Maxwell of 
 
 L.940 
 
 Nether 
 
 PoUock 
 
 1,044 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 Sir John Kennedy of Cullen 
 
 814 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 Thomas Hay of Park 
 
 940 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mr. William Gordon of Earlstoun 1,444 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 Sir Hugh Campbell of Cesnock 
 
 1,566 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 James Fullarton of Corsby 
 
 626 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 Thomas Boyd of Pinkel . 
 
 495 
 
 
 
 
 
 John Shaw of Sornbeg 
 
 313 
 
 
 
 
 
 The heirs of the laird of Glan- 
 
 
 
 
 derston 
 
 313 
 
 
 
 
 
 The heirs of Gilmerscroft . 
 
 325 
 
 18 
 
 8 
 
 James Hamilton of Aikenhead . 
 
 295 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 John Boyd of Trochridge . 
 
 438 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 Gavin Walkinshaw of that ilk . 
 
 112 
 
 15 
 
 8 
 
 John Gordon of Boghall . 
 
 41 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 Hugh Wallace of Underwood . 
 
 156 
 
 13 
 
 8 
 
 Robert Wallace of Cairnhill 
 
 82 
 
 17 
 
 8 
 
 William Wallace of Garrick 
 
 20 
 
 17 
 
 
 
 Captain Andrew Arnot 
 
 41 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 Thomas Kennedy of Grange 
 
 188 
 
 
 
 
 
 Alexander Brodie of Letham 
 
 1,044 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 James Nisbet of Greenholm 
 
 165 
 
 
 
 
 
 John Crawford of Crawfordland 
 
 626 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 Sir William Cunningham of Cun- 
 
 
 
 
 ninghamhead .... 
 
 2,401 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 Robert Andro of Little Tarbit . 
 
 652 
 
 
 
 
 
 John Kennedy of Kirkmichael . 
 
 999 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 Robert Barclay of Perstoun 
 
 438 
 
 10 
 
 4 
 
 Alexander Cunningham of Craig- 
 
 
 
 
 ends . . ' • 
 
 90S 
 
 
 
 
 
 Sir John Chiesly 
 
 336 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 John Cunningham of Hill of Beeth 206 
 
 4 
 
 4 
 
 Robert Simpson in Edinburgh . 
 
 J?3 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 ISO 
 
 
 
 62 13 
 
 4. 
 
 of 
 
 
 626 13 
 
 4 
 
 230 1 
 
 4 
 
 626 13 
 
 4 
 
 . 1,141 6 
 
 8 
 
 626 13 
 
 4 
 
 a 83 10 
 
 8 
 
 62 13 
 
 4 
 
 83 11 
 
 
 
 86 7 
 
 
 
 376 
 
 
 
 41 16 
 
 
 
 667 
 
 
 
 604 13 
 
 4 
 
 250 13 
 
 4, 
 
 188 
 
 U 
 
 Robert Hamilton in Halcraig 
 Captain George Campbell . 
 INIr. Cuthbert Cunningham 
 
 Cochilbee 
 Mr. Lindsay of Belstane . 
 Bruce of Stainhouse . 
 Robert Atcheson of Sydeserf 
 Colonel Gilbert Ker . 
 Hunter younger of Hunterstoun 
 John Aird of Miltoun 
 Captain Ilutcheson 
 Mr. Alexander Neilson 
 Colonel Halbert 
 John Shaw of Greenhill 
 Ralston of that ilk 
 William Adair of Kinhilt 
 John Johnston in Glasgow 
 James Hamilton there 
 
 There are a good many objections giver, 
 in to the council against several of those 
 quotas. Cunninghamhead, Craigends, Glan- 
 derston, and some others are declared by 
 the council to be free, and their defences 
 sustained. And the council approve of the 
 rest, and renew their appointment upon the 
 committee to meet, and adjust the propor- 
 tions of the others, take further trial of some 
 not cited, and report to the council against 
 the 1st of March next. I do not observe 
 any further report in the registers, but find 
 those sums were increased upon some, and 
 a few added to make up the quota. I need 
 not insist upon the unreasonableness of 
 attacking so many gentlemen, a good many 
 of them of the first rank, and singular for 
 probity and religion, for an alleged fault, 
 committed upwards of ten years ago, and 
 merely because they were hearty presby- 
 terians, and suspected to be averse from the 
 courses entering upon ; and in a little time 
 to fine most, if not all of them, in the act 
 of fines : those were steps peculiar to this 
 time. 
 
 As the fury of this period ran much against 
 gentlemen who had been active in the work 
 of reformation, so, in a particular maimer, 
 some of the most eminent ministers of this 
 chiu"ch must be attacked. The reverend 
 Mr. Robert Blair is among the first. And 
 when our new consecrated bishops came 
 down, a new and more general storm comes, 
 and persecution upon presbj'terians turns 
 veiy sharp : and the prelates resolve to be 
 as sovereign in the church, as the king, their 
 
CHAP. TII.J 
 
 creator, was over the state aiid them ; aiul 
 therefore they must be rid of all presbyterian 
 ministers, especially of such as were too 
 hard for them. Accordingly, I find Mr. 
 Robert Blair before the council, towards the 
 beginning of the year. January 9th, the 
 lord BcUendon, the advocate, and provost 
 of Edinburgh, are appointed to examine all 
 the witnesses cited in Mr. Robert Blair's 
 case, and report. I find no more about him 
 till September 4th, when, " the macers, or 
 any of them, are ordained to bring the person 
 of Mr. Robert Blair, late minister at St. An- 
 drews, to Edinburgh, betwixt and Saturday 
 next, and secure his person in the tolbooth 
 till further orders. September 10th, in- 
 formation being given to the council, and 
 testificates produced from sm-e hands, that 
 Mr. Robert Blair is under great sickness for 
 the present, so that at this time he cannot 
 travel nor be transported to Edinburgh, 
 without the manifest hazai-d of his life : and 
 it being represented, that he is content to 
 quit the charge of the ministry at St. An- 
 drews, and for that end he had sent in his 
 presentation, to be disposed of at the 
 council's pleasure ; which was produced in 
 council : for all which causes, the lords dis- 
 pense with his imprisonment, and declare 
 his place vacant." 
 
 This is all I meet wth in the council 
 registers about Mr. Blair. From other 
 papers I find, that after their most diligent 
 search, nothing could be fixed upon against 
 this great man.* His life is writ by himself 
 to the year 1638, and had Mr. Blair gone 
 through with it, I persuade myself it would 
 have been one of the best accounts of that 
 time we could have had : but there remain 
 only some short hints by another hand, as 
 to the last part of this great man's life. 
 
 OF THI-: CHUHCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 293 
 
 • Mr. Blair was not a protestor, neither was 
 he a resolutionor, but attempted to hold himself 
 neuter, and to be a mediator between these 
 parties. Of course he w^as not so liable to be 
 caught as those who had explicitly declared 
 themselves by joining in the remonstrance, 
 which, in the estimation of the court, was the 
 great political crime of that day, and a crime 
 into which no one who had fidlen was allowed 
 to escape with impunity. On tlie other hand, 
 he who was known to have been a resolutioner, 
 if he was not very obstinate, or altogether desti- 
 tute of friends, generally found means of getting 
 oil" with a more lenient punishment. — Ed. 
 
 1662. 
 
 From those and other accounts 
 come to my hand, I find, that Mr. 
 Blair, after the imprisonment of the minis- 
 ters, August 1660, and the appearance of 
 re-introducing prelacy by the rescinding of 
 our former excellent laws, had a free and 
 yet cautious sermon upon 1 Peter iii. 14. 
 This was most unfairly represented to the 
 council last year, and he was cited over to 
 Edinburgh. The citation came to him on 
 Saturday night late, and resolving to obey 
 it, and foreseeing he should not return to 
 his people, to-morrow, being the last sabbath 
 of September, 1661, he preached upon these 
 words, " Finally brethren, farewell," &c. 
 when there was an extraordinary concern 
 among his hearers. When he came to town, 
 after some days, he was examined by a com- 
 mittee of the council upon the matter of his 
 sermon, of which he gave a most distinct 
 account. All they did was to confine him 
 to his chamber at Edinburgh, where falling 
 ill for want of the free air, he had his con- 
 finement altered to the town of Musselburgh. 
 There he continued till September this year, 
 when bishop Sharp, having a mind to have 
 Mr. Andrew Honeyman planted in his room, 
 procured a new order from the council, and 
 a macer was sent to bring him in prisoner. 
 But the Lord ordered another messenger to 
 seize him, and he fell very ill of a fit of the 
 gravel, and could not come. And the next 
 council day he was under a very severe 
 sickness, which was attested by his physi- 
 cians. Mr. Blair, hearing that his chai-ge 
 had been declared vacant the former se- 
 derunt of council, and the order which the 
 macer brought designing him late minister 
 at St. Andi'ews, did, with the attestation of 
 his illness, send in his presentation, which 
 allayed their fury against him. In some 
 time thereafter he procured liberty to reside 
 in Kirkaldy, where he continued in very 
 much respect for a considerable time. Mean- 
 while his back friend the primate, vowed he 
 would harry that nest. And soon after, the 
 order came out discharging all presbyterian 
 ministers to live in burghs ; and he removed 
 to Couston. In short, the. true ground of 
 all this trouble this excellent person met 
 \vith, was, the archbishop could not be easy 
 when so good a man was near him. And 
 
294i THE HISTORY OF 
 
 , «^n the primate had a particular quarrel 
 
 against Mi*. Blair, because of a free 
 
 and faithful admonition given him by order 
 
 of the presbytery, by Mr. Blair and Mi-. 
 
 David Forret. 
 
 But the most remarkable prosecution of 
 ministers, in the period I am now upon, was 
 that before the parliament, of Mr. John 
 Carstairs minister at Glasgow, Mr. James 
 Naismith minister at Hamilton, Mi-. Matthew 
 Mowat, and Mr. James Rowat, ministers at 
 Kilmarnock, Mr, Alexander Blah- minister 
 at Galston, Mr. James Veitch minister at 
 Mauchline, Mr. William Adah- minister at 
 Ayr, and Mr. William Fullarton minister at 
 St. Quivox. 
 
 When the bishops came down from Eng- 
 land, it was found necessary to endeavour to 
 bring some of the most eminent presbyterian 
 ministers in the west country, where the 
 greatest aversion to prelates was, either to 
 subject to the government now set up, or to 
 suffer. Besides this general view in this 
 prosecution, several others concurred. Some 
 say that a difference betwixt the chancellor 
 and the primate had fallen in, very soon 
 after the latter his coming down from court ; 
 and the first designed, by this act of zeal for 
 the bishops, to make up the breach. It was 
 fiirther pretended, that this treatment of so 
 many noted ministers, would be a good way 
 to keep the west country in awe, and 
 prevent what they termed sedition and dis- 
 order, upon the intended parliamentary 
 establishment of bishops ; and this was their 
 ordinary colour and pretext for many of their 
 severities. In short Mr. Carstairs behoved 
 to preach no more in so eminent a place as 
 Glasgow, with that freedom and plainness, 
 as well as caution, he used to do ; and Mr. 
 Naismith behoved to give way to Mr. James 
 Ramsay, who was designed to be dean of 
 Hamilton, and assistant to the archbishop. 
 Thus the chancellor was empowered by the 
 council to send letters to such ministers in 
 the west country, as he thought fit ; and by 
 the advice of the prelates, and particularly 
 the bishop of the Isles, he pitched on the 
 above named. Mr. Fullarton had been 
 pretty forward for the public resolutions, 
 and had some friends at Edinburgh, through 
 whose interest he got favour, and was dis- 
 
 riJE SUFFERINGS ["bOOK I. 
 
 I missed. Mr. Adair took a different course 
 I from his brethren, as we shall hear, which 
 grieved them and many others. All of them 
 obey the chancellor's letters, and came to 
 Edinburgh. When they appeared before 
 him, he threatened them severely for their 
 alleged disloyal principles, and particularly 
 for some expressions, he said, they had in 
 their sermons. They fully vindicated them- 
 selves in point of loyalty, and desii-ed parti- 
 cular condescensions might be made, as to 
 any thing blameworthy in their sermons; 
 but no condescensions could be made. The 
 interview was concluded with insinuations, 
 that their only way of escape would be by 
 complying with the bishops the king had set 
 up. And when no ground could be gained 
 that way, the chancellor commanded them 
 to stay at Edinburgh, till the parliament 
 should meet ; which accordingly they did. 
 
 When the parliament sat down, the min- 
 isters were dealt with m private, and all 
 methods were used to bring them to a 
 subjection to prelacy, but in vain. The 
 managers, finding them fixed in then- princi- 
 ples, resolved to put the oath of allegiance 
 to them ; and here they imagined they had 
 them under a dilemma : if they sware, ihey 
 reckoned they were obliged to submit to the 
 bishops now set up, by virtue of the 
 supremacy contained in the oath; and if 
 they refused, they lay open to the penalties 
 appointed by law, against disloyal and sedi- 
 tious persons. All of them, save Mr. Ful- 
 larton, were cited before the parliament, for 
 a terror to the rest of presbyterian ministers 
 who stood firm to their principles, and to 
 fright them into a submission to the bishops. 
 Nothing of a libel could be formed from their 
 carriage, or any thing in their sermons ; and 
 therefore, to catch them, they are brought 
 before the lords of the articles, and, as 
 a test of their loyalty, they are required to 
 take and subscribe the oath of allegiance, as 
 it stood in the act of parliament. The mm- 
 isters desired time to advise, and with diffi- 
 culty obtained a few days. Now they were 
 upon the stage, in a matter which very nearly 
 concerned the crown and kingdom of Jesus 
 Christ; and being the first presbyterian 
 ministers to whom this oath was tendered, 
 they conceived their carriage and practice 
 
CHAP. Iir.] OF THE CHURCH 
 
 was a matter of no small consequence. 
 And, after they had set some time apart, 
 for asking of the Lord light, direction, and 
 conduct in tiiis inij)ortant matter, they came 
 to this issue : Tliat if they sware the oath as 
 it stood, without any explication, especially 
 iu this juncture, they might be reckoned 
 thereby obliged to comply with episcopacy, 
 seeing the act of parliament just now made 
 for the restitution of bishops runs, " Foras- 
 much as the ordering and disposal of the 
 external government and policy of the 
 church, doth projierly belong to his majesty, 
 as an inherent right of the crown, by virtue 
 of his royal prerogative and supremacy in 
 causes ecclesiastical." Upon the other hand, 
 if they altogether refused the oath of allegi- 
 ance, they feared they might be reckoned 
 refusers of lawful subjection in civil things, 
 to him whom they heartily owned their law- 
 ful sovereign. — Upon the whole, they re- 
 solved to offer an explication of their sense 
 in this matter to the legislature, and if it was 
 received, then to take the oath in that de- 
 clared sense ; if not, cheerfully to suffer, 
 which, in that case, they hoped would not 
 be as evil-doers, or disloyal persons, but 
 merely for conscience' sake. Next, it came to 
 be considered, whether it was most proper 
 to give in their sense in writ, or verbally, 
 and found it safest to give it in in writing ; 
 and accordingly, six of them agreed to the 
 underwritten draft, and signed it. Mr. Adair 
 would not sign it, till once the chancellor 
 had seen it, as it seems, he had promised to 
 his lordship. The rest judged this incon- 
 venient, that any of the managers should see 
 it, till it was tabled before the parliament. 
 The tenor of the paper follows. 
 
 " We underscribers, ministers of the 
 gospel, being commanded on Monday 
 last, by the lord commissioner his grace, 
 and the honourable lords of articles, to 
 take the oath of allegiance, do, from the 
 sense we have of that duty which lieth 
 upon all his majesty's subjects, and 
 more eminently and exemplarily upon 
 ministers of the gospel, in ingenuity and 
 plainness, upon every occasion, to de- 
 clare their loyalty to his majesty our 
 dread sovereign, and in obedience to 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 295 
 
 yoiu" lordship's commands, i/./jn 
 heartily and cheerfully acknow- 
 ledge, that his majesty is the only law- 
 ful supreme governor, under God, 
 within this kingdom ; and that his sover- 
 eignty reacheth all persons, and all 
 causes, as well ecclesiastic as civil, 
 having them both for its object, albeit 
 it be in its own nature only civil and 
 extrinsic as to causes ecclesiastical : all 
 which we are most willing, in testiuiony 
 of our loyalty, to declare upon our 
 most solemn oath. And accordingly, 
 upon that same oath, in the foresaid 
 sense, we declare, that, in testification 
 of our faithful obedience to our most 
 gracious and undoubted sovereign, 
 Charles king of Great Britain, France, 
 and Ireland, defender of the faith, we 
 do acknowledge his majesty our said 
 sovereign, the only supreme civil gover- 
 nor of this kingdom, over all persons, 
 and in all causes ; and that no foreign 
 prince, power, state or person, civil or 
 ecclesiastic, hath any jurisdiction, power 
 or superiority, over the same. And 
 therefore, we do utterly renounce and 
 forsake all foreign jurisdictions, powers, 
 and authorities, and shall, at our utmost 
 power, defend, assist, and maintain his 
 majesty's jurisdiction foresaid, as we 
 shall answer to God. Subscribed at 
 Edinburgh, May 28th, 1662, by 
 
 " Messrs. James Nasmith, 
 Matthew Mowat, 
 Alexander Blair, 
 John Carstairs, 
 Jaiwes Rowat, 
 James Veitcu." 
 
 Here the ministers explain the most dark 
 and dangerous part of this oath. Their expli- 
 cation was reckoned a refusal ; but their very 
 enemies must grant it was a respectful and 
 conscientious refusal, if it must be one ; and 
 that they went as far as their light would 
 allow them, to satisfy the imposers. But il 
 was resolved by our prelates, that those six 
 ministers shall be either examples of obedi- 
 ence, or suffering. So, May 28th, when 
 they are called upon, and present the 
 above written paper, it was reckoned a 
 
1662. 
 
 296 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 high crime. When the ministers 
 appeared before tlie house, and the 
 chancellor received the paper, he observed 
 that Ml'. Adair, who was present with the 
 rest, had not signed it ; ordered him presently 
 to remove, and I have no more about him. 
 As soon as the declaration was read, there 
 were many warm -speeches on it. It was 
 arraigned as presumption, and a putting a 
 restriction on the oath framed by the parlia- 
 ment, with many other hard names : and the 
 six ministers straight committed to close 
 prison, three and three of them to one 
 chamber, to the great prejudice of their 
 health ; and nobody was permitted to have 
 access to them. Thus they continued sev- 
 eral weeks. Great pains were taken to 
 prevail with them to take up their paper, 
 and swear the oath absolutely, and as it 
 stood ; but they remained unshaken. Among 
 others, bishop Leighton was sent in to them: 
 he used all his eloquence and art, but was 
 entertained with solid arguments against the 
 oath, and very free checks, and a chai'ge of 
 apostasy and desertion, and laying stumbling- 
 blocks before his brethren. At length their 
 case came to this vote, " Whether process 
 them crimilially, or banish them ?" and the 
 last carried ; and, by vote of parliament, they 
 were banished out of the king's dominions, 
 to bear company with their worthy brethren 
 sent off last year. And the time was left to 
 the commissioner and council to name, and 
 they continued in close confinement. 
 
 In some time, when the commissioner's 
 rage was a little cooled, and he and the pre- 
 lates began to reflect upon the consequents 
 of this warm procedure, some more sober 
 measures came to be entertained. Mr, 
 Robert Douglas, and some others, plainly 
 told the managers, that the ministers' paper 
 was sound and orthodox, and what the 
 whole reformed churches would heartily 
 approve of as their common doctrine ; and 
 the ministers' banishment, upon such a de- 
 claration, would expose them every where. 
 Upon this, they began to allow them some 
 more liberty; their friends were permitted 
 to see them, and some of them permitted to 
 go out of town for theii' health. Indeed 
 their confinement was so close, and treat- 
 ment so severe, that during theii- confine- 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 ment, and before the sentence, Mr. John 
 Carstairs fell so dangerously ill, that, upon 
 the testimony of physicians, he was allowed 
 to go to Dalkeith for his health ; and accord- 
 ingly he escaped the sentence. The rest 
 continued in prison till the pai'liament was 
 up, and then the commissioner and council 
 were much solicited by the prelates, to 
 pronounce the sentence. It was put off till 
 the 16th of September, when, I find, the 
 council's act runs as follows. 
 
 " Forasmuch as the king's majesty, with 
 advice and consent of the estates of parlia- 
 ment, have pronounced sentence against Mr. 
 James Nasmith, minister at Hamilton, INIi'. 
 Matthew Mowat, and Mr. James Rowat, 
 ministers at Kilmarnock, Mr, Alexander 
 Blair, minister at Galston, and Mr. Jamea 
 Veitch, minister at Mauchline, for refusing 
 to take tlie oath of allegiance, leaving the 
 time thereof to his majesty's commissioner, 
 and have remitted to the lords of his 
 majesty's privy council, the course to be 
 taken with them in the interim : and the said 
 lords having taken the same to their consid- 
 eration, have thought fit to discharge, likeas, 
 they hereby do discharge the forenamed 
 persons, all further exercise of their min- 
 istry at the former churches above mentioned 
 respective; and declare the said chui'ches 
 and cures at the said time to be vacant, and 
 ordain the said persons to remove theii* 
 families, and to leave the possession of their 
 manses and glebes, at Martinmas next to 
 come ; withal, discharging them all residence 
 within the presbyteries where the said 
 churches lie, or within the city of Glasgow 
 or Edinburgh : as also declare they have 
 no right to the stipends of the said kii'ks 
 for this instant year, 1662, and ordain the 
 macers of the council, or any of them, to 
 malie intimation hereof to the said persons, 
 that none of them pretend ignorance." — Thus 
 the ministers got off for a season : we shall 
 afterwards meet with several of them under 
 new sufferings ; and their churches were va- 
 cated to be filled with the creatures of the 
 bishops, and this persecution did but confirm 
 the disciples, whom the prelates would have 
 taught with briers and thorns. This perse- 
 cution I hope, will be owned to have been 
 upon conscience and principle, and so much 
 
CHAP. III.] OF THt- CHURC 
 
 the rather that Sir George Mackenzie durst 
 not attempt to vindicate it. During this 
 session of parliament, there were letters writ 
 to several other ministers in the south and 
 west, to come in to Edinburgii, as ac shall 
 hear afterwards in Mr. Thomas Wylie's 
 Case, when it comes in before the council at 
 Glasgow, in October. But finding the con- 
 stancy of these just now spoken of, the pro- 
 secution was put off, and this matter left to 
 the council to manage after the parliament 
 was u\). 
 
 I find liKewise the lord Lorn, eldest son 
 to the late marquis of Argjle, whom we 
 shall afterwards meet with more than once, 
 was sisted before this session of parliament. 
 The pretended reason of this was some let- 
 ters he wrote down to his friends from Lon- 
 don, which were intercepted, or some way 
 or other came to Middleton's hands; but 
 the real design was to make way for Middle- 
 ton's access to the estate, titles, and juris- 
 dictions of that family, wherein, as in many 
 other of his projects, he was baulked by 
 Lauderdale. 
 
 In June the commissioner informed the 
 parliament, that the lord Lorn, now at Lon- 
 don, had both spoken and written against 
 the proceedings of this supreme meeting. 
 The most, as far as I can leai'n, that was in 
 his letter, was some free expressions about 
 the procedure last year against his excellent 
 father, and some tacit insinuations of private 
 views in the designed act of fines. How- 
 ever, the parliament, at the pressing instances 
 of the commissioner, find his speech and 
 actions treasonable. Accordingly, June 
 24-th, they sent up an information upon this 
 affair to the king, which I have not seen, 
 with their desii-e that the said lord Lorn 
 may be immediately secured and sent down 
 to them, to abide his trial. The king was 
 pleased to grant their desire, and caused him 
 find my lord Lauderdale bail for him, that 
 he should compear before the parliament in 
 July. Probably the king scarce expected 
 they would push matters so far as they did, 
 or if they did, he knew how to stop the 
 execution of the sentence. My lord came 
 down to Edinburgh, July 17th : and such 
 was their haste, that he was immediately 
 charged to appear that afternoon at the bar; 
 
 297 
 
 1662. 
 
 H OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 which he did, and after a handsome 
 speech, he was committed close 
 prisoner to the castle. I know no more 
 of his process, but that, August 26th, he 
 received sentence of death for his trea- 
 sonable speeches and writings against the 
 parliament, to have his head severed from 
 his budy, and his lands, goods, and estate 
 to be forfeited- The time of execution 
 is remitted to the king; and he was sent 
 back to the castle close prisoner. We 
 shall afterwards find a remissiort granted 
 him. And the parliament go on against 
 some of the friends of that noble family, 
 and September 3d, Campbell of Ardkingias, 
 and Campbell of Ormsay, fugitives from the 
 last session of parliament, are now forfeited 
 in absence, and declared traitors for some 
 alleged crimes against gentlemen of the name 
 of Lamont, I know not how long ago. Their 
 forfeiture was intimated at the Cross of 
 Edinburgh ; and George Campbell, sheriflf^ 
 depute of Argyle, was about the same time 
 declared fugitive. I only name these, that 
 the reader may have some view of the tem- 
 per of this period I am giving the history of. 
 I shall conclude this section by observing 
 that Mr. James Hamilton, Mi". George 
 Hutcheson, and Mr. John Smith, ministers 
 of Edinbiu'gh, were silenced, and deposed 
 by the parliament for not giving obedience to 
 their bishop ; and it was intimate to the rest 
 of the ministers of Edinburgh, that they 
 were to meet with the same punishment and 
 censure, if they did not without delay sub- 
 mit to their ordinary : but not having seen 
 the unprinted act, I shall say no more of it 
 till we find them before the council in the 
 followinc; section. 
 
 Of tJic sufferings of 2^rcsbi/terian ministcrsi 
 gentlemen, and otlicrs, after the parliament 
 rose, to the end of this i/ear, 1G62. 
 
 In this period now before me, the severities 
 against presbyterian ministers and others 
 grow very much, and a good many particular 
 ministers from all the corners of the churcJi 
 are sisted before the council, and hardly 
 enough dealt by, to gratify the new made 
 2p 
 
298 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 IffiS P'^^'^tes. We have already had 
 the more general proceedings of 
 the council towards the close of this year, 
 and now I come to the detail of the parti- 
 cular processes against ministers and others, 
 much in the order they lie jn the council 
 books. 
 
 When tlie parliament is up, the council 
 fall about their work of harassing presby- 
 terians ; and because people, when persecute 
 in the country, sometimes came into Edin- 
 burgh, where they lurked more easily, to 
 prevent this they make the following order. 
 — September IGth, " Information being 
 given, that many disaffected persons to his 
 majesty do daily and continually resort and 
 haunt to the burgh of Edinbiu'gh, the lords 
 of his majesty's privy council do order and 
 command the magistrates of the said bm'gh, 
 to cause all their burgesses, vintners, inn- 
 keepers, and all other inhabitants thereof, 
 to give notice to them, or such as they shall 
 appoint, of all such persons as are lodged or 
 harbom-ed by them every evening, and that 
 under such pains and penalties as the said 
 magistrates shall think fit to inflict." 
 
 That same day they attack the ministers 
 of Edinbm'gh, and pass the following act 
 with relation to them. " Consideration 
 being taken, that by an act .of the last ses- 
 sion of parliament, Mr. James Hamilton, 
 Mr. John Smith, and Mr. George Hutche- 
 son, are discharged from any further exer- 
 cise of their ministry within the town of 
 Edinburgh, and their places declared vacant ; 
 and that all the other ministers within the 
 town, who shall not, betwixt and the first 
 of October next to come, own and acknow- 
 ledge the present government of the chmxh, 
 and concur in the discipline thereof, are also 
 discharged from any further exercise of the 
 ministry within the said town, after the said 
 day. And finding it not fit that those, who 
 upon such an account are removed from the 
 ministry, shall reside in the town; there- 
 fore the lords of council ordain the magis- 
 trates of Edinburgh to make intimation to 
 the said Messrs. Hamilton, Smith, and 
 Hutcheson, and to all such others of their 
 ministers, as shall not betwixt and the fii"st 
 day of October next, give satisfaction there- 
 anent that they remove themselves forth of 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 the said town, and make their residence 
 elsewhere at Martinmas nexc." 
 
 This act of parliament, with relation to 
 the ministers of Edinburgh, I have not seen : 
 but it is plain from the fourth printed act of 
 this parliament, that ministers were per- 
 mitted to continue in their charges till their 
 nonattendance on the bishops' diocesan 
 meeting; yet a singular method is taken 
 with the ministers of Edinburgh before the 
 time of that ; and the council banish them 
 from the city and place where they had 
 exercised their ministry, and deprive them 
 not only of their legal rrjaintenance, but, as 
 fai" as they can, of the company, comfort, 
 and compassion of their flocks, when desti- 
 tute of all other support. This appears 
 both illegal, and beyond the act of parlia- 
 ment, and cruel, and is a prelude to the 
 Mile acts a coming. We shall have frequent 
 occasion to notice, that the council in this 
 period assume a parliamentary power, and 
 either enlarge or go beyond the penalties 
 inflicted by the parliament, or anticipate 
 most of the acts to be made, and make an 
 experiment how they will take, before they 
 are enacted by the parliament. Not only 
 are. the ministers turned out from their 
 office and benefice, but tossed up and down 
 with their innocent families, at this season 
 of the year: and all this upon no other 
 crime save their nonsubjection to prelates, 
 which office in conscience they judged un- 
 scriptural and so unlawful. Sure our prelat- 
 ical writers cannot say, those excellent per- 
 sons and their good families were thus treated 
 for rebellion and resistance. What impu- 
 dence then was it for Sir George Mackenzie 
 to say in his " Vindication," " that the 
 governors of that time might truly and 
 boldly say, that no man in Scotland ever 
 suffered for his religion!" Accordingly, 
 the ministers of Edinburgh had this act in- 
 timate to them, and submitted. IVIr. Robert 
 Trail had withdrawn some little time before, 
 and we shall meet with him before the 
 council just now ; only Mi*. "Robert Lawrie 
 by the common people called " the Nest- 
 egg," conformed, and as a reward got first 
 the deanery of Edinburgh, and then the small 
 bishopric of Brechin, which he possessed 
 but a short I'une, and died under that 
 
 i 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 remorse, so bitter a morsel was a bishopric to 
 many of them, that, a little before his death 
 at Edinburgh, he discharged the bellman to 
 cry him by the designation of bishop, but 
 ordered himself to be cried late minister of 
 Edinburgh. 
 
 Before I leave this melancholy ejection of 
 so many worthy men, and bright lights in 
 the city of Edinburgh, let me add the reve- 
 rend INIr. Robert Douglas's reflections upon 
 and account of this step of the managers. — 
 " Seeing ministers ai'c in the prelates' way, 
 they must be laiil aside. Some are banished, 
 some sentenced to be banished, but the act 
 not put in execution ; and some are confined. 
 Because the ministers of Edinburgh are in 
 the great city, they must be first dealt with 
 to give obedience to the acts made for 
 bishops. 
 
 " The commissioner sent for me ; and he 
 and the chancellor being alone in a room, I 
 was told we must speak with the bishop. I 
 desired to know their meaning; for wise 
 men had an end in all their actings and com- 
 mands. Then it was told me, the end was 
 not merely to speak to the bishop, but to 
 own and acknowledge him. I answered, I 
 was clear I could not do that, and since 
 they had called me, I took it to be my duty 
 to use freedom. I wished they might be 
 more sparing in what they did ; they were 
 setting up men who would tread upon them, 
 as they had done in former times. After a 
 little silence the chancellor said. We will 
 take care to keep them from that. I an- 
 swered. It is impossible to keep those men 
 down, they will domineer over noblemen 
 as well as ministers ; and they both found 
 It so. The chancellor, before he fell sick, 
 desired a worthy gentleman to tell me that 
 I was a true prophet, and Middleton said 
 the like. I might tell that without pro- 
 phecy, for the nature of the preferment leads 
 to it. 
 
 " In a little time three of the ministers of 
 Edinburgh, Messrs. James Hamilton, John 
 Smith, and George Hutcheson, are required 
 to acknowledge the bishop, or remove from 
 their charges ; and they choosed rather to 
 suffer than sin. After their removal, Mr. 
 Thomas Garvan, Mr. John Stirling, and 
 myself, sat still for a short time: theu- 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 299 
 
 1662. 
 
 removal was in August, we preached 
 not long after ; but are charged to 
 acknowledge the bishop, and confer with 
 him, before the first of October, or else to 
 remove out of Edinburgh with our famiUes. 
 What was acted in parliament is followed 
 out by the secret council, for they charge us 
 beforehand to remove upon that day ; and 
 upon the very first of October, a macer 
 came to every one of us, and charged us and 
 our families out of the town." 
 
 Mr. Douglas subjoins a short vindication 
 of the ministers, as to theii* doing so little in 
 opposition to episcopacy, and observes, 
 " They dealt with the king, supplicated the 
 parliament ; that to show theu" detestation 
 of it, they preached against it, and, when 
 called, suffered for not submitting to it ; and 
 that is all that is in the examples of the 
 prophets. James v. 10, " Take, my brethren, 
 the prophets who have spoken in the name 
 of the Lord, for an example of suffering and 
 of patience." We have spoken and suffered ; 
 and if any say we should have stayed, not- 
 withstanding of the parliament's inhibition, 
 and preached, I understand it not. The 
 Apostles were persecuted from city to city ; 
 and in the primitive times godly men, when 
 obliged to it, removed from one place to 
 another. I look upon the commands of the 
 parliament as a physical impediment and 
 restraint, and such who speak otherwayd 
 reflect upon the banished." 
 
 To return to the subject of this chapter, 
 I find no particular persons before the 
 council till theii" meeting at Glasgow, Octo- 
 ber 1st, where they grant a commission to 
 some persons to be nominate by the com- 
 missioner to take James Campbell, some- 
 time of Ai'dkinglas, and James Campbell, 
 sometime of Ormsay, declared traitors, to 
 pursue them and theu complices, take in 
 forts, raze houses, &c. in the common form 
 of commissions of fire and sword, as they are 
 ordinarily called. And fm'ther, they order 
 letters of intercommuning agmnst them. 
 
 After they have passed the forementioned 
 act, they come to make two acts, one against 
 Mr. Donald Cargill, and the otlicr against 
 Mr. Thomas Wylie, and they did not more 
 at Glasgow. I transcribe them as they 
 stand in the registers. 
 
300 
 
 1662. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 " Information being given, that Mr. 
 
 DonaidCargill, minister of thebarony 
 churcli at Glasgow, has not only disobeyed the 
 acts of parliament for keeping an anniversary 
 day of thanksgiving for his majesty's happy 
 restoration, and for obtaining a lawful pre- 
 sentation and collation from the archbishop 
 of Glasgow, before the 20th of September 
 last, but that also his carriage hath been se- 
 ditious, and that he hath deserted the flock, 
 to their great prejudice by want of the 
 ordinances : therefore the lords of council 
 declare the foresaid church to be vacant, 
 and at the disposal of the lawful patron. 
 And, for avoiding the inconveniences that 
 may follow by his residing at Glasgow, or 
 places near adjacent, they command and 
 charge the said Mr. Donald Cargill not to 
 reside in any place on the south side of the 
 river of Tay, and to cause transport his 
 family and what belongs to him out of the 
 town of Glasgow, before the first of Novem- 
 ber next to come : with certification, that if 
 he be found to contravene, and be seen on 
 this side of Tay, he shall be apprehended, 
 imprisoned, and proceeded against as a se- 
 ditious person. And ordain these presents 
 to be intim.ate to him personally, or at his 
 dwelling place, or at the market cross of 
 Glasgow, and parish kirk where he lives, 
 that he pretend not ignorance." 
 
 We shall afterward meet with this pious 
 and zealous minister, in the progress of this 
 history, a martyr for the truth. And shortly 
 a good many of his fellow servants are sent 
 to north side of Tay, as well as he, where 
 they did service by their preaching and 
 conversation. The deserting of his flock, 
 here spoken of, is his withdrawing from a 
 party of soldiers who were about to take 
 him into Edinburgh, and his sedition is to 
 be understood of his faithful preaching 
 against the sins of this tune. 
 
 Mr. Thomas Wylie follows next ; and I 
 shall first give his case as it stands in the 
 registers, and then his suflerings this year, 
 from an account before me under his own 
 hand. In the council books follows, " The 
 like act made against Mi-. Thomas Wylie, 
 minister at Kirkcudbright, who hath desert- 
 ed his flock, and contravened the foresaid 
 acts of parliament, which is to be intubated 
 
 [book I. 
 
 to him personally, or at his dwelling-iiouse, 
 or at the market cross of Kirkcudbright, or 
 parish church where he lives." 
 
 I come now to give some account of this 
 excellent person's hardships since the end 
 of May this year, from his own papers, 
 wherein he records some very remarkable 
 providences, and answers of prayer he met 
 with when under his hiding and wanderings, 
 too long to be here insert. Mr. Wylie and 
 the whole brethren of that presbytery con- 
 tinued preaching, and to keep their presby- 
 teries, notwithstanding of the acts made 
 against their meeting, and Mr. Wylie was 
 the person the managers had then- eye 
 chiefly upon in that country. He laid his 
 account with troubles a coming, and was 
 earnestly desirous to have the sacrament 
 of the supper dispensed to his people before 
 the cloud came on. The Lord granted his 
 and the people's earnest prayer: and June 
 8th, he had his first day of distribution of 
 the sacrament ; for he had so many com- 
 municants, and such nmnbers joined with 
 him, that they could not all communicate 
 in one day. After sermon on Monday he 
 had a letter signifying that the whole pres- 
 bytery of Kirkcudbrigiit was to be cited in 
 to Edinburgh, for keeping presbyterial meet- 
 ings, which much troubled him : yet he went 
 on in his design to give next Lord's day the 
 Supper to his people who had not partici- 
 pate. On the Friday he received certain 
 accounts, that only himself, Mr. Robert 
 Fergusson, Mr. Adam Kae, Mr. John 
 M'Michan, and Mr. John Wilkie, were to 
 be sent for by a party, and they were very 
 soon to be at them. However, with an eye 
 to Providence, he resolved to go on in the 
 designed solemnity, and they had Saturday, 
 Sunday, and Monday, quiet and free of dis- 
 traction. But on Monday, when at dinner, 
 they were alarmed with accounts that the 
 party were to be in town that night : the 
 ministers, Mr. Wylie's helpers, advised him 
 to remove ; which he did after the gentleman 
 who brought the account told him, the 
 party had letters to the other four, but 
 orders to apprehend him, and bring him in. 
 Tuesday at twelve of the clock, the party 
 came straight to his house, and searched it 
 with the utmost exactness for him. Mr. 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 Wylie thought it convenient to move the 
 most secret way he could into Edinburgh, 
 and met with many remarkable providences 
 and answers of prayer by the way ; and when 
 he came tliere, he found that ill impressions 
 had been given of him to tiie manaj^ers ; and 
 there was no getting out of their iiands 
 wit^ out taking the oath, and therefore was 
 resolved to retire from the storm, till he 
 should see if their rage against him calmed. 
 Ho left Edinburgh on Saturday undis- 
 covered ; and, after some stay in a friend's 
 house, he drew up a vindication and suppli- 
 cation to be presented, if need were, to the 
 conunissioner. He wandered up and down 
 drawing toward home, near to which he 
 came, Saturday, June 28, and heard that 
 orders were left by the party to the magis- 
 trates of Kirkcudbright to seize him as soon 
 as he was returned. 
 
 He continued under his hiding the whole 
 month of Jiil_v, when he had new and won- 
 derful experiences of God's special interposi- 
 tion, in his providence, in his behalf, and that 
 even as to his outward worldly affairs. He 
 heard from the rest of the brethren, who 
 went into Edinburgh upon the letters re- 
 ceived, and waited upon the commissioner 
 at Holyrood-house, which was the purport 
 of their letters ; that the commissioner was 
 civil to them, and wondereil Mr. Wylie 
 came not in, and promised him free access to 
 him when he came. Whereupon, towards 
 the end of July, his wife Mrs. Wylie went 
 into Edinburgh with letters from her 
 husband, a new supplication, and instructions 
 how to present it, with a vindication of his 
 procedure, for the former had not been 
 made use of. In some weeks his wife 
 returned from Edinbm"gh, and acquainted 
 him that she had been three times with the 
 commissioner; that his grace assured her, 
 his life should not be in haziu-d, and offered 
 this under his hand if she pleased ; that he 
 had given liberty to the other four ministers 
 to return home, and visit their families, and 
 continue a month, with an express charge 
 not to preach, and after that required them 
 to return lo Edinburgh ; that he allowed 
 Mr. Wylie the same liberty, with express 
 condition that he should not come near the 
 town of Kirkcudbright ; but my lord Ken- 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 
 
 mure prevailed to get that taken off; 
 
 301 
 
 IG62. 
 
 and so he returned home till the 
 20th of September. 
 
 When he with the other four ministers 
 went into Edinburgh, the commissioner 
 being on his progress to the west, they had 
 not access to him, and returned to Galloway, 
 We have heard of the act of council at 
 Glasgow ; and it was hard enough to send 
 him and his family to the north side of Tay 
 by the first of November, without ever 
 hearing him, and when he had come in to 
 Edinburgh to be heard according to concert. 
 However his wife, being in the west country, 
 through the interposition of my lady Coch- 
 ran, obtained a mitigation of the sentence 
 from the commissioner, the account of which 
 came to him before the act at Glasgow was 
 intimate to him, which was not till October 
 20th. October 2 1st, the commissioner came 
 to Kirkcudbright, and Mr. Wylie waited on 
 him, and found his anger much abated. The 
 commissioner discoursed him upon the cov- 
 enant, church government, and several mat- 
 ters of fact, and professed his regard to him. 
 but as a friend advised him to remove with 
 his family as soon as possible ; told him that 
 he was loaded with reports, and would be so 
 as long as he stayed in Kirkcudbright, or 
 was in the west country. He promised to 
 do his best to get him allowance to stay on 
 this side of Forth ; and desired him to wait 
 on the council Tuesday come a fortnight; 
 which Mr. Wylie did, but got nothing done. 
 At that tune the conmiissioner told him, 
 that the council were yet averse ; but desired 
 him to bring his family to Lothian, and he 
 would see what might be done for him. 
 
 In the end of November, JMr. Wylie 
 brought his family to Leith in a great storm 
 of frost. When he came to Edinburgh, lie 
 found that his name was in a list with Messrs. 
 Livingstone, Trail, Carstairs, Dunlop, and a 
 good many others, who were to have the 
 oath tendered to them; and upon their 
 refusal to be banished. Upon the 1st of 
 December, he waited on the commissioner, 
 who stopt his citation at that time, and in 
 some days thereafter had a long conversa- 
 tion with Mr. Wylie, and pressed him to 
 declare himself against defensive arms ; but 
 especially insisted upon his taking the oatii, 
 
S02 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 [book T. 
 
 1662. 
 
 which Mr. Wylie offered to take 
 with an explication. This the com- 
 missioner peremptorily refused, and yet ex- 
 pressed his great kindness for him, and dis- 
 missed him by saying, well, Mr. Wylie, I shall 
 give you time enough to think upon it. Thus 
 far I have given this excellent man's case this 
 year from his own papers, and from it we 
 may understand the case of many ministers 
 at this time. 
 
 I find subjoined to this account some 
 grievances under Mr. Wylie's hand, written 
 at this time ; and they contain several mat- 
 ters of fact, which tend to set the present 
 state of things in this church in their due 
 light : and I apprehend they were designed 
 to be put in some paper he was to have 
 presented to the king, or some who were 
 most favourable about him ; and therefore, 
 though they are but the first draught, and 
 would no doubt have been put in better 
 form if presented, I have added them here. 
 
 Grievances, 1662-3. 
 " 1. That free access should be debarred to 
 present our grievances to his majesty, ex- 
 cept in a way that is unfeasible, and scars 
 men from expressing them. 
 
 vious consultation, not to speak of a con- 
 clusion, had by her in church-judicatories, 
 and especially in her general assemblies; 
 whereby the affection or disaffection to the 
 change, would have been more clearly evident. 
 " 4. That general acts relating to ministers 
 should be emitted by parliament, not clear 
 and full, but ambiguous and dark, and that 
 without any penal statute or certification ; 
 and that the council, without any known 
 warrant, should, by their after-acts, enlarge 
 the meaning of parlimentary acts, statute 
 the penalty, and instantly apply it to hun- 
 dreds of ministers through the kingdom, ere 
 ever they have known whether they have 
 been in cul27a, or transgressors of any law 
 or not: whereby it comes to pass, that 
 with one unexpected blow, hundreds of 
 congregations are laid waste, to the great 
 grief and prejudice of thousands of souls. 
 
 " 5. That letters should be sent by per- 
 sons in highest trust under his majesty, 
 requiring worthy ministers of the gospel to 
 repair to the said persons at Edinbiu-gh, or 
 where they are at the time, and to speak 
 with them of business of importance, to be 
 communicate at meeting : which letters 
 seem to import, to candid and well-mean- 
 
 " 2. That the government of the church j ing men, that nothing is intended but 
 
 should be changed from that form which the 
 generaUty, both of ministers and people 
 within the kingdom, judge to be of divine 
 institution, which has been established by 
 many wholesome laws, which the land has 
 been in an universal enjoyment and exercise 
 of and under which error, heresy, super- 
 stition, and profanity has been discounte- 
 nanced, timously discovered, censured, and 
 suppressed, unto a new form, which the 
 generality look upon as merely of human 
 institution, imposed upon political consider- 
 ations, under which error, superstition, and 
 profanity in former times abounded, and 
 with which, at this present time, profanity is 
 springing up to so great a height already; so 
 that the generality in the land are as barbar- 
 ous in inhumanity, and brutish in impiety, as 
 were once our forefathers in their heathenish 
 paganism, and darkness. 
 
 "3. That this change should be carried 
 on, and closed in an arbitrary way, and 
 imposed upon the church, without any pre- 
 
 friendly craving of counsel and advice in 
 those businesses of importance ; whereupon 
 the ministers, in dutiful obedience to the 
 magistrate, have, without regard to pains or 
 expense, repaired to the said honourable 
 persons ; and yet, upon their appeai'ance, 
 have found nothing of what the letters, sent 
 to them, seemed to import ; but are posed 
 with ensnaring and entangling questions, 
 and put under restraint not to pass off the 
 town, and delayed from time to time, until 
 they have been wearied and outspent in 
 attendance ; yea, though offering just satis- 
 faction, imprisoned, or otherwise sentenced. 
 And some so called upon, though liberate to 
 return totheii* families, yet discharged, by par- 
 ticular persons in civil trust, to preach, with- 
 out any sentence of a judicatory : so that be 
 this practique, several ministers with their 
 families have been put to hard suffering, and 
 their congregations robbed of ordinances. 
 
 " 6. That there should be a citation of 
 several most faithful and loyal ministers. 
 
CHAP, iir.] 
 
 indicta causa 2J»>'licuiari, to ajipear before 
 the council, charged as persons suspected 
 of disloyalty, without giving the least pre- 
 sumption as a ground of suspicion, and then 
 the oath presented, as a test and touchstone; 
 upon the refusal of which, in the general 
 comprehensive terms, (though subscriptions 
 be heartily otFered, with an explication of 
 the meaning, according to what the council 
 themselves profess to be the only sense of 
 the oath) yet is all such explanation refused, 
 and honest men, most loyal to their prince, 
 banished. 
 
 " 7. That when sentences are thus passed 
 against honest men, they should press them, 
 under pain of imprisonment, to subscribe, 
 that betwixt and such a day, they shall pass 
 off" the country, and never return on pain of 
 death : a practice, as it is unusual, so it 
 may be involving to honest men in inextri- 
 cable difficulties. 
 
 *' 8. That some should be discharged 
 preaching, and charged to leave their con- 
 gregations, at the commissioner his pleasure, 
 and without the sentence of any judicatory, 
 and, for any thing known to the party or 
 others, without any alleged, let be just, 
 cause. 
 
 " 9. That some are sentenced by the 
 council upon mere information, without cita- 
 tion, without process, for trial of the verity 
 and truth of the information, to remove with 
 their whole family, in the winter season, 
 above 100 miles from their congregation and 
 place of residence, with peremptory certifica- 
 tion of imprisonment, and indictment upon 
 sedition, in case of contravening; which 
 necessitates the party, to his great loss, and 
 hazard of his young children, to take upon 
 him a long jommey in the stormy winter. 
 
 " 10. That letters should be sent to 
 ministers, with a party of soldiers under 
 command, requiring the ministers to repair 
 unto Edinburgh, and immediately after to 
 Holyrood-house, to speak with the com- 
 missioner of business of importance; and 
 yet the leader of the party to be expressly 
 instructed, personally to apprehend one of 
 them to whom the letters were directed, 
 and instantly to carry him as a prisoner to 
 Edinbiu'gh. The verity of which, though 
 there were no more to make it out, appears 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 303 
 
 16G2. 
 
 from the practice of the party, who 
 diligently searched all the corners of 
 beds, chests, &c. in the minister's house, for 
 his person, as if he had been a most notor- 
 ious malefactor, and commanded one of the 
 bailies of the town to be assisting to them 
 herein. 
 
 "11, That after passing of acts, dischai'g- 
 ing ministers to preach, acts of indulgence 
 should be emitted, permitting ministers, at 
 least consequentially, to preach again for 
 some time ; and yet when they, out of zeal 
 to benefit the people of their charges, have 
 preached, letters of horning, and citation 
 before the council, are used against them, 
 to their great molestation and trouble. 
 
 " 12. That the council should punish 
 ministers, though fully called and ordained, 
 with deprivation, not only of the benefice, 
 but of their ministerial office amongst the 
 Lord's people, to whom they were lawfully 
 sent, and amongst whom they have laboured 
 to the great benefit of their souls, and that 
 only for the want of the bishop's collation. 
 If the collation be merely a civil thing, giving 
 the incumbent right to plead in law (in case 
 of necessity) the payment of his stipend, as 
 is pretended, it is the minister's own loss 
 and disadvantage that he wants it : but what 
 reason is there that both he and the people 
 of his charge, should be so severely punished 
 by the secular power, with an ecclesiastical 
 stroke, which robs them both of that which 
 is dearer to them than all their civil liberties, 
 and that only for the minister's voluntary 
 want of an alleged civil benefit ?" * 
 
 From those matters of fact, which in the 
 former part of this chapter are all plain, the 
 severity and unreasonableness of the proce- 
 dure of the managers appears in its due 
 light ; but it is time to return to the further 
 particular attacks on gentlemen and minis- 
 ters, which turn throng when the council 
 meet at Edinburgh in November. Though 
 the act at Glasgow by that time was per- 
 
 • The above statement of grievances, which is 
 proved to be a true statement from the united 
 testimony of historians of all parties, sets the 
 government of this period in a most odious light, 
 and the people who suffered it to exist for seven 
 and twenty years, deserve every character but 
 that of being tiu-buleat and unruly.— JSd. 
 
304 
 
 1G62. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ceived to have been rash and im- i 
 politic, yet the prelates and their 
 supporters verc fretted with the noble stand 
 made by so many ministers, and the general 
 dissatisfaction of the country at the loss of 
 their ministers ; and it is resolved to go fur- 
 ther, and destroy those they cannot terrify. 
 I give the procedure just as it lies in order 
 of time^ and each person's sufferings together, 
 as much as may be. 
 
 November 6th, the council begin a pro- 
 cess against Sir James Stuart, late provost 
 of Edinburgh, and his son, upon a most 
 groundless and malicious information, which 
 when dipped into, came to nothing : how- 
 ever, I shall insert what I find of it in the 
 registers, as a specimen of the trouble gen- 
 tlemen were now brought to, who were 
 presbyterians, and favourers of them. " In- 
 formation being given, that Mi\ Hugh 
 M'Kail, chaplain to Sir James Stuart of 
 Kirkfield, did of late, in a sermon preached 
 in one of the kirks of Edinburgh, most mali- 
 ciously inveigh against, and abuse his 
 sacred majesty, and the present government 
 in church and state, to the great offence of 
 God, and stumbling of the people ; and that 
 the said Sir James Stuart, and Walter 
 Stuart his second son, were present when 
 the said sermon was preached, at least were 
 certainly informed thereof; yet, notwith- 
 standing thereof, did entertain him in their 
 family : as also that the said Walter Stuart 
 has emitted some speeches tending towards 
 sedition, especially, that within these few 
 
 weeks, he, at the smithy of , upon the 
 
 occasion of a discourse anent public differ- 
 ences, said, that before businesses went as 
 they are going, a hundred thousand in the 
 three kingdoms would lose their lives ; 
 therefore macers are ordered to cite them 
 both before the council against the 1 1 th 
 instant." 
 
 " November 1 Ith, reported, that Sir 
 James Stuart and his son had been cited to 
 answer this day ; and it being informed by 
 some of the members, that Sir James can 
 clear himself, the lords appoint the earl of 
 Morton and lord Tarbet, to examine Sir 
 James, and report. Walter Stuart his son 
 appeared, and denied the foresaid speeches 
 charged iigainst him. Witnesses being 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I 
 
 called and examined, the council find he 
 uttered some things tending to sedition, and 
 imprison him in the tolbooth till further 
 order." 
 
 Every thing which savoured of a sense of 
 liberty, or expressed any dislike at bishops, 
 was now reckoned seditious speaking. This 
 excellent and religious young gentleman was | 
 soon dismissed, and died not very long after I 
 this, not without some very remarkable fore- 
 notices of his dissolution, to himself and 
 excellent father ; and having run fast, came 
 soon to his eternal prize. We shall after- 
 ward hear of worthy Mr. Hugh M'Kail, 
 and find him sealing the truth with his i 
 
 blood after Pentland. It was, as I take it, I 
 after this faithful and free sermon, wherein 
 it was pretended he reflected on the king, 
 because he preached the scriptm'al doctrine 
 upon chiu-ch government, that he went 
 abroad, and accomplished himself in travel- 
 ling for some yeai's, Wlien he came home, 
 he was the more qualified to be the object 
 of the prelates' spite. 
 
 Upon the same day, November 6th, the 
 reverend Mi'. John Brown, minister at 
 Wamphray in the south, was before the coun- 
 cil. Whether he had been brought in by 
 letters desiring hun to converse with the 
 managers, or by a formal citation, I cannot 
 say ; but this day's act about him runs, " Mr. 
 John Brown of Wamphray being convened 
 before the council, for abusing and reproach- 
 ing some ministers for keeping the diocesan 
 synod with the archbishop of Glasgow, by 
 calling them perjured knaves and villains, 
 did acknowledge that he called them false 
 knaves for so doing, because they had pro- 
 misee^ the contrary to him. The council 
 ordains him to be secured close prisoner in 
 the tolbooth till further order." — I need i 
 not enter upon the chai'acter of this great ;j| 
 man J his abilities were so well known to \, 
 the prelates, that he must not be suffered 
 any longer, and so his freedom that he used 
 with some of his neighbouring ministers, for 
 complying with the prelates contrary to the 
 assurances they had given hun, was made a 
 handle of for this end. He was a man of very , 
 great learning, warm zeal, and remarkable / 
 piety. The first he discovers in his work;; , 
 printed in Latin, against both Socinians and 
 
CHAP. 111.] OF THE CHURC 
 
 Cocceians, which the learned Avorld know 
 better than to need any account of them 
 from nic. I have seen likewise a large Latin 
 MS. history of his of the church of Scotland, 
 wherein he gives an account of the acts of 
 our assemblies, and the state of matters from 
 tile reformation to the restoration ; to which 
 is subjoined a very hu'gc vindication of the 
 grounds whereupon presbyterians suffered. 
 The " Apologetical Relation " appears to 
 be an abbreviate of this in English. His 
 letters he wrote home to Scotland, and the 
 pamphlets and books he wrote, especially 
 upon the indulgence, manifest his fervency 
 and zeal ; and the practical pieces he wrote 
 and printed, discover his solid piety, and 
 acquaintance with the power of godliness : 
 such a man could not easily now escape. 
 
 I meet not with him again till December 
 1 1th, when, after Mr. Livingstone and others 
 received their sentence, the council come to 
 this conclusion about him. " Anent a peti- 
 tion presented by Mr. John Brown, minister 
 at Wamphray, now prisoner in Edinburgh, 
 showing, That, for some speeches rashly 
 and inconsiderately uttered against some 
 neighbour ministers, he has been kept close 
 prisoner these five weeks bypast ; and that 
 seeing, that by want of free air, and ordinary 
 necessaries for maintaining b.is crazy body, 
 he is in hazard to lose his life, humbly 
 therefore desiring warrant to be put to 
 liberty, upon caution to enter his prison in 
 person when he shall be commanded ; as the 
 petition bears. Which being at length 
 heard and considered, the lords of council 
 ordain the supplicant to be put at liberty 
 forth of the tolbooth, he first obliging him- 
 self to remove and depart off the king's do- 
 minions, and not to return without license 
 from his majesty and council, under pain of 
 death. 
 
 I need not observe this unusual severity 
 against this good man : the utmost he could 
 be charged with, was a reproof given to his 
 (once) bretiiren, for their apostasy ; and for 
 this he is cast in prison, and, when there, 
 deprived of the very necessaries of life j and 
 when, through ill treatment, he is brought 
 near death, and offers bail to re-enter when 
 commanded, cannot be permitted to have 
 the benefit of the free air, till he -sign a 
 
 II OF SCOTLAND. 305 
 
 voluntary lianishmcnt for no cause. 
 However, it seems his present dan- 
 ger brought this good man to these liai'd 
 conditions : and December 23d, I find him 
 petitioning for some more time to stay in the 
 country; \vhich is granted. " Anent a peti- 
 tion by Mr. John Brown, late minister at 
 Wamphray, desiring the time of his removal 
 off the kingdom may be prorogate, in regard 
 that he is neither as yet able to provide him- 
 self of necessaries, and the weather so un- 
 seasonable that he cannot have the oppor- 
 tunity of a ship, as the petition at length 
 bears : which being heard, read, and con- 
 sidered, the lords of council do grant liberty 
 to the petitioner to remain within thi.s king- 
 dom for the space of two months after the 
 1 1th of December last, he carrying himself 
 in the meantime peaceablj', and acting 
 nothing in prejudice of the present govern- 
 ment." Next year this good man went to 
 Holland, and lived there many years, but 
 never, that I hear of, saw his native land 
 after this.* 
 
 * "Mr. John Bro\m was unquestionablj' one 
 of the most eminent divines Scotland has yet 
 produced, as his numei'ous writings, still care- 
 fully sought after by solid and judicious Christ- 
 ians, fully evince. That he was firmly attached 
 to the true presbyterian principles of the church 
 of Scotland, his history of the Indul^'ence abun- 
 dantly demonstrates ; and the clear and scriptural 
 ai-dency of his piety, from his well known 
 Treatise on Prayer, is equjilly apparent. Though 
 he was thus unjustly and illegally driven from 
 his native country, he was not allowed, by liis 
 merciless persecutors, to rest in that country, 
 Holland, which had most cordially adojited him. 
 This, our liistorian, wlien he comes to tlie case 
 of colonel AV'allace, has noticed, but he seems to 
 have supposed, tliat his persecutors faile<l in 
 their efforts with the Dutch government to 
 disturb him. The following extract from Dr. 
 M'Crie's notices of colonel Wallace, sets tlie 
 whole transaction in a very clear light, and, 
 inserted here, will supersede the necessity of ;i 
 Note when we come to the author's notice of 
 that gentleman. 
 
 " For several years colonel Wallace was 
 obliged to waniler from one part of the continent 
 to anotlier, for the sake of security. For the 
 same reiuson he assumed the name' of l''orbes 
 In the year 1670 he was on the borders of Ger- 
 many. When he thought tlie searcli after liiir. 
 liad relaxed, he took up liis residence at Rotter- 
 dam, but he was not allowed to remain tliere 
 undisturbed. On the 27th of June, 1G76, 
 Charles II. wrote to tlie states-general, requir- 
 ing them, agreeably to an article in a treaty 
 between the two countries, to cause Wallace, 
 with IMr. Robert 31acward, and Mr. John 
 Hrown, ministers, to remove from their terri- 
 
 2*i 
 
]0G THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I 
 
 At tliis time the council have have been overlooked, being really crazed, 
 before them the case of William I had it not been the severity of the time. 
 
 1662 
 
 Debbie, weaver in Glasgow, who might 
 
 He is accused for slanderous speeches 
 
 tories, as persons guilty of lese-majesty against 
 the king of Great Britain. Mr. Brown, in a 
 ]>aper of information which he gave into the 
 htates-general, after referring to tlie refusal of 
 tlie states to comply witli a similar demand in 
 1676, mentions, that the present ai)plication had 
 lieen instigated by one Henry Wilkie, whom 
 liie kins; had placed at the head of the Scottish 
 factory at Campvere, who was displeased be- 
 c<iuse many of his countrjTnen, Avith the view 
 of enjoying the ministry of Messrs. Macward 
 and Brown, had repaii'ed to Rotterdam, and 
 brought their slii'pping there, in preference to 
 Campvere, by which means his salary was im- 
 paired. Mr. Brown denies tliat eitlier he or his 
 colleague was ever convictrd ni trcison, and lic^s 
 the states to require from Sir William Teniplc, 
 the English ambassador, a copy of the sentence 
 pronounced against them, as this would shew, 
 that the article in the treaty did not apply to 
 them, and might be the means also of freeing 
 Mr. Wallace from a prosecution which had 
 commenced principally on their account; ' but,' 
 continues he, ' it may be hinted to Sir William 
 Temple, that James Forbes, alias Wallace, is a 
 brave and skilful soldier, and may create more 
 trouble to the king at home in Scotland, if he be 
 forced to remove hence, than he can do by re- 
 tnalning here in the Netherlands, and discharg- 
 ing the office of an elder in the Scottish church 
 at Rotterdam.' The states-general were satisfied 
 that they were not bound by the treaty to remove 
 the ministers, and they instructed lord Ben- 
 ningen, their ambassador at the court of Eng- 
 land, to represent to his majesty, that they hoped 
 he would not require them to put away persons 
 who had complied with the sentence of banish- 
 ment pronounced against them, and to ^vave, in 
 the best and discreetest manner, the foremen- 
 tioned matter, as being in the highest degree 
 prejudicial to their country. But instead of the 
 affair being dropped, other letters ^vere sent from 
 England, repeating the demand in still stronger 
 language, and Sir William Temple left Nime- 
 guen, where he was employed in the negotiations 
 for a peace then going on, and came to the 
 Hague, for the express purpose of urging a 
 categorical and speedy answer. Upon this, the 
 states-general, to prevent a quarrel with Great 
 Britain, judged it prudent to yield; but they 
 failed not to represent their sense of the injustice 
 of the claim made upon them. In their letter 
 of the 22d of January, 1677, they say: — 'We 
 are willing to testify ho'w sensible we are of the 
 honour of your friendship and good-will, and 
 that we prefer it to all other considerations, 
 assuring your majesty, that we will not fail to 
 cause the said Macward, Brown, and Wallace, 
 to depart within the time mentioned in the 
 treaties, from the bounds of this country. We 
 find ourselves, however, obliged to represent to 
 your majesty, that w^e believe you will agree 
 with us, that the obligation of the treaties is 
 reciprocal, and that, according to the laws of 
 this country, we cannot by our letters declare 
 any person fugitive, or a rebel, unless he has 
 been recognised as such by a sentence or judg- 
 ment of the ordinary criminal court of justice, 
 and that your majesty could not pay any regard 
 
 to any letters of ours making a similar declara- 
 tion, unless accompanied by such sentence or 
 judgment. And as thus, we cannot requix'e of 
 youi" majesty to remove any one from your 
 kingdoms, as a rebel or fugitive, on a simple 
 declaration made by our letters ; so w^e assure 
 ourselves. Sir, that your majesty ^vill not in 
 future require us, by simple letters, to remove 
 any persons from our territories before he be 
 declared a fugitive or rebel according to the 
 ordinary forms of the laws and customs of your 
 majesty.' 
 
 " The following is the resolution to which 
 the states-general came, as translated from an 
 authenticated copy of the original in Dutch:— 
 ' By the sesumpt delivered on the report of M. 
 M. van Heuckelom and others, their high 
 mightinesses, commissioners for foreign affairs, 
 having, in compliance with, and for giving effect 
 to that resolution commissorial of the 16th in- 
 stant, examined and discussed the memorial of 
 Sir Temple, baronet, envoy extraor- 
 dinary of his majesty the king of Great Britain, 
 requesting their High M. would be pleased to 
 enter into a conference with him, as also a 
 missive of the king of Great Britain, dated at 
 Whitehall, the 29th of December last, stilio 
 A7i(/litB, respecting his majesty's former letters 
 of the 27th June, and 18th of November before, 
 concerning three Scotsmen, James Wallis, Rob- 
 ert Macward, and John Brown, and having 
 conversed w^itli the said Amb. Ext. Temple, 
 regarding the contents of it, and liaving also 
 seen the rctroacta, and exhibited and heard read 
 a draught of a missive, drawn out and com- 
 mitted to paper bj' the commissioners of their 
 H. M. for an answer to the missives of his 
 majesty of Great Britain, of the 27th of June, 
 18th of November, and 29th of December last, 
 respecting the said Scotsmen : it is found good 
 to declare, that although the foresaid three 
 Scotsmen — have not only not behaved and com- 
 ported themselves otherwise than as became 
 good and faithful citizens of these states, but 
 have also given indubitable proofs of their zeal 
 and affection for the advancement of the truth, 
 which their H. ]M. have seen with plcasm'e, 
 and could have wished that they could have 
 continued to live here in peace and security;— 
 considering the risk they run, however, and 
 considering with what pressing earnestness his 
 majesty has repeatedly insisted by three several 
 missives, and verbally through his envoy ex- 
 traordinary, and with gi'eat reason apprehending 
 a breach between his majesty and these states, 
 as Sir -^— ^— Temple has expressed himself in 
 terms that cannot be mistaken, they feel them- 
 selves necessitated, in order to obviate so gi'eat 
 an evil at this conjmicture, to cause the foresaid 
 three Scotsmen — withdraw from this country, 
 and that, consequently, notice shall be given to 
 the foresaid James Wallis, Robert Macward, 
 and John Brown, in order that they may be 
 able to avail themselves of the good intentions of 
 their H. M. in having their property properly 
 disposed before the 5th of March next — and for 
 this end, an extract of this resolution of their 
 II. M. shall be sent to the counsellors of the 
 states of Holland and Westfriesland, in order 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 agiiinst the commissioner, and remitted to 
 the criminal court; and his is the only 
 process, for alleged disaffection, I find in 
 the justiciary books before Pentland. De- 
 cember Hth, witnesses prove some expres- 
 sions aawnst the king and commissioner, 
 and present church settlement, and declare 
 
 that <lue notification maybe given, and the fore- 
 said James Wallis, &c. may regulate tlicir pro- 
 ceedinics ac<-ordint,'ly. They shall also find en- 
 closed for this behoof separate instruments, ad 
 omncs populijs, word for word with the following, 
 which shall be sent to the foresaid commis- 
 sioners of the council of the 11. and M. the 
 states of Holland, to be put into the hands of 
 the foresaid James Wallis,' &c. The instrument 
 or testimoniiil rei'erred to in the preceding decree 
 runs in the following terms: — ' The states-gen- 
 eral of the United Netherlands, to all and every 
 one who shall see or read these presents health. 
 l}e it known and certified, that James W'allace, 
 gentleman, our subject, and for many jears in- 
 habitant of this state, lived among us highly 
 esteemed for his probity, submission to the laws, 
 and integrity of manners. And therefore we 
 have resolved affectionately to request, and 
 hereby dt) most earnestly request tlie emj»eror of 
 the liomans, and all kings, republics, princes, 
 dukes, states, m:igistrates, or whomsoever else 
 our friends, and all that shall see these presents, 
 that they receive the said James Wallace in a 
 friendly manner whensoever he may come to 
 them, or res(dvc to remain with them, and assist 
 him with their counsel, help, and aid ; testifying, 
 that for any obliging, humane, or kindly offices 
 done to him, we shall be ready an<l forward to 
 return the favtiur to them and their subjects, 
 whensoever an opportunity offers. For the 
 greater confirmation whereof, we have caused 
 these presents to be sealed with our seal of office, 
 and signed by our secretary in our assembly, the 
 sixth day of the 'month of February, in the year 
 one thousand six hundreil and seventy-seven." 
 — Notices of Colonel Wallace, by Dr. IM'Crie. 
 Life of William \'eitch, &c. pp. 362—369. 
 
 This was highly complimentary, and it must 
 have been greatly cheering to these venerable 
 exiles to find that fatherly protection in a strange 
 land, and from a strange government, that was 
 deniefl them by their own. Mr. IJrown, from 
 the ill state of his health, attested by physicians, 
 was allowed, Dr. IM'Crie informs us, to remain 
 in the country, and he thinks it probable, that 
 after a temporary concealment, IVIacwurd did 
 the same ; but colonel Wallace was under the 
 necessity of removing. He, however, soon re- 
 turned, tor he died at Rotterdam in the end of 
 the year I77H. That he was greatly respected by 
 Mr. John Brown, ia evident from the circum- 
 stance of his having bj' testament, dated the 2d of 
 April, 1776, bequeathed to the poor of the Scots 
 congregation there 10(J guineas, and by a codicil, 
 dated Ilth of September the same year, appoint- 
 ing the above sum to be " put into the hands of 
 Mr. Wallace, to be given out by him to such as 
 he knoweth indigent and honest." For a token 
 to ISIr. Macward, he left his Complutensian 
 Bible, six vols, and the half of his remanent 
 gold, the other half to INIr. Wallace. Having 
 survived iNIr. Wallace, he has drawn his pen 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 307 
 
 1662. 
 
 he had been distempered once. 
 There is no sentence, and he con- 
 tinues in prison a long time. 
 
 But to return to ministers : it had been 
 customary for the managers for some months, 
 by private fair letters, to call before them a 
 good many of the old presbyterian ministers, 
 
 through :\Ir. Wallace's bequest. That he was 
 also an object of great attection to Mr. Macward, 
 is evident from the following extract of a letter 
 from that great man to Mr. Bleketer concerning 
 his death, December 5-15, 78. 
 
 " I doubt not but you havt^ heard of the re- 
 movall of worthy and great Wallace, of whom 
 1 have no doubt it may be said, he hath left no 
 man behind him in that church, minister nor 
 professor, quho hath gone thorowsuch avarietle 
 of tentations, without turning to the right hand 
 or to the left. He died in great serenity of soul. 
 He had lived abroad such an ornament to his 
 profession, as he was not more lamented by us 
 than by all the serious English and Dutch of 
 his acquaintance (who were many), as having 
 lost the man who, as a mean, was made use of 
 by the Lord to keep life amongst them : yea, the 
 poor ignorant people of the congregation of 
 Rotterdam (besides the more serious and know- 
 ing amongst them) bemoan his death, and their 
 loss, as of a father. And they have good reason, 
 for I must say he was the most faithfuU, feck- 
 full, compassionate, diligent, and indefatigable 
 elder in the work of the Lord that ever I knew 
 at home or abroad ; and as for his care, solici- 
 tude, and concernedness in the work and people 
 of God, I may say, the care of all the churches 
 lay more upon him than upon hundreds of us; 
 so that the church of God hath lost more in the 
 removeall of that man, than most will sufier 
 themselves to believe. Onely we who know it 
 have this to comfort ourselves, th.it tlie residue 
 of the Spirit is with Him quho made him such, 
 and that the great Intercessour lives to jdead 
 his own cause, and the causes of his people's 
 soul. 1 forgot to tell you, that when the cause 
 for which he suffered was mentioned, when it 
 was scarce believed he understood or could 
 spcake, there was a sunshine of serene joy looked 
 out of his countenance, and a lifting up of hands 
 on high, as to receive the confessor's crown, 
 together with a lifting up of the voice, with an 
 aha, as to sing the con(iueror's song of virtorie. 
 And to close, I must tell you also, he lived and 
 died in a deep detestation of that wretched in- 
 dulgence, and of all the ways of supporting it, 
 and this abrupt account of his death you may 
 give to his friends. In a word, as a compound 
 of all, he fell asleej) in the furnace, walking with 
 the Son of God, and now his bones ^vill rise up 
 with the bones of the other great witnesses 
 buried in a strange land, as a testimony against 
 the wrong done to Christ, and the violence used 
 against his followers by this wicked generation, 
 whom the righteous Lord in his time, from him 
 who sitteth upon the throne, to the meanest 
 instrument that hath put the mischiefs he framed 
 into a law in execution, will make a generation 
 of his wrath, of special wi-ath, which must 
 answer and keep jjroportion unto the wrongs 
 done to the Mediator." — Appendix to M'Crie's 
 Life of Veitch, &c. kc.—JSff. 
 
308 
 
 THE HISTOriY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1662. 
 
 ordained before the (year) 1G19, 
 and keep them hanging on at Edin- 
 burgh for some months ; and if they got li- 
 berty to return to their families, it was with 
 an express charge not to preach. We have 
 had many instances already, and this method 
 was taken also with IMi*. Alexander Dunlop 
 and others. Now they came to a shorter way 
 with a considerable number of them, and 
 November 18th, after they write for all 
 absent members, the council give the follow- 
 ing orders. 
 
 " Information being given of the seditious 
 carriage of Mr. John Livingstone at Ancrum, 
 Mr. Samuel Austin, JMr. John Nave, minis- 
 ter at Newmills, Mr. John Carstairs, Mr. 
 
 [book I. 
 
 Kirkaldy secure the person of Mr. Gilbert 
 Rule, and present him to the council. And 
 that I may give all which relates to this in 
 this place: November 21st, the magistrates 
 of Kirkaldy appear, and report that Mr. 
 Rule was gone out of their bounfjfi before 
 the council's orders came, and could not be 
 found, and that they had no hand in his 
 being employed to preach ; which excuse 
 was sustained. " And the said magistrates 
 having also reported that there were some 
 in then" council who refused to subscribe the 
 declaration, appointed by the parliament to 
 be taken by all such persons as bear public 
 office or charge : ordered, that the magis- 
 trates cause all their members to subscribe 
 
 Matthew Mowat, Mr. Robert Trail, Mr. j the same, or declare them incapable of all 
 James Nasmith, Mr. Andrew Cant, elder, \ public trust within their burgh. And be- 
 Alexander Cant his son, Mr. John Menzies, cause it is informed that several disaffected 
 Mr. George Meldrum at Aberdeen, Mi\ , ministers reside there, who study to alienate 
 
 Alexander Gordon, minister at Inveraray, 
 Mr. J. Cameron, minister at Kilfinnan, Mr. 
 James Gardiner, minister at Saddle : order 
 the said persons, and every one of them, 
 immediately, upon intimation made unto 
 them, to repair to Edinburgh against the 9th 
 of December next, and make their compear- 
 ance before the council the said day, as they | 
 will be answerable at their utmost peril ; j 
 and for that effect ordain letters to be i 
 direct to the noblemen and others under- 
 written, and that a double of this act be en- 
 closed in these several letters. Likewise 
 information being given of the turbulent 
 and seditious practices of Mr. Gilbert Rule 
 and Mr. John Drysdale, ordered that their 
 persons be secured, and presented to the 
 council, as follows, viz. That the magistrates 
 of Kii'kaldy shall secure the said Mi\ Gilbert 
 Rule, and bring him alongst with themselves, 
 and present him to the council on Friday 
 next; and the following letter be writ to 
 them for that effect." 
 
 " Loving friends, 
 " You will perceive by the enclosed order, 
 what commands the council have laid upon 
 you, which you are immediately to execute, 
 and come yourselves to attend the council 
 on Friday next, as you will be answerable. 
 Glencairn, Chancellor." 
 
 Follows the order, that the magistrates of 
 
 the hearts of the people from the present 
 government of chmxh and state; therefore 
 ordain the said magistrates to warn them to 
 remove forth of their bounds within fourteen 
 days, and report against the next council 
 day." A report is accordingly made, that 
 the orders were obeyed. We shall after- 
 ward meet with the reverend Mr. Rule, 
 and there I shall give a larger account of 
 his sufferings during this period. 
 
 To return to the procedure against the 
 rest of the ministers; November 18th, the 
 council orders the earl of Eglinton by him- 
 self or his deputes, sheriffs of Renfrew, to 
 cause seize the person of Mi\ John Drysdale, 
 minister at Paisley, and send him in to the 
 council against the 9th of December; and 
 that he cause intimate the above mentioned 
 act to Mr. Alexander Dunlop, minister at 
 Paisley. A letter is likewise sent to the 
 magistrates of Aberdeen, to intimate the 
 act to Messrs. Menzies and Meldrum, and 
 command them to appear the said day : 
 another to the magistrates of Edinburgh, as 
 to Mr. Trail : another to duke Hamilton, 
 as to Messrs. Nasmith and Carstairs : one to 
 the sheriff" of Teviotdale, as to ISIr. Living- 
 stone: one to the sheriff" of Nithsdale, as to 
 Mr. Austin; and one to the marquis of 
 Montrose, in regai'd there is not a sheriff" 
 or deputes in Arg3'le, as to Mr. Alexander 
 Gordon and Mr. John Cameron, ministers 
 
CHAP. III.] OF THE CHUKCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 in Argylc, and Mr. James Ganliner. No- 
 
 300 
 
 vcniber S7th, it is reported that Mr. Robert 
 Trail cannot be personally apprehended ; 
 and the council order their macers to cite 
 him at his dwelling-house, and by open 
 proclamation at the cross of Edinburgh, to 
 compear before the council, December 9th, 
 to answer to such things as shall be laid to 
 his charge, under the pain of rebellion. I 
 find no letters writ about Mr. Nave, Mr. 
 Cant, and his son ; yet we shall find them 
 present afterwards ; nor for Mr. Matthew 
 Mowat, who was not before the council, as 
 far as I have obscr\'cd in the registers, and 
 probably was overlooked, as we saw IVL*. 
 Wylie, and it may be some others, who 
 Merc at first in the list. Mi\ Drysdale is 
 not before the council either, having abscond- 
 ed, and perhaps gone to L'eland. The rest 
 we shall just now meet with before the coun- 
 cil, December 1 1th, and the after-diets. In 
 the registers I find no sederunt, December 
 9th, to which the ministers were cited. It 
 woidd seem that day either a committee of 
 council met, before whom IVIr. Livingstone 
 and others were, or the council themselves ; 
 but coming to no issue till December 
 1 Ith, there is nothing in the council-books. 
 Those worthy and excellent persons were 
 pitched upon from all corners of the coun- 
 try, the south, west, and north, as those that 
 nuist either comply with the bishops, or be 
 sent off the nation. And indeed they were all 
 of them bright and shining lights in this 
 church, and the attack made upon them was 
 designed to fright presbyterian ministers to 
 a compliance in all corners. I come now 
 to give as distinct an account as I can of 
 their several cases and processes. 
 
 I begin with the reverend and learned 
 Mr. John Livingstone, who, among these 
 worthies now under process, was first 
 before the council ; and because I have the 
 fullest accounts of him from his Life writ by 
 himself, out of this I shall give a pretty 
 large detail of the council's method vvith 
 hini ; and probably many of the same things 
 were proposed to the rest. A large abstract 
 of this excellent person's life, I know, would 
 be useful and entertaining to the reader; 
 and it is certainly a great loss to this church 
 that we want a biography of our eminent 
 
 ramisters and Christians, done by ,,.„^ 
 . . . 1 . 1662. 
 
 some good hand, when there yet 
 
 ', remain a good man)- materials for such a 
 
 work, w hich may in some time be lost : but 
 
 I shall only make a remark or two as to 
 
 this singular person, and then come to his 
 
 sufferings, which is my province. 
 
 Mr. John Livingstone was one remarkably 
 honoiu-ed of the Lord, to be an instrument 
 of the conversion of thousands. While yet 
 only a probationer he was the honoured 
 and happy mean of that remarkable conver- 
 sion, upon Monday after the communion, 
 at the Kirk of Shots, 1630. From Mr. 
 Livingstone's sermon in the west side of the 
 church-yard there, upon Ezek. xxxvi. 26., 
 " A new heart also will I give you, and a new 
 spirit will I put within you, and I will take 
 away the stony heart out of your flesh, and 
 give you a heart of flesh ;" about five hun- 
 dred persons dated their saving change. 
 Such another, and yet a more plentiful effii- 
 sion of the Spirit, attended a sermon of his 
 at a communion at Hollywood in Ireland, 
 if I mistake not, in the year 1641, where 
 about a thousand were begotten unto Christ. 
 Besides, he was blessed with very much 
 success through the ordinary tract of his 
 ministry. Perhaps few ministers since the 
 apostles' days were more remarkably coun- 
 tenanced from heaven in their work than 
 Mr. Livingstone. The prelates' violent 
 pushing to be rid of such a man as he, 
 gives occasion to make severer reflections 
 than I am wUling to insert here. 
 
 He was one of the three ministers, who, 
 with some from the state, were sent over to 
 the king at Breda: and after the treaty 
 was finished, before his majesty landed in 
 Scotland, Mr. Livingstone was pitched 
 upon ; and accordingly in the ship tendered 
 the covenant to the king. His faithful free- 
 dom with his majesty at that time, with his 
 declared dissatisfaction with the manner of 
 carrying on and concluding of that treaty, 
 probably were not altogether forgot now. 
 When at London, in the year 1656, in a 
 very public auditory, before Oliver Crom- 
 well, and even to his face, Mr. Livingstone 
 asserted the king's right and title to those 
 three kingdoms. He was in his opinion a 
 protester, but very moderate; and I find 
 
310 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1662. 
 
 him in his Life heavily lamentuig and 
 regretting the sad breaches and ex- 
 tremities in that divided time. Every body 
 owned his modesty and sweetness of temper. 
 Upon the king's return, and through the 
 summer 1660, he with many others had 
 very melancholy impressions of the approach- 
 ing ruin coming upon the work of reforma- 
 tion in this church. The last communion 
 he had at Ancrum, was upon the 12th of 
 October this year, 1662, at which great 
 multitudes of serious and godly persons 
 were gathered from all corners of the coun- 
 try. Upon the Monday, at the close of the 
 work, Mr. Livingstone had more than ordi- 
 nary liberty in discoursing to the people 
 about the grounds and encouragements to 
 sufier for the truths at present controverted 
 in Scotland ; and in a manner took his fare- 
 well of his people, reckoning that would be 
 the last communion he would have in that 
 place. In his Life he remarks, that at this 
 time he knew nothing of what was hatching 
 against him, nor of his designed persecution, 
 which followed so soon. His extemporary 
 discourse, October 13th, this year, was taken 
 from his mouth in characters, and is what 
 would be acceptable to a good many of my 
 readers, in its popular and homely dress, 
 just as it was delivered, to be sure without 
 the least thoughts of its appearing in print ; 
 but it is so large that I must not insert it. 
 Afler he had, with Elijah, eaten before a 
 great journey, and as the disciples did, had 
 communicate before he entered upon suffer- 
 ing, he had notice in a little time of the 
 council's procedure against him and others : 
 and before the summons could reach him, 
 Mr. Livingstone went in to Edinburgh, and 
 lurked a while there, till he got certain in- 
 formation of the council's designs. Had he 
 found them about to have proceeded against 
 their lives, and treat them as Mr. Guthrie 
 was dealt with last year, he was resolved to 
 retire and hide himself the best way he 
 might, and the rather that he was not cited 
 nor apprehended personally : but finding 
 their design only to be banishment, he re- 
 solved to appear with his brethren. Accord- 
 ingly, December 11th, he was before the 
 council. I cannot give an account of the 
 procedure there, and his carriage, so well 
 
 [book I. 
 
 as in his own words, and therefore I here 
 insert his own account from his Life. 
 
 An Account of what jjassed when Mr. John 
 Livingstone appeared before the council, 
 in the lower coxincil house, Edinburgh, De- 
 cember Wth, 1662. 
 
 " As soon as he appeared, the chancellor 
 (whom for shortness I design by CA.) said, 
 you are called here before his majesty's 
 secret council, for turbulency and sedition. 
 You, Sir, have been in all the rebelUons and 
 disobedience to authority that have been 
 those many years ; and though his majesty 
 and the parliament have granted an indem- 
 nity for what is past, you continue in the 
 same courses. Mr. Livingstone (whom I 
 express by Mr. L.) answered, ' My lords, if I 
 shall not be so ready in my answers as were 
 requisite, or if in any thing through inadver- 
 tency I shall offend, I crave to be excused, 
 in regard of my unacquaintedness with such 
 ways. I am now towards sixty years, and 
 was never till now called in such sort be- 
 fore such a judicatory. I am a poor servant 
 of Jesus Christ, and have been labouring 
 to serve him and his people in the ministry 
 of the word, and it is a grief to me to be so 
 charged by your lordships. I am not con- 
 scious to myself of any turbulency or sedi- 
 tion. There are some things anent the 
 government and officers of the church, 
 wherein I confess my judgment and princi- 
 ples differ from what is presently maintained, 
 but I have laboured to carry myself with 
 all moderation and peaceableness, Avith 
 due respect to authority, and have lived so 
 obscurely, that I wonder how I am taken 
 notice of. Ch. ' You have transgressed two 
 acts of parliament ; one appointing the 29th 
 of May, a day of commemoration of his 
 majesty's happy restoration, and another 
 appointing synods to be kept. Did you 
 preach on the 29th of May ?' Mr.L. 'There 
 are witnesses in town who will testify I 
 preached the last 29th of May.' Ch. ' Did 
 you keep the da}^, as it is appointed, in 
 obedience to the act of parliament ?' Air. 
 L. ' I dare not say that I did so. It was 
 my ordinary lecture day ; yet the place of 
 scripture which was my ordinaiy, gave occa- 
 sion to speak somewhat of the benefit and 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 advantage of magistracy. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 Ch. ' But 1 
 
 311 
 
 YOU publicly, as others, acknowledge the 
 Lord's mercy in restoring the king ?' Mr. 
 L. ' I have done so, my lord, both at first 
 and sometime since.' C7i. ' But what is the 
 reason you do not keep the day ap[)ointed by 
 the [)arli:iment ?' Mr. L. ' Rly lord, I have 
 not that promptness of judgment, or ex- 
 pression that were requisite for surprising 
 questions, and would beg, if your lordships 
 l)lcase, to be forborne.' Ch, ' Can you not 
 give a reason why you keep it not V ilfr. 
 L. ' My lord, even as to the laws of God 
 there is a great diflerence between a man's 
 doing of that which God hath forbidden, 
 and the not doing of a thing, for want of 
 clearness that God hath commanded it ; and 
 much more this holds in the laws of men.' — 
 C7i. ' But you kept holydays of your own ; 
 you kept a day of thanksgiving for the 
 battle of Long-marston Muir, and several 
 days of fasting in the time of the engagement. 
 Did you not keep the day for Long-marston 
 iMuir ?' Mr. L. ' So far as I know, I did ; 
 but these days were not called holydays, but 
 only appointed upon some special occasions. 
 And besides, one may scruple if any have 
 power to appoint anniversary holydays.' — 
 Ck. ' But will you keep that day hereafter ?' 
 Mr. L. ' My lord, I would desire first to 
 see an issue of this wherein I am now 
 engaged, by this citation, before I am urged 
 to answer for the time to come.' Ch. ' Well, 
 because of your disobedience to these two 
 acts, the council look upon you as a suspect 
 person ; and therefore think it fit to require 
 you to take the oath of allegiance. You 
 know it, and have considered it ?' Mr. L. 
 * Yes, my lord.' Ch. ' The clerk shall read 
 it to you. (He reads it) Now that you 
 have heard it read, are you free to take the 
 oath '(*' Mr. L. ' I do acknowledge the 
 king's majesty (whose person and govern- 
 naent 1 wish God to bless) to be the only 
 lawful supreme magistrate of this and all 
 other his majesty's dominions, and that iiis 
 majesty is the supreme civil governor over 
 all persons, and in all causes as well ecclc 
 siastic iis civil ; but for the oath, as it stands 
 in icrmiius, I am not free to take it.' Ch. 
 ' I think you and we agree as to the oath ?' 
 Lord Advocate. ' My lord chancellor, your 
 
 16G2. 
 
 lordslii[) doth not obsene that he 
 useth a distinction, ' That the king 
 is the supreme civil governor,' that he may 
 make way for the co-ordinate power of 
 presbytery.' Mr. L. ' My lord, I do indeed 
 believe and confess that Jesus Christ is the 
 only head of his church, and that he only 
 hath power to appoint a government and 
 discipline for removing of offences in his 
 house, which is not dependant on civil 
 powers, and no ways wrongs civil powers ; 
 but withal, I do acknowledge his majesty 
 hath a cumulative power and inspection 
 in the house of God, for seeing both the 
 tables of the law kept ; and that his majesty 
 hath all the ordinary power that was in the 
 kings of Israel and Judah, and in the 
 Christian emperors and kings since the 
 primitive times, for reforming, according to 
 the word, what is amiss.' Ch. ' We do not 
 say that the king hath power to ordain min- 
 isters, or to excommunicate ; and therefore 
 are you not free to take the oath ?' Mr. 
 L. ' My lord, in the terms that I have ex- 
 pressed I am free to take it, but I know not 
 if it would be well taken off my hand, to add 
 one word, or give an explication of the oath 
 which the right honourable the estates of 
 parliament have set down.' Ch. ' Nay, it is 
 not in the power of the council so to do ?' 
 il/r. L. * I have likewise been of that 
 judgment, and am, and will be, that his 
 majesty is supreme governor, in a civil wa)', 
 over all persons in all causes.' Lord Com- 
 missioner. ' You may not say that you have 
 been always of that judgment, for you have 
 been opposite to the king, and so have many 
 here, and so have I been ; but now it is re- 
 quisite we profess our obedience to him, and 
 would wish you to do so. You v/ould con- 
 sider that there is a difference betwixt a 
 church to be constitute, and a church con- 
 stitute ; for where it is to be constitute, min- 
 isters and professors may do their work 
 upon their hazard; but when a church is 
 constitute with consent of the cinl ma- 
 gistrate, who hath power to appoint the 
 bounds of parishes and stipends, he may 
 appoint the bishops his commissioners, and 
 ordain them to keep synods, and ordain 
 ministers to come to those synods.' Mr. 
 L. ' INIay it please your grace, I hope the 
 
16G2. 
 
 312 THE IIISTOIIY OF 
 
 churches that are mentioned in the 
 Acts of the Apostles, were consti- 
 tute churches, although they had not the 
 concurrence of the civil magistrate.' C/i. 
 ' You have heard many things spoken, will 
 you take some time to advise whether you 
 will take the oath or not ?' ilfr, L. ' I 
 humbly thank your lordship ; it is a favour, 
 which, if I had any doubt or hesitation, I 
 would willingly accept : but seeing, after 
 seeking of God, and advising anent the mat- 
 ter, I have such light as I use to get in such 
 things, if I should take time to advise, it 
 would import I have uncleamess and hesi- 
 tation, which I have not ; and I judge it 
 were a kind of mocking your lordships, to 
 take time, and then return your lordships 
 the same answer.' Lord Commissioyicr. 
 ' Then you are not for new light ?' Mr. L. 
 ' Indeed I am not, if it please your grace.' 
 Ch. ' Then you will remove yourself.' Be- 
 ing removed, and called in again, the chan- 
 cellor said, ' Mr. Livingstone, the lords of his 
 majesty's council have ordained, that within 
 two months you remove out of his majesty's 
 dominions, and that within forty-eight hours 
 you remove out of Edinburgh, and go to the 
 north side of Tay, and there remain tUl you 
 depart forth out of the country.' Mr. L. 
 * I submit to your lordships' sentence ; but I 
 humbly beg I may have a few days to go 
 home and see my wife and children.' C/t. 
 ' By no means ; you cannot be suffered to 
 go to that country.' Mr. L. ' Against 
 what time must I go to the north of Tay, 
 my lord ?' Lord Commissioner. ' You may 
 be there against Saturday come sennight.' 
 Mr. L. ' Well, although it be not per- 
 mitted to me to breathe in my native air, yet 
 I trust, whatsoever part of the world I go 
 unto, I shall not cease to pray for a blessing 
 to these lands, to his majesty and the govern- 
 ment, and the inferior magistrates thereof, 
 but especially to the land of my nativity.' 
 Ch. ' You must either go to the tolbooth, or 
 subscribe a few words of acquiescence to 
 your sentence.' Mr. L ' My lord, rather 
 than go to the tolbooth, I will subscribe the 
 same.' And accordingly he did it ; and the 
 tenor of it was, 
 
 ' I Mr. John Livingstone, late minister at 
 Ancrurr, bind and oblige me, that I shall 
 
 PHE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 remove myself forth of his majesty's domin- 
 ions, within the space of eight weeks after 
 the date hereof, and that I shall not remain 
 within the same hereafter, without license 
 from his majesty or privy council, under the 
 pain of death ; and that I shall depart from 
 Edinbui'gh to the north side of Tay, and 
 there remain while my departure, and that 
 my going off from Edinburgh shall be within 
 forty-eight hours after the date hereof. 
 Subscribed at Edinburgh, Dec. 1 1th, 1662. 
 
 ' Jo. Livingstone.' 
 Lord Commissioner. ' You must see that 
 you keep no conventicles, nor preach in 
 churches or houses.' To this Mr. Living- 
 stone answered nothing." 
 
 Mr. Livingstone remarks, That he cannot 
 say this is all that either he or they spoke, 
 but it is as far as his memory sened him ; 
 that he could not so punctually repeat their 
 speeches as his own, but as near as he 
 remembers this is what passed. He further 
 observes, that his difficulty as to the oath, 
 was not only that it was conceived in gen- 
 eral and ambiguous temis, as might import 
 a receding from the covenants and work of 
 reformation ; but upon the matter, the im- 
 posers' unlawful sense of tiie general terms, 
 was determined and fixed by their rejecting 
 the only safe sense offered by the west 
 country ministers lately, as we have seen. 
 He adds likewise, he was afraid his taking 
 time, when offered him, to consider the oath, 
 after he had thoroughly pondered it, might 
 lay him open to temptations, and offend and 
 weaken the hands of others. However, he 
 apprehended his refusing their offer, grated 
 the council, and made them sharper upon 
 him than others. 
 
 According to this sentence, Mr. Living- 
 stone went out of Edinburgh to Leith, 'u\ 
 the prefixed time ; where I find him petition- 
 ing the council, December 23d, which I give 
 in the words of the registers. " Anent the 
 petition presented by Mr. John Livingstone, 
 showing, That in regard of his age and in- 
 firmity, his going beyond Tay in such a 
 season of the year, might be dispensed with, 
 and he permitted to go to the south, and see 
 his wife and children, and dispose of his 
 affairs; and by this means, he expects, 
 within the two months prefixed, to get a 
 
CHAP. 111.] OF THE CHURCH 
 
 more ready and shorter passage from New- 
 castle, and in better vessels than can be 
 looked for out of tlie Firth ; which being at 
 length heard and considered, the lords of 
 privy council do allow the petitioner to re- 
 main at Leith during the time that is granted 
 him to abide in Scotland, he behaving and 
 carrying himself peaceably in the meantime." 
 He insisted for liberty only of a few days to 
 go home and take his farewell of his excel- 
 lent wife and children, but that would not 
 be allowed. He further remarks, that by 
 no means would the council allow him a 
 copy of his sentence, though he petitioned 
 once and again for it. One would think 
 they had cause so to do, and they might be 
 ashamed if it should appear abroad in the 
 reformed churches, whither he was retiring. 
 After he had stayed some time at Leith, 
 toward the beginning of April, he was accom- 
 panied with a good many of his friends to a 
 ship, in which he got safe to Rotterdam, 
 where he found his dear brethren formerly 
 banished, and lived till August, 1672, when 
 he entered into the joy of his Lord, in a 
 good old age. While in Holland, he spent 
 his time in reading the scripture, and form- 
 ing a new Latin translation of the Old Tes- 
 tament, being very well seen in all the eas- 
 tern tongues. This was revised and appro- 
 ven by Voetius, Essenius, Nethenus, Leus- 
 den, and other eminent lights of that time. 
 At his death it was put into the hands of 
 the last, in order to be printed, but was 
 never published ; and now I fear it is lost. 
 Since Mr. Livingstone was not permitted 
 to see his dear flock at Ancrum, he wrote a 
 letter to them before his leaving Scotland, 
 which breathing much of this holy man's 
 excellent temper, and containing many things 
 suitable to this time, and not being, as far 
 as I know, printed, as another letter of his 
 to them is, I have subjoined it, in a note. * 
 
 • Mr. John Livintjstone's letter to his parish, 
 1663. 
 To the flock of Jesus Christ in Ancrum, light, 
 lite, and love, and the consolation of the Holy 
 Ghost be multiplied. 
 
 Well-beloved in the Lord, 
 That vvhich our sins, even yours and mjue, 
 have been a long time procuring, and which 
 hath been often threatened, but never vreli be- 
 lieved, is now come, even a separation. How 
 
 1G62. 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 313 
 
 I return to the rest of the minis- 
 ters at this time before the council. 
 That same day, December 11th, Mr. James 
 Gardiner was called upon ; and, after some 
 questions proposed to him, much of the 
 nature with these to Mr. Livingstone, and 
 the tendering him the oath, which he refused, 
 he was banished ; and his act, as the title of 
 it is in the registers, follows. 
 
 " I Mr. James Gardiner, late minister of 
 Kintyre, oblige me to remove myself out of 
 the king's dominions, within a month after 
 the date hereof, and not to be seen within 
 the same under the pain of death; and that in 
 the meantime I shall not repair to any 
 place within the bounds of the diocese of 
 Glasgow, Galloway, or Argyle. Subscribed 
 at Edinburgh, December 11th, 1662. 
 
 Ja. Gardiner." 
 
 The same day Mr. Robert Trail was 
 before them. This good man had used free- 
 dom in his sermons, and very much displeas- 
 ed the managers and prelates. After the 
 parliament had turned him over to the 
 council, and he had, upon his liberation, 
 retired sooner than the rest of his brethren 
 at Edinburgh, he stayed some time in Pres- 
 ton-grange House. There some of the family 
 being detained by sickness, and several rela- 
 tions of the family being there at the time, 
 Mr. Trail was prevailed upon to expound a 
 piece of scripture, at family worship, on the 
 Lord's day afternoon. This was mightily 
 aggravated as a conventicle, and he cited in 
 peremptory terms, as we have heard, and 
 banished with the other two. I shall give 
 it from the council books. 
 
 " INIr. John Livingstone, Mr. James Gardi- 
 ner, and Mr. Robert Trail, being cited, and 
 compearing personally, who being examined 
 and the oath of allegiance offered to be 
 taken and subscribed; which they having 
 refused, the lords of council ordain the 
 
 long it mav continue, it is in the Lord's hand ; 
 but it willbe our part, to search out, and mourn 
 for these sins that have drawn down such a 
 stroke. It is not needful to look much to instru- 
 ments ; I have ft-om mv heart forgiven them all, 
 and would wish you to'do the like, and pray for 
 them, that it be not laid to their charge ; but let 
 us look to him, without whose doing there is no 
 evil in a city, for he hath torn, and he will heal 
 us, he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. Let 
 2k. 
 
314 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 said persons to be banished forth of 
 his majesty's dominions, and to enter 
 their persons in prison within the tolbooth of 
 
 1662. 
 
 us neither dcspisf his ciiastening-, nor faint when 
 we are rebuked ot him. It may be, we shall 
 not suddenly find out every controversy he hath 
 against us, but if there be upright dealing in 
 such things as are obvious, and an Impartial 
 dealing, for discovery ofwhat is bid, be will re- 
 veal even that to us. Neither is there any 
 greater hinderance of repentance, than a secure 
 desperate questioning, whether he will accept 
 of us or not ? Christ hath been, and will be in 
 all ages, a stone of stumbling, and rock of offence 
 to such as stumble at the word, and refuse to 
 receive his rich offer ; but to others a foundation, 
 and a corner-stone, elect and precious, and he 
 that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 
 We have reason to believe, that whatever he 
 doth, is only best. " God saw all that he had 
 made, and behold, it was very good." That 
 word will hold through to the world's end. For 
 my part, I bless his name, 1 have great peace in 
 the matter of my suffering. I need not repeat, 
 you know my testimony of the things in contro- 
 versy. Jesus Christ is a King, and only hath 
 power to appoint the officers and governnient of 
 his house. It is a fearful thing to violate the 
 oath of Godj and fall into the hands of a living 
 God. It could not well be expected, but there 
 having been so fair and so genei-al professions 
 through the land, the Lord would put men to 
 it, and it is like it shall come to every man's 
 door, that when every one, according to their 
 inclinations, have acted their jiart, and he seems 
 to stand bj^ he may come at last and act his 
 part, and vindicate his glory and truth. I have 
 often showed you, that it is the greatest difficulty 
 under heaven, to believe that there is a God, 
 and a life after this; and have often told you, 
 that for my part, 1 could never make it a chief 
 part of my work to insist upon the particular 
 debates of the time, as being assured, that if 
 a man drink in the knowledge, and the main 
 foundations of Christian religion, and have the 
 work of God's Spirit in his heart, to make him 
 walk with God, and make conscience of his 
 ways, such a one (except he be giddy with self- 
 conceit") shall not readily mistake Christ's quar- 
 rel, to join either with a profane atheist party, 
 or any fanatic atheist party ; but the secret of 
 the Lord wiU be with them that fear him, and 
 he will show them his covenant : and I have 
 thought it not far from a sure argument, that a 
 course is not approven of God, when generally 
 all they that are godly, and aU. profane men 
 turning penitent, scunner at it, and, it may be, 
 cannot tell why, and generally all the profane, 
 at the first sight, and all that had a profession of 
 piety, when they turn loose, embrace it, and, it 
 may be, cannot tell why. There may be diver- 
 sity of judgment, and sometimes sharp debates 
 among them that are going to heaven ; but cer- 
 tainly a spirit guides the seed of the woman, and 
 another spirit the seed of the serpent ; and 
 " blessed are they that know their Master's 
 wUl, and do it ; blessed ai'e they that endure to 
 the end." Both you and I have great cause to 
 bless the Lord, howbeit I be the unworthiest of 
 all that ever spake in his name, yet my labour 
 amongst you hath not been altogether in vain, 
 but some hath given evidence of a real work of 
 
 [book I. 
 
 Edinburgh, while they be conveniently trans- 
 ported oft" the kingdom, or otherwise act 
 themselves to that efiect. Likeas they enact 
 
 the Spint of grace upon their heart and life, of 
 which number some are already in glory, and 
 others wrestling through an evil world, and I 
 trust, some that have not yet given great evi- 
 dence of a real work of the Spirit of God upon 
 their heart, may have the seed of God in them, 
 that may in due time bud forth, at least at their 
 death. But ah ! what shall be said of them, in 
 whom yet an evil spirit of drunkenness, of greed 
 and falsehood, of malice, of licentiousness, of 
 wilful ignorance and neglect of prayer, and all 
 the means of salvation, is still reigning and 
 raging, who possibly will now be glad that they 
 get loose reins to riui to all wickedness, yea, may 
 be carried on to open apostasy and persecution- 
 These and all of you, I request in the bowels of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, yea, I obtest and charge 
 you, in the name and authority of him that shall 
 judge the quick and the dead, that you tiu"n 
 speedily to the Lord, and make conscience of 
 prayer, morning and evening, and read, or cause 
 read to you some of his ■word, ^vbere you will 
 find all things necessary for faith and conversa- 
 tion. It is true, snares and temptations are 
 many and strong from Satan, from the world, 
 and from the mind and heart within, but faith 
 in God, and diligent seeking of him shall over- 
 come them all. Shall not the care of yom- im- 
 mortal souls go beyond the love of this life, or 
 any thing in this world ? Oh ! that you would 
 but taste and see the goodness of the Lord, and 
 take an essay for a while of sincere serving of 
 him, and prove him, if he will not open the 
 windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing. 
 Let me obtain this of you, as a recompense of 
 all the labour I have had amongst you, and as 
 an allaying of all my sufferings. I am put to 
 that, after you read this, you will set some time 
 apart each of you alone, or in your families, as 
 you have conveniency, to tliink ou these direc- 
 tions have been formerly given you from the 
 word of God, and deal earnestly with him, that 
 you may remember and obey them, and engage 
 your hearts to him, that in his strength you will 
 walk in his ways; and if any should stubbornly 
 neglect such a wholesome counsel, that comes 
 from an earnest desire of your salvation, I will 
 be forced to bear witness against you, yea, these 
 words you now hear read shall bear witness 
 against you in the day of the Lord, that light 
 ^vas holden out to you, and you loved darkness 
 rather than light ; but I desire to hope better 
 things of you. if the Lord see it good, we may 
 see the day we may meet again, and bless his 
 name solemnly, that although he was angrj', his 
 anger is turned away ; but if not, the good will 
 of the Lord be done. I think I may say, 1 
 could have been well content, although it had 
 been with many discouragements and straits, to 
 have gone on and served you all, as I could, iu 
 the Gospel of Jesus Christ ; but the prerogative 
 royjd of Jesus Christ, and the peace of a man's 
 own conscience, are not to be violated on any 
 consideration, neither hath there been a blessing 
 on ought that is done against these. I was very 
 desirous, and used means, that I might have 
 come and seen you, and at least, in a private 
 way, bidden you farewell ere I had gone ; but 
 wise providence hath otherwise ordered it, yet. 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 themselves in tlie manner nndcrwritten." 
 We have Inul INIr. Livingstone's and Mr. 
 Gardiner's ; follows Mr. Trail his act : — 
 
 " I Mr. Robert Trail, late minister at 
 Edinburgh, bind and oblige me to remove 
 forth of the king's dominions, within a month 
 after the date hereof, and not to remain 
 within the same hereafter, under the pain 
 of death. In witness whereof, I iiave 
 subscribed these presents, at Edinburgh, 
 December 11th, 1GG2. 
 
 " Ro. Trail." 
 
 December 23d, the council prorogate his 
 time of continuance in Scotland. " Anent 
 a petition of Mr. Robert Trail, sometime 
 minister at Edinburgii, showing, that by an 
 act of council of the 1 1th day of this instant, 
 the petitioner is ordained to remove out of 
 this kingdom, within a month after the date 
 thereof; to which sentence, as he did then, 
 so he does now humbly submit : but seeing 
 the season is now tempestuous, and that 
 hardly can he have the occasion of a ship 
 in that time, and that the petitioner is 
 towards the age of sixty years, if not more, 
 
 howsoever, I carry your names alongst with me 
 in my book, yea, shall carry them in my heart 
 whithersoever I go, and begs your mutual pray- 
 ers for me, that I may be kept faithful, and 
 fruitful, and blameless, even to the end, and 
 that, if it be his will, I may be restored to you. 
 In the meantime, love and help one another. 
 Have a care to breed your children to know the 
 Lord, and to keep themselves from the pollu- 
 tions of an evil world. I recommend to you 
 above all books (except the blessed word of God) 
 the Confession of Faith and Larger Catechism. 
 Be grounding yourselves and one another, 
 against the abominations of popery, in case it 
 should prove the trial of the time, as I appre- 
 hend it may. Let a care be had of the poor and 
 sick ; there is left as much in an ordinary way 
 as will suffice for meat and money, a year and 
 more. I cannot insist on the several piirticulars 
 wherein possibly you would crave advice: the 
 word is a lamp, and the Spirit of Christ will 
 guide Info all truth. The light that comes of 
 the unfeigned humiliation, and self-denial, and 
 earnest prayer, and search of the scriptures, is a 
 sure light. I know that my word and writ is 
 of small value ; yet I could not forbear, but, in 
 a few words, salute you before I went. And 
 now, dearly beloved and longed for, farewell. 
 The Lonl of idl grace, who hath called us unto 
 his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after you have 
 sutfcred a while, make you perfect, stablish, set- 
 tle, strengthen yon. I'o him be glory and do- 
 minion for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 15y your loving servant and pastor 
 in the Lord, 
 
 JouN Livingstone. 
 Leith, April 8d, 1663. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 315 
 
 1662. 
 
 and so cannot well undertake remov- 
 ing at such a season, without evident 
 hazard of his life ; therefore humbly desiring 
 that the said space, appointed for the suppli- 
 cant's removal, may be prorogate for some 
 longer time. Which petition being at length 
 heard, read, and considered, the lords of his 
 majesty's privy council do allow and grant 
 warrant to the supplicant to remain within 
 this kingdom for the space of a month after 
 
 the day of January next to come, and' 
 
 ordain him to confine himself within his own 
 house, where his family is, during that space, 
 except the last eight days, which is allowed to 
 him for making way for his transportation." 
 
 Those three took up the council at that 
 diet; and the rest, who were cited, being 
 called, were continued, and appointed to 
 continue in town, and attend the next meet- 
 ing of council. Accordingly, December 
 16th, " Mr. John Menzies, and Mr. George 
 Meldrum being called, compeared personally, 
 and being examined, did declare their readi- 
 ness to comply with the government of the 
 chiu-ch, as the same is presently established 
 by archbishops and bishops, and most cor- 
 dially did take and subscribe the oath of 
 allegiance, in presence of the lords of coun- 
 cil ; wherefore they do seriously recom- 
 mend their condition and case to the arch- 
 bishop of St. Andrews, in order to their 
 restitution." This is all I find about them 
 in the registers. We shall afterward meet 
 with the learned Mr. Menzies in the pro- 
 gress of this history, and see how burden- 
 some this compliance with prelacy was unto 
 him, before his death. The reverend and 
 learned Mr. Meldrum, upon misrepresenta- 
 tions cast upon him in print, did at the end 
 of Doctor Rule's Second Vindication of the 
 Church of Scotland, publish an account of 
 this, and other parts of his carriage during 
 prelacy ; of which I will here give the reader 
 an abstract, that this great man's memory 
 may have all the justice I can do him. 
 
 " He was ordained minister of the gospel 
 by the presbytery of Aberdeen, 1 639. When 
 prelacy was introduced he was stopt in the 
 exercise of his ministry, by the act of coun- 
 cil, which laid aside divers hundreds of 
 worthy ministers of this chiu-ch, and obliged 
 them to retire twenty miles from their p:«-- 
 
316 
 
 , --„ ishes, because they received not pre- 
 sentation from the patron, and colla- 
 tion from th bishop, the condition of which 
 was the oath of canonical obedience. At first 
 Mr. Meldrum did offer submission, and to join 
 in presbyteries and synods, supposing this 
 was but the same that worthy men have done 
 before the (year) 1638, and not discerning, 
 as others who suffered did, the difference 
 betwixt the state of things, anno 1662, and 
 before the (year) 1638. 
 
 " This stop in the exercise of his ministry 
 was fourteen days before the bishop of 
 Aberdeen's first diocesan synod ; at which, 
 when he passed the sentence of deposition 
 against the learned and pious Mr. Menzies, 
 for not subscribing the oath of canonical 
 obedience, though he offered submission, as 
 said is, the bishop joined Mr. Meldrum in 
 the sentence, though neither present nor 
 cited to be present. Nothing moved with 
 this sentence of deposition, Mr. Meldrum 
 retired to the coimtry, twenty-eight miles 
 from Aberdeen, in compliance with the 
 council's act. Yet in the beginning of De- 
 cember, he and Mr. Menzies got a citation to 
 appear before the council, as was said, by 
 the procurement of the bishop of Aberdeen, 
 who alleged he could not appear in the 
 streets of that city, for fear of the people 
 irritated, as was alleged, by their pastors 
 whom they had lost. 
 
 " When they appeared before the council, 
 the commissioner and the rest of the coun- 
 sellors, finding them wUIing to join in pres- 
 byteries and synods, did by their act recom- 
 mend them to the bishop of St. Andrews 
 to be restored to their places. When this 
 was presented to the bishop, he readily 
 promised to obey it, but never spoke to 
 them one word of the oath of canonical 
 obedience. And when in his letter to the 
 bishop of Aberdeen, he signified that we 
 were wiUing to own the government, Mr. 
 Meldrum refused to receive it unless he 
 added this qualification, ' so far as to join 
 in presbyteries and synods;' to which the 
 primate agreed, when they would take it in 
 no other terms. 
 
 "When Mr. Menzies and Mr. Meldrum 
 returned, bishop Mitchel ordered Doctor 
 Iveith to read that paper publicly in Aber- 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 deen, thinking thereby to lessen their esteem : 
 
 but the design failed ; none of them were 
 present at the reading of it. But next 
 ]-,ord's day, when ]Mr. Meldrum appeared 
 first in the pulpit, he told his hearers, and 
 the bishop of Ross was one of them, that 
 he conceived he had jielded to nothing, but 
 what at first he had offered, viz. to join in sy- 
 nods and presbyteries. Mr. Meldrum adds, 
 that Mr. Menzies's compliance was grievous 
 to that learned andpious man at his death, and 
 to himself several years before, and tells the 
 world that he repents for the subscribing 
 that paper of submission to join in presbyteries 
 and synods, and asserts he never took the 
 oath of canonical obedience. 
 
 " He confesses that afterward he did sit 
 in presbyteries and synods, thinking hunself 
 free to join in those duties, to which he 
 was authorized by his office, although there 
 had not been one bishop in the world ; yet 
 adds, if any can shov; me wherein I have 
 complied contrary to my principles, or to 
 the just offence of others, which I have not 
 confessed already, I am ready to acknow- 
 ledge it was my fault : but this I can say, 
 the bishops themselves did not judge me a 
 favourer of prelacy ; and my intimates knew 
 me to be presbyterian in my principles* 
 and I did never wittingly desert those prin- 
 ciples. He adds, that it was a manifest 
 untruth that he took the declaration when 
 he was admitted rector in the Marishal col- 
 lege of Aberdeen, and appeals to the records, 
 and declares he never took it then, or at any 
 other time. He says, that it was none of 
 the least causes of his refusing the test, that 
 he was obliged thereby to declare that there 
 lay no obligation upon him to endeavour 
 any alteration in the government of the 
 church, and professes he judged it duty 
 in his station, and according to his power 
 did endeavour, to promote the alteration 
 and removal of it, and prays that it may 
 never return." 
 
 This truly great man, and ornament to 
 this church, Mr. George Meldrum, is so 
 well known, and his memory so savoury, 
 that I need say nothing of him to the most 
 yet alive; and his works show abundantly 
 his eminent abilities. He was remarkably 
 i useful in Aberdeen, with his excellent col- 
 
CHAP. III.] OF THE CHURC 
 
 league Mr. Menzies, against the quakers, 
 and the cunning Jesuits, till the self-contra- 
 dictory test turned him out of that city: 
 and with many other pious and learned minis- 
 ters he was persecuted, and silenced till the 
 toleration ; a little after which he was set- 
 tled at the parish of Kilwinning, where he 
 was soon called to more public service. 
 He had an invitation from the university of 
 Glasgow, to be colleague in the profession 
 of divinity with the reverend Mr. James 
 Wodrow; and a call to the city of Edin- 
 burgh, to which he was transported, and 
 preached many years to great edification, 
 and was a mighty master of the holy scrip- 
 tures, and blessed with the greatest talent of 
 opening them up, or lecturing, of any I 
 ever heard. After the death of that great 
 light, the reverend Mr. George Campbell, 
 Mr. Meldrum was brought to the chair of 
 divinity at Edinburgh, which how well he 
 filled, many of the ministers of this church 
 can testify. By a prudent and faithful ser- 
 mon of his against episcopacy, he was led 
 into a public debate with some of the abet- 
 tors of it ; and how generally useful he 
 was to stop the design, 1703, to introduce 
 toleration and patronages in this church, is 
 well enough yet remembered ; and what he. 
 printed upon the nice subject of toleration, 
 led him into a paper war with Mr. Sage, 
 and some others of the episcopal clergy, 
 where he had an open field to display the 
 great talents of learning, prudence, and zeal 
 his Master had bestowed on him. Should 
 I speak of his singular usefulness in church 
 judicatories, his modest and healing temper, 
 his solidity in teaching, his success in preach- 
 ing, his excellent conversation, and abound- 
 ing in alms and charity, I would not soon 
 end. He will make a bright figure when- 
 ever we shall have the benefit of the lives 
 of our Scots ministers : and his compliance 
 at this time, we see, was matter of deep 
 repentance to himself. I go forward to the 
 rest of the ministers, who being called, were 
 continued till the next council-day. 
 
 Accordingly, December 23d, Mr. John 
 Neave or Nevoy compeared, and was exam- 
 ined, and, upon his refusal of the oath of 
 allegiance, he was banished, and enacted 
 himself as follows. 
 
 1662. 
 
 H OF SCOTLAND. 317 
 
 " I INIr. Joini Neave, late minister 
 of the gospel at Newmills, bind 
 and oblige me to remove myself forth of the 
 king's dominions, and not to return, under 
 the pain of death, and that I shall remove 
 before the first of February ; and that I shall 
 not remain within the dioceses of Edinburgh 
 or Glasgow in the meanwhile. Subscribed 
 at Edinburgh, December 23d, 
 
 " John Neave." 
 
 This excellent man was the earl of Lou- 
 don's minister, and very much valued by his 
 lordship, and therefore must be attacked 
 now : he was a person of very considerable 
 parts, and bright piety. There is a handsome 
 paraphrase of his upon the Song of Solomon, 
 in Latin verse, printed; and I have seen 
 some accurate sermons of his upon Christ's 
 temptations, which I wish were published. 
 He obeyed the sentence, and died abroad, 
 
 IVIr. John Cameron next appeared, " Who 
 being examined, and heard to express him- 
 self as to his principles towards the present 
 government in church and state, the lords of 
 council ordain him forthw ith to remove him- 
 self with all convenient diligence from the 
 place of his present dwelling, and confine 
 himself within the bounds of Lochaber, and 
 not to remove forth thereof without license 
 from his majesty or the privy council, as he 
 will be answerable at his utmost peril." He 
 was a singularly pious and religious person, 
 and he got this favour, if it may be so called^ 
 not to have the oath put to him, by the in- 
 terposition of his chief the laii'd of Lochiel, 
 who was caution for Mr Cameron's peace- 
 able behaviour, and his keeping his confine- 
 ment. He continued some time at the desert- 
 ed garrison of Inverlochie, where he preached 
 to Lochiel's family ; and the people about 
 came in and heard him. He lived a good 
 many years after this, and had several re- 
 markable communications of the Lord's mind 
 as to the events a coming in this church. 
 
 That same day, " Mr. James Nasmith, 
 and Mr. Samuel Austin, compeared person- 
 ally, were referred by the lords of council to 
 the commissioner his grace, that he may take 
 such coiu"se and order with them as he 
 thinks fit ; and they appointed to attend and 
 wait his pleasui'e." He was not long after 
 this in the country, and it would seem the 
 
318 
 
 1662. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 No accounts have 
 
 commissioner put back Mr. Nasmilh 
 upon the council ; for I find, Janu- 
 ary 6th, next year, Mr. Nasmith appears 
 before the council, and they ordain him, 
 " To confine himself within the bounds of 
 the sheriffdom of Merse, till further order, 
 and that he demean himself in the meantime 
 peaceably. I have no more of Mr. Austin." 
 At that diet, January 6th, Mr. Alexander 
 Dunlop, minister at Paisley, was before 
 them ; " Who being examined, and the oath 
 of allegiance offered to him to be taken and 
 subscribed, and he refusing the same, the 
 lords of council ordain him to be banished 
 forth of his majesty's dominions, reserving 
 to themselves to prefix the time of his re- 
 moval ; and in the meantime ordain him to 
 confine himself within the bounds of the 
 dioceses of Aberdeen, Brechin, Caithness, or 
 Dunkeld ; and allow him the space of ten 
 days to go home and order his business and 
 aflfairs." He was a person of eminent piety, 
 and extraordinary diligence and learning, 
 and singular prudence and sweetness of 
 temper. He has left behind him, among 
 other valuable papers, collections towards a 
 system of divinity in English, which had 
 he been able to have put in order, would 
 have been one of the most valuable bodies 
 of divinity which hath been drawn up. 
 
 I find nothing in the registers about Mr. 
 Alexander Gordon, the marquis of Argyle 
 his minister at Inveraray : the reason is, he 
 was under a dangerous fever when cited be- 
 fore the council. The magistrates of that 
 place sent up a testificate under the physi- 
 cians' hands, which the council could not but 
 accept. He was a while forgot as dead, 
 and indeed he was very near death, but the 
 Lord had more work for him ; and he upon 
 his recovery continued some years preaching 
 in bishop Fletcher's time : but when Scro- 
 gie succeeded to that bishopric, Mr. Gordon 
 fell into very great hardships, and sore per- 
 secution, of which he told me he had drawn 
 up a large account, but I have not been able 
 yet to come by it. This good man was a 
 member of the assembly 1651, and I have 
 a very distinct and accurate account of their 
 procedure, writ by him at the time, which he 
 gave me. He lived to a great age, and died 
 in the Lord, 17 1*. 
 
 [book I. 
 
 come to my hand 
 about Messrs. Andrew and Alexander Cants, 
 who were present upon citation. This is all 
 I have of those excellent men, marked out 
 in all the corners of the church. Mr. Dun- 
 lop was banished, but came to be overlooked. 
 Messrs. Trail, Livingstone, Brown, Nevoy, 
 and Gardiner, went over to Holland begin- 
 ning of next year, being turned out of their 
 native country, merely for refusing the oath 
 of allegiance, though all of them were will- 
 ing to take it in the very sense the managers 
 said they had themselves taken it in. Mr. 
 Trail returned, and died in Scotland. IVIr. 
 Gardiner, through his tedious exile, fell 
 under some melancholy, and ventured home 
 likewise, and was overlooked. The rest, 
 with Mr. M'Vairdand Mr. Simpson, died in 
 a strange land. We shall meet with a good 
 many more presbyterian ministers attacked 
 next year, but we may well reckon these 
 spoken of in this chapter, among the first 
 worthies. 
 
 Of some few other remarkables this year , 1662. 
 
 I COME now to conclude this chapter with a 
 few other incidental matters this year, that 
 came not in so well upon the general heads 
 in the former sections, and yet tend a little 
 to enlighten the history of this period I am 
 now upon ; and I give them just in the order 
 of time in which they offer. 
 
 The council pass their act and proclama- 
 tion for keeping of Lent, February Cth, and 
 the curious reader may desire to have the 
 tenor of it. 
 
 " The lords of his majesty's privy coun- 
 cil, taking to their consideration the great 
 advantage and profit which will redound to 
 all the lieges of this kingdom, by keeping 
 the time of Lent, and the weekly fish days, 
 viz. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and dis- 
 charging all persons to eat flesh during that 
 time, and upon the said days, or to kill and 
 sell in mai-kets any sort of fleshes which are 
 usually bought at other times ; whereby the 
 young brood and store will be preserved, so 
 that thereafter the hazard of scarcity and 
 dearth may be prevented,- and the fishes. 
 
CHAP. Hi.] 
 
 which, by the mercy of God abound in the 
 salt and fresh waters of this kingdom, may 
 be made use of for the food and entertain- 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 319 
 
 fish, which the Lord has so bounti- ,^^„ 
 
 fully given us ; and had the council 
 
 seen to the execution of this good act, as 
 
 ment of the lieges, to tlie profit and en- well as they did the severe and bloody acts 
 
 couragcment of many poor families, who live 
 by fishing ; the improvement of which has 
 not been looked unto these many years by- 
 gone, which hath been occasioned by the 
 universal allowance of eating flesh, and 
 keeping of markets for it at all ordinary 
 times without any restraint ; against which 
 many laudable laws have been made, and 
 acts of parliament, prohibiting the eating of 
 flesh during the said time of Lent, or upon 
 the said fish days, under the pains therein 
 contamed : ordain and command that the 
 time of Lent for this year, and yearly here- 
 after, shall begin and be kept as before the 
 year of God 1640, and that the said weekly 
 fish days be strictly observed in all time 
 coming J and that no subject of whatsoever 
 quality, rank or degree, except they have a 
 special license under the hand of the clerk 
 of the council, presume to eat flesh during 
 the said space of Lent, or upon the three 
 said weekly fish days ; and that no butchers, 
 cooks, or ostlers, kill, make ready, or sell 
 any flesh, either publicly in markets, or pri- 
 vately in their own houses, during the said 
 time, or upon the said days, under the pen- 
 alties following, to be exacted with all rigour, 
 viz. for the first fault ten pounds, for the 
 second twenty pounds, for the third forty 
 pounds, and so to be multiplied according 
 to the oft contravening of the said act, to 
 be exacted and paid, the one half to the 
 king's majesty, the other half to the delaters. 
 Likeas for the surer exacting of the said 
 pains, they give power and warrant to all 
 magistrates within burghs, and all sheriffs, 
 Stewarts, and bailies, within their several 
 jurisdictions, to inquire after the contra- 
 veners, and to pursue them before the lords 
 of council, or such others as shall be appoint- 
 ed or delegate for that effect. And ordain 
 publication hereof to be made at the market 
 cross of Edinburgh, and all other places 
 needful, that none pretend ignorance." 
 
 This proclamation was merely a requisi- 
 tion of a civil keeping of Lent, and the 
 weekly fish days, for the preservation of the 
 young bestial, and the consumption of our 
 
 against presbyterians, it had been much for 
 the interest of the lieges :* but we shall find 
 them so much taken up to satisfy the pre- 
 lates, and execute their desires against pres- 
 byterians, that so useful an act as this is 
 (was) very much neglected, and, as far as I 
 know, came to nothing. 
 
 This same month the articles of marriage, 
 betwixt the king and princess Katharine of 
 Portugal, came to be made public : and 
 with a view to have oiu* nobility present at 
 her reception, the parliament as we heard, 
 was adjourned from February to INIay. 
 The articles of that marriage differed much 
 from these in the projected match with 
 Spain, and the real marriage of Charles I. 
 with France : and, as I find them in papers 
 come to my hand, the chief are, " That 
 the queen be of the protestant religion, 
 which I do not know if ever any care was 
 taken about. That she bring no priests with 
 her. That the half of the silver mines the 
 king of Portugal hath, belong to Britain. 
 That after the decease of the king of Por- 
 tugal's son, if he die without heir, the king- 
 dom of Portugal shall belong to England." 
 Those were the articles given out here in 
 
 • We confess, that we do not see this act 
 exactly in the light in which our historiiin 
 seems to have viewed it. If it was intended 
 to promote purposes merely <;ivil, its provisions 
 were preposterous an.l absurd. If it was in- 
 tended to have also a religious reference, which 
 we cannot help strongly suspecting, they were 
 at the same time impious. We do not believe 
 that compulsory labour, or compulsory diet, can 
 be established in any country with advantage. 
 Ignorant indeed must that people be, who, if 
 left to their own discretion, cannot discover 
 what species of industry will bring them in the 
 lai-gest returns, and that kind of diet, which is 
 most suitable to their palates and their purses ; 
 and those principles of religion, which require 
 haddocks and herring for so long a period of 
 the year, and for so many days of the week, to 
 preserve them in healthful opeiation, cannot 
 possibly have any connexion cither with moral- 
 ity or common sense. Such, however, has been 
 and still is the religion of the far greater por- 
 tion of the world called Christian ; and so 
 long as this shall be the case, it will be impo*. 
 sible to vindicate (extraordinary cases and cir- 
 cumstances excepted) any enactment of the kind 
 referred to from having, at least, " the appear 
 auce of evil." — £d. 
 
320 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ]Cfo Scotland, whether they hold I do 
 not know. 
 
 This year the usual solemnities were kept 
 up in all cities and burghs, in celebrating of 
 the 29th of May ; and we have heard the non- 
 observance of it as an anniversary holyday, 
 was matter of great trouble to presbyterian 
 ministers : but the town of Linlithgow sig- 
 nalized themselves, by mixing in with their 
 solemnity a most horrid, irreligious, and un- 
 accountable treatment of our solemn cove- 
 nants, which was a matter of grief unto all 
 who had any regard to religion and sacred 
 things, and a terrible guilt and stain upon 
 poor Scotland. The account given by the 
 profane and impious actors of this abom- 
 inable jest upon sacred things, when at this 
 time they gloried in their shame, I shall give 
 here from a paper writ this year, which 
 follows. 
 
 " Our solemnity at Linlithgow, May 29th, 
 1662, was peiformed after this manner. 
 Divine service being ended, the magistrates 
 a little thereafter repaired to the earl of 
 Linlithgow his lodging, to invite his loitl- 
 ship to honom' them with his presence at 
 the solemnity of that day ; which he did. 
 Then coming to the market-place, where a 
 table covered with confections was placed, 
 they were met by the minister of the place, 
 who prayed to them, and sung a psalm ; 
 after which, eating a little of the confections, 
 they threw the rest among the people. 
 
 " Meanwhile the fountain did run plenti- 
 fully with French and Spanish wine, and 
 continued so for two or three hours. The 
 earl of Linlithgow, and the magistrates, 
 drank the king and queen, and the royal 
 family and progeny, their healths. 
 
 " At the cross was erected an arch, stand- 
 ing upon four pillars : on the one side of the 
 arch was placed a statue in form of an old 
 hag, having the covenant in her hand, with 
 this superscription, a glorious reforma- 
 tion. On the other side, there was another 
 statue, in a Whigmuir's habit, having the 
 remonstrance in his hand, with this inscrip- 
 tion, NO ASSOCIATION WITH MALIGNANTS. 
 
 On the top of the arch was placed a statue, 
 representing the devil as an angel of light, 
 with this label at his mouth, stand to the 
 
 CAUSE. 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS l^^OK I. 
 
 " The arch was beautifully adorned with i 
 several draughts of rocks, reels, and kirk 
 stools upon the pillar beneath the covenant: 
 and upon the pillar beneath the remonstrance 
 were drawn brechams, cogs, and spoons. 
 
 " Within the arch, upon the right hand, 
 was drawn a committee of estates, with this 
 superscription, act for delivering up the 
 KING. On the left hand, was drawn a com- 
 mission of the kirk, with this inscription, 
 ACT OF the west KIRK. In the middle of 
 the arch hung a tablet with this litany, 
 
 " From covenanters with uplifted hands, 
 From remonstrators with associate bands, 
 From such committees as governed this nation, 
 From kirk commissions and their protestation. 
 
 Good Liord deliver us. 
 
 " Upon the back of the arch was drawn 
 the picture of rebellion, in a religious habit 
 with eyes turned up, and other fanatic ges- 
 tures : in its right hand holding lex rex, 
 that infamous book, maintaining, among 
 other absurd tenets, defensive arms ; and in 
 its left hand holding that pitiful pamphlet, 
 THE causes of god's WRATH. Rouud about 
 her were lying acts of parliament, acts of 
 committees of estates, acts of general assem- 
 blies, and commissions of kirk, with their 
 protestations and declarations during those 
 twenty-two years' rebellion. Above her was 
 this superscription, rebellion is as the sin 
 
 of WITCHCRAFT. 
 
 " At drinking the king's health, fire was 
 put to the frame, and the fire-works about 
 it gave many fine reports, and suddenly all 
 was consumed to ashes ; which being con- 
 sumed, straightway there appeared a tablet 
 supported by two angels, bearing this in- 
 scription, 
 
 " Great Britain's monarch on this day was born, 
 And to his kingdoms happily restored : 
 The queen's arrived, the mitre now is worn ; | 
 
 Let us rejoice, this day is from the Lord. 
 
 Fly hence, all traitors who did mar our peace. 
 Fly hence, schismatics who our church did rent, 
 Fly, covenanting remonstrating race ; 
 Let us rejoice that God this day hath sent. 
 
 " Then the magistrates accompanied the 
 earl of Linlithgow to the palace, where the 
 earl bad a magnificent bonfire, and drank 
 with the magistrates the king's, queen's, and 
 other loyal healths. When they had taken 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 their leave of the carl, the nuigistratcs, 
 accompanied with a great many of the in- 
 habitants, made their procession through 
 the town, saluting every person of account." 
 Reflections upon this mean mock of the 
 work of reformation, and appearances for 
 religion and liberty, are obvious. Whatever 
 the different sentiments of sober and any 
 way serious persons might have been at this 
 time, as to our covenants, yet, I persuade 
 myself, such impious and scuri"ilous treat- 
 ment of those solemn and national ties and 
 engagements, wherein the holy and fearful 
 name of the Lord our God was called upon, 
 hath been, and is matter of deep abhorrence 
 to all who have any reverence for that holy 
 and sacred name. Indeed, if this public 
 reproach upon, and burning of the cove- 
 nants, could have loosed their obligation, one 
 would think this profane work was necessary 
 upon these anniversary days, really contrary 
 to the reformation we are bound down 
 to by them; but that was beyond their 
 power. This wicked attack, not only upon 
 our religious ties, which were the glory of 
 Scotland, but also upon the appearances 
 made for recovering and preserving our civil 
 liberty, was chiefly managed by Robert 
 Miln, then bailie of Linlithgow, and Mr. 
 James Ramsay, at this time minister of 
 the town. The first in some time there- 
 after came to great riches and honour, but 
 outlived them and the exercise of his 
 judgment too, and died bankrupt in miser- 
 able circumstances at Holyrood-house. The 
 other, for this meritorious act of loyalty, 
 after he was made dean of Hamilton, came 
 at length to be bishop of Dunblane, where 
 we shall afterwards meet with him, in no 
 good terms with his superior the primate. 
 Both of them, some few years ago, had 
 solemnly entered into, and renewed these 
 covenants, with uplifted hands to the Lord. 
 This vile pageantry was not required by any 
 law, or order from the government, and so 
 I hope is not chargeable upon the public, 
 any further than it was not punished : and 
 as it had no precedent in Scotland, so there 
 was no appointment for it, or ap[)robation of 
 it by the town-council of Linlithgow. It 
 was then both officiously and impiously per- 
 petrate, and comes very near Belshazzar's 
 
 1662. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 321 
 
 quaffing in the holy vessels. Those 
 people would outrun others in wick- 
 edness, and by this bold insult upon religious 
 matters, for what I know, without parallel 
 in the whole world, avowed themselves per- 
 jured, and left a blot upon their memory in 
 after times. 
 
 Some time in June or July this year, the 
 commissioner stooped so low, as to procure 
 an order of parliament, for the razing of the 
 reverend Mr. Alexander Henderson his 
 monument in the Gray friars' church-yard, 
 Edinburgh. After his death, August 1 8th, 
 1646, a monument was erected for hun, 
 with a pjTamid, and inscription, wherein 
 some mention was made of the solemn 
 league and covenant. Indeed so great and 
 useful a man as he was, whose character I 
 shall leave to the writers of the history of 
 this church, from the (year) 1637, to his 
 death, when he had so great a share in all 
 public ecclesiastical transactions, deserved 
 to be had in remembrance. Now the letters 
 and inscription must be razed, and the 
 memory of this extraordinary person stained 
 as much as might be. Yet, after all this, 
 the abettors of prelacy, sensible of the great 
 endowments of Mr. Henderson, would fain 
 have him brought over to their side at his 
 death; and palm upon the world most 
 groundless stories of his changing his prin- 
 ciples at his last hours. 
 
 I omitted to obsen'e, that the council, 
 immediately after the rising of the parlia- 
 ment, September 10th, " ordain the act of 
 parliament, intituled. Act concerning the 
 declaration to be signed by all persons in 
 public trust, to be signed by all who have 
 not subscribed the same, in the presence of 
 any one of the lords of his majesty's privy 
 council : and that thereafter they cause their 
 deputes, clerks, Stewarts, or commissariesi, 
 their deputes and their clerks, magistrates, 
 and members of council in burghs, justices 
 of peace and their clerks, within their re- 
 spective bounds, subscribe the said declara- 
 tion, conform to the said act of parliament, 
 in all points ; and that they make a report 
 of their diligence in the premises to the 
 council." The pushing of this order brought 
 a vast deal of trouble to the country, of 
 which we shall have instances afterwai'da, 
 2s 
 
322 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 IGG2. 
 
 After the election of magistrates 
 in Edinburgh this year, all the min- 
 isters of the town, as we have heard, were 
 discharged preaching, save Mr. Robert Law- 
 rie. I find one, who is no enemy to the 
 change in church government, observing, 
 " That sermons were taught by strangers in 
 all the kirks, but they were not well liked; 
 the peojjle went from kirk to kirk, and many 
 v/andered to other kirks, and the Monday's 
 {.'reaching was either disused or discharged." 
 Upon the 5th of November, Mi*. Joseph 
 Meldrum minister at Kinghorn, Mr. John 
 Robertson parson of Dysart, and Mr. Aixhi- 
 bald Turner minister at North Berwick, 
 were received ministers of Edinburgh. Mr. 
 Robertson had a sermon to the people, and 
 after it, came down to the elders' seat, and 
 placed himself with the other two, who sat 
 there with the magistrates and elders. Then 
 the bishop of Edinburgh went up to the 
 pulpit, and, in a short discourse, declared 
 those three ministers were called and chosen; 
 and they were received by the elders and 
 magistrates, who afterwards feasted the 
 company. So the ministers of Edinburgh, 
 at this time fixed, were those three; Mr, 
 Robert Lawrie continued ; Mr. John Pater- 
 son, formerly minister of Ellon, and after- 
 ward bishop, first of Galloway, next of Edin- 
 burgh, and last of Glasgow, was received 
 minister there, the first Sabbath of January 
 next year : and upon the first Sabbath of 
 February, Mr. William Annand, formerly a 
 minister in England, and chaplain to the 
 earl of Middleton, was received minister 
 there. They were six in number, and some 
 were joined to them as helpers. How vast 
 a difference must every body allow to have 
 been betwixt them, and Messrs. Hutcheson, 
 Douglas, Trail, Smith, Stirling; and yet 
 those are turned out to make room for them. 
 Now the ministers who comply have 
 double stipends allowed them, when they 
 are translated to better posts, upon consid- 
 eration of their alleged loyalty ; when, I am 
 sure, the presbyterian ministers who are 
 turned out, and deprived of the stipends of 
 these very years for which they had sen'ed 
 the cure, had much more appeared for the 
 king's interest. Thus I find, December 
 1 1th, when they are harassing presbyterian 
 
 [book I. 
 
 ministers, " The council taking to their con- 
 sideration, that Mr. James Chalmers, late 
 minister of Cullen of Boyn, and now minis- 
 ter of Dumfries, has been at a great deal of 
 charges and pains in pm'suance of his 
 majesty's interest and government, both in 
 chmxh and state ; have therefore ordained, 
 and by these presents ordain, that the 
 present year's stipend, 16G2, due to the late 
 minister at Dumfries, be paid to the said 
 Mr. James Chalmers ; and that the heritors, 
 feuars, farmers, tenants, possessors, and 
 others liable, make ready and thankful pay- 
 ment of the same to him, or any having his 
 order; and, if need be, ordain letters of 
 horning to pass hereupon as effeirs : and 
 this is without prejudice to the said Mr. 
 James, of the said year's stipend, 1G62, due 
 to him from the parish of Cullen," 
 
 December 25th, being yule-day, was kept 
 this year with much solemnity at Edinburgh. 
 The bishop preached himself, and the com- 
 missioner, with a good many of the nobility, 
 and the magistrates, came to the new church ; 
 and the magistrates, by tuck of drum, adver- 
 tised all the inhabitants of the town to 
 observe the remainder of that day as a holy- 
 day ; and discharged any shop to be opened, 
 or any market to be in the streets, under the 
 pain of twenty shillings scots. And 1 know 
 not, but this was the last time ever Middle- 
 ton heard sermon in Scotland ; for in a few 
 days after, upon a call, he went up to court, 
 where we shall meet with his treatment 
 next year, 
 
 I shut up this chapter with remarking, 
 whUe prelacy is set and setting up in Scot- 
 land, that severe proclamation in England is 
 emitted, commonly called, the Bartholomew 
 act, whereby some thousands of churches 
 were, August 24th, this year, laid desolate, 
 and multitudes of people deprived of thek 
 pastors ; and a set of ministers, who were 
 equal to any of their number in all the pro- 
 testant churches, were laid aside, for not 
 doing what was really impossible to most of 
 them to do, though they had been, as they 
 were not, satisfied as to the lawfulness of 
 what was required. The reverend and 
 learned Dr. Calamy has done them jus- 
 tice, and set this matter in its due light, by 
 his excellent abridgment of Mr. Baxter's 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 Life; which supersedes my observing 
 inconsistency of this procedure with 
 dechiration at Breda; and the great and 
 undeniable sliare the EngUsli presbytcrians 
 had in the king's restoration. In short, 
 the same jirelatic spirit of persecution, 
 and oi){)ressing people in their consciences 
 and liberty, was raging through the whole 
 island. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 OF THE STATE AND SUFFERINGS OF PRESBY- 
 TERIANS, DURING THE YEAR 1GG3. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 the 
 the 
 
 323 
 
 1663. 
 
 We have now seen the scriptural 
 institution of church government 
 overturned in Scotland, and prelacy estab- 
 lished, and the foundations laid of turning 
 out all the presbyterian ministers, and manj 
 of them confined and banished. This same 
 work is carried on this year, and the few 
 remaining old presbyterian ministers and 
 others, are attacked and harassed. The 
 council hath the greatest part of this sad 
 work in their hand ; and from their books I 
 am to give a distinct account both of their 
 more general acts, and particular prosecu- 
 tions of ministers, gentlemen, and great 
 numbers of country people, for their affec- 
 tion to their outed ministers. 
 
 This summer the hands ai'e changed in 
 Scotland, and a considerable turn of man- 
 agers in England also : chancellor Hyde 
 there, and Middleton here, the great abettors 
 and introducers of prelacy in all its heights, 
 are turned out; and Lauderdale comes to 
 Scotland, and the parliament sits down, 
 where some new acts are made against prcs- 
 byterians. The act for ballotitig is re- 
 scinded, and Lauderdale and liis party have 
 the entire management in their hands for 
 many years. 
 
 During the sitting of parliament, the ex- 
 cellent lord Wariston is executed; and 
 though he be the only person suffering unto 
 death, yet we shall have abundance of others 
 sorely oppressed this year. The accounts 
 of these will afford matter for five or six 
 sections, much in the order I have used in 
 the former years. 
 
 Of the ejection of near four hundred , 
 ministers, the dismal effects thereof, 
 u'ilh the general stale of the ivest and south 
 country this year, 1GG3. 
 
 Having, upon the former year, laid before 
 the reader the act of the council at Glasgow, 
 and what followed upon it toward the end 
 of the year, by which such multitudes of 
 ministers were cast out, I thought this as 
 proper a place as I could find, to give him 
 some further view of this melancholy scene 
 and its consequents, especially in the west 
 and south of Scotland, since what was 
 begun in the close of the last year, was 
 completed in the beginning of this. We 
 shall indeed afterwards meet with the mile 
 act, and that discharging alms and charity, 
 and some others about presbyterian minis- 
 ters : but those formerly mentioned were 
 the great foundation of scattering these 
 multitudes of worthy ministers. By the 
 act of Glasgow, more than a thud part of 
 the ministers of the chm-ch of Scotland 
 were cast out of their charges, merely for 
 conscience' sake, because they would not 
 take the oath imposed upon all who re- 
 ceived presentations, and the oath of canoifi- 
 cal obedience, a necessary requisite to col- 
 lation ; and because they could not, con- 
 trary to their light, subject to bishops. 
 Scotland was never witness to such a sab- 
 bath as the last those ministers preached ; 
 and I know no parallel to it, save the 17th 
 of August, 1GG2, to the presbyterians in 
 England. It was not now as it came to be 
 afterwards in the year 1689, when the epis- 
 copal ministers left their congregations, the 
 people in many places through the west 
 and south, obliging them to promise they 
 should never return to them : but when 
 those I am now speaking of took their leave 
 of their dear flocks, it was a day not only 
 of weeping but howling, like " the weeping 
 of Jazcr, as when a besieged city is sacked." 
 This I take to be a very proper place to 
 record the names of the presbyterian min- 
 isters of this church, who were thrown out 
 of their churches by the spite and cnuiity of 
 
324> 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 1663. 
 
 the bishops. Most part of them were 
 cast out by that act at Glasgow, 
 October 1st, and that December 23d last year. 
 Some indeed continued preaching for some 
 time at their peril ; and several of the elder 
 ministers, who werp ordained before the year 
 1649, were not so directly reached by those 
 acts. But I have put together all the 
 ministers ejected at this time, and formed 
 the best account I could give from several 
 papers come to my hand, of such as were 
 cast out from their charges now, and in a 
 very little after. The list I give is as com- 
 plete as now, after threescore of years, I 
 could have it. Probably there may be some 
 mistakes in some of their names, their par- 
 ishes or presbyteries where they resided, 
 because this account is made up in part 
 from the verbal notices given by old min- 
 isters, and taken out of several old lists 
 which I have seen. And, which I more 
 lament, there are some parishes out of which 
 I know ministers were ejected, and yet I 
 can by no means recover thek names. But 
 I persuade myself this is the most exact list 
 that yet hath been framed, and the best I 
 could give from the helps in my hand. I 
 have added it at the bottom of the page, * 
 
 • A roll of ministers who were nonconfor- 
 mists to prelacy, and were banished, turned out 
 from their parishes, or confined ; with some ac- 
 count of those who conformed to prelacy. 
 
 Those marked with R. were alive at the revo- 
 lution ; those marked with G. were outed by 
 the act of council at Glasgow, 1662 ; those 
 marked with C. were confined to their pa- 
 rishes ; those marked with P. were outed by 
 particular sentences of parliament or council ; 
 and those marked with S. were outed by the 
 diocesan synod. 
 
 I. SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDDALE. 
 
 1. Presbytery of Edinburgh. 
 Messrs. Robert Douglas of Edinburgh, P. 
 Robert Trail of Edinburgh, banished. 
 John Smith of Edinburgh, P. 
 Thomas Garvan of Edinburgh, P. 
 James Hamilton of Edinburgh, P. 
 George Hutchison of Edinburgh, P. 
 John Stirling of Edinburgh, P. 
 David Dickson, professor of theology, P. 
 David Williamson of West Kirk, G. R. 
 Alexander Hutchison of Canongate. 
 John Hogg of South Leith, 
 James Knox of North Leith, 
 William Dalgleish of Cramond, 
 Robert Hunter of Corstorphin, 
 John Charters of Currie, 
 William Tweedie, 
 
 and, as far as I could recover them, have 
 added the names of such as conformed to 
 prelacy, that the advocates for that govern- 
 ment may see whom they have to glory in, 
 especially in the west and south. And to 
 make this list of nonconformists to prelacy 
 as full as might be, I have added an account 
 of such presbyterian ministers in the north 
 of Ireland, who refused conformity to epis- 
 copacy there, and suffered severely enough 
 for it ; because I have always found the 
 elder presbyterian ministers in Ireland reck- 
 oning themselves upon the same bottom 
 with, and as it were a branch of the church 
 of Scotland. It stands below, f as it comes 
 to my hand, under the correction of the 
 reverend ministers of that kingdom ; and 
 the reader may see a full list of the ejected 
 and nonconformist ministers in England, in 
 the Abridgment of Mr. Baxter's Life, for- 
 merly mentioned. 
 
 The ejecting near fom* hundred such 
 worthy ministers, was the greater hardship, 
 that, generally speaking, they were persons 
 of remarkable grace and eminent gifts. 
 They were pious, painful, and a great many 
 of them learned and able ministers of the 
 gospel, and all of them singularly dear to 
 
 William Thomson, 
 Thomas Crawford, 
 John Hume. 
 
 Conformists. 
 Messrs. Robert Leighton, principal of the col- 
 lege, 
 Robert Lawrie of Edinburgh, 
 James Nairn of Canongate. 
 
 •j- A list of the nonconformed ministers of 
 the synod of Bellimenoch in Ireland. 
 
 PRESBYTERY OF NEWTON IN THE CLANDIBOYES. 
 
 Messrs. Andrew Stuart, 
 Gilbert Ramsay, 
 John Gray, 
 William lieid, 
 John Drysdale, 
 James Goi'don, 
 Thomas Peebles, 
 Hugh Wilson, 
 Michael Bruce, 
 William Richardson, 
 John Fleming, 
 Alexander Hutchison, 
 Henry Livingstone, 
 Henry Hunter, 
 James Campbell, 
 Andrew M'Cornick, 
 
CHAP. IV.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 S25 
 
 their people. Many of them were but young 
 men, who had but a small sliare in the 
 actings in the late times of reformation, so 
 
 2. Presbyteri/ of Linlithgow. 
 Messrs. William Weir of Linlithgow, II. 
 GilbiTt Hall of Kirkliston, P. 
 Alexander Hamilton of DaJmeny, R. 
 John Primrose of Quccnsferry, 
 Robert Steedm.m of Carridden, R. 
 William Crichton of Uathi^ate, R 
 Patrick Shiels of Wcst-Calder, 
 Hugh Kennedy of Mid-Calder, R. 
 William Wishart of Kinnoul, R. 
 Robert Row, 
 Robert Semple. 
 
 Conformists. 
 ]\Iessrs. James Ramsay of Linlithgow, 
 Patrick Shaw, 
 John Wauch. 
 
 3. Preshytcrij of Beggar. 
 Messrs. Alexander Livingstone of Biggar, P. 
 Anthony Murray of Coulter, 
 
 James Donaldson of Dolphington, 
 
 Patri(!k Anderson of Walstou, R. 
 
 James Bruce, 
 
 Archibald Porteoiis, 
 
 Alexander Barton, 
 
 John Rae, 
 
 John Crawford, 
 
 William Dickson, 
 
 John Greg of Skirling, 
 
 Robert Brown. 
 
 4. Presbytery of Peebles. 
 Messrs. Robert Elliot of Linton, R. 
 Richard Brown of Drumelzier, R. 
 Patrick Fleming of Stobo. 
 
 In another list. 
 Messrs. Robert Brown of Lyne, 
 Hugh Craig of Kellv, conformist, 
 David Thomson of l)ask, 
 Patrick Purdie of Newlands, 
 John Hay of Peebles. 
 
 THE CONFOKMED MINISTERS WERE, 
 
 Messrs. Mungo Bennet. 
 George Wallace, 
 Robert Rowan, 
 Andrew Rowan, 
 Donald M'Neil. 
 
 PRESBYTEKY OF ANTRIM. 
 
 Messrs. William Kays, 
 James Shaw, 
 Robert Cunningham, 
 Thomas Hall, 
 Patrick Adair, 
 James Fleming, 
 Gilbert Simpson, 
 Anthony Kennedy, 
 Thomas Crawforti, 
 Robert Hamilton, 
 Robert Dewart, 
 John Schaw. 
 
 PRESIIYTERY OK ROUT. 
 
 Messrs. David Bittel, 
 
 William Cumming, 
 John Douglas, 
 Robert Hogsberd, 
 Gabriel Coriiwal, 
 Thomas Stulton, 
 
 1663. 
 
 much reproached now. Most of 
 them had suffered under the usur- 
 pation, for their loyalty to the king, and 
 
 But I am uncertain whether some of those 
 conformed. 
 
 5. Presbytery of Dalkeith. 
 Messrs. George Johnston of Newbottlc, G. R. 
 James Cunninghame of Lasswade, G. 
 Robert JMowat of Temple, G. 
 Thomas Patersou of Borthwick, G. 
 James Kiikpatrick of Carrington, G. R. 
 Alexander Heriot of Cranston, G. 
 John Sinclair of Ormiston G. 
 
 Conformists. 
 Messrs. John Logan of F:illa, 
 William Calderwood of Heriot, 
 Adam Penman of Cockpen, 
 Oliver Colt of Musselburgh and Inverask, 
 I Robert Carsan of Newton, 
 Gideon Penman of Crichton, 
 Robert Alison of Glencorse, 
 William Dalgarnock of Pennycuik. 
 
 6. Presbytery of Haddington. 
 Messrs. Robert Ker of Haddington, 
 John Macghie of Dirlton, 
 Thomas Kirkaldy of Tranent. 
 
 7. Presbytery of Dunbar, 
 Mr. John Baird of Inner wick. 
 
 II. SYNOD OF MERSE AND TEVIOXDATr 
 
 1. Prsebytery of Dunse. 
 Messrs. John Jamison, 
 John Bui-n. 
 
 2. Presbytery of Churnside. 
 Messrs. William Johnston, 
 Thomas Ramsay of Mordingston and Lamer. 
 
 ton, C. R, 
 Edward Jamison of Swinton, 
 Daniel Douglas of Hilton, R. 
 David Hume of Coldinghain. 
 
 3. Presbytery of Kelso. 
 Messrs. Robert Boyd of Linton, G. R. 
 
 John Crooks, 
 Thomas Boyd. 
 James Ker, 
 John Law. 
 
 PRESBYTERY OF DUNGENAN. 
 
 Messrs. Robert Auld, 
 
 Archibald Hamilton 
 Robert Keith, 
 Thomas Kennedy, 
 Thomas Govan, 
 John Abernethie, 
 Alexander Oshurn, 
 James Johnston, 
 
 PRESBYTERY OF LAGAN. 
 
 Messrs. Robert Wilson, 
 
 William Moorcraft, 
 
 John Wooll, 
 
 William Semple, 
 
 John Hart, 
 
 John A damson, 
 
 John Crookshank, 
 
 Thomas Drummond, 
 
 Robert Craighead, 
 
 Hugh Cunniiighum, 
 
 Hugh Peebles, 
 
 Adam White, and Wm. Jack. 
 
326 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 their refusing the tender. Those 
 persons were not only deprived of 
 their livings in time to come, but of the last 
 
 1663. 
 
 ' John Somerwel of Ednam, S. 
 Samuel Row of Sprouston, S. 
 
 Conformists. 
 Messrs. Richard Waddel of Kelso, 
 Thomas Iiiglis put in Sprouston, 
 David Stirk of Stitchel, 
 William Turnbull of Mackerston, 
 William Penman of Morbottle, 
 John Halyburton of Roxburgh, 
 John Clapper ton of Yetholm. 
 
 4. Presbytery of Jedburgh. 
 Messrs. James Ainsley of Minto, G. R. 
 John Scot of Hawick, G. R. 
 James Gillon of Cavers, G. 
 Hugh Scot of Bedrule, G. 
 Gavin Elliot of Kirkton, 
 James Ker of Abbotsrule, C. 
 John Scot of Oxnam, C. 
 John Langlands of Wilton, C. 
 John Davidson of Southden, C. 
 Robert Martin of Eckford, C. 
 John Livingstone of Ancrum, banished, and died 
 in Holland. 
 
 Conformists, 
 Messrs. Peter Blair of Jedburgh, 
 John Douglas of Crellon and Nisbet, 
 Thomas Abernethy of Hownam, 
 Andrew Pringle of Cassilton, 
 James Douglas of Hopkirk. 
 
 6. Presbytery of Ersilton, 
 Messrs. James Kirkton of Merton, G. R. 
 John Hardie of Gordon, G. R. 
 James Fletcher of Newthorn, G. 
 William Calderwood of Legerwood, G. 
 Thom.as Donaldson, of Smelliolm, C. 
 John Veitch of Westeruther, R. 
 John Cleland of Stow, C. but in some lists he 
 is blotted out. 
 
 Conformists. 
 Messrs. Henry Cockburn of Ginglekirk, 
 James Doze of Ersilton, 
 David Forrester of Lauder. 
 
 6. Presbytery of Selkirk or Melrose. 
 Messrs. Robert Cunningham of Askirk, G. R. 
 Thomas Lowes of Gallashiels, G. R. 
 John Shaw of Selkirk, C. 
 William Elliot of Yarrow, C. 
 Andrew Dunkison of Maxton, C. 
 William Wilkie of Lilliesleafe, C. 
 Alexander Cunningham of Ettrick. 
 
 Conformists. 
 Messrs. David Fletcfier of Melross, 
 John Colt of Roberton, 
 John Somerwel of St. Boswell, 
 James Knox of Bowdon. 
 
 III. SYNOD or DUMFRIES. 
 
 1. Presbytery of Middleby. 
 Messrs. William Bailie of Annan, 
 Robert Law, 
 
 James Pringle of Westerkirk, 
 John Linlithgow of Ewes, R. 
 Hugh Scot of Middleby, 
 Alexander Crawford. 
 
 Conformists. 
 Messrs. James Craig of Hoddam, 
 Thomas Allan 
 William Graham, 
 David Laing, at Graitney, 
 
 [book I. 
 
 year's stipend, for which they had served; 
 and in the winter season obliged with sor- 
 rowful hearts and empty pockets to wander 
 
 2. Presbytery of Lochmaben. 
 
 Messrs. John Brown of Wamfrey, banished, 
 died in Holland, 
 
 James WcUwopd of Tindergirth, 
 
 William Boyd of Dalton, 
 
 James Porter of Kirkpatrick-juxta, 
 
 John Menzies of Johnston, 
 
 Alexander M'Gowan of Mouswell, C. 
 
 Alexander Forester of Castlemilk, C. 
 Another list adds, 
 
 Messrs. Archibald Inglis of Moffat, 
 
 John Lawrie, 
 
 Thomas Thomson, 
 
 But another list puts them among the Confor- 
 mists. 
 
 Conformists. 
 
 Messrs. Thomas Henderson of Lochmaben, 
 
 John Lawrie of Halton, 
 
 Thomas Thomson of Applegirth, at Drysdale, 
 
 Gavin Young of Ruthwell. 
 
 3. Presbytery of Dumfries. 
 
 Messrs. Hugh Henderson of Dumfries, P. 
 
 George Campbell of Dumfries, G. R. 
 
 John Campbell of Thorthorald, G. 
 
 William Shaw of Garran, G. 
 
 William Hay of Holywood, G. 
 
 Robert Archbald of Dunscore, G. R. 
 
 John Welsh of Irongi-ay, G. 
 
 Robert Paton of Terreagles, G. R. 
 
 John Blaccader of Traquair, G. 
 
 Anthony Murray of Kirkbeau, G. 
 
 William Mean of Lochrutton, G. R. 
 
 Alexander Smith of Cowend, G. 
 
 Gabriel Semple of Kirkpatrick, Durham, G. R. 
 
 William M'Joir of Carlaverock, C. 
 
 Francis Irvine of Kirkmahoe, C. R. 
 
 George Gladstones of Orr, C. 
 
 James Maxwell of Kirkgunion, C. 
 
 Some lists make him Thomas Maxwell. 
 
 Some lists add Mr. James Wallace. 
 Conformists. 
 
 Messrs. John Brown of Tinward, 
 
 Ninian Paterson. 
 
 4. Prebytery of Penpont. 
 
 Messrs. Samuel Austin of Penpont, 
 
 James Brotherstones of Glencairn, 
 
 Alexander Strang of Dorisdeer, R. 
 
 John Liddersdale of Tindram, 
 
 Adam Sinclair of Morton, 
 
 Thomas Shiels of Kirkbride, 
 
 John Carmichael of Kirkonnald and Sanquhar. 
 
 One list puts the two following among the non- 
 conformists, and others among the confor- 
 mists. 
 
 Messrs. John Wisheart of Keir, 
 
 William Black of Closburn. 
 
 IV. SYNOD OF GAIXOWAY. 
 
 1. Presbytery of Kirkcndbrifiht. 
 Messrs. Thomas Wylie of Kirkcudi)right, P. 
 Thomas Warner of Balmaclellan, G. R. 
 Adam Kay of Borgue, 
 John Semple of Carsfairn, 
 John Macmichan of Dairy, 
 John Cant of Kells, R. 
 Jofan Duncan of Rerick and Dundrennan, 
 John Wilkie of Twynam, 
 Adam Alison of Bahnaghie, 
 John Mean of Anwoth, 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 327 
 
 I know not liow many miles, witli their 
 numerous and small families, many of them 
 scarce knew whither. But the Lord won- 
 
 James Ferpiisson of Keltoiin, 
 Jaiiii-s IJiiijhiss of Corsmicliael, 
 ■William Krskine of Girtoii, 11. 
 Thomas Thomson of Partaii, 
 Samuel Arnot of Tongland, 
 Robert Fergiissoii of Buttle. 
 
 2. J'reshi/teri/ of Wifjtoy;. 
 Messrs. Archibald llamiltou of Wigton, R. 
 George Waugh of Kirkiiidcr, R. 
 Alexander Ross of Kirkowan, 
 William Maitland of Whithorn. 
 Alexiinder F'ergusson of JNIochrum, 
 William Maxwell of Monygaif, 
 Patrick Peacock of Kirkmabrick, R. 
 
 One list adds, 
 Robert Ritchie of Sorbie. 
 
 3. Preshtjtery of Stranraer. 
 Messrs. James La^vi'ie of Stonykirk, R. 
 John I'ark of Stranraer, 
 James Bell of Kirkeolm, R. 
 Thomas Keimedy of Kirkmaiden, R. 
 Another list makes this Lisward. 
 John IMacbroom of Portpatrick, 
 James Wilson of Inch, 
 Another list makes it Kirkmaiden, 
 Alexander Peden of New Glcnluce. 
 One list iidds John Dick. 
 
 V. SYNOD OF GLASGOW AND AYR. 
 
 1. Presbytery of Ayr. 
 
 Messrs. William Eccles of Ayr, G. R. 
 
 William Adair of Ayr, C. 
 
 Anthony Shaw of Colmanel, G. 
 
 Gilbert Kennedy of Girvan, G. 
 
 John Osbnrn of Kirkoswald, G. 
 
 John Hutchison of Maybole, G. R. 
 
 Fergus M' Alexander of Kirkdoming or Bar, 
 G. R. 
 
 John Ross of Culton, G. 
 
 Hugh Crawford of New Cumnock, G. R. 
 
 Hugh Campbell of Muirkirk, G. R. 
 
 Andrew Diilrymple of Auchinleck, G. 
 
 John Guthrie of Tarbolton, G. 
 
 David Brown of Craigie, G. 
 
 Hugh Campbell of Riccarton, G. R. 
 
 .fames Inglis of Dallie, C. 
 
 W'illlam Cockburn of Kirkmichael, C. 
 
 William F'ullarton of St. Quivox, C. 
 
 Robert Maxwell of Monkton, C. 
 
 John Gembil of Symmington, C. R. 
 
 Gabriel INIaxwell of Dundonald, C. 
 
 John Cumiingham of Cumnock, C. 
 
 Alexander Stevenson of Dalmellington, C. R. 
 
 Alexander Blair of Galston, P. 
 
 James Veitch of JNIauchline, P. R. 
 
 John Campbell of Sorii, 
 
 Robert Miller of Ochiltree. 
 
 In lists of this presbytery I find named as non- 
 conformists, 
 
 Messrs. John Reid of Muirkirk, 
 
 John Blair of New Kirk, Mauchlin, 
 
 Hugh Black, 
 
 Robert Ritchison, 
 
 Andrew Miller of Dallie. 
 
 Cmiformists. 
 
 ^Messrs. Robert Wallace of Barnwell, 
 
 David M'Queen of Straiton, of Balentree. 
 2. Presbytery of Irvine. 
 
 Messrs. John Nevoy of Newmills or Loudon, P. 
 
 Matthew Mowat of Kilmainock, P. 
 
 dcrf'ully i)r<)vided for them and \qq^ 
 
 theirs, to their own confirmation 
 
 and wonder. And should I set down here 
 
 James Rowat of Kilmarnock, P. R. 
 
 George Ramsay of Kilmaurs, G. 
 Jolui Spaldy of Dreghorn, G. R. 
 John Wallace of Largs, G. R. 
 
 Andrew Hutchison of Stewarton, G. 
 
 William Castlelaw of iStewarton, C. 
 James Fergusson of Kilwinning, C. 
 
 Alexander Nisbet of Irvine, C. 
 John Grant of Irvine, G. 
 
 William Guthrie of Fenwick, S. 
 
 Gabriel Cunningham of Dunlop, R. 
 
 William Russel of Kilbirnie, 
 
 Robert Bell of Dairy, 
 
 John Bell elder of Stevenson, 
 
 John Bell younger of Ardrossan, R. 
 
 William Cunningham of Kilbride, 
 
 Patrick Colvil of Beith, 
 
 Robert Aird of Combray. 
 
 In some lists I find Mr. Thomas Boyd men- 
 tioned in this presbytery. 
 
 3. Presbytery of Paisley. 
 
 Messrs. Alexander Dunlop of Paisley, P. out- 
 ed by a particular act. 
 
 John Drysdaleof Paisley, P. by a particular act. 
 
 .lames Stirling of Paisley, G. 
 
 John Stirling of Kilbarchan, 
 
 Patrick Simpson of Renfrew, G. R. 
 
 Hugh Smith of Eastwood, G. 
 
 William Thomson of Mearns. 
 
 William Thomson of Houston, G, 
 
 James Hutchison of Kilallan, R. 
 
 James Alexander of Kilmacolm, C. G. 
 
 Hugh Peebles of Lochgunnoch, G. R. 
 
 James Wallace of Inchinnan, C. R. 
 
 William Houston of Erskine, G. 
 
 Hugh Walker of Nelston, G. 
 
 John Hamilton of Innerkip. 
 
 I hear he conformed after. 
 
 Coufor7ned. 
 
 Mr. James Taylor of Greenock. 
 
 4. Presbytery of Hamilton. 
 
 Messrs. James Nasmith of Hamilton, P. 
 
 John Inglis of Hamilton, G. R. 
 
 James Hamilton of Blantyre, 
 
 Robert Fleming of Cambuslang, R. 
 
 John Burnet of Kilbride, 
 
 William Hamilton of Glas;/ord, C. 
 
 John Oliphant of Stonehouse, R. 
 
 James Currie of Shotts, 
 
 Ludowick Somerwel of New Monkland, 
 
 Hugh Weir of Old Monkland, 
 
 Matthew Mackail of Bothwell, C. 
 
 John Lauder of Dalziel, R. 
 
 Hugh Archibald of Strathaven. 
 Conformed. 
 
 Mr. James Hamilton of Cambusnethan. 
 5. Presbytery of Lanark. 
 
 Messrs. William Jack of Carluke, G. 
 
 William Brown of Carnwath, G. 
 
 William Somerwel of Pitenen, G. 
 
 John Hamilton of Carmichael, G. 
 
 Nicholas Blackie of Rol)erton, G. R. 
 
 Peter Kid of Douglas, G. 
 
 Gilbert Hamilton of Crawford or Crawford- 
 muir, G. 
 
 William Somerwel of Crawfordjohn, C. 
 
 Robert Lockhart of Dunsyre, C. 
 
 Robert Birnie of Lanark, 
 
 John Lindsay of Carstairs, 
 
328 
 
 ip^n many accounts I have from very 
 good hands, of the remarkable in- 
 terpositions of kind providence in their 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS j^BOOK I. 
 
 straits, they might tend to the conviction of 
 unbelievers ; but they are too many to come 
 in here, some of them will fall in afterwards. 
 
 William Morton of Wiston, 
 
 Thomas Lawrie of Lesmahae;o. 
 
 6. Prexhytenj of Glasgow. 
 
 Messrs. Patrick Gillespie, principal of the Col- 
 lege of Glasgow, P. 
 
 Robert Macwaird of Glasgow, banished, and 
 died in Holland, 
 
 John Dickson of Rutherglen, P. R. 
 
 John Carstalrs of Glasgow, P. 
 
 Donald Cargil of Barony, P. 
 
 Ralph Rogers of Glasgow, G. R. 
 
 Alexander Jamison of Govan, G. 
 
 James Blair of Cathcart, G. 
 
 Agdrew Morton of Carmunnock, G. R. 
 
 James Hamilton of Eagle-sham, C. 
 
 Thomas Melville of Calder, G. 
 
 John Law of Campsie, G R. 
 
 Henry Fors3rth of KirkintiUoch, 
 
 Thomas Stuart of Cumbernauld or Easter 
 Lenzie. 
 
 Conformed. 
 
 Messrs. Hugh Blair of Glasgow, 
 
 John Young of Glasgow, 
 
 Gabriel Cunningham of Kilsyth or Monie- 
 burgh. 
 
 7. Presbytery of Dumbarton. 
 
 Messrs. James Walkinshaw of Badernock, G. 
 
 Adam Gottie of Rosneath, G. 
 
 Robert Mitchell of Luss, G. 
 
 Robert Law of New or Wester Kilpatrick, G. 
 
 Matthew Ramsay of Old or Wester Kilpatrick, 
 C. 
 
 David Elphinstone of Dumbarton, C. 
 
 Mr. James Glendonyng is added to this presby- 
 tery in some lists. 
 
 Conformed. 
 
 Messrs. Allan Fergusson of Drimmen, 
 
 John Stuart, 
 
 James Craig of Killearn, 
 
 William Stirling of Baltron, 
 
 Robert Watson of Cardross, 
 
 ITiomas Mitchel. 
 
 VI. SYNOD OF ARGYLE. 
 
 1. Presbytery of Dunoon. 
 Jlessrs. John Cameron of Kilfynan, 
 Hugh Cameron, 
 Archibald Maclean of Killen, R. 
 
 Other lists add to this presbytery, 
 Messrs. Donald Morrison, 
 Neil Cam^eron. 
 
 Conformed. 
 Mr. Colin M'Lauchlan. 
 
 2. Presbytery of Kintyre or Campbelton. 
 Messrs. Edward Keith of Lochead, 
 John Cunison of Kilbride in Arran, R. 
 James Gardiner of Caddel, P. 
 David Simpson of Southrud, 
 Dugald Darroch. 
 
 3. Presbytery of Inverary. 
 Messrs. Alexander Gordon of Inverary, P. R. 
 Archibald M'Callum, 
 Patrick Campbell of Inverary, R. 
 John Duncanson, R. 
 Dugald Campbell of Knapdale North, 
 Duncan Campbell of Knapdale South, R. 
 Robert Duncanson of Dalawich, 11. 
 Andrew Maclean. 
 
 Conformed. 
 Mr. John Lindsay. 
 
 4. Presbytery of Lorn or Kilimore. 
 All conformed, as far as I find. 
 
 5. Presbytery of Sky. 
 All Conformed. 
 
 VII. SYNOD OK PEBTH AND STIRLING. 
 
 1. Presbytery of Dunkeld. 
 Messrs. Robert Campbell, 
 Thomas Lundy, 
 Patrick Campbell of Kilinnie, 
 John Anderson of Auchtergavan, 
 James Strachan, 
 John Murray. 
 
 Another list adds, 
 Messrs. Thomas Glass of Little Dunkeld, 
 Robert Campbell of Moulin. 
 
 2. Presbytery of Perth. 
 Messrs. Alexander Pitcairn of Dron, P. R. 
 David Orum or Orme of lorgondenny, 
 George Halyburton, younger of Duplin, 
 John Crookshanks of Rogerton, slain at Pent- 
 land, 
 Robert Young. 
 
 3. Presbiftery of Dunblane. 
 Messrs. Andrew Rind, 
 
 John Forrest, younger. 
 
 4. Presbytery of Stirlinr/. 
 
 Messrs. James Guthrie of Stirluig, executed 
 
 1661. 
 Robert Rule of Stirling, R. 
 James Simpson of Airth, P. 
 Thomas Hogg of Lorbert and Dunipace, 
 John Blair of Bothkenner, 
 Richard Howieson of Alva, R. 
 
 5. Presbytery of Auchterarder. 
 Mr. George Murray. 
 
 VIII. SYNOD OF FIFE. 
 
 1. Presbytery of Dunfermline. 
 Messrs. William Oliphant of Dunfermline, G 
 Andrew Donaldson of Dalgety, C. R. 
 George Belfrage of Carnock, C. 
 Robert Edmonston of Culross, 
 John Gray of Orwell, R. 
 Matthew Fleming of Culross, C. 
 
 Conforviists. 
 Messrs. Robert Binnie of Aberdour, 
 Walter Bruce of Inverkeithing, 
 James Sibbald of Torriburn, 
 Robert Rae of Dunfermline, 
 John Anderson of Saline, 
 Henry Smith of Beath, 
 James Haxton of Cleish, 
 George Loudon. 
 
 2. Presbytery of Kirlicaldy. 
 Messrs. Alexander Moucricf of Scoonie, P. R. 
 Patrick Weems of AbbotshaU, G, 
 George Nairn of Burntisland, G. 
 James Simpson of Kirkaldy, C. 
 Thomas Melvile of Kingcassie, C. 
 Thomas Black of Lesley, C. 
 James Wilson, 
 Mr. Frederick Carmichael of Markinch is added 
 
 in one list. 
 John Chalmers added in one list. 
 
 Conformists. 
 Messrs. Kenneth Logie of Kirkcaldy, 
 Robert Honnyman of Dysart, 
 Henry Wilkie of Weems, 
 Robert Mercer of Kennoway, 
 George Ogilvie of Portmoak, 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 All this was for no other fault in them, save 
 a finnness to their known and professed 
 princiiiles. They ai'c deprived of tiieir min- 
 istry, which of all things on earth was dear- 
 est to them, without ever being summoned, 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 329 
 
 called, or heard; no libel was given ,pp,, 
 them, neither were they ever heard 
 upon the reasons of their nonconformity. 
 
 This severe procedure with so many ex- 
 cellent men was the foundation of many of 
 
 Andrew Walker of Auchtertule, 
 AVilliam Litidsay of Auchtenierren, 
 Robert Bruce ot Ballingrie, 
 Jolin Ramsay of Scoonie. 
 
 3. Presbytery of Cupar. 
 Messrs. John Macgill of Cupar, G. 
 Thomas Arnot of Cupar, G. 
 James Wedderburn of IMoiizie, G. 
 George Thomson of Kilmonie, G. 
 William TuUidaff of Dunboig, G. R 
 John Alexander of Creich, G. 
 George Dishingtoun of Cults, G. 
 Walter Greg of Balmerinoch, C. 
 William Row of Ceres. 
 
 Conformists. 
 Messrs. William Livingstone of Falkland, 
 John Ramsay of Kettle, 
 David Orme of Monnymeal, 
 Alexander Balfour of Abdie, 
 Lawrence Oliphant of Newburgh, 
 John Ridge of Strathmiglo, 
 James Martin of Auchtermuchty, 
 David Rait of Darsie, 
 William Myles of Flisk, 
 John Littlejohn of Collesy, 
 Henry Pitcairn of Logie. 
 
 4. Presbytery of S(. Andrews. 
 Messrs. Samuel Rutherford of St. Andrews, 
 Robert Blair of St. Andrews, P. 
 James Wood of St. Andrews, P. Provost of the 
 
 Old College, 
 George Hamilton of Pittenwcen, G. 
 George Hamilton, younger of Newburn, G. R. 
 Robert Weems of Ely, G. 
 Alexander Wilson of Cameron, G. R. 
 John Wardlaw of Kemback, G. 
 William Violant of Ferry partoncraigs, G. R. 
 David Forret of KUconquhar, C. 
 James Macgill of Largo, C. R. 
 David Guthrie of Anstruther Wester, C. 
 Colin Anderson of Anstruther Easter, C. 
 Robert Bennet of Kilreny, C. 
 Henry Rymer of Carnbee, C. R. 
 Alexander Weddei-burn of Forgon, C. 
 Robert Wilkie of St. Monans, C. 
 
 Anotner list adds in this presbytery, 
 Messrs. William Campbell, 
 James Bruce. 
 
 Conformists. 
 Messrs. James SharpI Professor of Divinity, P. 
 Andrew Honnyman of St. Andrews, 
 Walter Comry of St. Leonards, 
 Alexander Udwar of Crail, 
 
 Middleton of Leuchars. 
 
 IX. SYNOn OF ANGUS AND MEARNS. 
 
 1. Presbytery of Meigle. 
 Mr. John Robertson. 
 
 2. Presbytery of Forfar. 
 Mr. Alexander Roberts(m. 
 
 3. Presbytery of Dvndee. 
 Messrs. John IMinniman of Aberj-nte, 
 John Semple, 
 
 Andrew Wedderburn of Liste, 
 John Campbell of Tilen. 
 
 4. Presbytery of Aberhrothock. 
 Mr. Andrew Spence. In several lists he is put 
 
 in Brechin. 
 In one list James Fithie in Brechin. 
 5. Presbytery of Srechin. 
 All conformed. 
 
 6. Presbytery of Mearns or Fordon, 
 Mr. David Campbell of St. Cires. 
 
 X. SYNOD OF ABERDEEN. 
 
 1. Presbytery of Aberdeen. 
 Messrs. Andrew Cant, elder, of Aberdeen, 
 John Mercer of Ivinneller, 
 3Iitchel in another list. 
 
 2. Presbytery of Kincardine. 
 Messrs. Alexander Cant, 
 William Alexander, 
 John Young. 
 
 3. Presbytery of Alford. 
 All conformed. 
 
 4. Presbytery of Garioch. 
 Mr. George Telfer. 
 
 6. Presbytery of Ellon. 
 All conformed. 
 
 6. Presbytery of Deer. 
 Messrs. Robert Keith, 
 Nathanael Martin, 
 Duncan Forbes, 
 Alexander Ii^vine, 
 William Scot, 
 William Ramsay, 
 John Stuart. 
 
 7. Presbytery of Turreff. 
 Mr. Arthur Mitchel. 
 
 8. Presbytery of Fordyce. 
 All conformed. 
 
 XI. SYNOD OF MURRAY. 
 
 \. Presbytery of Strathhogie or Keith. 
 Mr. George ftleldrum of Glass, R. 
 
 2. Presbytery of Abernethy. 
 All conformed. 
 
 3. Presbytery of Elgin. 
 Messrs. James Park, 
 
 Thomas Urquhart, 
 
 4. Presbytery of Forres. 
 Mr. James Urquhart of K^inloss. 
 
 5. Presbytery of Inverness. 
 Mr. Alexander F'razer of Daviot, R. 
 
 XII. SYNOD OF ROSS AND SUTHF.RLAKD. 
 
 1. Presbytery of Chanonrie. 
 Messrs. Hugh Anderson of Cromarty, R. 
 John M'Culloch of Ardersier, R. 
 
 2. Presbytery of Dingivull. 
 IMessrs. Thomas liogg of Kiltearn, 
 John Mackilligen of Alves, 
 Thomas Ross. 
 
 3. Presbytery of Tain. 
 Mr. Andrew Ross. 
 
 XIII. SYNOD OF CAITHNESS. 
 
 1. Presbytery of Dornoch. 
 Mr. John M'Culloch. 
 
 2. Presbytery of Kirkwall. 
 Messrs. Alexander Lennox of Kirkwall, 
 .\rthur Murray. 
 
 One list adds Hugh Sinclair. 
 2 T 
 
330 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 1G63. 
 
 the distractions and troubles, until 
 the happy revolution. In the north 
 parts of Scotland, many places of the High- 
 lands and Isles, a good many ministers con- 
 formed ; so that this stroke lay heaviest 
 where people had most of the gospel and 
 knowledge of real religion, which made it 
 the worse to bear. And it was the more 
 distressing to the people, that their ministers 
 suffered so hard things, merely for their 
 adhering to the doctrine, worship, discipline, 
 and government, of this reformed church, 
 and the covenants which they themselves 
 had sworn solemnly, and often renewed. 
 
 I find those worthy ministers blamed for 
 leaving their congregations so easily, and 
 going out at the first publication of the 
 council's pleasure. At this distance I 
 reckon the most part of my readers must 
 be very much unacquainted with circum- 
 stances of this hour and power of darkness, 
 and wonder why so many excellent persons, 
 in good terms with their God, their con- 
 science, and their people, did so easily part 
 with their charges. Therefore, besides what 
 I have already given from Mr. Robert 
 Douglas upon this head, I think it not 
 improper to give the reader a taste of the 
 circumstances things stood in at this time, 
 and leave him to form a more favourable 
 judgment of the conduct of so many presby- 
 terian ministers, than some have done. 
 
 Preaching after the first of November 
 last was declared a seditious conventicle, 
 and some forbore to hear the presbyterian 
 ministers who continued to preach, notwith- 
 standing of the act of Glasgow; so fickle 
 and uncertain are the sentiments of a multi- 
 tude, that some were ready even to have 
 jealoused (suspected) the ministers, had 
 they continued at theu- posts, as secretly in 
 collusion with the bishops, as afterwards 
 did appear in the reproaches cast on some 
 this way. Upon the other hand, the most 
 solid and judicious, and far greater part of 
 their people, encouraged ministers at this 
 time to enter upcHi suffering : so far were 
 they from censuring them for quitting their 
 charges, that they rejoiced in their honesty 
 and firmness to the principles and covenants 
 of this church. None of the ministers 
 questioned the magistrate's power over 
 
 [chap. IV. 
 
 their persons and families, or that upon 
 just grounds, wiiich indeed were not in this 
 case, he might banish and confine them, as 
 well as imprison or put them to death. And 
 to be sure it was impossible for them to 
 maintain themselves against the persecuting 
 state in the issue ; and the benefit arising to 
 their flock by continuing at their work a few 
 Sabbaths, till force should be employed to 
 dispossess them, they were of opinion would 
 never have balanced the penalties of the 
 acts, a minister's ruin, and at best his ban- 
 ishment. 
 
 Further, they had the example of multi- 
 tudes of worthy muiisters in neighbouring 
 churches, to lead them into the method they 
 took. In England presbyterian ministers 
 took this same course, when absolutely dis- 
 charged the exercise of theii" ministry ; 
 whereas here, this was only done by conse- 
 quence. And if we may reason from events, 
 and the issue of this theii* practice, it is 
 plain, that if the ministers had continued at 
 their work publicly, until they had been 
 gradually turned out one by one in a way of 
 violence, which was bishop Sharp's scheme, 
 and their room had been still filled up as 
 the prelates had leisure, the change had 
 neither been so sensible and affecting as it 
 was to many, nor the opposition to bishops 
 by far so considerable as it came to be. 
 But now this imiform course so many min- 
 isters jointly fell into, was the first and a 
 very remai'kable and clear stand against 
 prelacy, a fair testimony against this horrid 
 invasion made upon the church, and did 
 mightily alienate the nation from the bishops. 
 Indeed this wound, made by such a general 
 act of passive obedience, and cheerful suf- 
 fering, was what the bishops could never 
 heal in the west and south of Scotland. 
 Let me only add, that as the violence of 
 the time was such as they had no probable 
 prospect of standing out against it, so the 
 ministers judged it would be more for the 
 interest of theu' people, to be left in some 
 measure to be useful now and then to them 
 privately, in visiting, conversing, and preach- 
 ing, than that, by absolute disobedience to 
 the acts, they should be entirely deprived 
 of them. 
 
 The reader wUl easily perceive, that the 
 
 i 
 
CHAP. IV.] OF THE CHURC 
 
 circumstances of conscientious presbyterians 
 were most deplorable, by the ejecting of so 
 many worthy ministers. Last winter and 
 this spring were the heaviest, presbyterians, 
 that is, the bulk and body of the people in 
 Scotland of the greatest piety and probity, 
 ever saw. Parish churches, generally speak- 
 ing, through the western and southern shires, 
 were now waste and without sermon, which 
 had not happened in Scotland since the 
 reformation from popery ; and the brighter 
 and sweeter the light had been formerly, the 
 blacker and more intolerable was this sudden 
 and general darkness. The common people 
 now had leisure, as well as ground enough, 
 to heighten their former aversion at the 
 bishops the authors of all this calamity. In 
 many places they had twenty miles to run 
 before they heard a sermon, or got the spirit- 
 ual manna, which of late fell so thick about 
 their tents. Some went to the elder minis- 
 ters, not directly touched by the act of 
 Glasgow. Such who could not reach them, 
 frequented the family worship and exercises 
 of the younger ministers, now outed of 
 their churches. And so great were the 
 numbers who came to their houses, that 
 some were constrained to preach without 
 doors, and at length to go to the open fields. 
 This was the original of field meetings in 
 Scotland, which afterwards made so much 
 noise, and in some few years was made 
 death by law, first to the minister, and then 
 to the hearers. 
 
 At this time began the barbarous and un- 
 christian abuses, comn)itted upon the Lord's 
 holy day by the rude soldiers, which shall be 
 afterwards noticed. When people flocked 
 to the churches of the few remaining presby- 
 terian ministers, parties of armed men went 
 up and down upon the Sabbath, to exact the 
 fine imposed upon such as did not keep their 
 own parish church, by the proclamation, De- 
 cember 23d last : this, we shall find, turned 
 frequent in a httle time ; and upon the road, 
 and at the churches of the old presbyterian 
 ministers, they plundered and abused such 
 as would not presently swear they were par- 
 ishioners in that place. 
 
 As the presbyterians in Scotland suffered 
 in a most sensible part, by the loss of their 
 own dear pastors, who had been so useful 
 
 H OF SCOTLAND. 331 
 
 among them; so they reckoned ,_„„ 
 themselves in some sort yet more 
 oppressed by thrusting in upon them a 
 company of men, who were not only use- 
 less, but hurtful unto them, and really the 
 authors of most of the harassings and 
 persecution of the common people to be 
 narrated. Those underlings of the bishops 
 were called by the country people curates, 
 a name rather odious than proper; for 
 the most part of them were both unfit 
 for, and very much neglected the cure of 
 souls. The prelates, strictly speaking, were 
 sine-cures, and few or none of them preached, 
 save at extraordinary occasions. Those 
 substitutes of theirs were set to the care and 
 cure of souls ; but as their care was about 
 the fleece, so they rent and ■wounded the 
 sheep and lambs, instead of curing them. 
 
 That the reader may have some view of 
 the manner of their coming in at this time, 
 and somewhat of their character ; he would 
 remember that the bishops' diocesan meet- 
 ings last year were very ill kept ; in some 
 places there were not so many ministers 
 came as there had been presbyteries in the 
 diocese, and I find it observed, that some 
 prelates had none at all. Wherefore this 
 winter and spring, the bishops were busied in 
 levying a crew of those curates to fill up the 
 now multitudes of vacant parishes. They 
 were mostly young men from the northern 
 shires, raw, and without any stock of read- 
 ing or gifts : these were brought west, in a 
 year or two after they had gone through 
 their philosophy in the college, and having 
 nothing to subsist upon, were greedily gaping 
 after benefices. To such the common 
 people were ready to ascribe all the charac- 
 ters of Jeroboam's priests; and it must be 
 owned great numbers of them were as void 
 of morality and gravity, as they were of 
 learning and experience, and scarce had the 
 very appearance of religion and devotion. 
 They came into parishes, much with the 
 same views a herd hath when he contracts 
 to feed cattle ; and such a plenty of them 
 came from the north at this time, that it is 
 said a gentleman of that country cursed the 
 presbyterian ministers heartily ; for, said he, 
 " since they have been turned out, we can- 
 not have a lad to keep our cows." Those, 
 
332 
 
 irfis with some few elder expectants, 
 who, by reason of their scandal and 
 insufficiency, could have no encouragement, 
 under presbytery, were the persons forced in 
 upon people in room of the outed ministers 
 In many places the patrons, some from princi- 
 ple, and others because they were under a 
 necessity to please the bishop in their 
 nomination, refused to present; so the right 
 of presentation devolved into the bishops' 
 hands. Indeed the whole of the curates were 
 of the prelates' choice ; and perhaps it may 
 a little excuse them, that really they had no 
 better, among such as would subject to them. 
 to fix upon. 
 
 Certainly this was a very ruining step to 
 the interests of prelacy in Scotland ; and 
 some, when too late, saw so much. I know 
 some of that persuasion do endeavour to 
 reproach presbyterians after the revolution, 
 for taking the same false step ; but their in- 
 formation, to say no more, is ill. If any in- 
 sufficient ministers have been at any time 
 brought in by presbyterians to congregations, 
 I shall blame it in them as well as the other 
 side ; and more, because they in other things 
 are agreeable to the Divine institution, and 
 ought not to take the liberty others do : but 
 that I may set this matter in its due light, 
 presbyterian ministers at the revolution, 
 wished they had found more labourers at 
 first to send into the Lord's vineyard ; and 
 yet they had a considerable number of godly 
 and learned youths, very ripe for the holy 
 ministry. I shall not say, but in the morn- 
 ing of the chmxh's recovery, some few here 
 and there, who had not that time they 
 would have desired for study, were put to 
 work in the Lord's vineyard : but then ac- 
 curate care was taken, that any insuperable 
 defects this way should be supplied by a 
 shining piety, seriousness, and diUgence. 
 And whatever outcry some of the episcopal 
 party make as to the hasty filling of churches 
 after the revolution, presbyterians are willing 
 a parallel be drawn betwixt the entrants to 
 the holy ministry after the (year) 1688, and 
 those after the (year) 1661, and are no way 
 afraid of the issue. 
 
 Indeed there was never a more melan- 
 choly change made in a church, than when 
 presbyterian ministers were thus turned out, 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 and the bishops with their curates came in. 
 
 This will be more than evident, if we consi- 
 der the state of the church of Scotland in 
 the preceding years, and compare it a little 
 with the lamentable circumstances it is now 
 falling into. Before the reintroduction of 
 prelacy last year, every paiish in Scotland 
 had a minister, every village a school, every 
 family, and in most places each person, had 
 a Bible ; the children were all taught to read, 
 and furnished with the Holy Scriptures, 
 either at their pai'ents' or the parish charge : 
 every minister professed and obliged himself 
 to adhere to the protestant reformed religion, 
 and owned the Westminster Confession, 
 framed by the divines of both nations, and 
 were regulate by our excellent acts of assem- 
 blies. Most part of ministers did preach 
 thrice a week, and lecture once, to say 
 nothing of catechising, and other pastoral 
 duties, wherein they abounded according to 
 the proportion of their ability and faithful- 
 ness. None of them were scandalous, insuf- 
 ficient, or negligent, as far as could be 
 noticed, while presbyteries continued in their 
 power. A minister could not be easy him- 
 self vrithout some seals of his ministry, and 
 evidences of the Di\dne approbation in the 
 souls of his people, of which there were in 
 that period not a few. One might have 
 lived a good while in many congregations^ 
 and rode through much of Scotland, with- 
 out hearing an oath. You could scarce 
 have lodged in a house where God was not 
 worshipped, by singing, reading the word 
 and prayer; and the public houses were 
 ready to complain their trade was broke 
 every body now was become so sober. 
 
 As soon as the prelates and their curates 
 were thrust in, one would have met with 
 the plain reverse of all this, which was the 
 heavier, that it resembled king Saul's change, 
 a bad spirit after a good. Some two years 
 ago there was scarce a minister or expectant 
 in this church, but professed himself a cove- 
 nanted presbyterian ; and so the bishops and 
 curates in the eye of the common people 
 came in with perjury, written in their fore- 
 heads, where holiness to the Lord should 
 have been ; and one need not wonder at the 
 opposition made to them. 
 
 When the curates entered their pulpits, it 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 was by an order from the bishop, witliout 
 any call from, yea contrary to the inclina- 
 tions of the people. Their personal charac- 
 ter was black, and no wonder their enter- 
 tainment, was coarse and cold. In some 
 places they were welcomed with tears in 
 abundance, and entreaties to be gone : in 
 others with reasonings and ai'guments, which 
 confounded them; and some entertained 
 them with threats, affronts, and indignities, 
 too many here to be repeated. The bell's 
 tongue in some places was stolen away, that 
 the parishioners might have an excuse for 
 not coming to church. The doors of the 
 church in other places were barricaded, 
 and they made to enter by the window 
 literally. The laxer of the gentry easily 
 engaged to join in their drinking cabals, 
 which with all iniquity did now fearfully 
 abound, and sadly exposed them : and in 
 some places the people, fretted with the 
 dismal change, gathered together, and vio- 
 lently opposed their settlement, and received 
 them with showers of stones. This was not 
 indeed the practice of the religious and 
 more judicious ; such irregularities were 
 committed by the more ignorant vulgar, yet 
 they were so many evidences of the regard 
 they were like to have from the body of 
 their parishioners. Such who were really 
 serious mourned in secret, as doves in the 
 valleys, and from a principle could never 
 countenance them, and others dealt with 
 them as hath been said. 
 
 This opposition to the settlement of the 
 curates, occasioned severe inquiries and 
 prosecutions before the council ; and we shall 
 meet with instances of it just now from 
 Irongray and Kirkcudbright this year, and 
 more instances will offer from many other 
 parishes of the kingdom. The punishment 
 became very severe, banishment to America, 
 cruel scourgings, and heavy finings. Thus 
 the effects of forcing the curates in upon 
 congregations were confusion, and every evil 
 work, and the first fruit of the prelates' minis- 
 ters was the scattering of their congregations. 
 
 Towards the beginning of this year I am 
 now upon, that question sprang up among 
 the people, which was the occasion of so 
 much hot persecution afterwards, " Whether 
 they might hear the curates ?" They were 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 333 
 
 16G3. 
 
 looked upon as coming in over the 
 belly of solemn oaths and covenants 
 the kingdom was under to the Lord; and 
 the people did not find their conscience 
 relieved from these by the act of parliament 
 introducing prelacy ; and it is not much to 
 be wondered at, that there were scruples 
 to hear men put into pulpits by military 
 force, and kept in by so many banishments, 
 fines, and so much cruelty. 
 
 The longer they continued, and the better 
 they were known, the more they were 
 loathed for theii* dreadful immoralities. 
 If that party were to be dealt with in their 
 own coin, a black list might be given of 
 scandals, unheard of except among popes 
 and Romish priests, about this time breaking 
 out among them : but I do not love to rake 
 into this unpleasant subject. Some of 
 them, alas too many, were heard swearing 
 very rudely in the open streets. And this 
 was but of a piece with the doctrine taught 
 in their pulpits, that to swear by faith, con- 
 science, and the like, were innocent ways of 
 speaking. And they used to adduce bishop 
 Andrews, as of those sentiments. Instances 
 were sadly common of their staggering 
 in the streets, and wallowing in the gutters, 
 even in their canonical habits; and this 
 needs be no surprise, when many were 
 witnesses to bishop Wishart's preaching 
 publicly, that he was not to be reckoned a 
 drunkard, who was now and then overtaken 
 with wine or strong liquor, but he only who 
 made a trade of following after strong drink. 
 If I should speak of the uncleanness and 
 vile practices of Mr. Bruce, curate at Bal- 
 merino, bishop Sharp's chaplain ; Chisholm 
 of Lilliesleaf, Mr. John Paterson, afterwards 
 bishop, who was chastised by the reformed 
 bishop; Mr. Keith in Ginglekirk, Mr. 
 Thomas Hamilton at Carnwath; the ac- 
 counts would stun the reader, and offend 
 modest ears. Mr. Archibald Beith curate 
 in Arran, of whom we shall hear afterwards, 
 and one Duncan near Perth, were processed, 
 and the last executed for murder. Mr. 
 Edward Thomson at Anstruther, and Mr. 
 Gideon Penman at Crcighton, were charged 
 with crimes yet of a higher nature. The 
 first made a terrible exit, either by his own 
 hands or the devil's ; and the last, though 
 
334. 
 
 1663. 
 
 delated by many confessing witches, 
 escaped what he deserved.* I find 
 all those taken notice of, as things notourly 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 known in this period I am describing, in 
 the papers of a worthy minister ; and mul- 
 titudes might be added ; but indeed this is 
 
 * " Mr. Edward Thomson, curate of Au- 
 strudder, was the son of a godly father, a min- 
 ister, who bred his son in the knowledge of the 
 truth and profession of godliness ; and when the 
 honest father died, he straitly charged this his 
 son to follow his father's way, and in any case 
 to beware of conforming to the course of the 
 bishops. This course he follows for some time, 
 but wearying of the purity of the presbyterian 
 nonconformists, he went to one of their mock 
 presbyteries, and there entered upon his tryals. 
 The report went that, when he was upon his tryals 
 his father appeared to him, and threatened him 
 for engaging in such a course, whereupon he de- 
 sisted for some time, but the same tentation re- 
 turning, he once more engaged with the bishops, 
 entered upon his tryals, and, having passed, 
 eettled at Anstrudder. He had while he was 
 there wife and children ; afterwards, being a 
 ■widow, he continued in his ministry, but at 
 length became very sad and heavy. Ane Satur- 
 day at night he went to make a visit, and stayed 
 out very late, and as he returned homeward the 
 wench that bare his lanthorn, as they passed a 
 bridge, affirmed the bridge shoke, also that she 
 saw something like a black beast pass the bridge 
 before him. This made some suspect he meddled 
 with the devil, and he was known to have a 
 brother that was a diabolick man. However, 
 home he came very late, and after he had lyen a 
 while in bed, rose early upon Sabbath morn- 
 ing and threw himself into the river, when he 
 was taken up dead, to the great astonishment of 
 his poor neighbours. 
 
 " Mr. Gideon I'enman, curat at Creighton, 
 was well known to be a witch. Divers eye- 
 witnesses deponed they had many times seen 
 him at the witches' meetings, and that the devil 
 called him ordinarily, ' Peiunan, my chaplain.' 
 Also, upon a time when Satan administered his 
 communion to his congregation. Penman sat 
 next the devil's elbow, and that when their 
 deacon had served the table with wafers in the 
 popish fashion, when there remained two wafers 
 more than served the company, the deacon laid 
 down his two wafers before the devil, w^hich 
 two the devil gave to Penman, and bade him 
 goe carrie these to the papists in Winton. But 
 he escaped without punishment." — Kirkton's 
 History of the Church of Scotland, pp. 188--- 
 191. 
 
 " Eight or ten witches, all (except one or two) 
 poor miserable like women, were pannelled, some 
 of them were brought out of Sir Robert Keith's 
 lands, others out of Ormiston, Ci-eighton, and 
 Pcncaithland parishes. Tlie first of them were 
 delated by these two wfho were burnt in Salt 
 Preston, in May, 1678, and they divulged and 
 named the rest, as also put forth seven in the 
 Lonehead of Lasswade ; and if they had been 
 permitted, were ready to file by their delation 
 sundry gentlewomen and others of fashion, but 
 the justices discharged them, thinking it either 
 the product of malice, or melancholy, or the 
 devil's deception in representing such persons as 
 present at their Jield meetings, who truly were 
 not there. However, they were permitted to 
 name Mr. Gideon Penman, who had been min- 
 ister at Creighton, and for sundry acts of un- 
 
 cleanness and other crimes was deprived. Two 
 or three of the witches constantly affirmed that 
 he was present at their meetings with the devil, 
 and then when the devil called for him, hp 
 asked, ' Where is Mr. Gideon, my chaplain?' 
 and that ordinarily Mr. Gideon was in the rear 
 of all their dances, and beat up these that were 
 slow. He denied all, and was liberate on ca- 
 tion." — Fountainhall's Decisions, p. 14. 
 
 Such is the testimony of a divine of great 
 celebrity, and of the highest civil tribunal in the 
 nation, by which our historian is borne out in 
 his statement on this subject, a statement which 
 to many modern readers will be, we have no 
 doubt, sufficiently repulsive, though it is in per- 
 fect unison with the belief of the best and the 
 wisest statesmen and lawyers, as well as divines, 
 of that day, which we could demonstrate by an 
 array of quotations lai'ger than the volume we 
 are attempting to illustrate. The belief of 
 such things may be safely stated to have been at 
 that period nearly universal, and it was cer- 
 tainly carried to an extent warranted neither by 
 reason nor revelation. At the same time, we 
 hesitate not to affirm, that no man who believes 
 the Bible to be a book divinely inspired, can 
 possibly doubt of a connexion and an inter- 
 course between the material and the spiritual 
 worlds much more extensive and more frequent 
 than the philosophy of the present day will 
 admit, nor, after aJI the attempts that, by trans- 
 lation, modification, and explanation have been 
 made to change the meaning of the words, that 
 by witchcraft, sorcery, enchantments, &c. 
 &c. — attempts of a highly criminal character, 
 have been made to command that intercourse, 
 though he may be just as little able to compre- 
 hend the modus or manner of these attempts as 
 that of many other crimes, wJiich, though 
 unknown among Cliristians, if any credit be due 
 to classic moralists, were common in the heathen 
 world. In that code of jurisprudence given 
 by God himself to the children of Israel, we 
 find these things made the subjects of special 
 and particular statutes ; and, in the succeeding 
 history of that people, Ave find them charged 
 upon individuals as particular and special crimes, 
 on account of w^hich they were visited with 
 most signal judgments, so that there is no alter- 
 native but either to believe them, or so far to 
 reject the authority of the Scriptures. 
 
 VVe hope that no one from this will rashly or 
 uncandidly suppose that we mean to demand, 
 or that we say the Scriptures demand, his 
 assent to that growing but shapeless mass of 
 absurdity and table, the monstrous spawn of 
 imposttu-e and guilty fear, wliich tradition, the 
 easy handmaiden of credulity, is perpetually 
 busied in rolling along from one generation to 
 another ; and because the magicians of Egypt 
 cast down their rods, beside that of Moses before 
 Pharaoh, and they became serpents, or because, 
 along with that wonder-working prophet, they 
 were instrumental in turning the waters of their 
 country into blood, and in bringing up upon it 
 the plague of frogs, he is to believe that, by 
 the assistance of the devil, any decrepit, or en- 
 vious, or avaricious old woman in his iieigh- 
 bourlioo<5 can transform herself into a hare or 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 a subject I Jo not love to enlarge upon. Those 
 and many other things gave ground to people, 
 to form a veryblack idea of those persons now 
 thrust in upon this church. And if all be 
 true which at tiiis time was believed of Pri- 
 mate Sharp, one needs not wonder such 
 persons were brought in, and overlooked 
 notwithstanding of their prodigious wicked- 
 ness. Indeed though the curates had been 
 freer than they were of those gross immor- 
 alities, they had work upon their hand, 
 ready enough of itself to give people bad 
 impressions of them. They were to subdue 
 the people of Scotland to the hated bishops, 
 yea, to persuade them to alter their religion 
 and principles in some measure. The way 
 of their coming in, and this carriage when 
 in, helped the odium forward. 
 
 When a presbyterian minister came in by 
 the hearty choice of the people, and recom- 
 mended himself by faithfulness and pjiinful- 
 ness in his Master's work, and a humble 
 dependance upon the Lord, there was no 
 need of soldiers to force people to him; 
 hearers came unconstrained: but the curates 
 
 a cat ; sail the seas in a sieve or an eggshell ; 
 transport herself through the air up.on a broom ; 
 collect at her pleasure, and by invisible means, 
 all the milk in her neighbourhood ; or, by a 
 few knotted straws, and a misshapen image of 
 clay stuck full of pins, destroy his cattle and 
 liiinself. No. The very reverse of this is the 
 fact. The Bible utterly forbids any such 
 ascription of power to human beings, and all 
 communication with such as pretend to it, 
 further than to punish them as transgressors 
 of the positive statutes of Jehovah, impious 
 intermeddlers with his peculiar prerogatives, and 
 at least the intentional murderers of their feUow 
 men. — While it every where proceeds upon the 
 assumed fact, that there are nllers of the dark- 
 ness of this world, spiritual wickednesses in 
 high places, ^vith whom the Christian, though 
 he would, cannot avoid a perpetual warfare, it 
 forbids any external acknowledgment of them, 
 either in themselves or their pretended agents, 
 otherwise than, in continual dependance upon Di- 
 vine providence in the use of all appointed means 
 of grace, to guard against being by them inwardly 
 seduced from that reposing of the soul upon its 
 Creator and Redeemer, in which the essence of 
 religion consists, and from those acts of humble 
 and holy obedience by which it is especiaUy 
 manifested. Tlie observing of times or days, as 
 fortunate or unfortunate, of circumstances, as 
 lucky or unlucky — all attempts at divination, 
 though it should be by the Bible itself — all re- 
 jecting or using of meats and drinks for occult 
 purposes, are by the Bible declared to be doc- 
 trines of devils, and all who practise them must 
 be, by the enlightened reader of that book, re- 
 garded as 80 far worshii)pers of devils. — Ed. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 335 
 
 1G63. 
 
 were settled by the secular ai'ni, 
 compulsion and violence; and the 
 wonder must be the less that their doc 
 trine was unacceptable, and themselves loath- 
 ed. The apostle of the Gentilesrecommended 
 himself to the consciences of those he dealt 
 with, " by pureness, by knowledge, by long- 
 suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by 
 love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the 
 power of God, by the armour of righteous- 
 ness." Now another course must be taken, 
 since those things were not to be found. 
 The curates were commended " by fines 
 imprisonments, banishments, relegation and 
 selling for slaves, scourging, stigmatizing, 
 and bloody executions." 
 
 IMost part of presbyterians did agree in 
 the conclusion and practice of forbearing to 
 hear the curates, when they were thus forced 
 in upon this church ; but the grounds they 
 went upon were very difTerent, as may be 
 seen in the papers upon this head, both in 
 print and writ, which were pretty throng at 
 this time and afterwards. There were some 
 who thought the curates' ministry null and 
 illegal, because their authors, the bishops, 
 ordination was vaid, inasmuch as they were 
 fallen from their office, by open \iolation of 
 their own and the land's solemn covenant, 
 nullified theu* former regular and scriptural 
 ordination by re-ordination, and now derived 
 any power they claimed from the supremacy 
 entirely. Many thought the curates had no 
 relation to the congregations where they 
 entered, and upon that score refused to join 
 in with them, without dipping into the 
 validity of their ministerial actings : and in- 
 deed it is undeniable, they came in by force 
 almost every where, and not only without 
 the invitation, but against the inclination of 
 the people ; and refusing to hear them for a 
 while, was the only testimony the most 
 sober and judicious had to give against this 
 unaccountable intrusion ; and, one would 
 think, a very modest and proper testimony. 
 Some could not hear, because they observed 
 the bulk of them so immoral and profane, 
 that they were ashamed to haunt their com- 
 pany, much less could they own them as 
 their ministers ; and those who were smooth 
 and blameless, which was the case of a few 
 in more eminent posts, many of these were 
 
336 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [OOOK I. 
 
 1663. 
 
 erroneous in their principles, and 
 their doctrine pelagian, and very 
 much tending to popery. All of them were 
 settled among them by bishops, by virtue of 
 the king's absolute supremacy ecclesiastical ; 
 and it was what stuck much with a good many 
 that by joining with, and subjecting to their 
 ministry, they concurred all they could in 
 their private capacity, in owning that iniqui- 
 tous and burdensome imposition. In short, 
 the generality did reckon themselves, bound 
 by the oath of God's covenant, against pre- 
 lates, and their underlings : and since both 
 were obtruded upon them by an oppression in 
 their civil liberties and reformation rights, 
 they could not prevail with themselves 
 actively to concur in the deformation now 
 established, or by countenancing it, to bind 
 it down upon themselves and their pos- 
 terity. And lastly, a good many forbear 
 hearing, because it was offensive and stum- 
 bling to many serious and religious people. 
 
 Those things prevailed with the generality, 
 at this time, to refuse to countenance the 
 curates. Indeed some now, but especially 
 many years after this, when the whole pres- 
 byterian ministers were silenced and ban- 
 ished, and they had no other way of public 
 worshipping of God, and not daring to call 
 entirely in question the validity of their 
 mission, and having no sinful terms of hold- 
 ing communion, as they thought, imposed 
 upon them, did hear, especially a little before 
 the liberty, when circumstances were not a 
 little altered from what they were at this 
 time I am upon. And such as withdrew 
 now, alleged many things in their own vin- 
 dication, which I shall not here enter into 
 the detail of. They advanced instances in 
 other churches; the practice of the Chris- 
 tians in Chrysostom's case, when, by the 
 emperor unjustly turned out of his charge, 
 his people would not subject to such who 
 came in his room ; the practice of many 
 worthy persons in Holland, when several 
 worthy ministers there were turned out by 
 the Barnavest faction, and Arminians put in 
 their place, they would neither hear nor 
 submit to their ministry, but went and joined 
 in word and sacraments with the Calvinist 
 ministers remaining among them. Further 
 they alleged, that Scripture, primitive prac- 
 
 tice, and the method of this church of Scot- 
 land since the Reformation, gave them 
 ground to withdraw from such who were 
 settled in congregations, not only renitente, 
 but even contradicente ecclesia: and they 
 declared, that in such cases they could never 
 see where the pastoral tie, and ministerial 
 obligation was bottomed; and in some of 
 those reasonings they brought the judgment 
 of some of the best writers in the English 
 church itself to support them. 
 
 Those reasonings I only relate as a his- 
 torian : the consequence of so many gravel- 
 ling scruples, and the nonconformity which 
 followed upon them, was first empty 
 churches. The ministers forced in upon 
 the west and south, in several places, for 
 some time had bare walls, and nobody to 
 preach unto ; and many had scarce twenty 
 or thirty heai'ers; yea, in very numerous 
 congregations not above fifty. And in the 
 next place, a grievous persecution, till vast 
 numbers of the more ignorant and meaner 
 sort, were compelled by force, and even too 
 many others were brought by violence to do 
 what was against their profession, and the 
 light of their own conscience. This was a 
 long and fiery trial. 
 
 It will be noticed now, upon every turn, 
 by the reader, without my help, that all the 
 branches of the persecution now growing so 
 hot, were merely for conscience' sake, and 
 not upon any real disregard to the king and 
 government, which they did heartily own 
 and submit to, in all civil and lawful things. 
 Indeed the whole of the persecution I am 
 entering upon this year, and the two follow- 
 ing, was barely upon the score of noncon- 
 formity to prelates and curates; and no 
 other reason can be assigned for the severities 
 during this year, or the rigour and terrible 
 heights of the high commission, and heavy 
 oppression of the country, which issued in 
 the rising at Pentland ; as will appear fully 
 in the sequel of this book. 
 
 Of the more general acts and proceedings of 
 the council, this year, 1663. 
 
 We shall meet with very severe persecutions 
 of many ministers, gentlemen, and country 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 people, by the privy council this year: but, 
 before I come to them, let me take a view 
 of the acts of that court, and the parliament, 
 in as far as they concern suftbring presby- 
 terians ; and I lay them before the reader 
 from the registers, and begin with those of 
 the council. 
 
 The act of fines, made last session of par- 
 liament, and the earl of Middleton his 
 endeavours to have a share of the fines> 
 turned about to his ruin. Those fines con- 
 cern presbyterians so much, and the proce- 
 dure of the managers about them being but 
 very little known, I shall give a detail of 
 what I meet with in the council registers 
 about them this year altogether, and then go 
 on to other matters which took up that 
 court. This matter will stand best in its 
 own light, from the principal papers them- 
 selves, which are not very long. February 
 12th, the council receive and read a letter 
 from the king, of the date, January 23d, 
 last; which follows. 
 
 " Right Trusty, &c. — We have considered 
 that late act of the last session of parliament, 
 intituled, on the back of that copy sent to 
 us, * anent persons excepted forth of the 
 indemnity,' bearing date at Edinburgh, the 
 9th of September, 1662, which act hath not 
 the names of the persons, nor the propor- 
 tions of the fines imposed : yet we have 
 lately received a list of the names, and those 
 proportions, which we have not as yet taken 
 into our consideration. In the meantime, 
 seeing this act appoints the sums imposed 
 to be paid, the one half at one term, the 
 other at another, (both which terms are 
 blank in the copy transmitted to us) with 
 this express certification, that whoever of the 
 fined persons shall not make payment of the 
 respective sums imposed upon them, betwixt 
 and the above-mentioned terms, they are 
 from thenceforth to lose the whole benefit 
 of our pardon and indemnity : and the said 
 days being past, and the sums not paid, it is 
 now as then, and then as now declared, that 
 they have no share in our pardon, but are 
 excepted therefrom, and their estates, rents, 
 and goods to be sequestrate and raised 
 for our use, their persons secured, and they 
 punished as guilty of sedition, usurpation. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 337 
 
 1663. 
 
 and rebellion. And that you, 
 our privy council, and others of 
 our ministers and magistrates, are ordained 
 to see this act put in due, exact, and 
 punctual execution, conform to the tenor 
 thereof, as you will be answerable. And 
 seeing we are informed, that the first 
 term's payment is at Candlemas first, upon 
 serious consideration of the whole matter, 
 we have, for reasons importing the good 
 of our service, thought fit to suspend 
 the first term's payment of the said fines, 
 until our further pleasure be signified there- 
 anent; likeas. We do by these presents 
 suspend the first term's payment. As also 
 by our royal prerogative we do dispense 
 with all the penalties contained in the said 
 certification, which the non-payers should 
 have incurred by their not payment at the 
 term foresaid. And we do hereby require 
 you to make public proclamation of this our 
 command, for the suspending of the first 
 term's payment of the fines, until we shall 
 declare our further pleasure concerning the 
 same ; as also our dispensing with the pen- 
 alties, as aforesaid, by open proclamation, 
 and all other ways requisite; to the end our 
 good subjects may take notice of the same. 
 And further, if any person be, or is em- 
 powered to be receiver of the fines, you shall 
 in our name discharge him to receive any of 
 them till our further pleasure shall be de- 
 clared. We also require you to registratc 
 this our letter in the council books : and to 
 these our commands we expect your ready 
 obedience, and a speedy account. Given at 
 our court at Whitehall, the 23d of January, 
 1662-3, and of our reign the fourteenth year. 
 " By his majesty's command, 
 " Laudebdalk." 
 The same day the council draw up a 
 proclamation, intimating the suspension of 
 the first term's payment of the fines, and 
 the penalties incurred, just in the terms of 
 the above letter, and so it needs not be re- 
 peated; and order the macers to pass to 
 the market-cross of Edinburgh, and intimate 
 so much. Subscribiiur. 
 
 Gleneairn, chancellor, Hamilton, Eglinton, 
 Linlithgow, Roxburgh, Southcsk, Callan- 
 der, Halkerton, Ballenden, Jo. GiliKoor, 
 Ja. Lockhart, Kinnaird, Geo. Mackenzie, 
 Wauchop, Robert Murray. 
 2 U 
 
338 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [UOOK I. 
 
 any thing from you concerning that sudden 
 
 ,„„„ But next day, February 13th, I 
 find 111 the registers as lollows. 
 " There being a letter directed from the lord 
 commissioner his grace, of the date the 7th of 
 this instant, bearing, ' that if you have not 
 published any thing rel3,ting to the fines, I 
 do, in his majesty's name, desire that nothing 
 may be done; for his majesty's commands are 
 obeyed by the not publication of the act for 
 fines.' Therefore the lords of his majesty's 
 privy council ordiiin the proclamation sub- 
 scribed, anent the fines, of the date the 12th 
 of this instant, be not published until fur- 
 ther order J and recommend to the lord 
 chancellor to write to the lord commissioner, 
 to give an account thereof to his majesty. 
 
 " Glencairn, Chanc. I. P. D." 
 
 Thus matters stood till Mai-ch 17th, when 
 I find the proclamation agreed upon Feb- 
 ruary 12th, was published by the chancellor 
 in the interval of council days, upon his 
 receiving the letter just now to be spoke of; 
 and next council day, March 24th, his ma- 
 jesty's letter directed to the council, anent 
 the fines, was read; the tenor whereof 
 follows. 
 
 " Right trusty, &c. Upon consideration 
 of an act of the last session of our parliament, 
 intituled, anent persons excepted forth of 
 the indemnity, bearing the date of the 9th 
 of September, 1662, we did, by our letter 
 of the 23d of January last, command you 
 to make public intimation of our pleasure 
 for suspending of the first term's payment 
 of the fines, until we shall declare our 
 further pleasure thereanent ; as also for 
 dispensing with the penalties, and that by 
 open proclamation, and all other ways 
 requisite, to the end all our good subjects 
 might take notice of the same : this letter 
 we commanded you to registrate in our 
 council books, and to these commands we 
 did requke ready obedience, and a speedy 
 account. In pursuance of which letter, 
 we were informed that you gave order for a 
 proclamation upon the 12th of February 
 last : but we wondered to hear, that by the 
 13th of February, you did ordain by an act, 
 that that proclamation should n 7t be publish- 
 ed until further order; yet, not having heard 
 
 change, we did forbear the declaring of our 
 pleasure concerning the same, till we should 
 see an extract of the said act. And now 
 finding, by a subscribed extract of that act, 
 that a letter was directed by the earl of 
 Middlcton, om* commissioner, to our chan- 
 cellor, in these words, ' That if you have not 
 published any thing relating to the fines, I 
 do in his majesty's name desire that nothing 
 may be done :' we have again thought fit 
 to let you know, that we do again require 
 you to obey om* said letter of the 23d of 
 January last, according to the tenor of it. 
 So expecting a speedy account of these our 
 renewed commands, we bid you heartUy 
 farewell. Whitehall, March 10th. 
 
 " By his majesty's command, 
 
 " LAUr>ERDALE." 
 
 When the chancellor presented the above 
 letter to the council, he acquainted them, 
 that upon the receipt of it he had imme- 
 diately given orders to the clerk to make 
 publication of the proclamation at the cross 
 of Edinburgh. " The lords of his majesty's 
 privy council do approve of the lord chan- 
 cellor's proceedings, and give liim hearty 
 thanks for his diligence and care in pro- 
 secuting his majesty's commands. And 
 considering that part of his majesty's letter, 
 January 23d, requiring persons empowered 
 to receive the fines, not to uplift them; 
 therefore do discharge all who have been, 
 or shall be appointed, to intromit with the 
 said fines, or to uplift the same or any part 
 thereof, while his majesty's fm'ther pleasm'e 
 be known ; and ordain intimation hereof to 
 be made to Sir Alexander Dm'ham, Lyon, 
 and others having interest." This is all I 
 meet with in the registers as to the fines 
 this year. The reader will easily perceive 
 where the stop of the king's letters being 
 execute, lay ; and this was a very consider- 
 able article against IVIiddleton, who had, it 
 seems, kept up some orders, formerly sent 
 him, delaying the execution of the fines. 
 In the following years we shall find the 
 king's pleasure declared, and the fines 
 severely exacted. 
 
 March 3d, the council, in prosecution of 
 the former acts of parliament, ordaiiung 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 vacant stipends to be uplil\ecl, having named 
 Mr. John Wilkie to collect them, write the 
 following letter to the several bishops 
 through the kingdom. 
 
 « My Lord, 
 
 " The lords of privy council having heard 
 a petition presented by Mr. John Wilkie, 
 collector of the vacant stipends, did recom- 
 mend to me to write to your lordship, that 
 you make trial what churches have been 
 vacant within your diocese, how long they 
 have vaiked, and the true quantity of the 
 stipends ; as also what of the said vacancies 
 
 OF thp: churcw of Scotland. 
 
 389 
 
 While the council are persecutinir ,„^„ 
 ', , "^ 1663. 
 
 presbytenan mmisters, and the very 
 
 day the Galloway ministers arc before then, 
 
 March 24th, they have such accounts of the 
 
 terrible increase of popery, as draw out the 
 
 following letter to ejich of the bishops. 
 
 " JRiglit reverend father in God. 
 " The lords of his majesty's privy council, 
 having received frequent informations of 
 the great increase of popery within this 
 kingdom, and the insolent and bold car- 
 riage of many of that profession, who not 
 only make open avowance of the same. 
 
 have been uplifted by the said Mr. John though contrary to law, but make it their 
 
 work to pervert and seduce his majesty's 
 good subjects into that sinful and wicked 
 way, and to corrupt them thereby both in 
 their religion, obedience and allegiance : 
 and finding themselves obliged, in con- 
 science and duty, to prevent the further 
 growth of this evil, have therefore thought 
 fit by those to desire your lordship to take 
 some effectual course at the next meeting 
 of your synod, or any other way you shall 
 think fit, that an exact account of the num- 
 ber, quality, and names of all persons within 
 your diocese, who profess popery or are 
 popishly affected, and upon that account 
 withdraw from the public ordinances, and 
 that with all diligence -jou send in the same 
 to his majesty's council ; and that in the 
 meantime all means be used for bringing 
 them to conformity ; and in case of their 
 obstinacy, that the censures of the church 
 be execute against them. Herein expect- 
 ing the fruits of your care and diligence, we 
 rest your lordship's affectionate friends. 
 
 " Glencairn, Ch. &c. ut in Sedcr^nty 
 
 AVilkic, that the case of the said vacancies 
 may be truly known, and all obstructions 
 removed that may hinder the ingetting of 
 what is resting, to be employed to the uses 
 for which the same are destinate : and that 
 with your convenicncy you may make a 
 report thereof to the parliament, or privy 
 council. I am, &c. 
 
 " Glencairn, Chancellor." 
 
 I find no more upon this head. Many 
 were the vacancies made by the late acts of 
 council and parliament, and there would be 
 a round sum to distribute among such as 
 they called sufferers in late times, whereas 
 presbyterian ministers were among the great- 
 est sufferers, and now are brought to a new 
 scene of suffering. 
 
 That same diet of council, " The lords 
 of council finding it most necessary and 
 expedient upon very grave and good con- 
 siderations, that the diet of the diocesan 
 meeting of the synod of Galloway, should 
 be continued while the 2d Wednesday of 
 May next, have thought fit, and hereby do 
 continue the same till that day, and ordain 
 macers or messengers at arms, to malce 
 publication hereof at the market-cross of 
 Edinburgh, Kirkcudbright, and other places 
 needful." The reason of this was, few or 
 none of the ministers in that synod did 
 comply with prelacy, and none were expect- 
 ed at this synod. Most part of the minis- 
 ters of that country, as we shall hear, were 
 cited in February before the council, either 
 to frighten them into a compliance, or in 
 order to a banishment. 
 
 In the progress of this history we shall 
 find the bishops backward to this work, and 
 nothing done in it to purpose, though one 
 would think there was no great difficulty in 
 it, had their zeal against papists been equal 
 to that against presbyterian ministers. 
 
 That same day they give the following 
 order about private meetings. — " Informa- 
 tion being given that there are several per- 
 sons who study to keep up private meetings 
 and conventicles, in several parts of the 
 kingdom, studying to alienate the hearts of 
 
34-0 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS []bOOK I. 
 
 ^ „ „ „ the subjects from the present govern- 
 ment in church and state ; the lords 
 of council do recommend to the lord chan- 
 cellor to write to Sir James Turner, or any 
 other whom he shall think fit, to take notice 
 of all such persons, and to give account 
 thereof to the council." What is meant 
 here by private meetings, 1 shall not deter- 
 mine ; 1 take them to relate to the meetings 
 in the outed presbyterian ministers' houses 
 for worship, when they were turned out; 
 or to the meetings among good people 
 for prayer and conference, in this black 
 and sinful time. This I know, that at 
 neither of them was there any alienating 
 people from the king's government ; and if 
 their complaints to God against the inva- 
 sions upon the church by introducing pre- 
 lates and curates, and confession of theu" 
 own and the land's sins, alienate peoples' 
 hearts from the prelatical government of 
 the church, this they avowed, and could 
 not but pour out their soul before the Lord in 
 the distress this church was at this time 
 under. I only further remark, that pre- 
 latic men in this church, and prelates, have 
 ever been against meetings for prayer and 
 Christian societies this way; and even during 
 presbytery, towards the (year) 1640, and 
 afterwards, Mr. Henry Guthrie, and other 
 malignants among the ministry, who had 
 continued at their charges under presbytery, 
 but were for prelacy in their judgment, 
 made a terrible sputter against private 
 meetings and societies for prayer : but 
 Messrs. Rutherford, Dickson, and Douglas 
 took up that matter, and were so happy as 
 to fall upon an act of assembly, that did 
 much to heal the rent that was like to rise 
 upon this head. The Lord, it is certain, did 
 wonderfully countenance private meetings 
 for prayer in this period I am describing. 
 
 The council, April lith, make the follow- 
 ing appointment. " The chancellor having 
 declared to the council, that he received a 
 letter from a sure hand, that there was great 
 abuse committed by several heritors and 
 parishioners in Galloway, (I am of opinion 
 it ought to be in Renfrew or Ayrshire, and 
 I observe here, the registers are not so 
 exactly writ as to the names of persons and 
 places as I could wish) especially those of 
 
 the parish of Nielstun, tending highly to the 
 disquiet of the government, both of church 
 and state, without present remedy be provid- 
 ed ; the lords of council, upon consideration 
 thereof, appoint the marquis of Montrose, 
 the earl of Eglinton, and lord Cochran, and 
 the lord chancellor to be supernumerary, if 
 his affairs can permit, to meet at such times 
 and places as they shall think fit, and to call 
 the persons, who have been either the com- 
 mitters or assisters to that abuse, before 
 them, and, after hearing them, to examine 
 witnesses, if need be, for proving what shall 
 be laid to their charges ; and if, after examin- 
 ation of witnesses and parties, there shall be 
 just ground found, that the said lords shall 
 either cause secure their persons in firmance, 
 or cause them find sufficient caution to 
 answer before the council with all diligence ; 
 and that a report thereof be made to them." 
 — Very probably this letter was from the 
 archbishop of Glasgow ; and it shows how 
 ready the council were to serve the prelates, 
 when, upon one letter from them, or others, 
 they straight appoint such a committee as 
 this is. I find no more about this affair, and 
 suppose nothing was made of it. Another 
 evidence of this is, what follows in the re- 
 gisters. " The chancellor having declared, 
 that there were several ministers, and 
 preaching expectants, who inveighed highly 
 against his majesty's government, ordered 
 that letters be direct to cite all such minis- 
 ters, or preaching expectants, as the lord 
 chancellor shall give order for, to compear 
 before the council next council day, to 
 answer for their misdemeanors." 
 
 Little further remarkable of a general 
 nature offers until the 13th of August, when 
 the council pass their act and proclamation 
 of this day's date, which may be termed 
 " The Scots Mile act." I have added it at 
 the foot of the page.* The council had had 
 
 * Act of Council, Edinburgh, August 13th, 
 1663. 
 
 Forasmuch as it doth appear, that divers 
 ministers, who, by the law, have no right to 
 preach or remain in those parishes which did 
 belong to their cure, do notwithstanding pre- 
 sume to assemble his majesty's subjects in 
 churches and elsewhere, to preach, administer 
 the sacraments, and to keep conventicles and dis- 
 orderly meetings ; and do go about to corrupt 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 311 
 
 considerable numbers of presbyterian min- 
 isters before them, for the refusing obedience 
 to the act of Glasgow, as we shall see in the 
 fifth section. It had been endless work to 
 have called the vast numbers from all 
 corners before them, who were recusants 
 to their former acts ; and therefore, after 
 they had, to terrify the rest, brought not 
 a few before them, and banished them 
 benorth Tay, they come to a shorter way, 
 and comprise them all in this act. 
 
 It deserves our remark in the entry, that it 
 was not formed, as most of other proclamations 
 are, upon letters from the king, but at Edin- 
 burgh, without any orders from his majesty 
 about it : and it is the first act of general con- 
 cern made after the two archbishops are ad- 
 mitted counsellors; andiudeed it savoursmuch 
 of their fiery persecuting spirit. The reader 
 will further notice, that it was made during 
 the sitting of parliament, the proper legisla- 
 ture. Whether the prelates dreaded the 
 parliament would not come in to so unrea- 
 
 and dissuade the people from that affection, 
 duty, obedience, and gratitude they owe to his 
 majesty's government, the laws and authority 
 established, under which the kingdom doth 
 enjoy this great tranquillity and the blessings 
 thereof: as likewise, that many subjects do 
 countenance and join in these unlawful meet- 
 ings, contrary to the acts of parliament pro- 
 hibiting the same. Therefore^ the lords of his 
 majesty's privy council, in discharge of the trust 
 reposed in them, for preserving the public peace 
 and the laws in their authority and vigour, and 
 that turbulent and disaifected ministers may not 
 have such opportunity, as they have hitherto 
 had, to continue their evil practices in seducing 
 too many people into ways of schism, sepai'a- 
 tion, and sedition, tending to the disquieting and 
 overturning of the established goveniment of 
 the state, as well as that of the church ; and in 
 pursuance of what is recommended by his ma- 
 jesty and his estates of parliament, in the late 
 uct of the tenth of July, intituled, " act against 
 separation and disobedience to ecclesiastical au- 
 thority," do hereby command and charge all 
 ministers, who are of shall be found to preach 
 seditiously against the government of church 
 and state, who entered in or since the year 1619, 
 and have not since obtained presentations from 
 their lawful patrons, and collations and admis- 
 sions from their ordinary, and have notwith- 
 standing continued to preach or exercise any 
 duty, proper to the function of the ministei-s, 
 either at these parish churches where they were 
 incumbents, or at any other place, house, or 
 family, to remove themselves, their families, and 
 goods belonging to them, within twenty days 
 after publication hereof, out of these respective 
 parishes where they were incumbents, and not 
 to reside within twenty miles of the same, nor 
 within six miles of Edinburgh or any cathedral 
 
 1663. 
 
 sonable an act, or whether the 
 council inclined to assume this 
 power, properly parliamentary, under their 
 nose, and, from their connivance at such a 
 practice, plead a right to make laws for the 
 subjects, when the parliament was not sitting, 
 with a better grace, I do not determine. 
 
 By this act, presbyterian ministers entered 
 since the (year) 1649, not receiving presen- 
 tation and collation, are to remove with their 
 families from their parishes in three weeks, 
 and must not reside within twenty miles of 
 the same, or six miles of Edinburgh, or any 
 cathedi"al church, or three miles to any 
 burgh royal in the kingdom, under pain of 
 seditiorL All heritors or householders are 
 discharged to receive them, but in the above 
 terms ; and the ministers ordained before the 
 (year) 1649, who attend not the diocesan 
 sjTiods, are to be proceeded against as con- 
 temners of his majesty's authority ; as the 
 act itself more fully bears. From this act 
 we may see that the bishops would have 
 
 church, or three miles of any burgh royal within 
 this kingdom; with certification, that if they 
 fail to remove themselves, as said is, and to give 
 exact obedience hereunto, (unless they have 
 the permission of the lords of privy council, or 
 of the bishop of the diocese) they are to incur 
 the penalties of the laws against movers of sedi- 
 tion, and to be proceeded against with that 
 strictness that is due to so great contempts of 
 his majesty's authority over church and state. 
 And do hereby inhibit and discharge all heri- 
 tors and householders in burgh or land, to give 
 any presence or countenance to any one or more 
 of these ministers, removed by this act, to preach 
 or exercise any act of the office of a minister; 
 with certification, if they, after publication 
 hereof, shall presume so to do, they are to be 
 proceeded against according to law. And being 
 likewise informed, that divers ministers who 
 were entered hy lawful presentations before the 
 year 1649, and do still continue in their exercise 
 of their ministry, do yet forbear to attend eccle- 
 siastical meetings appointed by authority, and to 
 exercise discipline in their parishes, without 
 giving any account of their administrations, to 
 the great detriment of the order and peace of 
 the church : therefore they command and charge 
 all those ministers to keep the diocesan synods, 
 and other ecclesiastical meetings .^.ppoiuted by 
 authority; with certification, that if, after pub- 
 lication hereof, they fail so to do, and dis.;bcy 
 the acts of parliament and council made there- 
 anent, they are to be proceeded against as con- 
 temners of his majesty's authority. And or- 
 dain these presents to be printed, and published 
 at the Market-cross of fcdinbmgh, and other 
 places needful, that none pretend ignorance. 
 Pet. Wf.i;derborn, 
 CI. Sccr. Concilii. 
 
342 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 . „ none of the presbyterian ministers 
 so much as breathing air near 
 them. " The five mile act " in England was 
 reckoned abundantly severe, but this runs 
 far higher ; and all along we shall find our 
 prelates screw every thing higher than the 
 English laws go. In part I have already 
 taken notice of the hardships in this rigid 
 act, and the bare reading of it will discover 
 them. Every body must see what charges 
 and trouble it puts poor ministers to, as well 
 as their small families. They arc removed 
 merely for conscience' sake, far from their 
 beloved people, from whom at least they 
 might have been allowed some commisera- 
 tion in their distress : but the bishops, in as 
 far as lies hi their power, deprived them of 
 any thing which might in the least alleviate 
 their sufferings, and very barbarously send 
 them to make the best they can of a hard 
 lot among strangers. Presbyterian ministers 
 had been already thrice punished for their 
 simple nonconformity ; and this is indeed 
 the fourth proclamation and punishment for 
 the same pretended crime of mere nonsub- 
 jection to bishops, and their adherence to 
 the reformation rights of Scotland, and their 
 own known principles : and where the equity 
 of this procedure lies, the reader must judge. 
 According to the episcopal principles, at 
 least the profession of many of them, and 
 sure, according to the very laws of this time, 
 the government of the chm'ch is ambulatory, 
 a matter indifferent, and entirely at the dis- 
 posal of the magistrate. At the worst that 
 can be made of the ministers' practice, they 
 were only guilty of an omission in a matter 
 indifferent ; and it is at best grievous oppres- 
 sion to violent (treat with violence) men 
 at such a rate, and to force them to run 
 counter to their own light, in a thing of 
 such a nature, according to the prelatists' 
 own principles. 
 
 By former laws none but one minister 
 must reside in one congregation ; and I am 
 of opinion, the nicest geographer will scarce 
 find room for near four hundred ministers to 
 live in separate congregations, provided they 
 keep by all the conditions in this act, twenty 
 miles from their own parish, six miles 
 from Edinburgh, and from every cathedral, 
 and three from every burgh royal. Several 
 
 THE SUFFEllINGS [cOOK I. 
 
 of the outed ministers had relations and 
 friends in towns and burghs, and the indus- 
 try of their families was now the only means 
 of their subsistence, and there they had the 
 best occasion of employing themselves. By 
 this act they were almost deprived of the 
 means of educating their small children, at 
 least they must be at double charges this 
 way, and have them removed from their in- 
 spection when at schools. In a word, it was 
 every way unprecedented, as well as unrea- 
 sonable, to oblige poor ministers to remove 
 themselves and families the third time in 
 less than the space of one yeai". Yet such 
 are the tender mercies of the wicked. 
 
 Upon the 7th of October, another ill- 
 natured act is passed in council. The 
 bishops were fretted that any of the presby- 
 terian ministers of L'eland should have 
 a shelter in Scotland, and no less grated 
 that such multitudes withdrew from hearing 
 the curates; and therefore to reach both, 
 this act is framed , which being the founda- 
 tion of very much persecution, and not 
 having seen it in print, I shall insert it here 
 though it be pretty long. 
 
 " Ajmd Edinburgh, 1th October, 1663. 
 
 " Whereas his majesty, with advice and 
 consent of his estates of parliament, by their 
 act and proclamation bearing date the 22d 
 day of February, 16G1, finding, that many 
 seditious and turbulent persons, ministers, 
 and others, in the kingdom of Ireland, who 
 by reason of their fanatic principles could 
 not comply with the administration of his 
 majesty's authority and government so hap- 
 pily established in that kingdom, were coming 
 over, expecting shelter here, that they might 
 be the more able to carry on their designs 
 in perverting the allegiance of the subjects, 
 and subverting the peace of the kingdom • 
 and it did much concern the public peace, 
 that such wasps and unworthy persons, ene- 
 mies to all lawful authority, and to whom it 
 is natural to stir up sedition, and undermine 
 the peace wherever they are, sb.ould have 
 no countenance in this kingdom ; did there- 
 fore declare, that no persons whosoever 
 coming from Ireland, without a sufficient 
 pass and testimonial in writ from the 
 lord lieutenant, or from the lords of coun- 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 cil, or some having power from tliem, or 
 the sheriff of the county, or mayor of the 
 city where these persons lived, of tlieir 
 peaceable carriage and conformity to the 
 laws, should be allowed any residence, receit, 
 and stay within this kingdom ; but it should 
 be lawful, likeas all magistrates and justices 
 of the peace, aix' hereby required to seize 
 upon, and imprison such persons wanting 
 such testimony, who should not willingly 
 remove out of the kingdom within fifteen 
 days after the intimating of the said procla- 
 mation to them (excepting all ordinary 
 known traffiicking merchants) likeas, by the 
 said act it is ordained, that all such persons, 
 who should come over with any such testi- 
 mony, should within fifteen days after their 
 landing make their appearance before the par- 
 liament, or in case of their not sitting, before 
 his majesty's privy council, or such as shall 
 be warranted by them, and make known the 
 reasons of their coming hitlier, and give secu- 
 rity, such as shall be thought fit, for their 
 peaceable carriage, otherwise to remove off 
 the country in fifteen days ; wherein if they 
 should fail, magistrates, sheriffs, and other 
 public ministers, are by the said act em- 
 powered to apprehend, secure, and impri- 
 son them, till course shall be taken with 
 them as with seditious and factious persons. 
 " And seeing the said act and proclama- 
 tion was only to enduro for a year after the 
 date thereof, and longer as the privy coun- 
 cil should think fit; and seeing the same 
 has not yet been renewed or prorogated, 
 neither as yet have any person or persons 
 been nominated and empowered, before 
 whom those coming from Ireland in man- 
 ner foresaid, should be examined, and make 
 known the reasons of their coming hitiier, 
 and to whom they should find caution for 
 their peaceable carriage in manner men- 
 tioned in the said act ; by reason whereof 
 several ministers have presumed to come 
 from Ireland to this kingdom, without 
 either acknowledging the authority of his 
 majesty's parliament, or privy council, their 
 authority, civil or ecclesiastic, some of which 
 have been so bold as to preach publicly in 
 chuixhes, and others privately do watch 
 their own opportunities, to stir up the sub- 
 jects to sedition, and alienate their minds 
 
 OF THE CHUUCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 343 
 
 1663. 
 
 from the government so happily estab- 
 lished in church and state : the lords 
 of his majesty's privy council have renewed, 
 and by those presents do renew the said act 
 and proclamation, and ordain the same to 
 stand in full force, strength, and effect, and to 
 be put to due execution against the contra- 
 veners thereof, and for that effect have 
 nominated, appointed, and empowered, and 
 by these presents nominate, appoint, and 
 empower, William, earl of Glencairn, lord 
 chancellor, Hugh, earl of Eglinton, the earl 
 of Galloway, William, lord Cochran, the 
 provost of Glasgow for the time, the pro- 
 vost of AjT for the time, Maxwel of Munshes, 
 the provost of Wigton for the time, and 
 Stuart of Taudergie, or any of them, to 
 call before them all such persons coming 
 from Ireland, wanting sufficient testimonies 
 and passes fi-om the lord lieutenant, or 
 other persons mentioned in the said act and 
 proclamation, who shall not willingly remove 
 off the kingdom within fifteen days after the 
 publication of those presents, and to secure 
 their persons till his majesty's council be 
 acquainted therewith; with power also to 
 the forenamed persons or any of them, to 
 examine all such persons as shall come over 
 from Ireland, having such testimony, con- 
 cerning their reasons of coming hither, and 
 to take such caution and security of them 
 for their peaceable carriage, as they shall 
 think fit ; and, in case they shall not find 
 the said security, to cause them to remove 
 off the country within fifteen days, other- 
 wise to apprehend, imprison, and secure 
 them, until they be proceeded against as 
 seditious persons, and distui'bers of the 
 public peace. 
 
 " Moreover, the lords of his majesty's 
 privy council taking to their consideration, 
 that notwithstanding of the acts of parlia- 
 ment and council, published for the pre- 
 venting and suppressing the seeds of separa- 
 tion and disobedience to authority, divers 
 persons in several parishes presume to 
 withdraw and separate themselves from 
 attending upon the ordinary meetings for 
 divine worship, in those parishes where 
 ministers are legally planted, to the scan- 
 dalous contempt of the laws, and great 
 increase of disorder and licentiousness, and 
 
344 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 - «„„ that some do pervert the true mean- 
 ing of the act of parliament against 
 separation and disobedience to ecclesiastical 
 authority (of which we shall hear in the next 
 section) which appoints every minister to 
 give admonition in presence of two witnesses, 
 to such persons as shall be given up to the 
 council as transgressors of the said act ; 
 therefore the lords of his majesty's privy 
 council, for explanation of that clause of the 
 said act, according to the true meaning 
 and intent thereof, do declare that those 
 persons shall be proceeded against by the 
 council as transgressors of the act, who 
 withdraw from their parish church after 
 three public admonitions given by the minis- 
 ters of the respective parishes out of the 
 pulpit, in the church, upon the Lord's day, 
 after divine service, and that the minister's 
 attestation under his hand, that in the pre- 
 sence of two or more sufficient witnesses, he 
 hath from the pulpit upon three Lord's days 
 intimated the names of such who ordinarily 
 and wilfully absent themselves from the 
 ordinary meetings for divine worship in their 
 own parish church, shall give a sufficient 
 ground of proceeding against such persons 
 as transgressors of the said act. For put- 
 ting of which into the more effectual execu- 
 tion, as they do dischfyge such persons, who 
 under the pretext of tlieir being elders in 
 kirk sessions formerly, do go about to leaven 
 the people with dissatisfaction and disobe- 
 dience to the laws and ecclesiastical author- 
 ity, upon the pain of being proceeded against 
 as seditious persons ; so they do require 
 such persons as shall be called by the 
 ministers legally planted, to assist them for 
 suppressing of sin and disorders in the 
 parish, to give their concurrence for that 
 effect. And further they do command and 
 require, and hereby authorize and warrant 
 all noblemen, sheriffs, magistrates of burghs, 
 justices of peace, and all officers of the 
 standing forces, as they tender his majesty's 
 service and the peace of the country, to 
 give their assistance and effectual concur- 
 rence to ministers in their respective bounds 
 in the discharge of theii- office, and to put 
 the law in execution, and to execute the 
 penalties which are expressed in the acts of 
 parliament and council, from all and every 
 
 [book I. 
 
 person who are transgressors in every parish, 
 unless the minister of the parish where 
 the transgressor does reside, shall give a 
 sufficient reason why the said person or 
 persons should not be proceeded against; 
 and to take care that the said penalties be 
 employed for the relief of the poor, and 
 other pious uses within the respective 
 parishes. And further, all magistrates, 
 sheriffs, and other public ministers, are 
 hereby ordained, as they will be answerable 
 upon their duty, to put this present act and 
 proclamation, with the acts of parliament 
 and council, hereby renewed and explained, 
 to due execution, against the contraveners 
 thereof, in manner therein expressed, and 
 ordain those presents to be printed and 
 published." 
 
 This act speaks for itself. I know not 
 but the noise about Blood's plot, which was 
 about this time, might occasion a greater 
 severity in the first part of this proclama- 
 tion, than otherwise perhaps might have 
 been ; but none of the ministers who came 
 here many months ago, were in the least 
 concerned in any thing disloyal, and the 
 sedition talked of here, is only their dislike 
 at prelatical government. What I remarked 
 upon the former act, as to the council's 
 procedure during the sitting of parliament, 
 comes in upon this ; for the parliament was 
 yet sitting : and what an arbitrary step must 
 it be in them, to explain and enlarge, yea, 
 alter some of the branches of an act of this 
 present parliament, even when they them- 
 selves are sitting? After this, I confess, 
 we need not be surprised to find few parlia- 
 ments, except upon some very specia' 
 occasions, since the council take theii 
 power to themselves, even when sitting 
 In short, the reader no doubt hath observed, 
 that the execution of this act, and the up- 
 lifting of the fines, afterward called church- 
 fines, for absence from the parish church, 
 are put in the hands of the army. Indeed 
 noblemen and others are named, but it is 
 only pro more, and the army were the 
 uplifters of the penalties ; and the curates, 
 , we see, the informers, and witnesses in their 
 own cause, which certainly was very impo- 
 litic, as well as unreasonable. 
 
OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND- 
 
 CHAP. IV. J 
 
 Towards tlic end of this year, the coun- 
 cil are at mach pains to press the declara- 
 tion imposed by the parliament, and it be- 
 came matter of sore suffering to multitudes. 
 1 shall give what I find in the registers about 
 it altogether. November 17th, the whole 
 lords of " privy council present, viz. chan- 
 cellor, St. Andrews, Dunfermline, Roxburgh, 
 Tweeddale, Kincardin, Halkerton, presidenti 
 register, justiee-clerk, Hatton, Niddry, Sir 
 Robert Murray, did subscribe the declara- 
 tion appointed by act of parliament to be 
 taken by all persons in public trust; and 
 recommend it to the president of the session, 
 to see that the same be taken by all the 
 members of the college of justice." That 
 same day, the following letter was ordered 
 to be directed to whole sheriffs of shires 
 and Stewarts. 
 
 " Assured friends, 
 
 " Seeing it is recommended to the council, 
 by the parliament, to see their act concern- 
 ing the declaration, to be taken by all per- 
 sons in public trust, put in execution, and 
 receive obedience conform to the tenor of 
 the said act, and that a speedy account be 
 returned thereof, immediately after the 
 expiring of the terms appointed for that 
 effect ; we have thought fit to give you 
 timous notice thereof, that your deputes 
 and clerks subscribe, and be careful to re- 
 quire all those within your shire to sub- 
 scribe the declaration, who are appointed to 
 take the same, according as is appointed by 
 the said act of parliament, w hereof we have 
 sent you a printed copy, with the ' declara- 
 tion annexed ; and that you give an account 
 of your diligence immediately after the first 
 of January next to come. 
 
 " And because we are informed likewise, 
 that the late act of council concerning 
 ministers that have entered since the year 
 1G49, and have not obtained collation from 
 their ordinary, has been openly and avow- 
 edly disobeyed, the said ministers still re- 
 maining in those places prohibited by the 
 said act ; therefore we require you to take 
 trial what ministers within your bounds and 
 jurisdictions have disobeyed the foresaid act, 
 where they live and reside, and give adver- 
 tisement to the clerk of council, to be com- 
 
 345 
 
 1GG3. 
 
 municate to us, that further order 
 may be taken thereanent. We rest 
 
 " Your assured friends. 
 " Ut in Sederunt. " 
 
 Another letter is directed to the burghs, 
 and a copy of the act and declaration is sent, 
 of the same tenor with that above; only 
 that part about ministers is not insert in it, 
 now that ministers are discharged from all 
 burghs. And as to the burghs where sea- 
 ports are, this addition is made. " We 
 being informed, that the pestilence is raging 
 at Hamburgh and Amsterdam, so that the 
 keeping commerce with these places may 
 endanger this kingdom; therefore you are 
 to take care that no ships, persons, and 
 goods from thence, be suffered to enter your 
 harbour, till they abide the ordinary trial of 
 forty days, during which time you are to 
 cause them keep apart by themselves." And 
 December 2d, " The lords of council con- 
 sidering, that many reports from the burghs, 
 anent the subscribing the declaration, are 
 informal, do therefore appoint and ordain 
 the whole shires and burghs to return to 
 the clerks of council in writ, the very words 
 of the declaration, subscribed by those who 
 are appointed to take the same; and that 
 the clerk of the court do testify, the same 
 is truly subscribed by the whole persons 
 whose names are subjoined ; and where any 
 refuses, that the names of the refusers be 
 returned under the hands of the magistrates 
 of buj'ghs, sheriffs of shires, and their clerks." 
 
 We see the exact care taken about the 
 subscription of this declaration, whereby 
 the covenants were renounced ; and in the 
 beginning of the next year, wc shall find 
 more efforts used this way. Great numbers 
 refused this declaration, and severals left 
 their places and offices. I find it remarked 
 by no enemy to this imposition, " that in 
 December, Sir James Dalrymple of Stsiii-. 
 Sir James Dundas, and Sir George Mac- 
 kenzie of Tarbet, refused the signing cf 
 this declaration, among the lords of session; 
 but in a little time my lord Stair repented, 
 and signed it." 
 
 November 24th, the council finding the 
 army making some misimproveraent of the 
 general powers granted them by the pro- 
 2 X 
 
346 
 
 1G63. 
 to the 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 clamation, October 7th, give an 
 explication and restriction of it, 
 penalty of twenty shillings Scots 
 for absence, perhaps to quicken them to 
 persecute, by binding them down to this 
 particular. Their order runs, " forasmuch 
 as the lords of council, in prosecution 
 of the acts of parliament and council, 
 for settling church government, and for 
 preventing and suppressing the seeds of 
 separation and disobedience to authority, 
 did emit an act and proclamation, of the 
 7th of October last, and, by a clause of the 
 said act, did give warrant to all noblemen, 
 &c. and officers of the standing forces, to 
 give their assistance and effectual concur- 
 rence to ministers, in their respective bounds 
 in discharge of their oflice, and to put the 
 laws in execution, and to exact the penalties 
 expressed in the acts of parliament and 
 council, from all persons transgressors 
 thereof, within their respective parishes : 
 the said lords, for the explanation of the 
 foresaid act, and for clearing the power 
 thereby given to the officers of the army, 
 anent the exacting the penalties contained 
 therein, do declare that the said officers of 
 standing forces, shall have no power to 
 exact any of the penalties contained in the 
 said acts, except allenarly the penalty of 
 twenty shillings Scots, from every person 
 who stay from their own parish churches 
 upon the Sabbath-day ; which they are to 
 exact in manner, and for the use contained 
 in the act of council." Wolves will not be 
 tamed; and when the soldiers were once 
 let loose, we shall find they soon got over 
 their restrictions, and no notice was taken 
 of them for so doing. This year the council 
 had many particular ministers, gentlemen 
 and others before them ; but those will 
 aiford matter for a section by themselves, 
 if once I had given some account of the 
 parliament this year. 
 
 Of Lhe acts of parliament, in as far as they 
 relate to the church, with some account if 
 Middleto7i' s fall this year, 1G63. 
 
 The former two sessions of parliament had 
 done so much in overtiuning the reforma- 
 
 PHE SUFFEIIINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 tion, government, and discipline of this 
 church, that very little was left to this 
 session to do. And because I am to be 
 very short upon the proceedings of this 
 court, I shall begin with the change of their 
 commissioner, the earl of Middleton, v;ho 
 had managed the two former sessions very 
 much to the prelates' satisfaction. 
 
 The history of a church under the cross, 
 can scarce be well given without inter- 
 mixing something relating to the state, 
 especially when the cross conies from the 
 state, supporting corrupt churchmen ; yet 
 I have given, and shall insist upon as little 
 of the civU history of this period, as is 
 consistent with the reader's understanding 
 the springs and circumstances of presby- 
 terians' sufferings. 
 
 Towards the close of the last year, the 
 earl of Middleton hastes up to London, 
 and quits the stage of Scotland, upon which 
 he had acted a severe, rough, and un- 
 acceptable part, never to return to his 
 native country again, as I am informed a 
 country woman told him at Coldstream, 
 when he passed by ; from what art she had 
 her information I know not, but she assured 
 him, he would never have any more power 
 in Scotland. 
 
 When he came to London, the king 
 welcomed him with that angry question, 
 " whether he was sent to Scotland to be 
 a check upon the king, and control his 
 orders ?" The reason of this is, what was 
 remarked before, his concealing letters writ 
 to him, and stopping the proclamation anent 
 the fines. 
 
 In a little time I find Lauderdale gave 
 in a libel and charge of high treason against 
 him, consisting of many particulars. One 
 of them, I hear, was, that he had taken 
 bribes from some of the greatest criminals 
 in Scotland, to keep them out of the ex- 
 ceptions from the act of fines. The king 
 was pleased to keep the issue of this con- 
 troversy betwixt those two great men in his 
 own breast, until the time of the parliament 
 drew near. At length his patent for being 
 king's commissioner is recalled ; and, as we 
 shall hear, the earl of Rothes is put in his 
 room. And in December, after the parlia- 
 ment is up, and the act of ballotting rescinded, 
 
• Thij stnifjgle for superiority between these 
 iin|>i'iiicii>lc(l iiiiiiions of tyranny, is related at 
 gi'eat length by Sir George INIackenzie, a man 
 Jia unprincipled as either of them, though pos- 
 sessed of much more external decency of man- 
 ners. Lauderdale's speech against 3Iiddleton 
 he declares to have been the great mastcrjiiece 
 of his life, but it is far too long to be inserted 
 here. It is sufficiently seasoned with encomi- 
 ums upon his majesty, and the illimitable nature 
 of his prerogative, upon which, with a great 
 deal of art, it insinuates that Middleton had in 
 a number of instances encroached. The act 
 of billeting, however, was the great object of 
 the speaker's aversion, he being b)' it excluded 
 from office, and he characterises it in the follow- 
 ing manner : — " Uy billeting, any man's honour, 
 his life, his posterity may be destroyed without 
 tbe trouble of hearing him, calling him, hearing 
 liis answer, nay, without the trouble of accus- 
 
 CIIAP. IV. J OF THE CHUKC 
 
 his coniiiiissions, as governor of Edinburgli 
 castle, and general of the forces in Scotland, 
 are recalled, and he resigned all his places 
 to his majesty's hands. The causes of this 
 disgrace at this time were said to be, the 
 act of fines, and the illegal manner of con- 
 triving it; the act that none should address 
 themselves to his majesty in any matter, 
 without first applying to the commissioner 
 or council ; the ballotting act incapacitating 
 twelve persons of honour, from all places of 
 trust and power; his uplifting and mis- 
 application of some months' cess imposed 
 by the usurper ; his misemploying the cess 
 and excise, to the value of forty thousand 
 pounds sterling ; a missive letter of his 
 to a certain delinquent in the late times, 
 requiring him to pay a great sum of money 
 to one of his friends, otherwise assuring 
 him he should abide the highest pains of 
 law ; a letter of his to the duke of Ormond, 
 lord lieutenant in Ireland, desiring cor- 
 respondence and mutual assistance, when 
 there was need in either kingdom, without 
 m\y warrant; which letter, it is said, the 
 duke sent over to his majesty : and lastly, 
 his stopping the proclamation for prorogat- 
 ing the payment of the fines. Those were 
 alleged as the grounds of this great man's 
 fall ; some of them are certain, the rest I 
 give as I find them in the memoirs of this 
 period. Since the writing of this, I find the 
 earl of Lauderdale's charge and jNIiddleton's 
 answer, are both printed in Brown's Mis- 
 cellanea Aulica, &VO. London, 1702, where 
 the curious reader may see them. * 
 
 H OF SCOTLAND. 347 
 
 Middleton had for his patrons ,. 
 the duke of York, chancellor Hide, 
 and the bishops of England, whom he 
 had so much served in Scotland. It fared 
 no doubt the worse with Middleton, that 
 a party in England was about this tune 
 a forming against the chancellor; and in 
 Jul}, this year, the earl of Bristol and 
 others in parliament managed a charge of 
 high treason against him, and carried their 
 point so far, as he in some time resigned 
 his places. Thus the grand introducers 
 of prelacy in Britain, began to fall about 
 the same time. Lauderdale was a com- 
 plete courtier, and had very much of his 
 master's good graces, and stood nmch by 
 the interest he had with Barbara Villiers, 
 first Mrs. Palmer, and then dutchess of 
 Cleveland, the king's she-favourite. 
 
 The carl of Middleton, in his own rough 
 way, uttered some expressions of his regard 
 to the duke of York, which were wanting in 
 that respect he owed to the king : those Lau- 
 derdale failed not to unprove. After a long 
 and considerable struggle, Middleton, not- 
 withstanding of his great friends and remark- 
 able services, fell before his rival, for whom 
 the king had a personal kindness and regard : 
 and he was obliged to live obscurely enough, 
 until the governor's place of Tangier fell 
 vacant by the death of the lord Rutherford ; 
 and as an honourable sort of banishment, 
 the king was prevailed with to bestow this 
 post u{)on him as a reward of his establish- 
 ing prelacy in Scotland. Our Scots history 
 makes it evident, that all, who, since our 
 
 ing him. Billeting hath the womlerful power 
 to destroy any man, and yet the collective body 
 of that judicature who use it shall never be 
 troubled with his name, till it come to be exe- 
 cuted. This is a stranger engine than white 
 powder which some fancy, for sure this shoots 
 without any noise at all. But, Idessed be God, 
 this dreadful engine was never known as to 
 punishments among any peo))le, lieathcn or 
 Christian, who had the blessing to live under 
 monarchy. Some repul)lics use the billet, or 
 the ballot, in giving places, but I lU'ver so much 
 as read of any thing like it as to pui«slinierit, 
 except the ostracism among tbe Athenians, 
 Avho \vere governed liy that cin-sed sovereign 
 lord the peoi>le ; ami by their oystersliell billet- 
 ing, 1 read of the banishment of Themistocles, 
 after his two famous victories of Salamis and 
 ThermopyIa>. I read also that .'\risti<les was so 
 billeted, a man whose eminent justice is tinned 
 
348 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 reformation by presbyters, put hand 
 to build the hierarchy in Scotland, 
 were turned out of their estates and honours. 
 
 1663. 
 
 into a proverb. Yet, billeting was once attempt- 
 ed to have been brought into Scotland. It was, 
 Sir, in the yeai- 1641, when your blessed father's 
 royal prerogative of naming officers of state was 
 ■wrested from him, and subjected to the appro- 
 bation of parliament. Then was billeting 
 struggled for, but vigorously opposed by your 
 royal father. And even in that sad time, such 
 was the justice and strengtii of reason with 
 which he opposed it, as it was never heard of 
 in Scotland till now, that billeting, even in 
 punishment, is touched with the royal sceptre 
 by the earl of Middleton, and so endeavoured to 
 be made a law. Now, Sir, let me humbly beg 
 your patience a little, to open to you how, as I 
 am informed, this billeting was brought in at 
 this time. It was not first moved in articles, 
 tlie most usual place for proposing law^s. It 
 was first moved in the committee of fines, as I 
 am told, and by the fittest man to impose on 
 your parliament this effectual way of it, who 
 liad imposed incapacitating itself on your ma- 
 jesty; and this was Sir George Alackenzie. 
 As soon as moved, it was opposed, and then 
 your commissioner appeared not for it ; but 
 when it w^as better prepared, it is moved in the 
 articles, and again vigorously opposed, but then 
 your commissioner appearing for it, it w^as, I 
 think, believed he had good warrant for it, and 
 80 it passes. Now, in the last place, I come to 
 the ways of carrying on the names of those who 
 were to be billeted. This was done more in the 
 dark; yet I shall discover what light I have got, 
 but it must be ■with a gentle hand, for they say 
 I am one of them, and I am apt to believe it. 
 Sir, for to me it is no new thing. Six times 
 have I been excepted ; twice for life and estate, 
 tvs-ice for my estate, and twice thus. Yet I 
 bless God, five of the times was during rebel- 
 lion, and by usurpers, for serving your royal 
 father and yourself, and this last I hope will 
 be found to be done neither by your majesty nor 
 by your parliament. If by your sacred majesty, I 
 lay myself at your feet — your breath shall easily 
 destroy the work of your hands, without any 
 such engine as billeting. And sure it is not by 
 your parliament, for my name was never named 
 by your parliament but when they honoured me 
 with an obliging letter, and when they acknow- 
 ledged your worthy choice of me as secretary, 
 (so they are pleased to call it, and here I have 
 it signed by your clerk register, as an act of par- 
 liament,) and none can make me believe that 
 this so just a parliament would without accusa- 
 tion or hearing, so severely condemn a poor man 
 whom they had so much honoured. But I am 
 not worthy your majesty's trouble. The names 
 inserted in the billets were well known, as I 
 believe, to the earl of Middleton. I am in- 
 formed the earl of Newburgh at his table read 
 his list, and desired to make no secret of it, as a 
 noble lord here will justify. I shall not now 
 insist on my informations of diligent solicitings 
 by men of quality, and in whose names tlipy 
 solicited, nor what meetings ■were kept at Mas- 
 terton's tavern, and elsewhere, for carrying tint 
 which was called the light list, for it is time to 
 end this too great trouble. If your majesty 
 
 [book I. 
 
 as might be shown at great length ; and this 
 last builder, after he had banished so many 
 worthy and excellent ministers from their 
 
 shall think the persons concerned worth so 
 much consideration, you will easily discover 
 every step for compassing this affront put on 
 them in the face of all Europe. And such is 
 the loyalty of the members of parliament, that 
 when your pleasure shall be made known, no 
 one circumstance will be concealed from you. 
 How your honour, and the honour of your par- 
 liament is here engaged, 1 do humbly leave to 
 your royal wisdom." 
 
 Middleton went through all these charges 
 one by one at great length, and equally with 
 Lauderdale devoted to his majest}', concluded 
 thus : — " Having with great ingenuity made 
 these returns to the earl of Lauderdale's paper, 
 I humbly lay them with my life and honour at 
 your feet, and do desire to live no longer than 
 I have the esteem of being. Sir, your majesty's 
 most faithful, most humble, and most obedient 
 subject and servant." Middleton had exposed 
 himself much for the king, and had many 
 friends who interested themselves strongly in 
 his behalf; and but for an imfortunate cir- 
 cumstance, might, after all, still have kept his 
 place. He had succeeded in procuring a pardon 
 for Sir John Swinton, that he might deprive 
 Lauderdale of the estate which he had already 
 secured, and of which, notwithstanding of Sir 
 John's pardon, he kept possession till his death ; 
 and now Lauderdale, in return, that he might 
 deprive Middleton of the rich harvest he ex- 
 pected to reap from the fines, and at the same 
 time ingratiate himself with the people, pro- 
 cured, while their quarrel was yet unsettled, a 
 letter from the king to the Scottish council, dis- 
 charging by his prerogative royal, the payment 
 of the first moiety of the fines till farther orders. 
 Middleton, alarmed both for the loss of his 
 share of the fines, and of his power at the same 
 time, made application to Clarendon, that he 
 might interpose his influence with the king to 
 have the proclamatiorf for the payment of the 
 fines continued. The privy council of Scotland 
 being for the most part Middleton's friends, 
 raised at the same time a controversy, whether 
 or not they could properly, while tliere was a 
 lord commissioner in office, receive and execute 
 any order from the king that had not been trans- 
 mitted through the commissioner. AVhile this 
 ■was occupying the council, IMiddleton hav- 
 ing the approbation of Clarendon, obtained, 
 or at least writ to the council that he had ob- 
 tained, an order from the king, that no proceed- 
 ing should be made upon his own letter, and 
 that of course the fines should be uplifted, ac- 
 cording to the proclamation. This occasioned 
 a new debate in the council, where it was 
 affirmed by some that the letter of the king 
 could not be countermanded but by another from 
 his own hand. The council, as a measure of 
 safety, wrote to the king, that they might have 
 his own mind upon the subject. The king, on 
 receiving this letter, was greatly out of humour, 
 and his chagrin was heightened by Lauderdale, 
 who told him, that since Middleton by his own 
 private could recall his majesty's public warrant, 
 he was, to all intents, king of Scotland. " Mid- 
 dleton," says our historian, Mackenzie, " de- 
 
CHAP. IV. J OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 349 
 
 native country, was himself sent to die in 
 a strange land. In Tangier he lived but 
 a short while in contempt, till death seized 
 him ; and by a fall he broke the bone of 
 his right arm, and the broken bone, at 
 the next tumble down a pair of stairs, 
 went into his side and wounded him, so 
 as he turned first stupid, and very quickly 
 died. I have it from good hands, that in 
 times of taking the covenant, such was 
 his forward zeal for it, that coming out 
 of the place where he and others had taken 
 it, he said to some gentlemen and others 
 about him, " That this was the pleasantest 
 day ever he had seen, and if ever he should 
 
 1663. 
 
 of our reformation establishment 
 in Scotland, and, as hath been 
 hinted, chancellor Hide's, who acted much 
 the same part in England, was not much 
 better. The attack began upon him this 
 year, and after he was disgraced at court, 
 in a little time he was forced, to escape 
 the punishment of what was charged against 
 him, to flee his native country, and died in 
 a strange land after a seven years' exile : so 
 dangerous a thing is it to meddle with the 
 church of Christ ! 
 
 The dependance of these debates betwixt 
 these two great men, made the parliament 
 to be adjourned more than once : at length 
 
 do any thing against that blessed work he it is determined it shall meet, and a new 
 
 had been engaging into, holding up his right 
 arm, he wished to God that might be his 
 death." Whether he had his wish at Tangier, 
 he now knows best. 
 
 This was the fate of the great overturner 
 
 fended himsplf by alleging Clarendon's report 
 to him of his majesty's pleasure, which answer 
 satisfied not the king, but hastened JMiddleton's 
 ruin. For, after the king had commanded the 
 council by a new letter to issue out the procla- 
 mation, he recalled INIiddleton's commission, 
 and declared his place of general and captain of 
 the ciistle of Edinburgh void, and bestowed the 
 captain of the castle's place upon the earl of 
 Lauderdale." " Middleton," says Burnet, " al- 
 ways stood upon it that he had the king's order 
 by word of mouth for what he had done, though 
 he was not so cautious as to procure an instruc- 
 tion under his hand for his warrant. It is very 
 Erobable that he spoke of it to the king when 
 is head was full of somewhat else, so that he 
 did not mind it, and that to get rid of Middleton 
 he bid him do whatsoever he proposed, without 
 reflecting much on it, for tlie king was at that 
 time so distracted in his thoughts, that he was 
 not at all times master of himself. The queen 
 mother had brought over from France one iMrs. 
 Stewart, reckoned a very great beauty, who wae 
 afterwards married to the duke of llichmond. 
 The king was believed to be deeply in love with 
 her. Yet his former mistress kept her ground 
 still ; and what with her humours and jealousy, 
 and what with this new amour, the king had 
 very little quiet between both their passions and 
 bis own." — Mackenzie's History of Scotland, 
 pp. 78 — 112. Bnmet's History of his Own 
 Times, 12mo. edit. pp. 29o, 296. Kirkton on 
 this business remarks, " Lauderdale knew well 
 what the king's delights were ; he chooscd for 
 his patron neither statesman nor prince. Bar- 
 bara Villiers, first Mrs. Palmer, then dutchess 
 of Cleveland, was his choice ; and before her 
 bedside he would have kneeled for ane hour at 
 ane time to imjjlore her friendship with the 
 king, because he knew well what inHuence his 
 miss had upon him, and with these weapons he 
 prevailed." — History of the Church of Scotland, 
 p. lbS.—£d. 
 
 commissioner must be provided. Lauderdale 
 now has all Scots affairs entirely in his hand, 
 and finds it not convenient to fill that post 
 himself, but pitches upon the earl of Rothes, 
 afterwards duke; and to make all sure in 
 Scotland against a new rival, and that he 
 might be at the bottom of Middleton's plot 
 against him, he comes down to Scotland 
 with him, and brings a remission to the 
 lord Lorn, as we shall hear; and liothes 
 hath a multitude of places heaped upon him ; 
 and the earl of Tweeddale, whose son mar- 
 ried Lauderdale's daughter, is made president 
 of the council. 
 
 Upon June 15th, the commissioner comes 
 down to Holyrood-house, and June 18th, 
 the parliament sat down. The bishop of 
 Aberdeen had a sermon before this session 
 opened, and the commissioner and chancellor 
 had speeches, which I have not seen ; and 
 the formerly absent members took the oaths. 
 The chief business of this parliament seems 
 to have been to inquire into the act of bal- 
 loting, and the design formed during the 
 last session against Lauderdale, which I 
 leave to civil historians. The lords of the 
 articles were changed, and Middleton's party 
 left out in the nomination. I find it re- 
 marked, that after all the search was made 
 into this plot against the secretary, it was 
 found mostly to land on INIiddleton, Lennox, 
 and Newburgh. The former sessions had 
 left very little to this meetuig of parliament, 
 to do in favour of the prelates, unless it was 
 to guard them against the spite of the coiui- 
 try, and to lay the foundations of a more 
 
350 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 to me odd enough when I read it. The 
 
 1 ^^o open and universal persecution, than 
 
 lood. * t. 1 1 • • u 
 
 ever Scotland saw since popish 
 
 prelates were removed. 
 
 Slavish principles as to civil rights and 
 liberty, still lead the van to persecution for 
 conscience' sake ; and therefore, though 
 indeed it hath little reference to the church, 
 I could not but notice the tenor of the first 
 act of this session anent the lords of articles.* 
 By this act the king in a manner hath the 
 whole of the business of the parliament in his 
 hand ; the prelates being the creatures of the 
 court, and having the choice of the nobility 
 who were to be members of the com- 
 mittee, would not readily fix upon any who 
 were not acceptable to the court. The 
 nobility, who chose members from the 
 bishops, could scarce go wrong, they being 
 all absolute creatures of the king's making : 
 and those two together chose the barons and 
 burgesses, who indeed could not miss to be 
 right chosen of their own kidney ; and they 
 were on the matter but ciphers, the officers 
 of state being supernumerary, and the chan- 
 cellor president always. By this committee, 
 every matter which was not agreeable to the 
 court, was effectually kept out of the house, 
 be it never so much for the good of the 
 country. This was certainly one of the 
 highest encroachments possible upon the 
 privileges of tlie subject, as well as the 
 Christian; and one of the most slavish acts 
 that could be well made, limiting the supreme 
 power, and making the king as absolute almost 
 as he can wish ; and the parliament must 
 fall in with every thing proposed. They were 
 a mere shadow, and as Sii* George Mackenzie 
 somewhere calls them, " the king's baron 
 court."f The narrative of this act appeared 
 
 * The folio edition, 1663, wants this, but the 8vo. 
 1683, has it, and the numbers of the acts are as here. 
 In the other edition tlie 1st act is against separa- 
 tion, &c. The reason of this difference I know not. 
 f This servility on the part of the Scottish 
 parliament was no new trait in its character ; 
 for we find James VI. in one of his hectoriiig 
 speeches to the parliament of England, boasting 
 that the parliament of his native country was 
 entirely subservient to his will. " This," he 
 goes on, " I must say for Scotlrmd, and I may 
 truly vaunt it, here I sit and govern it with my 
 pen; I write, and it is done; and by a clerk of 
 the council I govern Scotland now, which others 
 could not do by the sword. — For here I must 
 note unto you the different nature of the two 
 parliaments in these two kingdoms ; for there 
 
 commissioner is brought in representing that 
 it is his majesty's express will and pleasurcf 
 that in this and all succeeding parliaments, 
 the waj' used in choosing the lords of articles 
 in the year 1G33, shall be observed; and then it 
 is added, " the parliament in all humble duty 
 acquiesced thereunto." One must take it 
 for a jest to call this an act of parliament ; 
 it was the king's will and pleasure, and that 
 was to be the rule of their actions, as this 
 parliament, in their eccentric loyalty to the 
 king, are pleased to express themselves in 
 their printed letter to his majesty, at the end 
 of this session, to be seen in the printed acts. 
 Thus they tamely fall in with the old maxim 
 of tyrants, before the restoration truly a 
 stranger in Scotland, sic voio, sic jubeo, stat 
 pro ratione voluntas. Tliis being theii" rule, 
 let us see what was his majesty's will and 
 pleasure, signified to them in their following 
 acts, as to church affairs. 
 
 We need not doubt but the prelates and 
 their adherents were chagrined by the gene- 
 ral opposition made to their curates through 
 the west and south, and many other parts of 
 the kingdom. To bear down this as far as 
 they can, they make their second act "against 
 separation and disobedience to ecclesiastic 
 authority." This act was termed, " The 
 bishops' dragnet," and all alongst this reign 
 it was altered, amended, and confirmed in 
 their favours, as their magna charta ; and 
 therefore I have added it in a note.J Many 
 remarks might be made upon it, but they fall 
 much in with what hath been said on the 
 acts of the former sessions. The parlia- 
 ment begin with a heavy libel against pres- 
 byterian government, as the fountain of the 
 
 they must not speak without the chancellor's 
 leave, and if any man do propound or utter any 
 seditious or uncomely speeches, he is straight 
 interrupted and silenced by the chancellor's au- 
 thority ; whereas here, the liberty for every man 
 to speak what he list, and as long as he list, 
 was the only cause lie was not intermpted." — 
 Works of King James 'V^I. pp. 520, 521.— £d. 
 
 I Act against separation and disobedience to 
 ecclesiastical authority. 
 
 Forasmuch as the. king's majesty, considering 
 the prejudices w^hich did ensue to the church 
 and protestant religion, to the prerogative of the 
 thrown, to the authority of parliament, to the 
 liberties of the subject, and to the public laws 
 and peace of the kingdom, by the invasions 
 made upon episcopal government, during tbo 
 
CHAP. IV.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 351 
 
 evils ill the late times. If" we suppose this them, which now, it seeins, must be 
 
 enacted as the king's pleasure signified to 
 
 late troubles ; and fiiidiii};; that tjovernment, to 
 be the church govcrrnncut most agreeable to the 
 word of God, most conveiiieut aud cfrcctual for 
 preservation of truth, order, and unity, and 
 most suitable to monarchy, and to the j)eacc 
 and quiet of the state ; h:ith therefore, with ad- 
 vice and consent of his estates of parliament, by 
 Beveral acts passed in the second session of this 
 parliament, restored the church to its aiu'ient 
 and right government, by archbishops and 
 bishops, and hath redintegrated tlie estate of 
 bishops to the exercise of their episcopal func- 
 tion, and to all the privileges, dignities, juris- 
 dictions, and possessions due, and formerly be- 
 longing thereunto. And in further order to 
 the settlement of the church, aud bringing the 
 ministers to a due acknowledgment of, and com- 
 pliance witli the government thereof, thus estab- 
 lished by law, his majesty, with advice foresaid, 
 bath also statute and ordained, that all these 
 ministers, wlio entered to the cure of any parish, 
 without right or presentations from tlie lawful 
 patrons, in and since the year one tliousand six 
 hundred and forty-nine, and should not, be- 
 twixt and the twentieth of September last, ob- 
 tain presentations from their several patrons, 
 and collation from the bishop of the diocese 
 where they lived, sliould have no right to the 
 uplifting the rents of any benefice or stipend for 
 the year one tliousand six hundred and sixty- 
 two, but that their places, benefic^^s, and kirks 
 should be, ipso jure, vacant : and that whatever 
 ministers should, without a lawful excuse to be 
 admitted by their ordinary, absent themselves 
 from the diocesan assembly, or who should not 
 concur in all the acts of the church discipline, as 
 they should be thereunto required by the arch- 
 bishop or bishop of the diocese, should be for the 
 first fault suspended from their office and bene- 
 fice till the next diocesan meeting ; and if they 
 amend not, should be deprived, and the church 
 and benefice to be provided as in other ca«es of 
 vacancies. And the king's majesty, having re- 
 solved to conserve and maintain the church in 
 the present state and government thereof, by 
 archbishops and bishops, and others bearing 
 office therein, and not to endure nor ^ive way 
 or connivance to any variation therein in the 
 least, doth therefore, with advice and consent 
 of his estates convened in this third session of 
 his parliament, ratify and aj)prove the afore- 
 mentioned acts, and all other acts and laws made 
 in the two former sessions of parliament, in 
 order to the settling of ejiiscopal dignity, juris- 
 diction, and authority within this kingdom ; 
 and ordains them to stand in full force as pub- 
 lic laws of the kingdom, and to be put to further 
 execution in all points, conform to the tenor 
 thereof. And in pursuance of his majesty's 
 royal resolution herein, his majesty, with ad- 
 vice aforesaid, doth recommend to the lords of 
 his majesty's privy council, to take speedy and 
 effectual course, that these acts receive ready and 
 due obedience from all his majesty's subjects ; 
 ana for that end, that they call before them all 
 such ministers, who, having entered in or since 
 the year one thousand six hundred and forty- 
 nine, and have not as yet obtained presentations 
 and collations, as aforesaid, yet dared to preach 
 In contempt of the law, and to punish them as 
 
 their ruleas to truth as wellas practice. 
 
 1G63. 
 
 seditious persons, and contemners of the royal 
 authority. As also, that they be careful, that 
 such ministers, wiio kee[) not the diocesan meet- 
 ings, and concur not with the bishops in the 
 acts of church discijiline, being for the same 
 suspended or deprived, as said is, be accordingly, 
 after deprivation, removed from their benefices, 
 glebes, and manses ; and if any of them shall, 
 notwithstanding, otfer to retain the jiossession 
 of their benefices or manses, that they take ]ire- 
 seiit course to see them dispossessed ; and if they 
 shall thereafter presume to exercise their minis- 
 try, tha.; they be punished as seditious persons, 
 and such as contemn the authority of church 
 and state. And as his majesty doth expect, 
 from all his good and dutiful subjects, a due 
 acknowledgment of, and hearty compliance with 
 his majesty's government, ecclesiastical and civil, 
 as it is now established by law within this king- 
 dom, and that in order thereunto, they will give 
 their cheerful concurrence, countenance, and 
 assistance to such ministers, as by public author- 
 ity are or shall be admitted in their several 
 parishes, and attend all the ordinary meetings 
 for divine worship in the same; so his majesty 
 doth declare, that he will, and doth account a 
 withdrawing from, and not keeping and joining 
 in these meetings, to be seditious, and of danger- 
 ous example and consequence. And therefore, 
 and for preventing the same for the future, his 
 majesty, with advice and consent of his estates 
 in parliament, doth hereby statute, ordain, and 
 declare, that all and every such person or per- 
 sons, who shall hereafter ordinarily and wilfully 
 withdraw and absent themselves from the 
 ordinary meetings of divine worship, in their 
 own parish church, on the Lord's day, (whether 
 upon account of popery, or other disaffection to 
 the present government of the church) shall 
 thereby incur the pains and penalties under- 
 written ; viz. each nobleman, gentleman, and 
 heritor, the loss of a fourth part of ilk year's 
 rent, in which they shall be accused and con- 
 victed ; and every yeoman, tenant, or farmer, 
 the loss of such a proportion of their free move- 
 ables, (after the payment of their rents due t(» 
 their master and landlord) as his majesty's 
 council shall think fit, not exceeding a fourth 
 part thereof; and every burgess to lose the 
 liberty of merchandising, trading, and all other 
 privileges within burgh, and fourth part of their 
 moveables. And liis majesty, with advice fore- 
 said, doth hereby authorize and require the lords 
 of his majesty's privy council, to be c;u'ef'ul to see 
 this act put to due execution ; and for that end, 
 to call before them all such persons as, after ad- 
 monition of the minister, in presence of two 
 sufficient witnesses, and by him so attested, shall 
 be given up to the council as transgressors of 
 this act, in withdrawing from their parish 
 churches, as aforesaid ; and the same, after 
 hearing of the parties, being duly found, to 
 decern, and infiict the censures and penalties 
 above-mentioned, and such other corporal pun- 
 ishment as they shall think fit, and direct all exe- 
 cution necessary for making the same effectual, 
 and to do every other thing they shall find neces- 
 sary, for procuring obedience to this act, and 
 putting the same to punctual execution, conform 
 to the tenor and intent thereof. 
 
352 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 ill are required to subject to those niinis- 
 
 every body will not acquiesce in it, 
 and to be sure it was no infallible rule. 
 
 They next resume their former acts last 
 session, which have been considered ; only 
 this act speaks out the design of some of the 
 preceding more plainly than many at first 
 believed, to bring all ministers to subject to 
 bishops. Then the king is made to engage 
 his royal word pro futuro to maintain the 
 prelates, and not to endure or give any con- 
 nivance to the least variation from prelacy. 
 It had been better to have used softer terms, 
 than afterwards, in a kind of contradiction 
 to this, when there appeared an absolute ne- 
 cessity to grant indulgences, and to travail 
 in accommodations to please some of the 
 bishops. Next they give us to understand, 
 that the acts of the first, as well as the 
 second session of this parliament, were made 
 to settle the episcopal dignity, though the 
 contrary was at first pretended : but the 
 fashion now was,, to make acts in general 
 and dubious expressions, and in a year or 
 two after, fully to extend their meaning, 
 when king and council had practically ex- 
 plained their sense. Accordingly, the coun- 
 cil, in the next place, are made the bishops' 
 executioners, and the execution of all laws 
 and acts relative to the church, is put into 
 their hands : this clause was of great use to 
 the prelates, and for many years that court 
 served them vigorously. But generals are 
 not sufficient, therefore more particularly the 
 council is required to begin the persecution 
 of ministers who dai-ed to fulfil the minis- 
 try they had received from Christ Jesus, 
 without the bishops' collation, and patrons' 
 presentation, and to punish them as sedi- 
 tious, and contemners of royal authority. 
 
 The following clause is in favours of the 
 contemned curates, who are pretty singu- 
 larly described, ministers by public authority 
 admitted to parishes. This kind of minis- 
 ters, I dare say, the Christian church was 
 unacquainted with for three hundred years 
 after Christ. Ministers they were literally 
 of the king and bishops, and not the people, 
 the sacra plebs, their choice, settled by 
 public authority, and the reader may add, 
 by military force, and not by consent, and 
 consequently servants of men, and not of 
 Christ, or his people for his sake. Further, 
 
 ters as his majesty's government ecclesias- 
 tical now established ; and the not hearing 
 of those creatures of the king and bishops, 
 is declaimed to be of seditious and dangerous 
 example and consequences, and punishable 
 by the fines specified in the act. Indeed 
 the uplifting of those fines drew prodigious 
 sums of money from the country ; but con- 
 strained worship cannot be conscientious. 
 In a parenthesis the papists are cast in witn 
 the presbyterians, and made censurable for 
 withdrawing from their parish church : but 
 I never heard of any of them troubled by 
 our zealous protestant bishops ! In the 
 next session of parliament, this clause is 
 expunged, and the papists left to their own 
 freedom, and the anger of the government 
 levelled only against religious protestants. 
 
 Toward the close of the act, the honour- 
 able privy council are de novo, that all might 
 be sure, constitute executioners of this act, 
 and empowered not only to exact the fines 
 from all whom the curate shall delate, but 
 further corporally to punish them, as they 
 shall think fit. How far corporal punish- 
 ment in law extends, I am not to determine; 
 but they seem empowered by this to make 
 poor people's life a bitterness to them. 
 Last of all, the council are warranted to do 
 all things necessary for procuring obedience 
 to this act, in the intent thereof. How far 
 this goes, I know not; but it looks very 
 like the spirit of the treaty we heard of since 
 in another persecuting country : we need 
 not doubt that the bishops, in this case 
 both judges and parties, sufficiently extended 
 the intent of the act. In a word, this act 
 contains a rule and canon, I cannot call it 
 ecclesiastical, but it is sufficiently so to 
 prelates, when to suspend and deprive 
 ministers of the gospel. We have seen the 
 council very soon explaining and enlarging 
 this act ; and the first persecution of coun- 
 try people, which was any way general, 
 began upon this; and indeed it was the 
 foundation of much severity. 
 
 Their 3d act specifies the time of signing 
 the declaration, appointed last year to be 
 subscribed by all persons in public trust, 
 which hath been insert, and needs not be 
 repeated. All are required to sign betwixt 
 
CHAP. IV. 3 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 353 
 
 and tlie 1 1th of November, and make returns 
 to the council against the 1st of January 
 next to come ; and it is recommended to 
 the council to be careful it be put in execu- 
 tion, which, as we have seen, and shall liave 
 ground to observe further, they were careful 
 to do. At this time a new clause is added 
 unreasonable enough : if persons be elected 
 counsellors or magistrates, and refuse to 
 sign the declaration, they are not only for 
 ever declared inc.npable of being magistrates, 
 but are to " forfeit all the privileges of mer- 
 chandising and trading." The remark is so 
 obvious, that we need not be surprised that 
 this was called " the mark in the right hand," 
 without which none might " buy or sell." 
 This was highly unjust. A party in a town 
 that had a mind to be rid of a man, who, it 
 may be, was their rival in trade, and knew 
 he could not declare " the covenants to be 
 hi themselves sinful," had no more to do 
 but to get him chosen a counsellor or magis- 
 trate; and then, though otherwise he was 
 not obliged to take the declaration, yet now, 
 by pique and party, he must be turned out 
 of all his trade and business. This declara- 
 tion comes pretty near the sacramental test, 
 annexed to civil places and military posts 
 in some nations ; upon the account of 
 which we are so much abused by the papists, 
 for prostituting that holy ordinance, con- 
 trary to our own protestant principles, and 
 the nature of the institution. For refusing 
 this declaration imposed last year, John 
 earl of Crawford, lost his office of lord 
 treasurer, and Su* James Dundas of Amis- 
 ton, his post of one of the lords of session. 
 The lord Stair, and Sir George Mackenzie 
 of Tarbet, since earl of Cromarty, after 
 some difficulties, came at length to sign it. 
 
 Their fifth act is for establishing a national 
 synod, which, because it concerns church 
 affairs, though never put in execution, I 
 have annexed it, below.* The bishops 
 
 • Act for the establishment and constitution of 
 a national synod. 
 Forasmuch as the ordering and disposal of tlie 
 external government of the church, and the 
 nomination of the persons, by whose advice 
 matters relating to the same ai-c to be setth'd, 
 doth belong to his majesty, as an inherent right 
 cf the crown, by virtue of his prerogative royal, 
 and s'lpreme authority in causes ecclesiastical : 
 
 1GG3. 
 
 who framed this act, and with whose 
 concurrence, and at their desire it 
 was passed, took effectual care to prevent 
 the convocating any such synod; and we 
 shall afterwards hear of some debate upon 
 this head among the clergy. By this act, and 
 consequently by the bishops, it is declared, 
 " that it is necessary for the honour cf God, 
 and good of souls, there be a national synod." 
 And if the act be true, our prelates had 
 neither of these before their eyes. By this 
 act, besides other members constituent of this 
 synod, (the dignified clergy, and some from 
 universities, but none from burghs) a power 
 is lodged " in the meeting for exercise, to 
 send one to the synod who is a presbyter." 
 These meetings which, for what I can find, 
 were very unfrequent, they will not call by 
 the name of presbyteries. The power of 
 this synod is very much narrowed, that it 
 may be as near the English convocation as 
 possible. Here indeed they differed, that 
 in Scotland, " the king or his commissioner 
 behoved always to be present ;" and without 
 him there can be no national synod. This 
 looks as if no restrictions could bound them, 
 neither a perpetual president, nor the king's 
 will expressly signified to them, from tune 
 to time, by the archbishop of St. Andrews, 
 but the king or his commissioner behoved 
 always to be present. 
 
 How far the frame of this act agrees witli 
 the foundation of Scots prelacy, where all 
 church power is lodged in the persons of 
 the bishops, as creatures of the regal supre- 
 macy, and the king's delegates in church 
 affairs, I shall not spend time in considering. 
 By this act the jurisdiction seems to me to 
 be lodged in the plurality of the meeting, 
 and the vote of the meanest presbyter goes 
 as far as the vote of the bishops, and one 
 of the archbishops. Indeed the president 
 hath a negative, and though the plurality 
 of the meeting, yea the whole bishops and 
 
 and in prosecution of this trust, his majesty, 
 considering how fit and necessary it is, for the 
 honour and service of Almighty God, the good 
 and quiet of the church, and the better govern- 
 ment thereof in unity and order, that there be 
 a national synod and assembly duly constitute 
 within this kiiigdcmi, hath therefore appon)ted 
 and declared, and by tlle^e presents appoints 
 and declares, that there shall be a national synod 
 2 V 
 
354 
 
 ,„„„ the other archbishop should vote a 
 matter yet it the primate, the con- 
 stant president of this synod, go not in, it 
 cannot pass into an act or canon ; and thus 
 it was pity the primate set not up the claim 
 of infallibility, which seems necessary to such 
 a power as is lodged here in his hands. 
 But I shall leave those things to be debated 
 and determined by the friends of this frame 
 of government in Scotland ; only things are 
 here upon a very different plan from the make 
 of the diocesan synods, where presbyters 
 were only allowed a consultative voice; 
 and if they fall not in with their bishop, 
 they may be prosecute as seditious persons, 
 and deprived. 
 
 This session of parliament continued long, 
 and did very little ; the reason was, the act 
 of balloting was to be rescinded, and the 
 commissioner and Lauderdale resolved to 
 be at the bottom of it; and the searching 
 into the authors and promoters thereof 
 took up very much time : at length the 
 state of that affair was drawn up, and sent 
 to his majesty, by Sir William Bruce, clerk 
 to the bills, that the king's pleasure there- 
 anent might be had ; and till that came, the 
 parliament was adjourned from day to day. 
 At length, as will best appear from the 
 printed act rescinding this balloting act, it 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 was declared, " a way never formerly prac- 
 
 of the church of Scotland ; and that this s}'nod, 
 for the lawful members thereof, shall consist 
 and be constitute of the archbishops of St. 
 Andrews and Glasgow, and the remanent 
 bishops of these two provinces, of all deans 
 of cathedral churches, archdeacons, of all the 
 moderators of meetings for exercise, allowed by 
 the bishoi)s of the respective dioceses, and of one 
 presbyter or minister of each meeting, to be 
 chosen and elected by the moderator and plurality 
 of presbyters of the same, and of one or two 
 from the university of St. Andrews, one from 
 Glasgow, one from the King's College, one from 
 Marshal's college of Aberdeen, and one from 
 the college of Edinburgh ; and this sj'nod, thus 
 constitute, is to meet at such times and places, 
 as his majesty, by his proclamation, shall ap- 
 point ; and is to debate, treat, consider, con- 
 sult, conclude, and determine upon such pious 
 matters, causes, and things, concerning the 
 doctrine, •tvorship, discipline, and govenunent 
 of tliis chui'ch, as his majesty shall from time 
 to time, under his royal hand, deliver, or cause 
 be delivered, to the archbishop of St. Andrews, 
 president of the said national assembly, to be 
 by him offered to their consideration. The 
 estates of parliament do humbly recognosce and 
 acknowledge his majesty's royal power and 
 prerogative aforesaid, with the piety, justice, 
 
 tised under monarchy, or any government, 
 to punish men without making known their 
 names to the parliament, who gave sentence, 
 and what was contrary to his majesty's 
 honour and interest, and after which none 
 could be secure in their honour, estate, 
 liberty, or life," and so rescinded. 
 
 September 23d, the parliament order a 
 levy to be made, if need be, of twenty thou- 
 sand foot, and two thousand horse, for the 
 preservation of Christendom against the 
 Turks. It was never made, but their army 
 had certainly been much better employed 
 this way, than in persecuting protestants. 
 This session rose, October 9th, and the 
 parliament was rode from the house to the 
 Abbey, but it was very thin, many of the 
 nobility being absent. Bishop Fairfoul 
 lived not long after this parade, as we shall 
 hear. When the parliament was up, many 
 of our great folks went to court : the earl 
 of Rothes was well received by the king, 
 and made a member of the privy council in 
 England. The rest of the acts of this par- 
 liament relate to civil matters, and as far as I 
 have observed, have nothing in them relative 
 to the history I have now in hand ; and so 
 we have done with parliaments for more 
 than six years' time. I come now to the 
 
 and prudence of his majesty's resolution herein; 
 likeas, his majesty, with their advice and con- 
 sent, doth hereby establish, ratify, and confirm 
 this constitution of a national assembly, as the 
 lawful constitution of the national sjiiods and 
 assemblies of this church, his majesty, or his 
 commissioner, (^vithout whose presence no 
 national synod can be kept) being always 
 present : and declares, that no act, canon, order, 
 or ordinance, shall be owned as an act of the 
 national synod of the church of Scotland, so as 
 to be of any effect, force, or validity in law, to 
 be observed and kept by the archbishops and 
 bishops, the inferior clergy, and all other persons 
 within this realm, (as far as lawfully, being 
 members of this national church, it may concern 
 them) but that which shall be considered, con- 
 sulted, and agreed upon, by the president, and 
 major part of the members above specified. It 
 is alwaj's hereby provided, that nothing be 
 enacted or put in execution, by authority of a 
 national synod within this kingdom, which 
 shall be contrary to his majesty's royal pre- 
 rogative, or the laws of the kingdom ; and that 
 no act, matter, or cause, be debated, consulted, 
 and concluded upon, but what shall be allowed, 
 approven, and confirmed by his majesty or 
 his commissioner, i>resent at the said national 
 synod. 
 
CHAP. IV."] OF THE CHURCH OV SCOTLAND. 
 
 siifferiiigs of particular persons this ycai", 
 and the seahng the huvs of this and former 
 sessions, with the blood of the excellent 
 lord Warriston. 
 
 355 
 
 IG63. 
 
 0/ the svfferings and maiiijrdom of tlic lord 
 Warriston, July 22</, 1GG3. 
 
 Having thus got through tJie general rules 
 and acts, which were the foundation of 
 the particular sufferings of presbytcrians, 
 I come to the hardships which gentlemen, 
 ministers, and others were brought under 
 this year; and before I give a detail of 
 these, the singular case of the good lord 
 Warriston deserves a section by itself, and 
 I place it here, because he was executed in 
 time of parliament, as all our three first 
 worthies were. I might have brought in 
 the account of this excellent person upon 
 the second chapter, with that of his dear 
 friends and fellow-martyrs, the noble marquis 
 of Argyle, and Mr. James Guthrie, both 
 because these three arc the chief instances 
 of suffenng unto death in this first book, 
 though we shall meet with multitudes in 
 the following books; and it was fully de- 
 termined that my lord's life should have 
 been taken at the same time, but he was not 
 catched: and the manner of dealing with 
 his lordship, was much the same with that 
 taken with his fellow-sufferers unto death, 
 if not more base, though less seen ; and the 
 cause was much the same he died upon, 
 though his circimistances, in some things, 
 differed from the former two; yet I thought 
 it most proper to keep to the order of time 
 in which he suffered, as much as might be. 
 As the foundations of prelacy in Scotland, 
 attended with the destruction of our civil 
 liberty, were soaked with the blood of one 
 of the best of our noblemen, and one of the 
 most eminent of our ministers, so the walls 
 now fast building, and pretty far advanced, 
 behoved to be cemented with the blood of 
 this excellent gentleman; so this godly 
 and innocent person must fall as a third 
 sacrifice. 
 
 In the 1st chapter it hath been already 
 observed, that the king by his letter ordered 
 
 major-general Morgan to seize Sir 
 Aixhibald Johnston of Warriston, 
 lord register. The day upon which his 
 two excellent friends. Sir John Chiesly 
 of Carswel, and Sir James Stuart of Priest- 
 field, were seized, my lord Warriston know- 
 ing nothing of the orders, was provi- 
 dentially out of town visiting a friend. 
 When in his return, just entering the 
 town, he got notice of the warrant for 
 apprehending him, and turned his horse, 
 and retired a while from the storm. For 
 some time he was very narrowly hunted up 
 and down, till, after his escaping many 
 imminent hazards, at length he got off the 
 kingdom in the habit and character of a 
 merchant. 
 
 In the second chapter we have heard 
 that his j)ersecutors, during the first session 
 of parliament, got passed two acts against 
 him : by the first they declare him incapable 
 of all public trust and office, after, by a 
 proclamation, he had been declared fugitive. 
 By their next they pass a sentence of 
 forfeiture and death upon him, in absence; 
 the grounds of which we already heard. 
 The first was as unnecessary as the last was 
 unjust. Meanwhile this excellent person 
 is obliged to lurk very closely, sometimes in 
 the Low Countries, sometimes in Germany, 
 and mostly at Hamburgh. I find in the 
 preface to the Apologetical Narration, that 
 when he was at Hamburgli, and under sick- 
 ness. Doctor Bates, one of king Charles's 
 physicians, being, as was said, hired cither 
 to kill or distract him, did give him poison 
 in his physic, and took from him upwaids 
 of sixty ounces of blood, whereby he was 
 brought to the gates of death, and so far 
 lost his memory, that he could not remember 
 what he had done a quarter of an hour 
 before. 
 
 After Warriston had wandered a part of 
 two years, he most unadvisedly went into 
 France, the unsafest place he could go to. 
 The king or some body about him at Lomion 
 got some hints of this, and caused seize one 
 Major Johnston, and bring him before him, 
 expecting more particular accounts from 
 him, it seems, than any he coukl think ujjou. 
 The major was imprisoned and threatened 
 witli death, if he would not discover where 
 
356 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFF£RI>iGS 
 
 [book I. 
 
 16G3 
 
 Wamston was. What he told I 
 cannot positively say, but when 
 dismissed and gone to his lodgings, he 
 never came any more abroad, but pined 
 away in grief, till in a few days he died. 
 Those circumstances, and a good part of 
 what is in this section, I have from the 
 papers of a reverend minister, who lived at 
 this time, and had a particidar occasion to 
 know the state of my lord's sufferings. 
 
 In the meantime one Alexander Mm-ray, 
 commonly called crooked Murray, is des- 
 patched over to France, where notice had 
 been got my lord Warriston was : the mes- 
 senger, they say, was not unfit, and it was 
 believed, as he lived, so he died an atheist. 
 This man, when he went over, found means 
 to trace out the lady Warriston, and by 
 noticing her narrowly, at length he came to 
 discover my lord at Roan. In that city, a 
 very little after he was come to that lodging, 
 he was seized, when at secret prayer, which 
 duty he was much exercised in. Murray 
 applied to the magistrates to send over 
 Warriston to England, producing the king's 
 commission to him for that efifect. They 
 put my lord into custody, and sent up an 
 account of the afSiir to the French king and 
 council, before they would take any further 
 steps. I hear the question was put in 
 council, whether the prisoner should be 
 retained or delivered up ? and the most 
 part were for his being kept in France, at 
 least till more reason was shown for giving 
 him up than yet appeared. But that king, 
 to whose influence in part we owe many of 
 the bloody measures, and destructive steps 
 to good men and religion, fallen into during 
 the reigns of the two brothers, determined 
 he should be delivered up. Accordingly, 
 in Januaiy this year he was brought over 
 prisoner, and put in the Tower of London ; 
 and in the beginning of June he is sent 
 down to Edinburgh, to be executed with 
 the greater solemnity, when the parliament 
 is sitting. By the council registers I find 
 that, June 2d, " The lords of council having 
 received certain intelligence, that Archibald 
 Johnston, sometime of Warriston, is coming 
 home, and that in a few days he is to arrive 
 at Leith, do therefore ordain the magistrates 
 of Edinburgh to provide a sufficient guard 
 
 to receive him at the shore of Leith when 
 he is landed ; and that he be brought up 
 from thence on foot bareheaded to the 
 tolbooth of Edinburgh, where the magis- 
 trates of Edinburgh are to secure his person 
 in close prison, without suffering his wife or 
 children, or any others, to have access to 
 speak with him, while further order from 
 the council or lord chancellor." 
 
 June 8th, he landed at Leith, and was 
 brought up under a guard, and dealt with as 
 above. June 9th, the council meet, and the 
 king's letter about him is read. " Right trusty, 
 &c. — You shall give order to receive into 
 our prison, the body of Archibald Johnston, 
 sometime of Warriston, whom we liave sent 
 into that oiu* kingdom, to the end that he 
 may be proceeded against according to law 
 and justice. Given, &c. May 16lh, 1663." 
 — That same day the council give the follow- 
 ing order, about the desire of my lord War- 
 riston's friends. " The council having con- 
 sidered the desire of several fiiends of 
 Archibald Johnston, late of Warriston, desir- 
 ing they may have liberty to speak with him, 
 do grant liberty to any one of his relations 
 or friends, to have access unto him, at any 
 time betwixt eight of the clock in the morn- 
 ing and eight at night, and do dischai-ge the 
 magistrates of Edinburgh and keeper of the 
 tolbooth, to suffer any more persons to 
 enter the prison but three at once ; and those 
 three to stay no longer than an hour, or two at 
 farthest, and ordain the keeper of the tol- 
 booth by himself, or those he shall intrust, 
 to wait upon the chamber where he is, to 
 take care of the security of his person, that 
 he escape not in disguise or otherwise ; and 
 continue to determine the time and manner 
 of his execution, till next council day." 
 
 It would seem from this, that at first it 
 was projected that the council should name 
 the time and place of his public death. Upon 
 the old sentence passed by the parliament : 
 but afterwards it was resolved to bring him 
 before the parliament, and to have his sen- 
 tence solemnly pronounced at the bar. Ac- 
 cordingly, July 8th, he is brought before the 
 parliament. I suppose their forms in his 
 circumstances did not make any indictment 
 necessary, at least I have heard of none, nor 
 of any lawyers allowed him. When ho 
 
CHAP. IV.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 appeared at the bar, he was so eviilently 
 weakened in his memory and judgment, by 
 the vile methods taken with him, that every 
 body lamented the vast change upon him- 
 My lord Warriston was once in case to have 
 reasoned before the greatest assembly in 
 EiTope, yea, to have presided in it; but now 
 he could scarce speak to any purpose in his 
 own case. The primate and bishops, now 
 members in parliament, pleased with this 
 vast change in this great man, scandalously 
 and basely triumphed over him, and mocked 
 him in the open house. No sober man 
 could refuse him a great deal of compassion 
 in such circumstances, and, it seems, most 
 of the members of parliament were inclinable 
 to spare his life. This began to appear in 
 the vote upon this question, " Whether the 
 time of his execution should be just now 
 fixed, or delayed ?" When the rolls were 
 called, at first a great number of members 
 were for a delay. Which Lauderdale observ- 
 ing, and knowing he needed scarce return 
 to his master if Warriston were spared, con- 
 trary to all order and form, in the middle of 
 the calling of the rolls, rose up and had a 
 very threatening harangue for his present 
 execution. And thus upon the proceeding 
 in the rolls, sentence was pronounced against 
 him, that he should be hanged at the cross 
 of Edinburgh the 22d day of July, and after 
 he was hanged dead, that his head be severed 
 from his body, and put up upon the Nether- 
 bow Port, beside his dear friend Mr. James 
 Guthrie's. It is said, with what certainty I 
 know not, that the bishops would have had 
 the day of his execution to have been the 
 23d day of July, as a kind of expiation for 
 what was done against their predecessors in 
 office, July 23d, 1G37, when the first open 
 opposition was made to their innovations 
 and the service book : but they were not 
 humoured in this. 
 
 I regret that I can give so little account of 
 this great man's Christian and affecting car- 
 riage while in prison. A person of very great 
 worth, who was several times with my lord 
 whileJnthe tolbooth, hath left this account of 
 him, " That when there he was sometimes 
 under great heaviness and distress, and borne 
 down with bodily weakness and melancholy, 
 vet he never came in the least to doubt of his 
 
 357 
 
 1663. 
 
 eternal haj)pincss, and used to say, 
 I dare never question my salvation, 
 I have so often seen God's face in the 
 house of prayer.' " It was certainly a 
 most remarkable appearance of providence 
 in behalf of this good, and once great, 
 man, that the very morning before his exe- 
 cution, notwithstanding for som_e time for- 
 merly, he had, as it were, lost the exer- 
 cise of those extraordinary parts and talents 
 he once enjoyed, and his memory for some 
 time was almost quite gone, yet like the 
 sun at his setting, after he has been for 
 a while under a cloud, he shone most 
 brightly and surprisingly, and so in some 
 measure the more sweetly. That morning 
 he was under a wonderful eflfusion of the 
 spirit of sons, as great perhaps as many have 
 had since the primitive times. With the 
 greatest confidence and holy freedom, and 
 yet the deepest himiility, he repeated that, 
 " Father, Father, Abba, Father," the savour 
 of which did not weai" off the spirits of some 
 who were witnesses for many days.* 
 
 * We have the following account of this 
 eminent man's last appearance, from the pen of 
 Sir George IMackenzie : — " He was brought u]> 
 the street discovered, and being brought into the 
 council house of Edinburgh, where the chan- 
 cellor and others waited to examine him, he fell 
 upon his face roaring and with tears entreated 
 they -would pity a ptior creature who had forgot 
 all that was in the Bible. This moved all the 
 spectators with a deep melancholy, and the chan- 
 cellor, reflecting upon the man's [ffrcat ptirtsl 
 former esteem, and the great share he had in all 
 the late revolutions, could not deny some tears 
 to the frailtj' of silly mankind. At his examin- 
 ation he pretended that he had lost so much 
 bloodby theunskilfulnessof liischirurgeons that 
 he lost his memory with his blood ; and 1 really 
 believe tliat his courage had indeed been drawn 
 out with it. Within a few days he was brought 
 before the parliament, where he discovered 
 nothing but much weakness, running up and 
 down upon his knees begging mercy. But the 
 parliament ordained his former sentence to be 
 put to execution, and accordingly he was execut- 
 ed at the cross of Edinburgh. At his execution 
 he showed more composure than formerlj', which 
 his friends ascribed to God's miraculous kind- 
 ness for him, but others thought that he had 
 only formerly put on this disguise of madness 
 to escape death in it, and that finding the mask 
 useless, he had returned, not to his wit, which 
 he had lost, but from his madness which he had 
 counterfeited. However it cannot be denied 
 but he had been a man of [eminent parts and 
 more eminent devotion] some parts and devotion ; 
 but his natural choler being kindled by his zeal, 
 had been fatal first to this kingdom, and then to 
 himself." — History of Scotland, jip. 134, 135. 
 
 It is probable tiiat by writing such descrip 
 
S.58 
 
 jP^o The clay of his execution, a 
 
 high gallows or gibbet was set 
 up at the cross, and a scaffbld made by 
 it. About two of the clock he was taken 
 from prison : many of his friends attended 
 him in mourning. When he came out 
 he was full of holy cheerfulness and 
 courage, and in perfect serenity and com- 
 posure of mind as ever he was. Upon 
 the scaffold he acknowledged his com- 
 pliance with the English, and cleared him- 
 self of the least share in the king's death. 
 He read his speech with an audible voice, 
 first at the north side and then the south 
 side of the scaffold : he prayed next with the 
 greatest liberty, fervour, and sense, of his own 
 unworthiness, frequently using the foresaid 
 expression. After he had taken his leave of 
 his friends, he prayed again in a perfect 
 rapture, being now near the end of that sweet 
 work he had been so much employed about 
 through his life, and felt so much sweetness in. 
 
 Then the napkin being tied upon his 
 head, he tried how it would fit him, and 
 come down and cover his face, and directed 
 to the method how it should be brought 
 down when he gave the sign. Wlien he was 
 got to the top of the ladder, to which he was 
 helped because of bodily weakness, he cried 
 with a loud voice, " I beseech you all who 
 are the people of God, not to scar at suffer- 
 
 tioDs as the above, Sir George Mackenzie had 
 fortified himself against the reproaches of con- 
 science, and imposed on his own understanding 
 to that degree, as to be perfectly serious when 
 he wrote his defence of the government of that 
 period, in which lie affirms that no man, under 
 the government of Charles II. died for or on 
 account of religion. 
 
 Burnet, who w^as Warriston's nephew, says, 
 " He was so disordered both in body and mind, 
 that it was a reproach to any government to 
 proceed against him. His memory was so gone, 
 that he did not know his own children." — 
 History of his Own Times, Edinbui'gh edit, 
 p. 297. 
 
 Laing, ■who was certainly no fanatic, says, 
 " He was a man of more than common under- 
 standing or genius ; of an active, violent, and 
 disinterested spirit ; of a quick and vivid inven- 
 tion ; of an extensive and tenacious memory; 
 incapable of repose ; indefatigable in application ; 
 ever fertile in expedients; endowed with a 
 vehement, prompt, and impressive elocution ; 
 and at a. time when the nobility themselves 
 were statesmen, his political talents raised him 
 from an obscure advocate, to a level with the 
 prime nobility, in affairs of state." — History of 
 Scotland, vol. iv. p. 3G. — iW. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [UOOK 1. 
 
 ings for the interests of Christ, or stumble 
 
 at any thing of this kind falling out in those 
 days ; but be encouraged to suffer for him ; 
 for I assm-e you in the name of the Lord he 
 will bear your charges." This he repeated 
 again with great fervour, while the rope was 
 tying about his neck, adding, " The Lord 
 hath graciously comforted me." Then he 
 asked the executioner if he was ready to do 
 his office, who answering he was, he bid him 
 do it, and crying out, " O, pray, pray, praise, 
 praise !" was turned over, and died almost 
 without a struggle, with his hands lift up to 
 heaven. He was soon cut down, and his 
 head struck off", and his body carried to the 
 Grayfriars' church-yard. His head was put 
 up upon the Nether-bow Port ; but in a little 
 time, by the interest and moyen of lieutenant 
 general Drummond, who married one of his 
 daughters, it was permitted to be taken down 
 and buried with the body. His speech upon 
 the scaffold is printed in Naphtali ; and there 
 he declares, that what he had prepared to 
 have said at his death, was taken from him, 
 but he hoped it should be preserved to be a 
 testimony to the truth. In what is printed 
 he speaks his very heart, touching his own 
 soul's state, his sins and infirmities, the 
 pubHc, and his poor family, and present suf- 
 ferings ; and though it hath been often 
 printed, I could not but insert it in a note,* 
 
 * Lord "Warriston's speech, July 22d, IC63, 
 with some account of his carriage. 
 
 Right honourable, much honoured, and beloved 
 auditors and spectators, that which I intended 
 and prepared to have spoken at this time, and 
 in this condition, immediately before my death, 
 (if it should be so ordered that this should be 
 my lot) is not at present in my power being 
 taken from me when apprehended ; but I hojie 
 the Lord shall preserve it to bear my testimony 
 more full}' and clearly than noAv I can in tliis 
 condition, having my memory much destroyed 
 through much sore and lojig sickness, melan- 
 choly, and the excessive drawing of my blood ; 
 yet, I bless the Lord, (that notwithstanding 
 all these forementioned distempers) I am in 
 any capacity to leave this weak and short 
 testimony. 
 
 1. I desire, in the first place, to confess my 
 sins, so far as is proper to this place and case, 
 and to acknowledge God's mercies, and to ex- 
 press my repentance of the one, and my faith 
 of the other, through the merits of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, our gracious Redeemer and Medi- 
 ator. I confess that my natural temper hatli 
 been hasty and passionate, and that in my 
 manner of going about and prosecuting the 
 best pieces of work and service to the Lord, 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 with some account of his cai-riage before and 
 at his death, printed at tliis time. 
 
 Many things are laid to this great man's 
 
 and to my generation, I have been subject 
 to my excess of Jieat, and thereby to some 
 precipitations, whicli hath no doubt offended 
 Btanders by and looiiers on, and exposed both 
 me and the u-ork to their mistakes, whereby 
 the beauty of that work hath been much ob- 
 scured. Neither have I, in foUowinij tlie 
 Lord's work, his good work, been altogether 
 free of self-seeking, to the grief of my own 
 conscience, which hnth made me oftentimes 
 cry out with the apostle, " O wretched man 
 that I am, who shall deliver me from this body 
 of deatli y" and to lie low in the dust, mourning 
 and lamenting over the same, deprecating God's 
 wrath, ami begging his tender mercies to pardon, 
 and liis powerful grace to cure all these evils. 
 I must confess withal, that it doth not a little 
 trouble me, lie heavy upon my spirit, and will 
 bring me down with sorrow to the gi'ave, 
 (though I was not alone in this offence, but 
 had tile body of the nation going before me, and 
 the example of persons of all ranks to ensnare 
 me) that I suffered myself, through the power 
 of temptations, and too much fear anent the 
 straits tliat my numerous family might be 
 brought into, to be carried into so great a 
 length of complian<-e in England with the late 
 usui-pers, which did much grieve the hearts of 
 the godly, and made those that sought God 
 ashamed and confounded for my sake; and did 
 give no small occasion to the adversary to re- 
 proach and blaspheme, and did withal not a 
 little obscure and darken the beauty of several 
 former actings about his glorious and blessed 
 work of reformation, so happily begun, and 
 far advanced in these lands ; wherein he was 
 graciously pleased to employ, and by employing, 
 to honour me to be an instrument, (though the 
 least and uiiworthiest of many) whereof I am 
 not at all ashamed this day, but account it my 
 glory, however that work be now cried down, 
 opposed, laid in the dust, and trode upon ; and 
 iny turning aside to comply with these men, 
 was the more aggravated in my person, that I 
 had so frequently and seriously made profession 
 of my averseness from, and abhorrency of that 
 way, and had showed much dissatisfaction with 
 others that had not gone so great a length : for 
 which, as I seek God's mercy in Christ Jesus, 
 so I desire that all the Lord's people may, from 
 my example, be the more stirred up to watch 
 and pray that they enter not into temptation. 
 
 2. I dare not deny, on the other hand, but 
 must testify, in the second place, to the glory of 
 his free grace, that the Lord my God hath often 
 ihowed, ensured into, and engraven upon my 
 conscience, the testimony of his reconciled 
 mercy, through the merits of Jesus Christ, 
 pardoning all my iniquities, and assuring me 
 that he would deliver me also, by the grace of 
 his Holy Spirit, from the spite, tyranny, and 
 dominion thereof, and hath often drawn forth 
 my spirit to the exercise of repentance and 
 faith, and hath often engraven upon my heart, in 
 legible characters, the merciful pardoning, and 
 gracious begun cure thereof, to be perfected 
 thereafter to the glory of his name, salvation of 
 my own soul, and edification of his own church. 
 
 3. I am pressed in cooscience to leave here at 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 359 
 
 charge most falsclv, of which lie ,„„„ 
 r , ■ ' • , , lobJ. 
 
 was perlcctly mnoccnt, particularly 
 
 his accession to the king's murder, as to 
 
 my death, my true and honest testimony, in 
 the sight of God and man, unto and for the 
 national covenant, the solemn league and cove- 
 nant, the solemn acknowledgment of our sins, 
 and engagements to our duties, and to all the 
 grounds and causes of fasts and humiliations, 
 and of the Lord's displeasure and contendings 
 with the land, and to the several testimonies 
 given for his interests, by general assemblies, 
 commissions of the kirks, synods, presbyteries, 
 and other faithful ministers and professors. 
 
 4. I am also pressed to encourage his doing, 
 suffering, witnessing people, and sympathizing 
 ones with those that suffer, that they would 
 continue in their duties of mourning, praying, 
 believing, witnessing, and sympatliizing with 
 others, and humbly to assure them, in the name 
 of the Lord our God, the God of his own word, 
 and virork of his covenant, cause and people, 
 that he will be seen, found, and felt in his own 
 gracious way and time, by his own means and 
 instruments, for his oven honour and glory, to 
 return to his own truths, interests, and ser\'ants, 
 to revive his name, his covenant, his word, his 
 work, his sanctuary, and his saints in this 
 nation, yea, even in these three covenanted 
 nations, which were by solemn bonds, cove- 
 nants, subscriptions, and oaths, given away and 
 devoted to himself. 
 
 5. I exhort all those that have been or are 
 enemies, or unfriendly to the Lord's name, cove- 
 nant, or cause, word, work, or people in Britain 
 and Ireland, to repent and amend before these 
 sad judgments that are posting fast, come upon 
 them, for their sinning so highly against the 
 Lord, because of any temptations of the time 
 on the right hand or on the left, by baits or 
 straits whatsoever, and that after so many 
 engagements and professions of not a few of 
 themselves to the contrary. 
 
 6. I dare not conceal from you who are 
 friendly to all the Lord's precious interests iii 
 Britain and Ireland, that the Lord (to the 
 commendation of his grace be it humbly spoken) 
 hath several times, in the exercise of my repent, 
 ance and faith, (during my troubles) and after 
 groans and tears upon these three notable 
 chapters, viz. the ninth of Kzra, the ninth of 
 Nehemiah, and the ninth of Daniel, together 
 with other suitable scriptures, even in the very 
 nick of humble and fervent prayers and sup- 
 plications to him, for reviving again of his 
 name, covenant, cause, word, and work of re- 
 formation, in these covenanted nations, and 
 particularly in poor Scotland, (yea, O dear 
 Scotland!) which solemnly re-engaged unto 
 him, to the good example and encouragement 
 of his people in the other two nations, to 
 covenant with him also ; that the Lord, I say, 
 hath several times given me good grounds of 
 hope, and lively expectations of his merciful, 
 gi'acious, powerful, and wonderful renewing, 
 reviving again of all his former great interests 
 in these covenanted nations, and that in such 
 a way, by such means and instruments, with 
 such antecedents, concurrents, consequences, 
 and effects, as shall wonderfully rejoice his 
 mourning friends, and astonish his contradicting 
 and contra-acting enemies. 
 
360 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 i/?/?o which he vindicates himself in his 
 
 iOOO. . 1 mi 
 
 printed speech. The one thing 
 which he himself heavily lamented, fre- 
 
 7. I do earnestly recommend my poor afflicted 
 wife and children, and their posterity, to the 
 choicest blessings of God, and mito the prayers 
 and favours of aU the Lord's children and 
 servants, in their earnest dealings with God 
 and man in their behalf, that they may not be 
 ruined for my sake, but that, for the Lord my 
 God's sake, they may be favoured, assisted, 
 supplied, and comforted, and may be also fitted 
 of the Lord for his fellowship and service, 
 whom God himself hath moved me often in 
 their own presence, and with their own con- 
 sents, to dedicate, devote, resign, alike, and as 
 well as I devoted and resigned my own soul 
 unto him, for all time and eternity. 
 
 8. Now here, I beseech the Lord to open the 
 eyes of all tlie instruments of my trouble, who 
 are not deadly irreconcilable enemies to himself 
 and his people, that they may see the wrong 
 done by them to his interest and people, and to 
 me and mine, and may repent thereof, return 
 to the Lord, and more cordially maintain, own 
 and adhere unto all his interests in time to 
 come. The Lord give unto them repentance, 
 remission and amendment, which is the worst 
 wish I do, and the best wish I can wish unto 
 them ; for I can wish no better to myself. 
 
 9. 1 do most humbly and earnestly beg the 
 fervent prayers of all his praying children, 
 servants, and instruments, wheresoever they be, 
 whether absent or present, to be put up in 
 behalf of his name, cause, covenant, work, and 
 people, and also in behalf of my wife and 
 children, and their posterity, and that the Lord 
 would glorify himself, edify his church, en- 
 courage his saints further, and accomplish his 
 good work by all his doings and dealings, in 
 substance towards all his own. 
 
 10. Whereas 1 hear, that some of my own 
 friends have slandered and defamed my name, 
 as if I had been accessory to his late majesty's 
 death, and to the making the change of the 
 government thereupon ; I am free, as I shall now 
 answer before his tribunal, from any accession 
 by counsel or contrivance, or any other way, to 
 his late majesty's death, or to their making 
 tliat change of the government ; and the Lord 
 judge between me and mine accusers : and I 
 pray the Lord to preserve the present king his 
 majesty, and to pour his best blessings upon 
 him and his royal posterity ; and the Lord 
 give unto them good and faithful counsellors, 
 holy and wise counsels, and prosperous success, 
 to God's glory, and the good of his interest 
 «nd people and to their own honour and 
 happiness. 
 
 11. I do here submit and commit my soul and 
 body, wife and children, and their children's 
 children, from generation to generation, for 
 ever, with all others our Lord's friends and 
 followers, and all his doing, suffering, wtness- 
 ing, and sympathizing ones, in the present and 
 subsequent generations, unto the Lord's choicest 
 mercies, graces, favours, services, emploj'ments, 
 impowerments, enjoyments, improvements, and 
 inheritaments in earth, and in heaven, in time 
 and eternity : all which suits, with all others 
 •which he hath at any time, by his Spirit, moved 
 and assisted me to make, and put up according to 
 
 [ BOOK I. 
 
 qiiently to his dying day, and which was the 
 only reasonable pretext for this severe sen- 
 tence, was his compliance with the Enslish, 
 
 his will, I leave before the throne, and upon the 
 Father's merciful bowels, and the Son's mediat- 
 ing merits, and the Holy Spirit's compassionat- 
 ing groans, for now and for evermore. Amen. 
 
 Short narrative of his carriage before and after 
 his last discoui'se above. 
 
 His can-iage all the time from his coming from 
 London, was most convincingly Christi.m, full 
 of tenderness of spirit, and meekness towards 
 all, so that all who were in his company, both 
 in the ship and at other times, asserted, they 
 were never in the company of a more godly, 
 sincere, fervent seeker of God, and one that 
 was most sensible of the least tenderness exer- 
 cised towards himself. Before he came out of 
 the ship he prayed for a blessing upon his 
 majesty, and upon state and kirk, and when 
 Landed at Leith he inquired for the ministers 
 of Edinburgh ; to which it was answered, 
 they are all silenced, and put out of the town. 
 Well (said he) their silence does preach, and 
 truly Mr. Douglas, &c. might have preached 
 either before state or kirk. 
 
 During the whole time of this imprisonment 
 the Lord kept him in a most spiritual tender 
 frame, even to the conviction of some that hated 
 him foiinerly. The great thing he most desired, 
 was gracious through-bearing which he said 
 was ordy to be had through the suj)ply of the 
 Spirit, and intercession of the saints; and the 
 thing he most feared, was fainting in the horn' 
 of trial, and for that cause did earnestly desire, 
 that prayer might fervently be put up to God 
 for him, which was indeed done in all parts oi 
 the land, which had its good success in God's 
 own way. 
 
 When he received his sentence, he did receive 
 it with exceeding great meekness, to the ad- 
 miration of all, desiring the best blessings of 
 heaven to be upon his majesty, and upon state 
 and kirk, whatever befell himself, and that God 
 would give his majesty true and faithful coun- 
 sellors, &c. 
 
 The nearer he was to his death he was the 
 more quieted in his mind, which had been 
 discomposed by poison, and the drawing of 
 threescore ounces of blood, the physicians in- 
 tending hereby to distract him, or make him an 
 ideot fool. 1 he night before his death he slept 
 very sweetly, and in the morning was very fiill 
 of comfort, uttering many sweet expressions 
 as to his assurance of being clothed with a long 
 white robe before night, and of getting a new 
 song of the Lamb's praise put in his mouth. 
 He dined very cheerfully, hoping to sup in 
 heaven, and to drink the next cup fresh and 
 new in his Father's kingdom. Thereafter he 
 was alone till the time of his being brought 
 forth. When he was going to the scaffold he 
 said frequently to the people, "your prayers, 
 your prayers." The Lord kept him very com- 
 posed under some disturbances in the streets. 
 When come up to the scaffold, he said to the 
 people, " I entreat you quiet yourselves a little, 
 till this dying man deliver his last words among 
 you." He likewise desired them not to be 
 offended that he made some use of his paper to 
 help his memory, so much wasted by long sick^ 
 
CHAP. IV.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 361 
 
 in taking the office of clerk register, and sit- 
 ting and presiding in some meetings at 
 London, after Cromwell's death. In the year 
 1657, after many and long struggles against 
 Cromwell's usurpation, when he was sent 
 up from Scotland about some important 
 affairs, he was prevailed upon to re-enter 
 upon his former office of the clerk register, 
 by Cromwell, who was abundantly sensible 
 how much it would be for his interest to 
 have so bright a person gained over to him. 
 During five years and more, he wrestled and 
 acted with the utmost vigour for the king's 
 interest, and being a man of great resolution, 
 he both spoke very openly, and wrote against 
 Scotsmen's submitting to take offices under 
 the usurper. I have it from good hands, 
 that in the meeting at Eduiburgh, which 
 sent him up to London upon business, he 
 reasoned against, and to his utmost opposed 
 his being sent up. With great ingenuity he 
 acquainted them with what he thought was 
 his weak side, and that he was sensible of 
 the easiness of his temper, and that he could 
 not resist importunity, and begged he might 
 not be sent among snares ; but after all he 
 was peremptorily named. My lord's family 
 was numerous, and very considerable sums 
 were owing him, which he had advanced for 
 the public ser\-ice, and a good many years 
 of bygone salaries : and when no other way 
 appeared to recover what was justly his, he 
 
 1663. 
 
 ness and malice of physicians ; then he delivered 
 the above discourse, and repeated it again on 
 the other side of the scaffold. After this he 
 prayed with the greatest fervour and humility, 
 beginning thus, " Abba, Abba, Father, Father, 
 accept this thy poor sinful servant, coming unto 
 thee through the merits of Jesus Christ," &c. 
 After he had taken his leave of his friends, he 
 prayed again at the foot of the ladder, cheerfully 
 resi^iing God's interests and his own soul into 
 the hands of his heavenly P'ather. There were 
 no ministers allowed to be with him, but a 
 person present observed, that there was no 
 missing of ministers there, and the Lord made 
 good those blessed words, Phil. iv. 19. and 
 2 Cor. i. 5. The executioner came to him 
 desiring his forgiveness, to whom he said, " the 
 Lord forgive thee, poor man, which I also do," 
 and gave him some money, and bade him do 
 his work right. Me was helped up the ladder 
 by some of his friends in deep mourning : as he 
 ascended, he said, " your prayers, your prayers ; 
 I desire your prayers in the name of the Lord ;" 
 80 great at all times was his esteem of prayers. 
 The other circumstances of his death have been 
 already noticed in the history. 
 
 was, through importunity, prevailed 
 upon to fall in with the usurper, 
 there being now no other door open for his 
 relief. Thus he fell before the temptation 
 that all flesh, even the best, may appear to bCt 
 grass. After his compliance he was observed 
 to be generally sad and heavy, and not what he 
 had been formerly ; neither did his outward 
 affairs thrive much upon his hand. But it is 
 certain enough, that it was neither his 
 lamented compb'ance under the usurpation, 
 nor his great activity in the work of reforma- 
 tion, both which tiie government now were 
 pretty much above ; but a personal prejudice 
 and pique at this good man, for his freedom in 
 reproving vice, was at bottom of this bitter 
 persecuting him to the death. This was 
 what could never be forgot or forgiven, 
 either to him or the marquis of Argyle, as 
 was pretty plainly intimated to the earl of 
 Bristol, when interceding for my lord War- 
 riston. I have an account of this holy 
 freedom my lord used, from a reverend 
 minister not many years ago dead, who was 
 his chaplain at the time, and took the free- 
 dom to advise my lord not to adventure 
 upon it: yet this excellent person having 
 the glory of God, and the honour of religion 
 more in his eye than his own safety, went 
 on in his designed reproof; and would not 
 for a compliment quit the peace he expected 
 in his own conscience, be the event what 
 it would by disburdening himself. He got 
 a great many fair words, and all was pre- 
 tended to be taken well from my good lord 
 register, but as he was told by his well- 
 wishers, it was never forgot. 
 
 To shut up this section, my lord War- 
 riston was a man of great learning and 
 eloquence, of very much wisdom, and ex- 
 traordinary zeal for the public cau«e of 
 religion and reformation, in which he was a 
 chief actor ; but above all, he was extraordi • 
 nary in piety and devotion, as to which he 
 had scarce any equal in the age he lived in. 
 One who was his intimate acquaintance 
 says, he spent more time, notwithstanding 
 the great throng of public business, upon 
 his hand, in prayer, meditation, and close 
 observation of providences, and self-exami- 
 nation, than any ever he knew or heard of : 
 and as he was very diligent in making ob- 
 2z ^ 
 
56Q 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1663. 
 
 sei'vations of the Lord's way, so 
 he was visited with extraordinary 
 discoveries of the Lord's nund, and very re- 
 markable providences. He wrote a large 
 diary, which yet remains in the hands of his 
 relations, an invaluable treasure of Christian 
 experiences and observations ; and, as 1 am 
 told by one who had the happiness to see 
 some part of it, there is mixed in sometimes 
 matters of fact very little known now, which 
 would bring a great deal of light to the history 
 of Scots affairs, in that period wherein he 
 lived. There he records his sure hopes 
 after wrestling, in which he was mighty, 
 that the church of Scotland would be merci- 
 fully visited, and freed from the e\'ils she 
 fell under after the restoration. His num- 
 erous family he left upon the Lord's provi- 
 dence cheerfully, who provided as well 
 for most of them, as they could have ex- 
 pected though he had continued in his out- 
 ward prosperity. But it is time to come 
 forward to other particular sufferers this year. 
 
 Of the particular hardships and suffering of 
 great numbers of ministers, gentlemen, and 
 others, this year, 1663. 
 
 Having delayed the accounts of the severe 
 persecution of vast numbers of presbyterian 
 ministers, gentlemen, and people this year, 
 especially before the council, to this place ; 
 I come now to give them altogether, mostly 
 from the records of that court, and that 
 much in the order of time they lie m. 
 
 The council are scarce ended with the 
 west country ministers last year, and their 
 banishing good numbers to foreign places, 
 yea, even before the banished ministers 
 went off, but they begin, February 2'ith, a 
 new process against a greater number of 
 ministers in Galloway. Few or none in 
 that synod had conformed, and, we have 
 heard, the bishop's diocesan meeting was 
 adjourned, because there were few or none 
 to wait upon it : therefore, probably at his 
 instigation, the council pass the following act. 
 
 " The lords of his majesty's privy council 
 being informed, that there are several minis- 
 ters in the diocese of Galloway, who not 
 
 [book I. 
 
 only contrary to the order of council, dated 
 at Glasgow, October 1st last, do continue 
 at their former residences and churches, 
 but in manifest contempt thereof, and con- 
 trary to the indulgence granted them by 
 the late act, dated December 23d last, do 
 yet persist in their wicked practices, still 
 labouring to keep the hearts of people from 
 the present government in church and state, 
 by their pernicious doctrine ; and more 
 particularly that Messrs. Archibald Hamil- 
 ton minister at Wigton, William Maitland 
 at Whitthorn, Robert Richardson at Mo- 
 chrum., George Wauch at Kirkindair, Alex- 
 ander Ross at Kirkowan, Alexander (it 
 ought to be Fergusson) Hutcheson at 
 Sorbie, ministers in the presbytery of Wig- 
 ton; Messrs. Alexander Pedin at the Muir- 
 chm'ch of Glenluce, John Park at the Shap- 
 pel, Thomas Kennedy at Lisward, James 
 Lawrie at Stainkii'k, James Wilson at 
 Kirkmaiden, John M'Broom at Portpatrick, 
 ministers within the presbytery of Stranraer; 
 Messrs. Patrick Peacock at Kirmabreck, 
 William Erskine minister at Garston, Adam 
 Kay minister at Borg, Robert Fergusson at 
 Boittil, Samuel Arnot at Tongland, John 
 Wilkie at Twinam, James Buglos minister 
 at Corsmichael, Thomas Warner at Bal 
 maclelland, John Cant at Kells, Adam 
 Alison at Balmagie, John M'Michan at 
 Dairy, John Duncan at Dundrenean and 
 Rerick, and Thomas Thomson minister at 
 Parton, ministers in the presbytery of Kii'k" 
 cudbright; and Mr. Alexander Smith at 
 Cowend and Siddick, are chief instruments 
 in carrying on that wicked course : have 
 therefore ordained letters to be directed 
 against the forenamed persons, charging 
 and commanding them, and every one of 
 them, to remove themselves, wives, bairns, 
 servants, goods and gear, forth and from 
 their respective dwellingplaces and manses, 
 and out of the bounds of the presbytery 
 where now they live, betwixt and the 20th 
 day of March next ; and that they do not 
 take upon them to exercise any part of the 
 ministerial function: and also charging them 
 to appear before the council, the 24th of 
 March next to come, to answer for their 
 former disobedience ; with certification as is 
 above specified." 
 
CHAr. IV.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 363 
 
 In the registers there are five or six of 
 those ministers' names blank, and only the 
 name of the parishes, which I have filled up 
 from another list I have before mej by 
 which I find, that Mr. Robert Fergusson 
 and INIr. James Lawrie were ordained before 
 the (year) 1649, and so in law came not 
 under the two acts it is alleged they broke. 
 Upon the 24th of March, I find Messrs. 
 Maitland, Kay, Wilkie, Wauch, Lawrie, 
 Cant, Alison, M'Gachan, and Smith, " being 
 called, compeared personally, and being 
 severally examined upon their obedience to 
 the lateactsof parliament and council, anent 
 their obedience and submission to the go- 
 vernment of the church, as the same is pres- 
 ently established by law, declared, they were 
 not yet clear to give obedience thereunto ; 
 but they were ready and willing, likeas they 
 then judicially promised to obey the said 
 acts, for removing from theii' manses and 
 parishes, and desisting from preaching, con- 
 form to the same in every point. In con- 
 sideration whereof, the lords declare, that 
 they do continue [i. e. delay,] to insist 
 against them for their former carriages, 
 while they be of new cited." The others 
 who did not compear, were obliged to leave 
 the manses and kirks ; and I find no more 
 about them this year in the registers. We 
 shall meet with Mr. Samuel Arnot, Mr. 
 John Park, and INIr. Tliomas Warner, and 
 some others of them, under new hardships, 
 in the progress of this work. 
 
 At that same diet the council cite another 
 considerable number of ministers before 
 them. " The lords of his majesty's privy 
 council being informed, that several ministers 
 in the diocese of Dunkcld, who not only 
 contrary to the order of council, dated at 
 Glasgow, October 1st last, do continue at 
 their former residence and churches ; but 
 in manifest contempt thereof, and contrary 
 to the indulge uc(; granted to them by the 
 late act, December 23d, do persist in theu- 
 wicked courses, still labouring to keep the 
 hearts of the people from the present govern- 
 ment of cluu"ch and state, by their perni- 
 cious doctrine ; and more particularly, that 
 Messrs. Patrick Campbell minister at Kilin- 
 r,\t, John Anderson at Auchtergavan, Francis 
 Pearson at Kirkrauchael, David Graham at 
 
 1GG3. 
 
 Forgondenny, George Hal)burton at 
 Duplin, Richard Ferret at Ava, John 
 Miniman at Abcrnytie, David Campbell, at 
 Minnimore, Thomas Lundy at Rattray, 
 Robert Campbell, at Mullen, John Cruik- 
 shanks at Rogertoun, Thomas Glassie at 
 Little Dunkcld, Andrew Donaldson at 
 Dalgety, and Thomas Black at Lesley, are 
 chief instruments in caiTying on these wicked 
 courses : therefore the lords of council ordain 
 letters to be directed to charge the forenamed 
 persons to remove (as above, with relation to 
 the Galloway ministers) and that they take 
 not upon them to exercise any part of the 
 ministerial function, either privately or 
 publicly. As also command them and every 
 one of them to compear before the council 
 the day of to answer 
 
 for their former disobedience. With certi- 
 fication." I find no more about those 
 ministers in the registers. I am ready to 
 think, that they obeyed the charge to re- 
 move from their kirks and manses, and their 
 compeai'ing before the council was not in- 
 sisted upon. The bishops at present were 
 pressing to have the churches vacated of 
 those who did not wait on their sj-nods ; 
 and we have heard, that by the acts of par- 
 liament and council this year, a general 
 course was taken with the whole noncon- 
 formist ministers, and they removed at such 
 and such distances from their congregations. 
 
 It hath been noticed already, with what 
 reluctancy a great many parishes in the 
 south and west, permitted the curates to 
 enter among them, when presbyterian minis- 
 ters were turned out. In some places open 
 opposition was made to them, especially in 
 Irongray near Dumfries, and Kirkcudbright. 
 The tumults in those two places, as they 
 were the first of this kind, so they were 
 severely noticed by the council ; and I shuU 
 give as distinct an account of this as I can, 
 from the registers ; if once I had set down 
 an abbreviate of it, I find in the papers of 
 a worthy minister who lived at the time. 
 
 " The first open opposition to the settle, 
 ment of the curates, I have heard of. was 
 at Irongray, where Mr. John Welsh was 
 minister. The curate at first not finding 
 peaceable access, returned upon them with 
 an armed force. None ventured to appear 
 
signifying 
 give the 
 it in the 
 
 364 
 
 T/^/^r, openly save women, and those of the 
 1663. ^ •' ^^ . 
 
 meaner sort. However, the women 
 
 of Irongray, headed by one Margaret Smith, 
 opposed a party of soldiers who were guard- 
 ing the curate, and fairly beat them off with 
 stones. Margaret was afterwards brought 
 in to Edinburgh, and banished to Barbadoes: 
 but when before the managers, she told her 
 tale so innocently, that they saw not fit to 
 execute the sentence. In April 166.3, or 
 about that time, ten women were brought 
 in to Edinburgh from Kirkcudbright, for 
 a tumult there, and were for some time 
 kept in prison, and afterwards pilloried, 
 with papers on their foreheads 
 their fault." But I come to 
 detail of this matter, as I have 
 council books. 
 
 May 5th, the chancellor having written a 
 missive letter to the magistrates of Kirk- 
 cudbright, for finding out the persons 
 most guilty of the tumult lately there, and 
 ordained them to be cited before the 
 council this day; and if any women be 
 guilty, that their husbands, fathers, masters, 
 or such as have the charge of them, be 
 cited. Tn obedience thereunto, at the ma- 
 gistrates' instance, compeared Adam Gum- 
 quhen, John Halliday, John M'Staffen, 
 
 Alexander Maclean, Renthoun, John 
 
 Carsan, Alexander M'Key, indwellers in 
 the said burgh, who being examined, denied 
 any hand in the tumult. M'Staffen and 
 Maclean are ordained to find caution to 
 produce theu- wives before the council, 
 and the rest to enter their persons in 
 the tolbooth of Edinburgh, till they ex- 
 hibit their wives who were present at the 
 said tumult; and ordain James Hunter in 
 Kirkcudbright, cited and not compearing, 
 to be denounced: but the council in their 
 great zeal in this matter, go further, and 
 appoint a committee to go and inquire into 
 that affair in the south, and send in part 
 of the ai'my with them. The act and com- 
 mission is as follows. 
 
 " The lords of his majesty's privy council, 
 being certainly informed of the very great 
 insolencies committed in the burgh of Kirk- 
 cudbright, and parish of Irongray, by the 
 tumultuary rising of divers persons within 
 the same, and in a barbarous manner oppos- 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 ing the admission of certain ministers who 
 were appointed and came to serve there 
 and their offering and committing several 
 abuses and indignities upon the persons of 
 the said ministers, to the high and great 
 contempt of his majesty's authority, and the 
 disquieting of the government both of church 
 and state ; as also that there is no settled 
 magistracy and government within the said 
 burgh, as has been within the same, and 
 that severals who have been chosen to 
 exerce the office of the magistracy, do refuse 
 to accept of the same; whereby the said 
 town is left desolate of civil policy and the 
 inhabitants at liberty to do what they please : 
 the said lords of council, in consideration 
 thereof, and of the great trust reposed in 
 them by his majesty, do appoint and com- 
 missionate the earls of Linlithgow, Galloway, 
 and Annandale, the lord Drumlanerk, and 
 Sir John Wauchop of Niddry, or any two 
 of them, to repair to those places, at such 
 times as they shall think fit, and to call all 
 the persons who have been either plotters 
 of, committers, or assisters to, or connivers 
 at the insolencies and abuses foresaid ; and 
 after hearing of them to examine witnesses, 
 and receive all other needful probation for 
 proving what shall be laid to their charge ; 
 and if thereafter, the said commissioners, or 
 quorum foresaid, shall find just ground, 
 that they secure their persons, and send 
 such of them to Edinburgh, as they shall 
 think fit, to that effect, or take sufficient 
 caution from them, to answer before the 
 lords of council, the day of 
 
 under such penalties as the commissioners 
 shall think fit. And also, that they ex- 
 amine and try upon what account, and for 
 what cause there are not magistrates in the 
 said burgh, who exerce their offices as for- 
 merly; and if they see it meet and just, 
 that they either incarcerate, or take bond 
 under caution and penalty, of such as they 
 shall find to have been obstructers of a civil 
 and lawful government, as formerly, within 
 the said burgh, or such as have been lawfully 
 chosen, and refuse to accept and exerce 
 their offices without just cause. And sic- 
 like, that they see a formal and legal elec- 
 tion, according to the custom of the said 
 burgh, of others loyal and faithful persons, 
 
CHAP. IV.] OF THE CHUR 
 
 for supplying the places of such as arc want- 
 ing, or who refuse to accept : otherwise, by 
 the advice of such as are well affected within 
 the said burgh, to nominate such persons as 
 they shall think fit, for discharging the 
 office of magistracy, and ruling the people 
 within the said burgh, till further order. As 
 also, that the said commissioners, if they 
 shall see cause, call for the charters, rights, 
 and securities, made and granted in favours 
 of the said burgh, and concerning their 
 privileges and liberties, to the effect they 
 may be secured ami exhibited before the 
 parliament or council. And likewise, to be 
 aiding and assisting to the bishops of the 
 respective dioceses, for settling such minis- 
 ters in those places, as they shall ordain 
 and appoint. 
 
 " And for the more exact performance 
 of the premises, that the said earl of Lin- 
 lithgow cause march alongst with him, an 
 hundred horse, and two hundred foot of his 
 majesty's guards, or such other number as 
 he shall think fit, to the effect such as will 
 not willingly submit and give obedience, 
 may be forced thereunto. And for the en- 
 tertaining the said horse and foot, the said 
 earl is hereby empowered, either to take 
 free quarters within the said burgh, and 
 parish of Irongray, or then, with concourse 
 of the magistrates of the said burgh, or such 
 others in the said places as he shall call for, 
 to raise so much money off the burgh and 
 and parish, as will satisfy the said horsemen 
 and footmen, at thirty shillings Scots to 
 each horseman, and twelve shillings to each 
 footman per diem, during their abode there, 
 by and attour the paying the officers their 
 ordinary pay. With power also to the said 
 commissioners, by force of arms, to suppress 
 all meetings or insurrections of the people, 
 if any shall happen. And, if need be, that 
 the said commissioners shall call to their aid 
 and assistance, the sheriffs, Stewarts, heritable 
 bailies, and others within the sheriffdom of 
 Galloway, and stewartry of Kirkcudbright, 
 and all noblemen, gentlemen, Stewarts, 
 heritable bailies, and others his majesty's 
 good subjects within those bounds, with 
 command to them readily to answer, obey, 
 assist, and concur with the said commis- 
 sioners, to the effect foresaid, as thev 
 
 CH OF SCOTLAND. 365 
 
 shall be required. And that the ,„^„ 
 . , . . , IGOJ. 
 
 said commissioners make report to 
 
 the council or parliament of their diligence in 
 
 the premises, bet\vixt and the day of 
 
 June next to come. 
 
 " Gleiicairn chancellor, Morton, Sinclair, 
 
 J. Gilmour, Primrose, Jo. Fletcher, Geo. 
 
 Mackenzie, Sir Rob. INIurray." 
 
 When this commission is granted, the 
 council join with it an order, that five hun- 
 dred pounds sterling be advanced by the 
 receivers of the excise to the soldiers, as 
 part payment of their pay; with one hun- 
 dred and twenty pounds sterling to the earl 
 of Linlithgow, and fiifty pounds to the laird 
 of Niddry, for beai'ing their charges. 
 
 That such a sputter should be made 
 because a few women in two parishes had put 
 some affronts upon the curates, when forced 
 in upon them, may seem odd enough, and 
 could not fail to increase the dislike the peo- 
 ple in the southern shires had against them. 
 I scarce know what could have been done 
 .further, if the highest acts of treason had been 
 committed : but the general aversation of 
 that part of the country from prelacy, and the 
 complaints of the bishops upon that score, 
 put them on those harsh measures ; and we 
 shall after this meet with a constant tract of 
 oppression and devastation in that corner, till 
 they were forced to the rising in Pentland. 
 And for about twenty-four years, the west 
 and south of Scotland were the continual 
 scene of such severities : but I go on to the 
 procedure of these commissioners. June 9th, 
 they make their report to the council, and 
 it is very large ; I shall give as short and 
 distinct an abstract of it as I can, that we 
 may have some view of this fi^st public step 
 of heavy oppression of courilry people, for 
 their adherence to their principles, and 
 aversion to prelacy. Their report was 
 given in in writ, and is in short. 
 
 " At Kirkciidbright, May 25///, 1663. 
 " In obedience to our commission, we 
 having met at sundry diets, and caused 
 convene before us such persons as were 
 committers of, or assisters at the tumult at 
 Kirkcudbright, to wit, Agnes Maxwell, and 
 about thirty-two women, (most of them 
 
366 
 
 THJE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1663. 
 
 widows and servants, who need not 
 be named here) with John lord 
 Kirkcudbright, John Carsan of Sennick, 
 and John Euart ; and after hearing depo- 
 sitions and confessions, find Agnes Max- 
 well, Christian M'Cavers, Jean Rennie, 
 Marion Brown, and Janet Biglaw, are 
 guilty of, and have been most active in 
 the said abuse, and ordain their persons 
 to be carried prisoners under a guard to 
 Edinburgh, to answer before the council. 
 And Bessie Lawrie, with thirteen others, 
 have been accessory thereto; and ordain 
 them to be imprisoned till they find caution 
 to appear before the council, under the 
 pain of a hundred pounds sterling each. 
 Helen Crackin, and some others are found 
 absent, and left to the sheriff of Wigtoun 
 and magistrates of Kirkcudbright, to appre- 
 hend and imprison. And finding by John 
 lord Kirkcudbright's own confession, and 
 the depositions of witnesses, that he said, 
 ' If the minister came in there, he should 
 come in over his belly and that he should 
 lose his fortune,' or some such words, 
 * before he should be preacher there ;' and 
 that by his own confession, he acknowledges 
 the receipt of my lord chancellor's letter 
 before the tumult, and that he refused to 
 compesce the same; and that he declared, 
 ' if the minister had come in by his pre- 
 sentation, he should have commanded as 
 many men as would have compesced the 
 tumult, and bound them hand and foot;' 
 and therefore we declare him guilty of the 
 insurrection, and ordain him to be carried 
 prisoner to Edinburgh by a guard. The 
 said John Carsan of Sennick, being lately 
 provost of the said burgh, and having great 
 interest therein, and being with the lord 
 Kirkcudbrigth in the town in the time of 
 the tumult, and desired by James Thomson 
 commissary to go with the rest to compesce 
 the tumult, said scornfully, ' by what author- 
 ity could he go ?' and when the commissary 
 offered his authority, he said, ' his authority 
 was more over the dead than over the 
 living:' as also, that he being a commis- 
 sioner of the assize, refused his advice or 
 concurrence to compescing the tumult; 
 therefore we declare him to have had acces- 
 sion to the tumult, and ordain his person to 
 
 [book I. 
 
 be carried prisoner to Edinburgh under a 
 guard. And finding by deposition of wit- 
 nesses, that John Euart, late provost of 
 Kirkcudbright, being desired to give his 
 advice for compescing the tumult, he re- 
 fused the same, alleging he was not a 
 counsellor. We find that at the last election 
 he was chosen provost, and without any 
 just cause refiised to accept of his office, 
 whereupon we declare him to be the chief 
 cause why the magistrates did not exerce 
 their office for the said burgh : and finding, 
 that notwithstanding of his foresaid refusal, 
 he has sitten as a commissioner of the 
 excise, and having tendered to him the 
 declaration of parliament, he refused to 
 subscribe it ; wherefore we ordain him like- 
 wise to be carried to Edinburgh under a 
 guard. They add, that, according, to the 
 set of the burgh, a new council was chosen, 
 and magistrates, Mr. William Euart provost, 
 John Newall and Robert Glendonyng bailies, 
 and John Livingstone treasiu"er, who accept- 
 ed in terms of law ; and they signed a bond 
 in their own name, and of the haill inhab- 
 itants of the place, binding and obliging 
 them, and ilk one of them, conjunctly and 
 severally, during their public trust, that they 
 and all their inhabitants \rithin their public 
 liberties, should from the day and date 
 thereof behave themselves loyally and peace- 
 ably, and in all things confomi to his 
 majesty's laws made and to be made, 
 both in civil and ecclesiastical affairs ; and 
 that they should with all diligence exe- 
 cute any commands that are or should 
 be directed to them, during the said time, 
 that flow from any authority derived from 
 the sacred majesty of our dread sovereign : 
 as also, that they should protect the lord 
 bishop of Galloway, and the minister of their 
 burgh, who should be established there, and 
 any other ministers that are or shall be 
 established by authority; and that they 
 should fulfil all the above particulars, under 
 the penalty of eighteen thousand merks 
 Scots, to be paid by tl.em, or any of them, 
 within a month after they shall be declared 
 guilty by the lords of his majesty's privy 
 council. Which was subscribed in our pre- 
 sence, and the presence of the community of 
 the said burgh, and delivered to us." 
 
CHAP. IV. J OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 ten pounds sterling to 
 
 367 
 
 " A/ Dumfries, May 30th, 1663. 
 " In pursuance of the foresaid commis- 
 sion, as to the trial of the abuse lately at 
 Irongray, we caused cite before us William 
 Arnot of Littlepark, George Rome of Beoch, 
 and several other persons said to be con- 
 cerned therein ; and after we had examined 
 witnesses, we found that there had been 
 several unlawful convocations of the people 
 of that place, for the opposing of the ad- 
 mission of Mr. Bernard Sanderson to be 
 preacher at the said parish, especially against 
 the serving of his edict, and thereafter 
 hindering INIr. John Wisheart to preach, 
 who was to have admitted the said Mr. 
 Bernard. By the said depositions we find, 
 that the said William Arnot did keep 
 several meetings before the tumult ; and 
 that, when he was desired and required by 
 the messengers who went to serve the 
 edict, to assist to hold the women off them, 
 he declared, he neither could nor would do 
 it ; that he drew his sword and set his back 
 to the kirk door, and said, " let me see who 
 will place a minister here this day." There- 
 fore we find him guilty of the said tumult, 
 and ordain him to be sent into Edinburgh 
 under a guard. We find George Rome of 
 Beoch accessory, as being present upon the 
 place, and not concurring for compescing of 
 the tumult, and ordain him to go to prison 
 until he find caution, under five thousand 
 nierks, to appear before the council when 
 called. And as to the rest of the persons, 
 we find there hath been a great convocation 
 and tumult of women ; but, by reason there 
 is no special probation of any persons par- 
 ticular miscarrying, more than their being 
 there present at the tumult, we thought 
 fit to ordain the whole party of horse and 
 foot to be quartered upon the said parish 
 of Irongray, upon free quarters, until Mon- 
 day next ; and that the whole heritors of 
 the said parish give bond, upon the penalty 
 of one hundred pounds sterling, for their 
 future loyal behaviour, conform to the bond 
 given at Kirkcudbright : and recommended 
 to the sheriff of Nidsdale, to apprehend 
 and try some who had not compeared, and 
 report to the parliament or council^ betwixt 
 and the 2Sth of June. And they order 
 
 1663. 
 
 their two 
 clerks, as much to three messengers, 
 and twenty shillings to an officer who 
 waited on them, to be pai'd by the heritora 
 of Irongray, if the council think fit. 
 
 " Annandale, Galloway, 
 
 Drumlanerk. J. Waucuop." 
 
 Linlithgow, 
 
 This day the council do no more upon the 
 giving in of this report, save the appoint- 
 ing of a committee to examine the earl of 
 Linlithgow's accounts of his cJiarges in the 
 said commission. And five of the inhabit- 
 ants of ICirkcudbright, who had been im- 
 prisoned, when appearing for their wives, as 
 we heard, are set at liberty by the council, 
 their wives having found caution at Kirk- 
 cudbright, after they had found caution in 
 the council books, " to live peaceably and 
 submissively to the present government in 
 church and state, and give all due deference 
 to the bishop of the diocese, the magistrates 
 and minister of the place, and keep their 
 parish kirk, and if any tumults be, that they 
 shall endeavour to compesce the same." 
 
 No more offers about this matter till July 
 I4th. The council having considered the 
 report, and the instructions of the earl of 
 Linlithgow and the commissioners, find, 
 " that they have proceeded diligently and 
 legally in execution of the trust reposed in 
 them, performed good service to his majesty 
 and the kingdom, and approve and ratify 
 what they have done, and render them 
 thanks; particularly to the said earl, who 
 has by the troops under his command, 
 ended the tumults, and left a party of 
 guards at the town of Kirkcudbright to 
 keep the peace, and recommend him for his 
 expenses to the exchequer; and add the 
 earls of Montrose and Eglinton to those 
 formerly appointed, to consider of the 
 business of Kirkcudbright and Irongray, to 
 consider the temper and disposition of the 
 prisoners, with power to call before them 
 the laird of Earlston, who is under bond to 
 compear, and report." 
 
 August 13th, the lords having considered 
 several petitions of the prisotiers from 
 Kirkcudbright and Irongray, and the report 
 of the commissioners sent to tha t country 
 
368 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1663. 
 
 do find, " John Carsan of Sennick, 
 John Euart, late provost of Kirk- 
 cudbright, and William Arnot of Littlepark 
 in Irongray, to have been most guilty of the 
 abuses and disorders there, and fine John 
 Carsan in the sum of eight thousand merks, 
 and the said William Arnot in the sum of 
 five thousand merks ; and them to find 
 caution before they depart from prison, to 
 pay the said sums to his majesty's exchequer 
 betwixt and Martinmas next, with certifica- 
 tion if they fail, they shall be bamshed out 
 of the kingdom : and ordain and command 
 
 [book I. 
 
 lords prorogate the execution of his sen- 
 tence while the first day of March next to 
 come, and give warrant for his liberation, 
 on his giving bond to keep his majesty's 
 peace in the meantime. The same day 
 John Carsan supplicates for a mitigation of 
 his fine, seeing he was not present at the 
 tumult, nor had his residence for a long 
 time in the burgh of Kirkcudbright; and 
 that he being in no public employment 
 for many years, did not conceive himself 
 concerned to meddle in tliat particular; 
 and such a fine would be the ruin of his 
 
 the said William Arnot, betwixt and the | famSJy. The council mitigate the fine to 
 
 '25th of October next to come, to make I four thousand merks, and ordain him to be . 
 
 public acknowledgment of his offences two ' liberate upon his giving bond to pay the 
 
 several Sabbaths at the kirk of Irongray 
 
 before that congregation. Likeas the said 
 
 lords do banish the said John Euart forth 
 
 of this realm for his offence, and ordain and 
 
 command him forth of the same betwixt 
 
 and this day twenty days, not to be seen 
 
 therein at any time hereafter, without license 
 
 from his majesty or the council, at his 
 
 highest perU. 
 
 " And the said lords finding Agnes Max- 
 well, Marion Brown, Jean Rennie, Christian 
 M'Cavers, and Janet Biglaw, to have been 
 most active in the said tumult, do ordain 
 them, betwixt and the 15th day of Sep- 
 tember next to come, to stand two several 
 market days at the market-cross of Kirk- 
 cudbright, ilk day for the space of two 
 hours, with a paper on their face, beaiing 
 their fault to be for contempt of his majesty's 
 authority, and raising a tumult in the said 
 town ; and ordain them before they depart 
 out of prison, to enact themselves in the 
 books of council, to give obedience to this ; 
 and the magistrates of Kirkcudbright to 
 execute the sentence ; and if they fail 
 or delay so to do, that they cause whip 
 them through the said town, and banish 
 them forth of the same, and the liberties 
 thereof." 
 
 August 25th, John Euart petitions the 
 council that his sentence may be mitigated, 
 by reason of his ill state of health, after 
 twelve weeks' imprisonment, the circum- 
 stances of his wife and family ; and that the 
 only ground of his sentence was his keeping 
 his house in the time of the tumult. The 
 
 same at Martinmas next. William Arnot 
 of Littlepark petitions for a mitigation, in 
 regard he has not so much in all the world 
 as the fine, and his acting m the late dis- 
 orders at Irongray, was not from any dis- 
 loyalty to his majesty, for whom he had 
 appeared and suffered not a little in his 
 worldly interests under the usurpation, as 
 the noblemen and gentlemen about him 
 know. The lords mitigate the fine to a 
 thousand merks, and continue his public 
 appearances after divine worship in the 
 church of Irongray, as above. 
 
 This is all I meet with in the registers 
 upon this head. The rest of the men, who 
 were imprisoned for their wives' alleged ac- 
 cession to the tumult, after sixteen weeks' 
 imprisonment at Edinburgh, were liberate, 
 upon giving bond to live peaceably. I find 
 nothing further about the lord Kirkcudbright, 
 neither know I what course was taken with 
 him. I find my lord Kirkcudbright joining 
 with the lord Warriston, Mr. Andrew Cant, 
 and others, 1652, in giving in reasons why 
 they could not own that assembly till they 
 had a conference, even before the choice of 
 a moderator ; and his being among the pro- 
 testers, probably made it fare the worse with 
 him now. 
 
 It was when those commissioners from 
 the coimcil were in the south, that the 
 troubles of that worthy gentleman, the laird 
 of Earlston began. All I have upon this, 
 save what follows afterwards from the regis- 
 ters, I shall give from the original papers, 
 communicated lately to me by his grandchild. 
 
CHAP. IV.] OF 
 
 the present laird of Earlston. The commis- 
 sioners knew Rarlston's firmness to presln- 
 terian principles, and were willing to bring 
 him either to comply \n settling an episcopal 
 minister at Dairy, where he was patron, or 
 if he refused, which they had reason to 
 expect he would, to bring him to trouble. 
 Accordingly they write the following letter 
 to him, which I give from the original. 
 
 « Kirkcudbright, 21st May, 1663. 
 " Sir, 
 " We doubt not but you heard, that the 
 lords of his majesty's pri^y council have 
 commissionate us to come to this country, 
 as to take course with the seditious tumult 
 raised in this place, so to do every thing that 
 may contribute to the settling of the peace 
 here, and to be assisting to the bishop for 
 planting of other vacant churches, by the 
 withdrawing of the respective ministers : 
 and finding the church of Dairy to be one 
 of those, and that the bishop hath presented 
 an actual minister, Mr. George Henry, fit 
 and qualified for the charge, now being, ac- 
 cording to the act of parliament, fallen into 
 his hand, jure devoluto, and that the gentle- 
 man is to come to yom- parish this Sabbath 
 next to preach to that people, and that you 
 are a person of special interest there; accord- 
 ing to the power and trust committed to us, 
 we do require you to cause his edict be 
 served, and the congregation convene, and 
 to countenance him so as he be encouraged 
 to prosecute his ministry in that place. In 
 doing whereof, as you will witness your 
 respect to authority, so oblige us to remain, 
 
 " Sir, 
 " Your loving friends and servants, 
 "Linlithgow, Annandale, 
 
 Galloway, Drumlanerk." 
 
 Earlston presently gave them a return, 
 which I transcribe from the copy he kept, 
 under his own hand. 
 
 «' For the ri'^lit hminurablc, and his vcrjj nolle 
 lord, my lord Linlithgow, and remanent 
 nobles at Kirfccndhright. 
 
 " Eailston, May 22d, 1665. 
 " Right honourable, 
 " And my very noble lords, I received 
 
 1G63. 
 
 THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. S69 
 
 this (lay an express from your 
 lordships, by Mr, George Henry ; 
 whcreunto for answer, as to what relates 
 to the bearer, I humbly entreat your lord- 
 ships will be pleased to look upon me as 
 one who has been educated from my youth 
 hitherto, to know my duty to God, and all 
 such whom he has placed in authority 
 over his people. I am not ignorant, my 
 lords, that my allegiance obligeth me (beside 
 other engagements) to serve the king's 
 majesty with my person and fortune, and 
 I trust your lordships will permit me (be- 
 cause it is my duty) to keep in all things 
 a good conscience towards God : yet, if 
 these should thwart in any case, I have ever 
 judged it safest to obey God, and stand at a 
 distance with whatsomever doth not tend to 
 God's glory and the edification of the souls 
 of his scattered people, of which that con- 
 gregation is a part. And besides, my lords, 
 it is known to many, that I pretend and lay 
 claim to the right of patronage of that 
 parish, and has already (before the time ap- 
 pointed, by the last parliament did prescribe) 
 determined therein with consent of the 
 people, to a truly worthy and qualified 
 person, and an actual minister, if he may be 
 admitted to exercise his gift among that 
 people ; and for me to condescend to coun- 
 tenance the bearer of your lordships' letter, 
 were to procure me most impiously and dis- 
 honourably to wrong the majesty of God, 
 and violently to take away the Christian 
 liberty of his afflicted people, and enervate 
 my own right. Wherefore, please your 
 lordships, believe me it is grievous to me 
 that I am not in capacity in the present case 
 to give your lordships that hearty obedience 
 and real observance, that otherwise I am 
 most free to perform to the meanest in whom 
 any of your lordships may be concerned, 
 seeing I have ever hitherto made it my study 
 to testify my duty to your lordships, as my 
 superiors whom God has established as 
 judges over me under his majesty, to whose 
 authority I shall (as hitherto) be most 
 ready to witness all due respects, as dotii 
 become, 
 
 " My noble lords, 
 
 " Your lordships' most real friend, 
 and humble servant." 
 3 a 
 
1663. 
 
 370 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Upon this he is cited before 
 the council ; and we shall afterward 
 see what unprecedented hardships he met 
 with there, from the council books. I now 
 return to the sufferings of other persons this 
 year. 
 
 We have seen by the former acts, that 
 the ministers who were not reached by the 
 act at Glasgow, were restricted and confined 
 to their own parishes, as a large prison ; and 
 many others confined to particular places, 
 which was very uneasy to them. They be- 
 hoved, upon every civil affair, to apply to 
 the council for liberty to come out of their 
 confinement. An instance or two of this 
 will suffice. — May 24th, " Anent a petition 
 presented by Mr. James M'Gill, late minister 
 at Largo, showing, that umquhDe James 
 viscount of Oxenford has nominated him 
 with several others, tutors testamentars to 
 his children ; and a meeting of the said 
 tutors is appointed at Edinburgh next week, 
 and letters are come to the petitioner to 
 keep that meeting precisely, which he cannot 
 do being under restraint, and therefore 
 craves warrant for that effect. The council 
 allows him to repair to Edinburgh, or any 
 where else, for doing of his necessarjf affairs, 
 for the space of one month, and hereby take 
 off his restraint diu-ing that time." — That 
 same day, " The lords of council having 
 considered a petition from Mr. John M'Gill, 
 late minister at Coupar, and now doctor 
 of medicine, desiring, that the restraint put 
 upon him not to return to this kingdom for 
 a year, might be taken off: the lords of 
 council take it off, and grant the said Mr. 
 John liberty to return, he obliging himself 
 to appear before them, and give them satis- 
 faction for his peaceable behaviour." 
 
 In July, I find the council going on in 
 their prosecution of the presbyterian minis- 
 ters, in several corners of the country, whom 
 the bishops behoved to be rid of. July 14th, 
 " The lords of his majesty's privy council 
 taking to theu- consideration, that Mr. James 
 Wood, late principal of the college of St. 
 Andrews, did, without any lawful call or 
 warrant, intrude himself upon that charge, 
 and as yet does continue to exerce the same, 
 notwithstanding of all the acts of parliament 
 or council made thereagainst, do ordain 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 messengers to charge the said Mr. James to 
 appear before them the 23d instant, to 
 answer to the premises, or what else should 
 be laid to his charge, under the pain of re- 
 bellion." — Mr. James Wood was provost of 
 the old college of St. Andrews, and minister 
 there, and one of the brightest lights we had 
 in this church during this period, a person 
 of eminent learning, piety, and solidity, and 
 his printed books show his abilities. I have 
 been informed he left some very valuable 
 manuscripts behind him, particularly a com- 
 plete refutation of the Arminian scheme of 
 doctrine, ready for the press. Mr. Sharp 
 was indebted to Mr. Wood for any reputation 
 he had, and was under as great obligations 
 to him, as one man could be to another. 
 They had been more than ordinarily familiar, 
 and now the primate could not bear his con- 
 tinuing at St. Andrews, and so caused cite 
 him before the council. July 23d, iMr. 
 Wood compears. He was asked how he 
 came to be provost at St. Andrews. Wlien 
 he began to answer, he was interrupted in a 
 very huffing manner, and commanded to 
 give his answer in a word. The archbishop 
 and some others present could not bear his 
 telling them some truths he was entering 
 upon ; and when he saw it was fniitless to 
 insist, he told them, he was called by the 
 faculty of that college, at the recommenda- 
 tion of the usurpers, as some here, added he, 
 meaning bishop Sharp, very well know. 
 Whereupon he was removed, and in a little 
 called in, and his sentence intimated to him, 
 which thus stands in the council books : 
 " Mr. James Wood being called to answer 
 for intruding himself upon die office of prin- 
 cipality of the old college of St. Andrews, 
 without any lawful call, and as yet con- 
 tinuing to exercise the same, compeared 
 personally, and declared, that he had de- 
 serted that charge upon Friday last. In 
 respect whereof, and that it was found by 
 the said Mr. James his own confession, that 
 he had no right but a pretended call from the 
 masters of that college, and an act of the 
 late usurpers, for exercising that office, the 
 lords of council, for present, do declare the 
 said place vacant, and ordain and command 
 him to confine himself within the city of 
 Edinburgh, and not to depart forth thereof 
 
CIIAI'. IV.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 while further order. When his sentence I That same clay the council " ap- 
 was intimate to him, he told them, ' he was ; point the lords archbishops of St. 
 
 371 
 
 1663. 
 
 sorry they had condemned a person without 
 hearing him, whom they could not charge 
 with the breach of any law." 
 
 September 30th, a petition is presented 
 by Mr. Wood, showing, that in obedience 
 to the council's act, he had remained those 
 divers weeks at Edinburgh, and is content 
 still to continue there; but by reason his 
 
 Andrews and Glasgow, the marquis of Mon- 
 trose, the lord secretary, and register, to 
 wait on the lord commissioner his grace, 
 to think on a general course, what shall be 
 done as well anent those ministers that 
 were admitted before the (year) 1649, and 
 carry themselves disobediently to the laws 
 of the kingdom, as those who were admit- 
 
 father is extremely sick, and that he hath i ted since ; and to report their opinion."- 
 
 several necessary affairs to do at St. Andrews, 
 humbly therefore desiring liberty and war- 
 rant for that effect. " Which petition being 
 read, with a testificate of the petitioner his 
 
 Whether it was from this meeting that the 
 following prosecution came, or not, I know- 
 not ; but July 30th, " The lords of his ma- 
 jesty's privy council, being informed of the 
 
 father's infirmity, the council grant license i factious and seditious carriage of several 
 to the petitioner to go to St. Andrews to ' ministers in the west, and particularly of 
 visit his said father, and performing his Mr. Matthew Ramsay, late minister at 
 other necessary affairs, he always returning Old Kirkpatrick, Mr. James Walkinshaw at 
 when he shall be called by the council." j Badernock, Mr. Hugh Smith at Eastwood, 
 This is all I find about this worthy person : ! Mr. James Hamilton at Blantyre, or Eglis- 
 
 next year, we shall hear, he gets to the joy 
 of his Lord, and some bustle is made about 
 him after his death. 
 
 At the same diet of the council, July 
 14th, an attack is made, at the bishop of 
 Glasgow his instigation, against some worthy 
 presbyterian ministers in the west and south. 
 
 ham, Mr. James Blair at Cathcart, who, in 
 manifest and open cc-ntempt of the laws 
 and acts of parliament and council, have 
 taken upon them to convocate great multi- 
 tudes of his majesty's subjects^ for hearing 
 their factious and seditious sermons, to the 
 great scandal of religion, and prejudice to 
 
 " The lords of his majesty's privy council, ' the government of the church : wherefore 
 
 being informed of the turbulent and sedi- 
 tious carriage of the persons underwritten, 
 Messrs. Alexander Li\-ingstone, late minister 
 at Biggar, Matthew M'Kail at Bothwell, 
 John Guthrie at Tarbolton, John Blair at 
 Manchlin, John Schaw at Selkridge, George 
 Johnston at Newbottle, John Hardy at 
 Gordon, Archibald Hamilton at Wigton, 
 George Wauch at Kirkinner, and Anthony 
 Murray at Kirkbean; ordain macers, or 
 messengers at arms, to charge the said per- 
 sons to appear before them the 23d instant, 
 to answer to such things as shall be laid to 
 their charge, under the pain of rebellion." — 
 July 23d, I find Messrs. Hardy, M'Kail 
 and Livingstone compear, and are " con- 
 tinued till next council day, and in the mean- 
 time ordained and commanded to confine 
 themselves within the city of Edinburgh, 
 and not depart therefi-om without license, 
 .ind that they do not presume in the 
 meantime to keep private meetings and 
 conventicles." 
 
 they ordain a charge to be given them per- 
 sonally, and failing that, at the head burgh 
 of the shire and its market-cross, where they 
 live, and at their late manses and dwelling- 
 houses, and at the market-cross of Edin- 
 burgh, to answer for their contempt, under 
 pain of rebellion; with certification they 
 shall be denounced rebels." Many of those 
 ministers now cited, and Mr. M'Kail for- 
 merly cited, lay pretty near the city of Glas- 
 gow, and the people flocked out to hear 
 them, which grated the archbishop and those 
 he had put in under him, and so they re- 
 solved to have them banished at some dis- 
 tance from them. This was the case like- 
 wise of Mr. James Cuningham minister at 
 Lasswade, a little from Edinburgh, who, I 
 find, was brought to trouble at this time, 
 but I have not met with him in the council 
 books. 
 
 July 30th, " Mr. John Hardy, minister of 
 Gordon, being cited to answer for his con- 
 ten)[)t of ihc law, in preaching after he wa"s 
 
372 
 
 ,„/,„ discharged" (tliis is a good com- 
 mentary upon the factious and se- 
 ditious carriage of the ministers now cited) 
 " corapeaixd, and having, in face of council, 
 acknowledged that he had done so : the 
 lords of council find, that he hath highly 
 contemned his majesty's laws and authority; 
 and therefore do declare his place vacant, 
 and ordain him within fourteen days to 
 remove himself and family twenty miles dis- 
 tant from the said parish of Gordon, and 
 discharge him to reside within six miles of 
 any cathedral church, or three miles of a 
 royal burgh, in time coming. With certi- 
 fication if lie fail, he shall be pursued and 
 punished as a seditious person, and con- 
 temner of his majesty's authority," This is 
 a prelude to the mile act we have formerly 
 heard the council passed next council day, 
 August 13th, which pretty much spared 
 them the trouble of any more particular 
 prosecutions. And that act would seem to 
 be the issue of that meeting, just now nar- 
 rated, of the two archbishops, secretary, and 
 commissioner ; however they go on with 
 such as had been cited before them. 
 
 August 18th, Mr. Matthew M'Kail and 
 IVIr. Alexander Livingstone, late ministers, 
 confined within the city of Edinburgh, being 
 called, compeared. The lords after hearing 
 of them, ordain the said Mr. Matthew to 
 wait on the lord commissioner's grace, and 
 Ml". Livingstone on the ai'chbishop of Glas- 
 gow, for giving them satisfaction as to their 
 behaviour and carriage. I am told the 
 archbishop had vowed, Mr. M'Kail should 
 never preach again in Bothwell, but it did 
 not hold. I think the bishop himself scarce 
 ever saw Glasgow again ; for in a few days 
 after his riding the parliament, at its rising 
 he died, * And Mr. M'Kail being remitted 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 to the commissioner, he went up to London 
 
 * This was Fairfoiil, "a very pleasant and 
 facetious man, insiuuafing and crafty j but he 
 was a better physician than a divine. His life 
 was scarce free from scandal, and he was emi- 
 nent in nothing that belonged to his own func- 
 tion. He had not only sworn the covenant, 
 but had persuaded others to do it ; and when 
 one objected to him that it went against his 
 conscience, he answered there Avere some very 
 good medicines that could not be chewed, but 
 ■were to be swallowed down without any further 
 examination. Whatever the matter was, soon 
 after the consecration his parts sunk so fast, that 
 
 without doing any thing in his affair ; and 
 Mr. M'Kail ventured back to Bothwell, and 
 escaped for some time. I hear, that Mr. 
 Livingstone was confined to his parish till 
 further orders, Mr, George Johnstoun and 
 Mr, James Cuningham were reached by the 
 act of Glasgow, yet connived at by the in- 
 fluence of persons of note ; but now with 
 Mr, Blair are confined to the north side of 
 Tay, I have nothing further about them in 
 the registers. 
 
 That same day, " Mr. John Blair, late 
 minister, compeared, and, being examined, 
 acknowledged, that notwithstanding he had 
 been admitted since the year 1649, he had, 
 contrary to the law, exercised the minis- 
 terial function, by preaching, baptizing, and 
 marrying. The lords do discharge him to 
 exercise any part of the ministry in time 
 coming, without warrant from his ordinary 
 where he shall reside ; and ordain and com- 
 mand him, within twenty days, to remove 
 himself and his family from the new kirk of 
 Mauchlin where he did last preach, and to 
 remove himself beyond the river of Ness, 
 betwixt and the first day of October next to 
 come, and discharge him to transgress the 
 bounds of his confinement, under the highest 
 peril. — Messrs, Matthew Ramsay, Hugh 
 Smith, and James Walkinshaw, compearing 
 this day to answer for their contempt of 
 authority, in preaching and keeping conven- 
 ticles contrary to law, the council remit Mr. 
 Ramsay to the archbishop of Glasgow, to 
 give him satisfaction, and intimated the late 
 act of council of the 13th of this month to 
 Messrs, Smith and Walkinshaw, and ordain 
 them to obey it at their peril," This is all 
 I find about ministers this year, and we shall 
 meet with few of them after this before the 
 
 in a few months he who had passed his whole 
 life long for one of the cunningest men in Scot, 
 land, became almost a changeling, upon which 
 it may be easily collected what commentaries 
 the presbyterians would make. Sharp lamented 
 this to me as one of their great misfortunes : he 
 said it began in less than a month after he came 
 to London." — Burnet's History of his Own 
 Times, 12mo, Ed. vol, i. p. 192, 
 
 *' The commissioners and all the estates rode 
 from the palace of Holyrood-house to the par- 
 liament house, in triumph and grandeur; and 
 among the rest the loathsome archbishop Fair- 
 
CHAP. IV.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, 
 
 council, the mile act this year, comprehend- 
 ing them all, and the high commission next 
 year take some of the council's work off 
 
 373 
 
 1G63. 
 
 their hand. 
 
 This year the laird of Earlstoun his trou- 
 ble and oppression begins. He was a re- 
 ligious gentleman of good parts, and a great 
 support to the presbyterians in that country, 
 and we shall meet with him almost every 
 year till the rising at Botiiwell, when he 
 got to heaven. July 30th, The lords of 
 council order letters to be direct to charge 
 William Gordon of Earlstoun to compear 
 
 before them the day of next 
 
 to come, to answer for his factious and 
 seditious carriage, that is, his refusing to 
 hear the curates, and hearing and favouring 
 outed presbyterian ministers. And Novem- 
 ber 24th, the council being informed that the 
 laird of Earlstoun keeps conventicles and 
 private meetings in his house, notwithstand- 
 ing the laws and acts of parliament and coun- 
 cil made in the contrary, do ordain letters to 
 be direct against him, to compear before the 
 
 council the day of to answer 
 
 for his contempt, under the pain of rebellion. 
 We shall meet with him next year. 
 
 I shall end this section with some account 
 of the sending the forces to the west and 
 
 foul finished his stinking office of bishop. He 
 began it ^vith stink, for he broke wind as he 
 bowed to the altar when he waste be consecrate, 
 and two days before this glorious day lie hade 
 taken physic, (as the report was,) which fell a 
 working upon him as he was riding up the way 
 that the bearer of his train, when he alighted 
 from his horse, was almost choaked; no man 
 could sit near him in the parliament house, so he 
 was forced to rise and go home a footman, as he 
 came a horseman, and so he made but the half of 
 this miserable triumph ; and after he was got 
 home he never came abroad; and because he 
 woulil never believe the {)hys)cian, who assui'ed 
 him death was at hand, he died by surprisal and 
 undesired, perishing like his own dung. He 
 was so greedy he never reapt the profit of his 
 benefice, for because he refuseil a reasonable com- 
 position to enter his vassals, therefore in his short 
 time he had very little, and left tlie profits to his 
 successor. His poor children were vagabonds 
 and runagate, turning popish for a piece of 
 silver iind a mors<'l of bread; and such was the 
 end of his tragedy." — Kirktoii's History of the 
 Church of Scotland, pp. 177, 178. 
 
 Such wa.s the character of this bishop drawn 
 by a bishop and by a plain presbyter. Either 
 of these sketches is sufficiently repulsive, and 
 there cannot be a doubt, but like the greater part 
 of his brethren, the Scotish bishops, he was not 
 only unprincipled, but at the same time a most 
 contemptible individual. — Ed. 
 
 south countr}', to quarter there, and 
 uplift the fines for not keeping the 
 parish churches, which was the beginning of 
 much oppression to those shires for some 
 years. — October 13th, " The lords of his 
 majesty's privy council do hereby give order 
 and warrant to George, earl of Linlithgow, 
 with all conveniency to cause so many of the 
 six foot companies luider his command to 
 march to Kirkcudbright, as with the foot 
 there already may make up the number of 
 eightscore footmen with their officers, and to 
 quarter there till further order." — That same 
 day, " The council give order and command 
 to Sir Robert Fleming, with all conveniency, 
 to march to the west two squades of his ma- 
 jesty's lifeguard, and to quarter one squade 
 thereof at Kilmarnock, and another at Pais- 
 ley, till further order." 
 
 It seems Sir James Turner had the com- 
 mand of the forces in the south, and was 
 very active in raising the fines for absence 
 from the parish church, and I doubt not but 
 the guards sent to Kilmarnock and Paisley 
 were abundantly active this way ; however, 
 Sir James gets the thanks of the council for 
 his diligence. November 24th, " The lords 
 of his majesty's privy council recommend it 
 to the earl of Linlithgow to write a letter of 
 thanks to Sir James Turner, for his care and 
 pains taken in seeing the laws anent churdi 
 government receive due obedience : and 
 withal to acquaint him, that he advise with 
 the bishop of Galloway, and send a note to 
 the council of the names of such ministers 
 as are come in from L-eland to that country, 
 or others who transgress, by preaching or 
 otherwise, the acts of parliament and council 
 anent the government of the church ; to the 
 efi'ect that the council may take such coiu-se 
 therein as they shall think meet. And that 
 also Sir James acquaint those ministers who 
 are debarred from the possession of their 
 churches and manses, that they make their 
 address to the lords of privy council or 
 session, who will grant them letters of horn- 
 ing, upon sight of their presentations and 
 collations, against the possessors of the said 
 manses. And withal my lord is to acquaint 
 Sir James, that the council have directed 
 letters to cite Earlstoun to compcai- before 
 them. 
 
1663. 
 
 374 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 Sir James Turner we shall fre- 
 quently meet with in the progress 
 of this history. He had been in the late 
 times a great servant of the covenanters, 
 and at the restoration found it convenient 
 to go over to the other side, with the same 
 zeal. He was a person of a forward active 
 temper, and had somewhat of harshness 
 mixed with it ; but was endued with a con- 
 siderable stock of learning, and very bookish. 
 This person was abundantly ready to exe- 
 cute the orders here given him with rigour ; 
 but was obliged to go even beyond his in- 
 clinations to satisfy the bishop of Galloway, 
 who was severe and cruel, as all apostates 
 use to be, and the rest of the prelates. The 
 council finding the body of the west and 
 south of Scotland most dissatisfied with the 
 late change in the .church, and having put 
 the uplifting of the fines in the hands of the 
 army, send west a good body of the forces, 
 and with them the strictest orders, to oblige 
 all persons to subjection to the bishops and 
 their curates. By this a large foundation is 
 laid for most grievous oppression and ex- 
 actions, under colour of law. The process 
 was very short in cases of nonconformity. 
 The curate accused whom he pleased to 
 Sir James, or any of the officers of the 
 army, yea, many times to a private sentinel. 
 The soldier is judge, no witnesses are led, 
 no probation is sought, the sentence is 
 summarily pronounced ; and the soldier ex- 
 ecutes his own sentence, and he would not 
 see the less to this, that the money, gener- 
 ally speaking, came to his own pocket ; and 
 very frequently the fine upon some pretext 
 or other, far exceeded the sum liquidate 
 by law. Vast contributions were under 
 this colour raised in the west and south : 
 the soldiers really carried as if they had 
 been in an enemy's country, and the op- 
 pression of that part of the kingdom was 
 inexpressible. If a tenant or master of a 
 family was unwilling, or really unable to 
 pay, the soldiers are sent to quarter upon 
 him, till it may be, he pay ten times the 
 value of the fine ; and indeed many were 
 totally eaten up. And, as if this was not 
 enough, when poor families were no longer 
 able to sustain the soldiers, their stuff and 
 goods were distrained and sold for a trifle. 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 In those quarterings the ruffian soldiers 
 were terribly insolent. Family worship was 
 mocked at, and people disturbed when at it, 
 as if it had been a conventicle and contrary 
 to law. Multitudes were cruelly beat, and 
 dragged to church or prison with equal 
 violence. By such methods hundreds of 
 poor religious famihes in the west and south 
 were scattered, and reduced to extreme 
 necessit)', and the masters of them wei'e 
 obliged either to lurk or leave the country. 
 
 Sir George Mackenzie's vindication of 
 all this is, p. 10. " that it is impossible to 
 answer for all the extravagancies of soldiers, 
 and Sir James Turner was laid aside, which 
 was all the state could do." We shall 
 afterwards hear the procedure of the coun- 
 cil against Sir James, and find it was upon 
 other grounds than his quartering his sol- 
 diers at this time : we shall just now find 
 him put on the high commission, and sent 
 once and again to harass the west and 
 south ; and he himself made it out to the 
 west country men, who made him prisoner, 
 that he was far from going the length of his 
 commission, notwithstanding the heights we 
 shall see he ran to. And we shall afterward 
 find, that when, April 17th, 1683, John 
 Wilson, writer in Lanark, was before the 
 council, and speaks of the council's con- 
 demning Sir James for his cruelty, he is 
 answered in face of council, and none con- 
 tradicted it, that Sir James went not the 
 length of his commission. And as to the 
 common extravagancies of soldiers, the 
 reader will easily judge whether this be 
 a defence for what now passed. Sir James 
 understood the military law sufficiently, and 
 had spirit enough to have limited his men ; 
 and I should not reckon Sii- James worthy 
 of the command he had, if he was not able 
 to restrain his soldiers from going beyond 
 his commission. And had he been guilty 
 of this, as Sir George insinuates, his masters 
 should have not only displaced, but punished 
 him, at least they did so with far better 
 men for less faults. Even Cromwell's 
 officers were made to answer for the 
 extravagancies of their soldiers, though 
 foreigners, enemies, and conquerors; and 
 it is strange if the like could not be 
 done in time of peace, and under a just 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 government, as Sir George calls that. But 
 all this is an insufficient defence ; only no 
 better offered, the matter did not bear it. 
 
 In order to facilitate the soldiers' work, 
 the curates formed in most parishes a roll 
 of their congregations, not for any ministerial 
 work they gave themselves the trouble of, 
 but to instruct their parishioners with briers 
 and thorns by their army ; and in order to 
 the soldiers visiting their families, and exam- 
 ining their people's loyalty. Sermons were 
 all the curates' work, and these short and 
 dry enough. And after sermon the roll of 
 the parish was called from pulpit, and all 
 who were absent, except some favourites, 
 were given up to the soldiers ; and when 
 once delated, no defences could be heard, 
 their fine behoved either presently to be paid, 
 or the houses quartered upon ; and some 
 who kept the church were some time quar- 
 tered upon, because the persons who last 
 term lived there, were in the curates' lists as 
 deserters of the church. 
 
 Another part of the severe oppression of 
 the country, by the soldiers at this time sent 
 west, was at the churches of the old presby- 
 teriaii ministers. Such of those who con- 
 tinued either by connivance, or at their 
 hazard, or by the interest of some consider- 
 able person in the parish, had very throng 
 auditories, which grated the bishops and 
 their underlings; so orders were sent to the 
 soldiers, to go to their churches likewise. 
 The method was, as a good many living 
 witnesses can yet testify, the party of soldiers 
 sat di-inking, revelling, and carousing, in 
 some public-house in the parish, till public 
 worship was near over ; and then came 
 armed to the church door, or church-yard 
 gates, and guarded those, caused the people 
 pass out one by one, and interrogate them 
 upon oath, if they were one of that congre- 
 gation ? If they could not say they were 
 parishioners, though it may be the congre- 
 gation they lived in was vacant, and no 
 curate settled in it, the soldiers immediately 
 fined them, and any money they had was 
 taken from them. If they had no money, 
 or not so much as was required, then their 
 Bibles, the men's coats, and women's plaids 
 were taken from them. You would have 
 seen the soldiers returning on the Lord's 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCO'lLAND. 375 
 
 day, from one of these churches, .p^,, 
 laden with spoil, as if they had 
 come from a battle where they had stripped 
 the slain, or the sacking and plundering a city. 
 In some places there was yet sadder work, 
 though this was not so common as the 
 former. The soldiers would come in com- 
 panies in arms to the presbyterian ministers' 
 churches, and without any ceremony, enter 
 the same by force, and interrupt divine 
 worship. One party would stand at the one 
 door, and a second party at the other, and 
 guard them so as let no body get out ; and 
 a third party would enter the church, and 
 obliged the people to go out all by one door, 
 and these that would not presently swear 
 they belonged to that parish, they rifled 
 them of all they had, and sometimes forced 
 them to go with them to prison. Dreadful 
 was the confusion and profanation of the 
 Lord's day, and several were wounded, and 
 others sorely beat. Many instances of those 
 abuses, in this and the following years, might 
 be given through the west and south, were 
 there need ; particularly at the churches of 
 Eaglesham, Stewarton, Ochiltree, Irvine, 
 Kilwinning, and other places, too long to be 
 narrated here. And after all, the soldiers 
 were so insolent and severe, as to force 
 people, for fear of worse, to declare under 
 their hand, that after all those and many 
 other outrages, they were kindly dealt with 
 and used, and engage to make no com- 
 plaints; and when they had forced this from 
 somepeople, they thought themselves secure. 
 Indeed it is but a lame idea can be framed 
 of the nature and severities of those quarter- 
 ings, now at this distance : but from this 
 short hint it is evident, the procedure of 
 the managers this year, with that of the 
 high commission next year, and the follow- 
 ing severities in the year after, naturally 
 paved the way for all confusions and extrem- 
 ities the country fell into afterwards, and 
 may be reckoned the real causes of them. 
 
 Of several other occurrences this year, 1663. 
 
 As I have done upon the former years, so I 
 shall end this, by taking notice of several 
 
376 
 
 ififl^ incidental things \vhich may tend 
 to clear the history of this period, 
 and yet come not in upon theformer. sections; 
 and I shall run very quickly through them. 
 
 February, this year, died Mr. Da\id 
 IVIitchel, who had been minister of Edin- 
 burgh before the (year) 1638, and, as we 
 heard, was made first bishop of Aberdeen, 
 afte^ the restoration, though his character 
 did not merit any elevation in the church ; 
 and he was succeeded by bishop Burnet. 
 
 We heard before, that an application was 
 made to the council, for a license to print 
 Mr. David Dickson's Therapeutica Sacra, 
 in English, and it was remitted to JNIr. Fair- 
 foul to revise. As he was a very unfit hand 
 to come after the reverend and learned Mr. 
 Dickson, so I doubt, if, during his life, any 
 application was further made; but now that 
 excellent person having got to his reward, a 
 new application is made, March 24tli. " The 
 council having considered the desire of the 
 petition presented by Mr. Alexander Dick- 
 son, professor of Hebrew in the college of 
 Edinburgh, son to umquhile Mr. David 
 Dickson, professor of divinity there, for a 
 license to print liis father's Therapeutica 
 Sacra, in English ;. do find it reasonable, and 
 recommend to, and require the bishop of 
 Edinburgh, or such as he shall think fit, to 
 revise the said book and translation thereof; 
 and if he or they shall find it usefiU for the 
 public, and give testimony thereof under 
 their hand, the lords give warrant to his 
 majesty's printer to cause print the same." 
 This excellent book is upon a subject the 
 managers needed not be afraid of, and did 
 not in the least concern politics, or their 
 government in church and state, but was 
 entirely calculate for the promoting of real 
 godliness and practical religion, and hath 
 been singularly usefid unto thousands. 
 Whether it was put into the hands of the 
 bishop or not, I cannot say : but October 
 13th, I find there is a license granted for 
 publishing it, without any restrictions. " The 
 lords of council do hereby licentiate and 
 give warrant to the printing of a book called 
 Therapeutica Sacra, translated out of Latin 
 into English, by Mr. David Dickson, and 
 discharge all printers to print the same, 
 except Christopher Higgins his Majesty's 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS []B00K I- 
 
 printer, as they will be answerable, without 
 the special license of Mr. Alexander Dick- 
 son, son to the said Mr. David." 
 
 It may perhaps be thought foreign to this 
 history, and I shall but just name it, to 
 notice, that the duke of Monmouth and 
 dutchess of Buccleugh were married, April 
 24th, and in a few weeks I find a patent, 
 creating them duke and dutchess of Buc- 
 cleugh, read in council and recorded :* we 
 shall afterwai'ds meet with his grace the 
 king's natural son in the progress of this 
 history. 
 
 Upon the 2Gth of April, the lyon king 
 at arms died, and Sir Charles Erskine, 
 brother to the earl of Airly, succeeded him 
 in that post, who, September 26th, is 
 crowned in presence of the parliament ; but 
 I do not find the formality of a sermon used, 
 as was at the coronation of the former king 
 at arms. — June 2d, the council pass the fol- 
 lowing act with relation unto quakers ; 
 
 " The lords of his majesty's privy council, 
 taking to their consideration the great abuse 
 committed by these people who take upon 
 them the profession of quakers, whereby 
 both church and state is and may be pre- 
 judged, to the great scandal of the gospel ; 
 and being most willing to remedy the same. 
 
 * From Mackenzie s Historj'- of Scotland, we 
 learn that this marriage arose out of the struggle 
 between Lauderdale and Middleton. The earls 
 Marischal and Rothes were tools in the bands 
 of the former, and " Rothes the more to in- 
 sinuate himself in bis majesty's favour, and to 
 mix himself in the royal tamily by a near 
 alliance, did propose a match between his niece 
 the dutchess of Buccleuch, and James, natural 
 son to the king, which produced the desired 
 eifect, for tliis gave him occasion to converse 
 much vvitli the king, and his conversation 
 warmed the king into new degrees of friend- 
 ship for him. Nor did the dutchess's mother, 
 Rothes' sister, contribute a Jittle towards the 
 promoving of this kindness, being a person of 
 much wit and subtilty ; and to persuade the 
 king yet more, that all Middleton s procedures 
 were illegal, Lauderdale caused call up his 
 friend Sir John Gilmour, president of the 
 session, upon pretence of consulting the con- 
 tract of marriage, who, being warmed with a 
 kind coUatinn, did complain to his majesty witli 
 tears, of Middleton's rash and illegal actions, 
 ■which had the greater eifect upon his majesty 
 tliat he was figured to the king as a person who 
 had been an eminent royalist and sufferer, and 
 that he w^ept for joy when he spoke to his 
 majesty." — History of Scotland, pp. 113, 114 
 —Ed. 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 they do appoint the lord advocate, tlie lord 
 Tarbet, and Sir Robert Murray, to meet 
 and call before them John Svvinton, some- 
 time of that ilk, Anthony Hedges of Burn- 
 side, and Andrew Robertson, and examine 
 them, and the papers that have been inter- 
 cepted, passing betwixt them and some 
 others, and what correspondence they have 
 had, either with those in England, or else- 
 where, to the prejudice of the church or 
 state ; and for this effect give power to cite 
 and receive witnesses, and all other manner 
 of probation, and to report to the council. 
 And because it is certainly informed, that 
 there are several meetings of quakers in 
 Edinburgh, both on the week-day and 
 Sabbath, in tune of divine worship, who 
 seduce many to follow after mischievous 
 practices ; therefore, for preventing the same 
 in time coming, they do ordain and require 
 the magistrates of the burgh of Edinburgh, 
 to cause a strict inquiry to be made after the 
 dwelling places or houses where those 
 persons resort, and that they call for the 
 landlords or heritors of the said houses, and 
 cause them take such course as there be no 
 meetings of such persons any more within 
 their houses ; and, if need be, that they take 
 the keys of their houses from them : and 
 withal, that they take care that no heritor, 
 landlord, or others, set any house to such 
 persons, as they shall be answerable, in time 
 coming." 
 
 Had this good act been prosecute with 
 the same vigour those against presbyterians 
 were, we might, in this land, soon been freed 
 from that dangerous sectj but as soon as the 
 bishops come into the councO, in a few days 
 after this, I observe little more done against 
 them. They gave the council so much to 
 do against presbyterian nonconformists, that 
 for some years I meet with little further 
 agamst the quakers ; and any thing that was 
 done was so little prosecute, that they 
 spread terribly during this reign.* 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 377 
 
 * Notwithstanding our historian's approbation 
 of this act, we cannot help thinking it -was 
 sanguinary and unjust, and had it been rigor- 
 ously executed, instead of atoning for the cruel- 
 ties exercised upon the presbyterians, could only 
 have involved the nation in deeper guilt, and 
 rendered the government more disgustingly 
 hateful. There may be reasons found for re- 
 
 1G63. 
 
 June J)th, there is read a letter 
 from the king to the council, rela- 
 tive to the plot, commonly called Blood's 
 plot, bearing, " That by an express of the 
 '29th of May, before this time they had re- 
 ceived his majesty's letter, declaring his 
 pleasure for discharging the two commissions 
 formerly granted to the earl of Middleton, 
 and requiring them to adjourn the parliament 
 to the ISth of June, and that they had re- 
 ceived the earl of Rothes's commission, that 
 it might pass the seals : but now having re- 
 ceived information of a damnable plot in 
 the kingdom of Ireland, to surprise the 
 Castle of Dublin, and raise a rebellion, which 
 is now in a good measure prevented, and 
 some of the principal persons secured ; yet 
 because it is informed, Gilbert Ker was en- 
 gaged in that treasonable design, and escaped, 
 and because there is reason to think he and 
 some others, involved in that guilt, may en- 
 deavour an escape through the kingdom of 
 Scotland, the council are required to give 
 immediate orders, that all persons, come 
 over in ten days before the date of this, be 
 strictly examined, and dealt with as they 
 deserve." A copy of the Irish proclamation 
 is sent enclosed. This letter is dated the 
 1st of June. The council gives orders accor- 
 dingly. For any thing I can learn, no acces- 
 sion to this plot could ever be fixed on 
 colonel Ker.f 
 
 straining m some degree the public exercise ot 
 certain forms of religious w^orship, or even for 
 interfering with its private rites, when they are, 
 as they have often been, scandalous and im- 
 moral ; but to proscribe a man for his religious 
 opinions, and forbid towards him the exercise of 
 the common duties of humanity, is utterly re- 
 pugnant both to reason and revelation. — Ed. 
 
 ■f The principal leader of this plot was colonel 
 Thomas Blood, who had fought during the 
 civil war under the standard of Charles I. 
 After the ruin of the royal cause, falling in on 
 his way to Ireland, his native country, with 
 some of the presbyterian minister in Lanca- 
 shire, who were then writing against the 
 violence which the sectarian army had done 
 to the king and parliament, he became a con- 
 vert to their views. He lived in Ireland 
 quietly, and performed the duties of Justice 
 of the peace, with great approbation, till the 
 restoration, when the government having for- 
 feited the pledge which it gave mi the declara- 
 tion from Breda, he took an active pai't in a 
 conspiracy formed by some members of parlia- 
 ment who had been deprived of their lands. 
 The following is the declaration the conspira- 
 tors put forth on this occasion : — " Having long 
 expected the securing unto us of our lives, 
 3k 
 
378 
 
 1GG3, 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 June 15th, the earl of Rothes's 
 commission, to be commissioner to 
 the parliament, is read and recorded in coun- 
 
 liberties, and estates, as but a reasonable re- 
 compense of that Industrie and diligence ex- 
 ercised by the protestantis of this kingdome, in 
 restoring of his majesty to the exercise of his 
 royal authority in his kingdomes, in steid 
 therof, we find ourselfes, our wyfes and child- 
 ren, without mercy delyvered as a prey unto 
 these barbarous and bloodie murderers, whose 
 inhuman cruelty is registrated in the blood 
 of 150,000 poor protestantis at the beginning 
 of the war in this kingdom, all which doth 
 appear by these insueing sad and infallible 
 simptomes : — 
 
 '* First. That notwithstanding of all the ob- 
 ligations of oathes and covenantis lyeing on his 
 majesty for the extirpation of poperie, prelacie, 
 and such grand malignancie, he hath suffered 
 himself to be so far seduced by evil counsellors, 
 that even the aforesaid bloodie papists that were 
 deluders of the people unto that barbarous 
 masaker, \vere now the first that tasted of his 
 royal clemencie, in setling them in their justlie 
 forfalted estates at his first comeing in, by paper 
 ordores, taken from the protestantis illegallie, 
 and confirmed on them, and they that had them 
 not had sallaries out of the exchequer, untill 
 they wer restored, although the poor suffering 
 protestantis despoyled by them, never had any 
 recompence for their losses. 
 
 " Secondly. That these vast soumes of money 
 given by the protestantis for relief of that armie, 
 which under God is the meanes of our preser- 
 vatione from thair bloodie attempts, is disposed 
 of to gratifie the aforesaid inhumane butchers 
 of the poor protestantis, whilst the said armie 
 parish for want of pay. 
 
 " Thirdly. That the lord lieutenant, to whose 
 protection we are committit, doeth not onlie 
 execute and practise, hot hath owned his keep- 
 ing a correspondence xvith several of the said 
 murderers, during their hostilitie, as appearetb 
 by his certificates in their behalf to the court of 
 clames, to which may be added, the hous of 
 commones of thir kingdome's apprehensione, de- 
 clared in the speaker's speech to the duk, by all 
 which circumstances, we may undoubtedlie as 
 David did, conclude that eviU is determined 
 against us, and before it be too late, stand upon 
 our just and necessar defence, and use all our 
 endeavours for our self-preservatione, and like 
 the people with Saull, when he intended to re- 
 quyte the incomparable desertis of Jonathan 
 with death, to stand up without the sanctuarie 
 and say, ' As the Lord liveth, Jonathan shall 
 not die.' And to the end, no well niynded pro- 
 testantis in the three kingdoms, may be afraid 
 to stand be us in this our just quarell, w^e doe de- 
 clar we will stand for that libertie of conscience 
 proper to everie one as a Christian, for estab- 
 lishing the protestant religion in puritie, accord- 
 ing to the tenor of the Solemn League and 
 Covenant ; the restoring each person to his 
 lands as they held them in the year 1659; the 
 discharging the armies arreirs ; and the repair- 
 ing the breaches maid upon the liberties and 
 privileges of the corporationes in the three 
 kingdoms. In all which, we doubt not bot the 
 Lord of Hosts, the mighty God of Jacob, will 
 strengthen our weik handis." 
 
 [book I. 
 
 cil, and likewise his commission to be lord 
 high treasurer, in the room of the earl of 
 Crawford, who had demitted that jjlace, 
 
 This plot being discovered prematurely, many 
 of the persons concerned ivere apprehended, 
 but Blood with many others escaped, some to 
 Scotland, others to Kngland. In this latter 
 country, Blood took up the medical profession, 
 and under the assumed names of Ur. Allan, 
 and Dr. Clark, appears to have lived un- 
 molested. He was unquestionably a very extra- 
 ordinary character, and possessed of the most dar- 
 ing courage. Illustrative of this, Mr. William 
 Veitch relates a circumstance of which he him- 
 self was the subject. He had preached a sermon 
 in London, for a Mr. Nichol Blackie, who had 
 been ejected from the parish of Roberton, and 
 had found an asylum and a congregation in 
 London. Mr. Veitch had concluded his sermon, 
 and had pronounced the blessing, when some 
 government spies started up and cried, " trea- 
 son, treason !" which greatlj' alarmed both minis- 
 ters and people, but the famous colonel Blood, 
 who went then under the name of AUan, with 
 some of his accomplices, sitting near the only 
 door of the meeting-house, while the others 
 who cried were on the far side of the pulpit, 
 stands up, saying, " Good people, Avbat are these 
 that cry treason, treason, we have heard no- 
 thing, but reason, reason. You that are in the 
 passage there, stand still, and you who are be- 
 twixt and the pulpit, make w^ay for the minis- 
 ter to come to me, and I'll carry him safe to 
 his chamber." " And so he did," adds Veitch, 
 " and we heard no more of that business." — Life 
 of Veitcii. 
 
 Blood gave other demonstrations of his cour- 
 age, not quite so honourable as that we have 
 just noticed. His attempt to carry off the 
 crown from the Tower of London, in w^hich 
 he had nearly succeeded, is familiar to every 
 reader of history, and having no connexion 
 with the subject of our present discussion, 
 it would be impertinent here to insert it. But 
 the fallowing account of him is too curious 
 to be omitted. " To give some account of 
 Blood, I shall briefly say here, that the duke of 
 Orraond, when he was lord lieutenant of Ire- 
 land, having caused some of Blood's complices 
 to be hanged, who intended to surprise the 
 Castle of Dublin, Blood swore he would re- 
 venge their deaths. For this purpose, Blood 
 followed the duke of Ormond into England 
 when he was recalled, and watched him so 
 well, that with the assistance of seven or eight 
 persons on horseback, he stopped his coach in 
 the night as he was going to Clarendon-house, 
 where he lived, knocked down his footman, 
 and forced the duke up behind one of the horse- 
 men, in order to carry him to Tyburn, and 
 hang him there with a paper pinned on his 
 breast, to show the cause of this execution. 
 But the duke forcibly throwing himself off the 
 horse, with the villain who had tied the duke 
 fast to him, defeated the design, and the authors 
 could never be discovered till after Blood's 
 attempt upon the crown. This attempt was 
 very extraordinary, but the king's conduct on 
 that occasion was still more smprising. For, 
 having a curiosity to examine Blood himself, 
 he ordered him to be brought to Whitehall, and 
 put several questions to bim, which the villain 
 
CHAP IV. J OF THE CHURCH 
 
 because lie could not sign the declaration 
 formed by parliiunent hist year, and ordered 
 to be taken by all in public trust. I am 
 told, that this noble person was particularly 
 in Middleton's eye, when the declaration 
 was penned, and he readily went into it at 
 the bishop's instigation, that he might have 
 the post for himself or one of his friends. 
 And it is said, he was put in hopes that the 
 earl of Lauderdale might boggle at it : and 
 the earl of Lauderdale said to my lord 
 Crawford, that he wanted not some difficulties 
 as to the declaration, and wished it had not 
 been passed ; but since it was passed, he 
 would come over them, and be avenged 
 upon his enemy INIiddleton. At the same 
 
 answered with astonishing boldness, confessing 
 all, and unconcernedly'- relating the circum- 
 stances of the thing. Then the king asked him, 
 whether he knew the authors of the attempt 
 upon the duke of OiTnond ? Blood confessed it 
 was himself. Not content with this, he told 
 the king he had been ei)g;igcd to kill him with 
 a carabine from out the j-eeds, by the Thames- 
 side above Battersea, where he often went to 
 hwim. But that when he had taken his stand 
 in the reeds for that purpose, his heart was 
 checked with an awe of majesty, and did not 
 only relent himself, but diverted his associates 
 from the design. He also told the king he was 
 prepared to suffer death, iis having deserved it, 
 but must tell his majesty that he had hundreds 
 of complices, who had bound themselves by a 
 horrible oath to revenge the death of any of the 
 fraternity, upon those who should bring them 
 to justice, which would expose his majesty and 
 all his ministers, to the daily fear and expecta- 
 tion of a massacre. But on the contrary, if he 
 spared the lives of a few persons, his own would 
 be secure. The king was surprised, and pro- 
 bably intimidated by Blood's discourse, and 
 thought doubtless, the attempt of this villain 
 on the duke of Orinond, to revenge the death of 
 his complices, might be imitated in revenge of 
 his death, by his surviving comerade>. Hoav- 
 ever this be, the king sent the earl of Arlingtoji 
 to the duke of Ormond, to desire him not to 
 prosecute Blood, which the duke could not 
 refuse. Afterwards he gave him his pardon, 
 and not content with saving his life, conferred 
 CB him five hundred pounds a year in land in 
 Ireland. From this time Blood was con- 
 tinually at court, and the king treated him 
 with that freedom and tamilia:ity, that many 
 persons applied to him for favours to the king. 
 This gave occa.sion to the king's cronies to sjiy, 
 that he kept this villain about him to intimidate 
 those who shouhl dare to offend him in things 
 which were not punishable by law, as had been 
 practised in the case of Sir John Coventry, 
 for some railleries upon him in the house of 
 commons." 
 
 In 16S0, he was accused of a conspiracy 
 against the duke of Buckingham, and while he 
 was preparing for his trial, fell sick and died. 
 But the terror which he had inspired in life. 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 379 
 
 time a considerable addition was 
 made to the council. The earl of 
 Lauderdale took his place : his brother Mr. 
 Charles, master and general of the mint, 
 was added to the council, by a letter from 
 the king; we shall afterward meet with him 
 under the style of the lord Halton ; and 
 John Hume of llenton is, by another letter, 
 admitted counseller ; as also the two aixh- 
 bishops, the letter relative to them deserves 
 a room here, and follows : " Right trusty 
 &c. — We greet you well. Being most con- 
 fident of the fidelity and affection to our 
 service, of the most reverend fathers in 
 God, the archbishops of St. Andrews and 
 Glasgow, we have thought fit to add them 
 
 did not cease at his death, his burial was looked 
 upon as a trick, the body was disinterred, and 
 after a strict examination, was at last identified 
 by the uncommon size of the left thumb. 
 Having connected himself with the presby- 
 terians, and advocated the covenant, though ho 
 had never had any thing to do with the duke of 
 Ormond or the crown, it was impossible that 
 in the estimation of the adulatory herd of histo- 
 riaus, who, for such a length of time, had almost 
 exclusively secui'ed the attention of the public, 
 Blood could be any thing but a desperate villain. 
 The credulous aad Jricobitical Carte exclaims 
 against " his matchless impudence, in pretend- 
 ing to godliness or tenderness of conscience." 
 Evelyn, in his Memoirs, says " he had not only 
 a daring, but a villanous unmerciful look, a 
 false countenance, but well spoken, and dan- 
 gerously insinuating." But Evelyn satv him 
 only after the attempt upon the crowTi, on 
 which account, he would be prepared before 
 hand to see all that he has recorded. Baxter, 
 who probably knew him much better than 
 Evelyn, and was iniquestionably a better judge 
 of character, seems to have entertained a favour- 
 able opinion of his character. A modern writer 
 has observed with great propriety, that in the 
 singular circumstances in which persons are 
 placed in the convulsions of civil discord, we 
 need not be surprised at inconsistencies real or 
 apparent in the conduct of men, whose charao 
 ter in the ordinary course of affairs had been 
 unimpeachable. Many actors in such scenes, 
 stand in need of the liberal treatment which 
 Cromwell receives at the hand of the celebrated 
 Burke. " Cromwell," says he, "was a man 
 in whom ambition had not wholly suppressed, 
 but only suspended the sentiments of religion, 
 and the love, as far .is it could consist with his 
 designs of fair and honourable reputation. — The 
 counti-y was nearly as well in his hands as in 
 those of Charles II., and in some points much 
 better. The laws in general, had their course, 
 and were admirably administered. Blood," 
 continues our author, " was of a restless dis- 
 position, and desperate courage, but it is 
 not so evident that he was cruel, perfidious 
 or altogether devoid of a sense of religion." — 
 M'Crie's Life of Vtitch, Tindal's England, 
 &c. 8ic.—Ed. 
 
380 
 
 1663. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 the prisoners from Kirkcudbright. June 23d> 
 
 to our council : these are therefore 
 
 to require you to receive them to 
 our privy council, in the ordinary way ; for 
 which this shall be your warrant. White- 
 hall, June 4th. 
 
 " Lauderdale." 
 
 That same day an order is given to 
 liberate the lord Lorn from the Castle of 
 Edinburgh. 
 
 " Those are to require and command 
 Robert Straiton, captain of the Castle of 
 Edinburgh, immediately upon sight hereof, 
 to put at liberty forth of the Castle of Edin- 
 burgh, Archibald Campbell, eldest son to 
 the late marquis of Ai'gyle, for which these 
 shall be a warrant. 
 
 " Rothes." 
 
 Middleton's projects against the noble 
 family of Argyle were now at an end, and 
 the earl of Lauderdale had taken care to 
 convince the king, that the sentence passed 
 against the lord Lorn was upon no solid 
 grounds, and had been procured from parti- 
 cular designs of the earl of Middleton. 
 And so after the parliament was up, in a few 
 days came down a patent restoring the lord 
 Lorn to all his grandfather's estate ; and be- 
 cause his father the marquis died under a 
 great burden of debt, it was ordained that 
 the lord Lorn should have fifteen thousand 
 pounds per annum paid to him out of the 
 estate, and the rest of the estate was ordered 
 to go to the payment of the debts and 
 creditors, of which the lord Lorn and his 
 two sisters were first to be satisfied. And 
 the restoration of this noble person was in- 
 deed a piece of justice done him, as well as 
 a grateful acknowledgment of his services to, 
 and sufferings for the king under his exile. 
 
 At this time likewise the earl of Tweed- 
 dale was made president of the privy coun- 
 cil in Rothes's room, and a remission was 
 passed for George Campbell, sheriff-depute 
 of Argyle, father to that great light of this 
 church, the reverend Mr. George Campbell, 
 professor of divinity at Edinburgh since the 
 revolution, whom we shall meet with in the 
 progress of this work. 
 
 I omitted a pretty singular order of coun- 
 cil, which might have come in upon the 
 former section, which no doubt came from 
 the bishops now in council, with respect to 
 
 " The lords of council being informed, that 
 ministers and other persons visit the pri- 
 soners for the riot at Kirkcudbright, now in 
 the tolbooth of Edinburgh, and not only 
 exhort, but pray for the said persons to 
 persist in their wicked practices, affirming 
 that they are sufFeringfor righteousness' sake, 
 and assure them God will give them an out- 
 gate ; recommend it to the keeper to notice 
 who visits them, and what their discourse 
 and carriage is when with them." Those 
 idle censures of the prayers of such as 
 visited the prisoners, were unworthy of the 
 notice of the council. John Euart and 
 some of the prisoners were eminent Christ- 
 ians, and no doubt suffering for their regard 
 to the gospel. However, it is well the 
 council went no further, and discharged all 
 visits to them. 
 
 This summer, as we heard, a great many 
 were vexed and harassed for not subjecting 
 to the ministry of the episcopal clergy, and 
 not waiting upon ordinances dispensed by 
 them. Some had freedom to hear the con- 
 formist ministers, yet, when they had oppor- 
 tunity, they choosed far rather to join vnih 
 the few remaining presbyterian ministers, 
 especially in the dispensation of sacraments. 
 And some had no freedom to hear the 
 curates, or receive sacraments from them, 
 till they gave a testimony or protestation 
 against what they judged wrong in them, for 
 exonerating of themselves, that they did not 
 by joining with them approve of it. This 
 was insisted upon by some, not only of the 
 more common people, but even of better 
 rank. That worthy and learned physician, 
 doctor Silvester Rattray, well enough known 
 in the learned world, was upon Thursday 
 the 23d of July, this year, called before the 
 meeting of the episcopal ministers at Glas- 
 gow, to receive a censure for his taking one 
 of his children out of town, to be baptized 
 by a presbyterian minister ; and having this 
 opportunity of exonering himself, he gave 
 in the following paper signed with his hand : 
 
 " I declare unto you, sir, before this meet- 
 ing, that really I am of the presbyterian 
 persuasion and judgment ; and that, not 
 only because I was bred and brought 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 up under it, but also being convinced 
 by cleiu- evidence from scrijjture, that 
 it is the only government Ciirist and 
 his apostles did leave behind them, 
 whereby the church should be ruled to 
 the end of the world : as also, because 
 of the many obligations, ties, and vows, 
 yet recent upon my spirit for adhering 
 unto it : as also I am convinced that 
 prelacy is a human invention, which 
 derives its rise only from some anti- 
 quated customs in the church. And 
 albeit the Lord in his holy and sover- 
 eign providence hath suffered this hedge 
 of presbytery to be broken down, 
 wherein ye have borne deep shares 
 to your power, I do declare that I will 
 not separate from the church of God, 
 but will participate of the ordinances 
 so long as they remain pure among us, 
 only with this proviso, that this my par- 
 ticipating of the ordinances do not infer 
 my approving any unlawful or unwar- 
 rantable practice in you, or any other 
 of the dispensers of the ordinances. 
 " Doctor S. Rattray." 
 
 Afterwards, when the bloody and cruel 
 scheme of oppression and persecution opened 
 out, such declarations as this were not re- 
 ceived, and though they had, could scarce 
 have been a sufficient salvo for joining with 
 the courses and defections of this lament- 
 able time. However, great numbers, some 
 upon one pretext, some upon another, were 
 brought to much trouble for their noncon- 
 formity with the clergy now set up. 
 
 During the sitting of parliament, and I 
 think by order of it, Angus and Neil M'Lcod 
 were denounced and put to the horn, being, 
 as was alleged, the persons who had taken 
 the marquis of Montrose, May 1650. This 
 was done, August 17th, this year, 
 
 September 29th, Mr. Thomas Sidescrf, 
 minister at Edinburgh, and bishop of Gallo- 
 way, before the year 1638, and now, as we 
 heard, bishop of Orkney, died at Edinburgh.* 
 
 • Bishop Burnet says, " He died a little more 
 than ii year after his translation ; he had died 
 ill more estoetn, if he died a year before it." — 
 History of his Own Time, vol. i. p. 191. — JEd 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 381 
 
 lie was buried honourably there. 
 
 October 4th, being a Sabbath : his 
 corpse lay in state in the isle of the East- 
 kirk, and Mr. William Annand had a sermon 
 before their interment, wherein he described, 
 with abundance of parade, the family, birth, 
 piety, learning, travels, life, and sufferings, 
 for the sake of the gospel, of the deceased 
 prelate. This is the second bishop dies this 
 year, and just now we shall hear of a third. 
 In September, the council write to the 
 king about some new impositions put upon 
 Scotsmen in France, in their traffic, as 
 follows : 
 
 " Most sacred sovereign, 
 " We are informed by several merchants 
 of this kingdom who traffic with France, 
 and some who reside there who are your 
 majesty's native subjects, that there being of 
 late some impositions put upon the vessels 
 and merchant-goods belonging to foreigners, 
 by the French king ; the general farmers of 
 those taxes upon that pretext, have encum- 
 bered the goods and vessels of your majesty's 
 subjects belonging to this kingdom, so that 
 they are in hazard to be reduced to the con- 
 dition of strangers, and lose the benefit of 
 those ancient privileges which for many years 
 they have enjoyed during the reigns of your 
 majesty's glorious predecessors of blessed 
 memory, until the time of the late usurpers, 
 during which, your majesty's subjects of this 
 kingdom did exceedingly suffer in their pri- 
 vileges and immunities in France, and other 
 foreign kingdoms, for want of your majesty's 
 protection. 
 
 " And seeing it can be made appear, that 
 in the year 787, by a treaty betwixt Achaius, 
 then king of Scotland, and Charles the great, 
 then emperor and king of France, confirmed 
 thereafter in the time of Alexander II. many 
 great privileges were secured unto this your 
 majesty's ancient kingdom ; and that in the 
 year 1558, when the dolphin of France, wa? 
 married to Mary, then queen of Scotland, 
 there was a reciprocal naturalization ol the 
 subjects of either kingdom, ratified and re- 
 corded here in parliament, and the great 
 council of France, which has been punctually 
 observed ; and that whensoever any of your 
 majesty's subjects were troubled in France, 
 for taxes put upon strangers, they were 
 
382 
 
 , ,„„ declared free by sentences of those 
 judicatories, to which they were 
 liable, conform to several declarations of 
 the French kings from time to time, parti- 
 cularly in the year 1639, by a declaration 
 and arrest of the council of state of France, 
 whereby all Scottish men living in France, 
 and their descendants, are declared free of 
 all taxes put upon strangers. We found it 
 our duty humbly to offer the condition of 
 those your majesty's subjects, and their 
 sufferings and hazard to your consideration, 
 and take the boldness to implore in their 
 behalf, that your majesty would be graciously 
 pleased to interpose with the French king, 
 for relief from their present encumbrances, 
 and the security of their ancient privileges 
 for the future, and to put a present stop to 
 any levying of taxes from them. And if 
 your majesty think fit to employ any of your 
 subjects of this kingdom to negotiate that 
 aflfair, we shall be read}' to furnish him au- 
 thorities and originals fit for that purpose. 
 We are, &c." I find no more of this till in 
 king James's reign, the recovery of our pri- 
 vileges in France is brought in to be a bait 
 to come into the repeal of the penal laws 
 against papists. 
 
 That same day the council considering 
 the vacancy of St. Salvator's college in St. 
 Andrews, recommend to the lord archbishop 
 as chancellor of that university, to name a 
 person to oversee the masters, regents, and 
 scholars, exercising discipline, and enjoying 
 the privileges, and uplifting the emoluments 
 of the provost of that college: and the 
 council require the person named by his 
 grace to accept. We may see the archbishop 
 had some reason for pushing the removal of 
 the reverend Mr. James Wood, of which 
 before. 
 
 As soon as the parliament rose, a good 
 many went up to com-t. The commissioner 
 who was well received, Lauderdale, the earl 
 of Dumfries, lord Bellendefi, treasurer- 
 depute, Su' John Fletcher advocate. The 
 jirimate goes not up at first, but in a little 
 time followed them, and brought down the 
 waiTant for the high commission next year. 
 
 November 2d, archbishop Fairfoul died 
 in his lodgings at Edinburgh. Since his 
 riding the parliament in pomp and state, he 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 was not well, and continued till this time 
 
 when he died. Upon the 1 1th instant, his 
 corpse were carried to St. Giles's east church, 
 now the new church in Edinburgh, and laid 
 in mourning before the pulpit. The bells 
 rang for the funeral sermon at four in the 
 afternoon. Mr. John Hay, parson at Peebles, 
 now archdean at Glasgow, preached from 
 Eccles. xii. 3. When sermon was over, the 
 corpse were put into a mourning coach, 
 and carried to Holyrood-house, with the 
 nobility and principal gentry in town ; the 
 magistrates, the lords of session in coaches, 
 and the rest on foot, with trumpets sound- 
 ing, and two heralds, and two pursuivants 
 with coats displayed before the corpse, with 
 great numbers of torches ; the chancellor 
 with his purse after the corpse, and the 
 archbishop of St. Andrews and other bishops 
 in coaches; and the body was interred in 
 the east end of the Abbey church. Thus 
 three of our bishops are carried off, and 
 bishop Burnet from Aberdeen, is translated 
 to Glasgow. Doctor Scougal succeeds him 
 there ; and Mr. Andrew Honeyman is made 
 bishop of Orkney, as we shall hear, next 
 year. 
 
 I shall end this year with remarking, that 
 the council are very careful to supply the 
 alleged necessities of bishops and their 
 clergy. The bishop of the isles was not 
 satisfied with his rent as bishop, and so 
 they allow him the stipend of the pai'ish 
 where he had been minister, and they allow 
 a good large sum out of the vacant stipends 
 to Ml-. Annand, though his stipend was not 
 despicable at Edinburgh. I shall give both 
 as they stand in the registers. 
 
 November 10th, " Anent a petition pre- 
 sented by the bishop of the isles, showing 
 that the provision of the bishopric of the 
 isles is so mean that unless his majesty shall 
 be pleased to take some course for helping 
 of it, the petitioner shall not be able to 
 subsist by it, by reason of the distance of 
 the place, and the extraordinary expenses 
 he is put to in \'isiting his diocese ; and see- 
 ing the stipend of Barnwel, where the sup- 
 plicant served last twenty-two years, is 
 vacant this year, notwithstanding of all en- 
 deavours used for planting thereof; humbly 
 therefore desiring, that in consideration of 
 
CHAP, v.] or THE CI'U 
 
 the extraordinary expenses and pains that 
 he is put to, the said year's stipend may 
 be allowed him for his present supply, as 
 the petition bears. Whilk being at length 
 read, heard, and considered, the lords of his 
 majesty's council, give warrant and power 
 to the supplicant to uplift the stipend of 
 the said parish of Barnwel the said year 
 IG63, and ordain the heritors, feuars, and 
 liferenters, and others liable, to make due 
 and thankful payment ; and if need be, 
 ordain letters to be direct hereupon in form 
 as eft'eirs." 
 
 The same day, " Anent a petition of Mr. 
 William Annand minister at Edinburgh, 
 showing, that whereas the petitioner's father, 
 in consideration of his sufferings, was ap- 
 pointed two hundred pounds sterling, out of 
 the vacant stipends, notwithstanding whereof, 
 his father, during his lifetime, received 
 nothing thereof; humbly therefore desiring 
 the same locality might be assigned to the 
 petitioner, for payment of the said sum, or 
 else that he may be recommended to the 
 lord St. Andrews his grace, for that effect. 
 The lords of council recommend him to the 
 archbishop of St. Andrews, to appoint a 
 locality for the said sum, and ordain letters 
 of horning to be direct upon the localities 
 so to be granted." 
 
 CHAP. V- 
 
 OF THE STATE AND SUFFERINGS OF PRESBY- 
 TERIANS, DURING THE YEAR 1664. 
 
 1 eci. ^^ ^'^^ "°^^ S^^ through the most 
 considerable transactions of the 
 period which is the subject of this first book : 
 we are to have no more parliaments for 
 some years ; and the extensive and large acts 
 of council, with the severe execution of them, 
 already described, leave little room for much 
 further to be done by the managers, until 
 the rising at Pentland is taken hold of for 
 a handle to further severities. However, the 
 laws made by the three last sessions of par- 
 liament, now begun to be rigorously exe- 
 cuted by the army, did not satisfy the cruel 
 bishops. The people in Scotland, when 
 episcopacy was forced upon them, had ill 
 enough impression of them and theu* curates; 
 
 RCH OF SCOTL.AND. 383 
 
 but the barbarity of the soldiers, .^ , 
 hounded out by the prelates, and 
 under the direction of the curates, brought 
 the west and south of Scotland, now mostly 
 the scene of their severities, perfectly to 
 loath the bishops. Nevertheless, when 
 they perceived that they could not be loved 
 and esteemed as fathers of the church, they 
 resolve to be feared, as tyrants ordinarily 
 do; and therefore they prevail to get a 
 high commission court set up, effectually to 
 bring this about. 
 
 This terrible court is the chief and most 
 remarkable thing in this year I am now en- 
 tering upon ; and because very little, either 
 as to its nature or proceedings, hath, as far 
 as I know, been published, I shall give the 
 larger accounts of it in this chapter. The 
 work of the privy council was pretty much 
 abridged by this frightsome court ; and yet 
 we shall find them going on to put in execu- 
 tion the act of Middleton's parliament con- 
 cerning the fines, and pushing the declaration 
 formerly spoken of, and, at the instigation 
 of the bishops, making some new and very 
 unaccountable acts against presbyterian min- 
 isters, and others of that persuasion. Be- 
 sides, they are going on against some more 
 particular gentlemen and ministers, and 
 putting them to new trouble. Those, with 
 some other incidental matters that tend to 
 clear the history of this year, will afford 
 matter for five sections ; and I begin with 
 the high commission court. 
 
 Of the erection and 2ioivcis of the high com- 
 mission court, with some reflections upon 
 the same. 
 
 When the plan of prelacy was perfected and 
 set up in Scotland, the king was made to 
 expect, that his prerogative would be 
 strengthened in Scotland, and his power 
 and pleasures every way secured. No 
 doubt somewhat as to both was done for 
 him, but in reality the bishops were a dead 
 weight on his authority, and a clog upon 
 his actings ; and as they dethroned him in 
 the hearts of the best of his subjects, so they 
 were perpetually teasing and vexing him 
 
38i 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [boOK I. 
 
 appear from the king's commission brought 
 
 if./!< with new demands, dishonourable 
 ioo-1. „ , . . , 
 
 lor his majesty to go into, and very 
 
 burdensome to his subjects and the poor 
 country. Thus the archbishop of St. An- 
 drews, in the end of December, last year, 
 comes up to court to make new demands, 
 and use his interest for fiUing up the vacant 
 bishoprics, but especially for erecting the 
 high commission court. 
 
 The chancellor, and some other of our 
 noblemen here, were not for running alto- 
 gether so fast as our prelates would have 
 them ; and Glencairn, in particular, was 
 highly dissatisfied with the pride and over- 
 driving of the archbishop and other prelates. 
 I am informed, he went so far as to say to 
 the earl of Rothes, before his going up to 
 court last year, " That it was noblemen's in- 
 terest and concern to bear down the growing 
 power of bishops, otherwise they were like 
 to be treated now by them, as they had been 
 before the (year) 1638." This coming to 
 the ears of bishop Sharp, I am told he 
 treated the chancellor with indiscretion abun- 
 dance, and plainly threatened to disgi'ace 
 and discourt him. When he got up to 
 court, he made heavy complaints of the 
 backwardness of many noblemen in execut- 
 ing the laws made for the interest of the 
 church J and prevailed with the king, by the 
 help of the English bishops, and the high- 
 fliers, to grant a commission for erecting 
 a high commission court in Scotland, made 
 up of churchmen and laymen, to execute the 
 laws concerning church affairs ; and it was 
 in every point modelled according to his 
 mind.* The nature of this court will best 
 
 * '•' Sharp went up to London to complain of 
 the lord Glencairn, and of the privy council, 
 where he said there was such remissness, and 
 so much popularity appeared on all occasions, 
 that unless some more spirit were put in the 
 administration, it would be impossible to pre- 
 serve the church. That was the word always 
 used, as if there had been a charm in it. He 
 moved that a letter might be ■writ, giving him 
 the precedence of the lord chancellor. This 
 %vas thought an inexcusable piece of vanity, for 
 in Scotland, when there was no commissioner, 
 all matters passed through the lord chancellor's 
 hands, who, by act of parliament, was to pre- 
 side in all courts, and w^as considered as repre- 
 senting the king's person ; he also moved that 
 the king would grant a special commission to 
 some persons for executing the laws relating 
 to the church. All the privy counsellors were 
 
 down by the archbishop ; which is as follows : 
 
 Commission for executing tJie laws in church 
 affairs. 
 
 " Our sovereign lord ordains a commission 
 to be passed and expede under his majesty's 
 great seal for the kingdom of Scotland, 
 making mention, that in consideration of the 
 multiplicity and weight of the affairs of the 
 state incumbent upon the lords of privy 
 council, so as they cannot attend the due 
 execution of the laws against popery, sepa- 
 ration, and disobedience to ecclesiastical 
 authority ; and to the effect that the dis- 
 orders and contempt of authority and the 
 laws in the provinces of St. Andrews and 
 Glasgow, may be timously suppressed, and 
 the scandalous and disobedient may not 
 through impunity and connivance be embol- 
 dened to violate and affront the laws, create 
 disturbances, foment sedition and disaffec- 
 tion to the government of the church and 
 state, under pretext of any engagements : his 
 majesty by virtue of his royal prerogative 
 in all causes, and over all persons, as well 
 ecclesiastic as civil, has given and granted, 
 likeas by the tenor hereof, gives and grants 
 full power and commission to the archbishop 
 of St. Andrews, the lord chancellor, the 
 lord treasurer, the archbishop of Glasgow, 
 duke Hamilton, the marquis of Montrose, 
 the earls of Argyle, Athol, Eglinton, 
 Linlithgow, Hume, Galloway, Annandale, 
 Tweeddale, Leven, Murray ; the bishops of 
 Edinburgh, Galloway, Dunkeld, Aberdeen, 
 Brechin, Argyle, and the Isles; the lords 
 
 to be of it, but to these he desired many others 
 might be added, for whom he undertook, that 
 they would execute them with zeal. Lord 
 Lauderdale saw that this would prove a high 
 commission court, yet he gave way to it, though 
 much against his own mind. Upon thesr 
 things I took the liberty, though then too 
 young to meddle in things of that kind, to 
 expostulate very freely ■with him. I thought 
 he w^as acting the earl of Traquair's part, giving 
 way to all the follies of the bishops, on design 
 to ruin them. He, upon that, ran into a great 
 deal of freedom w^ith me ; he told me many 
 passages of Shai"p's past life ; he was persuaded 
 he w^ould ruin all, but he said he was resolved 
 to give him time, for he had not credit enough 
 to stop him, nor would he oppose any thing 
 that he proposed, unless it were very extrava- 
 gant. He saw the earl of Glencairn and he 
 
CHAP, v.] 
 
 Druinlanerk, Pitsligo, Frazcr, Cochran, Hal- 
 kerton, anil Bellenilen ; the president of the 
 session, the register, the advocate. Sir John 
 Hume, justice-clerk, Mr. Charles Maitland, 
 the laird of Philorth elder. Sir Andrew 
 Ramsay, Sir William Thomson; the provosts 
 of St. Andrews, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Ayr, 
 and Dumfries ; Sir James Turner, and the 
 dean of guild of Edinburgh, or any five of 
 them, an archbishop or bishop being one of 
 the number, to use their utmost endeavour 
 that the acts of parliament and council, for 
 the peace and order of the church, and in 
 behalf of the government thereof by arch- 
 bishops and bishops, be put in vigorous and 
 impartial execution against all and every one 
 within the kingdom of Scotland, who pre- 
 sume to violate, contemn, or disobey, those 
 acts and the ecclesiastical authority now 
 settled ; to summon and call before them 
 at whatsoever time and place they shall ap- 
 point, all popish traffickers, intercommuners 
 with, and resetters of Jesuits and seminary 
 priests, all who say or hear mass, all ob- 
 stinate contemners of the discipline of the 
 churchjor for that cause suspended, deprived, 
 or excommunicated ; all keepers of conven- 
 ticles, all ministers who, contrary to the laws 
 and acts of parliament or council, remain or 
 intrude themselves on the function of the 
 ministry in these parishes and bounds inhi- 
 bited by those acts ; all such who preach in 
 private houses, or elsewhere, without license 
 from the bishop of the diocese; all such 
 persons who keep meetings at fasts, and the 
 administration of the sacrament of the Lord's 
 supper, which are not approven by authority; 
 all who speak, preach, write, or print, to the 
 scandal, reproach, and detriment, of the 
 estate or government of the church or king- 
 dom, as now established ; all who contemn. 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 385 
 
 1664. 
 
 would be in a perpetual war, and it was in- 
 different to him hiiw matters niij^ht go between 
 them, thinijs would run to a lieight, and then 
 the king would of himself put a stop to their 
 career. For the kinf( said often, he was not 
 priest-ridden, he would not venture a war, nor 
 travel ai^airi for any party. This was all that 
 I could obtain from the eai"l of Lauderdale. 
 I pressed Sharp himself to think of more 
 moderate methods. But he despised my appli- 
 cations, arul from that time he was very jealous 
 of me." — Burnet's History of his Own Times, 
 vol. i. pp. 301, 302.— £<f. 
 
 molest, or injure, the ministers who 
 are orderly and obedient to the laws ; 
 all w ho do not orderly attend divine worship, 
 administration of the word and sacraments, 
 perfonned in their respective parish churches, 
 by ministers legally settled for taking care 
 of these parishes in which those persons are 
 inhabitants ; all such, who, without any law- 
 ful calling, as busybodies, go about houses 
 and places, for corrupting and disaffcctinf 
 people from their allegiance, respect, and 
 obedience, to the laws ; and generally, without 
 prejudice to the particulars above mentioned, 
 all who express their disaffection to his ma- 
 jesty's authority, by contravening acts of 
 parliament or council in relation to church 
 affairs. With power to the said commis- 
 sioners, or any five of them, an archbishop 
 or bishop being one of the number, to ap- 
 point ministers to be censured with suspen- 
 sion or deposition, and to punish by fining, 
 confining, committing to prison, and incarcerat- 
 ing them and all other persons, who shall be 
 found transgressors, as aforesaid, according 
 as they shall judge the quality of their offence 
 to desene, they ahvays not exceeding the 
 fines and punishments enjoined by the acts 
 of parliament and council. Commandmg 
 the captains of his majesty's guards, the 
 officers of the standing forces and militia, 
 sheriffs, deputes, baihes of regalities, justices 
 of the peace, and provosts and bailies of 
 burghs, to search, seek, take, and apprehend, 
 all such delinquents, and present them before 
 the commissioners, upon the warrant of any 
 five of them, as aforesaid. Commanding 
 likewise the constables and commanders of 
 his majesty's castles, keepers of prisons, and 
 other places of firmance, to receive and de- 
 tain those that shall be directed to them by 
 the commissioners, upon the said warrant, 
 as said is, as they will answer upon their 
 obedience, or utmost peril. Ordaining fur- 
 ther the lords of his majesty's'privy council, 
 upon any certificate subscribed by the said 
 commissioners, or any five of them, as afore- 
 said, to direct letters of horning for payment 
 of the fines imposed by the said comnns- 
 sioners, in case of the delinquents' dis- 
 obedience and refusal to compear before 
 them ; of which letters of hornmg, no sus- 
 pension or relaxation shall be granted 
 3 c 
 
386 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1664. 
 
 without the certificate of the arch- 
 bishop or bishop, bearing their 
 obedience to the said commissioners, and 
 satisfaction to the laws. And his majesty 
 doth make, constitute, and ordain, Mr. 
 Thomas Young, clerk to the commission for 
 plantation of kirks, to be clerk to this com- 
 mission, with power to him to appoint 
 officers, and other attendants necessary, and 
 to direct summons and precepts in his ma- 
 jesty's name, for citing whatsoever parties 
 or persons, in any of the cases aforesaid ; 
 whilk precepts shall be sealed by the signet, 
 and subscribed by the said clerk ; with power 
 to summon witnesses, under the pains pre- 
 scribed by law and practice ; and if the said 
 witnesses refuse to compear, or the said 
 persons decerned in any fine, refuse or delay 
 to make payment of the same, his majesty 
 ordains the lords of secret council to direct 
 letters and charges upon the certificate of 
 the said commissioners, as is above specified. 
 Of the which fines, to be collected and up- 
 lifted by Alexander Keith, under-clerk to 
 the councD, one half shall be employed for 
 defraying the necessary charges of the said 
 commission, at the sight of the said commis- 
 sioners ; and the other half shall be employed 
 for pious uses, as his majesty shall appoint. 
 And generally the commissioners aforesaid 
 are authorized and empowered to do and 
 execute what they shall find necessary and 
 convenient for his majesty's service in the 
 premises, for preventing and suppressing 
 of schism and separation, for planting of 
 vacant churches, and for procuring of re- 
 verence, submission, and obedience, to the 
 ecclesiastical government established by law. 
 And to the end that a business of so much 
 importance to the peace and well being of 
 the church and kingdom, may take a speedy 
 and successful effect, as his majesty hath 
 thought fit to make choice of such persons, 
 in whose judgment and affection to his 
 majesty's service and the church's good he 
 doth repose special trust, so it is his pleasure 
 that this his commission shall endure to the 
 first of November, 1664, and after, until it 
 be discharged by his majesty : and that the 
 first meeting thereof be kept at Edinburgh 
 the first Wednesday of March next to come; 
 and after meetings shall be appointed in 
 
 [eook I. 
 
 such places, and as often as shall be I'uund 
 necessary for obtaining the end of the said 
 commission. And his majesty doth expect 
 an exact account of their proceedings from 
 time to time, as of a service whereof he will 
 take special notice, and it succeeding well 
 will be very acceptable to him. Command- 
 ing lastly, all his majesty's lieges who are or 
 may be concerned, to answer and obey the 
 said commissioners, or any five of them, an 
 archbishop or bishop being one of the 
 number, under all highest pains that may 
 after follow. And ordains these presents to 
 be an effectual warrant to the director of 
 the chancellary, for writing the same, to the 
 great seal, and to the lord chancellor for 
 appending the seal thereunto, without any 
 farther order or warrant. Given at our 
 court at Whitehall, January 16th, 1664, and 
 of our reign the 15th year." 
 
 This commission is so very extensive and 
 large, that it affords matter for many remarks. 
 The ground alleged for appointing of this 
 new court, by many termed the " Crail 
 court," being the contrivance of the primate, 
 once minister there, with the best advice he 
 could have in Scotland and England, is " the 
 multiplicity of affairs lying before the privy 
 council." But it is well enough known, the 
 council spent much of their time before this 
 in maintaining the prelates, and bearing 
 down such as would not subject to them, 
 and, bating church affairs, their business 
 was not so very great j besides, when the 
 high commission sat, the council could not 
 sit, at least ply any business of moment, 
 since the leading and managing members 
 were on both these courts. So this reason 
 is a mere pretext. The real grounds of 
 erecting this court, were, that there might 
 be room for the members, deriving imme- 
 diately from the king's supremacy, to act 
 with larger powers, in a more severe and 
 general way than even the council itself 
 could well do. The quorum picked out by 
 the bishops, would go greater lengths, than 
 the council would in their full meetings. 
 By this means the bishops had occasion to 
 rid themselves of some members of council, 
 who were not altogether for their heights. 
 They were empowered to meet in places 
 
CHAP, v.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 887 
 
 where the council was not easily to be 
 called ; their influence this way was more 
 diffusive, and a small quorum of this com- 
 mission would effectuate the bishops' busi- 
 ness more quickly, and in a more extensive 
 way, by travelling up and down the country 
 for harassing and persecuting the presby- 
 terians, than could be done in the former 
 channel. 
 
 It is pretended in the commission, the 
 design of this court in the first place, is, 
 " Against papists, and to execute the laws 
 against popery:" but in reality, popery in 
 this case is a mere cipher to fill up the 
 current style- I'resbytery was levelled at, 
 under the name of separation ; whereas, 
 strictly speaking, and according to the na- 
 tural and ordinary signification of words, the 
 prelatic party were in Scotland the separ- 
 atists, our reformation establishment being 
 undoubtedly by presbyters, and contemners 
 of the ecclesiastical authority, that is, such 
 as refused to subject to bishops. The act- 
 ings of the prelates is the best commentary 
 on this grant, and it is notour, never one 
 papist was called before them, or prosecute 
 before this court. Their designs lay not 
 that way, and indeed all things were ripen- 
 ing for the introduction of popery to these 
 lands. 
 
 The dioceses of St. Andrews and Glasgow 
 are named, both to extend their power 
 through the whole kingdom, and, as their 
 present particular level was, against some 
 ministers and gentlemen in Fife and the 
 west country. — The covenants are made a 
 special ground of prosecution before this 
 court, under the style of pretended engage- 
 ments. The prelates had a particular grudge 
 against these, as wliat they themselves had 
 broken scandalously, and they could not 
 well bear that their obligations should be 
 owned by any. His majesty's royal pre- 
 rogative is made the basis of this court, and 
 by virtue of his supremacy over all per- 
 sons and causes ecclesiastical and civil, this 
 ramphnt commission is granted. Indeed 
 nothing else could be the parent of so mon- 
 strous a birth. This being their foundation, 
 and their being of such a constitution, made 
 severals to scruple to appear before them, 
 who could not homologate this supremacy. — 
 
 1664. 
 
 The archbishop of St. Andrews is 
 put in front of this commission, and 
 placed before the chancellor and other offi- 
 cers of state, by virtue of a letter from the 
 king, of which notice shall be taken after - 
 wards, giving him the precedenc}'. — In this 
 commission there are nine bishops to about 
 thirty-five laymen : but the bishops are made 
 necessary members, and four with any one 
 prelate are to be a quorum ; and they might 
 be sure enough to find four in three dozen, 
 who would do as they pleased. This was a 
 very small quorum of so numerous a meet- 
 ing, and so much the fitter for the purposes 
 now in hand. 
 
 The chief work of this high commission, 
 is to maintain the bishops, and to use the 
 utmost endeavours that the acts of parlia- 
 ment and council be executed. What an 
 untowardly and ill-thriving weed was prelacy 
 in this kingdom ! And what pains and force 
 must be used to plant and maintain it ! 
 The authority of parliament, it seems, is not 
 enough, the executions of the privy council 
 do not suffice, even when supported with 
 the quarterings of the army : the prelates 
 must have this new court set up for their 
 support, and to put the laws, made in their 
 favour, to execution. In proportion to the 
 difficulties justly expected in the maintenance 
 of bishops in Scotland, the powers of this 
 commission are extended. Every man in 
 the nation may be called before this high 
 and mighty court, at any time or place they 
 shall please to appoint. The bishops of 
 Brechin, Dunkeld, Argyle, and the Isles, 
 with Sir James Turner, or to put the 
 matter a little otherwise, three provosts of 
 burghs, a dean of guild, and the inconsider- 
 able bishop of Brechin, may bring the 
 greatest peer in the land to their bar, fine, 
 confine, incarcerate, at their pleasure. 
 
 I need scarce go through the lists of 
 criminals against whom this commission is 
 directed. Papists and popish recusants are 
 made a cover for their rigorous powers 
 against the presby terians : meanwhile Jesuits, 
 sayers, and hearers of mass, and all good 
 catholics are very easy under our protestant 
 bishops, and never one of them molested. 
 After the clause about papists, all that fol- 
 lows points at the poor whigs : beside thq 
 
388 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 , «« , ordinary crimes of conventicles, and 
 
 1664. •' 
 
 presbyterian ministers their con- 
 tinuing at their Master's work, all such are 
 cast in who keej) meetings at fasts, and the 
 sacrament of the Lord's supper, which are 
 not approven by authority. It was a strange 
 opposition to serious religion that brought 
 people this length, as to arraign persons 
 meeting together for prayer on fast-days and 
 about communion times, when so much 
 wrestling ought to be about all the members 
 of Christ's mystical body. No doubt, pri- 
 vate fasts in families, and private societies, 
 at this time so very necessary, are by this 
 clause made faults. The bishops had no 
 mind to have their guilt, apostasy, and 
 oppression, mourned over by others, and 
 complained of before the Lord ; some of 
 theu" consciences probably smote them, and 
 they were afraid, and not without ground, of 
 the joint prayers and supplications of the 
 Lord's people. 
 
 The next class of criminals is extensive 
 with a witness. " All who write, speak, 
 preach, or print, to the detriment of the 
 government of the church." It is pity they 
 took no notice of the dissenters in England, 
 and protestants abroad, for theii" excellent 
 books against prelacy and popery. Never- 
 theless, it was good they put not in thinking 
 likewise ; but this was reserved till some 
 years afterwards, when they examined and 
 interrogate people upon their thoughts, 
 opinions, and inward sentiments of disput- 
 able matters; yet without this they have 
 rope enough allowed them to make most of 
 the subjects in Scotland offenders. 
 
 Just now I took notice of the smallness 
 of the quorum, for so great a work, and such 
 vast numbers of offenders; five only, where- 
 of a bishop must be one, and all the five 
 might be bishops for any thing I see ; and it 
 was proper, at least safest for them, since 
 the work was theirs, and it was their inter- 
 est and nobody's else was carrying on. 
 Well, the four laymen and one bishop have 
 power ecclesiastical and civil lodged in them, 
 censures of suspension and deposition, as to 
 churchmen, and fining, confining and im- 
 prisonment, for them, or others who shall 
 be made transgressors. Indeed they are 
 limited to the acts of parliament and council. 
 
 [book I. 
 
 and the penalties there; but it will be just 
 now evident they exceeded those bound- 
 aries, though pretty witle. The whole army 
 and inferior magistrates through the kingdom, 
 are to be theii- terriers, and to search for, 
 seek, take, and apprehend all they shall give 
 orders about ; yea, the privy council itself is 
 in some sort subjected to this exalted court, 
 those mighty five, and must direct letters of 
 horning, and other diligence, for paying the 
 impositions laid upon poor people by them ; 
 and no relaxation or suspension must be 
 granted without warrant from a bishop. A 
 very surprising clause is added in the corn- 
 mission, whereby the five are made their 
 own carvers, and empowered " to do and 
 execute what they shall find necessai-y and 
 convenient for his majesty's service in the 
 Ijremises." And what will the prelates not 
 find convenient for seeming themselves and 
 underHngs, if we may judge by what they 
 ventured on already? The poor country 
 found to theii' sad cost, how extensively such 
 general clauses were executed in this period. 
 A clause of this nature, making the bishops 
 absolute tyrants, and such as were parties 
 supreme judges in their own cause, is such 
 a stretch against equity and reason, as none 
 but bishop Sharp would have proposed, and 
 a parallel cannot be given, unless it be some 
 posterior acts in the following years I am to 
 describe. 
 
 His majesty is next made to give a high 
 encomium to the members of this court, as 
 persons to whom he could well commit such 
 important matters, and in whom he put 
 entii'e confidence : and so he might, as to 
 the bishops, the cause was their own, and 
 undoubtedly they would look after it with 
 care enough. Thus the wolf gets the wethers 
 to keep, and will give a good account of 
 them ; and yet they are encouraged to this 
 work as " a service the king will take special 
 notice of." And in the last place, all the 
 king's lieges are requu-ed to submit to every 
 thing done by this commission, under the 
 highest penalties, without any appeal, or 
 reclaiming to any other court. 
 
 From those things, the reader may have 
 some view of this extraordinary court of the 
 primate's contrivance; and cannot but ob- 
 serve the affinity of the hierarchy in the 
 
CHAP, v.] ( F THE CHUli 
 
 church, and arbitrary impositions and bur- 
 dens ui^on the subject. It may be indeed 
 (thought) strange, that the king granted 
 such exorbitant powers, or that persons of 
 honour ever joined with the prehites in such 
 a court : at present the bishops' cravings 
 were a rule, but our noblemen in a little 
 time wearied to follow them in their heights. 
 Perhaps this was an experiment of what 
 was projected for the whole three kingdoms, 
 in state and church. Things were fast 
 working to bring matters in Britain up to 
 the pattern the king saw, and kept his eye 
 upon in France, where the king was turning 
 tyrant, and made use of the bigoted high- 
 flying clergy to help this on, and every thing 
 was modelling plainly enough, towards the 
 eastern absolute prerogative and power. 
 
 Let me finish this subject with some more 
 general remarks upon the erection of this 
 court. We have seen the powers and 
 constitution of it from the king's warrant. 
 Every one must see that this high commis- 
 sion in its very erection, casts a slur upon 
 the privy council, either as remiss in the 
 execution of the acts of parliament expressly 
 committed to them, or wanting power or 
 inclination to execute them to the satisfaction 
 of the bishops. It is certain the council 
 were not blameworthy as to any thing 
 proper for them to do, yea, they really ex- 
 ceeded their powers in some cases, to gratify 
 the bishops. But these behoved to have 
 more, and the council generally sat at Edin- 
 burgh, and so were alleged not to be a 
 sufficient bridle upon the presbyterians up 
 and down the country : and therefore an 
 itinerant sort of court, made up of a few 
 zealots, whom the bishops should at their 
 pleasure pick out to travel up and down, 
 and overawe the people who disliked the 
 church settlement, was reckoned a better 
 exi)edient, especially when clothed with the 
 highest power the king coidd put in their 
 hand. This high commission in former times 
 of prelacy, had been the last resort and 
 plight-anchor of bishops in the reigns of 
 James VI. and Charles I. 
 
 Whenever the nobility, gentry, and com- 
 mons in Scotland came to have any sense 
 of liberty, and awaked out of their sleep, 
 this court was complained of, and petitioned 
 
 CH OF SCOTLAND. 389 
 
 against, as most arbitrary and op- ,„„, 
 pressivc, and one oi the greatest 
 grievances subjects could be under. Eut 
 the truth of the matter was, such measures 
 as those were still found absolutely necessary 
 to support the hierarchy in Scotland. What 
 is contrary to the constitution and inclina- 
 tions of a people, must still be maintained 
 and carried through by violent, rigorous, and 
 illegal methods. However, in a year or two, 
 our nobility and gentry fell into a dislike 
 of this arbitrary court, and matters again 
 returned to their own channel, the secret 
 council, which indeed was a judicatory abun- 
 dantly severe and ai'bitrary. The English 
 nation, who, when at themselves, are vigor- 
 ous asserters of the liberty of the subjects, 
 at the restoration, in the heat of their 
 loyalty, run to great enough lengths in the 
 surrender they made to the king ; and yet 
 when they gave back the whole of the digni- 
 ties and prerogatives possessed by their 
 sovereigns formerly, some of which had been 
 reckoned not very agreeable to the liberty of 
 the subject, and constitution of England, 
 some few years before ; yet they could not 
 hear of a high commission : and, as far as 
 I have observed, it was never allowed, 
 though sometmies attempted, during the 
 reign of king Charles II. Indeed when a 
 papist mounted the throne, and all things 
 pointed towards popery, and consequently 
 to slavery, this court was set up there ; but 
 any thing was welcome now to our managers 
 in Scotland, which came from the royal pre- 
 rogative, and was demanded for the support 
 of prelacy. 
 
 Somewhat has been already said as to 
 the members of this court ; and from the 
 list of them in the commission, the reader 
 will have remarked, that it is of a heterogen- 
 eous nature : most of the members were 
 laymen, by their commission empowered to 
 judge of ministers' doctrine, and suspend 
 and deprive (them) of both benefice and 
 office. The churchmen in the commission 
 had power of corporal punishment, and 
 cognoscing upon civil matters. Thus it was 
 a very native product of the royal supremacj', 
 which works wonders in Scotland : it con- 
 founds, yea, alters the co-ordinate power 
 of the state and church, and makes a layman 
 
1G64. 
 
 390 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 of a churcninan, and a churchman 
 
 of a layman, without any difficulty. 
 What can be more agreeable to so mighty a 
 parent as the civil pope '? Thus his holiness 
 at Rome commits the sword and the keys 
 to the high court of the inquisition, who j'et 
 are so discreet as to make the fashion of 
 turning over their pannels to the secular 
 arm, a little before their death. 
 
 An ingenious writer compares this Crail 
 court unto the old lion in the cave. There 
 were abundance of footsteps, and tracks of 
 beasts' feet going to the cave, but none 
 returning; which when cunning reynard 
 observed, he stopped at the entry, and went 
 no farther. Thus many came to this court, 
 but very few retui'ned ; all almost were 
 devoured who came within their clutches. 
 I cannot so much as find one who appeared 
 before them, that came off without punish- 
 ment ; so exact were they in their citations 
 of guilty persons, or else made all guilty who 
 came before them. Indeed their procedure 
 was abundantly summary. When a pannel 
 came before them, they used not the 
 formalities of a libel, or witnesses ; whoever 
 the prelates pleased were cited, and upon 
 their appearance, a captious question or two 
 was asked, and upon their silence, or 
 answering, for both were much the same 
 before this court, who were determined to 
 punish all that appeared, they presently 
 judge him. It was but seldom they troubled 
 any witnesses. The taking the oath of 
 supremacy was the only thing that could 
 save such as appeared ; but I hear of few 
 before them whose throats were wide 
 enough for that. Frequently they doubled 
 the fine imposed by the act of parliament, 
 upon some pretext or other j and not 
 satisfied with the punishment appointed by 
 law, added somewhat of their own, further 
 than what the king and parliament had 
 annexed to the alleged crimes before them, 
 such as confinement, relegation to some of 
 the plantations, or some remote place of the 
 kingdom, some hundred miles distant; and 
 some were gifted away, and actually sold 
 for slaves, which is against scriptural and 
 natural law and light. 
 
 I find it remarked by a minister who 
 lived at this time, that although their 
 
 [book I. 
 
 powers were very ample and wide, and they 
 had abundance of room to make many 
 offenders, yet their powers and commission 
 were more than once enlarged, and that with 
 an eye to particular circumstantiate cases, 
 and many of their sentences exceeded the 
 largest of their powers. I have not seen 
 any other copies of their commission than 
 that insert, and it is very large. In short, 
 their arbitrary and tyrannical procedure 
 frighted people from coming before them, 
 and it was found more eligible to undergo a 
 voluntary banishment, than to be sold as a 
 slave. And in some time, the violent pro- 
 cedure of the prelates made the noblemen 
 unwilling, and some way ashamed to sit with 
 them; and in about a year and a half's 
 time, our bishops could neither find judges 
 to join with them, or parties to appear 
 before them, and so were constrained to give 
 over : and after near two years, this contriv- 
 ance of bishop Sharp's came to an end, and 
 those heavy harassings, joined with the 
 oppressions of the army, opened the door 
 to the country to rise in arms, as we shall 
 hear in the beg'mning of the next book. It 
 remains I now give some more particular 
 account of the actings of this inquisition now 
 set up. 
 
 Of the actings of the high-commission court, 
 and the persecution of gentlemen and others 
 before them, 1664. 
 
 In this section I do not pretend to give any 
 full account of the actings and procedure of 
 this terrible court. I have been at some 
 pains to inquire for their records, if they 
 kept any, but cannot fall upon them; if 
 these could be recovered, or a particular 
 and distinct account now had, it would make 
 a dismal figure, and afford a large heap of 
 materials for this history. It is only a very 
 few instances of their procedure with gentle- 
 men and ministers, some of which I have 
 from the persons themselves, that I can set 
 down as proofs of the iniquity and severity 
 of this court ; and from those some judg- 
 ment may be formed of the rest of their 
 procedure. Some more hints of what they 
 
CHAP, v.] OF THE CHURCH 
 
 did next year, may fall in on the following 
 cliapter. 
 
 Their commission bears them to sit down 
 in March this year. Whether the primate 
 came down by that time or not, I know not, 
 but I don't meet with him in the sederunt 
 of council till April ; and I find they sat 
 down at Edinburgh, April loth. And I 
 have it observed by one who writes at this 
 time, " that they ordered INIr. James Wood, 
 professor of divinity at St. Andrews, his 
 declaration to be burnt, and some ministers, 
 accessory thereunto, were put in prison in 
 the tolbooth of Edinburgh, and the west 
 country recusants were fined in a fourth 
 part of their rent and yearly income." We 
 shall afterwards meet with the trouble Mr. 
 Carstairs and some others were brought to, 
 upon the score of a paper left by the 
 Reverend Mr. Wood, upon another section, 
 since I cannot give any distinct account of 
 the procedure of this court on this affair : 
 and the west countrj' recusants, herespoken 
 of, were the gentlemen who refused to give 
 full conformity to the church government 
 now set up. But I come forward to some 
 particular instances of the hardships several 
 worthy persons were brought to this year, 
 probably at different meetings of this court, 
 as I have them very well attested. 
 
 James Hamilton of Aikenhead, near 
 Glasgow, yet alive, at a good old age when 
 I write this, and attesting the account I am 
 giving, was among the first brought before 
 the high commission ; and I shall give the 
 whole detail of his sufferings at this time 
 here. We shall meet with him more than 
 once under hardships in the progress of this 
 history. All that could be laid to this 
 gentleman's charge, was his not hearing Mr. 
 David Hay, curate in Cathcart parish, where 
 Aikenhead hath his estate and house. The 
 occasion of his deserting his parish church 
 was this ; Mr. Hay was extremely rigorous 
 in exacting his stipend, and particularly hard 
 upon Aikenhead's tenants in Langside, and 
 violently pressed some of them to join with 
 him in his session ; upon which, one day a 
 squabble fell in betwixr Hay and some of 
 them, wherein the curate threatened them, 
 and gave them ill names ; and they did not 
 spare to give him some returns of the same 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 391 
 
 nature. Mr. James Blair, the pres- .-„^ 
 byterian minister of the parish, 
 happened to be upon the place, and by his 
 interest with the people protected Mr. Hay, 
 else matters had gone further. When the 
 fray was over, Mr. Blair dealt with Mr. Hay, 
 and showed him how far it was contrary to 
 his own interest, to inform against his 
 parishioners for their disorders ; and Mr. 
 Hay promised to him, with more than 
 ordinary assurances, to follow his advice, 
 and never to delate any of them, and thanked 
 him for his help and advice. Yet, notwith- 
 standing his promise, in a little time he went 
 in to Glasgow, and delated them to the 
 bishop, who ordered out Sir James Turner, 
 at this time in the west, with a party of 
 soldiers, who came and apprehended some 
 of the country people. Aikenhead was 
 abroad at the time, and when he came home, 
 and was informed of Mr. Hay's carriage, his 
 cruelty, and prevarication, after that, he for 
 ever disowned him, as unworthy to be a 
 minister, and indeed never called to that 
 congregation. When he comes before th^ 
 high commission, he is fined in a fourth part 
 of his yearly rent. Some time after, he is 
 again called before them, to liquidate his 
 rent ; which he did, and gave in an account 
 of it, and frankly acknowledged he heard 
 not, and never designed to hear Mr. Hay, 
 and gave the court so pointed, and well 
 vouched an account of the injuries done 
 him, and his tenants by the curate, as 
 the archbishop of Glasgow promised, in 
 open court, he should be removed from that 
 parish. 
 
 The commission then urged the gentle- 
 man to engage judicially to hear and subject 
 unto the minister whom the bishop should 
 plant there in Mr. Hay's room. Aikenhead 
 thought it soon enough to engage when he 
 had heard him, and knew what and who he 
 was, and peremptorily refused all such 
 previous contracts. Hereupon, though he 
 had some relations in the court, he is fined 
 in another fourth part of his yearly rent, 
 and remitted to the archbishoj) of Glasgow 
 to give him satisfaction as to his loyal and 
 peaceable behaviour. It seems bishop Burnet 
 was not satisfied, and therefore, by a new 
 information from him, he is cited, and 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 392 
 
 ,„g, actually compeared before the high 
 commission court at Edinburgh, 
 November 8th, this year. There he was 
 charged with keeping up the session book 
 of Cathcart, and the utensils of the church, 
 from the curate ; which he knew nothing 
 about, and offered to depone he knew not 
 where they were. He was further charged 
 for refusing to assist his minister in session, 
 when called, and suffering some of his family 
 to absent from the church. The earl of 
 Rothes told him, that he had seen him 
 before several courts formerly, and never for 
 any thing that was good and loyal, and 
 therefore required him now to testify his 
 loyalty, by taking the oath appointed by 
 law. Aikenhead answered, his loyalty was 
 never questioned before, yea, it was so well 
 known, that he could not but reckon it was 
 a tash (slur) upon him to put him to declare 
 it by oath ; that for his part he had no 
 difficulty to take the oath of allegiance, but 
 he knew there was mixed with it an oath of 
 supremacy. Bishop Sharp interrupting, said, 
 that was the common cant, but it would not 
 do. He added, that he was willing to take it, 
 as it was an oath of allegiance, providing they 
 allowed him to declare against the clause 
 relative to the supremacy. The president 
 took him up very sharply, and told him, he 
 ought to be hanged. 
 
 Upon Aikenhead's refusing the supremacy 
 in the oath, and because he would not 
 presently enter himself surety in the books 
 of the court for all his tenants, that they 
 should subject to ordinances, and live regu- 
 larly, the court fined him in the sum of 
 three hundred pounds sterling, and ordered 
 him to go to prison till he paid it ; and then 
 to transport himself to the town of Inverness, 
 which is about one hundred and fifty miles 
 from his own house, and there to remain 
 under confinement during pleasure, which 
 was about a year and a half. He paid the half 
 of his fine, and his estate was sequestrate for 
 the rest of it ; and, according to his sentence, 
 in three weeks presented himself to the 
 magistrates of Inverness, and continued 
 there till his confinement was taken off. 
 And to give all his sufferings in this period 
 together, when at length he was allowed to 
 come home, he was confined anew for six 
 
 [book I. 
 
 months, to his own house at Aikenhead, 
 and a mile round it. And before these 
 were elapsed, hrevi manu he was one day 
 carried in to Edinburgh tolbooth, without 
 any reason or libel given him, and there he 
 lay prisoner nineteen weeks. After he had. 
 been in prison some weeks, he found all 
 they had now to lay to his charge, was his 
 harbouring, and lodging some rebels, as they 
 were called, at the break of Hamilton, about 
 fourteen years ago, when some soldiers laid 
 down their arms, and would not fight till 
 they had some satisfaction given them as to 
 what was then termed the remonstrance :* 
 he could not depone that none of them had 
 been lodged in his house, and so was con- 
 tinued in prison, till, by the payment of 
 eighty guineas, he at length got out. 
 
 Another instance of the injustice of this 
 court I have in the case of John Porterfield, 
 laird of Duchall, in the shire of Renfrew, 
 which is attested by his successor and 
 grandchild the laird of Porterfield, of that 
 ilk, an ancient and honourable family in the 
 said shire. We shall frequently meet with 
 this worthy person in the following parts of 
 this history, and find him dealt with in a 
 way peculiar to this period; I only here 
 notice his treatment before the high com- 
 mission. This excellent and religious 
 gentleman was brought before that court in 
 July this year, for his not hearing the curate 
 in the parish of Kilmalcom, where his 
 dwelling-house and his estate lay. He had 
 very good grounds to withdraw from him as 
 his pastor, since, besides the ordinary blem- 
 ishes of those of his gang, his intruding 
 himself without, yea, contrary to the inclin- 
 ations of the people of that place, he had 
 abused Duchall with groundless, base, and 
 injurious reproaches. The court could not 
 well get by the sustaining of this defence as 
 relevant, and at his desire admitted it to 
 probation. The very first witness he adduced, 
 deponed all the gentleman alleged, and 
 much more. The court finding he would 
 vindicate himself, if law and equity took 
 
 * This was the attack upon general Lambert, 
 where colonel Ker was made prisoner, and 
 where Govan, who was executed along with 
 Mr. James Guthrie, was charged w^ith having 
 
 treacherously laid down his arms Baillie's 
 
 Letters, vol. ii. p. 2Qi.—Ed. 
 
CHAP v.] OF THE CHURCH 
 
 place, interrupted tlio examination of wit- 1 
 nesses, and rccjuired Duchall to take the 
 oath of allegiance, well enough knowing the 
 supremacy in it would choke him. This 
 he peremptorily refused, unless they would 
 allow him to give in an explication before 
 his taking of it. Whereupon they proceeded 
 straight to a sentence, and fined him in the 
 sum of five hundred pounds sterling, and 
 ordered his estate to be sequestrate until it 
 should be paid, and confined him in the 
 town of Elgin in the shire of Murray : there 
 he continued about four years. Reflections 
 upon such procedure are almost needless. 
 Here was plain injustice, in refusing to 
 permit the gentleman to vindicate himself, 
 after they had allowed his exculpation. They 
 go beyond the acts of parliament and council, 
 which allow of no such exorbitant fines for 
 nonjurancy. Those hardships for simple 
 nonconformity did very much prejudge his 
 estate and family, and yet we shall find he 
 met with heavier things afterward. 
 
 But their procedure with the reverend 
 Mr. Alexander Smith, minister at Cowend, 
 was perfectly tyrannical, antichristian, and 
 barbarous. We heard before that he was 
 turned out of his charge, and at present he 
 was residing at Leith. This worthy and 
 religious person is called before them, and 
 charged with preaching privately in his own 
 house, or, in the present style, for keeping 
 of conventicles. He compeared before them ; 
 and when charged with conventicling, his 
 examination was oddly enough interrupted. 
 In answering some interrogatories bishop 
 Sharp put to him, Mr. Smith did not give 
 him his titles, and called him only Sir. 
 The earl of Rothes asked him, If he knew 
 to whom he was speaking? Mr. Smith 
 answered. Yes, my lord, I do, I speak to 
 Mr. James Sharp, once a fellow-minister 
 with myself. This was reckoned a high 
 crime, and without any further inquiry into 
 the affair of conventicles, Mr. Smith was 
 immediately ordered to be laid in the irons, 
 and cast into that nasty place, commonly 
 called, the thieves' hole, where he had for 
 his company only a poor furious distracted 
 man. There he continued for some time, 
 until the kindness and respect of the people 
 of the town of Edinburgh to Mr. Smith, 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 393 
 
 made the bishops ashamed of this j/.gj 
 unaccountable step. So he was 
 removed to another room in the prison, 
 where, through cold and other pieces of harsh 
 treatment, he sickened, and was in the hazard 
 of his life ; yet, such was their cruelty, he 
 could not get a few days' liberty from prison. 
 In some time, by another sentence, he was 
 banished to one of the isles of Shetland, 
 where he continued many years. I am told, 
 that for four years he lived alone in a wild 
 desolate island, in a very miserable plight ; 
 he had nothing but barley for his bread, and 
 his fuel to ready it with was sea-tangle and 
 wreck, and had no more to preserve his 
 miserable life. 
 
 Their treatment of some of the parishioners 
 of Ancrum, deserves likewise our notice. 
 When worthy Mr. Livingstone, as above we 
 have heard, had been taken from them, one 
 Mr. James Scott, who had been excom- 
 municated about twenty years ago, and 
 continued still under the sentence, was 
 presented to that charge, although he 
 possessed two benefices elsewhere. Upon 
 the day named for his induction and set- 
 tlement at Ancrum, a great many people 
 convened to give him that welcome loathed 
 and forced ministers use to receive. A 
 country woman desired earnestly to speak 
 with him, hoping to dissuade him from 
 engaging in the charge of that congregation, 
 w ho were so averse from him ; but he would 
 not stay to speak with her. She in her 
 coarse rude way pulled him by the cloak, 
 praying him to hear her a little ; whereupon, 
 not like one of Paul's bishops, who were not 
 to strilce, he turned and beat her most cruelly 
 with his staff. This treatment provoked 
 two or three boys to cast some stones at 
 him, which touched him not, nor any of his 
 company. This was presently found to be 
 a treasonable tumult, and the sheriff and 
 country magistrates thereabout fined and 
 imprisoned some of them. This, one would 
 think, might have atoned for a fault of this 
 nature. But our high commission behoved 
 to have those criminals before them : so four 
 boys, and this woman, with two brothers 
 of hers, of the name of Turnbull, are 
 brought into Edinburgh prisoners. The four 
 boys are brought before the court, and 
 3d 
 
391* THE HISTOUY OF 
 
 , ,,„j confessed, that upon Scott's beatinff 
 lou4. , ,1,1 1 
 
 the woman, they liau thrown each 
 
 their stone. The commissioner told them, 
 
 hanging was too little for them. However, 
 
 the sentence of this merciful court was, that 
 
 they should be scourged through the city of 
 
 Edinbm'gh, and burnt in the face with a hot 
 
 iron, and then sold as slaves to Barbadoes. 
 
 It is a question, if the Spanish inquisition 
 
 would have gone further. That excellent 
 
 lawyer Sir John Gilmour told them they had 
 
 no law for this cruel sentence; but when they 
 
 wanted law they resolved to make a practick, 
 
 which would be as good as a law to them in 
 
 their after-procedure against presbyterians. 
 
 The boys endured their punishment like 
 
 men and Christians, to the admii'ation of 
 
 multitudes. The two brothers are banished 
 
 to Virginia, for no other crime I can hear 
 
 of, but their protecting their sister, though 
 
 they had small families to subsist by their 
 
 labour. The poor woman was, in great 
 
 clemency, ordered to be scourged through 
 
 the town of Jedburgh. Bishop Burnet was 
 
 applied unto that she might be spared, seeing 
 
 perhaps she might be with child. The answer 
 
 he was pleased to give was. That he would 
 
 cause claw the itch out of her shoulders. 
 
 Several presbyterian ministers were before 
 
 them, of whom I have but short and imperfect 
 
 , accounts. Mr. George Hamilton, since the 
 
 revolution minister at Edinburgh, and some 
 
 other ministers in Fife, were cited, and when 
 
 •they appeai'ed, were discharged to celebrate 
 
 the sacrament of the supper in their parishes. 
 
 I know no account can be given of this, 
 
 «ave that when the holy communion was 
 
 celebrate, great numbers gathered from other 
 
 places to participate in that ordinance; 
 
 which fretted the bishops. Mi'. John Scott, 
 
 minister at Oxnam, Mr. James Donaldson, 
 
 and other two ministers were brought before 
 
 them, being of the number of six or seven 
 
 who had been at a communion, which was 
 
 reckoned contrary to law. What was done 
 
 vfith them I have not learned. Some who 
 
 were cited to appear before this court, had 
 
 no freedom to compear, unless it had been 
 
 to have declined theii* authority. Others 
 
 reckoned it a mere civil court, and in civil 
 
 things merely, not to be declined. 
 
 When this coui't sat at Glasgow, I find 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS f BOOK I. 
 
 Sir William Cuningham of Cuninghamiiead 
 before them. He was obliged to produce 
 his chaplain Mi*. John Hattridge, since the 
 revolution an able and useful gospel minister 
 for many years in the north of L'eland. 
 This excellent person, when he came before 
 them, intended to say somewhat by way of 
 testimony against the nature and constitution 
 of that court, and addressed himself thus to 
 them. " My lords, I hope none of you will 
 take it ill, that I declare before you some 
 things that are pressures to my conscience." 
 At this the primate started, and interrupted 
 him, saying, " What have we to do, sir, with 
 the pressures of your conscience ? go to the 
 door presently." And as he was removing, 
 he called to him, without ever consulting 
 the court, " Sir, you are discharged to preach 
 without the archbishop of Glasgow's license," 
 and so he was no more called. 
 
 At one of their meetings at Edinburgh, 
 they had Pringle of Greenknows before 
 them, merely for nonconformity ; and when 
 they could prove nothing against him, the 
 oath of allegiance was tendered to him. 
 He told them, he had no difficult}' as to it, 
 except in the clause relative to the supremacy, 
 and offered to take that according to bishop 
 Usher's explication, approven by James VI. 
 But because the gentleman would not 
 instantly take it in the terms offered, without 
 any explication, they fined him in some 
 hundred pounds sterling. 
 
 I find nothing in the council registers for 
 a good while as to this court; and indeed it 
 was not so consistent with their credit, as 
 hath been noticed already. At length, July 
 7th, no doubt, upon application made to 
 them from the high commission, " the lords 
 of his majesty's privy council ordain letters 
 of horning to be dii'ect for payment of all 
 fines imposed, and to be imposed by decreets 
 of the commission for church affairs, upon 
 sight of production of the said decreets to 
 the clerk of council." And, November f)th, 
 " the lords of privy council ordain letters of 
 poinding to be directed upon all decreett 
 pronounced, or to be pronounced by the 
 commissioners for regulating church affairs, 
 whereby any persons are, or shall be fined 
 in liquidate sums of money, whereanent 
 these presents shall be a sufficient warrant 
 
CHAP, v.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 
 
 to the clerk of council." Through this year 
 and the following, I obser\e but little in the 
 council-books relative to the subject of this 
 history; and the two archbishops arc still 
 present in the sederunts, when any thing of 
 this nature comes in. It is observed in 
 some papers before me, that towai'ds the end 
 of this year the primate, ^ot the powers of 
 this high commission court, termed likewise, 
 the commission for church or ecclesiastical 
 afiairs, enlarged, and full powers to them to 
 banish, stigmatize, and inflict all kinds of 
 punishment, save death. However, it seems, 
 they have assumed those powers before they 
 were conferred upon them. 
 
 These short hints of the procedure of 
 this court, are all I have met with. From 
 them we may easily guess, what a black 
 figure a full history of this tyrannous inqui- 
 sition-court would make, could it be now at 
 this distance recovered; and the reader is 
 left to form a judgment of their cruelty 
 from this taste of their procedure, though 
 indeed those are but the smallest part of 
 their actings. 
 
 395 
 
 Of the more general acts and procedure of the 
 council against presbt/terians, this year, 1664. 
 
 Although the high commission court, during 
 this year, took a good part of the ordinary 
 work of persecution out of the hands of the 
 council, yet wc shall meet with several 
 things before them, which call for a room in 
 this history. The great thing before them 
 is the pushing the declaration, and putting 
 the act about fines in execution. We shall 
 likewise meet with some further new and 
 severe acts passed against presbyterians. 
 
 We have seen, upon the last year, how 
 matters stood as to the declaration appointed 
 by the parliament to be taken by all persons 
 in office and trust : this year the council 
 go on in pushing it. January 5th, a letter 
 fi'om the king upon this subject, directed to 
 the chancellor, is read, the tenor whereof 
 follows : — 
 
 " Right trusty, &c. 
 Wc greet you well. 
 
 We have been 
 
 1664. 
 
 informed, that the lords of our privy 
 council, and the senators and other 
 members of our college of justice, have 
 readily signed the declaration, viz. concerning 
 the covenant. And though we are well 
 pleased that those who were present, gave 
 obedience to the law ; yet lest any should 
 shift that duty, by absenting themselves, and 
 so delay their subscription, wc thought fit 
 to require you to acquaint our privy council, 
 that it is our pleasure, that with all con- 
 venient speed they do return us an account 
 of the subscription or refusal of their absent 
 members, and of all sheriffs, magistrates of 
 burghs, justices of the peace, and all others 
 who by the act are required to subscribe. 
 You shall also in our name require the 
 senators of our college of justice, to appoint 
 a set day on which the absent senators and 
 other members may either subscribe or 
 refuse, to the end we may take care for 
 supplying the places of such as shall on that 
 account forsake their station, and that both 
 the lords of council and session respectively 
 do declare the places of the refusers void ; 
 and that upon no terms, neither of them 
 admit any written explication or declaration 
 upon the subscription of any ; wliich would 
 look so like the stating of a party, that we 
 shall never endure it. So expecting an 
 account of these our commands, we bid 
 you farewell. Given, &c. December 19th, 
 1663. 
 
 " Lauderdale." 
 
 These caveats and commands, no doubt, 
 refer to the scruplers at this declaration we 
 heard of before. Upon this letter, the earl 
 of Linlithgow is required to see the earl of 
 Wigton subscribe, because at present he is 
 indisposed ; and the council order a letter 
 to be writ to the haill shires and burghs 
 through the kingdom, " acquainting them 
 with his majesty's letter above, and requiring 
 an account of their diligence in this affair 
 'twixt and the 18th of February next to 
 come, or sooner if possible-; adding, that if 
 they be not punctual in discharging their 
 duty in this particular, the council will look 
 on them as ncglectcrs of his majesty's service, 
 and proceed accordingly; and requiring them 
 
m 
 
 16fi4 presently to deprive all refusers 
 of their offices, and punish them 
 otherwise conform to the act of parlia- 
 ment." And January 19th, the council ordain 
 the magistrates of Edinburgh to make a 
 formal report anent their subscribing the 
 declaration in manner prescribed by act of 
 council, and to give in a list of their names 
 to the council, who refuse to subscribe be- 
 twixt and the 26th instant peremptorie. The 
 council, February 23d, when they had waited 
 for returns from the shires and burghs to 
 whom they wrote, come to give the king an 
 account of their diligence in the following 
 letter 
 
 " Most sacred sovereign, 
 " We have delayed hitherto to answer 
 your majesty's letter of December 19th, till 
 we should be able to give an account of our 
 obedience to your majesty's commands con- 
 cerning the declaration. We did order all 
 sheriffs and magistrates of burghs to offer 
 the same to all within their jurisdictions, 
 and have sent herewith to yom- majesty's 
 secretary, a paper, bearing their particular 
 returns. It will thereby appear, that all the 
 royal burghs have given obedience, except 
 some few who are not considerable. And 
 upon the desire of some of their magistrates, 
 we have given warrant to make a new- 
 election of their magistrates, consisting of 
 such as are willing to subscribe; whereof 
 we expect a good account. As for the 
 shires, many of them^ have excused them- 
 selves for not returning so good an account 
 of their obedience at present, by reason that 
 the justices of peace are not yet settled, 
 which will now be done in a very short 
 time. We believe, the lords of session will 
 make their own retiu-n to your majesty, for 
 themselves and all the members of the college 
 of justice. As for us of your majesty's 
 privy council, all who reside in this kingdom 
 have subscribed. — We have issued a pro- 
 clamation in your majesty's name, discharging 
 all in public trust, who shall not subscribe 
 betwixt and the 14th of April next, to 
 exercise any place of office, under the pain 
 to be proceeded against as usurpers of your 
 majesty's authority. And in all other your 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 majesty's concerns, we shall be most willing 
 
 to give such obedience to your majesty's 
 royal commands, as may witness us to be, 
 " Most sacred sovereign, 
 
 " your majesty's most humble and 
 " faithful subjects and servants, 
 
 " Glencairn, chancellor, Hamilton, Linlithgow, 
 Dunfermling, Southesk, Kincardine, Hal- 
 kertoun, Bellenden, J. Gilmour, A. Prim- 
 rose, J. Hume, J. Lockhart, Sir Robert 
 Murray. " 
 
 The proclamation they speak of follows 
 in the registers, which being in print, and 
 the substance of it narrated, needs not be 
 insert. Those peremptory letters and pro- 
 clamation, produced a pretty general giving 
 in to this declaration : a great many in 
 burghs through the west and south, demitted 
 their offices, and this brought the managers 
 under new difficulties how to get a council 
 and magistracy in several places, who would 
 take the declaration, when those who had 
 been brought in to it, were to go off. That 
 the reader may have all which relates to this 
 head together, I shall subjoin the council's 
 acts as to this, with relation to the burghs 
 of Ayr and Irvine. 
 
 " September 14th,thelords of his majesty's 
 privy council being informed of the prejudice 
 that the burgh of Ayr is like to sustain, by 
 reason that many persons within the same 
 have not taken the declaration appointed to 
 be subscribed by persons in public trust, and 
 so cannot be elected magistrates and coun- 
 sellors this ensuing year: as also, that they 
 want a town-treasurer : therefore do ordain 
 the magistrates and town council to elect 
 persons, who have subscribed the said 
 declaration, to be magistrates and counsellors 
 this ensuing year: but if they shall not 
 find fit persons who have taken it, the 
 lords ordain the present magistrates and 
 council to continue in place for the space of 
 two months, and longer, during the council's 
 pleasure, and until they consider what course 
 to take anent the said burgh : and in the 
 meantime give power to them to choose a 
 treasurer." 
 
 The same case almost falls before them 
 from the town of Irvine, and they take much 
 
CHAP, v.] 
 
 the same method, only order a prosecution 
 against the recusants. November 3d, " Anent 
 a petition presented by Robert Cuningham, 
 provost of the burgh of Ir\ine, and Henry 
 Lynn, one of the bailies of the same for the 
 last year, in name of themselves and the 
 said burgh, showing, That having met on 
 the last day of September last, and conform 
 to the order observed in that burgh, elected 
 the persons following to be of the council, 
 to wit, John Porter, Gilbert Wylie, John 
 Reid, elder, John Gray, Alexander Gardiner, 
 Ninian Holmes, and some others who were 
 out of the kingdom ; the forenamed persons 
 who were present, did all refuse to accept, 
 because they were not clear to subscribe the 
 declaration appointed by law, as instruments 
 taken thereupon, and produced, bear; so 
 that thereby the said burgh is like to be 
 altogether disappointed of magistrates for the 
 ensuing year: humbly therefore desiring 
 warrant to the effect underwritten. The 
 lords of his majesty's privy council, having 
 heard and considered the foresaid petition, 
 do hereby give warrant to the said magistrates 
 and counsellors, to continue in the exercise 
 of their offices, till the council give further 
 orders. And in the meantime ordain letters 
 to be directed for citing the above named 
 persons, who refused to accept as coun- 
 sellors, to compear before the council, the 
 
 day of next to come, to answer 
 
 therefore, and to cite witnesses." 
 
 I find no more about them this year in 
 the registers. Some of those cited, I know, 
 were worthy and religious persons, and stuck 
 at the declaration from a real scruple of 
 conscience. Thus we may see how this 
 affair of the declaration stands during this 
 year. I go on now to give some account of 
 the council's procedure this year, upon the 
 act of fines. Febniary 16th, a letter is read 
 in council from the king, upon this subject ; 
 which is as follows : — 
 
 " Right trusty, &c. 
 " We greet you well. Whereas, about a 
 year ago, wc did, by our letter, appoint a 
 proclamation to be issued for suspending of 
 the payment of the fines imposed by the 
 second session of our parliament, until wc 
 should declare our further [)leasure, suspend- 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 397 
 
 10G4. 
 
 ing also the penalties for nonpay- 
 ment in the interim : these arc 
 therefore to require and authorize you to 
 issue a new proclamation, in our name, in 
 due and ordinary form, requiring and com- 
 manding all such fined persons, as shall be 
 charged in the name of our treasurer, or 
 treasurer-depute, or advocate, betwixt the 
 date of the proclamation, and the first day 
 of August 1664, to make payment to such 
 as we shall authorize, of the first half of the 
 fines imposed by the act of parliament for 
 fines, betwixt and the feast and term of 
 Martinmas next, this year 166+, under the 
 pains and penalties contained in the said 
 act : as also, the same persons who shall be 
 charged to pay the second moiety of the 
 fines, at or before the term of Candlemas 
 next following, in the year 1665, under the 
 same pains. For the which proclamation 
 this shall be your sufficient warrant. Givew, 
 &c. February, 1663-4. 
 
 " Lauderdale." 
 
 Next council day, February 18th, the 
 draught of a proclamation is brought in, 
 approven, and ordered to be published at 
 the cross of Edinburgh, and they declare 
 the same to be as sufficient as if proclama- 
 tion were made at the head-burghs of this 
 kingdom. It is sustained in terms above 
 mentioned, and printed, so it needs not be 
 added. 
 
 July 30th, the payment of the fines is pro- 
 rogate a little longer. The following letter 
 from the king is read, and recorded. 
 
 " Right trusty, &c. 
 " Whereas, by our letter dated the 6th 
 of February, we gave order, that such of the 
 fined persons who should be charged, were 
 to pay in their first moiety of the fines, 
 betwixt and the term of Martinmas next, 
 and the second betwixt and Candlemas 16G5, 
 and because none are yet charged, wc do, 
 by these presents, authorize and require you 
 to issue out a proclamation in due and 
 ordinary form, requiring such as shall be 
 charged betwixt and the last day of August 
 next, to make ready their first moiety at or 
 before .the llth of December next, under 
 tiic same ccrtifuations contained in our 
 
398 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 1 flfi4 f''^™^'" proclamation, and the second 
 moiety at or before the 2d of March 
 1665. Also declaring in this proclamation. 
 That citations at the market-crosses of the 
 respective shires where the fined persons 
 reside, shall be a sufficient citation. For 
 all which this shall be your warrant. Given, 
 &c, July 26th, 1664. 
 
 " Laud.i:rdale." 
 
 Accordingly, that day, a proclamation is 
 issued out in the terms of the letter, and 
 ordered to be printed. What the reason was 
 of this delay, I cannot tell. It may be the 
 courtiers were not yet agreed about dividing 
 the spoil, to be raised from many good 
 persons by the execution of this act of fines. 
 Indeed the west and south were sufficiently 
 drained by the army now among them: 
 but what is delayed is not forgiven, and the 
 fines are coming on slowly, but surely. At 
 length, when matters are fully concerted at 
 London, and in Scotland also, as we may 
 gather from the long delay of the producing 
 the following letter, near seven weeks after 
 its date, this matter of uplifting the fines is 
 brought to an execution. Accordingly, the 
 following letter is read and recorded in 
 council. November 3d, " His majesty's 
 letter direct to the council, anent the fines, 
 is read, and ordered to be registrate ; the 
 tenor whereof follows." 
 
 " Right trusty, &c. 
 " The calling in of the fines being upon 
 some considerations hitherto forborn, we 
 have now thought fit, that without further 
 delay they be called for ; and for that end 
 have signed the enclosed warrant for a pro- 
 clamation, which you shall cause speedily to 
 be published, in due and legal form, at the 
 market-cross of Edinburgh ; or if you find 
 not that proclamation sufficient, we do allow 
 and requu'e you to cause send a just double 
 thereof to the market-cross of the head 
 burgh of every shire, with the names of the 
 persons only which belong to that shire, and 
 the several sums they should pay, to be with 
 all diligence published there: and so we bid 
 you heartily farewell. Given at our court 
 at Whitehall, September 17th, 166-i." 
 
 " Lauderdale." 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [boOK I. 
 
 Follows the enclosed warrant : — 
 " Charles, by the grace of God, king of 
 Scotland, England, France, and Ireland, 
 
 defender of the faith; to our lovits, 
 
 messengers, or sheriffs, in that part specially 
 constitute, greeting. Forasmuch as, during 
 the late troubles, divers of our subjects of 
 that our ancient kingdom, have fallen under 
 and involved themselves in many great 
 crimes, faults, and offences of omission and 
 commission, did thereby become obnoxious 
 to the law, and rendered themselves liable 
 to the pains of treason, and other high 
 pains : yet we being desirous to reclaim, if 
 it were possible, the worst of our subjects 
 to their duty, by acts of mercy and grace, did 
 resolve to grant a general act of indemnity, 
 pardon, and oblivion. But considering, that 
 by their troublous and rebellious courses, 
 many of our good subjects have been under 
 great sufferings and liable to great losses 
 for their loyalty and affection to us, and our 
 royal father, of blessed memory : there- 
 fore, in order to their reparation, and for 
 divers important considerations of state, we 
 with advice and consent of our estates of 
 parliament, convened at Edinburgh upon 
 the 9th day of September 1662, thought fit . 
 to burden our pardon and indemnity with 
 the payment of some small fines, and so far 
 to except the persons after mentioned from 
 the benefit of our royal pardon, with this 
 express certification. That whoever of the 
 persons foresaid should not deliver and pay 
 the sums respectively imposed on them, 
 to any person or persons who should be 
 appointed by us to receive the same, and 
 that and betwixt the terms appointed in the 
 said act ; and when bypast, they should 
 from thence forfeit and lose the whole 
 benefit of our pardon and indemnity, and 
 should have no share therein, but be excepted 
 therefrom, and their estates, rents and goods 
 forthwith to be sequestrate and raised for 
 our use, their persons to be secured, and 
 themselves further punished, as persons 
 guilty of usurpation and rebellion. Likeas, 
 for the assurance of such as should didy 
 make payment of the sums thus imposed 
 upon them, it was declared by us, with 
 advice of our parliament, that upon due 
 payment of the sums aforesaid, the payers 
 
CHAP, v.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 399 
 
 thereof were from thcncefortli to enjo}' the 
 benefit of our pardon and indemnity, to all 
 intents and purposes. And albeit, upon 
 divers good considerations, we have hitherto 
 forborn to require the calling in of those 
 sums, so that the persons liable in payment 
 thereof, have had two years to provide them- 
 selves; yet, now considering the great burdens 
 and pressures many of our best subjects are 
 lying under, and the extremities they and 
 their ftmiDies are reduced unto, by their suffer- 
 ings for their lo3"alty and service to us, and 
 our royal father, we find ourselves obliged 
 in conscience and honour to be zealous and 
 careful of any means ofiered for their supply 
 and relief: and therefore, in pursuance of 
 those courses, which, in order to their 
 rei)aration, have been condescended and 
 agreed to by our i)arliament, we have thought 
 fit that the sums imposed by the foresaid 
 act, should now be called for, and paid in to 
 the persons ap])ointed by us to receive the 
 same. Our will is herefore, and we charge 
 you strictly, that incontinent, thir our letters 
 seen, you pass to the market-cross of Edin- 
 burgh, and other places needful, and there 
 V)y open proclamation, you do make intima- 
 tion unto, and charge the persons particularly 
 named in the list underwritten, and the heii's 
 and executors of such of them as are dead, 
 to make payment to Sir William Bruce 
 knight, clerk of the bills, whom we have 
 appointed our receiver for that effect, of the 
 several sums of money after mentioned, 
 imposed upon each of them by the said act ; 
 the one half of the said sums to be paid 
 betwixt and Candlemas next to come, in the 
 year 1665, and the other half in full and 
 complete payment of the whole, betwixt 
 and the term of Whitsunday thereafter, in 
 the said year 1665, under the pains, and 
 with certification above mentioned, con- 
 tained in the said act, which shall be inflicted 
 and executed without favour, upon such as 
 shall fail in due payment of the said sums, 
 at the tenns foresaid. 
 
 " By his majesty's command, 
 " Lauderdale." 
 
 The list spoken of here, is that which 
 formerly upon the third chapter was insert ; 
 and I take the furst and greatest part of this 
 
 1664. 
 
 warrant to be just a resumption 
 of the act of parliament about 
 fines, and therefore though man\' remarks 
 might be made upon it, yet I shall only make 
 an observe or two, to set matters, which 
 seem here misrepresented, in their due light. 
 
 This warrant, or the act narrated in it, 
 supposes the persons fined to have been 
 guilty of great crimes ; whereas the matter 
 of fact is, they were guilty of no other thing 
 than what the managers themselves and the 
 whole nation was guilty of, a necessary sub- 
 jection to the English ; here they are repre- 
 sented as liable to the pains of treason.* It 
 is hard indeed to define what treason is in 
 this and the following reign, when every 
 thing almost is made treason: but this I 
 affirm, that nothing treasonable could be 
 charged on them, save their compliance with 
 the usurpers, when forced to it, and it was 
 nationally come in to. Besides, even this 
 ought to have been proven upon them, and 
 some acts of it produced, wherein they had 
 exceeded others who were not put into this 
 list J and not in a partial clandestine manner, 
 a set of the best people in the nation culled 
 out, without any probation or reason, and 
 dealt in another way with than others : 
 while in the meantime it was certain, a 
 great many of them were less involved with 
 the English than those not put in this list, 
 j'ea, a good many of them were remarkable 
 for their steadfast adherence to the king's 
 interests, when at the lowest. But what- 
 ever is pretended here, the true reason of 
 marking out those persons named in the 
 act of fines was, they were esteemed firm 
 presbyterians, and averse from the change in 
 church government now established, as hath 
 been observed. 
 
 Again it is alleged, many of the king's 
 subjects were brought to suflerings for their 
 
 * The law of Scotland was so exrcraMo, that 
 it was the easiest of all possible iiiKlt'rtakiiij;s to 
 convict any person of treason. 'When a nnirder 
 was to be perpetrated,, and the intended mur- 
 derer or niui'derers wished to cover it with the 
 forms of justice, and to have it entered in the 
 national records as U\i;al, the absurd and wicked 
 statute of leasing-makinff was always at hand, 
 from the provisos of which no one could escape, 
 if he had at any ojic time of his life ventured a 
 single speculation on public aftairs. — i'rf. 
 
400 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1G64. 
 
 loyalty to the king and his fiither, 
 and their losses were to be made 
 up out of those fines. This is mere allega- 
 tion without proof. Had an open and legal 
 process been raised, and the fact fairly 
 proven, that the fined persons by their dis- 
 loyalty had brought those hardships upon 
 those who were to share in the fines, there 
 might have been some colour of reason for 
 this procedure; but nothing of this was done. 
 Neither was this in the least the rule Mid- 
 dleton and his agents went by in drawing up 
 the list. Besides, it is well enough known, 
 that the fines were neither distributed, nor 
 ever designed to be distributed to such as 
 were sufferers for their adherence to the 
 king, otherwise presbyterian ministers would 
 have come in for their large share. Mid- 
 dleton designed them for himself and his 
 creatures ; these who succeeded him would 
 willingly enough have shared them among 
 themselves : but unforeseen things fell in 
 their way, and they were applied to uses 
 quite different from the projectors' design, 
 as we shall afterwards see ; so that all this 
 is mere grimace, and it was a bitter satire 
 upon the king to make him say, he found 
 himself obliged in conscience to uplift those 
 fines. Many things further might be noticed 
 here, but I shall not enlarge. It was a jest 
 to call them some small fines, and one needs 
 only look back to the list of them to see 
 their exorbitancy. The pretext is as ground- 
 less, that two years' delay made them easier 
 to be paid. The people concerned might 
 rather, from the delay, conclude, the managers 
 were so far convinced of the unreasonable- 
 ness of the imposition, as they would be dropt 
 altogether. But I come forward to what 
 the council do on this letter and warrant. 
 
 " The lords of his majesty's privy council, 
 in obedience to his majesty's letter of the 
 17th of September last, commanding a pro- 
 clamation to be published, for calling in of 
 the fines, at the head burghs of the several 
 shires, stewartries, and regalities, where any 
 of the persons to be charged do reside, the 
 said persons' names and several fines being 
 first insert conform to his majesty's warrant 
 and order, and a particular list to be given 
 to the clerk of the council ; for that effect 
 give power and warrant to the said clerk to 
 
 [book I. 
 
 fill up the names of such persons as are to 
 be charged, with their particular fines, con- 
 form to the said list, in the several proclam- 
 ations to be sent to the several shires, 
 stewartries, and regalities, and to subscribe 
 the doubles thereof, and to signet the same 
 with the signet of the privy council, which 
 is declared to be a sufficient warrant to 
 messengers or macers,for making publication 
 thereof at the head burghs, and to subscribe 
 the doubles thereof, and signet the same : and 
 that the said proclamation at the head burgh 
 of every shire, stewartry and regality, shall be 
 a sufficient intimation to all persons therein 
 named, for making payment of their respec- 
 tive fines and proportions therein contained ; 
 and in case of their disobedience, to make 
 them liable to the certification, penalties, and 
 pains contained in the same." This was 
 put in execution, as we shall hear afterwards, 
 with the utmost severity. And thus we 
 have a view of this oppressive step of 
 uplifting so many fines, imposed upon great 
 numbers of the best of the nation, in the 
 most arbitrary manner. I return now to 
 some other acts of council this year, grava- 
 minous enough. 
 
 In such a time as this, presbyterian 
 ministers and others used frequently to 
 meet together for prayer in private houses : 
 and information being given of this by the 
 bishops and their underlings, who could not 
 well bear the prayers of the people of God, 
 the council emit the following act. It is 
 indeed only with respect to Edinburgh, but 
 no doubt it was designed for a check upon 
 them in other places likewise. February 
 23d, " The lords of council being informed, 
 that there ai"e several private meetings and 
 conventicles within the city of Edinburgh, 
 by some late ministers, and others, contraiy 
 to law; these are to give warrant to the 
 magistrates of Edinburgh, to cause search 
 be made anent the keeping of any such 
 meetings ; and that they acquaint the lord 
 chancellor with what they discover, and the 
 persons' names, that order may be taken 
 about the same." 
 
 AprU 29th, the council pubUsh an act 
 discharging the giving charity, and mak- 
 ing contributions in favour of suffering 
 ministers and others, the parallel of which. 
 
OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 I 
 
 CHAP, v."] 
 
 I believe, we shall meet with no where 
 give it as it stands in the registers. 
 
 " The lords of his majesty's privy council 
 being informed, that without any public 
 warrant or authority, some disaffected per- 
 sons to the present establishment, presume 
 and take upon them to require contributions 
 from such persons as they please, and do 
 collect sums of money, Avhich are or may be 
 employed for carrying on of their private 
 designs, prejudicial to the peace of the 
 kingdom and his majesty's authority ; and 
 considering that such courses and underhand 
 dealing may strengthen seditious persons 
 in their practices and designs to disturb the 
 peace, if they be not timously prevented : 
 therefore, in his majesty's name, they do 
 prohibit and discharge all persons what- 
 somever, to seek or demand any contribu- 
 tions or supply, or to receive any sums of 
 money. As likewise discharge all persons 
 to grant or deliver any contributions to any 
 persons, whosoever shall require the same, 
 unless it be upon such occasions as have 
 been publicly allowed and known, and 
 heretofore practised ; and that they have 
 a special warrant and allowance of the 
 lords of privy council, or lords of the clergy 
 within whose dioceses these collections are 
 to be made. With certification, that, if 
 they contravene, they shall be proceeded 
 against as persons disaffected to the present 
 government, and movers of sedition. And 
 ordain these presents to be printed and 
 published at the market-cross of Edinburgh, 
 and other places needful, that none pretend 
 ignorance. 
 
 " Glencairn, Chanc. I. P. D." 
 
 This proclamation is a full evidence of 
 the virulence and malice of the prelates, and 
 how little of the spirit of Christianity and 
 compassion was in them, when they proposed 
 and pushed such an act. The pretext, that 
 they are disaffected persons to the govern- 
 ment, who were employed in those contri- 
 butions, is a mere blind. They might be 
 disaffected to the government, in the church, 
 but they were not to the state ; and so it is 
 a mere jest to say, that such contributions 
 might be prejudicial to the peace of the 
 kingdom, unless the preserving the lives of 
 
 401 
 
 1664. 
 
 the presbyterian ministers and fami- 
 lies, now by oppression and violence 
 brought to a staning condition, could 
 endanger the same. It is a hard pass poor 
 sufferers are brought to, when they are 
 discharged to meet together, and pray to 
 God in their distresses, and all subjects 
 are expressly discharged to relieve them 
 in their distresses, without the bishops' 
 warrant. 
 
 June 23d, the council send a party of 
 soldiers to compel the parish of Dreghorn, 
 in the shire of Ayr, to comply with the 
 episcopal minister who had been thrust in 
 upon them. I know no more of this, but 
 what is contained in the act. " The lords 
 of his majesty's privy council being informed, 
 that the heritors and whole inhabitants of 
 the parish of Dreghorn, do, in manifest 
 contempt of his majesty's authority, and the 
 government of the church established by 
 law, withdraw themselves altogether from 
 the said parish church, for hearing the 
 word, and receiving the sacraments, to the 
 scandal of the Christian profession ; do 
 therefore ordain a party of soldiers to be 
 forthwith sent to quarter upon that parish, 
 with power to them to uplift the penalty of 
 twenty shillings Scots, conform to the late 
 act of council, toties quoties, from every 
 person residing in the said parish, who shall 
 withdraw from the said kirk, and recommend 
 it to the chancellor to name the number 
 and commander." — This method of dragoon- 
 ing people to the chuixh, as it is contrary to 
 the spirit of Christianity, so it was a stranger 
 in Scotland, till Bishop Sharpc and the 
 prelates brought it in. If the party uplifted 
 the fines for bygones, since the date of the 
 council's act last year, how terrible a sum 
 must they exact from that parish; or if 
 they stayed there some weeks, and we 
 suppose them to be eight hundred in number, 
 even as to the time to come, they shall 
 uplift more every week than is yearly paid 
 to the minister. But such procedure wants 
 no reflections. I shall end this section with 
 another proclamation of council, of a piece 
 with those we meet with now so frequently : 
 and, because I have not seen it in print, I 
 give it here from the registers, November 
 17th, this year. 
 
 3 E 
 
402 
 
 1064. 
 
 " Forasmuch as it is notour, that 
 divers ministers, who have gone 
 off their charges or are outcd by law, do 
 ordinarily repair to Edinburgh, and other 
 burghs and pkces expressly forbid by acts of 
 council, and do there, in open contempt of his 
 majesty's authority and acts of pai'Iiament 
 and council, hold their meetings, and keep 
 seditious correspondences, and use con- 
 trivances for seducing and debauching his 
 majesty's subjects, from the duty and obe- 
 dience they owe to the laws and authority 
 established, to the scandal of religion, and 
 endangering the public peace and quiet : 
 therefore, the lords of his majesty's privy 
 council ordain a macer to pass to the market- 
 cross of Edinburgh, and, in his majesty's 
 name and authority, to command and charge 
 all those persons who have been removed 
 from the charge of the ministry since the 
 first of January, 1661, to remove themselves 
 forth of the burgh of Edinburgh, within forty- 
 eight hours after the publication hereof, and 
 not to remain or reside therein, or in any 
 other places prohibited by act of council, 
 dated August 13th, 1663, unless they ask 
 and obtain license to go about their lawful 
 business, from the lords of his majesty's privy 
 council, or from the bishop of the diocese. 
 With certification, that if, after the publica- 
 tion hereof, they be found to repaii- to, or 
 reside in Edinburgh, or other forbidden 
 places foresaid, they shall be seized upon, 
 and put in sure firmance, until they receive 
 the punishment provided by law, against 
 the movers of sedition. And ordain these 
 presents to be printed and published, that 
 none pretend ignorance." 
 
 I cannot but observe here, and it holds in 
 a good many acts of this time, that the 
 managers not only lay the severest hardships 
 upon presbyterian ministers, hinder them 
 to pray to God, to get relief from men, and 
 see to the education of their children at 
 schools, unless they will own the bishops so 
 far as to take a warrant from them ; but, in 
 theii- acts, load them without any ground 
 and reason, or permitting them to answer 
 for themselves, and charge them with crimes 
 of a very deep nature, of which they were 
 entirely mnocent; or at best, misrepresent 
 things, so as they might be reckoned 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [eOOK I. 
 
 seditious and scandalous persons. Their 
 
 reasonable repairing to Edinburgh and other 
 burghs, for overlooking their children at 
 schools, and other necessary business, is 
 pretended to be for seditious correspond- 
 ences and meetings, for purposes not 
 named. I know no correspondence they 
 entertained, unless it was in letters, for 
 strengthening one another in their suffering 
 lot, and these they might write without 
 being in burghs. They were all of them 
 loyal in their practices, and never had any 
 share in any thing seditious. This was 
 another punishing proclamation for one, or 
 rather no fault, mere nonconformity in 
 presbyterian ministers : and the number of 
 punishments inflicted for this one reason is 
 now growing so great, that I do reckon it 
 up. Some at this time remarked, that all 
 the former proclamations proceeded from the 
 prelates' fear of, or hatred to presbyterian 
 ministers : but this proceeds from pure 
 envy : and the true reason of it was, the 
 bishops and their curates were uneasy at the 
 respect and kindness evidenced to ministers 
 in the streets of Edinburgh. When Mr. 
 Douglas, Mr. Hutcheson, or other known 
 presbyterian ministers, were in town, they 
 had so many salutations and caps, that it 
 galled those of the other side, who were 
 but little regarded except from fear. And 
 no great wonder, for their practice, conver- 
 sation, and doctrine, the great things which 
 ought to create respect to a minister, com- 
 manded but very little to them. In short, 
 it was evidently hard and unreasonable to 
 banish presbyterian ministers from the town 
 of Edinburgh, and other burghs. Popish 
 priests, and professed papists, were entu-ely 
 at their liberty, while some of the king's 
 subjects, who had done no fault, but stood 
 to their known principles against bishops 
 and prelacy, are discharged to be seen in 
 royal burghs, and within six miles of a 
 bishop's house, however necessary their 
 affairs were. The reader must conclude 
 vidthout my remarking it, that as the taking 
 away of civil liberty, paves the way, and 
 makes room for church-tyranny, so this 
 ecclesiastical tyranny, like a kindly child of 
 such a parent, encourages slavery, and 
 removes the small remains of any thing like 
 
OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 CHAP. V.J 
 
 liberty. I go on to the hardsliips of par- 
 ticular persons this year. 
 
 Of the Sufferings of particular jyrcshyterian 
 ministers, gentlemen, and others, this 
 year, IGG^. 
 
 The actings of the high commission court 
 this year, were the most considerable branch 
 of the church of Scotland's cross, and, 
 together with the acts of council with their 
 procedure, have, in some measure, been laid 
 before the reader upon the former sections j 
 and it remains that I give the accounts come 
 to my hand, of the trouble some other par- 
 ticular persons were brought under ; and I 
 begin with that of ministers. 
 
 Since the general ejection of the younger 
 presbyterian ministers, by the act of Glas- 
 gow, the bishops endeavoured to weed out 
 the elder presbyterian ministers, one after 
 another gradually, that they might possess 
 the house alone. Indeed those worthy 
 aged men were, upon many accounts, eye- 
 sores to them. Wherever an old minister, 
 settled before the year 1G49, was found, 
 summons was sent him to appear before the 
 bishop in his diocesan meeting. I find none 
 who obeyed the citation after the first 
 diocesan meetings, when, alas ! more than 
 might have been expected, both elder and 
 younger, did conform. When ministers 
 did not obey, and remained at their charge, 
 the bishops, piece by piece, as they best 
 might, without disobliging noblemen and 
 other heritors concerned, deposed the 
 minister in absence. In some places the 
 prelate made the fashion of calling the roll 
 of his curates at their meeting, that they 
 might give their assent unto the presbyterian 
 minister's deposition, which they were not 
 backward to ; but this was only a form they 
 used, or not, at their pleasure. In the 
 dioceses of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, 
 the curates were told, without any cere- 
 mony, that they had no share in the govern- 
 ment. And when some of the inferior 
 clergy began to grumble, they were repri- 
 manded by the bishop of Edinburgh, and 
 made to know, that the power of jurisdic- 
 
 403 
 
 166*. 
 
 tion was lodged in his sole person. 
 The number of old ministers, this 
 way cast out of their churches, was but 
 small in comparison of such who were laid 
 aside, as being ordained since the year 
 1649, and so the instances of their sufferings 
 must be fewer. The hardships of two of 
 this kind offer themselves this year, with 
 pretty singular circumstances, and they 
 were both very great men, on different sides 
 in the former unhappy breaches ; Mr. James 
 Wood, divinity professor, at St. Andrews, 
 and Mr. William Guthrie, minister of 
 Fenwick, in the shire of Ayr, and presbytery 
 of Irvine. The account of them will let us 
 understand somewhat more of the methods, 
 temper, and spirit of the time I am describ- 
 ing ; and then I shall give the hardships of 
 some other particular persons, and their 
 sufferings, from the council books. 
 
 Towards the beginning of this year, the 
 learned, grave, and singularly pious Mr. 
 James Wood, exchanged this present life 
 for the crown of righteousness. We have 
 had somewhat of him before. Under pres- 
 bytery he had been colleague to Mr. James 
 Sharp, and as, after the restoration, he 
 lamented much that he had been deceived 
 by this unhappy man, so he regretted that 
 he had been led into some heights on the 
 side of the public resolutions; for which, 
 when things opened out, and appeared in 
 their true state, he was much grieved. The 
 bishop at first did not much harass Mr. 
 Wood ; he was an old dying man, and his 
 heart broken with the change brought in 
 upon this once beautiful chiu-ch, and the 
 primate expected to be soon rid of him ; 
 yet he behoved to be turned out, as we 
 have seen. 
 
 But if Mr. Wood suffered not in his 
 body, as some of his brethren did, yet the 
 archbishop, it seems, was resolved be 
 should be wounded in his name and re- 
 putation after his death, if not sooner. In 
 order to this, the primate saw good once 
 or twice to give Mr. Wood a visit, when on 
 his deathbed in St. Andrews. He was 
 now extremely low in his body, and si)oke 
 very little to Mr. Sharp, and nothing at all 
 about the changes made, or the state of 
 public aflhirs. However, the consequent 
 
404 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1664. 
 
 of those visits was, the primate 
 spread a report, that Mr. Wood, 
 being now under the views of eternity, and 
 near to death, professed himself very much 
 indifferent as to church government, and 
 declared himself as much for episcopacy as 
 presbytery. The bishop talked in all com- 
 panies, that Mr. Wood, in conversation with 
 him, had acknowledged presbyterian govern- 
 ment to be indifferent, and alterable at 
 the pleasure of the magistrate, and other 
 falsehoods of this sort; yea, he had the 
 impudence to write up accounts of this to 
 court, even before Mr. Wood's death. When 
 the knowledge of these reports came to 
 Mr. Wood's ears, they added grief to his 
 sorrow; and he could find no rest till he 
 vindicated himself, by a solemn testimony 
 against such wicked calumnies, subscribed, 
 as well as dictated, by himself, and that 
 before two witnesses and a public notar. 
 It deserves a room here, and follows, as 
 taken off the original written from his mouth. 
 
 " St. Andreivs, March 2d, 1664. 
 " I Mr. James Wood, being now shortly, by 
 appearance, to render up my spirit to 
 the Lord, find myself obliged to leave 
 a word behind me, for my just vindica- 
 tion before the world. It hath been 
 said of me, that I have, in word at 
 least, resiled from my wonted zeal for 
 the presbyterian government, expressing 
 myself concerning it, as if it were a 
 matter not to be accounted of, and 
 that no man should trouble hunself 
 therefore, in matter of practice. Surely 
 any Christian that knows me, in this 
 kii-k, will judge that this is a wrong 
 done to me. It is true, that I being 
 under sickness, I have said some times, 
 in conference about my soul's state, 
 that I was taken up about greater busi- 
 ness than any thing of that kind ; and 
 what wonder I said so, being under 
 such wrestlings anent my interest in 
 Jesus Christ, which is a matter of far 
 greater concernment than any external 
 ordinance? But for my estimation 
 of presbyterian government, the Lord 
 knoweth, that since the day he con- 
 vinced my heart, which was by a stront^ 
 
 [book I. 
 
 hand, that it is the ordinance of God, 
 appointed by Jesus Christ, for governing 
 and ordering his visible church, I never 
 had the least change of thought con- 
 cerning the necessity of it, nor of the 
 necessity of the use of it. And I 
 declare before God and the world, that 
 I still account so of it ; and that how- 
 ever there may be some more precious 
 ordinances, yet that is so precious, that 
 a true Christian is obliged to lay down 
 his life for the profession thereof, if the 
 Lord shall see meet to put him to the 
 trial. And for myself, if I were to live, 
 I would account it my glory to seal 
 this word of my testimony with my 
 blood. Of this my declaration, I take 
 God, angels, and men, to be my wit- 
 nesses; and have subscribed thir pre- 
 sents at St. Andrews, the 2d day of 
 March, 1664, about seven hours in the 
 afternoon, before Mr. William Tullidafi" 
 minister at Dumbog, and INIr. John 
 Carstairs my brother-in-law, and John 
 Pitcairn writer hereof. 
 
 " Mr. Ja. Wood. 
 
 " Mr. William Tullidaff, 
 
 " Mr. John Carstairs, 
 
 " JoHi> Pitcairn." 
 
 I have in my hands a pretty large account 
 of the dying words and exercise of this 
 eminent saint of God, drawn up by several 
 worthy persons at this time with hun, which 
 contains some further hints of the bishop's 
 injustice to him, and a large vindication of 
 himself; but the substance of it being insert 
 in the above testimony, I shall not swell this 
 work with it. It contains many sweet parts 
 of his attainments and experiences, when 
 drawing near the end of his race, till he 
 came to make a pleasant, happy, and glorious 
 exit, Mai'ch 15th, this year. 
 
 When Mr. Wood's testimony came to 
 be propaled, the primate raged terribly, 
 and caused summon Mr. Carstairs, Mi-. 
 Tullidaff, and the notar, before the high 
 commission court. The bishop alleged, 
 yea, spread the report pretty publicly, that 
 the notar had informed himself, that when 
 Mr. Wood was in great weakness, Mr. 
 Carstairs had imposed upon him, and made 
 him subscribe that paper he had formed 
 
CHAP, v.] OF THE CHURCH 
 
 for him. We have heard some ministers 
 were in prison some time upon this account, 
 and brought before the high commission. I 
 have not seen any lai'ge account of their 
 procedure with tiiem, only I find, that when 
 Mr. TuUidaff and the notar came before 
 them, both of them declared, that Mr. Wood 
 had dictated the above written testimony, 
 word by word, and that the notar wrote it 
 at his desire, and attested it, as was his 
 office to do. Here the primate once more 
 got the lie givxn him to his face ; and when 
 they had continued in prison some time, 
 and nothing worthy of death or bonds could 
 be fixed upon them, the bishop was forced 
 to dismiss them without any further punish- 
 ment, having shown his malice, and got 
 shame for his reward. 
 
 ISIr. Carstairs thought fit, on many con- 
 siderations, to abscond, and did not compear ; 
 only that his noncompearance might not 
 wrong the cause, nor be imputed to his 
 disloyalty, or contumacy against any who 
 bore commission from the king, he wrote 
 a letter to the chancellor at this time, a 
 copy of which is before me, too long to be 
 insert here : however, I shall give some 
 passages of it, because they will set the 
 circumstances of presbyterian ministers, and 
 this affair, in some fiu-ther light. After an 
 apology for his taking upon him to write 
 to the chancellor, he says, " Some days ago 
 I received a citation to appear before the 
 commission, designing no particular day or 
 place, to answer for some misdemeanours, 
 as keeping conventicles, and disturbing the 
 public peace. As for keeping conventicles, 
 I suppose it will be difficult, if not impossi- 
 ble, for my accusers, to prove me guilty of 
 any contravention of the law, even in theii' 
 sense of conventicles : and for disturbing 
 the public peace, I hope none who know 
 me will look upon me as so disposed; 
 whereof this may be some evidence, that 
 since I was outed of my ministry at Glasgow, 
 which is now two full years, I have had 
 so little pleasure to see any person, or to 
 be seen, let be to meddle towards the 
 disturbing the public peace, that I have been 
 sometimes three, sometimes six weeks, some- 
 times two full months, that I have never come 
 out of doors — so absti'act have I been from 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 405 
 
 meddling, that famous Mr. Wood, ,„„, 
 my brother-in-law, now at his rest, 
 was sick some ten or twelve weeks before 
 I did certainly know how it was with him, 
 as yoiu- lordship may know from the enclosed 
 from him to me. When he earnestly impor- 
 tuned me to see him, considering our near 
 relation, and the concerns of my only sister, 
 and her six children now to be orphans, I 
 could not refuse to satisfy him, being under 
 no interdiction to the contrary. Mr. Wood 
 finding himself under a necessity to leave a 
 testimony behind him, I did with some 
 others, subscribe a witness to the truth of 
 this deed, as done by him ; which, being 
 present at the time, I could neither in con- 
 science nor ingenuity refuse, especially since 
 it was so well known to all the world who 
 knew him, that that was his fixed judgment, 
 and that when a dying it did so much afflict 
 him, that any report to the contrary should 
 have gone of him. And whereas it is like 
 it will be said by some, that it is forgery, 
 and not his own deed, or at best extorted 
 from him when he knew not what he did 
 or said, I shall for my own, and especially 
 for the worthy dead man's just vindication, 
 beg leave to say a few things." Here Mr. 
 Carstau-s enlargeth at a considerable length, 
 upon all the circumstances of Mr. Wood's 
 forming that testimony, and declares, the mo- 
 tion of it was not suggested to him by himself 
 or others, but he formed it most spontane- 
 ously, sedately, and deliberately; that he 
 at that time was ordering his other affiiirs, 
 and the physicians did not despair of his 
 recovery ; that in conversation he did more 
 than once express himself at large upon the 
 head of presbyterian government, and more 
 fully than in his testimony ; that he dictated 
 it, and caused scroll it, and read it over, 
 and transcribe it ; and after he again heard 
 it read, signed it ; and that he was most 
 distinct and edifying after that, and to his 
 death, as to his soul's exercise and state. 
 After this Mr. Carstairs adds, " So that if it 
 were otherwise convenient for me to appear 
 before the commission, it would be no diffi- 
 culty humbly to justify my carriage all the 
 time I was at St. Andrews. Neither doth my 
 necessary not compearing proceed from any 
 the least contempt of his majesty's authority, 
 
406 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 therefore here give 
 
 1G64 ^^'^^^'^ ^ desire highly to reverence, 
 and wish his sacred person to be 
 every way most eminently blessed of God ; 
 nor out of disrespect to yom* lordship the lord 
 high chancellor of the kingdom, nor to the 
 lord treasurer, nor to any of the meanest 
 under his majesty, called to rule over me, nor 
 to any of his courts of judicature, to which, 
 notwithstanding of the greatest apparent 
 hazard, I have always on the first call, as it 
 well became me, come; and on which I 
 have patiently and submissively waited, days, 
 weeks, and months, as your lordship well 
 knoweth : but it is for other reasons, which 
 I hope will not offend your lordship. I 
 shall only presume to add, as to these 
 reverend brethren cited with me, that Mr. 
 Henry Rymer was not at St. Andrews with 
 Mr. Wood, all the time I was there, neither 
 did I see Mr. Alexander Wedderburn with 
 him, neither did any of the rest, to my 
 best knowledge, desire him to write this 
 testimony. Hoping your lordship will pardon 
 this trouble, I am, my noble lord, your 
 lordship's very humble servant in the Lord, 
 " Mr. John Carstairs." 
 
 By this letter we find, some other worthy 
 ministers were brought to trouble in this 
 matter J but I have seen no accounts con- 
 cerning them. "We shall just now meet 
 with Mr. Carstaii's cited before the council. 
 This is all I have met with as to the reverend 
 Mr. Wood, who stands entire in his reputa- 
 tion, notwithstanding of all the base artifices 
 of the primate to darken it. 
 
 The other instance I promised as to the 
 sufferings of old ministers this year, is that 
 of the reverend, and singularly usefiil Mr. 
 William Guthrie, minister of the gospel at 
 Fenwick. This extraordinary person I have 
 particular opportunities to have certain and 
 distinct accounts of. I heartily wish some 
 proper hand would give the public a just 
 narrative of this great man's life, which 
 might, I persuade myself, be very useful. 
 The broken hints we have, before the last 
 edition of his excellent Saving Interest, at 
 London, 1705, are lame and indistinct, and 
 were writ without the knowledge of his 
 remaining relations, who could have given 
 more just and larger accounts : T shall 
 
 [book I. 
 
 the more particidar 
 history of his suffering at the time, and his 
 being forced to part with his dear flock. 
 
 By the interest of several noblemen and 
 others, to whom Mr. Guthrie was very dear, 
 he enjoyed a connivance, and was overlooked 
 for a considerable time, when he continued 
 at his Master's work, though in his sermons 
 he was more than ordinarily free and plain. 
 But soon after doctor Alexander Burnet 
 was brought ft-om the see of Aberdeen to 
 that of Glasgow ; he and the few remaining 
 ministers about him were attacked ; such as, 
 Mr. Livingstone at Biggar, Mr. M'Kail at 
 Bothwell, Mr. Gabriel Maxwell at Dun- 
 donald, Mr. Gabriel Cuningham at Dunlop, 
 and Mr. Andrew Hutcheson and IVIr.William 
 Castlelaw, ministers at Stewarton ; and 
 perhaps the chancellor's death about this 
 time, helped to pave the way for the greater 
 severity against these worthy persons. The 
 archbishop had been addressed by some of 
 the greatest in the kingdom, in behalf of 
 Mr. Guthrie, and treated them very indis- 
 creetly : by no importunity would he sufler 
 himself to be prevailed upon to spare him 
 any longer. When means and intercession 
 could not prevail, Mr. Guthrie was warned 
 of the archbishop's design against him, and 
 advised by persons of note, his friends, to 
 suffer no resistance to be made to his dis- 
 possession of the church and manse j since 
 his enemies wanted only this for a handle 
 to process him criminally for his zeal and 
 faithfulness in the former times : such was 
 their spite against this useful man of God. 
 
 Under the prospect of parting with his 
 beloved people, Wednesday the 20th of 
 July, this year, was set apart by him for 
 fasting and prayer with his congregation. 
 The text he preached from was, Hos. xiii. 
 9. " O Israel ! thou hast destroyed thyself." 
 His sermon was afterwards printed very 
 unfaii'ly and indistinctly, from an uncorrect 
 copy. From that Scripture, with great 
 plainness and affection, he laid before them 
 their sins, and those of the land, and of that 
 age ; and indeed the place was a Bochim. 
 At the close of that day's work, he intmiate 
 sermon upon the next Lord's day very 
 early, and his own people and many others 
 met him at the church of Fenwick betwixt 
 
CHAP, v.] OF THE CHURCH 
 
 four and five in the morning, where lie 
 {•reached twice to them from the close 
 of his last text, " But in me is thine 
 help." And as he used upon ordinary 
 Sabhaths, he had two sermons, and a short 
 interval betwixt them, and dismissed the 
 people before nine in the morning. Upon 
 this inelancholy occasion, he directed them 
 unto the great Fountain of Help, when 
 the gospel and ministers were taken from 
 them ; and took his leave of them, com- 
 mending them to this great God, who was 
 able to build them up, and help them 
 in the time of their need. His people 
 would willingly have sacrificed all that was 
 clear to them, in defence of the gospel, and 
 adhering to him. Indeed Mr. Guthrie had 
 some difficulty to get their afiection to 
 him so fai" moderated, as to keep them 
 from violent proceedings against (Jie party 
 w ho came to dispossess him : they would 
 have effectually prevented the church its 
 being declared vacant, and were ready to have 
 resisted even to blood, striving against sin, if 
 they had been permitted : but Mr. Guthrie's 
 peaceable disposition, his great regard to 
 lawful civil authority, with his prudent fore- 
 sight of the consequences of such a procedure, 
 both as to the interests of the gospel, his 
 people, and himself, made him lay himself out, 
 and use the interest he had in the people, 
 which was vei'y great, to keep the peace; 
 and there was no disturbance which could 
 be made a handle of by adversaries. 
 
 When the archbishop of Glasgow resolved 
 npon dispossessing him, he dealt with several 
 of his curates, to intimate his sentence 
 against Mr. Guthrie, and as many refused 
 it. There was an awe upon their spirits, 
 which scarred them from meddling with this 
 great man; besides, they very well knew it 
 was an action would render them for ever 
 odious to the west country, and they feared 
 the consequences. At last he prevailed 
 with one who was curate of Calder, as I 
 am told, and promised him five pounds 
 sterling for his reward : but poor man ! it 
 was the price of blood, the blood of souls, 
 and neither he nor his had much satisfaction 
 in it. Upon the 24th of July, this man 
 came with a party of twelve soldiers to 
 Fenwick church on the Lord's day, and, by 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 407 
 
 commission from the archbishop, i /•/>•. 
 discharged Mr. Guthrie to preach any 
 more at Fenwick, declared the churcii vacant, 
 and suspended him from the exercise of his 
 ministry. The commanders of the party 
 and the curate, leaving the soldiers without, 
 came into the manse. The best account I 
 can at this distance give of what pawsed in 
 the manse, is by inserting a short minute o? 
 this, left among the small remains of a 
 valuable collection of papers belonging to 
 Mr. Guthrie; which were taken away, as 
 we shall afterwards hear, some years after 
 this, by violence, and against all the rules 
 of equity, from his widow, and fell into the 
 hands of the bishops. The paper was drawn 
 up at the time to keep up the remembrance 
 of this affair, without any design of its being 
 published, and I give it in its own native 
 and plain dress 
 
 The sum of the curate's discourse when he 
 came and intimated Mr. William Guthrie's 
 sentence of suspension, with Mr. Guthrie's 
 answer to him. 
 
 " The curate showed, that the bishop 
 and committee, after much lenity shown to 
 him for a long time, were constrained to 
 pass the sentence of suspension against him, 
 for not keeping of presbyteries and synods 
 with his brethren, and his unpeaceableness 
 in the church ; of which sentence he was 
 appointed to make public intimation to him, 
 for which he read his commission under the 
 aixhbishop of Glasgow his hand." 
 
 Mr. Guthrie answered, " I judge it not 
 convenient to say much in answer to what 
 you have spoken : only, whereas you allege 
 there hath been much lenity used towards 
 me, be it known unto you, that I take the 
 Lord for party in that, and thank him for 
 it ; yea, I look upon it as a door which God 
 opened to me for preaching this gospel, 
 which neither you nor any man else was 
 able to shut, till it was given you of God. 
 And as to that sentence passed against 
 me, I declare before those gentlemen (the 
 officers of the party) that I lay no weight 
 upon it, as it comes from you, or those who 
 sent you; though I do respect the civil 
 authority, who by their law laiil the ground 
 for this sentence : and were it not for the 
 
1664. 
 
 408 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 reverence I owe to the civil magis- 
 trate. I would not surcease from the 
 
 exercise of my ministry for all that sentence. 
 
 And as to the crimes I am charged with, I 
 
 did keep presbyteries and synods with my 
 
 brethren; but I do not judge those who now 
 
 sit in these to be my brethren, but men who 
 
 have made defection from the truth and cause 
 
 of God ; nor do I judge those to be free or 
 
 lawful courts of Christ, that are now sitting. 
 
 And as to my unpeaceableness, I know I 
 
 am bidden follow peace with all men, but 
 
 I know also I am bidden follow it with 
 
 holiness; and since I could not obtain 
 
 peace without prejudice to holiness, I thought 
 
 myself obliged to let it go. And as for 
 
 your commission, sir, to intimate this sen- 
 tence, I here declare I think myself called 
 
 by the Lord to the work of the ministry, 
 
 and did forsake my nearest relations in the 
 
 world, and give up myself to the service of 
 
 the gospel in this place, having received an 
 
 unanimous call from this parish, and been 
 
 tried and ordained by the presbytery ; and 
 
 I bless the Lord he hath given me some 
 
 success, and a seal of my ministry upon the 
 
 souls and consciences of not a few that are 
 
 gone to heaven, and of some that are yet in 
 
 the way to it. And now, sir, if you will 
 
 take it upon you to interrupt my work 
 
 among this people, as I shall wish the Lord 
 
 may forgive you the guilt of it, so I cannot 
 
 but leave all the bad consequences that 
 
 follow upon it, betwixt God and your own 
 
 conscience. And here I do further declare 
 
 before these gentlemen, that I am suspended 
 
 from my ministry for adhering to the cove- 
 nants and work of God, from which you 
 
 and others have apostatized." 
 
 Here the curate interrupting him, said, 
 
 " That the Lord had a work before that 
 
 covenant had a being, and that he judged 
 
 them apostates who adhered to that cove- 
 nant ; and that he wished that not only the 
 
 Lord would forgive him (Mr. Guthrie) but, if 
 
 it were lawful to pray for the dead, (at which 
 
 expression the soldiers did laugh) that the 
 
 Lord would forgive the sin of this church 
 
 these hundred years' bygone." — " It is true, 
 
 answered Mr. Guthrie, the Lord had a work 
 
 before that covenant had a being ; but it is 
 
 as true, that it hath been more glorious 
 
 [book I. 
 
 since that covenant, and it is a small thing 
 for us to be judged of you in adhering to 
 that covenant, who have so deeply corrupted 
 your ways, and seem to reflect on the whole 
 work of reformation from popery thc^e 
 hundred years bygone, by intimating that 
 the church had need of pardon for the 
 same. As for you, gentlemen, added he 
 directing himself to the soldiers, I wish the 
 Lord may pardon you for countenancing of 
 this man in this business." One of them 
 scoffingly replied, " I wish we never do a 
 greater fault." " Well, but said Mr. Guthrie, 
 a little sin may damn a man's soul." 
 
 When this had passed, Mr. Guthrie called 
 for a glass of ale, and craving a blessing 
 himself, drank to the commander of the 
 soldiers ; and after they had been civilly 
 entertained by him, they left the house. I 
 have it confidently reported, that Mr. Guthrie 
 at pai'ting did signify to the cm-ate, that he 
 apprehended some evidentmark of the Lord's 
 displeasure was abiding him, for what he 
 was now a doing, and seriously warned him 
 to prepare for some stroke a coming upon 
 him very soon. Mr. Guthrie's relations, 
 and a worthy old minister yet alive when I 
 write this, who was that day at Fenwick 
 with him, from whom I have part of this 
 account, do not mind to have heard any 
 thing of this denunciation; but it might 
 have been without their hearing, since none 
 of them were present at parting. Whatever 
 be in this, I am well assured the curate 
 never preached more after he left Fenwick. 
 He came into Glasgow, and whether he 
 reached Calder, but four miles from it, I 
 know not; but in a few days he died in 
 great torment of an iliac passion, and his 
 wife and children died all in a year, or 
 thereby; and none belonging to him were 
 left : so hazardous a thing it is to mediUe 
 with Christ's sent servants. When they 
 left the manse, the curate went into the 
 church of Fenwick with the soldiers his 
 guard, and now his hearers, and preached 
 to them not a quarter of an hour, and inti- 
 mated from pulpit the bishop's sentence 
 against Mr. Guthrie. Nobody came to 
 hear him, save the party who came with 
 him, and a few children and boys, who 
 created him some disturbance, but were 
 
CHAP, v.] OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 409 
 
 chafed off by the eoldiers. Mr. Guthrie 
 continued in the parish, but preached no 
 more in the chui'ch, where, as far as I can 
 learn, there was no curate ever settled. 
 Upon the 10th of October next j-ear, tiiis 
 excellent person died in Angus, whither he 
 went to settle some affairs relating to his 
 estate of Pitforthy there. Thus by the 
 malice of the prelates, this bright and 
 eminent light of the west of Scotland was 
 put under a bushel, and extinguished. 
 
 I shall only add here, that the procedure 
 of the prelates was of a piece in all the 
 corners of the church, and gwe another 
 instance from the diocese of Dunkeld, relative 
 to Mr. Andrew Donaldson minister at Dal- 
 gety. INIany yet alive have a most savoury 
 remembrance of this worthy person ; and a 
 minister at present in that neighbourhood, 
 who had the happiness of his acquaintance 
 for some years before his death, writes to 
 mc, " That he was singular for a heavenly 
 and spiritual temper, and very much of a 
 holy tenderness and ardent love to Jesus 
 Christ at all times, discovered themselves in 
 every thing he did : that many religious 
 persons, since the revolution, in that country, 
 at their death, owned, that Mr. Donaldson 
 was the mean of their conversion and edifica- 
 tion. In a word, he was not only eminent 
 in holiness, and the faithful discharge of his 
 office, but likewise a person of a very solid 
 judgment, and great wisdom and prudence." 
 Such a person as he was, could not well 
 escape the malice of the bishops at this 
 juncture, and therefore I shall here give a 
 hint of the trouble he met with from attested 
 accounts, and an original letter of the bishop 
 of Dunkeld sent to him, October this year, 
 lately come to my hand. We shall have 
 some other hints concerning this good man 
 in our progress, but here I shall give a 
 general view of his sufferings altogether, from 
 narratives before me very well vouched. 
 
 Mr. Andrew Donaldson was admitted 
 minister at Dalgety, in the year 1644, and 
 continued in the exercise of his ministry 
 there twenty years. Pie had the favour of 
 remiuning longer at his Master's work than 
 many of his brethren, by the interest of 
 Chailes, earl of Dunfermline, then lord privy 
 «eal. This year 1664, when the earl was 
 
 1GG4. 
 
 called up to London, the primate in 
 his absence pushed the bishop of 
 Dunkeld, within which diocese Dalgety lies, 
 to deprive him. Accordingly the bishop 
 wrote to him to attend the presbyteries, 
 under pain of suspension : which Mr. Don- 
 aldson did not regard, but continued at his 
 work till the diocesan meeting in October, 
 when the bishop deposed him, and wrote 
 the following letter to him, which the reader 
 hath from the original in mine eye. 
 
 " Sir, 
 " These five synods past, your brethren 
 of the. synod of Dunkeld have waited upon 
 your presence to have concurred with them 
 in all ministerial duties that relate to dis- 
 cipline, according to the strict acts of par- 
 liament and council enjoining the same, 
 and the acts of your synod requiring your 
 presence, and enjoining your keeping of 
 session, presbytery and synod. Notwith- 
 standing, you have still seditiously contemned 
 the laws of the state, in not keeping your 
 synod, though you knew the ordinary diets 
 as well as others ; and against the law and 
 practice of the church, and your peaceable 
 brethren, has still schismatically divided 
 yourself from your brethren, in session, 
 presbytery, and synod : and well considering 
 their own patience and slowness to proceed 
 against you, having formerly suspended you, 
 and yet unwilling even to intimate that, 
 causing it only come to your ear, hoping 
 that their kindly forbearance should in end 
 gain your submission to an union with 
 them; yet still meeting with nothing from 
 you, but obstinate and ungrate continuance 
 in your seditious and schismatic way, they 
 unanimously, at the last meeting of the 
 synod, holden at Dunkeld, the 4th of 
 October, 1664, did think and vote you. 
 worthy of deposition from your ministerial 
 function. Likeas, I did in the name, and 
 by the authority of Jesus Christ, and in the 
 name, and with the consent of all my 
 brethren, actually at that time depose you ; 
 which I now do declare, you INIr. Andrew 
 Donaldson, sometime minister at Dalgety, 
 deposed from all charge, not only there, but 
 from all the parts of ministerial function 
 within any diocese, or the kirk of Scotland. 
 3f 
 
410 
 
 l^„^ assuring you, if you shall insist on 
 that charge, either at Dalgety, or 
 elsewhere, after you shall be acquaint with 
 this sentence, that immediately, with the 
 consent of my synod, we will proceed against 
 you with the highest censure of this kirk. 
 In verification of all the premises, I have 
 subscribed them, and sent them express 
 to you for your warning, that you may not 
 pretend ignorance, but may jield obedience, 
 and not contravene. Perth, 10th October, 
 1064. 
 
 " George Dunkeld." 
 
 So careful was the bishop of Mr. Donald- 
 son's knowing this sentence, that another 
 letter in the very same words, only dated Oc- 
 tober 11th, came to his hand likewise. But 
 more effectual methods were taken, and the 
 primate procured a party to be sent to eject 
 him from the kirk of Dalgety, who came on 
 a Lord's day when the people were gathered 
 to hear him. It was IVIr. Donaldson's 
 prudence which prevented a scuffle; and, 
 upon the government their orders to remove, 
 he compromised the matter with the soldiers, 
 and got leave to preach that day, upon his 
 promise to leave that place. When my 
 lord Dunfermline, now at London, got notice 
 of this, he procured a warrant from the 
 king, reponing Mr. Donaldson to Dalgety 
 during life; which his lordship brought 
 down very soon, and showed it to the 
 primate, complaining he had taken the occa- 
 sion of his being absent, to deprive him of 
 his minister whom he valued so much. The 
 archbrshop knew well to dissemble, and 
 professed a great regard to the earl, and 
 said, the king behoved to be obeyed, but 
 craved, as a favour, that the earl would do 
 nothing for three weeks in it, till he con- 
 sidered how to pro\nde a young man now 
 settled at Dalgety : which my lord yielded 
 to. Meanwhile the primate, by his interest 
 at court, in the earl's absence, procured a war- 
 rant under the king's hand, and got it down, 
 per express, before the three weeks elapsed, 
 discharging all outed ministers to come back 
 to their charges. This galled the earl suffi- 
 ciently, but there was no help for it. 
 
 For many years Mr. Donaldson continued 
 to preach, with very great success, at a 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 gentleman's house in that country where he 
 
 lived, till, through the instigation of the 
 prelates, he was about the year 1676, as 
 we shall hear, intercommuned. When he 
 removed, and had no small difficulties, and 
 very remarkable preservations, and singular 
 communications from his Master, in the 
 year 1677, he was seized when he came to 
 visit his family, and carried prisoner to 
 Linhthgow tolbooth, were he continued till 
 the general liberation of presbyterian min- 
 isters, after the defeat at Bothwell. I have 
 before me an attested account of a very 
 observable judgment of God upon the com- 
 mander of the party who seized him, and 
 his dying under horror for his hand in this 
 worthy person's persecution ; and of a very 
 singular warning the Lord led Mr. Donaldson 
 to give the earl of Argyle in April, or May 
 1679, of his after-sufferings and death, for 
 the cause and interests of religion, which 
 was exactly fulfilled; which that noble 
 person told to severals when in the castle 
 of Edinburgh, a little before his martyrdom. 
 The circumstantiate and well vouched ac- 
 counts of those are too large here to be insert. 
 Mr. Donaldson continued under trouble, 
 till, with many other worthy persons, he was 
 freed by the toleration in the year 1687. 
 
 I shall conclude this account of the bishops' 
 treatment of ministers this year, with the 
 trouble another old worthy minister met 
 with at this time, Mr. Robert Maxwel, 
 minister at Monkton, in the presbytery of 
 Ayr. Being settled before the (year) 1649, 
 he continued in the exercise of his ministry, 
 till he was suspended by the presbytery, 
 Februai'y 14th, 1665. He was a grave, 
 pious, useful minister in that place for near 
 twenty-five years, and very much beloved of 
 his people; but there was no continuing 
 longer among them, when armed force put 
 in execution those sentences. His suspen- 
 sion was intimate to him, February 18th, 
 being Saturday, and next day he preached 
 his farewell-sermon, from Eccles. v. 4. and 
 had a very moving discourse to them at this 
 sorrowful parting, which is before me, but 
 too large to insert here. In the diocesan 
 meeting, October this year, archbishop Bur- 
 net pushed and carried his deposition, for 
 nothing less than the utmost rigour would 
 
CHAP. 
 
 v.] 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OFJSCOTLAND. 
 
 411 
 
 satisfy liini. From the original extract of 
 the sentence in my hands, 1 give here the 
 tenour of' it. 
 
 " Glasgow, October Wlh, 1665. 
 " The which day, the archbishop and 
 synod taking to their serious consideration 
 the process led and deduced by the pres- 
 bytery of AvT, against Mr. Robert Maxwel 
 minister at Monktoun, and finding by the 
 said process, that the said Mr. Robert 
 Maxwel continues obstinate in refusing to 
 join with the rest of his brethren, to sit in 
 presbytery and sjTiods for the' exercise of 
 discipline, censuring of scandals, and other 
 uncontroverted duties ; notwithstanding that 
 the said RL'. Itobert has been frequently 
 conferred with by his bretliren of the pres- 
 bytery of Ayr, in order to his satisfaction, 
 and that he either shuns all debating, or 
 refuses to receive satisfaction when offered 
 by them, showing them positively that he is 
 fully resolved not to submit j as likewise, 
 that he confessed that he had married other 
 persons in other parishes without testi- 
 monial from their several ministers : and 
 finding by the said process, that he has been 
 thrice lawfully summoned to compear before 
 the presbytery, and that he never compeared; 
 and being by the presbytery referred to the 
 archbishop and synod for censure : as like- 
 wise for these crimes he was formerly 
 suspended from the office of the ministry, 
 by the presbytery of Ayr, the 13th of 
 February last ; and finding by the execution 
 of the summons produced and read in synod, 
 the said Mr. Robert is legally cited to this 
 day; and he being called at the most patent 
 door of the high church, compeared not, 
 but absolutely refused either to give satis- 
 faction for those crimes, or to give any 
 reason why he cannot or will not concur 
 with his brethren, and so finding there is no 
 hopes of gaining him : wherefore the arch- 
 bishop and synod think fit that the said 
 Mr. Robert Maxwel be deposed, and by 
 these presents do depose him from the 
 office and function of the ministry, at the 
 said church of Monktoun, or in any place 
 else; and ordain the presbytery of Ayr to 
 intimate his sentence to him with their 
 
 16G4. 
 
 first convenicncy, and make report 
 thereof to the next committee. 
 Extracted by 
 
 " LuD. Fairfoul, CI." 
 
 We see he was proceeded against for 
 mere refusing to subject to the bishop, by 
 power from whom their presbyteries and 
 synods met. His baptizing and marrying 
 complained of, was only such persons as 
 were in their consciences straitened to join 
 with the curates. We shall afterwards meet 
 with this good man under more trouble. 
 Many other accounts might be given of the 
 maltreatment of presbyterian ministers at 
 this time, had they been carefully preserved , 
 but these two are what I have particularly 
 vouched, and they may serve as a speci- 
 men of the manner of the treatment these 
 worthy servants and witnesses of Christ 
 met with. 
 
 The people of the presbyterian persuasion 
 were now everywhere harassed, and the 
 methods I hinted at on the former chapter 
 continued. Every day the soldiers grew 
 more and more insolent at the churches 
 where any old presbyterian ministers ven- 
 tured to continue. And through the west 
 and south multitudes of families were scat- 
 tered, and the soldiers acted much in the 
 same manner, as the French dragoons did 
 some years after, among the protestants 
 there. Sir James Turner, I find this year, 
 is acting a very severe part in the western 
 and southern shires ; and next year also he 
 is sent by the managers a second or third 
 time to force people to comply with the 
 church government, and ministers now estab- 
 lished; and he executed his orders exactly 
 enough. I do not enter upon particulars, 
 since they fall in so much with what has 
 been narrated ; and accounts of the detail 
 of the actings of those booted apostles 
 would be endless. I come now to a few 
 more accounts of the sufferings of particular 
 persons this year, as they lie in order of 
 time in the council-registers. We have had 
 the reason formerly why wc meet with 
 so little of this nature in them, this and 
 the following year. January 26th, it is 
 recommended to the chancellor to write 
 
412 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 to Sir James Turner; which he 
 
 1C64-. 
 
 does as follows : — 
 
 *♦ Sir, 
 
 " Upon information given to his majesty's 
 privy council, of some treasonable speeches 
 uttered by one John Gordon burgess in 
 Stranraer, for which he is now prisoner in 
 that burgh, they order you to send him in 
 prisoner, with as many soldiers as may be 
 sufficient for that purpose, that the council 
 may take such course with him, as they 
 shall think fit. I am, &c." — The lords of 
 justiciary were proper judges in this sup- 
 posed case. Whether this information, as 
 many which were now given by the clergy, 
 was found groundless, I know not. No 
 more offers about him in the registers ; and 
 I am ready to think, that all he could be 
 charged with, was some reflections upon the 
 change now made in aflfliirs, by the estab- 
 lishing bishops by the supremacy. 
 
 March 1st, the council pass an act against 
 the worthy gentleman formerly mentioned, 
 the laird of Earlstoun. " The lords of his 
 majesty's privy council, having considered 
 several accusations exhibited against Mr. 
 William Gordon of Earlstoun, for keeping 
 of private meetings and conventicles, con- 
 trary to the laws and acts of parliament, 
 with his own judicial confession, that he 
 had been at three several conventicles, where 
 Mr. Gabriel Semple, a deposed minister, 
 did preach, viz. one in Corsack wood, and 
 other two in the wood of Airds, at all 
 which there were great numbers of people ; 
 and that he did hear Mr. Robert Paton, a 
 deposed minister, expound a text of Scrip- 
 ture, and perform other acts of worship, in 
 his mother's house ; and that Mr. Thomas 
 Thomson, another deposed minister, did 
 lecture in his own house to his family on a 
 Sabbath day; and that being required to 
 enact himself to abstain from all such meet- 
 ings in time coming, and to live peaceably 
 and orderly conform to law, he refused to 
 do the same : do therefore order the said 
 Mr. William Gordon of Earlstoun, to be 
 banished, and to depart forth of the kingdom 
 within a month, after the date hereof, and 
 not return under pain of death; and that 
 
 THE SUFFERIN'GS [bOOK I. 
 
 he enact himself to live peaceably ami 
 orderly during the said month, under the 
 pain of ten thousand pounds, or otherwise 
 to enter his person in prison." — We shall 
 afterwards, in the detail of this history, 
 have occasion to speak more of these con- 
 venticles now a beginning, and to give the 
 reasons why gentlemen and others could not 
 bind themselves to abstain from them, and 
 I shall not anticipate it; neither shall I 
 make any remark upon the council's making 
 the expounding of a place of Scripture, a 
 part of divine worship ; the bishops now 
 with them ought to have rectified such a 
 blunder. It was much worse in them to 
 banish so excellent a gentleman, for mere 
 hearing of presbyterian ministers, and, for 
 what I can observe, exceeded any laws yet 
 made. 
 
 April 29th, " The council ordain letters 
 to be directed to a macer, to cite Mr. John 
 Carstairs before the council, to answer to 
 the crimes for which he was convened 
 before the parliament, and all other emergent 
 crimes by him sensyne (subsequently) com- 
 mitted." I find no more in the registers 
 this year about him. I imagine, when he 
 declined appearing before the high commis- 
 sion court, by his letter to the chancellor, 
 he had this citation sent him to appear 
 before the council; but the dropping the 
 affair of Mr. Wood's testimony, and the 
 chancellor's death falling in within a little, 
 perhaps made him to be dropped. 
 
 June 23d, " The council being informed 
 of the seditious and factious doctrine and 
 practices of Mr. John Crookshanks, and 
 Mr. Michael Bruce, pretended ministers, 
 fugitives from Ireland,* and of their preach- 
 ing in several places of this kingdom, without 
 license, contrary to the laws, ordain letters, 
 charging them at the market-cross of Edin- 
 burgh, and pier and shore of Leith, to appear 
 the 27th of July next ; and give power to 
 the officers and commanders of the forces 
 to seize them." Those were two worthy 
 presbyterian ministers come from Ireland. 
 
 * These two ministers were oljliged to leave 
 Loclieiid on account of Blood's plot. Mr. Crook- 
 shanks was shortly after killed atPentland. — Ed, 
 
CHAP, v.] 
 
 This is the first time that I have observed 
 the phrase of pretended ministers used by 
 the council. I do not find they appeared 
 upon this charge. All their fault was 
 preaching the gospel, and it is a question, if 
 they got notice of this citation. We shall 
 afterward meet with Mr. Bruce, who was a 
 very useful minister, and did much good, 
 by his awakening and rousing gift, in many 
 places. 
 
 August 9th, I find, that upon a desire 
 given in to the council, they prorogate John 
 Swinton, once of that ilk, his liberation out 
 of prison for a month longer, and order him 
 to return to prison, September 9th. I 
 find no more about him for some time, and 
 at length he came to be overlooked, though 
 he was a very active quaker. 
 
 November 3d, William Dobbie, weaver, 
 petitions the council, that whereas by an 
 act of council, August 18th, which I do not 
 observe in their books, he was allowed to 
 go out of prison from eight in the morning 
 till eight at night, to his work; that now 
 having been so long in prison, he may be 
 relieved. The council order his liberation, 
 six burgesses in Glasgow, formerly his 
 cautioners, being caution for his re-entry 
 when called. Middleton was now removed, 
 and they did not think him worth any 
 further notice. 
 
 That same day, Mr. Thomas Wylie, for- 
 merly spoken of, presents a petition to the 
 council, " That whereas the petitioner being 
 confined by act of council, October 1662, to 
 reside benorth the River of Tay, with his 
 family, to which sentence he hath submitted 
 in all himiility, as becometh ; and ever since 
 hath behaved himself peaceably and inoffen- 
 sively, becoming a loyal subject, as a testi- 
 mony herewith produced, under the hands 
 of the magistrates and ministers of Dundee, 
 will testify ; and that seeing now for a long 
 time it hath pleased the Lord to visit the 
 said petitioner his bedfellow with great 
 sickness and indisposition of body, often to 
 the endangering her life, which, according 
 to the opinion of her physicians, is judged 
 to proceed from the climate of the place, 
 where she and the petitioner hath been 
 living, as will appear by a testificate under 
 the hands of the doctors and chu'urgeons of 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 413 
 
 Dundee, herewith produced ; and that 
 the petitioner is purposed, wherever 
 your lordships shall order his residence, that 
 he and his family shall continue in a peaceable 
 and inoffensive behaviour. May it therefore 
 please your lordships, in consideration of 
 the premises, to take off the said restraint 
 from him, and grant him libert}', with his 
 wife and family, to reside besouth the River 
 of Forth, in any place of Lothian, which is 
 more than fifty miles from the place where 
 the petitioner had charge as a minister, and 
 he shall ever pray." The council order his 
 former bond to be given up, and that he 
 give a new bond, for his peaceable behaviour 
 where he is now confined. 
 
 December 18th, the council pass an act 
 about Mr. Spreul, formerly mentioned in 
 the first chapter, which I shall insert as I 
 find it, knowmg no more about this good 
 man. — " The lords of council considering, 
 that Mr. John Spreul, late town-clerk in 
 Glasgow, having been cited before the com- 
 mission for church affairs, to answer for his 
 disobedience to the laws, and disaffection to 
 the government thereby established, he, for 
 cviting the sentence of the said judicatory 
 did for some time withdraw himself forth 
 out of the country, and having privately 
 returned, did carry himself most suspiciously 
 by travelling secretly from place to place, 
 in the night time ; for which being appre- 
 hended and brought before the council, and 
 the oath of allegiance being tendered to him, 
 he refused the same, alleging he had not 
 freedom to sign the same, by reason of the 
 tie that lay upon him by the oath of the 
 covenant : wherefore the said lords judging 
 it unjust, that any person should have the 
 benefit of the protection of his majesty, 
 and enjoy the liberties of a free subject, 
 who refuse to give their oath of allegiance, 
 ordain the said Mr. John Spreul to enact 
 himself under the pain of death, to remove out 
 of the kingdom against the 1st of February 
 next, and not to return without license, and 
 find caution to behave peaceably till then, 
 under the pain of two thousand pounds, 
 and not to go within six miles of Glasgow." — 
 This good man was forced to wander from 
 his native country for some years j and we 
 shall afterward meet with him in this history. 
 
414 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [_I300K 1. 
 
 1664. 
 
 That same day, the reverend 
 Ml-. Alexander Moncrief, formerly 
 spoken of, in Reddy, petitions the council, 
 " That in regard he hath an action of count 
 and reckoning, which seeds his personal pre- 
 sence at Edinburgh, as is attested by two of 
 the senators of the college of justice, and by 
 the late act the supplicant cannot come to 
 Edinburgh without license, he humbly craves 
 it. The council grant him license till the 
 2iih instant, upon bond to live peaceably 
 and loyally during that time." This is what 
 I have observed most remarkable as to par- 
 ticular sufferings this year. 
 
 0/ some oike?' remarlcables, and incidental 
 matters, this year 1664. 
 
 I SHALL end the history of this year with 
 some, few incidents that fall in, some of 
 which relate directly enough to the history 
 of the sufferings ; and others of them falling 
 in in the papers which have come to my 
 hand, and tending to clear the state of things 
 in this period, I thought they deserved a 
 room here. 
 
 January 26th, the king's letter comes 
 down to the council, ordering the archbishop 
 of St. Andrews to have the precedency of 
 the chancellor, and all other nobility and 
 officers of state. It is dated the same day 
 with the warrant for the high commission, 
 and came down at the same time; but the 
 council registers take no notice for some 
 months of the high commission, for reasons 
 above narrated : nevertheless, they record 
 the king's letter about the primate's pre- 
 cedency ; the tenor whereof follows. 
 
 " Right trusty, &c. 
 " We greet you well. Whereas our royal 
 father of blessed memory, did, by his letter, 
 dated at Whitehall, July 12th, 1626, signify 
 to his privy council, that having considered, 
 according to the custom of all civil and 
 Christian kingdoms, what place and dignity 
 is due unto the church, the precedency of 
 whose chief ruler should procure the more 
 respect thereunto; to the end that the 
 ai'chbishop of St. Andrews, primate and 
 
 metropolitan of that our kingdom, may enjoy 
 the privileges belonging to his place, we 
 were pleased to name him first in the com- 
 mission of our council ; and our pleasure is, 
 that he have the first place both at our 
 council, and at all other pubhc meetings 
 before our chancellor, and all other our 
 subjects within that our kingdom ; as one 
 from the eminency of whose place, we will 
 have none to derogate in any way, but shall 
 ever contribute what we can to the advance- 
 ment thereof, in so far as is lawful and 
 expedient. And we being also desirous to 
 maintain the honour of the chui'ch, and that 
 dignity, in the person of this archbishop of 
 St. Andrews, and his successors, have 
 thought fit to renew our blessed father's 
 command ; and to the end it may be punc- 
 tually observed, we command you to regis- 
 trate this our letter in the books of council ; 
 and so we bid you heartily farewell. Given 
 at our court at Whitehall, the 16th of 
 January 1663-4, and of our reign the 15th 
 year. 
 
 " Lauderdale." 
 
 Thus Mr, James Sharp arrived at the 
 very utmost of his ambition, and higher he 
 could not desire to be.* This was the 
 
 * If we may credit Burnet, Mr. Wodrow 
 was here in a mistake. Sharp had not yet, and 
 never did, arrive at that dignity which was the 
 object of his ambition. Precedence of the chan- 
 cellor was no doubt highly gratifying to his 
 vanity and pride, but his great object was the 
 cliancellorship itself; and the deatli of the clian- 
 cellor Glencairn in the montli of May following, 
 seemed to pave the way for liis immediate eleva- 
 tion to that so much desired precedency. " This 
 event," Burnet remarks, " put him on new de- 
 signs. He apprehended that the earl of Tweed- 
 dale might be advanced to that post, for in the 
 settlement of the dutchess of Buccleugh's estate, 
 who was married to the duke of Monmouth, the 
 best-beloved of all the king's children, by which, 
 in default of issue by her, it was to go to the duke 
 of Monmouth, and the issue he might ha>'« 
 by any other wife ; the earl of Tweeddale, though 
 his children were the next heirs, who were 
 by this deprived of their right, had yet given 
 way to it in so frank a manner, that the king 
 was enough inclined both to oblige and to trust 
 him. But Shkrp had great suspicions of him, 
 as cold in their concerns. So he writ to Sheldon, 
 that upon_the disposal of the seals, the very 
 being of the church did so absolutely depend, 
 that he begged he would press the king very 
 earnestly in the matter, and tliat he would 
 move that he might be called up before that post 
 should be tilled. Thb king bid Sheldon assure 
 
CHAP. 
 
 v.] 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 415 
 
 verifying of what Lauderdale threatened to 
 Glencairii three yeai-s ago, that since he and 
 Middlcton would have bishops, they should 
 have them with a vengeance : and agreeable 
 to what a worthy prcsbyterian minister said 
 to the earl of Glencairn, when he pressed 
 him to come in to prelacy, and made some 
 insinuations, as if he might be archbishop of 
 St. Andrews. My lord, said he, if I be 
 mxhbishop of St. Andrews, I will be chan- 
 cellor too ; alluding to the last archbishop, 
 who enjoyed both offices. 
 
 This letter did not a little chagrin our 
 nobility, especially the chancellor. In 
 king Charles I. his reign, I find the earl of 
 Kinnoul, then chancellor, would never yield 
 the precedency to primate Spotiswood ; but 
 now matters are changed, and all behoved 
 to stoop to Mr. Sharp ; and, sore against 
 his mind, the chancellor yields the door and 
 tablehcad, lest he should get the purse too. 
 
 Jiim, he should tiike a special care of that matter, 
 but that there was no occasion for his cominij 
 up; for the king, by this time, had a very ill 
 opinion of him. Sharp was so mortified with 
 this, that he resolvetl to put all to hazard, for he 
 believed all w^as at stake, and he ventured to 
 come up. The king received him coldly, and 
 asked him if he had not received the archbishop 
 of Canterbury's letter. He said he had, but he 
 woidd choose rather to venture on his majesty's 
 displeasure, than to seethe church ruined through 
 his caution or negligence. He knew the danger 
 they were in in Scotland, where they had but 
 few and cold friends, and many violent enemies. 
 His majesty's protection, and the execution of 
 the law, were the only things they could trust 
 to ; and these so much depended on the good 
 choice of a chancellor, that he could not answer 
 it to God and the church if he did not bestir 
 himself in that matter. He knew many thought 
 of him for that post, but he was so far from that 
 thought, that if his majesty had any such inten- 
 tion, he \vould rather choose to be sent toaplan- 
 tation. He desired that he might be a church- 
 man in heart, but not in habit, who should be 
 raised to that trust. These were his very words, 
 as the king repeated them. From him he went 
 to Sheldon, and pressed him to move the king, 
 for himself, and furnished him with many 
 reasons to support the proposition, a main one 
 being, that the late king had raised his prede- 
 cessor f^potiswoode to that trust. Sheldon upon 
 that, did move tlie king with more th.ui ordinary 
 earnestness iti it. The king suspected Sharp 
 had set him on, and charged him to tell him 
 the truth. The other did it, though not witliout 
 some uneasiness. Upcm that the king told him 
 what he had said to himself; and then it may 
 be easily imagined in what a style they both 
 spoke of him. Yet Sheldon prayed the king, 
 that whatsoever he might think of tlie man, he 
 would consider the archbishop and the church 
 which the king assured him he woidd do. Shel- 
 
 1664-. 
 
 The curious reader will be satisfied, 
 that I add in this place a passage 
 from Sir James Balfour, lyon king at arms, 
 his annals in king Charles I. his reign, 
 relative to this precedency of the arch- 
 bishops of St. Andrews to the chancellor, 
 p. 633, of the manuscript before me. " July 
 12th, 1G26, the king by his letter com- 
 manded, that the prunate of Scotland, the 
 archbishop of St. Andrews, should take 
 place of the chancellor : but chancellor 
 Hay would never suffer him to do it all the 
 days of his life, do what the king would. 
 Sir James adds, that at the king's coronation, 
 1663, that morning the king called me, as 
 lyon king at arms, and sent me to the earl 
 of Kinnoul, at that time chancellor, to show 
 him that it was his majesty's will and plea- 
 sure, that only for that day he would cede 
 and give place to the archbishop. The 
 earl returned by me this brisk answer, 
 
 don told Sharp, that he saw the motion for himself 
 did not take, so he must think on somewhat else. 
 Sharp proposed that the seals might be put in 
 the earl of Rothes' hands, till the king should 
 pitch on a proper person. He also proposed 
 that the king would make him his commissioner, 
 in order to the preparing matters for a national 
 synod, that they might settle a book of common 
 prayer, and a book of canons. — 
 
 " All this was easily agreed to, for the king 
 loved the lord Rothes, and the earl of Lauderdale 
 would not oppose his advancement, though it 
 was a very extravagant thing, to see one man 
 possess so many of the chief places of so poor a 
 kingdom. The earl of Crawford would not 
 abjure the covenant, so Rothes had been made 
 lord treasurer in his place ; he continued to be 
 still what he was before, lord president of the 
 council; and upon the earl of JVIiddleton'« dis- 
 grace, he was made captain of a troop of guards, 
 and now he was both the king's commissioner 
 and, upon the matter, lord chancellor. Sharp 
 reckoned this was his masterpiece. Lord Rothes 
 being thus advanced by his means, was in all 
 things governed by him. His instructions were 
 such as Sharp proposed, to pi-epare matt<.'rs for a 
 national synod ; and in the meanwhile to execute 
 the laws that related to the church with a 
 steady firmness. So when they parted from 
 Whitehall, Sharp said to the king, that he had 
 now done all that could be desired of him for 
 the good of the church, so that if all matters 
 went not right in Scotland, none must bear the 
 blame, but either the earl of Lauderdale or 
 Rothes ; as they came to Scotland, where a very 
 furious scene of illegal violence was opened. 
 Sharp governed lord Rothes, who abandoned 
 himself to pleasure ; and when some censured 
 this, all the answer that was made, was, a 
 severe piece of raillery, that the king's commis- 
 sioner ought to ri'presont his person."— Rurnct's 
 History of bis Own Times, vol. i. pp. 30&--S07 
 
416 
 
 1664. 
 
 " That since his majesty had been 
 pleased to continue him in that 
 office, which by his means his worthy father, 
 of happy memory, had bestowed upon him, 
 he was ready in all humility to lay it at his 
 majesty's feet ; but since it was his royal 
 will, he should snjoy it with the known 
 
 privileges of the same, never a st d 
 
 priest in Scotland should set a foot before 
 him as long as his blood was hot. When 
 I had related this answer to the king, he 
 said. Well, Lyon, let us go to business, 
 I will not meddle further with that old 
 cankered goutish man, at whose hands there 
 is nothing to be gained but sour words." 
 
 That same day, January 26th, another 
 letter is read from the king to the council, 
 acquainting them he had made choice of the 
 persons who were to be commissioners for 
 plantation of kirks, and ordered the register 
 to insert them in the commission of parlia- 
 ment past thereupon, and requires them to 
 advertise them to attend the diets of that 
 commission, which he will have kept every 
 week during session-time : whereupon the 
 council write to all the members, to attend. 
 
 Some notice hath been taken already of 
 the new made bishops this year. In January, 
 Mr. Alexander Burnet is admitted to be 
 archbishop of Glasgow, in room of Mr. 
 Fairfoul deceased ; and Mr. Scougal is his 
 successor at Aberdeen, who was reckoned 
 among the devoutest of that order; and 
 Mr. Andrew Honeyman is made bishop of 
 Orkney, in room of Sideserf deceased. 
 
 April 29th, by a letter from the king, the 
 archbishop of Glasgow and Archibald earl 
 of Argyle are added to the council, and 
 take the oaths, and their places at that 
 board. The same day a proclamation is 
 published against that known and celebrated 
 treatise of the great ornament of Scotland, 
 Mr. George Buchanan, De jure regni apud 
 Scotos, which deserves a room here. 
 
 " Forasmuch as, notwithstanding it hath 
 pleased the almighty God, to restore the 
 kingdom to the great blessings of peace and 
 prosperity, under the protection of his 
 majesty's royal government, after the late 
 grievous sufferings and bondage under usur- 
 pers; yet some seditious and disaffected 
 persons endeavour to infuse the principles 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUrFERINGS [BOOK T. 
 
 of rebellion in the minds of many good 
 
 subjects, of purpose to dispose them to new 
 troubles ; and for that end have endeavoured 
 to translate into the English tongue, an 
 old seditious pamphlet, entituled, De Jure 
 regni apud Scotos, whereof Mr. Geoi'ge 
 Buchanan was the author, which was con- 
 demned by act of parliament 1584, during 
 the reign of his majesty's grandfather of 
 blessed memory, and have dispersed many 
 copies of the said translation, which may 
 corrupt the affections of the subjects, and 
 alienate their minds from their obedience to 
 the laws, and his majesty's royal authority, 
 and the present government, if it be not 
 timously prevented : therefore the lords of 
 his majesty's privy council, in his majesty's 
 name and authority, command and charge 
 all subjects of what degree, quality or rank 
 soever they be, to bring and deliver to the 
 clerk of council, all copies they have of the 
 said pamphlet or book, translated, as said 
 is, and that none presume hereafter to 
 double any of the said copies, or disperse 
 the same: with certification, that the con- 
 traveners shall be proceeded against as 
 seditious persons, and disaffected to monar- 
 chical government, conform to the laws, 
 with all rigour : and ordain those presents 
 to be printed, and published at the market- 
 cross of Edinburgh, and all other places 
 needful, that none pretend ignorance. 
 
 " Glencairn, Chanc. I. P. D. Con." 
 
 This proclamation is every way singular ; 
 for any thing that appears, this translation 
 of that known piece of the celebrated 
 Buchanan, was not printed, but only, it 
 seems, handed about in manuscript; while 
 in the meantime thousands of copies of it, 
 in the Latin original, were in every body's 
 hands. It had been more just to have 
 ordered an answer to have been formed to 
 the solid arguments in that dialogue, against 
 tyranny and arbitrary government, and the 
 courses at this time carrying on ; and more 
 reasonable, than to make such a needless 
 noise about a paper we must suppose to be 
 in the hands but of a very few. 
 
 Upon the 30th of May this year, the earl 
 Glencaii-n, lord high chancellor of Scotland, 
 died at Boltoun in East-Lotliian, of a high 
 
OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 sickness.* He 
 
 CHAP, v.] 
 
 tcver, in a few days sickness.* He was 
 reckoned a wise statesman, and a brave 
 soldier, and had made gallant appearances 
 for the king, and the freedom and liberty of 
 his country. In several things since the 
 restoration, he was driven beyond his inclina- 
 tions by the prelates. Wc have seen that 
 he was abundantly active in the establish- 
 ment of bishops ; and it was evident enough 
 that he had no satisfaction in this part of 
 his conduct, when he came to die. The 
 pride of the archbishop of St. Andrews, and 
 his getting himself into the precedency of 
 the chancellor, and the other officers of 
 state, were no way agreeable to this noble- 
 man, who was of a very ancient descent, 
 and could not well bear the heights of our 
 Scots prelates; and indeed it may appear 
 strange, that our ancient nobility could so 
 easily bow their necks to the yoke and 
 tyranny of bishops. I am well informed 
 from the person, to whom the chancellor 
 had the expression, upon the rumours of 
 IVIiddleton's fall, that he was pleased to say, 
 " If Middlcton fall, people will infer that it 
 is an accursed thing to bring in bishops to 
 Scotland: for captain James Stuart, who 
 
 417 
 
 1064. 
 
 * The following is Kirkton's account of this 
 event •.— " This spring also, the chancellor left 
 the world, and his short-lived honour. He died 
 at Bolton in East-Lothian, of a fever, of five 
 days ; and though he had lived among the bisl^ops 
 and curates, yet he desired earnestly to die 
 among jn-esbytcrians ; and therefore as soon as 
 he apprehended death, he posted away a mes- 
 senger for Mr. Robert Douglas, who sojourned 
 then at Preston, but was not to he gotten being 
 absent in Fife. Then he sent for ]VIr. Robert 
 Ker, in Haddington, but before he could come, 
 the dying man had lost his senses, and so he was 
 reproved in his sin, though he had made his last 
 choice of those whom he had sore persecute. 
 And so did many of our grandees, when they had 
 their eyes opened with the terrors of death, parti- 
 cularly the duke of Rothes and earl of Aniiandale ; 
 and many more. IMany a time the chancellor 
 cried out, ' O, to have my last three years re- 
 called !' but it would not be granted." — History 
 of the Church of Scotland, pp. 203, 204. 
 
 Mr. Wodrow, in additions and amendments, 
 printed in the 2d vol. of his History, informs 
 us, " That the king was pleased to be at the 
 charges of the earl of Glencairn's burial; and I 
 am warranted to say, so :nuchfrom his majesty's 
 letter to the council declaring so much ; but I am 
 since well informed, that the great charges of 
 the funeral were never (for what reason 1 know 
 not) refunded to that noble family, notwith- 
 standing the singular services they had done the 
 king." — £d. 
 
 set up the Tulchan bishops, died a 
 lamentable death ; the earl of Dun- 
 bar, who brought them in upon the union of 
 the crowns, was the first and last of that 
 house ; and now if Middletoa fall, people 
 will comment upon it." — Some hot words, 
 as hath been noticed, were said to have 
 passed betwixt the chancellor and the 
 primate, which stuck to the earl, who still 
 declai-ed himself to be only for a moderate 
 episcopacy: but he felt to his sad experience, 
 the prelates now brought in to be very far 
 from moderation. 
 
 At his death, my lord inclined much to 
 have presbyterian ministers with him. He 
 earnestly desired Mr. Robert Douglas, but 
 he was in Fife when the earl sickened : 
 some others were sought in Edinburgh, and 
 could not be had. And before Mr. Robert 
 Ker could be brought from Haddington, my 
 lord was so low, that he could not speak to 
 him. I have been likewise well informed, 
 that the chancellor showed a great concern 
 to have a meeting with the primate before 
 he died, that he might have dealt plainly 
 with him ; and an express was sent, but the 
 archbishop had no mind to meet with the 
 eai-1. The earl of Rothes, afterwards duke, 
 and the earl of Annandale, and many others 
 of our noblemen and gentlemen, how much 
 soever in their life they had been hard upon 
 presbyterian ministers, yet at their death 
 they sought to have them with them, and 
 got them ; which made the duke of York 
 one day say, he beUeved that Scotsmen, be 
 what they would in their life, were all pres- 
 byterians at their death. July 28th, the 
 carl of Glencairn was buried with a great 
 deal of pomp and solemnity, in St. Giles's 
 church in Edinburgh. He had done great 
 services to the king, and he was pleased to 
 be at the charges of the funerals. Doctor 
 Burnet, archbishop of Glasgow, was the 
 preacher of his funeral sermon. And August 
 1st, the great seal was depositate in the 
 archbishop's hands, till a chancellor should 
 be named. 
 
 This year, Jime 3d, the eari of Tweeddale, 
 now president of the council, was made 
 one of the extraordinary lords of session : 
 and the earl of Argyle, as we heard for- 
 merly, was restored to that earldom, and to 
 3g 
 
1664.. 
 
 418 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 all and sundry the lands, lordships, 
 and baronies thereunto belonging, 
 fallen into the king's hands by the forfeiture 
 of his father ; and to all and haill the mails, 
 farms, and entries of all crops and years 
 bygone and coming ; to all debts and sums 
 of money pertaining to the late marquis, and 
 contained in his predecessors' infeftments. 
 And, June 8th, the excellent marquis's 
 head was taken down from the tolbooth, 
 early in the morning, about . five of the 
 clock, by a warrant from the king, and 
 was conveyed to his body. Thus the earl 
 continued in favour, till his noble appearance 
 for the protestant religion, at the duke of 
 York's parliament, as we shall afterward 
 hear. 
 
 This summer. Sir John Fletcher, king's 
 advocate, was obliged to quit that post, not 
 much the richer for all he had got in it. 
 He was a creature of Middleton's, and went 
 up to comt in the end of the last year, but 
 did not succeed in his endeavours to keep 
 his post, when his patron was discarded. 
 July 14th, I find a letter from the king to 
 the council read, giving license to Mr. 
 Patrick Oliphant advocate, to pursue his 
 majesty's advocate before the council ; and 
 they order the said Mr. Patrick to exhibit 
 and give in his accusation the 26th. I find 
 no more about him in the registers, till 
 September 14th, when, " The lords of his 
 majesty's privy council, in obedience to his 
 majesty's commands, signified to them by 
 the lord treasurer, do discharge any fm'ther 
 procedure in the process at Mr. Patrick 
 Oliphant's instance against Sir John Flet- 
 cher ; and ordain either party's part of the 
 process to be delivered back unto them, 
 and his majesty's letter, which was the 
 ground thereof, to be taken to his majesty 
 by the lord treasurer, the same not being 
 as yet booked." By other papers of this 
 time, I find this process before the council 
 was long and litigious. The advocate was 
 libelled for bribery, partiality, and malver- 
 sation in his office. The lords who tried 
 him did not find his answers and defences 
 relevant or satisfying; and finding matters 
 going thus, he signified his inclinations to 
 demit in the king's hands, and so the 
 matter was transferred to London and Su- 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 John permitted to go up; and there, not 
 being able satisfyingly to vindicate himself in 
 several points, he demitted, and Sir John 
 Nisbet succeeded. People could not but 
 observe, that the earl of Middleton, the 
 chancellor, and Sir John Fletcher, who had 
 been so active in the introduction of pre- 
 lacy, did not long continue in their posts, 
 neither had the satisfaction Mr. Sharp pro- 
 posed to them, in that lamentable change 
 made in this church. 
 
 August 9th, I find an act of council 
 against the venting and spreading the excel- 
 lent lord Warriston's speech. " The lords 
 of his majesty's privy council being informed, 
 that there is a seditious pamphlet, called 
 Warriston's speech, published in print, and 
 publicly printed and sold by booksellers and 
 boys in the streets, do therefore give power 
 and warrant to Sir Robert Murray of 
 Cameron, to try and examine how these 
 pamphlets come to be sold without authority 
 and warrant; where the same has been 
 printed; who have been the printers, im- 
 porters, or principal venders and dispersers 
 thereof; and for that effect to call before 
 him and examine all booksellers and boys ; 
 and, if he shall see cause, to commit them 
 to prison, till they discover the true way 
 and means by which the said pamphlets are 
 so published and sold, and what persons have 
 had the chief hand therein, and report." — 
 I find no more about it : the reader hath 
 seen that there was no sedition in this 
 speech ; and the selling of it in public was 
 soon stopt. 
 
 In August this yeai-, the earl of Rothes, 
 and the archbishop of St. Andrews, by a 
 letter from court, go up to London.* The 
 matter of the fines, the chancellor's post, 
 and the advocate's, were to be concerted. 
 Accordingly they went up ; and, October 
 22d, the earl of Rothes returns to Holy- 
 roodhouse, loaden with posts and offices. 
 November 3d, I find the patents for some 
 of them read and recorded in council. His 
 commission to represent the king in the 
 national sjmod, to sit May next year, being 
 what the curious reader may be desirous to 
 
 * See note, p. 217. 
 
OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 CHAP, v.] 
 
 see, I have insert at the bottom of the 1 
 page.* That synod did not indeed sit, but 
 was put off time after time, by the influence 
 of the prijnate, of which I cannot give so 
 distinct and particular accounts, as I could 
 wish, and so say no more of it. Some 
 years after, we shall find a struggle of a good 
 many of the clergy, for the sitting of this 
 .synoil, but in vain. After the reading of this 
 commission, " His grace his majesty's high 
 commissioner nomimites and appoints the 
 lord archbishop of St. Andrews his grace, to 
 be preses of the council for the time." 
 And, November 24th, in the primate's 
 absence, the lord commissioner " nominates 
 the lord archbishop of Glasgow to be pre- 
 sident of the council." Then a letter from 
 
 * Rothes's Patent to be commissioner to the 
 national synod, October 14th, J664. 
 
 Carol us Dei gratia, Scotia?, Aiigliae, Francise, 
 ct Hiberniae Rex, fideique defensor, omnibus 
 probis hominibus suis ad quos prsesentes literje 
 perveiieriiit, saliitem. Sciatis quandoqiiidem 
 ordiiiatio et dispositio externi regiininis ecdesise, 
 et noininatio personai'um quaruin consilio res et 
 iipgotia eo spectantes stabiliantur, nobis tanquam 
 jus coronsB nostraeinnatum, virtute regalis nostras 
 prierogativae, et supremse authoritatis in causis 
 ecclesiasticis, haerent et incumbunt ; et quia nobis 
 expediens et necessarium videtur, in honorem 
 et servitium divini numinis, emolumentum et 
 tranquillitatem ecclesiae, et gubernationem ejus- 
 dem in ordine et unione, ut nationalis sj'nodus 
 in antique nostro regno Scotiic, in omnibus ejus 
 niembrisdebite constituatur, secundum quartum 
 actum tertire sessionis novissimi nostri parlia- 
 ment!, cujus titulus est. Actum pro stabiliatione 
 etconstitutione nationalis synodi. Quamquidem 
 synodum sic constitutam, nos decrevimus Edin- 
 burgi convocatum iri, die Merrurii tertio mensis 
 Mali proxime futuri, anno Domini 1665, inque 
 Jmiic finem, regalem nostram proclamationem 
 debito tempore expeditum iri; et quia nulla 
 nationalis synodus teneri vel observari potest 
 absque nostra praesentia, vel nostri delegati seu 
 commissionarii authoritate nostra in hunc finem 
 muniti. Cumque nos gravissimis regni nostri 
 Anglise negotiis impediti, dictaj generali synodo 
 et conventui in sacra nostra persona adesse 
 nequeamus ; idcirco comraissionem nostram viro 
 cuidara eximise virtutis et lidelitatis demandare 
 decrevimus, qui regalem nostram personam 
 sustineat et repraesentet, cum anteconvocationem 
 prwdictae synodi, pro necessariorum communica- 
 tione et prseparatione, cum in ipsa synodo convo- 
 CAta, turn etiam interea temporis pro debitaobedi- 
 entia legum nostorarum ecclesiam spectantium 
 procuvanda, ut enormiter et proterviter viventes 
 supprimantur; cumque multis testimoniis com- 
 pertuni babeamus, amorem, aiiimi dotes, et fideli- 
 tatempraedilecti et fidelissimi nostri consanguiuei 
 et consUiarii nostri Joannis coraitis de Rothes, 
 Lesliae et Bambreich, &c. nostri thesaurarii 
 principalis, ej usque zelum et promptitudinem, 
 turn in agendo turn in patiendo pro nobis, ante 
 felicem nostram instaurationem et restitutionem, 
 
 419 
 the king in Latin, approving the .,.,j, 
 lord commissioner his conduct in 
 the last session of parliament, is read and 
 recorded; and after this a letter from the 
 king, appointing him keeper of the great 
 seal, and to enjoy all the profits thereof till 
 his majesty nominate a chancellor. The 
 council give warrant to append the seal to 
 both those. By other papers, 1 find that 
 he had twenty pounds sterling a day, as 
 king's commissioner, till the synod should sit, 
 and fifty pounds per day whUe it sat. He 
 continued lord high commissioner for a good 
 while ; besides, he was lord high treasurer, 
 general of the forces by sea and land, and 
 extraordinary lord of session, commander 
 of his majesty's life-guard, and principal 
 
 speciatim vero egregium specimen ejus lidelitatis, 
 prudentiae et animi caudoris, in exequenda excelsa 
 provincia nostri commissionarii, in ultima ses- 
 sione novissimi nostri parliamenti, in quaquidem 
 obeuiida, prreclarura et egregium servitium nobis 
 in ecclesiae et regni nostri emolumentum edidit : 
 Igitur dedimus et concessimus, tenoreque prae- 
 sentium dam us et concedimus, plenam potestatem 
 et commissionem memorato fidelissimo et dilec- 
 tissimo nostro consanguineo et consiliario, Joanni 
 comiti deRothes,&c. nostram sacram personam et 
 authoritatem sustinendi, tum ante con vocationem 
 praedictae sjmodi, tum in ipsa synodo sequeute 
 convocata, et in cunctis conventibus ejusdem, ac 
 in omnibus aliis quae ecclesiae bonum, pacem et 
 gubernationem dicti antiqui regni nostri Scotiae, 
 tum in ecclesia tum in statu, (prout nunc legibus 
 stabilitur) et nostri servitii propagationem, in 
 universis et singulis administrationibus ejusdem, 
 tanquam nostro commissionario spectare poterint. 
 Quin etiam tenore praesentium, praefatum comi- 
 tem authoritate et potestate nostra regali muni- 
 nius, ut sit noster commissionarius, omniaque et 
 singula peragat ad potestatem et provinciam nostri 
 commissionarii spectantia, non minore juris liber- 
 tate et amplitudine, in omnibus respectibus, quani 
 quicumque alius commissionarius fecit, seu de 
 jure facere potuit; firmum et ratum habemus et 
 habituri sumus, totum et quodcunque praed ictus 
 conies, in obeundaet exequenda dicta commissione 
 etPJusdenidocumentis,feceritctpraestiterit. Man- 
 damus porro ominibus nostris officiariis status, 
 consiliariis, judicibus, et cunctis nostris subditis, 
 et peculiariter officiariis copiarum nostrarum, 
 in antedicto regno nostro, ut debita obedientia 
 afficiant, agnoscant, et morem gerant dicto 
 comiti, tanquam nostro commissionario, regalem 
 nostram personam et authoritatem reprsesen- 
 tanti, ad eifectus, et modo in eadem commissione 
 specificato. Quam quidem commissionem ad 
 tinem usque et dimissionem synodi sequentis 
 durare et vim habere volumus. In cujus rei 
 testimonium, praesentibus magnum sigillum nos- 
 trum, una cum privato nostro sigillo, (quia ipse 
 comes est magni nostri sigilli pro tempore custosj 
 appendi praecipimus. Apud Whitehall, decimo 
 quarto mensis Octobris, lee-l, et regni nostri 
 decimo sexto. Per signaturam S. D. N. Regis 
 superscriptum. 
 
420 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 . collector of the fines; and Sir 
 William Bruce, as we heard, was 
 under him. But I imagine this last came to 
 his share as lord treasurer. About this 
 same time I find it observed as a singular 
 thing, that the archbishop of Glasgow was 
 made an extraordinary lord of session. 
 
 That same day, November .3d, Sir John 
 Nisbet's patent to be king's advocate, is read 
 and recorded in council. He was reckoned 
 an able lawyer, and we shall frequently meet 
 with him afterward. Those changes among 
 the managers, and alterations of hands, 
 made little change in the sufferings of pres- 
 byterians. They were all as yet licarty 
 enough supporters of the bishops, and by 
 them put on the severities we shall hear of. 
 This year the plague raged in Holland, and 
 the council take great care about ships from 
 thence. A purple fever was common in 
 Scotland, and all things were ripening for a 
 war with Holland. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 OF THE STATE AND SUFFERINGS OF PRESBY- 
 TERIANS, DURING THE YEAR 1665. 
 
 ipf K With this chapter I am to shut up 
 this book, which hath swelled upon 
 my hand far beyond my first design ; and I 
 shall not increase it further by subdividing 
 this into sections, but give what hath come 
 to my hand this year, all together as shortly 
 as may be. The former courses were 
 carried on up and down the country, and 
 people harassed for their nonconformitj'. 
 The high commission had some persons 
 before them, but were now in the wane, and 
 the council pass some more acts against 
 presbyterians. I shall give what I have, 
 just in the order of time, ns much as I can. 
 We have seen the earl of Rothes loaded 
 with places of trust and power ; and under 
 the direction of Lauderdale he is chief 
 manager in Scotland. He was much milder 
 than INIiddleton, and scarce ever severe, 
 except when in the high commission court, 
 where he did not act like himself. During 
 this year of his management, we shall not 
 find so much severity as afterwards he and 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [BOOK I. 
 
 tlie rest of tlie managers were pushed into 
 I)y the prelates. 
 
 The first accounts I find in the council 
 books of a war with the states general, is in 
 a proclamation published by them. May 3d, 
 for a national fast, which I have insert, in a 
 note.* The copy of the proclamation comes 
 down from London, with an order to the 
 commissioner to publish it, which is accord- 
 ingly done. What cause the English had 
 to engage in a war with Holland, I shall 
 leave to other historians ; but this I may 
 venture to say, they had no great honoiu- 
 by it in the issue. In Scotland some private 
 persons made themselves rich by caping or 
 privateering upon the Dutch, but the public 
 had no great cause of boasting. I find it 
 observed by a friend of the present adminis- 
 tration, that cm* seamen were pressed, and 
 
 * A proclamation for a public general fast 
 throughout the realm of Scotland. 
 
 Charles, by the grace of God, king of Scotland, 
 England, France, and Ireland, defender of the 
 faith, &c. To all and sundry our good subjects, 
 greeting : forasmuch as we, by the great injuries 
 and provocations from the states of the United 
 Provinces, have been forced, for the just defence 
 and vindication of our own and our subjects' 
 rights, to prepare and set out naval forces, and 
 to engage into a war, upon most important 
 reasons of honour and justice : and we, out of 
 our religious disposition, being readily inclined 
 to approve of an humble motion made to us, for 
 commanding a general fast to be kept throughout 
 this our whole kingdom, for imploring the 
 blessing of almighty God, upon our councils and 
 forces employed in this expedition ; have thought 
 fit, by this our proclamation, to indict a general 
 and public fast, and day of humiliation for the 
 end foresaid. Our will is herefore, and vre 
 straitly command and charge, that the said fast 
 be religiously and solemnly kept throughout this 
 our whole kingdom, by all our subjects and 
 people within the same, upon the first Wednesday 
 of June, being the seventh day thereof: requii"- 
 ing hereby the reverend archbishops and bishops, 
 to give notice hereof to the ministers in their 
 respective dioceses, that upon the Lord's day 
 immediately preceding the said seventh day of 
 June, they cause read this our proclamation 
 from the pulpit, in every parish church, and 
 that they exhort all our loving subjects, to a 
 sober and devout performance of the said fasting 
 and humiliation, as they tender the favoiu' of 
 Almighty God, the duty they owe to us, and the 
 peace .ind preservation of their country ; certify- 
 ing all those who shall contemn or neglect such 
 a religious and necessary work, they shall be 
 proceeded against, and punished as contemners 
 of our authority, and persons disaffected to the 
 honour and saiety of their countrj'. Given at 
 Edii)bm-gh, the third day of May,' 1665, and of 
 our reign the seventeenth year. 
 God save the king. 
 
CHAP. VI.] 
 
 our crade almost ruined, and the poverty of 
 the country very much increased by this 
 Dutch war. It may be more proper to the 
 design of this history to observe, that I find 
 none of the few remaining presbyterian 
 ninisters who kept their churches, had any 
 difficulty to keep this fast appointed by the 
 council : their proclamation was not bur- 
 dened with any straitening clauses. They 
 found much ground for public fasting, and 
 did not dip into the justice or injustice of 
 this war : but in the intimation of this fast, 
 they condescended upon a great many 
 grounds of humiliation, which were not 
 named in the proclamation, and kept the day 
 named. I have before me the form and 
 words in which Mr. James Fergusson, yet 
 connived at in his church at Kilwinning, 
 intimated this fast appointed by the council, 
 too long here to be insert j I shall only give 
 a short abstract of it, that the reader may 
 have some view of the manner he used in 
 this case. — INIr. Fergusson begins his intima- 
 tion : " Beloved, you see there is a pressing 
 necessity of a fast, in respect of the threat- 
 ened judgments ; and therefore since it is 
 appointed by the secret council, let us go 
 about it. But we missed one thing in the 
 proclamation, which is a very considerable 
 one, to wit, the mentioning of the particular 
 sins which have procured those judgments. 
 I shall put this favourable construction upon 
 it, that they left it to the discretion of 
 ministers to intimate the causes of the fast ; 
 and I shall give you some passages of scrip- 
 tiu-e." He names Hos. iv. 1 — 4. Levit. xxvi. 
 23—27. Jer. xxxiv. 13—18. Zech. v. 1—5. 
 Isa. v. 8 — 13. then he adds, " the sin of all 
 ranks is so multiplied, that a minister can 
 hardly know where to begin. I shall reduce 
 them all to this one general, the contempt 
 of the glorious gospel. And he runs out 
 upon the streams that run out from this 
 fountain, lukewarmness, and indifferency, 
 rough handling of the messengers of Christ, 
 laying desolate multitudes of congregations, 
 contempt of the Sabbath, atheistical con- 
 tempt of ordinances, gross profanity of all 
 kinds, aggravated by a wonderful deliverance 
 from the usurpation ; and yet, immediately 
 upon the back of it, we have done contrary 
 to what we had vowed with a bi^h hand to 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 4^1 
 
 1665. 
 
 the Lord : the Lord make us sensi- 
 ble of the hand you and I have in 
 the provocation." Then he particularly in- 
 sists upon the pestilence they were threatened 
 with, and before prayer directs them what 
 they are to be most concerned about in 
 wrestling on their Fast-day. And in his 
 sermon, from Jonah iii. 8. he insists at great 
 length upon those sins and strokes he had 
 pointed at in this intimation. 
 
 Towards the beginning of this year the 
 pestilence broke out in England ; and many 
 remarkable signs were observed to precede 
 and accompany that awful aiTow of the 
 Lord. In the end of the last year, appeared 
 a very large comet. This winter there was 
 so \-iolent a storm of frost and snow, that 
 there was no ploughing from December till 
 the middle of March. In March another 
 comet appeared in the heavens. Whatever 
 natm-al causes may be adduced for those 
 alarming appearances, the system of comets 
 is yet so uncertain, and they have so frequently 
 preceded desolating strokes and turns in 
 public affairs, that they seem designed in 
 providence to stir up sinners to seriousness. 
 Those preachers from heaven, when God's 
 messengers were silenced, neither prince 
 nor prelate could stop. I find it noticed^ 
 that INIay 3d this year, the planet Venus 
 appeared most clearly all the day long, to 
 the amazement of many at Edinburgh. 
 Much about this time the pestilence broke 
 out at Westminster. I find it taken notice 
 of, in several papers written at this time, 
 that the appearance of a globe of fire was 
 seen above that part of the city where the 
 solemn league and covenant w^as burnt so 
 ignominiously by the hand of the hangman. 
 Whatever was in this, it seems certain that 
 the plague broke out there, and it was 
 observed to rage mostly in that street, where 
 that open affiront had been put upon the 
 oath of God, and very few were left alive 
 there. 
 
 The raging of the plague in England, 
 which put many to wander from their houses 
 and friends, as some thousands of Christ's 
 faithful ministers in England and Scotland, 
 had been forced to do a little before, the 
 Dutch wai-, and some other things which 
 fell in, made our managers m Scotland not 
 
422 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 ,p„r quite so violent against presbytcrians 
 as formerly. Our nobility began to 
 be weary of the prelates' cruelties, and their 
 own drudgery to them. And the prelates 
 began to jealous some of our noblemen, as not 
 quite so hearty in their interests as formerly. 
 Some little favours now and then are granted 
 to presbyterian ministers and gentlemen. 
 Thus, May 3d, " anent a petition of Walter 
 Pringle of Greenknows, showing, that since 
 the 10th of March last, the petitioner hath 
 been imprisoned within the tolbooth of Elgin, 
 by virtue of an act of the high commission ; 
 and seeing he is a person most valetudinary, 
 and if detained in prison, his life will be 
 undoubtedly in hazard; humbly therefore 
 desiring liberty and warrant to the effect 
 underwritten : the lords of his majesty's 
 privy council, having considered the above 
 written petition, do grant the petitioner the 
 liberty of the said town of Elgin, and the 
 bounds of a mile round about it, during the 
 council's pleasure ; and for that effect ordain 
 
 [book I. 
 
 and closed up the kirk door. Some of them 
 were put in the thieves' hole, and a man and 
 a woman were scourged through Edinburgh." 
 No more about this hath come to my hand. 
 Several persons in Dumfries, were about 
 this time imprisoned, for not hearing the 
 ministers put in by the bishops, and refusing 
 to give obedience to the bishops' orders sent 
 them; but I have no particular accounts 
 who they were. 
 
 This summer, I find orders are given for 
 disarming the west and south of Scotland ; 
 and Sir James Turner and others, with a 
 good many soldiers, are raging up and down 
 that country, pressing conformity, and assist- 
 ing the uplifting of the fines. That part of 
 the nation, having every day more and more 
 reason to be dissatisfied with the changes in 
 church government, behoved to be oppressed 
 and borne down, and now, to satisfy the idle 
 fears of the prelates, disarmed. For what 
 I remember, this is the first time our Scots 
 history affords us an instance of a Scots 
 
 the magistrates of Elgin to set him at liberty king's disarming his subjects in the time of 
 
 out of prison, he finding caution to remain 
 within the said bounds during the time of 
 his liberty, under the pain of ten thousand 
 pounds Scots," That same day, liberty is 
 granted to Mr. Smith, minister, I suppose, 
 of Edinburgh, to come to that place, " anent 
 a petition presented by Mr. John Smith, 
 minister, showing, that the petitioner being 
 exceedingly diseased, and troubled with 
 colic, gravel, and a complication of other 
 diseases, and in so dangerous a condition 
 thereby, that his physicians think it necessary 
 he come to Edinburgh for counsel and 
 assistance ; the lords of council grant him 
 liberty to come to Edinburgh, and reside 
 there for the space of three months after 
 the date of this." 
 
 Towards the end of May, there fell out a 
 mutiny in the west-kirk parish of Edinburgh. 
 I give it in the words of a writer, who was 
 no enemy to conformist ministers. " May 
 28th, there fell out a mutiny betwixt the 
 parishioners of the west-kirk and Mr. William 
 Gordon, minister there, who, they alleged, 
 was for keeping of festivals, and had been 
 the prime author of the removal of their 
 minister Mr. David Williamson, a good and 
 able teacher. The people railed on him, 
 
 profound peace at home. Perhaps the king 
 might be made to apprehend, the affections 
 of his subjects in those shires bore some 
 proportion to his, or rather the managers 
 their actions, and the obligations they had 
 put upon them. Indeed had this been the 
 rule, their respect would have been smaller 
 for his majesty, than really it was : but 
 under all their hardships and oppressions, 
 presbytcrians continued to have all due 
 regard to the king. The violent seizure of 
 theii- arms, was a very great loss to the 
 country. Formerly our sovereigns reckoned 
 it theirsafety to have good subjects, in case 
 to defend themselves and the government, 
 upon attacks made or threatened; and till 
 of late, the method of standing forces, and 
 armies in time of peace, vv'ere strangers in 
 Scotland. There were few families but had 
 some arms; and the forcible taking those 
 away, without a fault, and without payment, 
 was unprecedented and arbitrary. The 
 silly pretext was, that the fanatics, now the 
 modish way of expressing the presbytcrians, 
 and all who would not renounce the cove« 
 nants, were to rise and join the Dutch against 
 the king. Credat Judcsus appella ! This was 
 another of the primate's fetches, and mightily 
 
CHAP. VI.] 
 
 pleased the prelates, who now thought them- 
 selves secure, and at liberty to do as they 
 would. Those op[)ressions, with what fol- 
 lowed, did but further irritate the country, 
 and tended to expose them and their curates, 
 to what, without ground, they pretended to 
 be afraid of. 
 
 June 1st, 2d, and 3d, the engagement 
 happened betwixt the English and Dutch 
 fleets, of which a very favourable account, 
 upon our side, was printed. And June 
 20th, the council publish the king's pro- 
 clamation sent them from London, for a 
 thanksgi^dng ; which not having seen in 
 print, I shall give the abstract of here. 
 
 " Charles, &c. Forasmuch as our royal 
 navy, under the command of our dearest 
 brother the duke of York, hath, upon the 
 3d instant, obtained a glorious victory of 
 the fleets set out by the states of the 
 United Pro\'inces : and we finding it suitable, 
 that a solemn return of praise be paid to 
 Almighty God, by whose special hand, in a 
 signal appearance for us and the justice of 
 our cause, this great salvation hath been 
 wrought ; have judged fit, by this our pro- 
 clamation, to indite a general thanksgiving 
 for the aforesaid cause. Our will is here- 
 fore, and we straitly command and charge, 
 that the said thanksgiving, and solemn 
 commemoration of the goodness of God, 
 manifested by the conduct and management 
 of this late action, be religiously and solemnly 
 obser^'ed through this our whole kingdom, 
 upon the 2d Thursday of July next, being 
 the 13th day thereof. Given at WTiitehall, 
 June 10th." The bishops are requii-ed to 
 intimate the same to the ministers in their 
 respective dioceses, and cause this proclama- 
 tion to be read from the several pulpits, 
 with exhortations to all loving subjects, to 
 a cheerful and devout performance of so 
 becoming a duty, owing to the name of the 
 Lord God, who has done those great and 
 auspicious things for us. I think I have 
 somewhere read, that a thanksgiving was 
 also appointed in Holland, the states appre- 
 hending the victory was upon their side. I 
 shaH-enly further remark, that Mrs. Trail, wife 
 of Mr. Robert Trail, who, we heard, was 
 banished, and now is in Holland, was impri 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 423 
 
 1665. 
 
 band, and receiving letters from him, 
 though they concerned nothing but 
 their mutual health, and family concerns. 
 
 June 22d, the council grant liberty to 
 Mr. John Stirling, late minister, to come to 
 Edinburgh, and stay about his necessary 
 affairs for twenty days. And, July 20th, 
 upon a new petition he is permitted to 
 continue in Edinburgh for his health, till 
 September 1st. We see what unnecessary 
 trouble and charges those worthy ministers 
 were put to, in so frequent petitioning for a 
 thing no subject ought to be restricted in, 
 without a crime proven against them. July 
 6th, " Anent a petition presented by Mr. 
 John Cameron, showing, that in the year 
 1662, he was confined to the bounds of 
 Lochaber, under w hich confinement he hath 
 been ever since; and seeing his wife, for 
 several weeks, hath been afflicted with a 
 most dangerous disease, and, without the 
 comfort and help of the petitioner and phy- 
 sicians, is in hazard of losing her life ; 
 humbly therefore desiring he may be liberate 
 of his confinement for some space : the lords 
 of his majesty's privy councU discharge him 
 of his confinement in Lochaber, and, in 
 place hereof, do hereby confine him to the 
 city of Glasgow, and two miles about the 
 same, till the 1st of November next, he finding 
 sufficient caution to live peaceably and legally 
 in the meantime, and to retire to the place 
 of his confinement, whenever he shall be 
 required by the archbishop of Glasgow." 
 
 August 2d, a convention of estates meet 
 at Edinburgh, by vii'tue of a proclamation 
 published for that end, June 22d, which 
 needs not be insert here. The design of 
 this meeting was, to raise money for his 
 majesty to support him in the Dutch war. 
 Those conventions, merely to raise money 
 from the subjects, had been but very little 
 used in Scotland ; and indeed it was scaixe 
 worth the king's while to insist upon it. 
 What this poor and oppressed nation could 
 advance, was but little, and it was but an 
 insignificant part of it that ever was applied 
 to the ends for which it was ijnposed. And 
 because Rothes was keeper of the seal, and 
 there was no chancellor, the archbishop of 
 St. Andrews was chosen prescs, and had a 
 
 soned about this time, for writing to her hus- long harangue to them ; and, in his coid 
 
424 
 
 1665. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS [eOOK I. 
 
 which, in the i)rogress of tliis spiritual tyranny 
 
 way, urged, that the people mif,ht 
 contribute willingly and cheerfully 
 for the king's service. The king's commis- 
 sioner was present, and could have delivered 
 a speech of this nature, with a far better 
 grace ; but, it seems, this was also for the 
 honour of the church, that a bishop should 
 be at the head of this convention. By other 
 accounts I find a taxation was laid upon 
 the kingdom, of about a million of merks 
 Scots, as it was calculated. 
 
 I find, that this summer an order was 
 issued by the council, but I have observed 
 nothing of it in their books this year, 
 appointing all scholars who have university 
 degrees conferred upon them, to take the 
 oath of allegiance and supremacy, otherwise 
 that they be not admitted to receive their 
 degrees. We shall afterwards meet with 
 
 over consciences, came to be imposed. 
 
 Conformity was pressed with the greatest 
 warmth by the bishops this summer, through 
 the west and south ; it was in Galloway, 
 where some of the outed ministers preached, 
 most openly. This galled the bishops, and 
 that country was sorely harassed by Sir 
 James Turner and the soldiers at their 
 instigation. I find likewise, several persons 
 in the parish of Stewarton are brought to 
 trouble about this time, for hearing a pres- 
 byterian minister; some were fined, and 
 others imprisoned ; but I have not a par- 
 ticular account of their trouble. Great 
 numbers of persons, almost every where upon 
 the south of Tay, were cited before the 
 high commission court; but very few now 
 compeared, choosing rather to live under an 
 
 acts of this kind. The design of the pre- j uncertain outlawiy, than to be certainly 
 lates in this is plain enough, and in the ruined ; and this mighty inquisition-court, 
 after addition that was made of the declara- from which the prelates expected so much, 
 lion, imposing it upon all who should receive : gradually weakened, and scarce lived out 
 
 their degrees, to corrupt the youth of the 
 kingdom, and secure episcopacy to after 
 generations. In this point, as well as many 
 others, now Scotland must be of a piece 
 with England, where the youth are most 
 unreasonably clogged with party oaths,before 
 they can well understand the importance 
 and weight of an oath. This is a base bar 
 upon learning, and what no universities in 
 Europe, as far as I can hear of, save those 
 under the influence of prelates, do burden 
 students with. The honorary degrees ought 
 certainly to be bestowed according to the 
 progress students make in learning, and not 
 as they are addicted to such a party and 
 opinion. However, by this and subsequent 
 acts, a great many of the most deserving 
 youths of the nation were excluded from 
 their degrees ; and some were involved in 
 perplexities of mind, when afterward they 
 came to reflect upon what they had done 
 hastily, and without consideration. It appears 
 to me every way unaccountable, to put boys 
 of fifteen or sixteen years of age, to attest 
 
 they could not fully understand. And it 
 gradually disposed the rising generation to 
 swallow down the multitude of declarations, 
 and dubious and self-contradictory oaths, 
 
 this year. Yet some were necessitated to 
 compear before them. 
 
 This summer, Mr. Hugh Peebles, minister 
 at Lochwinnoch, in the shire of Renfrew, 
 was sisted before the high commission. He 
 was a worthy, pious, and prudent person, 
 and all the crime he was charged with, was, 
 that he preached one Sabbath night in his 
 own house, to some people who came to 
 hear him. When he came before them, 
 he used as much freedom, as might have 
 probably sent him to banishment at least, had 
 they not been a little upon the dechne 
 Very frankly he told them, he did not know 
 what to make of their court, he could reckon 
 it scarce either civil or ecclesiastic; yet 
 since his majesty's commissioner had com- 
 manded him, and self-defence was juris 
 naturalis, he had appeared innocently to 
 defend himself, and to give accounts of 
 plain matter of fact. He told them, that 
 ever since he was a minister, he had exercised 
 in his family upon the Sabbath evenings, 
 and the people who lived near him, generally 
 
 the great God in matters of this kind, which came to hear him. He alleged, that the 
 
 lav/ did not militate at all against this, if the 
 reason of the law be considered. The reason 
 of their law behoved to be, either to prevent 
 people's leaving the public worshiji, which 
 
CHAP. VI.] 
 
 could have no place in this case ; or, to 
 prevent people's being alienated from the 
 minister of the congregation, which could 
 have no room either, since there was no 
 minister settled where he lived : and since 
 his preaching to his neighbours, whom he 
 could not exclude from his house, did not 
 thwart with the 7-alio legis, it could not be 
 said to thwart with the law itself. After 
 all he could say, though never so reasonable, 
 the archbishop of Glasgow was resolved to 
 be rid of him ; and so he was ordered to 
 leave the west country, and to confine himself 
 to the town of Forfar, which is, I suppose, 
 near a hundred miles distant from the place 
 where he lived and had an estate. 
 
 When the high commission court came to 
 fall short of answering the designs of the 
 prelates, they fall upon other measures, and 
 give in groundless suggestions, innuendoes, 
 and insinuations, against a great many excel- 
 lent gentlemen, mostly in the west country, 
 to such who found means to procure an 
 order from the king to imprison them. And 
 towards the beginning of September, an 
 order comes down to the commissioner, to 
 seize, imprison, and confine several of the 
 most considerable and best gentlemen in 
 the kingdom. Such were pitched upon who 
 were suspected to have greatest aversion 
 to the prelatic way, and indeed no other 
 thing could they be charged with, and were 
 as peaceable and loyal subjects as the king 
 had. There were few in the kingdom 
 equalled many of them, in piety, peace- 
 ableness, and good sense; and, generally 
 sj)eaking, they were persons of ancient and 
 opulent estates, and very great influence 
 and interest where tliey lived. It seems 
 the prelates and their supporters reckoned 
 it their interest to have them out of the way. 
 Many of themselves could never learn the 
 ground of their imprisonment, and so it is 
 no wonder I cannot account for it any 
 further than I have just now said : and 1 
 shall not determine, whether the prelates, 
 and others now in the government, inclined 
 to have their estates, or whether they were 
 attacked just to terrify the country. I find 
 nothing about their imprisonment in the 
 council books ; and several things were now 
 done by direct orders from court, without 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 
 
 425 
 
 1665. 
 
 communicating them to the privy 
 council. It is pity we have no more 
 distinct and particular accounts from those 
 who can give them, of the unjust and illegal 
 treatment those excellent persons met with. 
 They were, without the least previous notice, 
 seized by a written order from the commis- 
 sioner, and had not the least reason given 
 them. Their names, as far as I can now 
 recover them, were, major-general Robert 
 Montgomery, brother to the earl of Eglinton, 
 Sir William Cunningham of Cunningham- 
 head, Sir George Maxwell of Nether-Pollock, 
 Sir Hugh Campbell of Cesnock, Sir William 
 IMuir of Rowallan, major-general Holburn 
 of IMenstri, Su- George Monro, colonel 
 Robert Halket, brother to Sir James Halket 
 of Pitfiran, Sir James Stuart late provost 
 of Edinburgh, Sir John Chicsly of Carswell, 
 James Dunlop of that ilk, William Ralston 
 of that ilk. I find some others named in 
 some papers, as imprisoned at this time, 
 such as Sir Patrick Hume of Polwart, and 
 others; but not being certainly informed 
 about them, I have omitted them. Those 
 excellent persons when brought into Edin- 
 burgh, without any libel, accusation, or cause 
 given them, were most arbitrarily imprisoned 
 in the castles of Edinburgh, Stirling, Dum- 
 barton, and other places, where a good many 
 of them lay for many years. We shall in 
 the progress of the history have some further 
 accounts of their hardships and frequent 
 removes. 
 
 The matter of the act of fines hath been 
 pretty largely accounted for in the former 
 part of this book. It was all mystery at 
 first, and took several turns, as we have 
 seen ; and now it takes another shape when, 
 October 3d, it comes before the council. I 
 am not so well acquaint with the secret 
 springs of this affair, as fully to account for 
 it : but I shall set down the proclamation 
 published by the council this day ; and the 
 rather, because it does not appear to have 
 been printed. 
 
 " Cliarles by the grace of God, &c. to our 
 lovits, &c. greeting : forasmuch as by an act 
 of the second session of our late parliament, 
 of the date of the 9th day of September 
 1662, entituled, act anent persons excepted 
 forth of the act of indemnity; several of 
 3h 
 
'■m") 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFERINGS 
 
 1665. 
 
 our lieges were fined in the particular 
 sums of money therein expressed, 
 and as to those sums were excepted out of 
 the said general act : and albeit, we did 
 Jiot only suspend the payment of the fore- 
 said sums for some time, but did prorogate 
 the terms of payment thereof, until the 
 11th of December, 1664, for the first 
 moiety, and the 11th of March last, for 
 the second moiety : with certification, that 
 such, as being charged at the instance of 
 our treasurer, treasurer-depute, or advocate, 
 should not pay in theii' respective sums, 
 should incur the pains contained in the 
 said act of our parliament, as our pro- 
 clamation of the 13th of July 1664, bears : 
 and notwithstanding that both the said 
 terms of payment are long since elapsed, 
 and that many of those who have been 
 charged, have foiled in payment of their 
 first moiety ; nevertheless, such is our royal 
 goodness and clemency, that we resolve 
 only to put in execution the said act of 
 parliament, in manner, and upon condition 
 following. Our will is, and we charge you 
 straitly, and command, that incontinent these 
 our letters seen, ye pass to the market cross 
 of Edinburgh, and other market-crosses of 
 the head burghs of the shires of this kingdom, 
 and there in our name and authority com- 
 mand and charge all persons who are charged 
 by the said act of parliament, excepting such 
 to whom we have been graciously pleased 
 to grant a suspension, as also such as have 
 not been charged heretofore, for paying any 
 of their said moieties, to pay in their respec- 
 tive proportions of the first moiety, in case 
 it be not already paid, to Sir William Bruce, 
 collector, betwixt and the first day of 
 December next to come, which is the diet 
 appointed for those that live besouth the 
 North Water of Esk, and the first day of 
 January, which is the diet appointed for 
 those who live benorth the said water : with 
 certification, if they fail, they shall for ever 
 forfeit the benefit of our said act of indemnity 
 and oblivion, and incur all other pains 
 therein contained, to be executed with all 
 rigour : as also, that ye make public intima- 
 tion at the market-crosses foresaid to all 
 concerned, that it is oui- gracious will and 
 
 [book I. 
 
 moiety of the said fines, to all persons 
 nominate in the said act, of whatsomever 
 quality or degree they be of, the first being 
 paid by such as are ordained to pay the 
 same, who shall come in and take the oath 
 of allegiance in the ordinary form, and shall 
 subscribe the declaration as it is set down in 
 the 5th act, session 2d, and act 2d, of the 3d 
 session of our late parliament, in presence of 
 our commissioner, or such of the lords of 
 council as he shall call, or in the presence of 
 the lords of our council met together ; and 
 that betwixt and the respective days foresaid, 
 according to their residence: as also, that 
 ye in our name and authority make lawful 
 proclamation, as said is, to all persons to 
 whom we granted a suspension of their 
 fines, or who have not hitherto been charged 
 for payment of any part thereof, to come in 
 and take the said oath of allegiance, and 
 subscribe the declaration the foresaid days 
 respective, according to their residence : 
 with certification, if they fail, they shall be 
 liable for both the moieties of the said 
 respective fines ; and that, immediately after 
 the running out of the said respective days, 
 they shall be charged for payment thereof to 
 our said collectors, under the pains contained 
 in the foresaid act of parliament anent fines. 
 Given under our signet at Edinburgh, the 
 third day of October, 1665, and of our 
 reign the seventeenth year." 
 
 Remarks upon this proclamation I shall 
 not stay upon. Who these were who had 
 their fines suspended, I know not. Some 
 few up and down had paid the first moiety ; 
 but, it seems, there were but few. The king 
 and some of the managers were willing 
 enough to have waved this matter of the 
 fines, but the prelates and others of them 
 had no mind to part with so fat a morsel ; 
 and so the blind is fallen upon, which might 
 expose the refusers in the king's eyes, and 
 the view of those who knew not hov/ matters 
 stood, and effectually secure them in the 
 fines of such who were really presbytci'ians. 
 I need scarce observe, that this is a new 
 proof that the fines were designed principally 
 against presbyterians ; and it was no ease to 
 them at all to have the second moiety for- 
 given them, upon their paying the first half, 
 
 pleasure- to remit and forgive the second \ and taking the oath and declaration, since 
 
CHAP. VI.] 
 
 Iiotli were flatly against their principles : and 
 therefore it was but very feW named in the 
 act of fines, who embraced the terms offered; 
 and that the j)rimate and others expected. 
 Tliis, as the reader will have more than once 
 occasion to observe, was one of the unhappy 
 methods of this reign, first, to lay on illegal 
 and oppressive impositions, and then to 
 require absolute conformity to the church 
 establishment, as an alleged reasonable thing 
 to get rid of those impositions. This pres- 
 bytcrians found in many of the turns in 
 tiiosc two reigns. 
 
 The council, November 23d, make some 
 further regulations as to the fines. " And 
 considering, that several persons, through 
 age and infirmity of body, and other necessary 
 impediments, may not be able to come in 
 to Edinburgh, to take the oath and declara- 
 tion, in the terms of the proclamation, give 
 warrant to the clerk to issue out commis- 
 sions under his hand, to such persons as 
 shall make address for that effect, to the 
 sheriffs of the respective shu-es where they 
 live, or privy counsellors to administrate the 
 same to them, providing his majesty's com- 
 missioner be first acquainted with their 
 names, and satisfied with the reason where- 
 fore they are craved." And further, con- 
 sidering several of the said fined persons are 
 dead, they order the heirs and executors of 
 the said defunct persons, claiming the benefit 
 of the said proclamation, to take the oath 
 of allegiance, and subscribe the declaration, 
 if of lawful age, and willing to do the same." 
 " And several of the fined persons being 
 under captions for civil debts, and so cannot 
 rci)air to Edinburgh, as the proclamation 
 requires ; the council grant wai-rant to the 
 clerk to subscribe personal protections to 
 such as shall make addresses for that effect, 
 to continue till January next." After all 
 those baits, to pay at least one moiety of 
 the fines, it was not very many who paid it, 
 and then Sir James Turner and the army 
 were sent to uplift them by military force, 
 which brought much trouble to many, as 
 we shall see, next year. 
 
 The pushing of the declaration brings new 
 difficulties this year in the election of magis- 
 trates in some burghs ; and so I fii.d two 
 acts of council, October Ith, and December 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 427 
 
 7th, about the magistracy of Ayr. By ,q„^ 
 the first, the present magistrates, and 
 eight or nine others who have signed the 
 declaiation,are empowered to elect the magis- 
 trates and council for the ensuing year, pro- 
 viding William Cunningham continue pro- 
 vost ; and the earl of Eglinton, with advice 
 of the archbishop of Glasgow, is to see this 
 act put in execution. By the other, the 
 matter is left to the old magistrates, and 
 such of the council as have taken the 
 declaration. 
 
 By this time many of the old presbyterian 
 ministers, who had seen the glory of the 
 former temple, were got to their rest. The 
 1 0th day of October this year, brought the 
 reverend Mr. William Guthrie to his liither's 
 house : I shall only add the remark made 
 upon his lamented death, by the worthy 
 minister his contemporary, whom I cited 
 before, when I spoke of him. " This yeai- 
 the presbyterians in Scotland lost one of 
 their pillars, Mr. William Guthrie, minister 
 of the gospel at Fenwick, one of the most 
 eloquent, successful, popular preachers, that 
 ever was in Scotland.* He died a sufferer, 
 for he was deposed by the bishop, but in 
 hope, that one day the Lord would deliver 
 Scotland from her thraldom." Many others 
 of the old ministers of this church died 
 about this time in peace, being taken away 
 from the evil to come, and fast coming on 
 in great measures, and departed under the 
 solid and firm hope of a glorious deliverance 
 coming to this poor church. 
 
 Others of them were harassed by the 
 prelates. This year, in October, Mr. Mat- 
 thew Ramsay minister at Kilpatrick Wester, 
 in the presbytery of Dunbarton, a person of 
 the most shining piety, stayed gravity, of 
 the greatest eminency of gifts, extraordinary 
 sweetness of temper, and of a most peaceable 
 behaviour, was by the bishop in synod 
 deposed at Glasgow, without any other 
 cause so much as alleged, but his not attend- 
 ing their prelatical synods and presbyteries. 
 
 • Mr. Guthrie's little book, " The Trial of a 
 Saving Interest in Christ,' a book with wliich, 
 to this (lay, we believe almost every pious Scotr 
 tiiliiuau is familiar, l>ears amiile testiniony to the 
 extent of his talents ami to the jiure and piou3 
 spirit wherewith he was uniuiateil. — M^d. 
 
428 
 
 1663. 
 
 THE HISTORY OP THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 guilty, and may be reached as contraveners 
 
 Together with him, Mr. Robert 
 IVIitchel, minister of Luss, in the 
 same presbytery, a person of most eminent 
 ministerial qualificaiions, was for the same 
 crime suspended, in order to be deposed 
 next year. 
 
 October 14th, I find George Porterfield 
 and John Graham, late provosts of Glasgow, 
 were cited, as usual in such cases, to appear 
 and answer before the council, to what 
 should be charged against them, upon pain 
 of death. They were two excellent persons, 
 who had been singularly active in the late 
 work of reforaiation ; and after they had 
 been brought to some trouble by the com- 
 mittee of estates, in the year 1660, retired 
 to Holland, where they were living peaceably, 
 under a voluntary exile: and, December 19th, 
 they were both, upon their noncompearance, 
 declared rebels and fugitives. It was pre- 
 tended, without the least proof, that they 
 were guilty of treasonable practices in 
 Holland, merely because they continued 
 there during the war; when indeed, whether 
 there had been peace or war, they would 
 not willingly have come home, to involve 
 themselves in unnecessary trouble, and the 
 persecution now so much raging against all 
 presbyterians. 
 
 In the beginning of November this year, 
 the earl of Rothes commissioner, made a 
 tour to the west country, in great pomp and 
 splendour, with the king's guards waiting on 
 him, and a great train of attendants. He 
 was at Hamilton, Glasgow, Eglinton, Paisley, 
 Dunbarton, and Mugdock. That part of 
 the country behoved to be overawed, if 
 possible, from their aversion to the courses 
 now carrying on. Whether information was 
 taken of the circumstances and estates of 
 the excellent gentlemen in that neighbour- 
 hood, now in prison, in order to some 
 following designs, I cannot say; but as some 
 severe acts against presbyterian ministers 
 accompanied Middleton's circuit, so we shall 
 just now meet with some more of that kind. 
 The commissioner returned to Edinburgh 
 towai'ds the end of the month, 
 
 November 30th, the council having con- 
 sidered the report made by the committee 
 appointed to consider what course should 
 be taken with quakers, " find, that they are 
 
 of the acts of parliament against separation, 
 the 1st act of the 3d Session of the late 
 parliament, and the proclamation emitted 
 by his majesty and parliament, against 
 quakers, January 22d, 1661, and that they 
 be punished by fining, confining, imprison- 
 ment, and such other corporal and arbitrary 
 punishments as the council think fit; and 
 that these now in prison, Anthony Hodges, 
 and Andrew Robertson, be brought before 
 the council, and a libel be given them by his 
 majesty's advocate to see and answer." 
 The laird of Swinton is dropped, and I find 
 very little effectually done as to others of 
 them : so that in this reign they got deep 
 rooting, especially in the northern shires. 
 
 The council go more closely to work 
 against presbyterian ministers and people; 
 and next council day, December 7th, pass 
 some severe acts and proclamations against 
 them. The high commission was now 
 expiring, and the privy council return to 
 their former work. Their first act at this 
 diet extends their former acts, chiefly point- 
 ing at the younger presbyterian ministers, 
 unto all of them, as may be seen in the act 
 itself, at the foot of the page.* The act 
 
 * Act of council jigainst ministers, Edinburgh, 
 December 7th, 1665. 
 
 The lords of his majesty's privy council finding 
 it now, after a long and tender forbearance, 
 necessary, that their acts of the third of Decem- 
 ber, one thousand six hundred and sixty-two, 
 and thirteenth of August, one thousand six 
 hundred and sixty-three years, against such 
 ministers as entered in, or since the year one 
 thousand six hundred and fortj'-nine, and had 
 not since obtained presentations from their 
 lawful patrons, and collations and admissions 
 from their ordinaries, be, upon some weighty 
 grounds and considerations therein mentioned, 
 extended against all such other ministers, who 
 being entered before the year forty-nine, have, 
 since the restitution of the government of the 
 church by archbishops and bishops, relinquished 
 their ministry, or been deposed therefrom by 
 their ordinary ; do therefore command and 
 charge all such ministers, within forty days 
 after publication hereof, and all such ministers 
 as shall hereafter relinquish their ministry, or 
 be deposed therefrom by their ordinary, (within 
 forty days after their relinquishing and deposi- 
 tion) to remove themselves, their families and 
 goods belonging to them, out of these respective 
 parishes where they were incumbents, and not 
 to reside within twenty miles of the same, or 
 within six miles of Edinburgh or any cathedral 
 church, or three miles of any burgh royal within 
 this kingdom, or to reside two of them within 
 one parish : with certification, if they fail to 
 
CHAP. VI.] OF THE CHURC 
 
 begins with a declaration, " That the council 
 after a long and tender forbearance," (after 
 wliat we have now seen in the preceding 
 part of this book, some readers will be ready 
 to say, " The tender mercies of the wicked 
 are cruel") " Find it necessary their former 
 acts, December 23d, lG62,and August 13th, 
 I6G3, be extended to the ministers who 
 entered in before the year 1649, and have 
 relinquished their ministry, and been deposed 
 by their ordinary." There was no new 
 fault p-eicnded, and nothing charged, but a 
 firm adherence to theii' principles; and yet 
 these ■vorthy old men are sent a wandering 
 from their flocks ana friends. The hardships 
 put on them by this proclamation, have 
 been above conside/ed, as they relate to the 
 younger ministers , nd they are very much 
 accented, and the barbarity of the prelates 
 pushing this, aggravated, in extending them 
 to a very few old dying men, living most 
 
 remove themselves as said is, and to give exact 
 obedience hereunto, (unless they have the per- 
 mission of the lords of the privy council, lords 
 of his majesty's commission for church atfairs, 
 or of the bishop of the diocese) they are to incur 
 the penalties of the laws made against movers of 
 sedition, and to be proceeded against with that 
 strictness which is due to so great contempt of 
 his majesty's authority over church and state. 
 And do hereby inhibit and discharge all heritors 
 and householders in burgh or land, to give any 
 presence or countenance to any one or more of 
 these ministers, removed by this present act, to 
 preach or exercise any act of the office of a 
 minister: with certification, if they, after publi- 
 cation hereof, shall pi'osume so to do, they are 
 to be proceeded against according to law: and 
 commanding and requiring all sheriffs, Stewarts, 
 magistrates of burghs, and justices of peace, to 
 make diligent search and inquiry within their 
 respective jurisdictions, if any such ministers, 
 as fall within the compass of this or the other 
 two acts of coimcil aforesaid, do reside within 
 tlie bounds therein prohibited, and to seize upon 
 and imprison their persons, ay and while they 
 find sufficient caution to compear before the 
 lords of his majesty's council or commission, 
 betwixt and such a short day, as the said sheriffs, 
 Stewarts, magistrates of burghs, and justices of 
 peace, shall, upon consideration of the distance 
 of the place, judge convenient: and in case of 
 not meeting of the council or commission at the 
 day foresaid, to compear the next meeting day 
 thereafter; certifying all sheriffs, magistrates 
 of burghs, and justices of peace, that his majesty 
 will account their neglect and remissness in this 
 affair, an high contempt of his authority and 
 commands, and punish the same accordingly. 
 And ordan; these presents to be printed <-ind 
 published, that none pretend ignorance. 
 
 Pet. Wedderburn, CI. Seer. Concilii. 
 
 H OF SCOTLAND. 429 
 
 quietly and peaceably, of whom, in ,„,_ 
 the ordinary course of nature, they 
 would very quickly have been rid without 
 this cruelty. A door is left open to the 
 council, the high commission court, or any 
 one bishop, to tolerate them ; which was 
 not sought, at least from the two last, as 
 far as I hear ot'. All heritors and household- 
 ers are forbid to give them any countenance 
 in their preaching, or exercising any part of 
 the ministerial offide ; and all magistrates, 
 and other executors of the law, are em- 
 powered to imprison them, if they keep not 
 within the bounds appointed by this pro- 
 clamation. Some interpreted the clause 
 with relation to heritors and householders, 
 as discharging all to set a house to any 
 presbyterian minister; but I cannot see 
 so much in the letter of the act, without 
 stretching it. However, it was improven 
 by their adversaries, so as they had no 
 small difficulties in many places where to 
 fix, and it was really impossible for all of 
 the presbyterian ministers in Scotland, to 
 continue in it, if they kept precisely to the 
 terms in those acts, as hath been noticed. 
 All this severity against those worthy old 
 men, was according to archbishop Burnet's 
 maxim, which he openly enough propaled 
 as his real sentiments, " That the only way 
 to deal with a fanatic, was to starve him." 
 I am told, that the earl of Kellie, no great 
 friend to presbyterians, upon the publishing 
 of the acts and proclamations agreed to this 
 day, said, " It was his opinion, presbyterian 
 ministers ought to be obliged to wear a 
 badge of distinction from other men, that 
 every body might know them, otherwise he 
 might ignorantly set them some of his houses 
 and lands, and so fall under the lash of the 
 law." This is another persecuting procla- 
 mation against presbyterian ministers, for 
 the old fault of bare peaceable nonconfor- 
 mity ; I have forgot their number, but they 
 are near a dozen now, and every new one 
 hath some severe clause added. Thus the 
 wicked wax worse and worse. 
 
 In the next place they order a pro- 
 clamation to be published and printed 
 against conventicles, and meetings for 
 religious exercises ; which I have insert 
 
430 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ,„„^ below.* It sneaks for itself, and 
 1065. . , . * . , 
 
 IS so plain as it scarce needs a 
 
 cv)nimentury. The former acts since the 
 
 year ICGO, against subjects' convening 
 
 without the king's authority, are narrated ; 
 
 and this is termed a very dangerous and 
 
 unlawful practice. Thus the heathen 
 
 writers and their emperors used to talk, 
 
 during the first three centuries after Christ ; 
 
 and yet the primitive Christians met at 
 
 their hazard, notwithstanding of such 
 
 * Proclamation against conventicles, Edin- 
 burgh, DecumbLT 7th, 1665. 
 
 Charles, by the grace of God, king of Great 
 Britain, Fi-ance, and Ireland, defender of the 
 faith to our lovits, heralds, pursuivants, macers, 
 and messengers at arms, our sheriffs in that 
 part conjunctly and severally, specially con- 
 stitute, greeting: forasmuch as the assembling 
 and convening our subjects, without our war- 
 rant and autiiority, is a most dangerous and 
 unlawful practice, prohibited and discharged 
 by several laws and acts of parliament, under 
 the pains against such as unlawfully convocate 
 our lieges ; and notwithstanding thereof, and 
 that it is the duty of all oiir good and faithful 
 subjects to acknowledge and comply with our 
 government ecclesiastic and civil, as it is now 
 established by law within this kingdom, and 
 in order thereto, to give their cheerful con- 
 currence, countenance, and assistance to sucli 
 ministers, as by public authority are, or shall 
 be admitted in their sevei-al parishes, and to 
 attend the ordinary meetings for divine wor- 
 ship of the same. And by the first act in the 
 third session of our late parliament, it is declared, 
 that the withdrawing from, and not joining in 
 the said public and ordinary meetings for divine 
 worship, is to be accounted seditious: and 
 siklike, by an express clause of the tirst act of 
 the third session of our said parliament, all such 
 ministers as have not obtained presentations and 
 collations, and all such as should be suspended 
 or deprived, and yet should d?re to presume to 
 exercise their ministrj"-, are to be punished as 
 seditious persons. Nevertheless, divers persons, 
 disaffected to our authority and government, do 
 not only withdraw from the public meetings of 
 divine w^orship in their own parish churches, 
 but under the pretence of religion assemble 
 themselves : likeas, some of the foresaid pre- 
 tended ministers presume to preach, lecture, pray, 
 or perform other acts belonging to the minis- 
 teriaJ function, contrary to the foresaid acts of 
 parliament, and to many other acts of parliament, 
 made by our royal ancestors, and revived by 
 ourself, against such seditious practices. And 
 albeit it is our royal resolution to give all due 
 encouragement to piety and pious persons, in 
 the worship and service of God, in an orderly 
 way ; yet, considering that conventicles and 
 unwaiTantable meetings and conventions, under 
 pretence and colour of religion, and tlie exercises 
 thereof, have been the ordinary seminaries of 
 separation and rebellion, and are in themselves 
 reproachful to our authority and government 
 ecclesiastic find civil, and tending to the alienat- 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [bOOK I. 
 
 edicts as this. In a little we shall find 
 it the ordinary cant of this period which 
 follows, that these meetings for religious 
 exercises are the seminaries of separation 
 and rebellion. That they were a separation 
 from prelates and their curates, every body 
 perceived ; but still the question remains, 
 whether these had not sinfully separated 
 from the reformation of the church of 
 Scotland, and given just ground to ministers 
 and people to withdi'aw from them ? And 
 
 ing of our subjects' hearts and affections from 
 the same, and ministering opportunities for 
 infusing those pernicious and poisonous prin- 
 ciples, the consequences w^hereof threaten no 
 less than the confusion and ruin of church and 
 kingdom. Our will is herefore, and vre charge 
 you strictly and command, that, incontinent 
 these our letters seen, you pass, and in our name 
 and authority, inhibit and discharge all conven- 
 ticles, conventions, and other meetings, of what 
 number soever, for, and under the pretence of 
 the exercise of religion, except such meetings 
 for divine worship, and other relating hereunto, 
 as are allowed by authority ; certifying all such 
 persons as shaJl be present at such unlawful 
 meetings, they shall be looked upon as seditious 
 persons, and shall be punished by fining, confin- 
 ing, and other corporal punishments, as our 
 privy council, or such as have, or shall have our 
 commission for that effect, shall think fit ; and 
 also certifying aU such ministers as shall dare to 
 perform any acts of the ministerial function, 
 contrary to the foresaid acts, and all such as 
 shall reset any of these disorderly persons, known 
 to be such, or who shall have any hand in con- 
 triving of, or enticing others to keep the said 
 conventicles, or shall suffer the same to be kept 
 within their houses, where they are dwelling 
 for the time ; that they shall, after due convic- 
 tion, be liable not only to the foresaid pains 
 but also to the highest pains which are due to, 
 and may, by the laws of this kingdom, be 
 inflicted upon seditious persons. And for the 
 better preventing of all such unlawful meetings, 
 we do hereby command and require all sheriffs, 
 Stewarts, magistrates of burghs, bailies of regal- 
 ities, justices of peace, constables, and other our 
 public ministers, to make exact search from 
 time to time in all places, where any such meet- 
 ings have been, shall, or may be sq^ected, and 
 to apprehend every such person, who shall keep 
 or frequent these meetings, and to commit them 
 to the iKxt prison, therein to remain till further 
 order be taken with them, by such as have, or 
 shall have our authority for that effect : and 
 ordains you to make publication hereof at the 
 market crosses of our royal boroughs, and at 
 every parish church within the kingdom, on the 
 Lord's day, wherethrough none pretend igno- 
 rance thereof, as ye will answer to us thereu]>on. 
 The which to do, we comnrit to you, conjunctly 
 and severally, our full power by these our letters, 
 delivering them by you duly execute and indorsed 
 again to the bearer. Given at Edinburgh, the 
 seventh day of December, and of our reign the 
 seventh year, 1665. 
 
CUM'. VI. j OF TIIR CHURCH 
 
 in the determination, scripture, reason, and 
 the practice of this cliurch, since we came 
 out from Babylon, must come in ; and not 
 the king and council's laws and acts. 
 Whatever extremities niigiit be afterward 
 run to, at some conventions for religious 
 exercises, if any such were, the unparalleled 
 severity and oppression justly lodged at the 
 prelates' door, forced people into them : 
 y ct there was nothing now at them, that in 
 any native way of speaking, can be termed 
 rebellion ; the covenants indeed were owned, 
 and their obligation asserted sometimes, 
 and other truths, the owning of which was 
 now made treason and rebellion, by iniquity 
 established by a law. 
 
 As to the doctrine taught by presbyterian 
 ministers at those meetings, termed in the 
 next clause of the proclamation, " infusing 
 poisonous and pernicious principles ;" I wish 
 the world had a specimen of" the ordinary 
 doctrine preached by the curates,* and a 
 parallel betwixt it and that of presbyterians 
 at conventicles, and they would soon per- 
 ceive on which side the poison lies. If 
 smoothing over oppression and tyranny, 
 weakening the very common principles of 
 morality and natural religion, gross pelagian 
 errors, and plain popery, be poisonous, 
 many instances can be given in the ministers 
 established by authority, as now the style 
 goes. Those meetings are discharged under 
 the " pains of sedition, fining, confining, 
 and such other corporal punishments as 
 shall ear fit to the council, or any 
 having the king's authority, whethcl* he be 
 officer of the army, bishop, or even a pri- 
 vate sentinel ; every body present at them, 
 are thus to be treated : but ministers, or 
 any who liave a hand in contriving and 
 enticing people to such meetings, or suffer 
 the same to be kept in their houses, are 
 made liable to the highest pains due unto, 
 and which by law may be inflicted upon 
 
 * Of these curates we have the followins; 
 character from tlie pea of liishop Burnet: — 
 " They were the worst preachers 1 ever lieard : 
 they weie ignorant to a reproach, find many of 
 thfin ■were openly vicious. They were a dis- 
 {jrace to their orders, and to the sacred functions ; 
 a 1(1 were indeed the dregs and refuse of the 
 northern parts." — History of His Own Times, 
 vol. i. p. •2»:).—Ed. 
 
 OF SCOTLAND. 431 
 
 seditious persons. And all magis- i^p e 
 tratcs and others, arc required pre- 
 sently to apprehend the contravcners, and 
 imprison them. Here is a broad foundation 
 for the army to act upon, and they did it 
 to purpose next year. 
 
 Upon this proclamation we have another 
 instance of the ignorance of the English 
 writers in our Scots affairs. The author 
 of the Complete History of England, vol. 
 iii. says, " This year, 1665, the parliament 
 of Scotland issued out a severe proclama- 
 tion against conventicle preachers, as movers 
 of sedition." Being much a stranger to the 
 methods of our Scots pai'liaments, it is not 
 to be wondered that he knew not, that save 
 in some extraordinary and temporary cases, 
 proclamations were never issued by parlia- 
 ment, and. were ordinarily the deed of 
 the executors of the law : but one would 
 have expected, that from our printed acts 
 of parliament, he might have noticed there 
 was no Scots parliament sat from the 
 year 1663, to the year 1669. From his 
 mistaking the parliament for the council, 
 we may- guess how far he is out in the 
 reason he gives for the proclamation, which 
 very justly he terms severe, "being pro- 
 voked by the insolence of Mr. Alexander 
 Smith, a deposed minister." His story of 
 Mr. Smith's carriage before the high com- 
 mission, is quite misrepresented, and was 
 no ways the reason of this proclamation. 
 Mr, Smith was before the high commission 
 many months before this proclamation: 
 his crime there, as we have heard, was only 
 his refusing the primate his titles ; and the 
 barbarous treatment of this good man, is 
 one of the black stains upon this administra- 
 tion. Mr. Eachard copies here again 
 after the former, and follows him in all his 
 mistakes. 
 
 In the papers of a reverend minister, who 
 understood well how matters went, I find 
 that this same day an act was passed in 
 favour of the curates, and for the consti- 
 tuting presbyteries ; though that word must 
 not now be used, yet the curates continued 
 it in many places for their own credit 
 among the people. But not finding this 
 act in the council books, though I know 
 several things of importance are now ilone. 
 
433 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 ,»^- and that sometuiics by order from 
 1G65. , . . , . 
 
 the commissioner, and sometimes 
 
 by advice of the council, which are not 
 booked, neither having seen the act at large, I 
 shall not insist much upon it. The abstract 
 of this act or order before me, falls much in 
 with what we have had formerly, and perhaps 
 this day the council recommended their 
 former acts and proclamations to be ob- 
 served ; and it is declared, " that his ma- 
 jesty, with advice of his council, by virtue 
 of his supremacy, allows the bishops to 
 depute such a number of their curates as 
 they judge qualified, to convene for exer- 
 cise, and to assist in discipline, as the bishop 
 shall direct them. But the whole power of 
 ecclesiastical censures is reserved to the 
 bishop, except parochial rebukes, and he 
 only must suspend, deprive, or excommuni- 
 cate." In short, those meetings in efiect 
 were nothing else but the bishops' spies, 
 and informers up and down the country : 
 and this seems to have been the shape and 
 make of the prelatical presbyteries. The 
 bishop under his hand granted a deputa- 
 tion to so many of his curates as he pleased, 
 to meet in such a precinct, and gave them 
 their instructions and limitations, beyond 
 which they must not go. The number of 
 those meetings for exercise, was but small 
 in many places. Elders and inspectors of 
 the manners of the people, must not be 
 now named in this kind of presbyteries. 
 At this time the church of Scotland might 
 groan out that, " How is the gold become 
 dim, and the most fine gold changed !" 
 Alas ! what a poor shadow and skeleton 
 was this of the judicatory Christ himself 
 instituted, and the presbyteries the apostles 
 themselves joined in ! This plant had for its 
 root the king's supremacy, its stock was the 
 bishop acting as the king's servant and 
 depute, the ciu-ates were its branches ; 
 and its fruit certainly could not be holiness, 
 reformation, or the edification of the body 
 of Christ ; but destruction, wormwood, and 
 gall to the bulk of the religious people in 
 Scotland. And I find very little they did, 
 but consulted how to inform against, and 
 promote the work of persecution upon 
 presbyterians. 
 
 Tins same diet the council grant a com 
 
 THE SUFFERINGS [boOK I. 
 
 mission for discipline, and empower ministers 
 in each congregation to choose persons, 
 whom they will not call elders, that may 
 join with them for suopressing of sin. Of 
 this and the conse(juents of it, for further 
 trouble to presbyterians v.ho could not join 
 with the curates, I shall give some further 
 account upon the next year, when it camt 
 to be put in execution. And to end the 
 account of this remarkable sederunt of 
 council, the same day they pass an act con- 
 cerning the prisoners among their hands. 
 " The privy council considering, that there 
 are several prisoners within the tolbooth of 
 Edinburgh, who of their own accord are 
 desirous to be transported to Baibadoes, 
 ordain the magistrates to set all at liberty, 
 who are content of their own free will to 
 go to Barbadoes, and ordain them to be 
 delivered to George Hutcheson, merchant 
 in Edinburgh, in order to transportation." 
 Who they were is not specified, nor the 
 crimes for which they were incarcerate ; but 
 by other papers I find they were the remains 
 of such who had been imprisoned by the 
 high commission court, and sent in prisoners 
 for theu* nonconformity and opposition to 
 the curates : and several of them chose 
 rather to go to the plantations, than to abide 
 for ever in prison at home. In the progress 
 of this work we shall afterwards find, that 
 transportation was not left to prisoners' 
 choice. 
 
 Little further remarkable ofiers this year. 
 March 1st, the bishop of Argyle petitions 
 the council, " that whereas by an act of the 
 last session of parliament, dated September 
 17th, eight expectants who have passed 
 their course of philosophy, and eight 
 scholars to be trained up at schools and 
 colleges, are to be entertained out of the 
 vacant stipends of that diocese, each of 
 which are to have two hundred merks yearly 
 for their subsistence, a collector be named, 
 and letters direct at his instance." The 
 council empower the bishop to name a . 
 collector, and grant the desire of the pe- 
 tition. 
 
 October 3d, the council ha\nng received 
 his majesty's commands, ordain the lord 
 marquis of Huntley to be educated in the 
 family of tl.e lord archbishop of St. An- 
 
CHAP. VI.] 
 
 drews, to whose tender care they recom- 
 mend him, and that no person popishly 
 inclined have liberty to attend him or serve 
 him : and ordain the earls of Linlithgow 
 and Tweeddale, to acquaint his mother and 
 himself, and call a meeting of his curators, 
 to provide all things necessary and suitable 
 to one of his rank ; and that he enter the 
 archbishop's family against the 27th of 
 October instant. We shall afterwards meet 
 with this nobleman created the duke of 
 Gordon, and living in the profession of 
 popery. \Vliat care the primate took to 
 prevent this, I know not.* 
 
 November 30th, a proclamation is pub- 
 lished, ordering a voluntary collection to be 
 gathered through all the churches of the 
 kingdom, for the relief of the distressed 
 churches in Poland and Bohemia, to be 
 delivered to Paul Hartman, their commis- 
 sioner. It comes down from London, and 
 is ordered to be published. I find it 
 further remarked, that Yule was not so 
 solemnly kept this year, as during the for- 
 mer ; and at Edinburgh there was no 
 proclamation by the magistrates discharging 
 the opening of shops, and going about 
 people's ordinary work ; only Mr. William 
 
 OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 433 
 
 • Of this affair we have the following account 
 from Burnet. After having stated that there 
 had been a convention in the year KJlio, in which 
 Sharp had presided, he continues : " In the 
 winter, 1666, or rather in the spring, 1667, 
 there was another convention called, in which 
 the king, by a special letter, appointed duke 
 Hamilton to preside. And the king, in a letter 
 to lord Rothes, ordered him to write to Sh.irp 
 to stay within his diocese, and to come no more 
 to Edinburgh. He upon this was struck with 
 so deep a melancholy, that he showed as great 
 an abjectness under this slight disgrace, as he 
 had showed insolence before when he had more 
 favour. Sharp finding he was now under a 
 cloud, studied to make himself popular by 
 looking after the education of the marquis of 
 Huntly, now the duke of Gordon. He had an 
 order long before from the king to look to his 
 education, that he might be bred a protestant, 
 
 1666. 
 
 Annand preached a sermon suited 
 to the occasion. 
 
 Thus I have gone through the lamentable 
 circumstances of Presbyterians, during the 
 first six years of their furnace, in as far 
 as what papers I could have access to, 
 would carry me. It is indeed but a very 
 lame account can be given at this distance ; 
 and yet from the original papers, and acts 
 of parliament and council, with the vouched 
 instances of their rigorous execution, the 
 reader may form some notion of the 
 severities of this period : and hai'der things 
 are coming upon presbyterians in the suc- 
 ceeding years. There is not much further 
 matter offers, as the subject of this history, 
 tUl the end of the next year, when the 
 rising and unsuccessful attempt made by 
 sofme presbyterians for recovering of their 
 liberty, and shaking off" the heavy yoke of 
 oppression they groaned under, brought 
 upon them a new and very dreadful scene 
 of sufferings. Any thing noticeable as to 
 their state and sufferings, during the former 
 part of the year 1666, I shall leave to the 
 second book, where it natively falls in, 
 to prepare the way for the account of the 
 rising, which was dissipate at Pentland. 
 
 for the strength of popery within that kingdom 
 lay in his family, But though this was ordered 
 during the earl of IMiddleton's ministry, Sharp 
 had not all this while looked for it. The earl 
 of Rothes' mistress was a papist, and nearly 
 related to the marquis of Huntly. So Sharp, 
 either to make his court the better, or at the 
 lord Rothes' desire, had neglected it these four 
 years: but now he called for him. He wris 
 then above fifteen, well hardened in his pre- 
 judices by the loss of so much time. What 
 pains were taken on him I know not. But after 
 a trial of some months. Sharp said he saw he 
 was not to be wrought on, and sent him back 
 to his mother. So the interest that popery had 
 in Scotland was believed to be chiefly owing to 
 Sharp's compliance with the earl of Rothes' 
 amnui-s." — Biu-net's History of His Own 
 Times, vol. i. pp. 351, 352. — Ed. 
 
 END OF VOLUME FIRST. 
 
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 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 
 
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 0035520370 
 
 I 
 
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