My Lord Argyle said—I know that it is the profession and desire of us all to have all this bussines settled in a fair way; and since the Commissioner his Grace hath given ws good hopes of it, I thinke it were ane ill interruption of it to refeuse to his Grace any thing of this kynd.
The Moderatour desired that, if any of the Assembly thought otherwayes, they would tell their mynd—for we think verilie (said he) that one dayes good advysement may save us many dayes paines, and the spending of this day in thinking upon the best meanes how we may wind to our good ends, may be like money lent out for double annuell. To the which the Assembly willinglie assented.
Added to the Commission for the Billes—Mr Wᵐ Douglas, Mathow Brisbane, &c., to meet at the Parliament House at 6 in the morning and 6 at night: and so the Assemblie dismissed for this dyet.
Sess. 4.
After prayer, the Moderatour asked if the Commissioner, his Grace, had anything to say to the Assembly.
The Commissioner answered—I was desirous yesterday of a short delay, that I might the better consider of my Masters instructions; and, withall, I was desirous that the Moderatour, and some of this reverent company, might come doune to me, that to yow I might communicat some of my thoughts, that they may the more plausiblie be convayed to the rest of this number. This ye were pleased to doe. Some short tyme we spent together yesterday, and this morning too; and I doubt not, Moderatour, but since your comming up yow have communicat to some of the rest, and so I hope this shall facilitat the matter greatlie; and I shall begg libertie to repeat somewhat in generall of what hes past in privat. The deploire to the divisions and differences that hath beene in this Church and Commonwealth are both so weill knowen to ws all that I need spend no tyme in it. The bad and dangerous consequents that hes beene likelie to insue—yea I may say, the ruine that hes bein so imminent, is yet so fresche in your memories that I spair it. It hath pleased God so to dispose our effaires, and so to prepaire our Masters heart to hearken to our just desyres, that he hes bein pleased to grant and to indict this free Assemblie, as the readie meanes to obviat all such evills in tyme comeing, and to prepaire thinges that there may not be the like mistake among us heirafter. If I be not mistaken, this was the occasion of our petitions: the sense we had of bygone illes, and the fear we had of the consequentes of these illes, and the desire we had that these feares should be removed, and that, by removing of the evills and causes thereof. In privat, to these few of this number that came to me, I was desirous that they would condescend to me what they conceaved to be the causes of all the divisions of this Church, that accordingly we might take to our consideration the readiest wayes to expunge the same, if any such appeared, and to remove them by wholesome constitutions. Ye were pleased to condiscend upon some, and it may be others doe thinke upon some that ye have not thought upon. I doe not take upon me to determine what are the causes; but as my memorie serves me, and so farr as I can gather out of the Petitions to the Counsell, the Commissioner, or to His Majestie himselfe, I shall collect my oune thoughts, and, if possible I passe by some circumstances, if I touche what is most materiall, I desire yow to helpe it.
The first occasion that made a sense of the subjects, at least a expression of the sense to appear to the King or Counsell, was a Service Booke, latelie introduced and pressed, furst upon the Clergie, and, I thinke, by them to be prest upon the whole subjects. Upon this there comes petitions from diverse corners of the countrie, and the numbers of them grew daylie. This was so taken to heart by the Counsell, that they did acquant their Master with it; but it may be not in that powerfull way as to make our Master conceave of the bussinesse as God hath given him grace to consider since, for which cause, the satisfactorie answer was not given at first which was expected; and so your desires grew; and, if I be not mistane, the Booke of Cannons was joyned with it. Yet it ceased not here. We went a litle further, and, I believe, in generall, there was innovations complained upon—innovations alledged to be introduced contraire to the constitutions of this Kirk. The Five Articles and High Commission were complained upon; and, I believe that it was complained that, even in the governement of the Kirk, something was introduced that was not according to the laudable constitution of this Kirk; yea, I believe, first we came to complaine personallie of the faults of Bishops—as of the hard usage of Ministers—the unlawfull oathes extracted of intrants, and, I believe, in end it came to that, that it was presented as a grievance to the King, and as an occasion of the destraction of the Kirk, that Episcopacie itselfe was so farre contrare to the constitutions of this Kirk and Reformation thereof, and, therefore, that not only their office behooved to be reformed and rectified, but totallie abolished, and the Kirk restoired to that governement she had at the Reformation, by free and lawfull Generall Assemblies, or the subjects could not be satisfied.
It may be my expression hes not bein methodicall and cleare; yet, bluntlie and orderlie, I think I expresse the most materiall thinges that the Kings Majestie hath conceaved to be the grievances and desires of his subjects, by their petitions, papers, and by the Commissioners Grace; or, utherwayes, I cannot, nor darr not say, if I answer that trust that my Master hath put upon me, or, if I discharge that duetie, that in reason he shall expect from me. But his goodnes is such, and so farr he hath condescendit to satisfie the desires of his good subjects, as he hath indicted this Generall Assembly, to take to their consideration the true cause of these illis which he expects they will doe, and doe it without partiall respects or by ends; so, on the other pairt, not only to heare of it be evident trueth, and grounded upon good reason, as the petitions of the subjects seemes to say, he hath commanded me, not only to heare, but to consent and to concurre with yow, in everie thing ye shall agrie upon; yea I may say more; for the more I look upon my instructions they give me warrant to say the more. That my Master doeth expect, although I came not here to say that there is another way in ecclesiastic bussinesse then that way which ye have propounded to him, and of which he hath given satisfaction to others by mouthe, that he conceives no other way—that we of this Assembly will, notwithstanding, consider of the distractions of the Kirk, so far as our auctoritie can doe. For the Service Booke and Cannons, they are discharged. For the Five Articles and High Commission, in this his grace and goodness appears very great—for they were established in his fathers tyme, and continued in his owne tyme—yet, without so much as disputing his owne right, he hes bein pleased to discharge all these; and, likewayes, for what seemed grievous to ministers at their entrie, and complained of, not only be ministers but by laicks, the Kings majestie hes beine pleased to declair, that no oaths shall be exacted of intrants; not that I am commanded to say that ye should desist here, or take it for a command not to meddle with any more; but to this end that ye may see his Majesties grace and goodnes, and how willing he is when reason ruleth, to doe all that can be expected from a graceous and good King, and requires that this Assembly shall take to their consideration what is further fitting for freeing us of our feares and preventing the lyke in tyme to come. And, farther, we have complained of the personall faults of men, and I am persuadit my Master will protect no man further nor the Word of God, and order of law doth allow. Yea, he hath ane eare open to all complaints, and hath commanded me to receive all billes, and heare them according to the order of justice, which I hope shall give satisfactione to all men, that is, for the persons of men. The very calling of itselfe Episcopacie hath beene represented to his Majestie as a grievance—as ane occasion of thir evills—as a thing so farr contrare to the institutions of this Kirk, so many tymes abjured, as that the subjects would not find themselves quyet in conscience, except the King should be graceouslie pleased to see it utterlie abolished: and I am commanded to tell you so much, that his Majestie expects that ye will take this as he meanes it, and as I now expresse it.
It hath ever beine thought that no mans judgement can be satisfied without reason. The Kings breeding hath been in a Church where, ye know, Episcopacie is allowed as a warrantable governement; but without more discourse, least possible I involve myselfe in greater difficulties than I can easilie be redd of, I am commanded to tell you that I have represented the grievances and occasions of those great evills.