Miscellaneous Historical Documents,
RELATIVE TO THE ECCLESIASTICAL AND POLITICAL EVENTS IN SCOTLAND—1644.
1. Excerpts from Principal Baillie’s Account of the Westminster Assembly, continued from page [384].
To Mr William Spang. May 31, 1644.
You know this is no proper assembly, but a meeting called by the parliament to advise them in what things they are asked; so their not answering comes on no neglect I know very well. By all means encourage Apollonius, and whomever else you can, to assist in this common cause: if this season be missed, it will be hardly recovered. The Independents have no considerable power either in the assembly or parliament, or the General or Waller’s army; but in the city and country, and Manchester’s army, their strength is great and growing; yet by the help of God and our friends, if once we had the assembly at an end, and peace, we would get them quieted. Since our Friday fast we have made good speed in the assembly. Our church-sessions, to which Independents gave all, and their opposites nothing at all, we have got settled with unanimity in the Scots fashion. Our great debate, of the power of excommunication, we have laid aside, and taken in at last the directory. Already we have past the draught of all the prayers, reading of scripture, and singing of psalms, on the Sabbath-day, nemine contradicente. We trust, in one or two sessions, to pass also our draught of preaching. If we continue this race, we will amend our former infamous slowness. Always I can say little till once we pass the directory of the Lord’s Supper. In the committee we found they were very stickling; the Independents, and all, love so well sundry of their English guises, which we must have away; however we are in hope of a better speed than before.
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Publick Letter. June 7, 1644.
Our progress in the assembly, albeit slow, yet, blessed be God, is sensible daily. We have passed, but after a world of debate, all the directory which concerns ordinary prayers, reading of the word, singing of psalms, and preaching. Our toil is exceeding great; every day, from eight in the morning till near one, and oft in the afternoon from three to half-past six, we are in exercise; only the Saturday free, and that for our Sunday’s preaching, when single times any of us does vaik. All of us long much to be at home; but we are all commanded to stay, and attend this great service. Of a truth, to our power, we put spurs to their slow sides. We hope all, ere it be long, shall go according to our hearts desire. The Independents, our great retarders, it is like, shall not vaunt themselves, in the end, of their oppositions. The most of their party are fallen off to Anabaptism, Antinomianism, and Socinianism; the rest are divided among themselves. One Mr Williams has drawn a great number after him to a singular Independency, denying any true church in the world, and will have every man to serve God by himself alone, without any church at all. This man has made a great and bitter schism lately among the Independents. We hope, if once we had peace, by God’s help, with the spirit of meekness mixed with a little justice, to get the most of these erroneous spirits reduced. The ministers of London, near six score, have their weekly meetings. They are all Presbyterians, except Burton, said to be a Brownist; John Goodwin to be a Socinian, and one scrupling Pædobaptism. Some of the Independents are lecturers, but none settled ministers.
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