Records of the Kirk of Scotland / containing the Acts and Proceedings of the General Assemblies from 1638 downwards, as authenticated by the clerks of assembly.

by Church of Scotland. General Assembly

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Upon the city’s petition for government, the House of Commons have gone on to vote a committee in every shire to cognosce on sundry ecclesiastick causes, which will spoil all our church-government. This night our subcommittee has voted so much toleration for the Independents, that if to-morrow the grand committee pass it, as it is too like to do, this church, by law, will be given over to confusion, notwithstanding all we can do to the contrary. But that which vexes us most of all, is a report that is whispered, of the King’s purpose to go to our army.

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To Scotland. To Mr David Dickson. March 17, 1646.

In the assembly we are fallen on a fashious proposition, that has kept us divers days, and will do so divers more, coming upon the article of the church and the church-notes to oppose the Erastian heresy, which in this land is very strong, especially among the lawyers, unhappy members of this parliament. We find it necessary to say, “That Christ in the New Testament had institute a church-government distinct from the civil, to be exercised by the officers of the church, without commission from the magistrate.” None in the assembly has any doubt of this truth but one Colman, a professed Erastian; a man reasonably learned, but stupid and inconsiderate, half a pleasant, and of small estimation. But the lawyers in the parliament, making it their work to spoil our presbytery, not so much upon conscience, as upon fear that the presbytery spoil their market, and take up the most of the country-pleas without law, did blow up the poor man with much vanity; so he is become their champion, to bring out, in the best way he can, Erastian arguments against the proposition, for the contentment of the parliament. We give him a free and fair hearing; albeit we fear, when we have answered all he can bring, and have confirmed with undeniable proofs our position, the Houses, when it comes to them, shall scrape it out of the Confession; for this point is their idol. The most of them are incredibly zealous for it. The Pope and King were never more earnest for the headship of the church than the plurality of this parliament. However they are like for a time by violence to carry it, yet almost all the ministry are zealous for the prerogative of Christ against them. We are at this instant yoked in a great and dangerous combat for this very thing. We have been often on the brink to set up our government; but Satan to this day hindered us. The ministers and elders are not willing to set up and begin any action, till they may have a law for some power to purpose; all former ordinances have been so intolerably defective, that they could not be accepted. The Erastian and Independent party joining together in the Houses to keep off the government so long as they were able, and when it was extorted, to make it so lame and corrupt as they were able; yet at last yesterday an ordinance came forth to supply the defects of all the former, that so, without further delay, we might go to work.

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The Independents have the least zeal to the truth of God of any men we know. Blasphemous heresies are now spread here more than ever in any part of the world; yet they are not only silent, but are patrons and pleaders for liberty almost to them all. We and they have spent many sheets of paper upon the toleration of their separate churches. At the last meeting we concluded to stop our paper-debates, and on Thursday next to begin our verbal disputation against the lawfulness of their desired separation. When we have ended, the Houses will begin to consider this matter. The most there, and in the army, will be for too great a liberty; but the assembly, the city, and the body of all the ministry in the kingdom, are passionately opposite to such an evident breach of our covenant.

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A Postscript. March 31, 1836.

For the time our Commissioners can think on no private thing; for every day they attend, five or six hours together, a solemn debate, with a number of the chief of both Houses of parliament, about the propositions of peace to be sent to the King. A little time will shew much. We are in great doubts. The leaders of the people seem to be inclined to have no shadow of a king; to have liberty for all religions; to have but a lame Erastian presbytery; to be so injurious to us, as to chase us home with the sword. These things to you three alone. The Prince is landed in France, which will be a sentence of foreign war. This day the House of Commons have appointed a committee to secure the King’s person, if he should come to London. Our great hope on Earth, the city of London, has played nipshot: they are speaking of dissolving the assembly.

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To Mr William Spang. April 3, 1646.