The King’s unhappy refusal of the propositions has put us here in a great deal of confusion and perplexity. The sectaries do exceedingly rejoice; the rest are in great sadness. The great danger was, that the House of Commons presently without any more, should declare against the King. Our great care was to prevent that great mischief; for if they once had passed a vote to demand the King, to remove our army, to send their army northward, there was no remeid. Therefore we made ready a paper before their commissioners returned, and presented it at the very back of their commissioners report, of our willingness to disband our army, and give up the garrisons upon reasonable satisfaction; and our desire to take, by common advice, a course for settling of the kingdoms. The noise of our very good carriage at Newcastle, the great equity of our paper, our private dealing with our friends in the Houses, made our motions taken: so we have got them to consider first the matter of our army before they came to the King’s answer. We hope to keep on this for some days, till the King have a little more time to be better advised. And such diligence has been used, that we hear he is coming near us.
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Their first offer to us was of £100,000 Sterling for the disbanding of our army. We, this day, gave them in a paper wherein we were peremptor for more than double that sum for the present, besides the huge sums which we crave to be paid afterward. They have appointed a committee to confer with us; we are in some hopes of agreement.
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For Glasgow. To Mr Robert Ramsay. London, August 18, 1646.
We are here, by the King’s madness, in a terrible plunge. The powerful faction desires nothing so much as any colour to cast the King and all his race away, to have a quarrel with us; this they will get if the King stick but for a few days many of the propositions. Many here will regret it; but none will oppose. With great difficulty we drive over a little time, and to our utmost labours with the King. He never did any good turn in due time; our people, I fear, be a snare to him. Divisions are like to increase, and the best to be borne down most. Worse evils hang above the head of poor Scotland than yet we have suffered, except the Lord prevent, and such as I cannot see their end. Blasphemous heresies rage here every where, without any controul, to this day. Warnings are clear and zealous; but a few that make it their work to patronise and advance a horrible liberty, mars all. This nation also is in a temper to fall in a worse war than the former. God help us, we had need to pray. Never people nearer to a bottomless pit of horrible evils.
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To Mr David Dickson, September 22, 1646.
Reverend and Dear Brother,
—— We have ended the Confession of Faith for the matter, and have perfected the most half of its nineteen chapters. The other seventeen, I hope, in a ten or twelve days will be perfected, and so all be sent up to the Houses. It will be, I hope, a very sweet and orthodox piece, much better than any Confession yet extant, if the House of Commons mangle it not to us. We are now upon the Catechism. We hope that also shall be a very good and plain piece. We are now at work, thanks to God, in earnest much more than ever. If the race hold, I trust this also in a month shall be over, and then Mr Rutherford and I will supplicate the commission for a demission. Mr Gillespie will be abundance to attend the queries. It will be a great question when you shall think meet to call a general assembly. We yet know not what to advise. It will be necessary to have the Confession and Catechism approven in a general assembly, as the Directory was; but we fear the condition of your affairs at this time, will scarce permit you to hazard to call one. Always be thinking on this; for it will be a great deliberandum shortly. To-morrow, the House of Commons debate the ordinance against heresies and blasphemies; we are very solicitous for it. The orthodox and heterodox party will yoke about it with all their strength, the Lord be among them; for the right or wrong carrying of that business is of a huge consequence, and nothing beyond it but another question which this day is handled, How to dispose of the King’s person? Great need had you there, as in my last I warned you, to see to the election of commissioners to the parliament, both in the burghs and shires. If that choice fall wrong, Scotland is in hazard to be ruined.
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For Mr Spang. October 2, 1646.
They have passed a vote of disposing the King’s person as their two Houses shall think fit, without any reference to us. We press, by many unanswerable reasons, our joint interest. They deny it. It is like we may join in advising, and get the question of power laid aside; but when we come to advise, we know not what to say. We expect one of these days William Murray with the King’s last answers. We are certain they will not satisfy. Their course thereafter with the King will be more summar than we readily can join in peace. We see an inundation of evils; except the great God arise we are undone. These things were the subject of yesterday’s full debate betwixt the two Houses and our commissioners. We expected £200,000 to have been put in our army’s hand within a fortnight, and the sectarian army disbanded, and that party humbled, government presently set up, the ordinance against sects and heresies that now is in debate to pass, and be execute; but the King’s obstinacy is like to mar all. And having done all we can, we know not what to do with him next. The good Chancellor is distempered with grief, and I with him also, and others of us; God help us. When we get better news ye shall get part; for the time I am not well neither in body or mind.