March 26. Act concerning the Education of Children under Popish Parents and Tutors, p. 276.
March 27. Commission for Visiting the University of Aberdeen, p. 288.
THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
AT EDINBURGH, 1647.
In resuming our narrative of public events, in which the Church of Scotland acted an important part, we commence, on this occasion, at the beginning of June, 1646, when the King was in the Scottish Camp at Newcastle, and when the Assembly met at Edinburgh. From the Acts of that Assembly, it will be seen that his Majesty addressed a letter to it, (28th May,) promising “to maintain religion there as it is established, in doctrine, worship, and church government;” that the Assembly, on the 18th of June, responded to this in vague and general terms, but renewed its commission for “prosecuting, advancing, perfecting, and bringing the said work of uniformity in religion, in all his Majesty’s dominions, to a happy conclusion;” and addressed letters to the English Parliament, the Westminster Assembly, and the City of London, all to the same effect.[337]
On the 25th of that month, at a meeting of the Grand Committee of both Houses of the English Parliament, Argyle delivered a document containing the acquiescence of the Scottish Commissioners in the propositions for peace, which had been suggested by the English Houses; and delivered a speech in which uniformity in the three kingdoms, the Covenant, and intolerance to all Dissenters, formed the leading topics. The English Parliament, however, still sheltered itself under the convenient verbiage, that the church government in England should be modelled “according to the Word of God, and the example of the best reformed Churches.” At the same time, a petition from the officers and soldiers of the Scottish army, addressed to their general, Lord Leven, was got up. This was followed by a declaration of the Lord General, the general officers, and soldiers of that army, on the 29th of June, intimating their adherence to the Covenant, but intimating too, that, having come to England in support of their allies in that cause, they expected their pecuniary recompense, and that being given, they would then willingly retire into Scotland. A petition to the King, pressing on him the adoption of the Covenant and the enforcement of it in England, was also presented; so that Charles was assailed on all hands by a combined pressure from the Parliaments of both kingdoms—the Westminster and General assemblies—the Scottish army—to relinquish at once the last of his prerogatives and his conscientious principles. Whatever, therefore, he subsequently did in the way of concession, can only be ascribed to absolute and irresistible coercion, while in a state of thraldom.
The propositions of peace, as they were called, being thus concerted, with the elements of future discord in their bosom, were passed in the English Parliament, on the 27th of June; and, as an earnest of their extirpating tendencies, Morgan, a priest, who had received orders beyond seas in the Church of Rome, “was drawn, hang’d, and quarter’d at Tyburn,” on the 30th of the same month.[338]
On the 6th of July, “the Commons voted that this kingdom hath no further need of the Scottish army, and that the kingdom is unable to pay them longer; and that a letter should be sent from both Houses to the Commissioners of Scotland, to desire them to withdraw their army into Scotland.”[339] On the 10th of that month, the Assembly’s letters, already referred to, were received; and, on the 13th, the propositions for peace, which had been previously drawn out, [Die Sabbathi, 11th July, 1646,] were finally adjusted, in order to be offered to his Majesty.
The main points in these propositions, touching religion and its establishments, were, that the King should sign and swear the Solemn League and Covenant, and an act of the Parliaments in both Kingdoms be passed, enjoining all the subjects in the three kingdoms to do the same, under such penalties as the respective Parliaments should enact; that a bill be passed, utterly abolishing Prelacy, in terms of the treaty at Edinburgh, 29th November, 1643; that the ordinances as to the Assembly of Divines be ratified by act of Parliament; that the Reformation of Religion should be settled by act of Parliament, conformably with the League and Covenant; that an oath be imposed on all Papists, renouncing their tenets; and declaring that, if the King should not give his assent to these proposals, then, it being done by both Houses of Parliament and the Scottish Estates, the same should be as valid as if such assent had been given. There were other propositions, such as the King relinquishing the command of the army for twenty years; but to these it is needless here to allude further than that a long list of persons was proscribed as not fit to receive pardon for their proceedings during the troubles.[340]