There was a design, at the last assembly, to have got the hands of many ministers to a supplication for moderating, in some things, the power of the commission of the church, which was expounded by this assembly truly to have been the overthrowing, in favour of the malignant party, the power of the kirk. Great din was made for this supplication, to try what was the bottom of it, and a very severe act was made against the thing; yet Mr Douglas carried it so, that no man at all, even the chief contrivers, did suffer any thing for it, upon what ground I could never learn to my satisfaction; whether, because to Mr Robert Laurie, the confessed penner of the principal supplication, impunity was promised for his ingenuous and early confession, and he being secure, others less guilty could not be got punished; or because others foreseeing what necessity there might be for themselves to do more than supplicate a general assembly, had no will that any supplication whatsoever, especially being only intended, and never offered, should be a ground of church censure. However, albeit a terrible act was made against the thing, contrary to my mind, yet no man was to this day called to any account for it, nor, as I hear, shall ever be.
I was much afraid that the subscription required of the engagers should have made many prime men in our land desperate; but I am now very glad that so many offer themselves to do all that is required, as I expect there shall be very few who shall stick upon it, so I wish from my heart that Lauderdale may be moved to do what I found Callender and Dumfermline ready for, when I was there with you; and what I saw in the assembly, Middleton very near, and others, as Galloway, Linlithgow, Ogilvie, Baillie, Innes, Cochran, Kenmure, Fleming, &c. actually to offer. I do not expect now above three or four persons in Scotland who shall make scruple of that subscription, which, I hope, may be a mean to teach that man (for whom alone my love makes me afraid) some more wisdom. Mr Hary Guthrie, in his appeal to the assembly, had used some sharp and reflecting reasons, for which they summoned him to appear, resolving to have excommunicated him, if they did not find submission: but quickly his spirit was daunted. In all humility he appeared, and passed from his appeal, which obtained him favour not to be farther proceeded against. Mr William Colvil took his sentence of deposition submissively. Mr Andrew Ramsay professed his suffering. Some would have been at the present processing of both, as guilty of all the blood, and all the consequences of the engagement; but Mr R. Douglas quashed these motions, which otherwise easily had been carried on.
It was all our minds to have had transportations better regulated than they had been; for indeed their needless frequency was intolerable, yet Mr R. Douglas got all that shifted till Edinburgh once again he provided both of ministers and professors. For their university they moved for Mr Rutherford, but that was thought absurd. It seems they would be at Dr Colvil, but he will not be given them, as a man demi-malignant. They who judge so of that man, would give them Mr James Wood, or Mr D. Dickson; but in my mind, neither of these may be transported without greater hurt to the places they are in than benefit to Edinburgh, though they could get them; but as yet Edinburgh desires neither, and on whom they will fall yet, it does not appear. We fear they trouble us one way or other.
One day I escaped, to my sense, one of the greatest burdens ever was laid on me. Our committee, after many motions, had resolved for drawing up of the history of the times, to propone to the assembly a leet of three or four; Mr James Wood, Mr John Livingston, Mr Ja. Guthrie, and me. My profession made me secure of all danger, as I thought; and I minded it no more: but in the end of the assembly, when it came to be voiced, it ran wholly betwixt Mr John Livingston and me; and had not the opinion of my malignancy diverted some voices, I had undoubtedly been oppressed with that charge. As it was, I escaped it but by two or three voices; but I blessed the Lord for it; for to me it had all the days of my life been a burden intolerable, for many causes.
The assembly, for the full purgation of the church, as in former years, so in this also, has appointed divers committees; one in Angus, one in Stirlingshire, one in the Merse, one in Ross, one in Argyle, with most ample power. On these committees the most zealous men are put, which some few can chuse (even of very young men lately admitted ministers) for deposing such as presbyteries and synods do spare. I acknowledge the disinclination of my mind to so frequent depositions of ministers, and to all courses that further that, to me so severe an action; but this is a great part of my malignancy.
I think at last we shall get a new Psalter. I have furthered that work ever with my best wishes; but the scruple now arises of it in my mind, the first author of my translation, Mr Rous, my good friend, has complied with the sectaries, and a member of their republick. How a Psalter of his framing, albeit with much variation, shall be received by our church, I do not well know; yet it is needful we should have one, and a better in haste we cannot have. The assembly has referred it to the commission to cause print it after the last revision, and to put it in practice.
These were the chief things of our long and tedious five weeks labour; only we appointed a letter to be drawn for our brethren of England for their encouragement. The draught was Mr James Durham’s. It was his first, but did not so fully please us to pass, but was referred to the commission to perfect. Our brethren of Ireland had sent Mr John Greg to us, to have our advice about their carriage in my Lord of Aird’s defection. No publick advice was given; but Mr Livingston and Mr Maclellan were appointed to confer with him on all his propositions.
All this while the parliament did sit, though ready to rise at our first downsitting, more than at our rising. Their main cause of sitting was to see what we brought from the King. Thereafter, being to rise, constant reports, week after week, of Cromwell’s purpose to bring down the army on us before it went to Ireland, made them sit still to see to the defence of the country. To increase the levies, was to put the country to a farther burden, while the present was as great as could be borne, and caused dangerous grumbling every where; also, if a greater army had been on foot, the world would not keep them out of England, which we did not intend, being far from any agreement with the King; so nothing considerable was done, or could be done, though the English had come on us. They had written a letter with a messenger, to desire a treaty with us. Our answer was, that we could not acknowledge the present authority. This drew from them a paper, in reasonable soft words; but clearly enough renouncing all former treaties as broken by our parliament’s invasion, an advantage which they would openly make that use of, as to have it a breach of all their obligations to us. To this we made no reply; for what needs paper-debates at such a time?
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