This notable pranke in effecte resembles muche the 14 Grauamen wich Germaney did exhibit, Reg: Carol: 5, to Pope Adrian, amongest the abusses of the Roman sea, that the Pope and his Legats vsurped the right of patronage belonging to layicks, and dispensed them benefices vaccand to his fauorits and abettors, contrarey to law, right and reall possession, tyme out past all memorey and prescription; vich wold proue in tyme the ruine of the Catholick church; bot lykwayes wold sturre vpe maney enimies aganist the Roman churche, in doing so publicke ane acte of iniustice, quherin so many persones (layicks) of all degrees were intressed.
And this acte, to make it the more spetious, they colored it with the liberty of the people to choysse ther auen ministers; zet the generall assembley holdin at Edinbrughe, in the mounthes of Julij and Agust, this same zeire, made a werey sore mint to haue snatcht this shadow from the people, (notwithstanding ther former pretences,) colationed the sole pouer one the presbeteries, and oute-foolled the people of that right they formerly pretended did only and especially belonge to them, jure diuino; as according to the new deuinitey of thesse tymes, till the acte was past, bothe the leaders and ther creture Jhonston, pleaded with all the forcible arguments wrested Scripture could produce, to procure ther auen ends and gratnes, wiche tyme will not faill heirafter fully to discouer to a wronged posterity.
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The parliament, one ther former sentence of forfaultrey against George, Marques of Huntley, ordained hes head to be choped off from hes bodey, at the crosse of Edinbrughe, one Thursday, the 22 of Marche, this zeire; wich wes performed. He wold not be relaxed from the sentence of excomunicatione, &c. His corpes wer carried to Settone, to be interrid ther in the comon buriall of that family, from wich himselue had issewed.
The first exchequer day that was holdin after the ryssing of the parliament, in the end of Marche this zeire, the Chanceler, Loudon, had 3 gifts past; the signators quherof wer wnder K. Charles the Firsts hand.
1. His haill lands wich wer hold in ward and releiffe (for most of them wer so) changed, and holdin blenche, for payment of a read rosse.
2. A gift, durante vita, of the shriffschipe of Aire, altho gifts of this same nature wer declared woyde in this same parl:
3. A gift to him and hes heires of the balzirie of Kyle. It seimes that thesse 3 signaturs now past, wer a pairt of that recompence for wiche he betrayed the King to his enimies, and the countrey to its oppressors; for indeid he played notoriously with bothe handes. And being president of that parl: 1648, wes the only man, by his longe oratione, that most wrged and moued that ingagement against England, for the Kings releiffe, wich he therafter disclaimed, and persecutted all vthers quhom himselue had persuaded to contenance and enacte thesse lawes himselue first did brak, enacte, and repealle; quhen as he had bound himselue, both by word, othe, and wreat, to the Kings Maiesty, at the Ile of Wight, being then one of the commissioners of the kingdome of Scotland. At the parl: 1648, he maid a longe oration, most bitter and invectiue, against the Englishe, calling them a periured natione, oppressors and murthers of ther King, heretiques, sectaries, enimies to monarchey, breckers of leauge and couenant. To most of the actes of this parl: he consented, especially to the leuey, and all of them he subscriued with his auen hand, (being president therof); bot about the end of the same, he begane to appeir in his auen colors, quhen as that parl: and the commissione of the kirke could not aggrie one certaine poynts, imediatly after Ducke Hamilton was enacted to be generall of the armey. Bot in this parl: Jarij: 1649, he spoke als muche aganist that wich formerly he had plotted and contriued, as was sufficient to lett understanding men know, that now he labored to put him of the way, quho only could call him to ane accompt for hes periurey and fallsse packing.
To remember how with aboundance of teares the L. Chanceler made his repentance in the East Churche of Edinbrughe, declaring so much of hes former honest dealling to the people, as he weill knew eurey one vnderstood; and this wes done to pleasse some of the leading ministers, (quho wer now leading this penitent in triumphe,) and causing him sing peccaui, to bleare the eyes of the comons; he can veill preuaricat with men quho takes him to be the L. Chanceler of Scotland, bot with God he cannot, quho knowes him to be a heighland man bothe in lyffe and maners.
To remember, how in the preceding zeire, 1648, the Marquesse of Argyle and the E. of Craufurd, vent out to Muskillbroughe Links to fight the combat The E. of Lanricke wes second to Craufurd, and L. Col. James Innes of Sandsyde, wes 2d to Argyle; all that wes one them could not make Argyle to fight, till he saw L. Colonell Haddan, the Chancelers man, come in to pertey them. Then was he something stoute, and refussed to subscriue that paper, wich he wold haue formerly done (I belieue against his will,) bot had beine forced ather to doe it or ells to cast offe his doublett and boottes, wich he wes wounderous lothe to doe, in respecte of the coldnesse of the wether. For this grate escape, Argyle became a werey humble peinitent to the committie of the kirke, acknouledging this foulishe acte of his to be a scriptuall disertione. Vpone this imergent, the ensewing generall assembly made ane acte of the 12 of Agust, 1648, aganist duells, vretters and receauers of challanges and chartells, that without respecte of persons they shall be processed with the censures of the kirke, and make ther repentence befor the pullpit, &c. tuo seuerall Lordes dayes. The first day, the minister is to shew them ther sin and the gratenes of ther offence; and the 2d day, they are to make a soleme publicke confessione therof, and professione of ther vnfained humiliatione and repentance for the same; and if they refusse to zeild obedience, them to be processed with excommunicatione.