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29 Julij, 1649. To remember how that one Mr Naysmithe, a minister at this generall assembley, argued much to haue the haill teinds to the churche, and wes opposed by the Marquesse of Argyle and Earle of Cassiles, with all the lay elders, as a propositione muche scandalizing the professione and ther often promisses, zea, (said some,) a thing not belonging to them. Bot Naysmithe, werey impudently and affrintedly affirmed, that it must be manteind that the teinds did belong to the churche, jure diuino. Argyle ansuered, wee must manteine the contrarey, with all our pouer, of that falls opinione of yours. Cassiles said, the more ze gett, the worsse contented you are; bot in this ze haue nather diuinity wnder the gospell for the same, nather ressone or aney poynt of humane law. Then, said Argyle, the churche hes alredey the 10 of all the rent of the land, zet it seime they are not content, nather are they the 30 pt. of the inhabitants, I may say not the 100 pairt: it is not good to awalkin sleiping doges. The moderator, Mr Rob: Douglas, said that hes brother, Mr Nasmythe, spoke mor rashlie then he was awarre offe; and he admired he was so impertinent, and therefore willed him to be quyet; bot Nasmythe replyed, he only spoke out that wich maney more of that number of hes professione thought: some lay elders, that wer barrons, sitting by him, desyred him to burey that, wtherwayes they wold make the suorde decyde that questione, and lett him and all suche couetous persons see that teindes wer not wnder the gospell juris diuini, bot juris humani. So you see how Nasmythe did sing, the shamefast caroll, in face of the assembley, in name of hes brethrein.
Julij, 1649.—In the generall assembley, haldin at Edinbrughe, in Julij this zeire, ther wer werey maney ministers depossed, for manteining the last expeditione into England to be lawfull, for reliffe of our King, quhome thesse bloodie blasphemers hes since killed, contrarey to the Soleme Leauge and Couenant with that perfidious natione; amongest quhom wer Mr Androw Ramsay and Mr William Collin, ministers of Edinbrughe, tuo learnid and worthey men; they wer much regraitted by honest men, and thesse quho treulie loued peace and treuthe. Bot the current of the tymes went so, that in respecte they wold not dance to the play of the leaders, Douglas, Dicksone, Cant, Guthrie, and Law, they wer deposed from the ministeriall office, quhen as one of them, viz. Mr Androw Ramsay, hed beine ane actuall minister aboue 53 zeires, quherof he had seruid in Edinbrughe 36 of the same.
L. Generall Mideltone went werey neir at this assembley to be excommunicat, wer not he compeired and spoke boldly for himselue, and hardly got 4 monthes to adwysse quhither he wold subscriue that declaratione emitted by the assembley anent the ingagers or not.
30 Julij, 1649.—Memorandum.—To be resolued of this doubte, viz. that since all the malignants of the kingdome did auer that James Grhames succes and prosperous fortune in so maney batells winne be him, did cleirly demonstrat Gods fauor to him, and the goodnes of hes causse, (wich by the precisse pairty) was thought the only not to know a malignant by, in that they manteined and fauored so vnchristian and Turkishe ane oppinon; as if the goodnes and lawfullnes of the causse dependit altogider one the successe.
And now, since Julij last, 1649, and the Whigamore road, the face of gouerniment being changed and put in other hands, and the kirke now asspyring to so grate a height and triumphe, all ther papers, actes almost, and declarations bothe of churche and stait, runs with that same clausse, viz. aganist all wich, not only eminent testimonies of Gods wrath haue beine giuen, in defaitting of them, &c. meining the Englishe engagement, bot especiallay the course perseued by the Earle of Lanrick, George Monro, at Sipling and Pluscardey, and ther adherents in the northe.
The blasphemers and sectaries, in England, from ther bygaine prosperous successe in all ther impious and wicked actions aganist Gods treuth, diuyne and humaine lawes, wich they haue trampled wnder footte, affirme in al ther declarations, lykwayes, to be the only causse quhay the Lord fauors them in all ther interprysses aganist the wicked (as the call all suche quho are not of ther mynd and oppinione) within the 3 kingdomes, naming themselues, and all wthers sectaries and blasphemers of ther stampe, the godlie and the saintes; quhen, indeid, all ther actions are not only illegall, bot most irreligious and impious, both contrarey to lawes of God and men; themselues being tainted with all the hainous sins and impieties quherwith aney heathin nation hath beine branded, euen Sodome itselue; if periurey couenant breaking, hipocrasie, ambition, couetousnes and all sortes of blasphemies, in the heighest degre, aganist the blessed trinitie, can be them be accompted sins.
Suche are the now sants that oppresses Gods people in thesse kingdomes, and all wnder the color and pretext of concience, and clocke of religione.