12. The not putting difference betuix thesse that feare God, and thesse that feare him not, for our seruices, our companie, our imployments, bot acompting all men alyke, maney times preferring thesse quho haue nothing of God in them.

13. The exceiding grate negligence that is in grate ones, and maney others, in performing the deuties in ther families, notwithstanding of our former soleme acknouledgment of the samen; as also, our neglecte of the deuties of mutuall edificatione, and grate fruitfullness and barrennes that is to be seine amongest all sorts of persons; togider with the follouing of deutie with a grate deall of mixture of carnall affections and fleschly wisdome, wich griues the Spirit of God, and takes away muche of the beutie of the Lords image from our judicatories.

As we wold be humbled for thesse thinges, so wold wee also intreat the Lord that he wold sanctifie this affliction to his people, that they nather dispysse his chestisings, nor faint quhen they are rebukit of him; bot that they may beare his indignatione patiently, and cleiue steadfastly to the treuthe and the couenants, and the causse of God, without zeilding to the pouer of the enimey, or receauing ther errors, or complaying ather with them one the one hand, ore malignants one the other; and that the Lord wold poure out of his Spirit wpon the people, that ther spiritts may be raissed wnto ther deutie, and that they may be filled and furnished of God with wisdome and resolutione to acte aganist ther enimies for the honor of God, ther auen preseruatione; and that the Lord wold not suffer them to be tempted aboue that wiche they are able to beare, bot that he wold breake the yoke of ther oppressors from off ther neckes, and giue them saluatione and deliuerance; earnestly to intreat the Lord in priuat and in publicke, that he wold preserue with ws the ordinances of Jesus Christe, the kingdome, the Kings Maᵗⁱᵉˢ persone, the ministrie, from the pouer of ther enimies, quho seekes the destruction of all.

Maney of the ministers of the prouince of Fyffe, at the first, refussed to reid thesse ressons, especially, Mr James Wood, Mr Ja: Bruce, Mr Dauid Forret, Mr Frederick Carmichell, Mr Jo: Mackgill, zounger, Mr Henrey Rymere, Mr Jo: Mackgill, elder, with maney more; wich wes lyke to grow to werey grate schissime; some did not sticke to say, that 5 ore 6 men wer too bolde to giue out ressons to a quhole churche, without a more frequent meitting of the Comissione of the Generall Assemblay.

Mr James Wood mainly stumbled at some wordes ill placed and worsse expressed, in the 2 artickle of the causses of the fast; he said he wold with his pene (if they did not mend it) make all the world know the wntreuthe therof. The wordes wer thesse: Togider with the crooked and precipitant wayes that wer takin by our commissioners for carrinng one the trettey with the King. Bot the ring leaders at Stirling, (to quhome Mr James, and some of the deligatts of the prouinciall of Fyffe, posted in grate haist, both ministers and elders) gaue contentment, by expressing the former so:—Togider with the crooked wayes and precipitant, that wer takin by sundrie of our staitsmen, for carinng one the trettey with the King.

The synod of Fyffe for the most pairt, lykwayes, at this tyme, wold haue suche as wer classed for the lait ingagement, 1648, and now wer on ther satisfactione and penance, receauid to the participatione of the sacraments, and giue satisfactione to the kirke, admitted to publicke imployments in the comon defence of ther natiue countrey. Bot this was altogider denayed both by the Comissione of the Generall Assembley and Comittee of Estaits, convennid at Stirling, the 25 of Sept: 1650.

Stirling, 27 Sept: 1650.—The Comittee of Estaits, considering the necessarey deutie lying vpone them, in prosecutione of the acte of parliament, and according to the frequent and serious remonstrances of the Commissione of the Churche, for purging of the Kings familey of al profaine, scandalous, malignant, and disaffected persons; and that it be constituted of such as are pious, and weill affected to the causse and couenant, quho haue not opposed the same by ther counsells and actions. And lykwayes considring the grate offence hes beine takin that the persons after nominatted haue not remoued from courte, nor depairted out of the kingdome respectiuely; and hauing takin also into consideratione the report of the sub-comittee, appoynted to think one the purging of the Kings familey, doth heirby therfor ordaine and command the French Marques of Villaneuffe; the Earle of Cleueland; Lord Wentworthe, his sone; Viscount Grandeson; Lord Volmett; Lord Withringtone; Robert Longe, Secretarey; Sʳ Eduard Walker, Garter; Mr Progers, Groome of his Maᵗⁱᵉˢ Bed Chamber; Master Lane; Master Marche; Colonell Darcey; Mr Antoney Jacksone; Maior Jacksone; Colonell Loes; Master Oder, wnder Secretarey; Lord St Paule; Sʳ Philipe Musgraue; Sʳ Faithfull Fortskew; Sʳ Timothey Fetherstons; L. Coll: Meutis; Collonell Carbraithe; to depairt the courte within 24 houres, and to remoue out of the kingdome within 20 dayes after intimatione; and Doctor Fraser, and Sʳ George Melueill, to withdraw from the courte within 24 houres. And to the effecte that the persons forsaid may not pretend ignorance heirof, the comittee ordanes Sʳ James Balfoure of Kynaird, Knight, his Maiesties Lyone King of Armes, to make dew and speedie intimatione heirof; comanding Sʳ Jo: Broune, Colonell, and the officers of footte of his Majesties lyffe gaurd, to put this present acte into executione; with certificatione to all and eurey of the afforsaids persons, that if they falzie to giue obedience heirwnto, the said Sʳ Jo: Broune, Coll: is to apprehend them in aney place within the shyres wher they shall be; and the officers of the footte gaurd to seasse vpone them within the verge of the courte, to be disposed vpone as the comittee shall thinke fitt; for doing quherof, thesse shall be comand and varrand sufficient. Extract.

C. W. Hendersone.

With this acte for purging the Kings housse, the Comittee of Estaits wrett me this letter followung, bearing dait at Stirling, the 26 day of September, 1650.

Much honoured—Wheras wee haue thought it necessarey that the persons mentioned in the acte heer inclosed be remoued from courte, and ordaind to depairt out of the kingdome, wee doe herby authorisse and requyre you to intimat the same to the persons concernid, and to see the acte put in executione by the officers of the armey therby ordanid to doe it; to quhome you are lykwayes to intimat the ordinance of the committee, that if need be, they may doe quhat is enioyned them by the acte. The prosecutione quherof wee committ to your care and faithfullnesse, as you will be anssuerable, not doubting but you will approue yourselue to