Oct.—This moneth the malignant pairtie of this kingd. did ryse in armes in the north; they emited a declaratione. The comission of the Gener. Ass. emitted a warning, deated at Sterling, 24 Oct. 1650, against them, to be read in the several churches. L. G. Da. Lesley was sent north with some horsemen against them.
Oct.—This moneth the westcountrey men joined them selfs in a body (with L. Coll. Ker, Strachan, and some ministers,) and sent in a Remonstrance to the estaits,[437] declairing all the escaps of the Kings Maj.; condeming the treatie with him; accusing many of the comitt. of estaits of covetousnes and oppression; speaking against the chife leaders of the armie; and opposing the invasion of England, or enforcing a king upon that kingdome. Ther forces werre scattered at Hamiltone, by a pairtie of the English men, under the conduct of Lambert, on the 1 of Decemb. being Sunday, 1650. Sundry of them were killed, and Coll. Ker, one of ther cheife leaders, wounded and taken.
Nov.—Ther was a meiting, both of state and church, at St Jhonstone, at which tyme they both declaired against that remonstrance of the men of the west contrey (before spoken of), shauing that it was divisive, contrare to the covenant, and acts of the Generall Assemblie; debaring all that adhered to that said remonstrance from sitting and voyceing in the publicke judicatories, ether of state or church. Upon this, sundrie ministers of the north countrey protested against the declaratione of the church, and foure ministers in Fyfe adhered to ther protestation, one in every presbetrey, vizᵗ, Mr Sa. Rutherfoorde, in St Androus presb.; Mr Ja. Wedderburne, in C. presb.; Mr Alex. Moncriefe, in K. p.; and Mr Will. Oliphant, in D. presb.
Mr David Calderwood, a minister in Louthian, depairted out of this life.
Dec. 22.—The fast, apointed by the comission of the kirke to be keiped througe the kingdome before the coronatione, was keiped att Largo the forsaid day, by Mr Ja. Magill; his lecture, Rev. 3, from v. 14 to the end of the chapt. his text Rev. 2, 4, 5. Upon the Thursday folowing, the 26 of this instant, the fast was keiped in likemaner; his lecture 2 Chro. 29. to v. 12; his text 2 Chron. 12. 22. The causes of the first day (not read) was, the great contempt of the gospell, holden forth in its branches. Of the second day (which were read), the sinns of the King, and of his father’s house, where sundry offences of K. James the 6 were acknowledged, and of K. Charles the 1, and of K. Ch. the 2, nowe king. This second day the E. of Laderdaile gave satisfactione (at the k. of Largo), for haveing hand in the late unlawfull engagement against England, where, 1. he acknowledged the sinfulnes and unlaufulnes of that course; 2. his sorowe and remorse for haveing accession therto; 3. his resolutione, for the time to come, to be warre of such courses. After this, Mr Ja. Magill did reid the solemn league and covenant, and he held up his hand and did sweare to the same. So the k. session gave him a peaper, subscribed by the minist. and clerk, testifying that they were weill satisfied with his repentance.
1649-50.
Excerpts from The Waters of Sihor, or the Lands Defectione; By James Guthrie.[438]
[Propositions laid down and contended for by Guthrie, in page 19.]
1. All judicatories and Armyes, and all places of power and trust amongst the Lords covenanted people in Scotland, should consist of, and be filled with, men of known good affectione to the work and people of God, and of a blamles Christian conversatione.
2. All known malignant, and prophane scandalous persons, ought to be excluded from power and trust amongst those, and to be purged out from the Judicatories and Armyes.