The Gen: Assemb: in their Declairatione, July 19, thereafter when the Englishes now were come over the Border, warne against the imploying and intrusting of these men, and tell us “that God hath hitherto cursed all such counsels, and blasted such Resolutions; and that if we shall fall again into this sin, as our guilt shall be much the greater by reasone of many promises and ingadgments to the contrair, so we may expect a heavier judgment from the Lord upon it.”
The Commissione of the Gen: Assemb: that sate at Stirling, after the defeat at Dumbar, did, in the three severall meetings, declair their Judgment to the same purpose. 1. In the causes of publicke humiliatione, which were first condescended upon by the Presbytries and Members of the Comissione, then with the Airmy, and were afterwards approven by the Comissione.
“The not purging of Judicatories and of the Army from malignant and scandalous persons, and not filling all places of power and trust with men of known integrity, and of a blameless and Christian conversatione, together with greater inclinations and endeavours to keep and bring in Malignants to the Judicatories and the Army, as though the land could not be guided nor defended without these,” is acknowledged as one of our sinns, and as one of the causes of our sad stroake.
In their Warning at Stirline, Septemb: 12, 1650, they advertise us that “we would not think that all danger from the malignant pairty is now gone, seeing there are a great many such in the land who yet maintain yʳ former principles, and therefore (say they) we would, with als much watchfullnes and tendernes now as ever, avoid their snares, and beware of complyance and conjunctione with them, and take heed that, under pretence of doing for the cause, they gett not power and strength into their hands for advancing and promoting their old malignant designes, doubtless (say they) our safty is in holding fast our former principles, without declyning to the right hand or to the left.”
A litle thereafter, the King, by his Letter, propounding the questione unto them concerning the employing and intrusting these men, they did resolve it so as they did hold it furth to be “dangerous and scandalous, and contrair to our former principles to imploy and intrust these men.” That was the language that the Kirk of Scotl: spoke before these Resolutions.
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The Comissione of the Gen: Assem: in August nixt thareafter, that for preventing any misapprehensione that might arise because of the Kings Declaration about the state of the questione, did emitt a short Declaratione concerning the state of the questione, which I shall here set doun, with the Comittee of Estates approbatione thereof and concurrance therein.
West Kirk, the 13 of August, 1650.[442]....
This Declaratione was also intertained with a testimony of cordiall acceptance by the army, and was by publick order sent to the Generall of the Inglish army, as containing the true state of the quarrell upon qᶜʰ this Kingdome then fought.