“Yet in these last and perrilous times, wherein the Spirit of Error is wise to palliate his lyes with the pretence of piety, there are among ourselves a few unsatisfied, of whom some have been held in high esteem, before this time for their works sake, and with whom we have dealt with all tendernes, in the spirit of meeknes, for their reclaiming; who, to the great advantage of the common adversary, and to the weakning the hands that were at the work, have opposed these just and necessary Resolutions, and actively obstructed the use of the lawfull and only likely means left of oppositione to the prevailing enemy, seting on foot a State separatione, which necessarly tends to a Kirk separatione; wee need not warn you, dear brethren, who are acquainted with the policies and practises of these, that, among yourselves, under the specious name of the Godly Pairty, have carried on a devilish design of undoing Kirk and State, and setting up a boundles toleration and arbitrary Goverment, to beware of misinformatione from such men to take impressione upon you. Their actiones at home, to sail every wind, and to roll every stone for their own advantage and prejudice of yᵉ publick, induceth us to beleive that they have not been idle towards you, but active by their emissaries and peapers, to abuse you with misreports, and to preposses you with prejudices aganist our proceedings; but we are confident that yee who have had so great proof of the faithfullnes of the Judicatories of this Kirk in guarding warrily against enemies one both hands, as weel Malignants as Sectaries, have not suffered yourselves to beleive evill of your brethren; and we doe earnestly beseach you to beware, that the trust qᶜʰ any have had from us. and the estimatione they had among you while they were about the discharge of that trust, be not inductive of your being now deceived by them whose principles and practises, whatever their intentions be, tend to the giving up of you and us unto the power of the avowed enemies of Christ’s Kingdome.”
1651.
Excerpts from Balfour’s Annales of Scotland.
12 Jarij: Sunday. This day Leiuetenant Generall Midiltone was relaxed from his excommunicatione, and did his penance in sackclothe in Dundie churche; and Collonell Archbald Straquhan was excommunicat and deliuered to the Deiuell, in the churche of Perth, by Mr Alexander Rollocke, the same day.
One Tursday, the 20 of Febrij, 1651, his Maiestie and Comittee of Estaits, by ther acte, ordaind Mr James Guthrie, minister at Stirling, and his coleauge, Bennett, quho had excussed ther not compirance the day befor, being wrettin for to come to Perthe, and ther to remaine confynned from returning to Stirling, wntill his Maiesties returne thither from the northe; his Maiestie being no souner gone upone Fryday, bot they come to Perth and dealls with the Comittee ther, that they may returne back againe to Stirling. To gratifie them, the Chanceler calls a committee of his auen stampe one Saterday, thinking to carrey by woyces, since, as he thought, maney of the barrons and burrowes, committe men, wer gone offe the toune. Bot they being adwertissed of the bussines, and considering the importance of the same, most of them stayed. After muche debait, wither or no thesse tuo ministers should stay in Perthe, conforme to the former acte, wntill his Maiesties returne backe, ore goe back to Stirling? The Earle of Cassiles said, quhat if his Maᵗⁱᵉ did neuer returne, was it ressone that they should stay from ther charge? Maney honest men of the committee wer offendit with this expressione of Cassiles, and the Chancelers too forwardnes; bot at last it went to a wotte, and was carried, that conforme to the former ordinance, Mr Guthrie and Bennett should stay confynned in Perth, and not goe backe to Stirling wntill his Maiesties returne from the northe. Guthrie, a pryme enimey to monarchie, a cheiffe plotter of all the westerne remonstrance, diuisione and mischeiffe, and a maine preacher for the sectaries.
Mr James Gnthrie and Mr Dauid Bennett, ministers at Stirling, ther Protestatione, giuen in to the Committee of Estaits, at Perth, 22 Februarij, 1651.
Quheras the Kinges Maiestie and your Lordschips haue beine pleased, wpon a narratiue relating to our doctrine and ministeriall dewties, to desyre and requyre ws to repaire to this place, aganist the 19 day of this instant; that after heiring of ourselues, suche coursse may be takin as shall be found most necessarey for the safety of that place quherin wee serue in the ministrie: Therfor conceauing the judicatories of the churche to be the onlie proper judges of our doctrine and our cariages in thosse thinges that concerns our ministeriall calling; and wee doe for the respecte wee [haue] to his Maiestie and your (Lo:) authority, compeir at this tyme, being desyrous to heir quhat is to be said wnto ws, and redey to anssuer therwnto; so wee humblie protest, that our compirance is with preseruatione of the liberties and praeuilidges of the Churche of Scotland, and of the ministers and seruants of Jesus Christ, in thesse thinges that doe relait to ther doctrine and the dewties of their ministeriall function. And that tho wee be most willing to rander ane ressone of our wretting to the Commissione of the Generall Assemblie, a letter, containing the groundes of our stumbling at the present resolutions of this kirke and stait, in order to a leuie, and of our preaching aganist thesse resolutions, as involuing ane coniunctione with the malignant partie in the land, wiche wee hold to be contrair to the word of God, to the leauge and couenant, to our soleme ingagements, and to the constant tenor of the declarations, remonstrances, warninges, causses of humiliation, and vther resolutions of the kirke thosse zeires past; and to be destructiue to the couenant and caus of God, and scandalous and offensiue to the godlie, and a heighe prowoking the eiyes of [the] Lords glorie. And of our protestinng aganist ane appeallinge from the desyre and chairge of the Commissione of the Generall Assembly in this particular, and in our persisting in preaching the same doctrine. Zet that our compeiring befor the Kinges Maietie and your (Lo:) doeth not import ane acknowledgment in ws, that his Maiestie and your (Lo:) are the proper iudges of thosse thinges; and this protestatione wee make, not for aney disrespectes to the Kinges Maiestie and your (Lo:) authoritie, not to declyne or disobey the same in aney thing ciuil, bot from the tender regaird wich wee haue to the libertie and præuilidges of the church of Jesus Christ, wiche his Maiestie and your (Lo:) and wee are in a soleme way bound to manteine inwiolable. Wee acknouledge that the Kings Maiestie and your (Lo:) are the laufull authoritey of the land, to quhome wee shall be most willinge and redey to giue obedience in all wich wee shall be commandit, according to the will of God; or if in aney thinges your commands shall fall out to be contraire to that reule, wee shall patiently, in the Lords strenthe, submitt ourselue to aney ciuill censure that ze shall thinke fitt to inflicte vpone ws.
Sic subscribitur,
Mr James Guthrie,
Mr Dauid Bennett.
[13 March.]—The appeall giuen into the Com: of the Generall Assembley be Mr James Guthrie and Mr Dauid Bennett, with ane letter from the Committee of Estaits to the said Mr James and Dauid, of the 14 of Februarij, with ane other letter lykwayes to them of the 19 of Februarij; togither with the said Mr James and Dauid, ther tuo anssuers and protestations therto, bothe of the 22 of Febrij: in seuerall papers, read in parliament, and giuen vpe to Mr Thomas Hendersone.
Monday, 17 Martij. 4 dies parliam: Rege presente.—Remittes to the Committee for the Conference to conferre with the Commissioners of the Generall Assembley, anent the othe to be takin by all the officers of the armey.