October.—This month the greatest pairt of the ministery in Scotland (if not all) left of to pray for the King in ther publicke prayers. May 1660, at his returne, they began againe to pray for him.
1652.
Excerpts from “A Diary of Public Transactions and other Occurrences, chiefly in Scotland, from January 1650, to June 1667, by John Nicoll.”
4 Maii 1652.—Thair wes ane Synod Assemblie haldin at Edinburgh, quhairin thair wes much divisioun among the ministrie, namelie, be ane sequestrat number in the Presbyterie of Lynlithgow, quha wer evir contentious; and quhairas in that Synod the proceidingis of the Generall Assemble, haldin the yeir preceding, at Saint Androis and Dundie, wer ratifyed and approven by this Synod; yit a few of these within the Presbyterie of Lynlithgow did dissasent, and protestit aganes the lauchfulnes thairof, and urgit that thair dissasentis sould be registrat and recordit.
Besyde these, great errouris did creip into the church, and men war not aschamed to tak upone thame the functioun of the ministrie, without a lauchfull calling, and to preache, mary, and baptize, and offering publict disputes to mantene thair errouris. Witnes sindry Englische trouperis quha oppinlie taught in the Parliament Hous. Lykewyse ane Mr [Alexʳ] Cornuell, minister at or besyde Lynlithgow, quha did mary pepill privilie, sum of the women haiffing husbandis on lyff, and sum of these men haiffing ane or twa wyffes, and baptized old pepill, for the quhilk he was under the sentence of excommunicatioun.
21 Julij.—The Generall Assemblie met at Edinburgh, and sat doun, continuing thair sitting till Thursday the fyft of August 1652, of quhilk Generall Assemblie, Maister David Dik was chosin moderator. At this Assemblie, much debait, contentioun, and divisioun, evin by thame quho assumed to thame selffis the name of the Godlie pairtie; continuing, as of befoir, to protest aganes the procedingis of this Assemblie, as wes practized in the former Assemblie haldin at Santandrois and Dundie; putting in and out in the roll of the Godlie such as thai pleasit, not allowing ony to be of thair number quho wald not go along with thame in every thing, for that wes the marrow of the matter, being moir quick sighted then Elias, quho saw not one of the sevin thowsand quhome God haid reserved to himself; blowing up the fyre of contentioun; sending throw the cuntrie to draw of sum sevin or aucht of the ministrie to joyne with thame, making this accompt, that gif thai could get fyve or sex of the moist eminent men af, they cared not for the rest of the ministrie; professing also at thair conference, and utheris of thame in an oppin Synod, that thai wald never unite with the maist pairt of the ministrie of Scotland; flinging filth upone the faces of thair bretherene; and much moir of this kynd.
Aganes these protestatiounes gevin in by the Dissenting bretherene, the Generall Assemblie emitted ane Answer, &c.
1653.
Weddinsday the 20 of Julij, the Generall Assemblie convenit at Edinburgh, quhair thair wes twa sermoundis, ane befoir nune be Mr David Dik, the uther eftir nune be Mr Robert Douglas. Eftir both sermoundis, the Assemblie satt doun in thair ordinarie places of assemblie in the New Kirk of Edinburgh. Being placed, the Inglische commanderis pat ane gaird to the dures of the Assemblie; and sum of the commanderis with the gaird enterit in the Assemblie hous, demandit by quhat autoritie thai did sitt, or quho gave them that autoritie, or gif thai haid thair power from the Parliament of England or Commounwelth. Mr. David Dik being Moderatour, desyrit that a lytill space mycht be grantit to the Assemblie that thai mycht give ansuer. The Commander causit double his gaird, and commandit thame presentlie to ryse and dissolve thair meitting, and committit sum of thame to the gaird; thaireftir careyit mony of thame af the toun to the Borrow Mure, quhair straitlie thai wer commandit to go af the toun upone thair heichest perrell gif thai sould dissobey.