The morne thaireftir, being Thursday the 21 of Julij, a proclamatioun ischued out, proclamed at the Mercat Croce of Edinburgh, dischargeing all privat meetings of the ministrie, &c.
1654.
23 August, 1654.—Thair wes sum of the ministrie, callit Remonstratoris and Protestatoris, convenit in Sir Archibald Johnnestounes hous for ordoring sum of the Churches effaires, and censuring of sum of thair bretherene of the ministrie; quhilk being schawin to the Generall, they war dischargit, and commandit to dissolve thair meeting by ane Lievtenant Colonell Gaff, quha threatned thame gif thai sould sit ony langer, prohibitand thame to meit agane in such a manner as at that tyme they did, and that na twa of thame sould convene togidder in ony tyme thaireftir; quhilk command wes presentlie obeyit. It was alledgit, that the caus of thair meeting wes anent ane Commissioun, alledgit brocht doun at this tyme with Mr Johne Meinzeis and Mr Patrik Gillespie, granted by the Lord Protector to ane certane number of the ministrie and reuling elderis, for purging of the ministrie of the Kirk, and to do all thinges necessar, as the Generall Assemblie. Quhilk Commissioun (as wes alledgit) these of this meeting resolvit not to obey nor countenance, nor yit to be memberis of that commissioun, bot rather to suffer then to acknawledge it; and the ressoun (as wes alledgit be thame) was, that it wes gevin out by ane civill Judge, and, as the commoun brute was among the pepill, ane unjust usurper.
Excerpts from Principal Baillie’s Letters.
The following supposed to be wrote to Mr Christopher Love, beheaded on Tower-Hill for corresponding with Argyle and Mr Baillie. Perth, Friday, December 20th, 1650.
Reverend and Beloved Brother,
The letters of our friends there to Mr Douglas and to Mr Jameson, [i.e. Mr Baillie,] also two to the general assembly, the one of an old date, the other since the defeat at Dunbar, came but lately to our hands. For fear of your hazard then, we thought it expedient to communicate them but to a few. At first were called together, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of Argyle, the Earls of Cassils and Lothian, with Mr Douglas, Mr Blair, Mr Jameson, and Mr Wood. One and all were very much refreshed and encouraged by the two publick most gracious and seasonable letters. The answer of them was remitted to the next meeting of the commission of the church the last of this month, where we purpose to make more publick use of these, if we shall then find it stand with your safety. In the mean time, Mr Jameson was appointed to give you some short account of affairs here, which be pleased to receive.
The whole eight days before the defeat at Dunbar, the Lord had so disposed, that, to the apprehension of most in both armies, a victory seemed to incline to our side; when, contrary to all appearance, the Lord, by our own negligence, had overthrown us. We have still lien under that stroke, not so much by any active prosecution of the enemy, as by the Lord’s hand now upon us, our divisions. A strong party in the north, whom we have excluded from our army for the late engagement, did put themselves in arms without publick order. It cost us some time before we could quiet them. That danger was scarce over, when another party in the west, whom we have permitted to rise, and from whom we expected ready and happy service against the enemy, fell in ways of their own, to our great and long disturbance, which we suppose Cromwell long before this has caused print. Very ______ answers were given, both by the church and state, as you will read here in the copies subjoined: A while, notwithstanding, they pursued in their diverse way. The enemy fell on them, and put them to a total rout, whereby he enlarged his quarters now where he pleases be-south Forth. However our grief and shame for this defeat be great, yet the loss of men was much within 100, and the prisoners are not so many; and among neither, any men of note, but Col. Ker, who is a prisoner. Strachan, indeed, the author of all this mischief, had before foully betrayed his trust, and since has gone unto the enemy.
These mischiefs have laid us now lower in the dust before the Lord. On Sunday next, the 22d of December, we have a general humiliation, most for contempt of the gospel, the fountain of all our plagues. On Thursday thereafter, the 26th, we have another, for the sins of the King’s family, old and late, which we fear may have influence, in the Lord’s controversy with us; yet for all this, we have not cast away our help and confidence in the Lord; but with more vigour than ever we purpose, with all possible diligence, to make use of all the remainder of our forces. The parliament the other week did call together the commission of the church, to be resolved how far it was lawful to employ, in this case of extreme necessity, these who, for some time, and while we had choice of men, were excluded from the service. The unanimous answer by them present you have here subjoined. By the blessing of God this may be a greater beginning of union among ourselves, and of a more happy acting against the enemy, than formerly. There are, indeed, some among us against the employing of these who before were excluded; but we hope that in a little time this shall change; so much the more, as in very few, in whom it is greatest, there yet appears the least inclination to comply with the enemy. And to guard the better against this evil, the church, the other day, passed the subsequent act, which the parliament is about to confirm, with a severe civil censure against all transgressors. After our foresaid applications to God on the 22d and 26th of this instant, we have appointed to crown our King, the 1st of January, at Scone, the ordinary place of our old coronations; and thereafter, so soon as we are able, to march with the strength of our nobility and gentry to Stirling, where it will be resolved, whether to go with the body of our army to England, leaving such a party here as to keep and guard the passes of Forth against the enemy; or, with the body of our army, to attend Cromwell here, and to send Massey to England with some thousand horse and dragoons. To the former the most part incline; but you with the next shall be acquainted with our conclusions. But, in the mean time, the necessity is apparent for the extraordinary diligence of our friends there to procure to us their possible assistance in this our so necessary undertaking for the common safety. The particular way we are thinking on, I leave to another letter sent herewith, and to the instructions given to the bearer, C. B., whom we have found a faithful, wise, and diligent agent for your desires to us, and whom we hope shall be no less such for our desires to you. We have great need of your earnest intercession with the Lord of Hosts for his powerful concurrence with us in this our great extremity. Expecting this duty of love from you and our dear brethren, I add but this one word, that the brethren there would be careful, as we have been, and purpose still to be, to lay, at this their new beginning, such foundations for their army and parliament, that the leading men in both may be firm and zealous to preserve the covenant, and our former principles, entire without violation; also, if it shall seem good in the Lord’s eyes to bless our mutual endeavours, that our friends there may be zealously conscientious, that what progress was made in the assembly of divines for the reformation of religion be not lost, but procured, until a final conclusion, and all be ratified by King and Parliament.
Your brother, and servant in the Lord,
Jameson.