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This day we have done that what I earnestly desired, and long expected, crowned our noble King with all the solemnities at Scone, so peaceably and magnificently as if no enemy had been among us. This is of God: for it was Cromwell’s purpose, which I thought easily he might have performed, to have marred by arms that action, at least the solemnity of it. The remonstrants, with all their power, would have opposed it: others prolonged it so long as they were able. Always, blessed be God, it is this day celebrated with great joy and contentment to all honest-hearted men here. Mr Douglas, from 2 Kings, xi. Joash’s coronation, had a very pertinent, wise, and good sermon. The King sware the covenant, the league and covenant, the coronation-oath. When Argyle put on the crown, Mr Douglas prayed well; when the Chancellor set him on the throne, he exhorted well; when all were ended, he, with great earnestness pressed sincerity and constancy in the covenant on the King, delating at length King James’s breach of the covenant, pursued yet against the family, from Neh. v. 13. God’s casting the King out of his lap, and the 34th of Jeremiah, many plagues on him if he did not sincerely keep the oaths now taken. He closed all with a prayer, and the 20th psalm.

Dundas and Major Abernethy have most basely delivered the castle of Edinburgh to Cromwell. All the ministers saw the treachery, and protested against it. Wariston, Sir John Cheesly, and the Provost of Edinburgh, who put them in that trust, contrary to the minds of others, have little credit by it.

Now the parliament having, by the needless length of some, sat so long, ended their session on Monday after twelve at night. None of the remonstrants are on the committee of estates. Wariston, with great difficulty, was got on. All dilligence will now be used to get up an army. The Lord be with us. Our greatest danger will be from famine. Now get victuals to starving Ireland. It were an happy benefit if your Hollanders would bring us in victual for money. The Spaniard, nor any other, could never, by their persuasion nor force, hinder them to trade where-ever they find gain. Is not this a strange slavery now, our love to the English murderers, that they for their pleasure should give over all trade with us their brethren and well-deserving friends? Though we should never be able to revenge their ingratitude, yet there is a God who will see to it. Our case will be exceeding hard if, before the summer, your Zealanders, on piety and pity, be not moved to bring us victuals for all the money we have resting; though it may be the Lord may be pleased to open some other door which yet is not visible to us.

Perth, January 2, 1651.

P. S.—I think to-morrow we shall give order to excommunicate Strachan, and relax Middleton the next sabbath. By the coming of some, all engaging officers and noblemen were all purged out of our army, but now I think all of them, without any considerable exception, are received. On this necessary conclusion, some turbulent men are like to be factious; but to-morrow a warning is to be put out for their reclaiming if possible. By God’s blessing, our affairs shortly may be in a better posture. Our great troublers, both in church and state, have set themselves aside. If God give us over to Cromwell, we expect little good from these men but a violent executing of all in their remonstrance; but otherwise I think they may be brought quickly to repent their needless quarrelling. However, the Lord’s will be done, who has begun to comfort us with the smallest appearance of better hopes.

To Mr Calamy, Minister at London.
Glasgow, July 27, 1653.
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At this time I have no more to add, but this one word, to let you know, That on the 20th of July last, when our general assembly was set in the ordinary time and place, Lieutenant-Colonel Cottrell beset the church with some rattes of musqueteers and a troop of horse. Himself (after our fast, wherein Mr Dickson and Mr Douglas had two gracious sermons) entered the assembly house; and, immediately after Mr Dickson the Moderator his prayer, required audience; wherein he inquired, If we did sit there by the authority of the parliament of the commonwealth of England? or of the commanders in chief of the English forces? or of the English judges in Scotland? The Moderator replied, That we were an ecclesiastick synod, an spiritual court of Jesus Christ, which meddled not with any thing civil; that our authority was from God, and established by the laws of the land yet standing unrepealed; that by the Solemn League and Covenant, the most of the English army stood obliged to defend our general assembly. When some speeches of this kind had passed, the Lieutenant-Colonel told us, his order was, to dissolve us. Whereupon he commanded all of us to follow him; else he would drag us out of the room. When we had entered a protestation of this unheard-of and unexampled violence, we did rise, and follow him. He led us all through the whole streets a mile out of the town, encompassing us with foot-companies of musqueteers, and horsemen without; all the people gazing and mourning as at the saddest spectacle they had ever seen. When he had led us a mile without the town, he then declared what farther he had in commission, That we should not dare to meet any more above three in number; and that against eight o’clock to morrow, we should depart the town, under pain of being guilty of breaking the public peace: And the day following, by sound of trumpet, we were commanded off the town, under the pain of present imprisonment. Thus our general assembly, the glory and strength of our church upon earth, is by your soldiery crushed and trod under foot, without the least provocation from us, at this time, either in word or deed. For this our hearts are sad, our eyes run down with water, we sigh to God against whom we have sinned, and wait for the help of his hand; but from those who oppressed us we deserved no evil. We hear a noise of further orders, to discharge all our synods and presbyteries, and all prayer for our King. Many the most moderate reckon such orders will make havock of our church, and raise against many the best men we have, a sore persecution; which, God willing, we purpose to endure with all patience and faith, giving just offence to none.

I detain you no more. The Lord mind his Zion in these lands, and bless you, who for the time stand in the most eminent pinnacle thereof. Thus rests, your Brother to serve you,

Robert Baillie.