[138]. I believe, however, he owed much to the perverted education of the nobility, and the contracted tutelage of the influential middle ranks. It appears to me that the excellent men who superintended their studies, were more anxious to instil into their young minds party principles than practical truths; and likewise that the Presbyterian teachers, in their anxiety to keep aloof from the lax morals of the cavalliers, acted with a severity which alienated the affections of their pupils from themselves and their opinions.
In one instance, the Duke of York showed something like a respect for these principles. A wild sect had originated with John Gib, a sailor in Borrowstounness, named “the sweet singers,” or “the Gibbites,” from their leader. These retired to solitary places, burned the covenants, denied the king’s authority, refused to pay taxes, disowned the division into chapters and verses of the Old and New Testaments, the Psalms in metre, also the names of the months and days of the week, fasted long in the immediate expectation of the end of the world, and with curious inconsistency were constantly singing the penitential Psalms. Such at least were some of the charges against them; but when a number were apprehended and lodged in the Canongate tolbooth, they were after a short confinement dismissed, merely upon enacting themselves to keep the peace.
Far different was the treatment of the five worthies above mentioned. On the 26th of July, after a form of trial, they were all found guilty of treason, and ordered to be hanged next day, the day before parliament met. Mr Cargill came first. “As to the cause of my suffering,” he said, “the main is my not acknowledging the present authority, as it is established in the supremacy and explanatory act. This is the magistracy that I have rejected that was invested with Christ’s power.” “It is long,” said he, in the declaration which he left, “since I could have ventured on eternity through God’s mercy and Christ’s merits, yet death remained somewhat terrible; now that is taken away; now death is no more to me than to cast myself down in my husband’s arms. I have been most in the main things, not that I thought the things concerning our times little, but that I thought none could do any thing to purpose in God’s great and public matters till they were right in their conditions.” When he attempted from the scaffold to address the numerous assemblage, he was thrice interrupted by the drums, yet was he not discomposed. “Ye see,” said he, with a smiling countenance, “we have not liberty to speak, or to speak what we would; but God knoweth our hearts; be not discouraged at the way of Christ and the cause for which I am to lay down my life, and step into eternity, where my soul shall be as full of him as it can desire to be. And, now, this is the sweetest and most glorious day that ever my eyes did see.” “The Lord knows I go up this ladder with less fear and perturbation of mind than ever I entered the pulpit to preach. I forgive all men the wrongs they have done against me. I pray that the sufferers may be kept from sin and helped to know their duty.” He afterwards prayed a little, and the executioner turned him over praying. The others met death with equal solemn confidence and joy.
On that same day the Duke of Rothes died; and Wodrow tells us, “that, as through life, except when pushed on by others, he was never for severities against Presbyterian ministers; so at his death he had the advantage of some of them with him. He appeared concerned upon views of eternity, and the Reverend Mr John Carstairs waited upon him, and prayed with him—the Duke of Hamilton and many others of his noble relations being present; and few were present without being affected very sensibly.” By his death the office of Chancellor becoming vacant, many of the chief nobility, in expectation of succeeding him, became more subservient to the royal Duke, which enabled him to carry his despotic measures with greater facility than perhaps he could otherwise have done.
BOOK XVII.
A.D. 1681.
Parliament—Act for securing the Protestant religion—asserting the divine right and lineal succession of their kings—for securing the peace of the country—Lord Bargeny’s case—-The Test—debate upon it—Belhaven—Argyle—objections to its imposition—Argyle takes it with an explanation—his trial—escapes from the Castle—forfeited—Fraser of Brea—fined—banished.
At nine o’clock of the forenoon of July 28, the peers in their robes, and the commissioners of shires in their foot-mantles, assembled at Holyrood-house on horseback, whence they accompanied his Royal Highness James Duke of Albany and York to the Parliament House. There being neither Chancellor nor Treasurer, the Marquis of Atholl was appointed president of the parliament. Paterson, bishop of Edinburgh, opened it by a prayer.[[139]] The Duchess of York and several other ladies were present, which was uncommon in those days, and considered indecorous. The Duke of York, who, as a papist would, but for a party in the English House of Lords, have been excluded from the succession, was sent to Scotland as commissioner to secure that country, and lay the foundation of another civil war, if things went adverse to his interest in England. Nor was any opposition made by this mean-spirited assemblage to receiving a papist as their king’s representative: previously to their meeting, it had been privately agitated, but the Duke of Hamilton refused to have any thing to do with the business, unless a majority could be previously secured.
[139]. The first thing which came before the parliament was of course the settling of controverted elections, on which occasion Bishop Paterson gave proof of his fitness for the office he filled. “The Bishop of Edinburgh was heard to say, in the debateable election of East Lothian, that, for serving the king, the committee might very lawfully prefer one who was inferior in votes, and they might pass over four or five votes to hold out a Shaftesbury, which,” adds Lord Fountainhall, “was spoke very like one who minded his oath, his parliament oath, de fideli, to judge according to law!”—Decis, vol. i. p. 140.