The Lords' Journals, Dec. 10, 14, 1640, shew the sensitiveness of the House upon what concerned the honour of the Scots and the English lords, who favoured them, and in reference to all which indicated popish sympathies.
[136] The first night they tarried at lodgings, "in the Common Garden." Baillie adds: "The city is desirous we should lodge with them, so to-morrow I think we must flit."
[137] Hallam says: (Const. Hist., i. 527) The petition was prepared "at the instigation of the Scotch Commissioners." Baillie's letters do not support this statement. The Scots, however, were very early in the field against Laud. Lords' Journals, January 2, 1641.
[138] "At London we met with many ministers from most parts of the kingdom; and upon some meetings and debates, it was resolved that a committee should be chosen to draw up a remonstrance of our grievances, and to petition the Parliament for reformation, which was accordingly done."—Clark's Lives, page 8.
[139] Cross-grained, twisted. Baillie's Letters, &c., i. 286.
[140] Rushworth, iv. 135.
[141] The Somersetshire churchmen expressed themselves in moderate terms.—Hallam's Const. Hist., i. 527.
From Cheshire came two petitions, one signed by Episcopalians, the other by Puritans, calling prelates "mighty enemies and secret underminers" of the church and commonwealth.—Nonconformity in Cheshire. Introduction, xiv.
[142] Amongst the petitions of that period was one by Master William Castell, parson of Courtenhall, in the county of Northampton: "for the propagating of the gospel in America and the West Indies." While condemning the proceedings of Spaniards, and lamenting the indifference of English, Scotch, French, and Dutch, the petition expresses the desire of the petitioners, "to enlarge greatly the pale of the Church;" to make the synagogues of Satan temples of the Holy Ghost; "and millions of those silly, seduced Americans, to hear, understand, and practise the mystery of godliness." A large number of names are appended, approving the petition. The learned Edmund Castell, Robert Sanderson (afterwards Bishop of Lincoln), Joseph Caryl, and Edmund Calamy, appear in the list, and it is added that the petition had the approbation of Master Alexander Henderson, and some worthy ministers of Scotland. The union of such different men in this missionary endeavour is worthy of notice.—Anderson's History of the Colonial Church, ii. 11.
[143] Abridged from Rushworth, iv. 155.—Baillie says that, as to the part about the bishops, there "was no hum; and no applause as to the rest."—Letters, i. 292.