Declaration Concerning the Late Tumults in Scotland, Floating text 12 – Floating text 13
The Protestation of the Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, Burrows, Ministers and Commons, &c.
WEe Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, Burgesses, Ministers, and Commons, That whereas wee the Kings Majesties true and loyall Subjects, who have ever esteemed it our greatest happinesse to live under a religious and righteous King, and our greatest glory to testifie our best affections to our gracious Soveraign, have beene in His Majesties absence from this His native Kingdome heavily pressed for a long time past, And especially of late, with diverse innovations, which both in themselves, and in the way wherein they have beene urged, doe manifestly tend to the prejudice of the Kings honour, and of our Religion, Laws and Liberties, And by which we were brought to such extremitie, that there was no way left betwixt the rock of excommunication, and the high paine of rebellion on the one part, and the desperate danger of forsaking the way of true Religion and the breach of our Covenant with God on the other, but to represent our case, and present our supplications to the Lords of secret Councell, that being equally pondered by them, they might either be answered by themselves, or by their recommendation might ascend to his Majesties owne consideration: And therefore in all humble manner we did to this effect supplicate their Lordsh: we were most willing (for the modest following of our supplications) to obey their direction in choosing Commissioners for the great number of supplicants, who flocked together from all quarters of the Kingdome; were carefull to order our selves in all Christian and quiet carriage, and against the tediousnesse of many and long delaies did wait for a long time with very great patience, till at last they were pleased to receive our supplications, complaints and bills: And conceiving them to containe weightier matters then could by themselves bee determined, they did promise and undertake to represent and recommend the same, according to their more then ordinary importance, unto his Majesties Royall consideration, and to report his Majesties answer.
While his Majesties good Subjects of all ranks, throughout the whole Kingdome, had their minds wakened, and their hearts filled with the expectation of a gracious and satisfactorie answer, worthy of his Majesties pious and equitable disposition, in the Month of February last, incontinent a rumour flyeth through the Countrie, and filleth all eares, That the Lords of his Majesties secret Councell were commanded to make such a Proclamation concerning the Service booke, booke of Canons, and the peaceable meetings of his Majesties good Subjects in time comming, as we were perswaded to have beene procured by the secret working, and malignant mis-information of our adversaries, Seeking for their owne private ends, without respect to his Majesties honour, and welfare of this Kirk and Kingdome, to stop the course of our legall proceedings, and to escape their owne due censure: And therefore intending to make known to the Lords of secret Councell what was noised concerning the Proclamation; how far the whole Kingdome had been by some sinistrous mis-information frustrate of their hopes, and their constant desire to have some course taken by their Lordsh: advice; how his Majestie being further informed, might deliver his good subjects from so great grievances and feares, and establish a sure peace in this Countrie for time to come; we found our selves tyed by order of Law to decline those against whom we had made our complaint, unlesse we would admit our parties to be our Judges: And in case our Declinator should not be accepted, we behoved to protest, that we might have immediate recourse to the King himselfe, &c.
Thereafter in the MonethMonth of March, finding that by the foresaid Proclamation the innovations supplicated against were approven, our lawfull proceedings condemned, our most necessary meetings prohibited, there being no other way left unto us, wee were necessitate to renew the nationall Covenant of this Kirk and Kingdome, thereby to reconcile us to God, provoked to wrath against us, by the breach of his Covenant within this Land, to cleare our Soveraigns mind from all jealousies and suspicions, arising from our adversaries mis-information of our intentions and carriage; and so to make way for his acceptance of our humble supplications, and grant of their lawfull remedies, to guard this Land in defence of Religion, authoritie and liberty against inward divisions, and externall violences. And that our actions might be answerable to our holy profession, we afterward drew up an humble supplication, containing our grievances, and desires of the ordinary remedies thereof, to have beene delivered to the King himselfe: In the meane time wee were directed by those, who were intrusted by his Majesty, to attend his Declaration here in Scotland, which would free us of all feares of innovations of Religion, and prove satisfactorie: And lest for want of true information of our just grievances and desires it should fall out otherwise, wee expressed to them, with the greatest modestie wee could, our desires in some few Articles, and with great patience have attended his Majesties pleasure thereanent: And all this MonethMonth by-gone being frequently conveened to heare the same delivered by his Majesties Commissioner the right Noble and potent Lord James Marquesse of Hamiltoun, &c. we presented a new petition to his Grace as his Majesties Commissioner, craving most humbly the indiction of a free Assembly and Parliament, as the onelyonly remedies thereof: Like as finding a mis-information, or mistake of our Covenant with God, as if it had beene an unlawfull combination to bee the maine hinderance of obtaining our desires, in a new supplication; wee have fully removed that impediment, renewed our desires of those supreme judicatories, to bee indicted with diligence, for settling of the Kirke and Kingdome: But being answered only with delayes after these nine Moneths attendance, and with this Proclamation that conteined his Majesties gracious declaration of his pious intentions, not to admit of any innovations in Religion or Law, nor any staine of Popish superstition, But on the contrary to be resolved to maintaine the true Christian Religion professed in this Kingdome; which we were ever so far from calling in question, as in our supplicatications, complaints, and bills we used the same as one cause of our desires, one ground of our confidence of a gracious answer, and argument of our adversaries malignant mis-information of so religious a King▪ And now most humbly (with bended knees and bowed hearts) thanke our gracious Soveraigne for the same, Wishing and praying the Lord of heaven, truly and fully to informe his Majestie how far these bookes, judicatories, and all our other evils and grievances are full of idolatrous superstitions, and Popish errours, How destructive of the reformation of Religion in this Land, and of the Lawes and Liberties of this Church and Kingdome, and so directly contrary to this his Majesties pious intention and Declaration.
Yet seeing that no Proclamation could sufficiently remove the present evils, nor settle our feares, nor secure us from the re-entrie of any evill or Innovation, which it seemed to discharge or prevent the like in time comming, nor satisfie our humble supplications, craving the present indiction of a free Assembly and Parliament, as the only remedies of our evils, and meanes to prevent the like: And seeing this Proclamation doth not so much as make mention, or acknowledge any of our supplications, complaints and grievances, or any just cause thereof, except under the name of great increase of disorders, faults, and mis-demeanours, but only our feares of some future Innovation of Religion or Lawes, occasioned onelyonly (as is pretended) by the introduction of the Service booke, booke of Canons, and High Commission; which feares his Majestie hoped to have beene abundantly and sufficiently satisfied by his two former Proclamations of the ninth of December, and ninteenth of February. And by this his present Declaration, except his subjects bee blindly (under pretext of Religion) led unto disobedience, Doth mis-ken, passe over, and so in effect denie all our supplications, bills, articles, and desires, especially our complaints against the Prelats our parties. And, that once for all, in a faire and perswasive way, even after the resaite of our last supplication, clearing us from the calumnie of unlawfull combination; Doth not disallow nor discharge any of the innovations, and evils complained upon, but only assureth that his Majestie will not presse their practice, but in such a faire and legall way, as shall satisfie his subjects of his intention; which (joyned with the other clause, allowing and confirming the Proclamation the nineteenth of February) evidenceth the liberty left to any Prelate or persons to practise the same, and by all other faire waies to perswade others thereunto; and his Majesties resolution to presse their practice in a faire and legall way: And also confirmeth the former Declaration, that the Service Booke is a ready meane to maintaine the true Religion already professed, and to beat out all Superstition, and no waies to be contrary to the Lawes of this Kingdome, but to be compiled and approved for the universall use and edification of all his Majesties subjects; Doth not abolish, but promiseth to rectifie the High Commission, with advice of his privie Councell, implying the Kings power, with consent of the Councell, to establish this or any judicatory within this Kingdome, without consent of the three Estates conveened in Parliament, contrary to the fundamentall and expresse Lawes thereof; and by consequent with the like reason, to establish Lawes and Service bookes, without consent of the Assembly and Parliament; Which is contrary to the maine ground of all our supplications, against the manner of their introduction; Doth only promise to take into his consideration in an Assembly and Parliament, which shall bee called at his best convenience, while as the evident and urgent necessity, for settling the combustions, threatning the totall dissolution and desolation of this Church and State, excuseth our uncessant and importune calling for these present remedies; Doth insinuate the continuance and execution of any pretended Lawes for these innovations of worship, and corruptions of Church government, and civill places of Church-men, which by our Covenant, wee have obliged our selves to forbeare, and the re-establishment of these evils in an Assembly and Parliament, which hee will call in his best convenience, to wit, for that and this other end of satisfying his subjects judgements anent the Service Booke and Book of Canons; Doth condemne all our former proceedings, even our supplicating, complaining, protesting, subscribing of our Covenant together, and our continuall meetings, as great disorders, increase of disorders, deserving justly a powerfull rather then a perswasive way, a running headlong into ruine, a perishing in our faults, a blind disobedience under pretext of Religion, and doth threaten & denounce, Now once for all, If we be not heartily satisfied, and give testimony of our obedience after this Declaration, but continue, as by our former proceedings, to draw on our owne ruine, that, albeit unwillingly, he must make use of that power which God hath indued him with, for reclaiming of so disobedient people.
THerefore we, in our own name, and in name of all who will adhere to the Confession of Faith, and reformation of Religion within this Land, are forced and compelled, out of our bound duty to God, our King, native Country, our selves and our posterity. (lest our silence should be prejudiciall to so important a cause, as concernes Gods glory and worship, our Religion and salvation, the Lawes and Liberties of this Church and Kingdome, or derogatory to our former supplications, complaints, protestations, Articles and proceedings, or unanswerable to the solemne oath of our nation covenant with God) To declare before God and man, and to protest, Primo, That we doe, and will constantly adhere, according to our vocation and power, to the said Reformation, in doctrine, use of Sacraments, and discipline; And that notwithstanding of any innovations introduced therein, either of old or of late. Secundo, we potest, That we adhere to the grievances, supplications, and protestations given in at Assemblies and Parliaments, and to our late supplications, complaints, protestations, and other lawfull proceedings against the same, and particularly against the Service book, and booke of Canons, as maine innovations of Religion and Lawes, and full of Popish superstition, and so directly contrary to the Kings Declaration, And against the High Commission, as a judicatory established contrary to the Lawes and Liberties of this Church and Kingdome, and destructive of other lawfull judicatories, which both in respect of the nature of it, and manner of introduction, without consent of the three Estates of Parliament, cannot be any wayes rectified, but absolutely discharged: Tertio, we protest, That we adhere with our hearts to our Oath and subscription of the Confession of Faith, the solemne Covenant betweene God, this Church and Kingdome, and the clauses particularly therein expressed and generally contained, and to our last Articles for the peace of this Kirke and Kingdome, drawne out of it, and to all the matters therein contained, and manner of remedy therein desired. Quarto, We protest, that this Proclamation or act of Councell, or any other act, or Proclamation, or Declaration, or ratification thereof, By subscription, or act, or letter, or any other manner of way whatsoever, or any precondemnation of our cause or carriage, before the same be lawfully heard and tryed in the supreme judicatories of this Kirk and Kingdome, the onelyonly proper judges to nationall causes and proceedings, or any certification or threatning therein denounced, shall no waies be prejudiciall to the Confession of Faith, lawes, and liberties of this Kingdome, nor to our supplications, complaints, protestations, articles, lawfull meetings, proceedings, pursuits, mutuall defences, nor to our persons and Estates, and shall no wayes be disgracefull either in reality or opinion, at home or abroad, to us or any of us: But on the contrary, that any act, or letter, or subscription of the Councell, carrying the approbation of the declaration, and condemnation of our proceedings, indicta causa, is and ought to be repute & esteemed unjust, illegall & null, as here before God and man we offer to clear, & to verifie both the justice of our cause and carriage, and the injustice of such acts against us, in the face of the first generall Assembly of the Church & Parliament of the Estates, unto whom with all solemnities requisite, we do publikly appeal. Quinto, We protest, that seeing our former supplications, last Articles, & our last desire and petition to his Majesties Commissioner, which petitioned for the present indiction of a free general Assembly & Parliament, according to the law and custome of all nations, & of this nation in the like case, to hear the desires, ease the grievances, & settle the fears of the body of the Church & Kingdome, are thus delayed, & in effect refused, to wit, Once for all, till his Majesties conveniency for the end contained in this Proclamation, that We continue by thir presents to supplicate his Majesty again and again, for the granting of the same: And whatsoever trouble or inconvenience fall out in this land in the mean time, for want of these ordinary remedies, and by the practice of any of these innovations & evils, contrary to our supplications, articles, & confession, it be not imputed unto us, who most humbly beg these lawfull remedies, but also that it is, & shall be lawfull unto us, to defend and maintain the Religion, lawes and liberties of this Kingdome, the Kings Authority in defence thereof, & every one of us one another in that cause, of maintaining the Religion, and the Kings foresaid Authority, according to our power, vocation and Covenant, with our best counsel, bodies, lives, means, & whole strength, against all persons whatsoever, & against all externall or internall invasions menaced in this Proclamation. Like as that in the great exigencie of the Church, necessitating the use of this ordinary and lawfull remedies, for settling the commotions thereof, it is and shall be leasome unto us to appoint, hold and use the ordinary means, our lawfull meetings and Assemblies of the Church agreeble to the Law of God, and practice of the primitive Church, the Acts of the generall Assemblies, and Parliaments, and the example of our Worthy Reformers in the like case. Sexto, We protest, that our former Supplications, Complaints, Protestations, Confessions, meetings, proceedings and mutuall defences of every one another in this cause, as they are, and were in themselves most necessary, and orderly meanes agreeable to the lawes & practice of this Church and Kingdome, to be commended as reall duties of faithfull Christians, loyall Subjects, and sensible members of the body of the Church and Kingdome, and no wise to be stiled nor accounted great disorders, misdemeanors, blind disobedience under pretext of Religion, and running headlong into ruine, &c. So they proceeded only from conscience of our duty to God, our King, native Country, and our posterity, and doth tend to no other end, but to the preservation of the true reformed Religion, the confession of Faith, Lawes, and Liberties of this His Majesties most ancient Kingdome, and of His Majesties authority in defence thereof, and satisfaction of our humble desires, contained in our Supplications, complaints and articles, unto the which we adhere againe and again, as we would eschew the curse of the Almighty God, following the breach of his Covenant: And yet we doe certainly expect, according to the Kings Majesty his accustomed goodnesse and justice, that His sacred Majesty after a true information of the justice of our cause and carriage, will presently indict these ordinary remedies of a free Assembly and Parliament, to our just Supplications, complaints, and articles, which may be expected, and useth to be granted from so just and gracious a King, towards most loyall and dutifull Subjects, calling for redresse of so pressing grievances, and praying heartily that His Majesty may long and prosperously reigne over us.
WHereupon a Noble Earle, John Earle of Cassles, &c. in name of the Noblemen, M. Alexander Gibson younger of Dury in name of the Barons, James Fletcher Provost of Dundy in name of the Borrowes, M. John Ker Minister at Salt-Prestoun in name of the Ministers, and Master Archbald Johnston, Reader hereof, in name of all who adheres to the Confession of Faith and Covenant lately renewed within this Kingdome, tooke Instruments in the hands of three Notars present, at the said mercat Crosse of Edinburgh, being invironed with great numbers of the foresaid Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, Borrows, Ministers and Commons, before many hundred witnesses, and craved the extract thereof: And in token of their dutifull respect to his Majesty, confidence of the equity of their cause, and innocencie of their carriage, and hope of his Majesties gracious acceptance, they offered in all humilitie, with submisse reverence, a Copy thereof to the Herauld.
NOw We must appeale to the judgement of the world, whether there was any thing in this Our Proclamation which deserved such an undutifull and rebellious Protestation, or the seditious clamours, which both at their private and publicke meetings, especially in their Pulpits, were made against it.
This Protestation needeth no answere; for after the first part of it, which is nothing but a repetition of that which they have so often said, there is nothing but a number of falsities heaped up together, as the Reader may easily perceive: For whereas they alledge, That they have removed the impediment which caused their Covenant to be mistaken, as if it had beene an unlawfull combination; We suppose that thereby they meane that which they tendered to Our Commissioner, and called it by the name of an explication of their Covenant; which explication was so farre from giving unto Us any satisfaction, that both to Us and all reasonable men it must needs appeare to be a stronger confirmation of their unlawfull combination: For whereas they refused to except Us out of the number of those persons against whom their band of mutuall maintenance is intended, it plainely demonstrateth, that in their intentions We are the person chiefly aimed at. In some few lines after this, they professe that they never so much as called in question Our resolution to maintaine the Religion professed in that kingdome, and Our care for not admitting any Innovations in Religion, or any staine of Popish superstition: Now We doe appeale even to their owne consciences, whether in their private meetings, nay even in their publike assemblies and Sermons, they have not endevoured to settle in Our good subjects mindes opinions, feares, and jealousies, quite contrarie to these their printed asseverations. In the last part they ground their Protestation upon no grounds but such as these: That they will continue together, because they have obliged themselves by oath so to doe, and because they will and are resolved to adhere constantly to what they have done, and because they offer to cleare themselves before a generall Assembly and Parliament, where they themselves make accompt to be Judges. Now these and such like false and weake grounds it is very unnecessarie to confute, the rehearsall of them being upon the first view, their sufficient conviction. After all these, they end their Protestation with two very unsavourie conclusions: The first is, that if We will not allow of their proceedings, they themselves will call a Generall Assembly, which shall be sure to allow of them. A notable piece of hypocrisie and disloyaltie together, to be suiters to Us for that which they (as they say) both may doe and are resolved to doe without Our leave: The second is, they protest, that, notwithstanding any thing which We doe or shall say to the contrarie, all their proceedings are in themselves most necessarie, and orderly meanes, agreeable to the Laws and practise of that Church and Kingdome, to be commended as reall duties of faithfull Christians, loyall subjects, and sensible members of the body of that Church and Kingdome, and no way to be styled or accounted great disorders, misdemeanours, blinde disobedience, under pretext of Religion, and running headlong into ruine: All which words are multiplied, onelyonly to make up a verie unmannerly contradiction to the verie words of Our Proclamation.
Our Commissioner seeing, not that he was not able to give, but that they were resolute not to receive any satisfaction by what was offered, and that the most that they could be brought to, was that which they called an explication of their Covenant, but indeed was none; for they would never yeeld that these words, whereby in their Covenant they bound themselves in a mutuall defence against all persons whatsoever, should admit this interpretation (Except the King:) He told them plainly, that since his Instructions were out, he could proceed no further with them without new conference with, and Instructions from Us; and therefore he resolved a speedie journey to Us, to informe Us of what had passed, and make Us acquainted with that explication of their Covenant which they had given him, though as it had given no satisfaction to himselfe, so he was sure it would give none to Us: In the meane time, he entreated them to behave themselves more quietly and peaceably then they had done, untill Our pleasure were further knowne.
That pretended explication of their Covenant was conceived by way of Petition, and was this.
To His Majesties Commissioner: The supplication of the Noblemen, Barons, Burgesses, Ministers and Commons here attending His Majesties gracious answer of our former petitions, complaints, and desires,
Humbly shewing,
THat whereas we expecting from your Grace, as His Majesties Commissioner, a gracious answer of our former supplications, complaints and just desires, have presented to your Grace a petition, humbly craving a free generall Assembly and Parliament, as the ordinarie remedy of our grievances, and the onelyonly meane to put this Kirk and Kingdome to quietnesse, It pleased your Grace to shew, that His Majestie, from His princely care of this Kirk and Kingdome, would be most willing to indict a free generall Assembly, and call a Parliament for those good ends, but that your Grace, as His Majesties Commissioner, hath conceived the Confession of faith, and Covenant latelie renewed by us His Majesties subjects, to be an unlawfull combination against Authority; thereby to cast off our dutifull obedience, and not a Covenant for maintaining of true Religion, of His Majesties Person and Authority, and of the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdome. And we being most willing to remove that, as the maine hinderance of the obtaining of our desires; Therefore, and for clearing of our loyaltie, and vindicating our selves from so great an imputation, Wee do now in all humility remonstrate to your Grace, as His Majesties Commissioner, and declare before God and men, that we are heartily grieved and sorrie, that any good man, but most of all that our dread Soveraigne should so conceive of our doing: And that we were, and still are so fa…re from any thought of withdrawing our selves from our dutifull subjection, and obedience to His Majesties government, which by the descent, and under the raigne of 107 Kings, is most chearfully acknowledged by us and our predecessours, that we never had, nor have any intention or desire to attempt any thing that may turne to the dishonour of God, or diminution of the Kings greatnesse and authority. But on the contrary, we acknowledging our quietnesse, stability and happinesse to depend upon the safety of the Kings Majestie, as upon Gods Vicegerent set over us for maintenance of Religion, and ministration of Justice, have solemnly sworne, not onelyonly our mutuall concurrence and assistance for the cause of Religion, but also to the uttermost of our power, with our meanes and lives, to stand to the defence of our dread Soveraigne the Kings Majestie, His Person and Authority, in the preservation and defence of the true Religion, Liberties and Lawes of the Kingdome. And therefore, we His Majesties loyall subjects, free from that and all other imputations of that kinde, most humbly beseech your Grace to esteeme that our Confession of Faith and Covenant, to have been intended, and to be the largest testimony of our fidelity to God, and loyaltie to our King: And that hinderance being removed, must still supplicate that your Grace would be pleased to indict a free generall Assembly and Parliament, which will undoubtedly redresse all our evils, settle the peace of the Kirk and Kingdome, and procure that chearfulnesse of obedience which ought to be rendred to His Majesty, carrying with it the offer of our fortunes, and best endeavours for His Majesties honour and happinesse, as a reall testimony of our thankfulnesse, and our hearty prayers to God that His Majestie may long and prosperously raigne over us.
NOw, doth this Petition deserve the name of an explication of their Covenant? much lesse of such an explication as should give either Us or Our Commissioner any satisfaction? No, for it containeth neither more nor lesse then this, that they doe not meane to shake off their obedience, if We will give way to all their courses, which by this Petition they justifie; so that their meaning is, that they will continue obedient subjects, if We will part from Our Soveraigntie; which is in effect, that they will obey if Wee will suffer them to command. But where it was expected that to these words of their Covenant, whereby they binde themselves to mutuall maintenance, against all persons whatsoever, should have beene added, except the King and his successors, that was refused, though even that could have given no satisfaction, unlesse We should give way to that which divers Acts of Parliament have made sedition, and punishable with death.
Upon notice given by Our Commissioner of his intended departure, the debatements at their Table grew very hot and fierie upon this point, Whether they should presently indict a Generall Assembly, and fall upon the violent courses intended by them, or that they should grant some short time for his journey, his stay with Us, his returne to them againe, with Our finall answer and last resolution; and in the meane time promise that they would behave themselves quietly and peaceably, and continue all things in statu quo untill his returne. This last was agreed unto, though not without much contrarietie of voices, and so some of the principall Covenanters came and acquainted him with this their resolution, which was, That they would expect Our answer, and his returne upon the fifth of August next at the furthest; untill which time they would breake up their great meeting, containe themselves and the people in quietnesse and peace; but if by that day he did either not return, or not bring with him from Us such an answere as they expected, then they would hold themselves free, and goe on to prosecute the courses which they had resolved upon. And so Our Commissioner begun his journey towards Us.
After Our Commissioner had at Greenwich made Us fully acquainted with all their insolencies, We speedily dispatched him with new Instructions, and commanded him to returne, so that he might be backe in Scotland by the fifth of August, and gave him order for the indicting both of a Generall Assembly and a Parliament, but so, that he should first be fully satisfied, by all informations which he could conveniently receive, of the constitution of a Generall Assembly, with which perhaps many were not acquainted, none having beene kept for divers yeares: And therefore it did require good deliberation, to agree both upon the members of the Assembly (not for their persons but for their qualitie) and of what things were usually treated and handled there.
No sooner was he returned into Scotland, but he found all things in much worse case, and in a farre greater combustion then he left them: For he found that the heads of the faction (being affraid that he might bring backe with him some satisfactory accommodation, which Our subjects might like well, but they themselves resolved to reject) had in the time of his absence assured their followers, that they might compasse their ends by such means and upon such conditions as themselves desired: Nay, they proceeded so far, as to make the people beleeve what they knew to be most untrue, viz. That Our Commissioner was well satisfied with all their proceedings, and especially with their Covenant, in regard of the late explication they had made of it; and were so impudent as to use that inducement for an argument, whereby they perswaded many of all sorts, especially of the Ministers, who had formerly stood out against their Covenant, to enter into it, in this short time of his absence from them; And the three Ministers in their answers to the Queries of the Divines of Aberdene, had the boldnesse to print, that Our Commissioner rested satisfied with their Covenant, according to their explication of it: With which their notorious calumnie he found himselfe so highly injured, in a point which so much concerned his loyaltie to Us, and the trust reposed in him by Us, they he was enforced to call the Lords of Our Councell, divers others of Our Nobilitie, and some of the Lords Covenanters themselves, to give testimonie of his frequent asseverations in their hearing, that as he himselfe was no way satisfied with that explication, so he was assured that We neither would nor could receive any satisfaction by it, only that he would present it to Us at their entreatie: And besides the attestation of so many witnesses, he was necessitated, both for clearing of himselfe to Us, and preventing the further encrease of Covenanters, upon that false and groundlesse surmise, to print a Manifest and Declaration of his own clearnesse and their calumnie.
It is true that they printed a weake answer to that Manifest, in which they confesse, that they never heard him say that he was satisfied with that Declaration, but that by some probable reasons (which are there expressed, and indeed are most improbable ones) they were induced to beleeve that he was satisfied with it, although that both to their new Proselytes, and in the Ministers printed answers, they had positively averred, that after he had received that explication he was fully satisfied with their Covenant: Which dealing of theirs gave occasion for many to thinke, that this false aspersion was put upon him, by those who ever laboured to strangle all hopes of reconciliation, onelyonly to raise in Us a distrustfull jealousie of his service, that so he might be called backe, and the people made beleeve that no relieving of their grievances was intended by Us.
About the same time a great stirre was raised in that Kingdome upon a very slender ground, which was this: There had been printed at Antwerpe in severall pieces▪ the pictures of the severall stories of the Gospels, and Acts of the Apostles, after the manner as they are usually printed in the Romish Church; some Papists, and it may be others, had caused these severall pieces to be bound in their Bibles, at the severall chapters of those stories to which they did relate; they found such a Bible printed at Edinburgh, which being printed (as all Bibles are) by Our priviledge, upon a sudden there were made most tragicall complaints, that pictures and images were brought into their Bibles by Our authoritie, aggravated by the heads of that faction, especially the Ministers, with the imminent dangers of the present introduction of Poperie, Superstition, & Idolatrie, still to make the people averse from all hope of satisfaction; so that some did conceive, that these pictures might bee bound in that Bible by some of themselves, meerly to irritate the people, and continue them in their distance from returning to Our obedience: but so far with this particular we cannot charge them.
Now, notwithstanding these new and daily emergent combustions, and their perpetuall working of the people, both in their Pulpits and at their other meetings, to new insolencies and greater heights of rage and furie, Our Commissioner resolved (as well as he could) to passe them over, and to enter into treatie with them for the preparative overtures of a Generall Assemblie, because he did see that all these impediments and blocks were laid purposely in his way, that either hee might stumble at them, or bee so scared as to go back; for it was plainely perceived, that whensoever he made any proposition of peace, likely to take or please, they presently cast about how to dash it with some new violence and accident which should make it impossible, as did most evidently appeare in this particular.
Our Commissioner sent some of Our Councell to conferre with some of the principall Covenanters, concerning some necessarie propositions fit to be resolved upon before the indicting of the Assemblie▪ both concerning the members of which it was to bee constituted, and concerning the matters to be treated of in it, (two consultations usually previous to that meeting, for the omission whereof in one Assemblie of later times, they had so grievously complained, that in a Petition exhibited by the Ministers of their side, it was alleadged for a nullitie of that Assemblie:) This message was received with so much choler and contempt, that they presently blazed it abroad amongst their followers, for a proposition tending utterly to the ruine of the Lawes and liberties both of Church and Kingdome, that the hearkning to any such overtures was an absolute prelimitation of that Assemblie, which they intended should be free and generall, that neither of the members of their Assemblie, nor of the matters to bee handled in it, they would speak so much as one word untill they came upon the place, and were in the Assemblie; that then and there the Assemblie it selfe was to be the sole judge both of the competencie of the members elected, of the regularitie of their election, and of all matters treated of there, whether they were of their cognisance and jurisdiction or not, and likewise gave out, that they did not much care whether Our Commissioner would indict an Assemblie or not: they would indeed like it better if it were indicted by Our authoritie, but if We, requested by them so to do, should refuse it, they both could and would do it of themselves: Then did their Pulpits againe begin to ring with this monstrous proposition, as they called it, of the utter subversion of the liberties of their Church, by the prelimitation of their Assemblie, as if this conference propounded by Our Commissioner concerning the orderly proceedings in that meeting, had beene such a blow to their Church, as they could not feare a greater from Rome it selfe.
And to make Our Commissioner beleeve that they were in good earnest, they had a little before caused the Presbyterie of Peebles to begin with the election for their Commissioners to the Generall Assemblie, being a place not above twentie miles distant from Edinburgh, so that they were sure it must speedily come to his knowledge: To this election all the Gentlemen within the compasse of that Presbyterie resorted, intruded themselves by violence, and in despite of the Ministers would give their voices to the chusing both of the Ministers and one lay-man to be Commissioners for that Presbyterie at the next Assemblie, whensoever, and wheresoever it should bee kept, when as yet no Assemblie was indicted.
Our Commissioner weighing well these two things; First, that the principall Covenanters, Noblemen, Gentlemen, and Ministers, as hee had occasion to speak with them severally, and upon severall occasions, had protested unto him, that their meaning never was quite to abolish Episcopall government, but onelyonly to have it limited and restricted, according to the Lawes of that Church and Kingdome, and that they might bee accomptable to, and censurable by the Generall Assemblie, if they should transgresse these limits; adding, that they had farre rather live under that government, then under the tyrannie of the Presbyeries, which they had heard their fathers so much complaine of, and had given them charge to beware of; the like Protestations they having likewise made to divers of Our Councell, and others: And secondly, considering that he now found that they begun to speak more sparingly and reservedly in that point, and would not so much as treat of it before the Assemblie, and that some of them had given out, that they had resolved upon a way to throw off that grievous burthen of the Presbyteries, with the weight whereof their fathers were so much grieved, viz. by joyning so many Laick Elders to every Presbyterie as there should be Ministers in it, by which meanes the Laitie should bee able to keep the Presbyterie under, without the help of Bishops. Our Commissioner was now once againe at a stand, not knowing how to proceed, as not being sufficiently warranted by Our instructions to indict a Generall Assemblie or Parliament, unlesse hee should first bee satisfied by advice of them who understood the formes of Assemblies, what course was to bee held, both for the members of that Assemblie, and the manner of their election, and for a previous consultation of the principall things to be treated there; all which consultations the Covenanters did utterly reject: He therefore resolved once againe to make a journey to Us, and acquaint Us with these new occurrences, since hee found them daily increasing in their obstinacie, & so changed, as he was not able to make any judgment, either of their resolutions, or desires, or of what would give them satisfaction.
And therefore Our Commissioner told them plainely, that he had no authoritie from Us to indict an Assemblie, unlesse some particulars were agreed upon, both concerning the constitution of the Assemblie, the present settling the peace of the Kingdom, and the righting and restoring to their places such Ministers as had beene displaced without order of Law, who might againe be displaced, if at the Assemblie they were found to deserve it: The summe of Our demands he delivered to the chiefe Lords Covenanters in these ten Articles, which will be found by the reading of them to be verie just and reasonable.