episcopal clergy; but the presbyterian ministers followed the orders of the commission, "because they knew they were in earnest; but as for the parliament, they knew not well what they meant. And, indeed, when such as did not obey the commission came afterwards to be prosecuted for it, they found little sympathy from the parliament-men1." SO ACTIVE and persevering had the presbyterian ministers been in the west of Scotland, that their partisans began "to draw to a head" in order to oppose the Engagement with arms; and the forces destined for the king's rescue were sent to Glasgow to repress the rising. During Argyle's absence the duke was all-powerful in the parliament; but he quashed a motion which was made to censure Argyle for his late trafficing against the Engagement, and for holding treasonable correspondence with Cromwell. The marquis of Huntly had remained ever since his capture in the common jail of the city; and, although the duke was frequently importuned for his release, yet all that could be obtained was an exchange of prisons, from the jail to the castle. The severity practised towards this nobleman shews the real enmity which the duke entertained towards the king, and his desire to gratify the revenge of Argyle and his faction. The parliament appointed the next to be holden in March, 1650, and they selected a grand committee to govern in the interval, with plenary power in all emergencies, and with power to call a parliament pro re nata before the appointed time, if they should see cause; nine of the committee at home were to be a quorum, and seven of those who attended the army, and the two committees were to correspond. "In relation," says Guthry, "to this model of the committee of estates, one thing was remarked by those who were possessed with prejudice against the duke; and it was, that his grace would needs have the marquis of Argyle and his adherents nominated members of the committee, notwithstanding they had openly deserted the parliament, and were actually employed in stirring up disobedience thereto. This, with many former things that now (at the close of the parliament) the jealousy which royalists had of the duke, began to increase, and grow more universal than at the first sitting down thereof 2." Under pretence of a sacramental Occasion, the presbyterians "drew to a head" at Mauchline, in Ayrshire, on the 12th of June, under the command of their ministers, William Adair, William Guthrie, Gabriel Maxwell, and John Nevay, who had instigated the massacres of the royalists, or malignants as they 1 Guthry's Memoirs, 226. 2 Ibid. 228. called them, at Philipshaugh and Dunaverte. The presbyterian communicants consisted of 2000 foot and 200 horse, well posted, and who offered battle to Middleton, because "the duke of Hamilton's unlawful Engagement of war against England was a manifest breach of the solemn league and covenant." Among the insurgents were 600 of the duke of Hamilton's own tenants, and they were the most violent of the party; but Middleton charged them, and put the whole to the rout, with the loss of eighty killed, and a great many taken prisoners, among whom were the ministers, but they were liberated at the instance of the duke of Hamilton. This defeat prevented general Lambert from advancing farther than Carlisle, which city he had reached in order to co-operate with Argyle's party that were opposed to the "duke's engagement;" but on hearing of the dissipation of Argyle's covenanters he immediately retreated. This skirmish with the military communicants of the fighting church is represented as an act of great profaneness and malignancy; but there were gatherings of all the western covenanters under the pretence of holding communions, which were dissipated in detail by Middleton, particularly at Carsphairn or Kersfern; where, it is said, "the soldiers profaned the holy communion-elements, eating the bread and drinking the wine. On which occasion the minister went up to a hill and prayed; and being inquired at, by some of his familiars, what answer he had got to his prayers, he replied, that he fought neither with small nor great, but with the duke himself, whom he never left until he was beheaded;which was too sadly verified 2." THE TRANSACTIONS which have been detailed in this chapter clearly show the character of the presbyterian principles, and the obligations of the covenant as explicated by their public proceedings: they consistently shewed their faith by their works, their love of God by their hatred and persecution of His servants, their loyalty and affection for the king, of which they were for ever boasting, by beheading his faithful nobles and officers, massacring his defenceless soldiers in cold blood, and taking every means in their power to prevent the rescue of his person from that death to which their master, Argyle, had consented. We have the divine word that the church is certainly militant here on earth, and the christian course is compared to the life of a good soldier; but her warfare is with far different parties, and with other weapons than the covenant put into the hands of its supporters. Prayers and tears are the church's 1 Scots Worthies, Life of Nevay, 288. 2 Stevenson's Church and State, 608 arms; but the sword and the dagger were the covenant's weapons. And I put it to the conscience of any reasonable presbyterian to decide which species of armour is most consistent with the religion of Christ, the gospel of his apostles, and with our duties as good soldiers and servants of the Author of our salvation. Whence come wars and fightings among christians, but from pride and disobedience to the ordinances of God? But civil and ecclesiastic government are two of his most sacred institutions, both of which were despised and overturned by the rebellious principles of the covenant; therefore it cannot be a christian covenant. The soldier of the faith is commanded to gird up his loins with truth, to put on the breastplate of righteousness, to shoe his feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, to take the shield of faith and obedience, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit or the word of God; but the soldier of the covenant girt his loins with bandaliers, put on the breast-plate of hypocrisy, shod his feet with boots and spurs, took the shield of rebellion, the helmet of selfrighteousness, and the sword of steel; therefore the arms of the covenant were not the christian's armour. They made the most unbounded pretensions of loyalty to the sovereign, and of godliness and allegiance to "King Jesus," of whose whole mind, they alleged, they were in perfect and infallible possession; yet in one of their acts of Assembly they assert, "though our Saviour told his disciples that his kingdom was not of this world, and that, therefore, they ought not to fight for Him; yet that doctrine does not now oblige covenanted christians, for they may fight without, yea and against the consent of the supreme magistrate, for the cause of God; and a probable capacity to effectuate their designs, is the call of God to do it." Therefore this decision is as antichristian as the famous non obstanti of the council of Constance, respecting the Eucharistic cup, to which the language of the Assembly bears a very striking resemblance-a family likeness,-" though Christ did institute in both kinds, and the primitive church did so administer, yet we desire the contrary to be observed." THOUSANDS of Worthy presbyterians of the present day never heard of, and will not believe, the atrocities committed by their forefathers, and have not consented to their sins, nor bound them on their own souls, by wishing them God speed; and thousands of them will doubtless come and sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven, when the children of the kingdom may be cast out into outer darkness. It is, therefore, my heart's desire and prayer that such hidden seed of God's people should come out of the kirk, and partake no longer of her sins of schism and division, and which, by a retributive justice, have been her own punishment, from the Glasgow Assembly to the present hour. Though the prophet's sight was shortened, yet the Searcher of hearts saw seven thousand true Israelites who had not bowed the knee to Baal; the same omniscient Being has "much people" among the presbyterians, who would hail with joy the haven of rest in the church, were the veil of delusion under which they labour removed from their hearts. May the "strong delusion" be withdrawn from the people, and may the spirt of schism be removed from their unsent prophets, and a zeal of God according to knowledge. be amply vouchsafed to them, that they may become one fold under one shepherd-that Great Shepherd of the sheep, the Shepherd and Bishop of souls! 222 CHAPTER XXI. GENERAL ASSEMBLIES. PRESBYTERY, THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, AND THE GRAND REBELLION. 1618.-A General Assembly.-Letter from the synod of divines.-Collision between the commission and the committee.-Assembly ratifies and approves of the opposition to the " Engagement"-their answer respecting securities for religion—The committee's ironical reply.-Assembly's declaration-another against the " Engagement."- Assembly's letter to the king-Remarks.— Catechism authorised.-Smaller transactions.-Three riding committees appointed. Deposition of the episcopal clergy.—Military stores sent by the prince secured.-The duke's army begin their march-routed by Cromwellduke made prisoner.-Loudon raises troops.-Movements of the Scottish army.-Cromwell comes northward-arrives at Edinburgh-conferences betwixt him, Argyle, and the ministers.-Lambert left in Scotland.-Cromwell's proceedings at London.-1649.—Parliament.-Commissioners at Londontheir instructions.-ACT OF CLASSES. 1648.-THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY sat down on the 12th of July, and George Gillespie, one of the ministers of Edinburgh, was chosen moderator. In their first session, the Assembly received a letter from the synod of divines in England, setting forth their own determination to maintain the Solemn League and Covenant, and exhorting their "right honourable, right reverend, and dearly beloved brethren in Jesus Christ," to do the same, in opposition to "profaneness and malignancy on the one hand; and of error, schism, heresy, and blasphemy, on the other 2." It was generally expected that notwithstanding the opposition which the commission had made to raising the army, and which this Assembly had so heartily approved, now it was actually embodied and in the field, that they would have shewn some moderation; yet, says Guthry, "never had any Assembly carried so highly and arbitrarily as they did." Their first collision was with the committee of the estates, who sent the earl of Glencairn, sir James Carmichael, treasurer-depute, and Archibald Sydserf, one of the magistrates of Edinburgh, to 1 Guthry's Memoirs, 231.-Stevenson's Church and State, 600. |