rumours, as are too frequent in these times, and have been often falsified in time past by the reality of the contrary events: ye judge us and our professions by our actions, which we trust, through God, in despite of malice, shall ever go on in a constant way for the good of religion, and the weal of our people, which is the chiefest of our intentions and desires. And thus we bid you farewell. Given at our court at Leicester, the 23d of July, 16421."

"To our trusty and well-beloved the General Assembly,

in our kingdom of Scotland, convened at St. Andrews."

Almost all the covenanting lords attended this Assembly under pretence of protecting themselves from the Banders, or Incendiaries, as the loyal nobility were termed; but in reality to overawe the members themselves, and to keep them firm to revolutionary tactics. Stevenson makes an excuse of the expense of travelling for the thin attendance of ministers, but which I suppose was not greater at that time than on former occasions: "and," he says, " in naming the committees care was taken not to put upon them those members who were known to have wasted too much of the time of former Assemblies with innovations, so that the business in this went on more smoothly than was expected 2." The true reason of the paucity of ministers at this Assembly arose from a different cause altogether. The clergy attached to episcopal principles withdrew from all connection with the covenanting ministers, and left them altogether to their own direction. The greater part of the national clergy were attached to the episcopal government which had been overturned in the Assembly of 1638; and the strength of the presbyterian party lay in the counties of Lanark, Renfrew, Dumfries, Ayr, and Fife; but as the episcopal government had been entirely extirpated, and the clergy met only with rude insults from the covenanting brethren, they wholly withdrew from the national Assemblies. Hamilton, with his usual duplicity, declined to attend this Assembly, alleging, as Spalding says, that "he could now do no service for the king." Argyle, however, sat there not only as an assessor to the royal commissioner, "but also as one of the commissioners for the estates of the kingdom, who still opposed the king's commissioner pleading for the king's honour3."

1 Warriston's Collection of Acts, 111-113.

2 Church and State, p. 502. Spalding's History of the Troubles and Memorable Transactions in England and Scotland, ii, 66.

Their first act was "for bringing in of the synod books yearly to the General Assembly 1," and the language of one of their most approved authors shows the inquisitorial and tyrannical interference which the covenanting ministers attempted to establish over the minds and consciences of the people. "Every minister was to be tried five times a year both for his personal and ministerial labours; every congregation was to be visited by the presbytery, that they might see how the vine flourished and how the pomegranate budded. And there was no case nor question in the meanest family in Scotland, but it might become the object of the deliberation of the General Assembly; for the congregational session book was tried by the presbytery, the presbytery's book by the synod, and the synod's book by the General Assembly. Likewise, as the bands of the Scottish church were strong, so her beauty was bright; no error was so much as named; the people were not only sound in the faith, but innocently ignorant of unsound doctrine; no scandalous person could live, no scandal could be concealed in all Scotland, so strict a correspondence there was betwixt ministers and congregations. The General Assembly seemed to be the priest with Urim and Thummim, and there were not one hundred persons in all Scotland to oppose their conclusions; all submitted, all learned, all prayed; most part were really godly, or at least counterfeited themselves Jews. Thus was Scotland a heap set about with lilies, uniform, or a palace of silver beautifully proportioned; and this seems to me to have been Scotland's high-noon. The only complaint of profane people was, that the government was so strict, they had not liberty enough to sin: I confess that I thought at that time the common sort of ministers strained too much at the sin which in these days was called malignancy (and I should not paint the moon faithfully if I marked not her spots); otherwise, I think, if church officers could polish the saints upon earth as bright as they are in heaven, it were their excellency and the church's happiness. But this season lasted not long 2."

A report was received from some ministers to whom it had been referred to consider the meaning of an act of the Edinburgh Assembly respecting the examination of ministers who were transported from one parish to another, and it was declared that in the case of an actual minister who was transported from one parish to another, the presbytery were only

1 Session 3, July 29.

2 Kirkton's History, 4to. 49, 50.

3 Session 6, August 2.

bound to make trial that his gifts were fit and answerable for his new charge, and that he produced a testimonial from the presbytery from which he was transported, of his former trials and good conversation. "The Assembly approves the meaning and interpretation aforesaid; and appoints the said act according to this interpretation to stand in force, and to have the strength of an act and ordinance of Assembly in all time coming."

To the genuine presbyterian, Patronage has always been a "grievance" and a "burthen which neither they nor their fathers were able to bear;" and, therefore, among other concessions, they wrung out of the king that he and all other patrons, instead of presenting to a vacant living, the presbytery should present a list of six persons, one of whom the patrons were bound to choose. The Assembly, taking advantage of the royal concession, now turned it into "an act anent the order for making lists to his majesty, and other patrons, for presentations; the order of trial for expectants, and for trying the quality of kirks." Argyle and some others offered to give up their right of presentation altogether, on condition the ministers would declare by an act of Assembly that they held themselves satisfied with their present modified stipends; but these godly men had not so learned the doctrines of this world as to agree to such an ensnaring proposal, and would by no means tie themselves up from prosecuting augmentations to their stipends. So Argyle had the reputation of offering to abolish patronage; but which he knew the condition he tacked to it would render a dead letter. The next act, "against papists, noncommunicants, and profaners of the Sabbath," ordained the Assembly to draw up a petition to the council "for the due execution of the acts of council made against papists, wherein it will be specially craved, that the exchequer should be the intromitters with the rents of those who are excommunicate, and that from the exchequer the presbytery may receive that portion of the confiscate goods which the law appoints to be employed ad pios usus. Every presbytery should convene at their first meeting all known papists in their bounds, and require them to put out of their company all friends and servants who are popish, within one month. Also within that same space to give their children, sons and daughters, who are above seven years of age, to be educated at their charges by such of their protestant friends as the presbytery shall ap. and to find caution [security] likewise of their

prove

Session 7, August 3.

abstinence from mass, and the company of all jesuits and priests . . . . That the council may be supplicate for an act, that in no regiment which goes out of the kingdom any papists bear office, and that the colonel be required to find caution for this effect before he receive the council's warrant for levying any soldiers: and also that he find caution for the maintaining of a minister, and keeping of a session in his regiment1."

In their eighth session the Assembly answered his majesty's letter, which is addressed "To the King's most Excellent Majesty, the hearty thanksgiving and humble petition of the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland," met at St. Andrews, July 27th, 1642 —

"Our hearts are filled with great joy and gladness at the hearing of your majesty's letter, which was read once and again in face of the Assembly, every time thereof almost either expressing such affection to the reformed religion, and such royal care of us, as we could require from a christian prince; or requiring such necessary duties from us as we are bound to perform as ministers of the gospel and christian subjects. For which, as solemn thanks were given by the moderator of the Assembly, so do we all with one voice, with all humility, present unto your majesty the thankfulness of our hearts, with earnest prayers to God for your majesty's prosperity, and the peace of your kingdoms, that your majesty may be indeed a nursing father to all the kirks of Christ in your majesty's dominions, and especially to the kirk of Scotland, honoured with your birth and baptism; promising our most serious endeavours, by doctrine and life, to advance the doctrine of Christ, and to keep the people in our charge in unity and peace, and in loyalty and obedience to your majesty and your laws. Your majesty's commands to your commissioner, the earl of Dunfermline, to receive from us our just and reasonable desires for what may further serve for the good of religion here, the favours that we have received already, and your majesty's desire and delight to do good expressed in your letter, are as many encouragements to us to take the boldness, in all humility, to present unto your majesty (beside the particulars recommended to your majesty's commissioner), one thing, which, for the present, is the chiefest of all our desires, as serving most for the glory of Christ, for your majesty's honour and comfort; and not only for the good of religion here, but for the true happiness and peace of all your majesty's dominions; which

1 Johnston s Collection of Acts, 119, 120.

is no new motion, but the prosecution of that same by the commissioners of your majesty's kingdom in the late treaty, and which your majesty, with advice of both houses of parliament, did approve in these words: 'to their desire concerning unity in religion and uniformity of church government, as a special means of conserving of peace between the two kingdoms, upon the grounds and reasons contained in the paper of the 10th of March, given in to the treaty and parliament of England; it is answered upon the 15th of June, 'that his majesty, with advice of both houses of parliament, doth approve of the affection of his subjects of Scotland in their desire of having the conformity of church government betwixt the two nations, and as the parliament hath already taken into consideration the reformation of church government, so they will proceed therein in due time, as shall best conduce to the glory of God, the peace of the church, and of both kingdoms. 11th of June, 1641.' In our answer to a declaration sent by the now commissioners of this kingdom from both houses of parliament, we have not only pressed this point of unity of religion, and uniformity of church government, as a mean of a firm and durable union betwixt the two kingdoms, and without which former experiences put us out of hope long to enjoy the purity of the gospel with peace, but also have rendered the reasons of our hopes and confidence, as from other considerations, so from your majesty's late letter to this Assembly, that your majesty, in a happy conjunction with the houses of parliament, will be pleased to settle this blessed reformation with so earnestly desired a peace in all your dominions. therefore, we, your majesty's most loving subjects, in name of the whole kirks of Scotland, represented by us, upon the knees of our hearts, do most humbly and earnestly beg, that your majesty, in the deep of your royal wisdom, aud from your affection to the true religion, and the peace of your kingdoms, may be moved to consider, that the God of heaven and earth is calling for this reformation at your hands, and that as you are his vicegerent, so you may be his prime instrument in it. If it shall please the Lord (which is our desire and hope), that this blessed unity in religion and uniformity in government shall be brought about, your majesty's conscience, in performing such great duty, shall be a well-spring of comfort to yourself, your memory shall be a sweet savour, and your name renowned in all following generations. And if these unhappy commotions and divisions shall end in this peace and unity, then it shall appear in the providence of God, they were but the noise of many waters, and the voice of a great thunder,

And