the managing and carrying on of so pious and dutiful a work, we shall not enter into an association and conjunction of forces with those who shall refuse to swear and subscribe to the Solemn Leage and Covenant, nor use such means or instruments as may discourage or disoblige the presbyterians in England, who continue firm to the Solemn League and Covenant. And then we will be so far from joining or associating ourselves with the popish, prelatical, or malignant party, if they shall again rise in arms, either to oppose or obstruct all or any of the ends of the covenant, that on the contrary we will oppose and endeavour to suppress them, as enemies to the Cause and covenant on the one hand, as well as sectaries on the other. And we further declare, that we will give trust in our armies and committees to none but such as are of known integrity, abilities, and faithfulness, to this cause and covenant, and against whom there is no just cause of exception. And as we shall endeavour the rescuing of his majesty from those who violently carried him away from Holmby, and by whose power he is still detained close prisoner, that he may come with honour, freedom, and safety, to some of his houses in or near to London, where both kingdoms may make their applications to him for settling religion and a well-grounded peace; so we resolve, not to put in his majesty's hands, or any others' whatsoever, any such power whereby the aforesaid ends of the covenant, or any one of them, may be obstructed or opposed, or religion or presbyterian government endangered; but on the contrary, before any agreement or condition be made with his majesty (having found his late concessions and offers concerning religion not satisfactory), that he give assurance, by his solemn oath under his hand and seal, that he shall, for himself and his successors, give his royal assent, and agree to such act or acts of parliament and bills as shall be presented to him by his parliament of both or either kingdoms respectively, for enjoining the League and Covenant, and fully establishing presbyterial government, Directory of worship, and Confession of Faith, in all his majesty's dominions; and that his majesty shall never make any opposition to any of these, nor endeavour any change thereof. And further, to show and evidence the candour and reality of our intentions, we are willing to subjoin to the grounds of our undertakings an oath, wherein both in the framing thereof and otherwise we are willing that the church shall have their due interest as formerly in the like

cases.

"And albeit we are resolved not to engage in any war before the necessity and lawfulness thereof be cleared, so as all who

are well affected may be satisfied therewith, and that reparation to such breaches and injuries as are or shall be condescended on, shall be demanded in such a just and fit way, as shall be found most lawful and expedient; yet we cannot be answerable to the great trust laid upon us, if, seeing so imminent and great dangers to all that is dearest to us, we did not make use of our authority and power for the common safety of this kingdom; and therefore we have resolved to put this kingdom presently in a posture of defence, as it was anno 1643.

"And now, as many of the dangers, with the grounds and resolutions in pursuance of our duties, are hereby made known to this kingdom, so we are assured, that all and every one who have any zeal to religion, love to monarchical government, sense of the sufferings and imprisonment of their king, affection to their oppressed brethren in England, or desire to preserve the privileges of parliament and liberty of the subject, will cheerfully in such an exigence, while the eyes of all christendom are on us, rouse up themselves, and contribute their best endeavours, as they shall be required by us, in pursuance of all the ends of the covenant, as well for religion as for his majesty's person and government, and privileges of parliament; in doing whereof we shall witness to the world that we have not swerved from these our first principles, contained in our national covenant, and in our Solemn League and Covenant; whereby we did solemnly swear and promise, before God and his angels, to endeavour, in our several places and callings, the reformation of, and uniformity in, religion and church government, in all his majesty's dominions, according to the word of God and the example of the best reformed churches; and not only to the utmost of our power with our means and lives to stand to the defence of our dread sovereign, his person and authority, in the preservation of the true religion and liberties of the kingdom, but also in every cause which may concern his majesty's honour, to concur according to the laws of the kingdom and duty of good subjects; and also give a singular proof of the good intentions of all that maintain presbyterial government, that they are not enemies to monarchy, as they are falsely branded by their enemies. And in particular this kingdom of Scotland will now make it evident, as they often declared, that their quietness, stability, and happiness, doth depend upon the safety of the king's majesty's person, and maintenance of his greatness and royal authority, who is God's vicegerent set over us for maintenance of religion and ministration of justice; having so many bands and ties of duty and subjection to his majesty and his government, who is our native king, from a

longer series and descent of his royal progenitors than can be paralleled in Europe, that we resolve closely and constantly to adhere thereunto, as also to all the ends of the covenant.

66

"(Signed) ALEXANDER GIBSON, Clerk Register1.”

THE "ACT OF POSTURE," as the above declaration of war was called, was passed on the 28th of April, and the committee of estates despatched colonel Marshall to the Long Parliament with a remonstrance against their breaches of the covenant, with orders to remain in London only ten days, whether he should receive an answer to his message or not. Sir Marmaduke Langdale took possession of Berwick, and Carlisle was surrendered to sir Philip Musgrave, the inhabitants of both these towns being favourable to the Scots. On May 3d, the Scots parliament voted an army to be raised, consisting of 30,000 foot and 6000 horse, and the recal of major-general Monro from Ireland. Upon the 10th of May, the duke of Hamilton was appointed commander-in-chief of this army; the earl of Callender, lieutenant-general; Middleton, general of the cavalry; and Baillie, lieutenant-general of the infantry 2.

After these appointments, an act was passed strictly prohibiting any one from speaking against the procedure of parliament. Nevertheless, Argyle did speak against this levy and engagement for the relief of the king, and his adherents concurred with him in renewing their dissent from the measure, with more vehemence than before. The commission of the kirk also expressed their extreme dislike to the Engagement, and solemnly protested against the whole of the late resolution and declaration. They sent copies of their protest to the several presbyteries, with an order to observe a strict and solemn fast on the last Sunday in May, in deprecation of the divine wrath for having engaged to relieve the king, and thereby to give countenance and assistance to malignants. All which, says Guthry, was represented in parliament; yet such was the duke's clemency and his brother's, that they would suffer nothing to be said to them, which made the jealousy which many had harboured against them to increase more and more 3." Although the lord chancellor Loudon had been one of the three commissioners who had inveigled the king into his present snare, yet, terrified with the menaces and denunciations of the commission, he threw off all respect for his suffering sovereign and his own engagements, and joined the party of the dictator and the commission of the kirk in their opposition to the Engagement, and

1 Stevenson's Church and State. 2 Guthry's Memoirs, 221.

3 Ibid. 221.

even submitted to do public penance in the high church, for what was called his former sinful carnal self-seeking, and compliance with the times. The earls of Eglinton, Cassilis, and Lothian, the lords Balmerino and Burleigh, joined Argyle in the most active opposition to the levies; but the rescue of their sovereign bore the stamp of a national work, and men of all parties cordially united in forwarding the levying of troops; so that the Argyle faction were unable to check the rush of patriotic feeling which then prevailed 1.

THE COMMISSION OF THE KIRK threatened the episcopalians with damnation, and made the most energetic efforts to impede the efforts of the loyalists and of those of their own party, whose hearts had been touched with a feeling of late repentance for former miscarriages, and were now, when too late, tardily endeavouring to recover their lost ground. Being dissatisfied with the declaration which had been emitted by the parliament, the commission presented a new representation, in which they shewed-1st, "That though there is much said of England's breach of covenant, yet they desire it may not be charged on all in England, and not on sectarians only, but also on malignants here as well as on sectaries in England; for as the sectaries endeavour a breach in England, so malignants here endeavour a breach betwixt the kingdoms. 2d. That they are very sensible of the attempts, injuries, and violence of the sectaries against his majesty's royal person, and the hard condition that he is reduced to by their means; and as their prayers and endeavours have not, so shall not their efforts be wanting for the preservation of his majesty's person and authority, &c. . . . 4th... as to the next demand, that the king's majesty may come to some of his houses, in or near London, with honour, &c., they answer,-that albeit they would not be understood as if they have had or now have any thoughts of declining to restore his majesty to the same condition he was in by the agreement of both kingdoms, when he was taken away by a party of sir Thomas Fairfax's army, that both kingdoms may make their applications to him; yet they desired that there might be no engagement by war for restoring of his majesty to one of his houses, &c. (which doth amount to no less than the restitution of his majesty to the exercise of his royal power) before security and assurance be had from his majesty by his solemn oath, under his hand and seal, that he shall for himselt and his successors consent and agree to acts of parliament enjoining the League and Covenant, and fully establishing presbyte

1 Skinner's Ecclesiastical History, ii. 403.

rian government, the Directory for worship, and the Confession of Faith, in all his majesty's dominions; and that his majesty shall never make any opposition to any of these, or endeavour any change thereof, that so no such power may be put in his majesty's hands as may bring the bygone proceedings of both kingdoms in the matter of the League and Covenant into question... As to the third demand, that the present army of sectaries may be disbanded, they answer,-They think indeed no persons fit to be employed or entrusted in the armies of either kingdom who have not taken the covenant; and that all sectaries in arms in England should be disbanded and disarmed. So likewise, they conceive reason to foresee and provide against the danger of the rising again of the popish, prelatical, and malignant party in arms; and the rather because some in Wales and Ireland, actually in arms, have discovered and declared their principles and ends to be very malignant. Also we fear, that your present resolutions and proceedings are not the way to further, but to retard and hinder, the disbanding of the present army in England, and to frustrate the ends of your declaration 1."

The above representation, however, made no impression, and, without any hesitation, the parliament sent their demands to England, and published their Declaration at home. This was no sooner done than the commission of the kirk met and issued a counter declaration, in which they expressed their regret that the parliament had sent their demands to England without having consulted the commission; and declared that "they were ready to consent and agree to enter into a war if they were satisfied in their consciences concerning the grounds on which it was undertaken;" but, they add, "we not being satisfied in these, and looking on the war as it is now stated,matters standing as they do,-and the whole complex business taken together, we cannot but plainly dissent and differ from the same; being persuaded in our consciences that it is an engagement of most dangerous consequence to the true reformed religion, both in doctrine, discipline, worship, and government-prejudicial to the true interest and liberty of the kirk— favourable to the popish, prelatical, and malignant party-inconsistent with the union of the kingdoms, and the satisfaction of the presbyterian party in England: and therefore contrary to the word of God-to the solemn covenants-first principles and public professions of this kirk and kingdom; whereupon we cannot expect a blessing from God 2."

1 Stevenson's Church and State, 594, 595.

2 Ibid. 595.