our first Petition so soon as the rest of our Propositions were given in and judging his Majesties receiving of our Message and answering of all our papers without any quarrelling of our Commission whereof in every paper we made expresse mention to be a reall acknowledgement of us as Commissioners from the Church and not being instructed to break off all Treaty at the beginning upon dissatisfaction in such things as the Comissioners of Parliament so we also thought fit to proceed The man things we were instructed to propone to his Majesty were the Nationall Covenant of Scotland the Solemne League and Covenant of the three Kingdomes the Directory of Worship the Confession of Faith the Propositons for Presbyteriall government the two Catechismes as they were agreed unto by the Generall Assembly and Parliament of Scotland These six peeces we did bind together in a Book and delivered them to His Majesty speaking somewhat to the matter of every one of them and entreating that this Majesty would be pleased to read and peruse them all what ever scruple might arise in his mind from any of them we offered our best endeavour to satisfie him therein But our Positive desires concerning thâ—se Particulars we gave in on Thursday April 5. 15. in this Paper May it please your Majesty VVEE the Commissioners of the Church of Scotland hoping for an Answer satisfactory in reason to our first paper according to your Majeâ—…ies gracious promise do go on according to our Commission to signifie in the name of that Church that after their hearty prayer to God for his blesâ—ing on your Royall person and government It is their most earnest desire that it may be your Majesties pleasure to give â—hem assuâ—ance under your hand and seale of your â—pprobation of the Nationall Cavenant of Scotland subscribed by your Royall Grand-Father approven and enjoyned by your Royall Father in the Parliament of Scotland 1640. And of the Solemn League and Covenant which now for divers years the Parliaments and Generall Assemblies of Scotland the two Houses of the Parl. of England and the Assembly of Divines at Westminster after long and serious deliberation have unanimously found to be the best and necessary meanes of setling Religion of establishing the Throne and bringing back prosperity to your Majesty and all your three now lamentably distressed kingdomes also of the Directory of Worship Confession of Faith Catechisme and Presbyteriall Government of the Church agreed upon according to the word of God by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster and the Generall Assemblies of the Church of Scotland the Copies of all which we did the other day deliver to your Majesty Likewise that your Majesty would be pleased to subscribe the Nationall Covenant with the Solemn League and Covenant and give your Royall Assent to such Acts of the Parliament of Scotland as shall be offered to your Majesty for the establishing and enjoyning of the Premises in Scotland and to such Acts of Parliament as shall be offered by the two Houses of the Parliament of England for the establishing and enjoyning the same in England and Ireland and in the mean time that your Majesty would be pleased to lay aside the use of the Service-Book and conform the worship of God in your Royall Family to the Directory We are fully perswaded that your Majesties cordiall joyning with your loving Subjects in these meanes of advancing the Honour of God and true Religion shall procure from heaven the Lords powerfull assistance to bâ—ing your Majesty and your people out of the great tribulation and danger wherein both for the present are plunged We are also confident that your Majesties granting these most humble and earnest desires shall be a chief and effectuall mean to knit to your Majesty in all duty the hearts of all your good Subjects not in Scotland alone but every where else and shall loose to your Majesty none at all who either loves the truth of God or minds your Majesties happinesse above their own particular unjust interests April 5. 15. Subscribitur Cassils Robert Bailie Libberton Iames Wood Vpon Fryday the day following we received from his Majesty this short return C. R. April 16. I Desire for the reasons mentioned in my former papers to know whether the last papers I received from you contain the full demands and Propositions you or any of you have to make in reference to Church or State and if not that then you deliver what remains that I may consider of the whole and proceed accordingly April 16. 1649. To this on the Satturday we made this reply UNto the paper deliverd to us by your Majesty this day we do make this humble return that the last your Majesty received from us the Commissioners of the Kirk of Scotland doth contain the substance of all we have to demand of your Majesty the Grant whereof will make any other humble advice we are to propone most easie What the Commissioners of Parliament have to deliver in reference to the State we leave it wholly to themselves they being in a Commission and capacity altogether distinct from that which we have from the Church alone April 17. 1649. Cassils Robert Bailie Libberton Iames Wood. The dayes thereafter His Majesty and the Commissioners of Parliament interchangâ—d divers papers about points of State wherein we had no place to meddle in the mean while we were not idle but went about our instructions both by conferences with his Majesty and by frequent dealing with divers persons of quality whom we conceived to have ability or any opportunity to promove with His Majesty the Grant of our desires Also by answering sometimes even in Print a multitude of calumnies wherewith our malignant enemies with much artifice and malice did labour to poyson the ears of His Majesty and all about him against our Church and Kingdome But finding time to drive over and no answer according to our mind appearing we gave in on May 18. 28. the following Writ UPon the 5. 15. of Apr. We the Commissioners of the Kirk of Scotland did in their name present their humble and earnest desire of these things which they conceived necessary for the security of Religion for the establishment of your Majesties Throne and for putting of them in a confident expectation of the Lords blessing upon your Majesties Government since that time we have been alwayes waiting and often humbly moving for an answer but as yet none at all is given we cannot conceal but so long a delay hath affected us with grief so much the more as your Majesty hath declared your resolution to be gone from thâ—… on Thursday next which makes the time we have to consider what your Majesty shall be pleased to offer very short Wherefore with all humility and earnestnesse we do supplicate that without the losse of more time now at last we may have so gracious and satisfactory a return to our former papers as may make us leave your Majesty with joy and
your Majesty may be restored to the peaceable possession of the Government of your other Kingdoms Wherefore we do in all humility renew these our former Desires earnestly beseeching that without losing of precious time your Majestie would be pleased to give a direct and satisfactory Answer thereunto April 23. May 3. 1649. Signed by the Commissioners of Parliament His Majesties Answer I Cannot thinke your Paper of the 3. of this month to contain a partain Answer to the Questions of Mine of the thirtieth of the last all your Answer to My Question whether you have any other thing to propone then that you have already proposed being that you are not to propose any other unlesse you be commanded Whereas I expected you would have answered whether you are commanded to make any other proposition or no and that you would have told Me whether you have power to recede from any particular which you have proposed which you answer no other wayes then by saying what you demand is just and reasonable but I cannot but observe that to My Question of the bringing the murtherers of My Father to justice and what assistance you would give to that purpose you make not the least answer nor not so much as mention your sense of that horrid and Vnparaleld Murther and therefore I would be glad to receive your ful answer thereunto May 7. N. S. Signed C.R. May it please your Majestie OUr deep sense of the great dangers which will unavoidably ensue to your Majesties affaires upon delaying to give satisfaction to these desires which we have proposed in name of the Parliament of your Majesties Kingdom of Scotland as the best and most effectuall means for establishing your Majesties happie government of that your ancient Kingdome and for restoring your Majestie to the possession of your just right of government of your other dominions maketh us heavily regrate that so much time hath been spent without any direct Answer from your Majestie but instead thereof of some questions have been proposed to us and that notwithstanding we have once again as we humbly conceive sufficiently answered and cleared the fame both by Word and Writ yet they are renewed and insisted upon by your Majesties paper of the seventh of this instant to which little more can be said to our judgement then what hath been expressed before For to your Majesties first question whither our papers already delivered contain all particulars which we have to purpose we could not answer more directly and clearly then that we are not to propose any other unless we be further commanded by the Parliament And to that whither we had power to recede from any particulars proposed we answered that the desires we proposed are not only just and reasonable but necessary and consequently such as from which we may not recede And to your Majesties last question we gave an Answer very full and comprehensive that your Majesties granting these just and necessary desires would move your good Subjects of Scotland to do for the advancement of your Majesties service and affairs whatsoever could be expected from loyall Subjects to their gracious King and to endeavour to the utmost of their power by all lawfull and necessary means that your Majesty may be restored to the possession of your just right of government of your other Kingdomes Neither did we conceive it necessary to multiply words in repeating our deep sense of that horrid Fact against the life of your Royall Father seeing the whole Parl. of Scotland whereof we had the honour to be Members had so solemnly declared to the world how much they did detest and abominate the very design thereof as the Protestations and Papers of their Commissioners at London can bear witnesse and we were so conscious to our selves of our sincere tender respects and affection towards our late Soveraign that we looked not to have our sense of that fact in the least wise questioned Wherefore we do again with all humility and earnestness renew our former supplication that without further loss of precious time whereof too much is lost already we wish it be not to the prejudice both of your Majesties affaires and of your lamentably distracted and bleeding Kingdoms your Majestie will be pleased to give a direct and satisfactory Answer to these our most just an necessary desires in doing whereof your Majesty will be to these afflicted Kingdoms like the rain coming down upon the mowen grasse and as showers that water the earth Aprill 29. May 9. 1649. Signed by the Commissioners of Parliament May it please your Majesty HAving for a long time waited your Majesties leisure for an Answer to the humble desires of the Parliament of your kingdom of Scotland which we have in their name tendred to your Majesty and having received no Answer or the least satisfaction to any of them in discharge of our duty to your Majesty We cannot but shew that both your affairs and your distracted Kingdoms are exposed to exceeding great prejudice by the losse of so much precious time which in our humble opinion might have been much better improved for the advantage of both And by your Majesties intended removal hence and our necessitie to return we are so straitned with time that we cannot forbear any longer to renew our humble and earnest request for a speedy favourable Answer whereby your Majesty hath a fair occasion if imbraced at once to make both your self and people happie And on the contrary the great danger and irreparable losse will inevitably ensue upon further delaying or refusing to give satisfaction to so just and reasonable desires so obvious to any impartial eie so that if now when by the power and prevalencie of Sectaries and their Army in England that Kingdom brought underfoot and almost lost and when Ireland is in very great distractions your Maj. shall not speedily heartily satisfie the desires of your Maj. Kingdom of Scotland especially for Religion and the Covenant which is the strongest band to tye Subjects to their King It will weaken the hands of all those that love Religion and Monarchicall Government in England and wholly discourage and disenable Scotland to do for your Majesty by that means also your enemies will be incouraged and strengthened to prosecute their wicked designes and your good people in England will be forced to couch under the burden and submit to the yoak dispairing of any means of relief or deliverance We intreat your Majestie to remember that opportunitie once losed cannot be regained the neglect and not taking hold whereof when so frequently offered hath been the chief cause of the troubles of your Royall Family and hath to our unspeakable grief proved sad and fatall at last We are confident that your Majesty rightly pondering and laying these things to heart will in the entry of your Reign so much cherish the hopefull expectation of your Loyall people as that they may at length look for the wished ends of the
and to have the same power authority and Jurisdiction as absolutely and fully as any Parliament formerly hath had within the Kingdom in time by gone As likewise the 17. Act of the same Parliament intituled Act Statutarie appointing Parliaments to be holden once every three years wherein the appointing of the time places is to be the last Act thereof by the authority of the which Act the Parl. 1641 wherin his Maj. was present did meet and by the Act thereof appointed the first Tuesday of January in Anno 1644. to be the day of meeting and conveening of the next Trienuial Parliament His Majestie and the Estate Declaring that the publication of that Act should be a sufficient for conveening of the whole Members of Parliament as if all sooner Solemnities were used By Authority 〈◊〉 which Parliament the several subsequent Sessions of Parliament have conveened and have often by Treaties Letters and Messages solemnly been acknowledged by your Father and yet these are the Parliaments questioned by your Majesty wherein if you should insist it would be no less then to strike at the fundamental Laws of the Kingdom nor could the subjects there be in security of any thing while they possesse Were it not to make the gap wider we should particularly shew that your Majesties answer is so far from containing satisfaction to our Desires that it drives at the subversion of them all and the dissolving of that Solemn Covenant which for the good of Religion the honour and happiness of the King and the peace and safety of his Kingdoms was sworn and subscribed before the most high God by your Majesties good Subjects of both Kingdoms from which they wil not depart nor suffer themselves to be withdrawn by any trouble or difficulty that they can meet with But we do purposely forbear â—…ther to insist upon particulars desiring rather your Majesty to take the business again unto your most serious consideration and that laying aside the occasion of such dangerous debates it may please your Majesty to give the satisfaction desired to the just and necessary Propositions of your Kingdom of Scotland concerning Religion and the Solemn League and Covenant and the determination of matters Civil by the Parliament and matters Ecclesiastical by the Assemblies of the Church of that Kingdom That thereby your Majesty may gain not only the outward obedience but also the inward affection of your good people to your Royal Person Authority and Government which is the only way to unite and strengthen their hearts and hands and so to engage that Nation intirely to perform to your Majesty all the duties of faithfulness and loyalty But if by the instigation and perswasion of pernicious Councel your Majesty thus as we wish it may never enter into your Royal hear shall refuse and reject these reasonable desires wherein there is nothing asked but your Majesties assent to these things the particulars whereof have been by Parliament enacted before your Majesties coming to the Crown and by the people universally received and obeyed as Law as it wil be very grievous to them so it wil constrain them in such an extremity to do what is incombent to them for preserving Religion and the Kingdom from ruine and we are confident that it shall appear to the world with how much humility affection and Loyalty they have carried themselves towards your Majesty since the beginning May 22. June â—… 1649. Signed by the Commissioners of Parliament May it please Your Majesty AT your Majesties desire we did forbear to insist upon that first Paper which we offered to your Majesty and the removing of James Grantham as a person excommunicate by the Church and forefaulted by the Parliament of Scotland and now having received no answer nor satisfaction from Your Majestie therâ—…nt but that be still presumes to intrude himselfe into your Majesties presence and pretending Commission from your Majestie hath given warrant to some Officers to Levie Forces which must be understood to be against the Kingdome of Scotland he having sent some of his compliers thither Therefore it is our humble desire that he may be discharged your Royal presence and Court and that your Majestie would be pleased to let us know whether any such Commis be granted to him or not at this time whilst we are expecting your Maj. answer to the desires of that Kingdom 〈…〉 Signed by the Commissioners of Parliament His Majesties Answer I Am much unsatisfied with your Papers of the first and second of this month in Answer to mine of the 29 of May finding by them thâ—… My real endeavours to give all just satisfaction to my good Subjects of Scotland are undervalued and misinterpreted and observing in them severall inferences opposing the naturall sense and true intent of what I have proposed with most intire intentions for the good of that Church and Kingdome and unseasonably stirring uselesse questions neither properly arising out of any thing contained in any of the former papers nor conducing to the Common Peace But neither these nor any discouragements shall prevstil with me to omit any thing that my tend to the Peace and Happines of all My good Subjects of Scotland To which I shal most affectionately to My utmost power upon all occasions apply My Self according to the duty which I owe to the Almighty God in the exercise of My Royal power for the good of My People in order whereunto I shall with covenient speed send you by the Expresse mentioned in My last Paper the more particular Answer I then promised I shall likewise more fully expresse My Self concerning the new matter contained in these Papers and shall particularize what I now complain of in them In the mean time I expect and require from all My Subjects of Scotland such obedience as is due to Me their King by the Laws of God of nature and of that Kingdom Signed C.R. Act of Approbation of the Commissioners their faithfulnesse and diligence in their Commission AT Edenburgh the fouretenth day of June 1649. The Estates of Parliament now presently convened in the third Session of this second Trienniall Parliament Having received from Iohn Earl of Cassils Alexander Brodie of that ilk Master George Winrame of Libberton and Alexander Jaffray Burges of Aberdeen Their Commissioners sent to the Kings Majestie The Report of all their proceedings with the King And read the papers delivered therewith to this Parliament And being fully satisfied with their Integrity Faithfullnesse and Diligence in contributing their utmost endeavours for prosecuting their instructions And for obtaining satisfaction to the desires of this Kingdome Doe therefore unanimously and heartily acknowledge their Faithfulnesse and Diligence and approve their proceedings And render to them the hearty thanks of this Kingdom for the saâ—…e Sic Subscribiter ARCH IOHNSTOUN Cler. Regist. The Report of the Commissioners of the Church of their Proceedings with his Majesty at the Hague Made in the Generall Assembly Iuly 10. 1649. AS We were
commanded by the Commission of the Church we made ready with all the speed we could for our voyage to Holland According to your prayers the good hand of our God brought us safe through the Sea On Tuesday March 27. we made our first Addresses to his Majesty wee delivered our Letters and Commission expressing in our Speech according to our Instructions the deep sense and greef of this Church for his Majesties afflictions their detestation of the principles and proceedings of the Sectaries in England their constant affection to Monarchy and most hearty desires for the blessing of God upon His Majesties person and Government All this was well taken from us and wee were courteously dimissed to return when we thought fit with our Proposions The Commissioners Letter was as followeth May it please your Majesty VVHile the Parliament of this Kingdom are making their Addresses to your Majesty by their Commissioners We thought it our duty to send some of our number also instructed with Commission from us by whom your Majesty may understand the integrity of our intentions towards Monarchicall Government and the continuance thereof in your Majesties Person and Posterity and our utter detestation of these abominable and unparaleld practises of some against the Person of your Majesties Father and their subverting the ancient and Fundamentall Lawes and Government of these Kingdoms Our humble and earnest Petition to your Majesty is That you would be pleased to grant the Desires of your loyall Subjects who sincerely seek the Establishment of your Throne in righteousnesse and as you love the glory of God the good of Religion your own Honour and Happinesse and the Peace and Welfare of these Kingdoms your would not hearken to the Counsels nor countenance or own the courses of them who have been and are usurpers upon the Priviledges and disturbers of the Peace of this Kirk and Kingdom Our Commissioners will acquaint your Majesty more fully with our minde unto whom we humbly desire your Majesty may give credit and interpret our freedom and plain dealing by 〈◊〉 as a reall Testimony of our unfained affection to your Majesties Person and Government We have hitherto laboured to approve our selves in all fidelity to our Lord and Master Iesus Christ and in all loyalty to Kingly Authority And we are resolved to walk still after the same Rule in our severall stations and vocations amidst all the difficulties and oppositions wherewith we are assaulted on either hand Praying for your Majesty that the Lord of the whol earth would multiply all sorts of mercies upon your Royall Person and graciously encline your young and tender heart unto the speedy embracing and following of the Counsels of Truth and Righteousnesse and grant unto your Majesty a long and happy Reign that we may live under you a peaceable and quiet life in all godlinesse and honesty who are Edingburgh March the first 1649. Your Majesties Loyall and Loving Subjects and humble servants in the Lord The Commissioners of the Generall Assembly Before we offered any of our desires we thought it convenient to assay the putting away of that which we feared might prove obstructive to all our intentions Before our comming that unhappy and cursed man Iames Graham had been sent for and too well entertained by those of the English Councell who least affected our Covenant and all the late proceedings of our Nation our first paper therefore on Friday March 30 was for the removall of this evill man from his Majesties presence and Court The Commissioners of Parliament had desired the same before the fiâ—st answer they got was buâ— dilatory we conceived it the more necessary for us to joyn with the same desire again our petition was in these terms May it please your Majesty ACcording to our Commission we doe represent in the name of the Kiâ—k of Scotland their earnest desire that such as lie under the censure of Excommunication may be discountenanced by your Majesty and removed from your Court especially Iames Graham late Earl of Montrosse being a man most justly if ever any cast out of the Church of God It hath been â—he câ—stâ—m of Christian Princes in all places and times to maintain so far the discipline of all Churches which themselves did protect by their Laws as according to the order of Christ to decline the familiar conversing with every one whom the highest censure of Excommunication made to Ethnicks and Publicans your Majesties walking in any other way would be contrary to the rules of Scripture to the practise of these Princes whose gracious examples will be your Majesties most whollsome Patterns and would certainly give a great stroke to all the Discipline of the Kirk of Scotland which your Majesties Royall Grandfather by many of his Laws and your Royall Father in his Parliament of Scotland 1640. hath expresly ratified and we trust your Majesty will never intend to alter least of all at this time in the hopefull beginning of your Reign for gratifying of a Person upon whose head lies more innocent bloud then for many years hath done on the head of any one the most bloody murtherer in our Nation We hope for so much mercy from our God that his gracious Spirit shall encline your Majesties heart to give us just satisfaction in all our necessary Desires that the cordiall union of your Majestie with your people so much longed for on all hands may with all speed be fully accomplished And that this cursed man whose scandalous carriage pernitious counsell and contagious company cannot fail so long as he remains in his obstinate impenitency to dishonour and pollute all companies and provoke the anger of the most high God against all places of his familiar accesse shall not pe permitted by your Majesty to stand any longer in the entry of our hopes to our great discouragement and fear lest by his guilt example and acting all the humble Desires and wholsom Counsels which we are intrusted with should be obstructed and frustrate Fryday March 30. 1649. Subscribitur Cassils Robert Bailie George Wynram Iames Wood His Majesties Return to us both was in this Paper I Do insist upon my former Answer and do desire and expect that you do deliver all the Propositions or Desires you or any of you are entrusted to present to me before I make an Answer to any particular one being resolved to consider of the whole before I declare my resolution upon any part April 10. n. still 1649. C R. We took it for no good presage that notwithstanding all we could doe by our selves or by others this man remained still in our way as an open enemy to all our designes also that his Majesties answer to us was put in oâ—e paper and was altogether the same with his Answer to the Commissioners of Parliament without any direction either to them or us expressing his acknowledgement of our capacity as Commissioners yet having obtained the Kings promise of a Satisfactory Answer in reason to that our