The annals of King James and King Charles the First ... containing a faithful history and impartial account of the great affairs of state, and transactions of parliaments in England from the tenth of King James MDCXII to the eighteenth of King Charles MDCXLII : wherein several material passages relating to the late civil wars (omitted in former histories) are made known.

Sess. 24. 30 Aug. a meridie. The Assemblies Supplication of the King's Majesty.

Most Gracious Sovereign,

WE your Majesties most humble and loyal Subjects, the Commissioners from all the parts of this your Maje∣sties ancient and native Kingdom, and Members of the National Assembly, conveened at Edin∣burgh by your Majesties special Indiction, and ho∣noured with the presence of your Majesties High Commissioner, have been waiting for a day of Rejoycing, and of solemn Thanksgiving to be rendred to God by this whole Kirk and King∣dom, for giving us a King so Just and Religious, that it is not only lawful for us to be Christians under your Majesties Government, which somtime hath been the greatest praise of great Princes, but also that it hath pleased your Gracious Majesty to make known, That it is your Royal Will and Pleasure, that all Matters Ecclesiastical be deter∣mined in free National Assemblies, and Matters Civil in Parliament; which is a most noble and ample expression of your Majesties Justice; and we trust shall be a powerful means of our com∣mon Happiness under your Majesties most blessed Reign. In the mean while we do most humbly from our hearts, bless your Majesty for that Happiness already begun in the late Assembly at Edinburgh; in the Proceedings whereof, next un∣der God, we have laboured to approve our selves unto your Majesties Vicegerent, as if your Majesties Eyes had been upon us; which was the desire of our Souls, and would have been the Matter of our full rejoycing; and do still con∣tinue your Majesties most humble Suppliants for your Majesties Civil Sanction and Ratificati∣on of the Constitutions of the▪ Assembly in Par∣liament; that your Majesties Prince Power, and the Ecclesiastical Authority joyning in one, the mutual Imbracements of Religion and Ju∣stice, of Truth and Peace, may be seen in this Land, which shall be to us as a Resurrection from the Dead; and shall make us, being not only so far recovered, but also revived, to fill Heaven and Earth with our Praises, and to pray that King Charles may be more and more blessed, and his Throne established before the Lord for ever.

And the Assembly (without asking the Com∣missioners leave) appoint the next Assem∣bly to conveen at Aberdeen, the last Tues∣day of July next, in the Year 1640.

And now we come to the Parliament which met in August, at the time appointed, where the Covenanters deny to his Majesty the most essential and inherent Prerogatives of his Crown; as that no Coyn should be medled with, but by advice of Parliament; a Prerogative peculiar to the Crown, and in any other person High Treason in all Kingdoms in the World: No Stranger to be admitted to command any of the King's Towns, Cities, or Castles, but by advice of Parliament; as if the King had been an Infant, or not an absolute Prince. That no Honour should be given by the King in Scotland to any Stranger, but to such who had a competency of Land there; and this they did to c••y Quit with the English Nobility, who had formerly pe∣titioned against the Scots. That no Li••utenancy or Justiciary should be granted by the King to any, but for a limited time; whereas many of themselves, at that instant, had Hereditary Rights Judiciary, &c. and now they will limit their Prince for the future. Lastly, they protested against the precedency of the Lord Treasurer and Lord Privy Seal, for which there was no Act of Parliament: Nor for the Chancellor neither. The King is the Fountain of Honour; and 'tis the first Branch of his Crown to di∣stribute Honours and Precedency as he pleaseth.

In the next place they strove to alter the Con∣stitutions of Parliament, and frame of Govern∣ment, as appears by their first Act, which was, that nothing done, or to be done in Parliament, should be valid, except the form of electing the Lords of the Articles (heretofore observed) were altered, contrary to former Parliaments, and the power of the Articles, which have been ever since King David Bruce, more then 300 years. (For the Lords of the Articles prepare all business, bring them to the Parliament, as appears, the fourth Par∣liament of King James the sixth, cap. 218. and in∣deed for eschewing impertinent confusion, all Pro∣positions and Motions are to be delivered to the Clerk Register, and by him presented to the Lords of Articles, which now they will not endure.) They urge to confound the third Estate in Parlia∣ment, of Bishops, formerly called the first Estate, which King James the sixth, and all his Predec••••∣sors before and since the Reformation, were care∣ful to preserve, as appears Anno 1560. when all Church Jurisdiction in the persons of Bishops is alledged to be dissolved. And in Anno 1587. when all Temporalities of Benefices were annex∣ed to the Crown, the Clergy retained still their Vote in Parliament, and represented the third E∣state; see the first Parliament of James the sixth, 1587, 1597, 1609. Nay, by a special Act, the eighth Parliament of King James the sixth, it is declared Treason to impugn the three Estates, or to procure the Innovation of the Power and Au∣thority

of the same three Estates, or any of them; and so these men are thereby now guilty of Treason. And to the Act of Oblivion, they seek to justisie themselves, and all their former pro∣ceedings, and urge an Act of Justification to be re∣corded in Parliament, which in truth is contrary to the nature of an Act of Oblivion, as appears in that Act of Oblivion 1563. And whereas by their Article of Pacification, they were to restore to the Subject, Liberty, Lands, Goods, &c. the bind∣ing part of the Act, never intended (it seems) to restore Bishops and Ministers, &c. They urge that all Scots assistant to the King shall be made equal, if not more liable to the desraying of their pre∣tended charge in the late Expedition; so that in this point, the King must not only justifie his Sub∣jects Rebellion, but contribute his consent to pay their wages.

His Majesty having knowledge of these Extra∣vagancies, commands Traquair, his Commissioner, to prorogue the Parliament till the 14th of No∣vember following; which was done accordingly: But he had instruction from his Majesty, That if they should presume to sit still, he should dis∣charge them upon pain of High Treason; but if they should yield obedience thereto, his Majesty would be graciously pleased to admit such persons to his presence, to represent their Desires as they should send. Against this Command they pro∣test, and style it a Declaration of the Parliaments 18. Decemb, 1639.

WHereas John Earl of Traquair, his Maje∣sties Commissioner, having closed the Assembly, and sitting in Parliament with them, did now take upon him, without their Consent, or Offence given, to Prorogate the Parliament upon a private Warrant; this being a new and unu••ual way, without President in this Kingdom heretofore, once being conveened, have conti∣nuation by the express consent of the Estates. We therefore declare, That any Prorogation made by the Commissioner's Grace, without con∣sent of Parliament, shall be of no Force, and the Actors to be censured in Parliament. And knowing that Declarations have been published against us, and our Proceedings made odious to such as do not consider that we are not private Subjects, but a sitting Parliament: We there∣fore declare, That whatsoever we might do lawfully in sitting still, yet we have resolved for the present to make Remonstrance to his Majesty, and some of each Estate to remain still at Edinburgh to attend his gracious Answer. And if it shall happen that our malicious Enemies do notwithstanding prevail against us, we prosess our selves free of the Outrages and Insolencies that may be committed; in the mean time we do our best to prevent Confusion and Mi∣sery.

And the Committee appointed to expect the King's Answer, were, the Earls of Lothian and Dalhouse; the Lords Yester, Balm••rino, Cranston, and Napi••r; for the Barons, the Commissioners of the Lothians, Fife, and Twedale; the Bur∣roughs named the Commissioners of Edinburgh, Lithgow, Sterling, Haddington, and Dunbar, to at∣tend at Edinburgh the return of his Majesties Answer.

Their Deputies, the Earl of Du••fermling and the Lord Lowdon, coming to Whitchall, but with∣out warrant from the King's Commissioner Tra∣quair, were refused Audience, and commanded home again: After this the Covenanters send their Petition to his Majesty for Audience, by one Cun∣ningham, which his Majesty granted; and accord∣ingly the foregoing Lords, together with Sir Wil∣liam Douglass and Berkley of Derreyn, were com∣manded to attend the King.

In this Interval his Majesty commands Traquair to come to Court, and to give an account of the proceedings in the late Assembly and Parliament, with whom certainly his Majesty was much dis∣pleased, for that he had subscribed the Covenant offered him by the Covenanters, he being his Majesties Commissioner, without his leave or ap∣probation, and had permitted likewise the Lords of the Secret Council to do the like. Traquair to rid himself of this trouble, and to obtain his Ma∣jesties good Opinion, lays open to his Majesty th•• secret Practices and Intentions of the Scots, ad∣viseth him to invade Scotland in Person, that there was no other way to deal with those Scots: Coun∣sel perhaps plausible enough; in which, 'tis said, he had the assistance and concurrence of Hamil∣ton, both of whom the Covenanters hereafter ha∣ted, and termed them Incendiaries; however, Traquair performed (be his Instructions what they will) one good piece of Service, in delivering to his Majesty a Letter which he had got from the Covenanters, written to the French King, desi∣ring his Protection and Assistance. Absolute Trea∣son by the Laws of Scotland, for any of his Sub∣jects to treat with a Forreign Prince without his knowledge or permission; but of this Letter more hereafter: Notwithstanding all Traquair's endeavours to beget in his Majesty a good Opini∣on of his Fidelity, many persons did not stick o∣penly to lay no less than Treason to his Charge, more particularly the Archbishop of St. Andrews, the Bishops of Ross and Brichen, Peers of Scot∣land, subscribed the Charge sub poena talionis, ac∣cording to the Laws of Scotland, if they should not make good the Matters they accused him with: But this matter fell to the ground by reason of the Troubles which ensued.

It may not perhaps be amiss in respect fre∣quent mention hath been made in this Collection of the Articles of Perth, to give the Reader an account of them: They were made 1618. and were these following:

First, Kneeling in the taking of the Communion, and out of the Ministers hands, whereas it was be∣fore taken sitting on their breech, and the Bread ta∣ken by themselves out of a Bason, and the Cup from one another, as if they were drinking to others, and the Beadle filling up the Cup, as it was emptied, out of a Flagon, which he filled in the Belfrey, as it was spent.

Secondly, Private Communion to sick persons that were not able to come to Church, to be given with three or four Communicants besides.

Thirdly, Private Baptism, in case of necessity that the Child is so sick, or weak, that he cannot be brought to Church without eminent danger of death, and to de∣clare it to the Congregation the next Sunday there∣after.

Fourthly, Confirmation of Children after the Pri∣mitive way, which was, the bringing of them at eight, nine, or ten years of age, to the Bishop of the Diocese, to give him account of their Christian Faith, and re∣ceive his encouragement, commendation and benedicti∣on, to make them continue careful in it, as they were

carefully catechised by their Parents, and Parish Priests; and if any were not well instructed in their Faith, the Bishop sends them back without blessing, and some rebuke, to be better instructed.

Fifthly, Festival days, only five to be kep••, viz. The Days of our Saviour's Birth, Passion, Resur∣rection, Ascension, and Descent of the Holy Spi∣rit.

Now let any man of reason judge, Whether any of these could truly fall under the Censure of Popery; and if any man of any Reason or Learn∣ing would not rather follow the practice of the purest Primitive times in these, as likewise in those that were condemned for Arminianism by the Council of Dort, than new Calvinistical, Presbyte∣rian Inventions, contrary to all Antiquity.

If you des••••e to be further informed there-anent, see the four and twenty Demands or Questions of the six Divines of Aberdeen, and their Replies and Duplies never sufficiently answered; against Alex∣ander Henderson, David Dickson, and Andrew Gaunt, the three leading Covenanting Mini∣sters.

We have mentioned the Articles of Pacificati∣on subscribed in the King's Camp, which were afterwards falsified by the Scots, at their return home, that they might the better satisfie their own people. The false Paper was burnt here by order of Council, by the hand of the Common Hangman in Smithfield; and hereafter followeth.