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ventured to goe on a good length in giving assureance for them, and said for the first they had ane act of parliament for their warrant, although it was replyed that not acts of parliament, but their instructions, were the bounding of their commission, and that same act of parliament did not fully warrant what they granted. 5thly, In some debates when they were upon granting of [some] things which were not in their instructions, it was many a time alleadged that they had private instructions, yet at last when some desyred ane sight of them, it was confessed they had not any, only some words had been spoken by some prime men in some private conference. 6thly, In the king's concessions, which by the parliament's instructions should have preceeded any invitation, some materiall things were left out; yet they proceeded to close the treaty and to invite, and some debated that the want of these things should not hinder the close, although therafter when the closed treaty was sent home, the parliament by their second instructions, which were no other but the renewing of the first, declared that they did not approve the treaty without these. 7thly, when some urged that the parliament of Scotland would not find themselves obliedged to stand to the treaty, if things were agreed to besyde or beyond their instructions, it was replyed by some of the commissioners, that they had heads and estates to lose, and that the parliament might call them to ane account for what they did, but both the parliament and kingdom of Scotland would be bound to all which they had concluded in their names. All these things I was unsatisfied with, and in my own blunt way declared the same as I had occasion to speak, but had not the abilitie or hardiness to debate or argue any of these things.

There was no great haste made the first three or four weeks of the treaty; but when it came toward the fourtleth day, it was much urged by some of the commissioners, that by any means the treaty should end by agreement before that day were out, and when it came to the last day, and that the invitation to the king was drawn up, and [was] to be subscryved, they first enquired the opinion of us three ministers, because we could not have ane vote among them

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who were commissioners of the State. When my opinion was asked, I told that as I conceived, although ane State or their commissioners should agree with ane king upon tearms disadvantageous to religion and liberty, a minister might weell shew¹ his minde; but if they went on, it was not ane minister's part to oppose the same, but submitt himself to the government, although not rightly constitute, and desyred them to doe according as they found themselves warranted in their commission and instructions. I am since convinced, that I ought to have dealt more freely, and shewed them [that] I thought their proceedings were not according to their instructions, and that the honest partie in Scotland woidd not be satisfied with them, and that, so far as I could discern, there was no appearance of ane blessing from God upon the treaty; but partly, I saw such ane torrent in carrying on that business, partly, I somewhat doubted² my own judgement, partly, my weakness of nature made me neglect that duty.

After this, Mr James Dalrymple, Secretary to the Commissioners, was sent home to Scotland with the closed treatie. I ought to have written home my sense of the whole bussiness, but partly, we were strictly forbidden by the commissioners to advertise any thing of the treaty, or write any thing of it; partly, I had observed³ Mr James Dalrymple a litle too much forward for that same way of closeing of the treaty. Although great haste was made to closing of the⁴ treaty, yet, after it was ended, we perceived no great haste of going to Scotland.

The Saturnday before the king left Breda to come to⁵ Scotland, we got notice about three or four a' clock in the afternoon that he was⁶ to communicate kneeling to-morrow after. We that were commissioners from the Church prepared ane paper, and presented it to him, and both by the paper and by speech, shewed the sin of so doing, and provocation against God to procure the blasting of all his designes, and what inconveniency it might bring on his bussiness and confirmation to all his enemies, and what scandall to

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¹    "Tell."

²    "Misdoubted."

³    "Found."

⁴    "To close the."

⁵    "To goe for."

⁶    "About."