Page:Brief historical relation of the life of Mr. John Livingston Minister of the Gospel.pdf/39

( 39 ) till one was built for me. The people were very tractable but very ignorant, and ſome of them looſe in their carriage, and it was along time before any competent number of them were brought to ſuch a condition, as we might adventure to celebrate the ordinance of the Lord’s ſupper, but after ſome time ſeverals of them began to lay religion to heart.

In the year 1649. the parliament of Scotland and the church alſo, had ſent ſome commiſſioners to treat with the king at the Hague, for ſecurity to religion and liberties of the country, before his admiſſion to the exerciſe of his government; theſe had returned without ſatisfaction, yet the parliament ſent again in Summer 1650. the earls of Caſſils and Lothian, Alexander Brody of that ilk, one of the lords of ſeſſion, Mr. George Windram of Libertoun, another of the lords of ſeſſion, Mr. John Smith and Alexander Jaffray, to proſecute the foreſaid treaty with the king at Breda. The commiſſion of the kirk choſe Mr. James Wood and me, and after that alſo, by my lord Caſſil's procurement, Mr. George Hutchiſon.

To us were joined Caſſils and Brody as ruling elders, that in name of the church, we ſhould preſent and proſecute their deſires; and becauſe much depended on that treaty. I will out of my own private obſervations, more fully ſet down the ſame. When it was firſt laid upon me to go, I was moſt averſe therefrom: my reaſons were three; Find, my own inſufficiency, having both a kind of natural antipathy againſt public employments and State matters, and having ſome ſcruple, that ſome miniſters meddled but too much therein: and knowing my own unacquaintedneſs with, and inability in ſuch things, and my ſoftneſs of diſpoſition, ready to condeſcend too eaſily to anything having a ſhow of reaſon; not being able to debate or diſpute any buſineſs, ſo that I feared I ſhould be a grief and ſhame to thoſe that ſent me. Beſides that I could not ſpeak promptly the Latin tongue, which was requiſite among foreign divines. This reaſon I expreſſed in the commiſſion of the kirk: The other two which weighed as much with me I ſuppreſſed. The ſecond was, when I conſidered the commiſſioners ſent by the State, I was not willing to imbark in any buſineſs with them. Cassils,