Page:Brief historical relation of the life of Mr. John Livingston Minister of the Gospel.pdf/51

( 51 ) According to my ſoftneſs and ſillineſs of diſpoſition, I was moved to agree.

On the Sabbath morning before we met for ſermon, ſome told me that the king was minded to ſpeak ſome words when he ſwore the covenant, that what he did ſhould not import any infringing of the laws of the kingdom of England; In that way he ſaid, he behoved to prevent the ſtumbling his Engliſh ſubjects, becauſe in the declaration annexed to the covenant which he was to ſwear, he bound himſelf to confirm acts, bills or ordinances of the parliament of England, ratifying the ſolemn league and covenant; which acts and ordinances were expired with the late king. I went to the reſt of the commiſſioners and told them; and we all went to the king and told him, that we could not receive his oath, if he added any thing to the words that were to be read, that would declare the oath no oath. He preſſed much and long that he behoved to do it; ſo that I began to be hopeful his ſwearing might be put off for that day. At laſt he ſaid, he would forbear to ſpeak theſe words. Yet I urged, that ſeeing both he and we were in ſome heat and diſtemper by that diſpute, that his ſwearing might be forborn till another day; but both he and the commiſſioners preſſed, that it ſhould not be delayed. For the outward part of ſwearing and ſubſcribing the covenant, the king performed any thing that could have been required; but it ſeems to have been the guilt not of the commiſſioners only, but of the whole kingdom, of the State, yea, of the Church, who knew the terms whereupon the State was to admit him to his government, yet without any evidence of a real change upon his heart; and without forſaking former principles, counſels and company; yea when, as ſome ſay, letters found among James Graham's papers did evidence the contrary, yet they proceeded to admit him to the exerciſe of his government; whereas by the laſt inſtructions by the parliament, which came to the commiſſioners hands in Holland, ere the king and they came aboard, ten or twelve perſons expreſly named ſhould not have come home, yet all theſt perſons except two or three who were not preſent, did come along to Scotland. Rh