Page:Brief historical relation of the life of Mr. John Livingston Minister of the Gospel.pdf/53

( 53 ) treaty was like to bring on the church and land. When I took my leave of the king at Dundee, I being alone with him, begged liberty to uſe ſome freedom with him, which he granted; after I had ſpoken fome things about his carriage, I propounded, that he ſaw the Engliſh army, animated by many victories, for his ſake coming in upon Scotland, which at preſent was in a very low condition, and therefore that he might with his council deviſe ſome way to divert the preſent ſtroke, by a declaration or ſome ſuch way, wherein he, needed not quit or weaken his right to the crown of England; only how that for the preſent, he was not to proſecute his title by the ſword, but wait till their confuſions being evaniſhred, they were in better caſe to be governed, and till he were called by the people there; which I was confident a ſhort while’s good government in Scotland would eaſily produce. He was not pleaſed to reliſh the motion, and ſaid, he hoped I would not wiſh him to ſell his father’s blood. By that and ſome other paſſages of my life I gathered, that either I was not called to meddle in any public State matters, or that my meddling ſhould have but ſmall ſucceſs; for in the year 1654. when I was in London, I propounded to the lord protector, that he would take off the heavy fines, which they had laid on ſeveral in Scotland; which neither they were able to pay, and the payment would alienate their minds the more; He ſeemed to like the overture; but when he had ſpoken with his council, many of them being to have a ſhare in theſe fines, they went on in their purpoſe.

The general aſſembly appointed ſome miniſters, and among them me alſo, to wait on the army, and the committee of eſtates that reſided with the army; But the apprehenſion and fear of what enſued, made that I had no freedom to go thither, and ſo went home, till we got the ſad news of the defeat at Dumbar. After that I got alſo letters from them that were in Dumfries, who were upon the ſide of the remonſtrance, to come and join with them; but I had not clearneſs to go. Some while after I went to Stirling, to thy commiſſion of the kirk; and there in a great