Page:Life and transactions of James Sharp.pdf/6

 of the commissioners from Scotland were strenously for bishops; but duke Hamilton, the earls of Lauderdale and Crawford, &c. opposed it, assuring the King, that the national prejudices against bishops were very strong; but Sharp, on the other hand, assured his majesty, that none but the Protesters, of whom, he had a very bad opinon, were against bishops; and that of the Resolutioners, their would not be found twenty that would oppose it. So the King and Sarp's party previled, and Preiacy being now to be set up in Scotland by royal authority, without consent of the people, it is easy to conceive what consternation, almost all ranks of people in Scotland were in.

The next thing to be done, was to have Bishops appointed, and consecrated: Sharp managed matters with so much art and dissimulation, that he got the archbishoprick of St Andrews secured to himself, and was ordered to find out proper men for filling up the other fees.

For five years after this, the Presbyterians were crueally oppressed by the Bishops, &c. Their liberties both religious and civil were taken away; their ministers scattered, banished, and imprisoned, and, the common people exposed to the merciless ravages of the army, who fined and imprisoned at pleasure, that the poor people were all made desparate; and through their case was represented to the council, and, even to the king, by some of the nobility; yet, as Sharp, and the rest of the bishops, had all to lay in the council, instead of getting redress, they were fill oppressed the more; which was the occasion of their taking up arms to defend themselves