Series 1 > Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston 1632-1639

xxxvi
DIARY OF LORD WARISTON
customary behaviour of the general body of church-goers at
that time. Of a similar manifestation Wariston wrote, ‘ I sau
Gods present hand in the casting thir, and siklyk extraordinar,
occasions to wacken and stirre up the mynds of his people
quho perhaps, in thair ordinary churche and seat, wald haive
sleiped or vaiged.'
But there were some who had scruples about subscribing the
Covenant unreservedly. They wished to make it clear that
in subscribing they were doing nothing inferring prejudice
to the royal authority and Episcopal government. The
Principal of the University of Glasgow with some of the
Professors, and also certain of the ministers of Glasgow, insisted
upon this, and made protestations to the above effect. Any
such reservation or qualification the Covenanters would not
hear of; and accordingly Wariston with Rollock and others
was sent to Glasgow on a mission ‘ for settling the trouble
was thair, and aparent rent was to be in the whole body.’1
This after much disputation they were able to do. But one
inducement for withdrawal of the protestation propounded by
Principal Adamson of Edinburgh and Sir William Cunningham
of Caprington was repudiated by Wariston. They had pointed
out that the protestation was unnecessary because the Covenant
by implication contained these restrictions, reserved judgment,
and rather imported 4 that thes things in themselves wer
allouable nor disallouable ’; whereupon, writes Wariston, 41
rose and publikly protested in naime of the whol Covenanters,
especyaly of thos quho in thair consciences condemned thos
things,’—he refers no doubt to the powers claimed by the king
as his prerogative and Episcopal government, — ‘amongst
quhom I professed myselth ever to haive bein — that no
declaration eyther verbo or scripto of that kynd sould eyther
be maid be any of the Commissioners, nor suffred to be maid
by any quho offred to subscryve, seing it was not only without
1 P. 367-