[311] In October 1637, Baillie, who was carefully watching the course of affairs, writes, 'No man may speak any thing in publick for the king's part, except he would have himself marked for a sacrifice to be killed one day. I think our people possessed with a bloody devill, farr above any thing that ever I could have imagined, though the masse in Latine had been presented.' And, in a postscript, dated 3rd October, he adds: 'My fears in my former went no farther then to ane ecclesiastik separation, but now I am more affrayit for a bloudie civill warr.' _Baillie's Letters and Journals_, edit. Laing, Edinburgh, 1841, vol. i. pp. 23, 25.
[312] _Laing's History of Scotland_, vol. iii. p. 131. _Chambers' Annals_, vol. ii. pp. 101-104. _Spalding's History of the Troubles in Scotland_, vol. i. pp. 47, 48.
[313] 'The accusation, among themselves a bond of union, and to their enemies a signal of hostility, was subscribed by the nobility, the gentry, the clergy, and afterwards by all ranks, and almost by every corporation in the kingdom.' _Laing's History of Scotland_, vol. iii. p. 137.
[315] 'It was signed by a large majority of the people, in a paroxysm of enthusiasm beyond all example in our history.' _Chambers' Annals_, vol. ii. p. 105. Kirkton, who was a contemporary, says, 'And though only eleven private men (and some of them very inconsiderable) had the boldness first to begin this work, without ever asking leave of king or council, yet was it very quickly taken by all the people of Scotland, with hands lifted up in most solemn manner.' _Kirkton's History of the Church of Scotland_, p. 33. Lord Somerville, taking a somewhat different view of affairs, remarks, that 'the generalitie of the natione entered into a hellish covenant, wherein they mutually obleidged themselves to extirpate episcopacy, and to defend each other against all persones whatsoever, noe not excepting the persone of his sacred majestie; but upon conditiones of ther oune frameing.' _Somerville's Memorie of the Somervilles_, vol. ii. p. 187.
[316] There had been no General Assembly since 1618. _Argyll's Presbytery Examined_, p. 102; and the _Spottiswoode Miscellany_, vol. i. p. 88. But 'the provincial synods, presbyteries, and sessions still remained, and in these, good men mutually comforted one another.' _Stevenson's History of the Church of Scotland_, p. 162.