| Ancrum In the summer of 1648, at the age of 45, he was called to take up the ministry of the parish of Ancrum in the Scottish borders. This new posting appealed to him as he felt that the people to whome he was to minister were generally, " landwart and simple". Later in the autumn of that year, he moved with his family and servants from Stranraer. The journey involved a trek of over 100 miles on terrible roads with "ane numerous family, six children, one of them sucking the breast, four or five servants". Their safe arrival was attributed to the Lord. He was not to be too long in adminstering the affairs of his new church before he was called again to the forefront. The Scottish Parliament and Church representatives had met with the future King Charles ll at The Hague in Holland in 1649. Whilst Cromwell had the overall control in England, the Scots felt they could possibly negotiate with the future King as to him assuming the throne north of the border. This meeting failed to agree terms for his return. However a fresh approach was arranged for the following year. Six people were nominated by Parliament and five were chosen by the Church, Livingston being one of the latter. Only the government representatives were allowed to vote on the issues. Livingston was a reluctant nominee for he felt that ministers should not be involved in such matters He also felt that the majority of the delegation would accept the King on his terms. At the first meeting in Breda, Holland, Livingston was chosen to deliver a speech on behalf of the Church. This required vetting by the other delegates beforehand. It was returned to Livingston severely edited. They had thought it was too harsh in its contents. He told them he thought their decision to alter his speech`s contents unfair, but he was ordered not to show his own mind but theirs. It was with severe reluctance that he delivered it. The negotiations overran their scheduled thirty days limit by a further ten days. In the end Charles was invited to assume the throne in Scotland after assurances that he would acknowledge the Presbyterian system of worship in Scotland. Livingston was not one of those who were in sympathy with it. He always felt the man could not be trusted. |
| Meeting with Cromwell Once he felt established in Scotland, Charles eyed the lost kingdom of England. He felt he had to avenge his father`s lost crown and indeed his own. He later led an army into England but was forced back to Dunbar where he was defeated. Livingston had been asked to accompany it but had declined. Cromwell later invaded Scotland and for some time he had soldiers billeted with the Livingstons. John Livingston asserted that all the time they were within his house, he never ate or communicated with them. Cromwell invited him to Edinburgh to speak with him but he declined the opportunity. In 1654 he was called to London along with others to meet with Cromwell. This visit gave him the opportunity of asking the Protector to remove the heavy fines that he had placed on several people in Scotland. Cromwell agreed but his Council, reaping a share of these, thought otherwise. He returned home by himself after receiving no satisfaction to his overtures. In 1657, his fifteenth child Elizabeth was born. She would live for ten years. |