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THE

S-COTS WORTHIES,
VOLUME SECOND;

CONTAINING

THEIR LAST WORDS AND DYING TESTIMONIES:

EMBRACING
THE WHOLE THANIS TO BE FOUND IN NAPHTALI AND THE CLOUD OF
WITNESSES, TOGETHER WITH OTHERS EXTRACTED FROM MEMOIRS
OF THEIR LIV.ES AND OTHER DOCUMENTS, BOTH IN OLD PUB
LISHED COLLECTIONS AND ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS:

THE WHOLE ACCOMPANIED WITH
HISTORICAL NOTICES AND OBSERVATIONS,
EXPLANATORY AND CORRECTIVE,
BY
A CLERGYMAN OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.
AND ENRICHED WITH
A PREFACE,
BY WILLIAM M'GAVIN, ESQ
AUTHOR OF THE " PROTESTANT," AND " PROTESTANT REFORMATION VINDICATED.'
THIRTIETH EDITION.

GLASGOW:
PUBLISHED BY W. R. M'PHUN, TRONGATE;
AND SIMPKIN & MARSHALL, LONDON.
MDCCCXXXV.

GLASGOW :
EDWARD K1IDLI., PRINTER TO THE 1INIVEYSITT.

ADVERTISEMENT.

Encouraged by the almost unprecedented success which has
attended the publication of the former volume of the Scots
Worthies, the Publisher has been induced to follow it up
by the present Work. The former volume contained the
Lives of the Covenanting Worthies of Scotland, which, from
their interesting nature, have proved highly acceptable ; and,
it is to be hoped, edifying to the Christian world : — this
volume contains their Last Words and Dying Testimonies,
which, it is fully expected, will prove equally useful and
edifying as its predecessor. The former volume gave the
history of the transactions of their lives, and shows how they
lived — this gives their dying scenes, and shows how well these
eminent men were prepared to die ; and how ready they were
to ratify with their blood the profession they had made during
their lives.
The Publisher cannot doubt that it will be gratifying to
the friends of the cause thus to have collected, for the first
time into one volume, the Testimonies and Declarations
emitted by the Worthies in the immediate prospect of death
and eternity, in favour of religion in general, and the refor
mation principles of the Church of Scotland in particular.
Many of these testimonies have been extracted from very
scarce tracts published about the time they were originally
emitted, and now very rarely to be met with ; and even when
met with, they are sold at such a price as entirely to exclude
them from the use of the general reader. Some others of
these Testimonies have never before been printed, but have
been derived from original, though duly authenticated manu
scripts ; thus giving to the present Work in some measure
the character of an original production. The principal

ADVERTISEMENT.

portion of these two valuable volumes, well known by the
titles of Naphtali and the Cloud of Witnesses, have been incor
porated into the pages of this book. These two, of themselves,
would have formed an important acquisition to the Christian's
library, but the Publisher is convinced that, with the other
additions he has mentioned, the value of the work will be
greatly enhanced. The whole has been carefully arranged
in chronological order, and the authority quoted to each,
article from whence it is derived. This mode of arrange
ment will be found of consequence in an historical point of
view, and it is, one to which little attention has hitherto been
given in any former edition of either Naphtfili or the. Cloud
of Witnesses. In short, it is not saying too much to, aver,
this volume taken in conjunction with the, former otie, forms
as complete a History of the Church of Scotland, during the
trying period of the. Reformation, as is any where to be. met
with. The Publisher has again tbe satisfaction of giving to the
world a production of die distinguished .Author of the "Pro
testant," who has kindly consented to introduce this volume
to the public with one of his luminous essays. For this, and
a similar favpur formerly received, he thinks it proper to state,
that he is indebted to Mr. M'Gavin's disinterested friendship;;
that gentleman (contrary to a misconception that exists on
the subject) having no pecuniary interest whatever either in the
present or former publications
The Publisher, in conclusion, begs to express his gratitude
for the kindness he has received from . numerous friends who
have assisted him in propurjng the necessary materials for this
volume. Many pf these had become so scarce, that it was
found impossible to obtain a single Pqpy froqi any. other sourpe
than by application to private individuals; and the MSS.
from which others have been derived, , could not have been
had at all, but for the assistance of these friends, to whom he
feels so much indebted.

86, Trongate,Z6thJ)ec., 1888.

CONTENTS.

MR. M'GAVIN'S PREFACE,

Page

PART FIRST,
COMPREHENDING TESTIMONIES THAT WERE EMITTED PREVIOUS TO THE YEAR 1660.
1. PATRICK HAMILTON, .
2. RUSSEL AND KENNEDY,
a GFORGE WISHART,
4. WAITER MILL,
5. JOHN KNOX,
6. JAMES LAWSON,
7. ROBERT ROLLOCK,
8. ANDREW DUNCAN,
9. JOHN WELCH,
10. ROBERT BRUCE,
11. JOHN GORDON, VISCOUNT KENMUIR,
12. JAMES MITCHELL,
13. GEORGE GILLESPIE, .
H. ANDREW GRAY, . PART SECOND,
comprehending testimonies that were emitted between the years
1660 and 1680.

I

2
3
5
•
7
10
16
22
23
28
29
39
43
m
1. SA.MUEL RUTHERFORD, ....
2. ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, MARQUIS OF ARGYLE,
3. JAMES GUTHRIE, 
i. WILLIAM GOVAN 
5. SIR ARCHIBALD JOHNSTON, LORD WARRISTON,
6. JAMES WOOD, ....
7. ROBERT BLAIR, 
8. THOMAS PATERSON AND OTHERS,
9. JOHN M'CULI.OCH AND OTHERS,
5059
m
73
75
8087
88
91
VI

CONTENTS,

10. ANDREW ARNOT,
11. JOHN SHIELDS, .
12. ANONYMOUS,
13. ALEXANDER ROBERTSON,
It JOHN WILSON, .
15. GEORGE CRAWFURD,"
16. HUGH M'KAIL, .
17. JOHN WODROW,
13. RALPH SHIELDS,
19. HUMPHREY COLQUHOUN,
20. JOHN WILSON,
21. JOHN LIVINGSTON,
22. JOHN BURNET, .
23. JOHN BROWN, .
24. JAMES MITCHELL,
25.JAMES LEARMONTH, .
26. JOHN KID,
27. JOHN KING, THOMAS BROWN AND OTHERS.
28. SECTION I. THEIR JOINT TESTIMONY,
S9. SECTION II. THEIR RESPECTIVE TESTIMONIES.
1. THOMAS BROWN, ....
2. JAMES WOOD, 
3. ANDREW SWORD,
4. JOHN WADDEL. ....
5. JOHN CLYDE, ...
30. SECTION III. THEIR DYING SPEECH, .
31. SECTION IV. THEIR LAST WORDS,

lag* 94
95 96 97
101 104105
' 116118120121124128135160 185193
200

217 228225228235 210

PART THIRD,
COMPREHENDING TESTIMONIES THAT WERE EMITTED BETWEEN THE YEARS
1680 AND 1688.
1. DAVID HACKSTON,
2. ARCHIBALD ALISON, 
3. JOHN MALCOM, 
4. JAMES SKENE, . .
5. ARCHIBALD STEWART, 
6. JOHN POTTER, ...
7. ISABEL ALISON,

247260 265275280 292 299

CONTENTS. vii
Page
a MARION HARVIE  .309
9. WILLIAM GOUGAR AND OTHERS, . ...
10. LAURENCE HAY,

317

 326
11. ANDREW PITILLOCH  33l
12. DONALD CARGILL,  ss6
13. WALTER SMITH,  351
14. JAMES30IG, ....  S55
15. WILLIAM THOMSON, . ...... 357
16. WILLIAM CUTHIL,  Se
ll ROBERT GARNOCK, . . . . , . 369
18. PATRICK FORMAN,  376
19. DAVID FAIRIE, . .... 379
20. JAMES STEWART  385
21. ROBERT GRAY  391
22. JAMES ROBERTSON,  400
23. JOHN FINLAY, . .  413
24. WILLIAM COCHRAN,  420
25. ALEXANDER HUME OF HUME  424
26. WILLIAM HARVEY,  427
87. JOHN NISBET  .... 428
88. JOHN WILSON,  436
29. DAVID M'MILLAN, .  450
30. JOHN WHARRY,  452
31. ANDREW GUILLAN,  456
32. JOHN COCHRANE,  «9
33. GEORGE MARTIN,  460
34 JOHN DICK, . ..,..-.«*
35. JOHN MAIN,  48Z
36. JOHN RICHMOND,  m
SI. JAMES JOHNSTON, .  4as
38. ARCHIBALD STUART, .  *"
39. JOHN PATON, ...'...«•• S01 KOI
10. JAMES NISBET,  ,..•"*
41. ARTHUR TACQUET, ...  5"
AND OTHERS . • •
- . . . M«

42. THOMAS HARKNESS AND OTHERS . • • • SU
43. JAMES NICHOL, . ... 523
44. JOHN NISBET,  535
45. JAMES RENWICK 

PREFACE.

No part pf the divine record has been more manifestly verified
than the words of God to the serpent, in relation to the
promised seed of the woman, " I will put enmity between thy
seed and her seed." This enmity appeared in the first family
of mankind ; for Cain, who was of the wicked one, or seed of
the serpent, slew his brother; and wherefore slew he him?
Because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous.
Abel was interested in the promised seed of the woman, by
faith in whom he became righteous ; and by the same faith he
offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he
obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his
gifts. It was the divine acceptance of Abel's sacrifice, signi
fied by some visible token, probably the fire from heaven con
suming it, while no sign indicated the acceptance of Cain's
offering, that called into operation the enmity of the latter
against the former. It was not merely because Abel was a
better character, or led a holier life, that Cain hated him ; but
because of his acceptance with God, and relation to him as a new
creature, made manifest by his works ; while Cain himself, not
believing in the promised Saviour, remained under the power
of the serpent, and was influenced by all his enmity against
the truth. This is the origin of all the persecution which the
church has suffered from its enemies since the beginning of the
world. The object of the serpent's enmity, and consequent hostility,
is, and always has been, " The Truth ;" not what is true
generally, in opposition to what is false ; but that which is
emphatically called the truth in distinction from every thing
else. It is the gospel of Christ; the divine record concerning
the incarnation, obedience, death, resurrection, and glory of
the Son of God, and of eternal life through him to sinners of
the human race. Of the devil it is said, he was a murderer

PREFACE.

from the beginning, and abode not in the trvth; from which it
has been inferred, that there must have been a revelation of
the gospel in heaven at the creation of man, or some intima
tion that for a new manifestation of the divine glory, the Son
of God would honour that newly created race by becoming
one of them; that a multidude of angels, with one as their
leader, afterwards called the devil, did not hke the revelation
of this purpose, so honourable to an inferior race of creatures,
revolted from their allegiance, and became the enemies of
God and all that is good in the universe. Whatever be in
this, it is certain, that from the beginning, when the truth
was told him, that the seed of the woman should bruise his
head, all his efforts and those of his seed, have been to blot
out the knowledge of that truth from the earth, or so to obscure
it by corrupt additions, that men should npt perceive the
meaning and enjpy the benefit pf it.
As it was from the beginning, so Christ's apostles found it
in their experience, — they who were after the flesh persecuted
them who were after the Spirit ; and the apostles instructed
Christians to expect nothing else while they were in the world.
Every species of false religion has its origin in the alienation
of the mind and heart of man from the knowledge and love ot
God; and the different modes of worship which have this
common origin, can easily endure one another ; but they will
all unite in opposing and endeavouring to put down, that
which has its origin in divine revelation ; — that which is
heavenly in its nature as well as origin, and which must
necessarily testify against the worshippers of idols, that their
deeds are evil. Thus Rome, in the days of her glory, the
most enlightened city in the world, was perfectly tolerant of
every mode of heathen worship. She rather invited than
forbade men of different nations to worship at Rome as they
had done at home ; and she had her pantheon, or temple foi?
all the gods, where men of every country might set up their
own idol, and offer incense upon his altar. This was quite
natural ; for amidst the variety and multitude of altars and
images, the worshippers were all of one religion, and it was
the religion of Rome itself. As all idolatry has its origin in
the alienation of men from God, so all the varieties of it have
the same design and tendency, — to perpetuate the dominion of
the devil over the minds of men, and to indulge them in the

PREFACE. Xi
gratification of their sensual appetites, without any fearful
apprehension of future punishment.
But Christianity being opposed to all idolatry, and to all
the fruits of the flesh ; and refusing to make any compromise
with any other system whatever, was itself found to be into
lerable in Rome, when it had made such progress as to
attract public notice. Had the Christians put an image of
Christ in the pantheon, and had they consented to be neigh
bourlike ; doing in Rome as the Romans did, they would have
been no more molested on account of their religion than the
worshippers of Jupiter were. But being like the Jews in the
time of Haman, different from all other people, it was reck
oned not fit that they should live. They were murdered by
thousands, not by command of such monsters as Nero only,
but also by authority of the more amiable and comparatively
humane emperors and governors, some of whom declared
plainly that they put the Christians to death, not as guilty of
any crime, but solely because they refused to renounce what
was called their superstition. Such obstinacy, in the opinion
of the philosophical Pliny, was of itself worthy of death, as
he says in his letter to the emperor Trajan.
With all this opposition, the word of God grew mightily
and prevailed in every province of the empire. Pliny, in his
letter above referred to, complains that in Bithynia, his
province, the temples were deserted, and those who reared
victims for sacrifices could scarcely find a purchaser. This
was about the beginning of the second century, when, it is
believed, all the apostles were dead ; but the impulse which they
had given to the cause of God, continued under the ministry
of evangelists and others, their immediate successors, not as
apostles, but preachers of the gospel. As Israel served the
Lord all the days of Joshua and of the elders who overlived
him ; so there is reason to think the first generation of Chris
tian pastors and teachers, after the apostles, held generally
the faith in purity, and preached it with power : though we
know there were corruptions in both faith and practice, in
some churches, even while the apostles lived. See Paul to
the churches in Galatia, and John to the seven churches in
Asia. Had the impulse given by them continued a few ages
longer, the world would have been filled with the knowledge
of the true God, and his Son Jesus Christ. But when the

Xll PREFACE.
elders who had been Joshua's companions, and who had been
witnesses of God's works on behalf of Israel, had been gath
ered to their fathers, the people began to fall away towards
idol worship, and were soon made to feel the bitter conse
quence of their folly. The same seems to have been the case
with some churches soon after the age of the apostles, and
with almost all of them in a few ages more. Paul had
expressly told them of this, particularly in his address to the
elders ofthe church in Ephesus, Acts xx. 28 — 38. And here it
is worthy of remark, that he speaks the sentiments, and almost
the language of Moses in his valedictory address to Israel,
Deut. xxxi. 28 — 30. It was the same Spirit of prophesy that
spoke by both ; and he spoke in reference to like events that
should happen to the church under both dispensations.
We have not many authentic particulars of the persecution
of Christians in the Roman empire in the first and second
centuries ; but there is enough to assure us that it must have
been very dreadful, especially under Nero, and other emperors
of a like ferocious character. It was then, notwithstanding,
that the gospel triumphed in every place where it came ; and
the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church. It was
when the churches enjoyed comparative tranquillity, when
the profession of Christianity began to become respectable in
the world, and to be assumed by worldly men, who found
admission into the churches, that far greater evils befell them
than the most cruel persecutors could inflict. The two engines
by which the devil works are deceit and violence. He had
now given the one a fair trial. For about two centuries he
laboured by cruelty and force to put down Christianity, and
blot out the memory of Christ's name from the earth. He
found himself foiled and disappointed; and then he had recourse
to his other weapon ; that is deceit, or as it is emphatically
called by the Apostle Paul, "All deceivableness of unrighteous
ness." His first step was to get himself taken for a Christian ;
or which was virtually the same, to get his seed received as
Christians, and so to obtain a lodgment in the fortress of God's
house. Few things appear more evident from scripture, than that
the apostolic churches received none into their communion but
those who made a credible profession of their faith in Christ.
such a confession of the truth as induced a belief that thev

PREFACE. x|ij

were united to the Saviour, and saved by his grace. Hence
they were addressed as saints and faithful in Christ Jesus.
. That persons of an opposite character crept in unawares, is
admitted by the divine record; but the apostles instructed the
churches to put away all such when their real character was
discovered. While persecution continued, few would seek to
be joined to the church who were not really converted to God ;
for one who does not really believe the gospel, who of course
lias no interest in it, can have no encouragement or motive to
lay down his life for the gospel's sake. The devil, therefore,
found it necessary for the attainment of his object, to stay the
sword of persecution when he found he could not prevail by
means of it ; and his violence was stayed for a good while
before his deceit was so manifest as to excite any alarm.
Christianity being legally constituted the religion of the
empire, it followed as a thing of course, that the empire should
be all of one church, and subject to one pastor. Bishops,
especially metropolitans and patriarchs, as the chief among
them were now called, were men of great power and influence.
The emperors foun d it necessary for the peace of their do
minions, to stand on good terms with them. But if every
kingdom had had a church and bishop of its own, independent
of every other, there would have been clanger of that kingdom
pursuing its own separate interests, and so breaking the peace
and integrity of the empire. This was soon perceived, and he
who had the honour to be the emperor's own pastor, or bishop
ofthe imperial city, began to put forth a claim of jurisdiction
over all other bishops, and to be head of the universal or
Catholic church, as that of Rome has ever since called herself.
But it required almost two hundred years of incessant intrigue,
and persevering encroachment, to get this claim legally ad
mitted and established ; and after all, it was so established in
the western part of the empire only, and never extended to
the Catholic Church; for the patriarch of Constantinople
retained his claim to the primacy of the Greek church, or
eastern empire.
On the breaking up of the empire, the western part of it,
comprehending almost all Europe, settled down into ten dis
tinct sovereignties, which are usually understood to be pre
figured by the ten horns of the Apocalyptic Beast, Rev. xiii.
1—9. This beast, I suppose, signifies the Roman empire in

xiv PREFACE.
this state of disruption ; for the ten kingdoms, though distinct
and separate, were not insulated or altogether independent
of one another ; but had a bond of union, besides religion, in
their acknowledgment of one superior, called the Head of
the Holy Roman Empire, and in their adoption of the same,
or nearly the same civil institutions, which they had all re
ceived from Rome, their common parent. These and the
Roman church were co-extensive ; and this church is repre
sented by another beast, which John saw in the same vision,
rising up out of the earth. The former beast rose out of the
sea, that is, the commotions by which the integrity of the em
pire was destroyed, and its organized frame broken up. But
this second beast, Rev. xiii. 11 — 15. is seen rising up out of
the earth. This was a spiritual power or tyranny, rising not
out of commotions and revolutions, like the other. It rose up
gradually and silently, and almost imperceptibly, till it got
the command of the whole ten kingdoms, and exercised all
their power. Thus he became in a manner identified with the
first beast. This is evidently the head of the Romish church,
who by his usurped spiritual authority over the ten kingdoms
wielded their power and disposed of them at his pleasure.
This beast is very characteristically described — He had two
horns like a lamb, professedly all meekness and gentleness,
while he exercised the two kinds of power meant by the two
horns ; that is, the spiritual and the temporal, for he became
a temporal prince too ; and besides his sway over the empire
generally, he acquired a temporal sovereignty of his own,
which extended to three of the ten horns, or kingdoms, which
were broken off from the rest, and were called the states of
the church, and the patrimony of St. Peter. But with all his
professed meekness, humility, and gentleness, we are told, " he
spake as a dragon." His voice was that of the devil himself,
when he was pleased to issue his curses and excommunications,
oonsigning individuals and sometimes whole nations to perdi
tion. He called himself " Servant of the servants of God,"
i while, by his actions, he proclaimed himself the prince of the
kings of the earth. The first beast was eventually merged
in this second one ; for henceforward the apostle speaks of one
beast only, chap. xv. 2. where he is called emphatically, " The
Beast." In him was combined all the power and craft and
cruelty of the dragon, which is the symbolical name for the

PREFACE. XV
devil, chap. xii. 7. and all directed against Christ, his cause
and people, so as to be called by the spirit of prophecy, " the
Antichrist:" which does not signify the pope alone in his
individual person, but the system of which he is the head.
In the exercise of his sovereign power over the ten king
doms, the beast caused each of them to make an ima«'e of
himself, — " Saying to them that dwell on the earth that they
should make an image ofthe beast," Rev. xiii. 14. By the earth,
I suppose we are to understand the Roman territory, in all
its divisions, as become subject to papal Rome ; and the makin"
of an image of the beast in each of them, was the organizing
of a national church, which should be the very picture, or
representation of the great Catholic one. The great monster
with the seven heads and ten horns, was the whole empire or
ten kingdoms united in spiritual subjection to the reigning
power at Rome, sitting upon the seven mountains, chap. xvii.
19. forming a catholic or universal church, as she has all along
pretended to be. Now every kingdom made an exact image
of this ; that is, a national church, organized in all its members,
so as to represent the great catholic one. In short, each king
dom had a little beast of its own, the very picture of the great
one, deriving all its life and vigour from the great one, who
" had power to give life unto the image of the beast, cause ti
to speak," &c. Ver. 15. for all the faculties of every ecclesiastical
functionary were derived from Rome, and exercised under the
authority of the Pope. What he was to the whole body of
Christendom, that the primate of every national church was to
it. Thus the image of the beast in England, had his seat in
Canterbury, in Scotland, at St. Andrews, and sometimes
Glasgow. I believe Scotland by itself is not reckoned among
the ten horns of the beast ; but it had an image of him like the
rest. The second beast that came up out of the earth, exercised
all the power of the first one, which rose up out of the sea.
That is, by means of his usurped spiritual authority over the
consciences of kings and princes, he influenced and directed
all their movements, exciting them to make war, and com
manding them to make peace, all according to his own good
pleasure. He commanded, or "caused the earth and them
which dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whose deadly
wound was healed." His spiritual influence over the conscien-
c

XVI PREFACE.
ces of all men, was employed to make them submit to their
temporal sovereignties, while they supported his spiritual
sovereignty, which they were induced to do by means of the
wonders which he performed, or miracles which he pretended
to work in their presence, having prevailed with them all to
make an ima^e of himself, each in his own territory, he had
power, not only to give life to the image, but to make it speak,
and also to cause that as many as would not worship itself
should be killed ; that is, to put to death every one who would
rnot submit to the established religion. All this was awfully
verified in the history of Europe for many hundred years.
The image of the beast, — the established church in each of
the kingdoms, had power to bring to trial all who were sus
pected of heresy; that is, all who really believed Christ's
o-ospel; and on being convicted, they were delivered over to
the secular power to be burnt to death ; and such was the
degraded condition of kings and governors, that they were
obliged to be the church's executioners.
It would seem now that the devil had fully accomplished
his purpose. He had filled the whole civilized world with
superstition, idolatry, and all their abominable accompani
ments ; for while he had covered the western empire with the
darkness of popery, he had filled the eastern one with the
delusions of Mahomet. All the nations which, in the first
and second centuries, had received the light of the gospel;
that is, all the then known world, was now made subject to
the devil by one or other of these deceptions; and bound
down to absolute submission, by a power as irresistible as
was that of Babylon in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, or that
of Rome under Julius Caesar. Other parts of the world, as
they were successively discovered, were found in a state of
still greater misery and degradation, their inhabitants in the
state of naked savages, sacrificing one another, and their own
children, to avert the wrath, and propitiate the favour, of their
demon divinities. Were it possible for a fiend to enjoy
satisfaction, we might suppose the devil now glorying in the
success of his work, in having blotted out the knowledge of
God from the earth, and making the earth itself a blot in his
fair creation.
This state of things, as relates to what is called Christendom,
is the more astonishing when we reflect, that it took pi

ace

PREFACE. XVII
after the true light had come into the world, and had been
shining with great brightness, in the very places which were
now covered with darkness. The light of the knowledge of
the true God, and of the promised Saviour, shone in the
family of Noah, and was continued in the line of Shem. It was
comparatively obscure, though enough to guide the steps of
the patriarchs in the way to heaven. The great part of the
human race fell away from it again, as they had done before
the flood; because they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, wherefore he gave them up to the way they had
chosen for themselves — to all the darkness and misery of
heathenism. But when Christ came with the full manifesta
tion of the Father's glory, as the just God and the Saviour;
when he had given himself for the life of the world ; when he
had risen from the dead, and gone into heaven and sat down
at the right hand of God ; when he had sent the Holy Spirit
to endue his apostles with power from on high ; in short, when
the Sun of righteousness had risen upon us, — had become a
light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel;
— and when multitudes without number, in all nations of the
known world, had been taught to glory in that light, it might
have been expected, that, surely, these nations would never
come under the power of darkness again. Bat however
astounding the thought, it so happened, in point of fact, dark
ness as palpable as ever, covered the earth, and gross darkness
the people.
It is not surprising that the speculative mind should be
startled, and even confounded, by the knowledge of such a
fact. It is not surprising that it should excite the inquiry,
Can this light be from heaven which the devil has been able
to darken, -and almost to extinguish, after it had begun to
shine on the earth ? The fact, deplorable as it is, so far from
invalidating the evidence ofthe divine origin of Christianity,
is itself a strong corroborative proof of that divine origin ; for
theinspired record ofthe Christian faith contains many intima
tions, and explicitpredictions,thatsuch an event shouldhappen.
Godwaspleasedtosufferittobeso, we cannot tellwhy,just as we
cannot tell why he suffered sin at first to enter into our then unpol
luted world. We knowthathe took occasion from this, to make
new manifestation of his character, by the revelation of the
irosDel : and I have no doubt he will, when the appointed time

xvjii PREFACE.
has come, make the devil's apparent triumph irt the long pre
valence of popery redpund tp his own gfory in a manner
which we cannpt cpnceive. And it is a matter pf no small
impprtance that this very apostasy proves the divine inspira
tion of the New Testament, which foretels not only that there
should be a falling away, but also describes the character of it
with such particularity, that every one may see in the system
of popery, what the apostles foretold hundreds of years before
it arose. See 2 Thessalonians ii. 2—12. and 1 Timothy iv.
"'¦1— 3.
But it must not be admitted that the devil actually effected
the extinction of the truth from the earth. There can be no
doubt that such was his purpose; and he had so nearly
accomplished it, that during ages of darkness, there was no
spiritual light visible to the world. Where it did shine it was
in some sequestered spot, out of the reach of the ruling powers
of the world and of the church. There are traces of it upon
the mountains of Scotland for a long period after darkness
had covered continental Europe; and before it was extin
guished here, it had begun to shine in the vallies of Piedmont.
This was so near the seat of the papal power, that it attracted
notice; and the greatest efforts were made to extinguish it.
The appearance for the truth made by the people called Wal-
denses and Albigenses, as early as the twelfth century, showed
the devil again foiled and disappointed. By deceit he had
prevailed tenfold more than he had formerly done by violence.
But now a few rays of light breaking in upon the dark hemi
sphere, in the very centre of his kingdom, he found that mere
deception would not longer serve his purpose. He had tried
mere violence before, and that had failed ; now deceit was
beginning to fail him ; and his last resource was to unite both
in one mighty effort to extirpate the truth, and perpetuate his
own dominion over the bodies and souls of men.
Deceit and violence were united against the truth when what
was called, and almost universally taken for, Christ's church,
became a persecutor, or the chief instigator of persecution
against Christ's true disciples. The opposition of both Jews and
Gentiles to the gospel was open and honest, for they avowed them
selves its enemies; and there were no doubt others who thought,
like Saul of Tarsus, that they ought to do many things contrary
to the name of Jesus. But now the grand deception was to

PREFACE. xix

make Christ himself, in the person of his Vicar, as the pope
was acknowledged to be, issue his mandates to sovereign
princes, to levy war upon their subjects, and to extirpate, by
fire and sword, men, women, and children, who were infected
with the plague of heresy, or even suspected of it : and any
one who read, or possessed a copy of the word of God, fell
under the suspicion. Armies were accordingly raised for the
holy war, as it was called. They took the figure of the cross
for their banner, to make the world believe they were fighting
for Christ: and they went forward to the slaughter with
priestly benedictipns, and a promise of heaven as the reward
of their labours. The slaughter of the unoffending peaceable
Christians was indeed horrible, accompanied by the cold
blooded deceitful mockery, that it was all for Christ's sake.
Scotland was one of the last of the kingdoms that submitted
to the Roman yoke, and she was one of the first to throw it off.
As a political measure, the reformation of England preceded
that of Sccdand a number of years ; but in a religious view,
it gained ground more extensively among the Scots while the
court was against it, than it did in England with the court in
its favour. In England it originated with the court, which
gave it a character of secularity, and worldly splendour, which
remains to this day. In Scotland it originated with the people,
including some of the nobles, and found its way upward to the
court, which after a hard struggle, was compelled to give way,
and to establish the protestant faith and order, in that simple
and unostentatious form which was most agreeable to the
people. This was not effected without much bloodshed.
Deceit and violence in their cruelest forms, were employed
by the image of the beast, whpse seat was in St. Andrews, to
extinguish the light of the reformation. But the devil was
eventually foiled in the use of both his instruments ; at least
for a time ; for he made an attack again in a new character.
This was no less than an attempt to get himself taken foi
a Protestant, and a mighty zealous one he made himself appear.
The church of Scotland had been stript of all her meretricious
ornaments, and most of her wealth. Her ministers were no
longer ministers of state, or lords of parliament ; but plain
honest men, and laborious preachers, with stipends barely
sufficient for their maintenance, in a rank scarcely equal to that
of resnectable farmers and tradesmen. There were no splendid

XX PREFACE.

rites of worship, to fix the attention of the stupid and ignorant,
or to keep awake the drowsy. In short, the ministrations of
the church were all addressed to the understanding, and to
' the hearts of the'people ; and what was worst of all, the peo
ple were taught to understand more both of religion and their
own rights than was agreeable to their rulers. The policy ol
the devil then was to animate these rulers with a high degree
of zeal for the honour of the protestant church of Scotland.
Her mean condition in the eye of the world was most disgrace
ful. That her ministers should speak to God in their prayers,
and to men in their preaching, whatever occurred to their
own heated imaginations, was quite unsufferable. It therefore
became necessary to have a set form of words, ordained by
royal authority, for their prayers at least ; and to prevent im
proper freedom of speech in their preaching, it was thought
fit to have a high order of clergy, the king's particular friends,
politically his own creatures, set over the ordinary pastors to
make them obedient to authority. It was also most unseemly
that the church had no representatives in parliament; and no
clergy, who, in point of rank and dignity, were fit companions
for a king. It was out of burning zeal for the glory of the
church, and the honour of protestantism in Scotland, that
king James VI. set himself to rectify these evils. Accordingly
he got the order of bishops imposed upon the church. They
were advanced to be lords of council and parliament ; and a
great part of the property that had been wrested from the
papists, was set apart for the support of their dignity. The
church of Scotland was now able to hold up her head like her
proud sister of England ; and she was invested with a degree of
splendour worthy of the " high and mighty prince," who placed
himself at her head.
But this was in direct opposition to the wishes of the great
body of the people ; and was found by the really godly among
them to be a grievous bondage. It was for resisting this
imposition that such men as Melville and Welsh suffered
imprisonment and exile ; and afterwards that thousands of
presbyterians suffered on the gibbet, or were slaughtered in
cold blood, by armed savages, who were set a hunting after
them, as if they had been wild beasts, fit only to be taken and
destroyed. This applies particularly to the persecution ofthe
Covenanters in the reign of Charles II. and of his brother

PREFACE. xxi
James, from which our fathers obtained a happy deliverance
by the arrival of king William and the Revolution in 1688.
The following work records the dying testimonies ofa great
number of faithful witnesses for the truth, who suffered, chiefly
during the twenty-eight years immediately preceding the
Revolution. It includes indeed some of the first martyrs of
the Reformation ; and contains notices of the happy and tri
umphant death of some that escaped both the fire and the
gibbet ; but who, being martyrs in purpose, have very properly
a place among their brethren who sealed their testimony with
their blood. During the above period, vital Christianity pre
vailed in a high degree among the presbyterians in Scotland ;
and, with a few exceptions, it was to be found among them
alone. It was evidently this that was the object of hatred to
the court, and them who had the administration of affairs in
Scotland ; and their desire was to have it totally extirpated.
In this, however, the devil was foiled again. During the
fiery trial, there was a wonderful unction and power that
accompanied the preaching of the gospel by the persecuted
ministers. Great multitudes gave decisive evidence of being
converted to God ; and obtained the victory over the beast
and his image, even such of them as fell in the conflict. They
overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their
testimony ; and loved not their lives unto the death. A portion
of the same spirit was communicated to their children ; and a
savour of it still remains after a hundred and forty years of
peace and universal toleration.
W. M'Gavin.
December, 1828.

THE
LAST WORDS
AND
DYING TESTIMONIES
OF THE
SCOTS WORTHIES.

PART FIRST:

COMPREHENDING TESTIMONIES THAT WERE EMITTED, PREVIOUS
TO THE YEAR 1660.

I. PATRICK HAMILTON.
[This gentleman was among the first who suffered in Scotland, on
account of religion. He was descended of noble parentage, and
born in 1503 ; and having been artfully seduced into a confession of
his principles, was condemned as a heretic by the archbishop of St.
Andrews, and suffered death in that city on the 28th of February,
1527. The following is a short detail of what he uttered on the
trying occasion :]
On the afternoon of the same day on which he was sentenced, he
was hurried to the stake ; and having arrived at the place where the
fire was prepared, he put off his gown, coat, and bonnet, and gave
them to a favourite servant, saying, " These will not profit me in the
fire, yet they will do thee some good. After this, of me thou canst
receive no more, except the ensample of my death, which I pray thee
to bear in mind ; for albeit the same be bitter to the flesh and fear
ful before men, yet is it the entrance to eternal life, which none shall
inherit that deny Christ Jesus before this wicked generation." Hav
ing so said, he commended his soul into the hands of God, with his
eyes fixed toward' heaven : and the train of powder, though fired, not
having kindled the fuel, and his comfortable speeches meantime being
often interrupted by one of his persecutors, who called to him, " Con
vert, heretic ; pray to our Lady, and say Salve Regina ;" he spoke
as follows : " Wicked man I thou knowest I am not an heretic, and

2 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
that it is the truth of God for which I now suffer. So much, thou didst
confess to me in private ; and thereupon I appeal thee to answer be
fore the judgment-seat of Christ."* In a little after, the fire was
kindled, and tbe noble martyr died, exclaiming, " How long, O Lord,
shall darkness overwhelm this reniw ? How long wilt thou suffer
this tyranny of men ?" And ended by praying, with Stephen, " Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit Y f

II. RUSSEL AND KENNEDY.
[These two persons were companions in suffering. The former was
of the order of grayfriars, tbe latter a young gentleman of liberal
education and promising talents, not more than eighteen years of
age. Being tried and condemned by the archbishop of Glasgow,
they, in that city, underwent the dreadful sentence which was then
awarded to the crime of heresy, in the year 1539. The following
are some of their sayings upon trial, and at death :]
When sisted before the archbishop, Kennedy at first discovered
some weakness ; but being encouraged by Russel, and having his for
titude, as if on a sudden, revived by the effusion of the Holy Spirit
from on high, he fell down upon his knees and uttered these remark
able words : " O, Eternal God ! how wonderful is that love and
mercy thou bearest to mankind, and unto me the most caitiff and mis
erable wretch above all others ! For even now when I would have
denied Thee and thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, my only Saviour,
and so have cast myself into everlasting damnation, thou by thine own
hand hast pulled me from the very bottom of hell, and hast made me
to feel that heavenly comfort which hath taken from me the ungodly
fear by which I was oppressed. Now I defy death."J And then to
his persecutors : " Do what you please — I praise God, I am ready."
Russel, who seems to have arrived at a more mature age, and who
was characterized during the trial by the greatest firmness and com
posure of mind, at first reasoned with his accusers, and ingeniously
* The person here alluded to was one Campbell, a blackfriar, who was in
strumental in drawing from Hamilton that acknowledgment of his principles
on which he was condemned, and who shortly after died distracted, and under
the most awful apprehensions of coming wrath. — See Scots Worthies.
t See Knox's Hist. B. I. Stevenson's Hist. vol. i. p. 33.
t This was an instance of spiritual support which some may he tempted to
look upon as singular, if not incredible, but which we are disposed to regard as,
probable, from the experience of ordinary Christians under the every-day trials
of life ; and which, though it may appear to be connected with enthusiasm, in
the circumstances under which it was exhibited, is, we conceive, completely borne
out by the state of feeling which frequently obtains in the pious mind. Under
circumstances, which in prospect involve great sacrifices or trials, it is natural
for even the Christian sometimes to feel depressed ; but it is also matter of fact,
and of consciousness, that at other times, with an equally vivid conception of
these sacrifices or trials, he is enabled to feel above them, and to welcome them
with perfect composure and unshrmking scedfastness.

GEORGE WISHART. 3
rebutted the charges which were brought against him. At length
roused to a higher state of feeling by the railing and calumnies which
they poured forth against him, he exclaimed : « This is your hour
and power of darkness. Now sit ye as judges, and we stand wrong-
hilly accused, and more wrongfully to be condemned ; but the day
will come when our innocence shall appear, and when ye shall see
your own blindness to your everlasting confusion. Go forward and
lulfal the measure of your iniquity." On being condemned and hurried
to the place of execution, he comforted his fellow-martyr with these
affecting words : « Brother I fear not— more mighty is He that is in
us than he that is in the world ; the pain that we shall suffer is short
and shall be light, but our joy and consolation shall never have an
end : and therefore let us strive to enter in, unto our Master and Sa
viour, by the same strait way which he hath taken before us. Death
cannot destroy us, for it is destroyed already by him for whose saka
we suffer."* ' 3

III. GEORGE WISHART.
CThis distinguished martyr was of the family of Pittarrow, in the
county of Meams. He was educated chiefly at the university of
Cambridge, but returned to his native country in 1544 ; and from
an ardent desire to promote the troth, became a zealous preacher
of the Gospel. In this good work he was allowed to continue till
the end of February 1546, when being apprehended, he was tried
and condemned for heresy, and suffered in the flames at St. Andrews,
the punishment awarded to that crime. The following may be re
garded as a full and correct account of his last words :]
When about to receive the sentence on which, notwithstanding his
cogent and intrepid answers, his judges had decided, he poured forth
the following pathetic prayer : " O, Immortal God I how long wilt
thou suffer the rage and great cruelty of the ungodly to exercise their
fury upon thy servants which do further thy word in this world, see
ing they desire to do the contrary — to choke and destroy thy true
doctrine and verity, by which thou hast showed thyself unto the world,
which was all drowned in blindness and misknowledge of thy name !
O Lord, we know surely that thy true servants must needs suffer for
thy name's sake, persecution, affliction, and trouble in the present life ;
which, is but a shadow, as thou hast showed to us by thy prophets and
apostles. But yet we desire, merciful Father, that thou wouldst con
serve, defend, and help thy congregation-^ which thou hast chosen be
fore the beginning of the world ; and give them grace to hear thy
* Knox's Hist. B. I.
•f The term Congregation, from its use in this passage, seems to have been
very early applied to the protestant church of Scotland. In the time of Knox,
about twenty years after the death of Wishart, its use in this sense had becoma
quite specific.

4 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
word, and to be thy true servants in this present life," On the fol-
lowing day when led to the fire, he thrice uttered these words. O
thou laviour of tbe world, have mercy on me : Father of heaven I
commend my spirit into thy holy hands." He then turned to the
people, and spoke as follows : " I beseech you brethren aud sis-
tersfthatyebenot offended at the word of God, for the aflhct.on
and torments which ye see already prepared for me. tfut 1 exhort
you that you love the word of God for your salvation, and suffer pa
tiently and with a comfortable heart for the words sake— which is
your undoubted salvation and everlasting comfort. Moreover, 1 pray
you, show my brethren and sisters which have heard me often before,
that they cease not, nor leave off to learn the word of God which I
taught them, after the grace given to me, for any persecutions or
troubles in this world, which last not. Show them that my doctrine
was not old wives' fableB, after the constitutions made by men. If I
had taught men's doctrine I had gotten greater thanks of men. But
for the word's sake and true gospel which was given to me by the
grace of God, I suffer this day by man, not sorrowfully, but with a
glad heart and mind. For this cause I was sent— that I should suffer
this fire for Christ's sake. Consider and behold my visage : ye shall
not see me change my colour. This grim fire I fear not : and so I
pray you so do, if any persecution come to you for the word's sake,
and not to fear them that slay the body, and have no power afterwards
to slay the soul. Some have said of me, I taught that the soul of man
should sleep until the last day. But I know surely, and my faith is,
that my soul shall sup with my Saviour this night, (ere six hours,) for
whom I suffer this. I beseech the Father of heaven to forgive them,
that have bf any ignorance or else of evil mind, forged lies upon me.
I forgive them with all my heart. I beseech Christ to forgive them
that have condemned me to death this day, ignorantly — I beseech
you, brethren and sisters, to exhort your prelates to the learning of
the word of God, that they may be ashamed to do evil and learn to
do good. And, if they will not convert* themselves from their wicked
error, there shall hastily come upon them the wrath of God, which
they shall not eschew."
Being tied to the stake and the fire kindled, he exclaimed, " This
fire torments my body, but nowise abates my spirit." And then
looking towards the cardinal, who witnessed his execution from the
palace, he said : " He who in such state from that high place feed-
eth his eyes with my torments, within few days shall be hanged out
at the same window, to be seen with as much ignominy as he now
leaneth there with pride." Upon this the executioner, drawing the
cord, stopt his breath, and he was forthwith consumed to powder.f
* It cannot be supposed from this expression, that Mr. Wishart supposed the
important spiritual change which is called conversion, to be purely the result of a
man's own agency. The word convert is here employed equivalently with the
expression turn, and is meant to express only that act of a man's own will, by
which, in accordance with the influence of God's Spirit and word exerted upon
it. " he ceases to do evil and learns to do well."
f Knox's Hist. B. I. Stevenson's Hist. vol. i. p. 62.

WALTER MILL.

IV. WALTER MILL.
[The death of this martyT is said to have contributed most effec-
tually to the downfall of popery, in Scotland. He was born about*
the year 1476, and, having taken orders in the church, became
priest of Lunan, in Angus-shire. But having imbibed the reformed
opinions, and left off the saying of mass, he was so early as the year
1538, arrested and condemned. He escaped, however, for his life
into Germany, where he remained about twenty years. He then
returned home, and having attempted to render himself useful, by
instructing his neighbours in the protestant faith, he was again
taken and condemned as a heretic. His conduct whilst on trial,
powerfully evinced the sincerity of his faith, and, made a deep im
pression on all who witnessed it. The following is a short account
of what took place at his death :]
All things being prepared, he was led forth with a guard of armed
men to execution. Being come to the place, some cried out to
him to recant, to whom he answered, " 1 marvel at your rage, ye
hypocrites, who do so cruelly pursue the servants of God ; as for me,
I am now eighty-two years old, and cannot live long by course of na
ture ; but an hundred shall rise out of my ashes, who shall scatter
you, ye hypocrites, and persecutors of God's people ; and such of you
as now think yourselves the best, shall not die such an honest death
as I now do. I trust in God, I shall be the last who shall suffer death,
in this fashion, for this cause, in this land."* Thus his constancy in-
* This sentiment, but for the cautious and modest language in which it is
expressed, might well have been deemed prophetical, for reasons quite as satis
factory as those on which it has been alleged that statements ascribed to others
of the Worthies were of this character. We know not whether, in point of
fact, it has ever been regarded in this light, but it must be evident to every one
who reflects on the subject, that, but for the preliminary clause, " I trust in
God," by which its meaning and reference is so very properly limited, the ex
pression of the dying martyr would have been a prediction, whose fulfilment
was proved, by the record of after history. It is generally understood to have
been the case, that Mill was the last person who suffered in the cause of refor
mation from popery. But the trust which he expressed, that this would be the
case, was only what a due consideration of the signs ofthe times and the ways of
Providence would have justified in any one. And yet we doubt not, that an
omission of such a qualifying expression as is here employed, has led other simi
lar statements ofthe Worthies to be viewed in the light of absolute predictions,
whilst, in reality as delivered, they only expressed and were meant to express
the trust or opinion of their authors. That this was not the case in every in
stance is readily admitted; nor is it denied, that even in the formation of such
a trust, opinion, or presentiment (if you will), with regard to future events,
there might not be the experience, or at least the enjoyment, of heavenly in
fluence. Nay, with the learned and accurate biographer of Knox, we " think
it not inconsistent with the principles of either natural or revealed religion,
that God on particular occasions should forewarn persons of some things as
about to happen," and we are even inclined with him " to believe that the re
formers were occasionaUy favoured with extraordinary premonitions," nor has
any thing to the contrary of this, as some have imagined, been argued or af
firmed in the Notes to the late edition of the Scots Worthies, to which the pre-

6 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
creased, as his end drew near. Being ordered by Oliphant, wie of
the persecutors, to go up to the stake, he refused, and said, "No, 1
will not go, except thou put me up with thy hand, for by the law ot
God, I am forbidden to put hands to myself; but if thou wilt put to
thy hand, and take part of my death, thou shalt see me go up gladl7-
Then Oliphant putting him forward, he went up with a cheerful
countenance, saying, Introibo ad altare Dei.* Having then requested
permission to speak to the people : he was answered by Oliphant,
" That he had spoken too much already, and that the bishops were
exceedingly displeased with what he had said." But some youths
having taken his part, and called to him to say on what he pleased, be
first went to his knees and prayed, then arose ; and standing upon the
coals, addressed the people to this effect : " Dear friends, the cause
why I suffer this day, is not for any crime laid to my charge, though
I acknowledge myself a miserable sinner before God ; but only for
the defence of the truths of Jesus Christ, set forth in the Old and
New Testaments, for which, as many faithful martyrs have offered
their lives most gladly, so this day I praise God that he hath called
me, among the rest of bis servants, to seal his truth with my life ;
which as I have received it of him, so I willingly offer it up for his
glory. Therefore, as ye would escape eternal death, be no longer
seduced by the lies of bishops, abbots, friars, monks, and the rest of
that sect of antichrist, but depend only upon Jesus Christ and his
mercy, that so ye may be delivered from condemnation." — During
this speech, loud murmurs and lamentations were heard among the
multitude, some admiring the patience, boldness, and constancy of
the martyr, others complaining of the hard measures and cruelty of
his persecutors. Having spoken as above, he again prayed a little ¦
while, and was then drawn up, and bound to the stake. The fire
being kindled, he cried, " Lord, have mercy on me : Pray, pray, good
people, while there is time ;" and thus cheerfully yielded up his soul
into the hands of God.f
sent volume is meant as an accompaniment. It has been questioned, indeed, in
particular instances, whether the premonitions emitted, amounted to predic
tions, in the proper sense of the word, and whether they were extraordinary and
preternatural, or the mere result of natural sagacity and ordinary means of
knowledge. But this is quite in accordance with the admission we have made,
because, allowing that the great and good men alluded to were occasionally so
favoured, it may still be questioned on what particular occasions they were so ;
and were it even allowed that this was the case on all the occasions alleged, it
would still remain to be observed, that to call them prophets, to speak of them
as having the gift and spirit of prophecy, and as having foretold and predicted
future events, is, according to the proper and common sense in which such ex
pressions are employed with B reference to religion, a, gross misapplication of
terms— an employment of language inconsistent with right views of scripture
truth, and calculated to lead the simple and unwary into false and erroneous
impressions of their true character.
* <^ I will go unto the altar of God."— Psalms.
f Stevenson's Hist. vol. i. p. 81.

JOHN KNOX.

V. JOHN KNOX.

[This great Reformer was born at Gifford, near Haddington, in the
year 1503. He was educated in the popish faith ; but havin°- at
un early period been freed from its shackles, he became, as is well
known, the chief instrument, under providence, in establishing tbe
protestant ascendancy over Scotland. After a life of unremitting
labour and severe privation and suffering, spent in this good cause,
he died at Edinburgh on the 24th of November, 1572 ; bearing the
most ample testimony to the glorious truths, which he so firmly
believed and so successfully propagated.^
On Monday, the 17th, he thus addressed the members of his ses
sion, who with Mr. Lawson his colleague, and Mr. Lindsay, one
of the ministers of Leith, assembled in his room for that purpose :
" The day approaches and is now before the door, for which I have
frequently and vehemently thirsted, when I shall be released from my
great labours and innumerable sorrows, and shall be with Christ. And
now God is my witness, whom I have served in spirit, in the Gospel
of his Son, that I have taught nothing but the true and solid doctrine
of the Gospel of the Son of God; and have had it for my only object,
to instruct the ignorant, to confirm the faithful ; to comfort the weak,
the fearful, and the distressed, by the promises of grace ; and to fight
against the proud and rebellious, by the divine threatenings. I know
that many have complained, and do yet loudly complain, of my too
great severity ; but God knows that my mind w<is always void of
hatred to the persons of those against whom I thundered the severest
judgments. I cannot deny but that I felt the greatest abhorrence at
the sins in which they indulged ; but I still kept this one thing in
view, that, if possible, I might gain them to the Lord. What influ
enced me to utter whatever the Lord put into my mouth so boldly, with
out respect of persons, was a reverential fear of my God, who called,
and out of his grace appointed me to be a steward of divine mysteries,
and a belief tbat he will demand an account of my discharge of the
trust committed unto me, when I shall stand before his tribunal. I
profess, therefore, before God, and before his holy angels, that I never
made merchandise of the sacred word of God, never studied to please
men, never indulged my own private passions, or those of others, but
faithfully distributed the talent intrusted to me, for the edification of
the church, over which I watched. Whatever obloquy wicked men
may cast on me respecting this point, I rejoice in the testimony of a
good conscience. In the meantime, my dearest brethren, do you per
severe in the eternal truth of the Gospel ; wait diligently on the flock
over which the Lord hath set you, and which he redeemed by the
blood of his only begotten Son. And thou, my dear brother Lawson,
fight the good fight, and do the work of the Lord joyfully and reso
lutely. The Lord from on high bless you and the whole church of
Edinburgh, against whom, as long as they persevere in the word of
truth, which they hare heard of me, the gates of hell shall not pre
vail."

3 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES
When they were going out, he desired Messrs. Lawson and Lind
say to remain behind, and thos continued : " There is one thing that
greatly grieves me. — You have been witnesses of the former courage
and constancy of Grange, in the cause of God ; but now, alas — into
what a gulf has he precipitated himself ! I entreat you not to re
fuse the request which I now make to you : Go to the castle and tell
him from me, ' that John Knox remains the same man now, when he
is about to die, that ever he knew him when able in body, and wills
him to consider what he was, and the estate in which he now stands,
which is a great part of his trouble.' Neither the craggy rock, in
which he miserably confides, nor the carnal prudence of that man,
(Maitland) whom he esteems a demi-god, nor the assistance of stran
gers shall preserve him ; but he shall be disgracefully dragged from
his rest to punishment, and hung on a gallows before the face of the
sun, unless he speedily amend his life, and flee to the mercy of God.
That man's soul is dear to me, and I would not have it perish if I
could save it."
To the earl of Morton, after having asked him as to his previous
knowledge of Darnley's murder, be said, " Well, God has beautified
you with many benefits which he has not given to every man ; as he
has given you riches, wisdom, and friends, and now is to prefer you
to the government of the realm. And, therefore, in the name of
God I charge you to use all these benefits aright, and better in time
to come than ye have done in times bypast ; first, to God's glory, to
the furtherance of the evangel, the maintenance of the church of
God and his ministry ; next, for the weal of the king, and his realm,
and true subjects. If so ye shall do, God shall bless you and
honour you ; but if ye do it not, God shall spoil you of these
benefits, and your end shall be ignominy and shame."
On Thursday, the 20th, the lords Glencairn, and Ruthven, having
called, and the latter having tendered his services to do for him any
thing in his power, his reply was," I care not for all the pleasure
and friendship of the world." — A lady of his acquaintance, desiring
him to praise God for what good he had done, and speaking in his
commendation, he thus interrupted her : — " Tongue, tongue ! lady,
flesh of itself is overproud and needs no means to esteem itself."
He then exhorted her to put off pride and be clothed with humility,
protesting as to himself that he relied wholly on the free mercy of
God, manifested to mankind through his dear Son Jesus Christ,
whom alone he embraced for wisdom, and righteousness, and sancti
fication and redemption. And the rest of the company having taken
their leave of bim, he said to the laird of Braid — " Every one bids
me good night, but when will you do it ? I have been greatly in
debted unto you, for which I shal] never be able to recompense you ;
but I commit you to one that is able to do it, to the Eternal God."
On Friday the 21st, these words were often in his mouth, " Come
Lord Jesus. Sweet Jesus, into thy hands I commit mv spirit. Be
merciful Lord to thy church, which thou hast redeemed. Give
peace to this afflicted commonwealth. Raise up faithful pastors, who
will take charge of thy church. Grant us, Lord, the perfect hatred

JOHN KNOX. 9
of sin, both by the evidences of thy wrath and mercy." In the
midst of his meditations he would often address thoso who stood by,
in such sentences as these : " O serve the Lord in fear, and death
shall not be terrible to you. Nay, blessed shall death be to those
who have felt the power of the death of the only begotten Son of
God." On the afternoon of Sabbath the 23d, he suddenly exclaimed,
" If any be present let them come and see the work of God." And
to Johnston of Elphingston, who was sent for, he said : " I have
been these two last nights in meditation on the troubled state of the
church of God, the spouse of Jesus Christ, despised by the world,
but precious in the sight of God. I have called to God for her, and
have committed her to her head Jesus Christ. I have fought against
spiritual wickedness in heavenly things and have prevailed. I have
been in heaven and have possession. I have tasted of the heavenly
joys where presently I am."
To some who inquired if he felt much pain, he answered, that he
was willing to lie there for years if God so pleased, and if he con
tinued to shine upon his soul through Jesus Christ : and then went
on to emit such pious ejaculations as the following : " Live in Christ,
live in Christ, and then flesh need not fear death  Lord grant true
pastors to thy church, that purity of doctrine may be retained. Restore
peace again to this commonwealth with godly rulers and magistrates.
Once Lord make an end of my trouble.' Lord I commend my spirit,
soul, and body, and all into thy hands. Thou knowest, O Lord, my
troubles : I do not murmur against thee."
On Monday the 24th, which was the last day he spent on earth :
being asked by Campbell of Kinzeancleugh, if he had any pain, he
replied : " It is no painful pain, but such a pain as shall I trust put
au end to the battle. I must leave tbe care of my wife and children
to you, to whom you must be a husband in my room." He after
wards desired his wife to read the 15th chapter of 1st Cor., saying
when it was finished, " Is not that a comfortable chapter ? O what
sweet and salutary consolation the Lord hath afforded me from that
chapter I" A little after, he said, " Now for the last time I com
mend my soul, spirit, and body, (touching three of his fingers) into
thy hand, O Lord." About five o'clock in the evening, he said to
his wife, " Go, read, where I cast my first anchor," meaning the
seventeenth chapter of John's Gospel.
Appearing, after this, to fall into a slumber, he sighed deeply, and
being asked, on awaking, the cause of this, he replied : " I have
formerly, during my frail life sustained many contests and many assaults
«;f Satan, but at present that roaring lion hath assailed me most furi
ously and put forth all his strength to devour and make an end of me
at once. Often before, hath he placed my sins before my eyes, often
tempted me to despair, often endeavoured to ensnare me by the
allurements of the world ; but these weapons being broken by the
sword of the Spirit, the word of God, he could not prevail. Now
he has attacked me in another way ; the cunning Serpent has laboured
to persuade me that I have merited heaven and eternal blessedness
B

10 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
by the faithful discharge of my ministry. But, blessed be God, who
has enabled me to beat down and quench this fiery dart by suggesting
to me such passages of scripture as these, What hast thou, that thou
hast not received ? By the grace of God, I am what I am .- Not I,
but the grace of God in me. Being thus vanquished, he left me.
Wherefore, I give thanks to my God, through Jesus Christ, who wa*
pleased to give me the victory ; and I am persuaded that the temptei
shall not again attack me, but within a short time, I shall without
any great bodily pain or anguish of mind, exchange this mortal and
miserable life, for a blessed immortality through Jesus Christ."
About ten o'clock, being asked by Dr. Preston if he heard the
prayers which had just been read, he replied, " Would to God that
you and all men had heard them as I have heard them ; I praise God
for that heavenly sound." About eleven he gave a deep sigh, and
said, Now it is come. Immediately his secretary, Richard Bannatyne,
drew near, and, perceiving that he was speechless, requested him to
give a sign that he died in peace. — Upon this he lifted up one of his
hands, and sighing twice, expired without a struggle !*

VI. JAMES LAWSON.
[This eminent minister of Jesus Christ was born about the year 1538,
in the neighbourhood of Perth. After passing through the usual
course of education, at the university of St. Andrews, he went for
some years to France, as tutor to the three sons of the countess of
Crawford. Upon his return, about 1568, he commenced the teach
ing of Hebrew in St. Andrews ; and shortly after, was elected sub-
principal in the university of Aberdeen. Here he continued till
1572, when he was invited to become successor to Mr. Knox, as
a minister of Edinburgh. In this situation he approved himself
" a workman that needeth not to be ashamed ;" but it is chiefly
as a defender of the reformation principles, and on account of the
sufferings he endured in that cause, that he deserves a high place
among the worthies of Scotland. In the year 1584, he was
obliged to fly into England from the vengeance of the king, and be
• died on the 12th of October, that year. Upon the 7th of that
month he caused to be written, read over, and subscribed the fol
lowing testament, which, as it contains his dying sentiments, under
views of eternity, both as to his own spiritual state, and with
regard to the concerns of the church, we insert here as his last
words."]
" At London, in Honielane, Cheapside, in Mr. Anthony Martin's
house, upon Wednesday, October 7th, 1584 ; I, Mr. James Lawson,
minister of God's word, of tbe flock of Christ at Edinburgh, wish
giace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord
* M'Crie's Life of Knox, ir. loc.

JAMES LAWSON. ll
Jesus Chi ist, and the continuance of the Holy Spirit, to all those that
serve the Lord and love his blessed evangels, giving to understand, to
whom it appertains, that, being whole in mind, but finding my God
summoning me by his messenger sickness, wherewith he has laid me
on bed, to put an end, as appears, to my course in this my transitory
life, have thought it good to commit my testament and latter will to
writing, as follows : —
" First, I thank my God, through Jesus Christ my Saviour, who
has not only of his unspeakable mercy, whereof I confess myself most
unworthy, (if he should deal with me according to my deserts), plucked
me out of gross ignorance and blindness of superstition, papistry, and
idolatry, especially since the time I heard that notable servant of God,
Mr. Knox, of blessed memory,* impugn with great authority of doc
trine that antichristian tyranny ; but also of his great goodness from
time to time, has moved me by his sacred word and instruction of his
Holy Spirit, to dedicate myself and the small talent which his wisdom
hath intrusted to me, to the edification of his people in the holy min
istry, ordained in his kirk, and has blessed also the same, first in his
congregation of Aberdeen, and last in the town of Edinburgh ; testi
fying to the whole world, that as I have felt from time to time the
working of his Holy Spirit kindling in my breast a bent and ready will
to discharge my own conscience in teaching the word of God purely
and sincerely, without fearing the faces of men, and also to procure
the establishment of that ecclesiastical discipline revealed and set
down in the holy scriptures of God, according to the measure of
knowledge given to me to do, so I feel of God's special love, a delec
tation, a zeal, and thirst sealed up in my heart to persevere in the
6ame, as the infallible truth of God, and to continue in the same if it
shall please God to prolong my days. Albeit, Lord, far be it from
me to boast or glory in any thing in thy presence, before whom the
angels are not able to plead their innocency I But, in the cause of
thy Son Jesus Christ, seeing the want of sufficient zeal, diligence, and
ability in the said office, and the many infirmities and imperfections
staying me in the performance thereof, — as it became me, I have my
refuge to the throne of thy grace, acknowledging, after all my irksome
travels wherewith I am broken, that I am an unprofitable servant, re
ferring the whole praise of my weak ministry to the glory of thy holy
name, by whom I have my being and moving, craving in the mean
time pardon of all my offences and sins, being now assured of the re
mission thereof through the merits of the death and passion of Jesus
Christ, with whom I am conjoined in his everlasting covenant, by
lively faith, whereby I presently possess his mercy : — Attour I ren
der most hearty thanks unto his gracious goodness, that he has not
only used me as a poor instrument to communicate his heavenly
counsels unto others, but also has called me to great honour to suffer
* It is obvious from this, that Mr. Lawson had listened with improvement
to the early ministrations of John Knox, though it also appears that he had
ps-eviously a tendency in favour of the reformed opinions.

12 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
for the defence of his truth and ecclesiastical discipline* contained
therein, and has of his careful providence given lively experience of
the performance of that promise which his Son, my Saviour, roade,
tbat whosoever shall forsake house, father, mother, brethren, sister,
wife, or children, for his name's sake, or the Gospel's, should receive a
hundred fold now at this present, and life everlasting in the world to
come. Not only to the most godly and learned brethren and sisters
among the strangers, and especially in the godly family whereinto the
Lord brought me, and wherein I have been most savingly entertained,
at my heart's desire, but also to so many of my brethren and fellow-
labourers in the evangel with me, of my own country, whose kind
ness, courtesy, and good offices towards me shown, I wish the Lord
to register to the one and to the other. And now turning my exhorta
tion to my faithful brethren whom God has called to dispense the
holy mysteries of his word and sacraments, whose days it shall
please the Lord to prolong after my departure, I beseech them all in
the bowels of Jesus Christ, that they take heed that they employ their
whole studies during whatsoever time shall be granted them on the
face of the earth, to prosecute their good course to benefit the people
committed to their care, by preaching the glad tidings of salvation, in
season and out of season, neither for lucre nor for the fashion, but ear
nestly, zealously, and with ready mind, in promoving, planting, and
advancing that holy ecclesiastical discipline, in the house of God,
which is established in his word, and so much tbe more valiantly and
constantly to stand in defence thereof, that Satan's supports (pseudo-
episcopalians) and grievous wolves are entered in and umpiring as if
they were lords over God's heritage, whom neither the apostle
Paul, nor any part of the word of God, did ever allow maliciously to
* Mr. Lawson had no doubt suffered much anxiety of mind, in common
with every lover of the presbyterian church, with regard to the means and
measures which had lately been adopted to subvert and destroy it. Early in
158-1, a parliament was held, by which the liberties of both church and state
were laid at the feet of the king and of those by whom he was guided. To
decline the judgment of his majesty or of the privy council in any mntter,
was declared to be treason ; all that the church had done towards the abolition
of episcopacy was pronounced unlawful ; all church courts, such as assemblies,
presbyteries, and even sessions, were suppressed, the bishops made commis
sioners on ecclesiastical causes, and all animadversions on the acts of govern
ment, either private or public, strictly prohibited. Against these " black acts,"
as they were called, not a nobleman, baron, or burgess ventured to open his
mouth. Some of the ministers repaired to the parliament house with the de
sign of protesting for the rights of the church, but were not admitted. The
magistrates of Edinburgh received orders to drag from the pulpit any individual,
who presumed to censure what the parliament had done. But this did not
deter Mr. Lawson and his colleagues from exonerating their consciences ; and,
when the acts were proclaimed at the market-cross of Edinburgh, they, " tak
ing their lives in their hands, went boldly and made public protestation" against
them, with all the ceremonies usual on such occasions. This boldness, how
ever, had nearly cost them their lives. Orders were immediately issued to ap
prehend them, and they only saved themselves by a timely flight into England,
where they were soon after joined by almost twenty others of their brethren. —
See M'Crie's Life of Melville, vol i. p. 222.

.TAMES LAWSON. 13
impugn the same. And as concerning the flock of Edinburgh, how-
beit this body of mine has greatly wasted, yet I repent me nothing of
my travail there, being assured that the Lord has there a kirk which
unfeignedly fear his name, and for whose salvation the Lord has made
my ministry profitable. Therefore, from my very heart I leave my
blessing to all the faithful there, who dearly love the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ ; and my God, blessed for ever, bless them not
only with true and faithful labourers in the ministry, and to preserve
them from ravenous wolves, but also with continual increase, with all
godliness and perseverance in that true faith and doctrine which I
have taught among them, and at last with everlasting life in heaven,
whereby both they and I shall mutually rejoice. And for a few
others, whose names, in charity, I suppress, who, as they grieved my
heart oftentimes while I was present with them, by resisting the up
right and godly cause, and assisting the enemy, so now, since my de
parture from them, through their subscribing that false and infamous
libel* set out against us, their pastors, and sundry other unthankful
dealings, which we neither merited nor looked for at their hands, they
have done what in them lay, to wound the same ; for my part, I forgive
them with my heart ; and seeing they would colour their baseness
under the shadow of obedience to a superior power, I beseech the
Lord to forgive the king for obtruding that letter, injuriously ex
acting their subscription thereunto, and to give them both true re
pentance therefor, and not lay the burden thereof to their charge, nor
leave at their hands my blood. May the same Lord open the king's
eyes to behold in what hazard he has brought the true religion, his
own person, fame, and state, together with the best and most obedi
ent subjects within his realm, and give him grace in time to withdraw
himself from these pestilent and wicked counsellors wherewith he is
environed, and leave that unhappy course wherein he has wrapt him
self, most fearfully, to the great danger of his body and soul, unless he
repent. Amen. Amen.
• In addition to the bodily disease under which Mr. Lawson was doomed to
suffer, almost ever since his arrival in England, a disease which seems to have
been induced by the air of that country, though no doubt aggravated by the
sorrow and disappointment which he felt at the state of matters in Scotland, he
was shocked and wounded in his best feelings by another circumstance It ap
pears he had joined with his colleague in addressing a letter to the inhabitants
of Edinburgh, stating the reasons of their flight. To this letter a reply was
immediately drawn up by archbishop Adamson, in name of the congregation,
couched in the harshest and most contumelious terms, denominating them fugi
tives, rebels, and wolves, and renouncing all connexion with them. This dis
graceful paper was immediately sent by the king to the town council, accom
panied with an injunction, that it should be subscribed by them and the prin
cipal inhabitants ; and by the threats and importunities of the court, a number
of persons were induced to set their names to it. It is to this fact that Mr.
Lawson alludes in the above passage ; and it seems to have made a deeper im
pression on his mind than perhaps, considering the character of the individuals,
it ought to have done; but this, when we take into account the delicacy of his
feelings, under a sinking frame, and the unhappy circumstances in which he
was otherwise placed, was not wonderful — See M'Crie's Life of Andrew Mel
ville, vol. i. p. 233.

14 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
" And now I recommend my soul into the hands of my heavenly.
Father, the Creator thereof, and to Jesus Christ my only Redeemer
and Saviour, by whom the parts of heaven are made patent unto me,
willing my trusty and dearly beloved brethren, insert witnesses of
this my will, to cause bury my body in that place and after^ that
manner which shall seem good unto them, tbere to sleep until the
day of the joyful resurrection to life everlasting, when my soul and
body joined together shall have the full fruition of His face with the
bodies and souls of all the faithful. And now, concerning the order
ing of my family, seeing the possession of earthly things is not able
to enrich my posterity ; — I desire as God is the Father of the father
less and Comforter of the widow's case, by the riches of his blessing
to supply their poverty ; and touching the portion of goods given to
me I put the same in the hands of my most special friends, Robert
Fairly of Braid, Mr. John Lindsay senator of the college of justice,
John Johnston, Elphingston, burgess of Edinburgh, with my loving
spouse Janet Guthrie, whom I constitute executors of this my tes
tament, and they with common consent shall choose one or more of
their number to whose fidelity the intromission shall be committed
upon sufficient security that ail things shall come to the use of my
children ; which burden I most earnestly request them to take upon
them for the love and familiar conjunction that has been betwixt us
in Christ, giving power to them to make and subscribe an inventure
of my books, household gear, and other moveables left behind me jn
Scotland, wherever they shall be transported, and also praying my
beloved brethren, the witnesses underwritten in this testament, to
make and subscribe another inventure of my books, clothes, and other
moveables which I have in London, and deliver them to be kept by
my brother Mr. Walter Balcanquall ; the whole books, clothes, and
other moveables, and household gear, whatsoever, contained in the
said inventures, to be set at reasonable prices, and to be sold at the
sight and appointment of my said executors and intromitters, and
that part thereof which shall of right be judged by them to appertain
to me, shall be divided into four equal portions, to my wife and three
children, to bring them up in the fear of God at the schools, in such
company as their wisdom shall think most meet and expedient. And,
as touching the gold and silver presently in my possession here, amount
ing in whole to the number of 76 pieces* 1 have committed them to
iie credit of Mr. Walter Balcanquall, to be disposed as follows : Impri
mis, He shall deliver to the French kirk at London, three angels, to be
distributed to their poor. Item, To Mrs. Vanual, who kept me in my
sickness, an angel. Item, I will that my loving brother, Mr. James
tarmichael, shall take a rose-noble instantly, and deliver it to my dear
brother and loving friend, Mr. Walter Balcanquall, who bas been so
caretul of me at all times, and especially in time of mv present sick
ness, to remain with him as a perpetual token of my special love and
* Here there was a very curious and minute inventory given of the various
coins possessed by Mr. Lawson at the time, which, however, H was not thought
whC;T? ^,t,°'nser,.^e' mor"- specially considering the particular object, with
which his latter w,ll has been introduced \..to the volume.

JAMES LAWSON. 15
thankful heart towards him. Item, I will that the said Mr. Walter
deliver in my name to my dear and well beloved spouse, Janet
Guthrie, beside other provision made, or that may fall unto her by my.
testament, the Portugal ducat, in sign of my loving kindness, which
she has well deserved, as a faithful brother gave the same to me as a
pledge of his singular love towards me. And touching the pieces of
gold and English silver, resting of the sum foresaid, I will that the
said Mr. Walter deliver the same, bona fide, to my said executors,
which gold and silver, resting, I will that my said executors bestow
iu the manner following : Imprimis, To my sister, Christian Lawson,
the sum of twenty pounds Scots, and all the rest to be equally parted
betwixt my three bairns, in three portions : providing always, that the
recompense of the physicians, apothecaries, and whatsoever expenses
necessary shall be made in time of my sickness, or shall be owed by
me in London, when it shall please God to call me out of this valley of
misery, which is just debt, and which I am owing presently, or any ex
pense in transporting my graith home, be first paid to my brother Mr.
Balcanquall at the sight of the said brethren, of the readiest of the said
sum, which shall be disbursed thereof, by the said executors after the
sight of the ticket thereof, by the said brethren, which shall be a
sufficient discharge unto him for the same. Lastly, I earnestly
request of my loving brethren, Mr. Andrew Melville, Mr. John
Davidson, and Mr. James Carmichael, to concur with my brother
Mr. Walter Balcanquall in revising my written books and papers * as
well at London as elsewhere, and use the same as they think may
best serve for the glory of God and comfort of the kirk, and my
will is, that my said executors deliver them thankfully unto their
hands, giving power also to my said executors to put this my testa
ment, if need be, in more exquisite and ample form with all clauses
requisite, the substance always being reserved. In witness and
verification of this my testament and constant will, in the premises,
and in confirmation of my testament, written at my request by Mr.
James Carmichael, I, the said Mr. James Lawson, hath subscribed
the same with my hand,f and desire my good and trusty friends, Mr.
* It appears that Mr. Lawson, in his books and papers, laft many proofs of
his talents and industry, but we are not aware tbat any of bis writings
were published, though they must no doubt have been highly valuable from
the " zeal, learning, and eloquence," ascribed to him, by his coteraporaries.
f Perhaps it may appear to some tbat, viewed as a testimony to a man's re
ligious tenets, there is here a degree of minute formality which might have been
dispensed with. Regarded as a legal deed auent the disposition of his property,
perhaps some attention to this may be allowed to have been necessary; but the
truth is, that it was in the former rather than the latter of these views that
the designs and sentiments ofthe testator were, in the times in which he lived,
liable to be misrepresented. And such, in point of fact, was the virulence of
party feeling against him, that archbishop Adamson, on hearing of his death,
wrote a testament in his name, containing a recantation of his principles, and
also a variety of letters to his brethren, in which he is made to reflect on
their conduct and motives in opposing the king and bishops ! It was thus
that acts which, at tbe present day, would disgrace and criminate the humblest
citizen in the eyes of his countrymen, were then resorted to by men in the high
est stations in life, with a view to supporting a cause which had no footing of
itself in the feelings of the people.

18 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES
Andrew Melville, provost of the new college of St. Andrews Mr.
James Carmichael, minister of God's word in Haddington, Mr. John
Davidson, minister of God's word at Libberton, and Mr. Walter Bal
canquall, my colleague, in the ministry at Edinburgh, to testily the
same by their handwriting, the which also they did ra my presence,
after we had all heard the same distinctly read, day, month, year, and
place foresaid. ^ gub>#_JAMES LAWS0N,
Called in the Lord."
Mr. Andrew Melville, ~\
Mr. James Carmichael, V Witnesses to the Premises.
Mr. John Davidson, (
Mr. Walter Balcanquall. )

VII. ROBERT ROLLOCK.
£Mr. Rollock was born about the year 1555. After finishing his
studies at St. Andrews, he was chosen a professor of philosophy in
that university, ln this office he continued for four years, dis
charging its duties with much applause, when, about the year
1585, he was invited to a chair in the university of Edinburgh.
In that institution he afterwards became principal, a station which
he occupied till his death, in 1598. He was signally distinguished
not only by the conscientious diligence with which he performed
his public duties, but also by the peculiarly mild and Christian
spirit, which adorned his private character, and which, as the following
details evince, became especially prominent in his last sickness.]
Perceiving that his end was approaching, he, with his wonted pru
dence, settled his domestic concerns, and solemnly commended his
wife, at that time pregnant of her first and only child, to the care of
his friends. Two of these friends, (Patrick Galloway and David
Lindsay) who had always stood high in his regard, having come to
him, he. called them to witness that he professed himself to be a dying
man, and as such, he implored them to go in his name to the king,
and to exhort him to prosecute the path of religion in the same in
offensive course-j- he had hitherto followed; proceed in it with an
unfaltering step till the last hour of life, and not allow himself to be
drawn from it, either by 'the hope of enlarging his authority, or by the
* MS. Life of Lawson.
f It must be confessed, that in this and other instances, the language employed
in reference to the king is somewhat too flattering and obsequious It may
be observed, however, in palliation, that the commendation here bestowed, was
evidently meant to refer to the immediately preceding, and consequently least
objectionable years of James' reign ; and that at all events, such language,
however objectionable it may appear, could have proceeded from no wish oi
the part of Rollock to compromise his principles, but only from that singularly
benevolent temper and innate love of peace, by Avhich he was so prominently
characterized through life.

ROBERT ROLLOCK. 17
evil 'advices of wicked men. With respect to the pastors of the
church, for which he felt an equal degree of reverence, he thus
spoke : " The ministry of Christ, though in human calculation a
mean and humble office, was yet glorious in the sight of God;
and though ministers are earthen vessels, the refuse and offscour
ings of the earth, they will hereafter shine in glorious splendour."
Afterwards the ministers of Edinburgh having waited upon him,
he discoursed to them as follows : " Wearied out with a weight of
sickness, and longing for rest and the end of my life, I continue
to breathe and hope ; yet I have not so learned nor preached Christ,
but in him to feel support under all my distresses. The care of the
college, brethren, has always stood highest in my thoughts : God is
my witness with what faithfulness and diligence he enabled me to
look after its administration, and I am sensible to myself, you are
not ignorant of the advantages that redound to the church and the
commonwealth from the right management of that society. The
thread of my life is now breaking ; I am fast hastening to my home,
my country, my Father's house, long and much desired by me. I beg
of you when I am taken away, let not the college mourn too
bitterly and long, in widowhood. You, I hope, even you, my
brethren, will not be stepmothers to her, but affectionate and kind
parents, and uourish and cherish her in your bosom. The work of
the ministry has also lain heavily on my spirit, and you are not
ignorant of my motives in entering upon it. I dare not Bay I have
ever done any thing worthy of* that high office, but I dare say it was
in my heart so to do. You will remember that I was chosen by the
assembly at Dundee to watch for the interest of this church. In
this, I had the glory of God and the safety of the church, miserably
tossed with tempests and shaking, before mine eyes ; and I can now
declare, tbat my conscience does not smite me with any wicked
departure from duty, in doubling the number of the ministers of
Edinburgh, and particularly in my activity to bring in two (Messrs.
Howat and Robertson) who studied under me, when I thought I
saw gifts in them suitable to such a trust, and hoped God would
bless their labours. I am so far from repenting any share I had in
it, that to this hour it is satisfying to me. It was lately told me
that a rumour is propagated, as if I were vexed in mind for the
hand I had in this. But I can appeal to God, the witness and
judge of secrets, before whose tribunal I am .shortly to stand,
that in all that matter, I had right and straight ends before me,
according to the grace and prudence God has vouchsafed to me :
and there is nothing that vexes and troubles me now. I am per
suaded the vise Maker of the world has tied the church and state
together, with a brotherly and adamantine chain, and it hath been my
great care to advance the good of both ; so that the temporal sword
should not be perniciously drawn against the church, nor the church
incited against the king and state, and that an inevitable war
might be prevented. And yet the love of peace hath not so far be
witched me, that I could not distinguish between genuine and
adulterous peace, neither hath my affection to my sovereign carried

18 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
me that length as that, to please him, I would submit to the least
stain on my conscience. I hope the integrity and candour ot my
practice shall appear when I am dead. In a word, brethren join
together with the most intimate love and concord in tbe work of
the Lord. What can be more unnatural than that the ambassadors
of peace should be rending one another with strife and discord i
especially at a season when our enemies are so busy, and our forces
ought not to be scattered by strife, but by all means united, that so
we may thrust not at one another, but only at our enemies hearts.
Let me put you in mind to pay the most obsequious obedience to the
king. You live in happy times, and enjoy a singular felicity. You
are blessed with a prince who drunk in religion with his milk, who hath
guarded your doctrine with a right discipline, and covers both the
doctrine and discipline of religion with his protection; who hath
taken the church so much into his care, as by open and plain un
answerable documents to make it evident, tbat he will never desert
her while he breathes. Therefore, what you may easily and pleas
antly enjoy, it will be folly to seek after by harsh methods. You will
then take particular care that the church be not ruined by a fall from
such high happiness. Paul might have retained Onesimus with
him, but without Philemon he would do nothing, that his benefit
shxmld not be as of constraint, but willingly. It is my opinion, we
should follow the apostle's pattern in matters of far greater weight.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, enrich you with all
spiritual blessings, and furnish you with all might and strength for
the faithful discharge of your office."
Towards the evening of the same day, he appeared to feel tbat
death was fast approaching, and fell out into a most rapturous discourse,
which edified all that heard bim. The physicians having attempted
by eome prescriptions to alleviate his trouble, he turned himself and
said, " Thou, O Lord, wilt be my Physician." He then prayed most
fervently for the pardon of sins, through the Redeemer's merits, de
claring that he counted all things dross and dung, be they ever so
great, for the excellency of the cross of Christ. He then beseeched
God that he would give him a comfortable and happy end to this life,
that being covered under the wings of mercy, he might sleep in Christ,
and enjoy the face of God, which he most violently longed to see.
" I have seen thee,'' added he, " in the faint glass of the word, as
through a glass darkly ; allow me that long and much wished for en
joyment, of the light of thy countenance for eternity." He then dis
coursed of the resurrection and eternal life, as if he were already in
heaven ; and taking all present by the hand, like the patriarchs of old,
he blessed them, adding exhortations, suited to the temper and office
of each individual.
Next day, the magistrates and counsellors of the city having waited
on him, he addressed them as follows : " As far as I can conjecture,
I am going over the threshold of time, and entering into my native
country and my Father's house. This is not uneasy to me : I have
frequently longed for the end 'of this life. I have still been most
anxious about the college ; and now when I am about to leave it.

ROBERT ROLLOCK. 19
were I silent in giving my opinion about my successor to be set over
it, I could scarcely be free of the stain of negligence. It would be of
little use, in my judgment, to go abroad and bring in a stranger to
preside in that society, who would know little of the doctrine and
discipline of this college. You have at home a person richly fitted
with gifts and qualifications for this station — Mr. Henry Charters 
who, while a scholar of mine, made vast advances in learning, and
hath now for ten years filled the place of a professor of philosophy,
with the greatest reputation. Place him in tbe principal's place, set
him at the helm of the college, and you will see God favouring
him, and blessing his labours. By your office, you are patrons and
cherishers of the college ; permit me to wish you may be sincerely
careful of it."
When he had ended what he had said to the magistrates and mas
ters, he spoke as follows, with reference to his spiritual state : " I
thank my God that my memory, sight, hearing, and the rest of my
senses, are as perfect as ever ; but my heart is loosed from this world.
Lord Jesus, when wilt thou come and take full possession of my
heart ? Thou hast the sole claim upon it. It was my main study
through my life to dedicate and consecrate it to thee. O, come and
take it, that I may for ever be thine I" When he had said this, he fell
into a soft rest for a little ; but on awakening, be thus resumed :
" Come, Lord Jesus," said he, " break the thread of this miserable
life ! Haste, Lord, and make no tarrying ; thou hast redeemed me
not to enjoy this frail life, but fife eternal. Come, Lord Jesus, grant
that life to which thou hast redeemed me."
When some about him regretted their loss in his removal, he said,
" I have gone through all the stages of life. I am come to the last
step of my race — why do you hinder me ? Lord Jesus, with thy
help, I will comfortably step this last step. Take me to that glory
which I have seen only as through a glass. O, to be for ever with
thee !" And when it was told him that the day following was the
Sabbatb, he exclaimed, " Lord, may my everlasting Sabbath have its
happy beginning from thy Sabbath !"
From this time, he got tolerable rest, till tbe middle of the night,
when his trouble having increased, he began to expect his last struggle.
Having desired Mr. Balcanquall to be sent for, he addressed him thus :
" Sir, because you are the oldest minister in Edinburgh, and my
friendship with you is not of late, I have sent for you, that I may
show the reverence with which, from my youth, I Iflive venerated
Christ's ministers. I have, according to the measure God hath be
stowed on me, been pouring out my prayer before the Lord — pray
you now for me, and with me : I'll join with you in heart and affec
tion, only le't me beg you'll not ask tlie lengthening out of my life."
When all present had kneeled, Mr. Balcanquall prayed ; and having,
among other things, entreated that the Lord would yet allows the en
joyment of such a valuable person, whom the church and common
wealth so much needed, Mr. Rollock said, " I am fully weary of this
life, and only desire the heavenly life which is hid in Christ with
God."

20 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
When prayer was ended, he broke out in raptures, commending the
preached Gospel. « The preached word," said he, " is hfe— without
it none can be saved. Believe me, it is not a light matter to preach
the word. It is quite another matter than to explain the text of
Plato or Aristotle, or to make an pration with the paint and softness
of words. The preaching of the word takes in sanctity, humility,
and the demonstration of the Spirit." And turning again unto prayer,
he said, " Come, Lord Jesus, break the nerves of my eyes— grant me
new eyes ! I long to be dissolved, and to be with thee. Hasten to come,
Lord Jesus, do not delay— Poor life, remove! that the better, infin
itely better life of God may enter in. Lay hands, Lord Jesus, on this
body, arrest it, and take to thyself this soul !"
After this, he lay silent till about daybreak, ou Sabbath morning,
when he broke out in these words : " Come, Lord, and do not tarry :
I am weary with my trouble, day and night. Come, IHord Jesus, that
I may come to thee. O how sweet would the end of this life be to me !
My sweet Lord, come, divorce my soul from this body, that I may
enjoy thee, my husband. Separate this soul of mine from all things,
that, it may fly to thee, its head and centre !" Here one of the by
standers said, " Do not weary, your Lord will come :" to whom
he replied, " Most welcome to me is that news. I wish tbat to
morrow may be my funeral day." Then another having observed,
" Happy is the soul which is so near to God as yours is ;" he said,
" In myself there is nothing which I do not regard as dung, tbat I
may win Christ. Christ is my only source of comfort : all my own
righteousness is as filthy rags." Being asked whether he desired the
presence of any minister, he replied, that he wished not to trouble
them whilst preparing for public service. " Allow me," said he,
" like a parrot, to keep speaking with my Lord !" Being informed that
tbe public service had commenced, he said, " Give me, O Lord, to see
and feel the things which others are at this moment hearing." About
mid-day, a certain person thus spoke to him : " Throughout your
whole life, with unwearied diligence and constant labour you have
promoted the glory of God :" to which he replied, " My sole ground
of glorying is the mercy of God, through Jesus Christ : all other
things I regard as loss." After this he fell into a soft sleep, which
lasted till the evening ; upon awaking from which, he was visited by
tiie lord provost of Edinburgh, and thus addressed him : " I have al
ready seriously commended to the care of the magistrates, of which
you, my lord, are the chief, the interests of the college : do you also
take it under your protection ; let it experience in you a parent and
a benefactor. Seeing by the high station in which you preside
over the city, and the august office with which God has invested
you, you are able to give support to the church, do not, I beseech
you, withdraw such support : on the contrary, do you exert your
power and influence towards its protection ; apply yourself to it with
the utmost vigour, that so you may attain salvation through Jesus
Christ. All worldly things are perishable, and will soon perish ; but
God will enrich you, your wife, and your family, out of the treasure
of his goodness." During the same night he let fall such expressions

ROBERT ROLLOCK. 21
aa these : " In a diseased body I have a tranquil mind : I am not
troubled with the fear of death, of sin, or of Satan, for over me these
have no power : but yet I am so borne down with a weight of sick
ness, that I am preserved to this hour, far beyond hope. The Lord is
as it were breaking me in his mortar, with the pestle of affliction, that
he may make me anew for his own kingdom."
On the Monday following, he thus spoke : " It is wonderful," said
he, " that afflicted as I am with such acute pain, my life should be
so long protracted ; but yet I shall wait in patience the good plea
sure of the Lord : I shall bear with it, I shall bear with it — let him
do with me as seems good to him ; I shall not contend with him.
What is man, that he should contend with God ? Nay, even should
he thrust him into hell, be ought to be obeyed, and not opposed ! Be
gracious to me, O Lord, for the sake of Jesus Christ. I blush not to
confess, that never as during this affliction, have I arrived at such a
height of divine knowledge ! O how dreadful to fall into the hands
of Jehovah I but, for me there is mercy laid up in Christ. Why then
art thou disquieted, my soul ? Why art thou cast down within me ?
In a very little thou shalt have the light of his countenance, and a
sweet meeting I"
Again, on the morning of the following day : " Now," said he, re
citing some of its words, " now do I experience the truth of the 6th
Psalm — ' Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am oppressed with pain.
Save me, O Lord, for my bones are sore vexed.' " Then, after a short
pause, " Christ shall bear my yoke, and I, upheld by his grace, shall
follow in his footsteps." When the bystanders, perceiving him con
vulsed with the violence of the pain, began to weep and mourn, he
thus chided them : " Weep not on my account, but weep for your
sins : since no one is free from sin, no one is without good cause for
tears. With regard to myself, I shall ere long behold the end and
conclusion of all these things." Towards evening, one of his rela
tives having come to him, excited his displeasure by this impious
request : that, when received into heaven, he would mediate in behalf
of him and his other friends. Immediately on hearing it, as if boiling
with indignation, he suddenly raised up his emaciated and almost life
less body, and said, " I disclaim that office : Christ is the alone Me
diator." Not long after this, he was visited by his elder brother,
whom he thus addressed : " Do you," said he, " carry a reproof to our
kinsman :— admonish him to adopt a different line of conduct, other
wise there can be to him no safety for him ; but on the contrary, inevit
able destruction." From this time forward he refused all sustenance,
saying, " I shall no more eat or drink, until I am translated to the
kingdom of heaven." He intrusted the care of his funeral to two in
timate and long tried friends. " Why," said he, " should I not have a
concern for my body, since it is yet to be glorified and made like
unto Christ's own glorious body?" and looking to his hands, " These
very hands," he exclaimed, " shall then shine with effulgent glory 1
After this his speech became gradually more constrained and difficult.
His short sentences, yet impressive and powerful— breathing and
savouring of heavenly joy— by degrees gave place to a gentle slum-

22 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
ber, in which, having continued for a while, he placidly and quietly
commended his spirit to his Creator and Redeemer. His death took
place on the 8th of February, 1598.*

VIII. ANDREW DUNCAN.
[[Of Mr. Duncan's birth and parentage we have no account. In 1581,
he occupied the place of a regent in St. Leonard's college, St.
Andrews. He was afterwards settled as minister of Crail, in
Fife, and became signally distinguished by the sufferings he en
dured, in favour of the presbyterian polity. He was ultimately
banished to France ; but after several years' exile, was allowed to re
turn, upon making some acknowledgments. The following copy
of his latter will may be regarded as his testimony to the truths of
the Gospel. It bears date 14th April, 1626.]
" I, Andrew Duncan, a sinful wight, Christ's unworthy minister in his
glorious Gospel, being sickly and weak, worn out with years, and
heaviness of heart in this pilgrimage ; and being now weaiy of this
loathsome prison, this body of death, because of sin ; and having re
ceived sundry advertisements and summonses from my Master to flit
out of this uncouth country, the region of death, home to my native
land ; and now sitting upon the prison-door threshold, ready to obey,
waiting till the sad messenger be sent to convey me home to that
glorious palace, even the heavenly Jerusalem, that I may enter into
possession of my heritage, even that glorious kingdom in eternity,
whicb Christ came down from heaven to conquer for me ; and then
went up to prepare and possess it in my name, as my attorney, until
it pleased his Majesty to take me thither, that I may in my own per
son possess it, I proceed to set down the declaration of my latter will,
concerning those things which God hath lent me in this world ; in
manner following : First, as touching myself, body and soul ; my soul
I leave to Christ Jesus, who gave it, and when it was lost, redeemed
it, that he may send his holy angels to transport it to the bosom
of Abraham, there to enjoy all happiness and contentment ; and as
for this frail body, I commend it to the grave, there to sleep and rest,
as in a sweet bed, until the day of refreshment, when it shall be re
united to the soul, and shall be set down at the table with the holy
patriarchs, prophets, and apostles ; yea, shall be- placed on the throne
with Christ, and get the crown of glory on my head. As for the
children whom God hath given me, (for which 1 thank Him,) I leave
them to his providence, to be governed and cared for by him, be
seeching Him to be the tutor, curator, and agent, in all their adoes,
yea, and a father ; and that he would lead them by his gracious Spirit,
through this evil world : that they may be profitable instruments, both.
in kirk and commonwealth, to set out his glory ; beseeching them on
* Lives of Rollock, in Latin, by Robertson and Charters.

JOHN WELCH. 23
the other part, (as they would have God's blessing, and mine in all
their affairs,) to set him before their eyes, and to walk in his ways,
living peaceably in his fear, in all humility and meekness, with all
those they have ado with ; holding their course to heaven, and com
forting themselves with the glorious and fair to-look-at heritage,
which Christ hath conquered for them, and for all that love him.
Under God, I leave John Duncan, my eldest son, to be tutor to my
youngest daughter, Bessie Duncan, his youngest sister, to take a care
of her, and to see that all turns go right, touching her person and
gear. For executors, I leave my three sons, John, William, and
David, to do my turns after me, and to put in practice my directions ;
requesting them to be good and comfortable to their sisters, but chiefly
to the two that are at. home, as they would have God's blessing and
mme. Concerning my temporal goods, the baggage and blathrie of
the^earth, as I have gotten them in the world from God's liberal hand,
so I leave them behind me in the world; giving most humble and
hearty thanks unto my heavenly Father for so long and comfortable
loan of the same.* f
Sic. Sab— ANDREW DUNCAN."

IX. JOHN WELCH.
[Mr. Welch was born about the year 1570. His first settlement
as a minister was at Selkirk. From thence he was translated to
Kirkcudbright and afterwards to Ayr. In all of these places, but
especially the last of them, his labours were signally blessed. It is
chiefly, however, for the persecutions he endured on behalf of re
ligion and presbyterian church-government that he is justly re
garded as a most eminent Scots Worthy. With other five of his
brethren he was banished to France, and remained there till within
a short time of his death. He was then allowed to come to Eng
land, but not to enter Scotland. He died at London in the year
1622, after a violent exertion in preaching. No detail of his last
words has been preserved, but the following extracts from a letter
written to a noble lady, shortly before his banishment, in 1606,
1 may serve to indicate the state of his mind, in reference to eter
nity.]
" My desire to remain here is not great, knowing that so long as 1
am in this house of clay, I am absent from tbe Lord : and if it were
dissolved, I look for a building not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. In this I groan, desiring to be clothed upon with my new
house which is in heaven : if so be, that being clothed, I shall not
be found naked. For I that am within this tabernacle, do ofttimes
groan and sigh within myself, being ofttimes burdened ; not that I
would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be
* Scots Worthies — Life of Duncan.

24 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
swallowed up of life. I long to eat the fruit of that tree which is
planted in the midst of the paradise of God ; and to drink of the
pure river, clear as crystal, that runs through the streets of the new
Jerusalem. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and tbat he shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth : and that though after my
skin worms devour my body, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom
I shall see for myself, and not another, and mine eyes shall behold
him, though my reins be consumed within me. I long to be re
freshed in company with the souls of them that are under the altar,
who were slain for the word of God and the testimony which they
held ; and to have the long white robe given me, that I may walk in
white with those glorious saints, who have washed their garments
and made them wbite in the blood of the Lsmb. Why should I
think it a strange thing to be removed from this place to that wherein
is my hope, my joy, my crown, my eldest Brother, my Head, my
Father, my Comforter, and all the glorified ' saints ; and where the
song of Moses and of the Lamb is sung joyfully ; where we shall no
longer be compelled to sit by the rivers ofl Babylon, and hang our
harps upon the willows, but shall take them a-ad sing the new hale-
lujah — blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, to him that sitteth
on the throne, and to the Lamb for ever ! What k under this old
vault of the heavens, and in this old worn out earth, (wbich is under
the bondage of corruption, groaning and travailling in pain, and as it
were still shooting out the head, looking, waiting, and longing for
the redemption of the sons of God) what is there I say, that should
make me remain here ? I expect that new heaven and tbat new
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, and wherein I shall dwell for
evermore. I look to get entiy into the new Jerusalem, at one of
those twelve gates whereupon are written the names of the twelve
tribes of Israel. I know tbat Christ Jesus hath prepared room for
me ; why may I not then, with boldness in his blood, step into that
glory, into which my Head and Lord hath gone before me ? Jesus
Christ is tbe Door and the Porter, who then shall hold me out ?
Will he let them perish for whom he died ? Will he let that poor
sheep be plucked out of his hand for whom he hath laid down his
life ? Who shall condemn the man whom God hath justified ? Who
shall lay any thing to the charge of the man for whom Christ hath
died, or rather risen again ? I know I have grievously transgressed,
but where sin abounded, grace hath superabounded. I know my
sins are red as Bcarlet and crimson, yet the blood of Christ my Lord,
can make me as white as snow and as wool. Whom have I in heaven
but him, or whom desire I in earth beside him ? O thou, the fairest
among the children of men, the light of the Gentiles, the glory of the
Jews, the life of the dead, the joy of angels and saints, my soul
panteth to be with thee ! I will put my spirit into thy hands, and
thou wilt not put it out of thy presence. I will come unto thee;
for thou castest none away that come unto thee, O thou only de
light of mankind 1 Thou earnest to seek and save that which was:
lost. Thou, seeking me, hast found me : and now being found by
thee, I hope, O Lord, thou wilt not let me perish. I desire to be

JOHN WELCH. 25
with thee, and do long for the fruition of thy blessed presence, and
joy of thy countenance. Thou, the only good Shepherd, art full of
grace and truth : therefore, I trust, thou wilt not thrust me out of the
door of thy presence and grace. The law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Thee. Who shall separate me from thy
love? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword ? Nay, in all these things I am more
than conqueror through thy majesty who hath loved me. For I am
persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor things present, nor things to
come, nor any other creature, is able to separate me from the love of
the majesty which is in Christ Jesus, my Lord. I refuse not to die
with thee, that I may live with thee. I refuse not to suffer with
thee, that I may rejoice with thee. Shall not all things be pleasant
to me, which may be my last step, by which, or upon whicb, I may
come unto thee. When shall I be satiate with thy face ? When
shall I be drunk with thy pleasures ? Come, Lord Jesus, and tarry
not. The Spirit saith come. The Bride saith come. Even so
Lord Jesus, come quickly, and tarry not.
" Why should the multitude of mine iniquities, or the greatness
of them affright me ? Why should I faint in this mine adversity to be
with thee ? The greater sinner I have been, the greater glory will be
thy grace to me, unto all eternity. Oh unspeakable joy, endless, in
finite, and bottomless compassion I O, ocean of neverfading pleasure !
O! love of love 1 O! the height, and the depth, and breadth, and
length of that love of thine that passeth knowledge I O uncreated
love ! Beginning, without beginning, and ending without an end !
Thou art my glory, my joy, my gain, and my crown. Thou hast
set me under thy shadow with great delight, and thy fruit is
sweet unto my taste. Thou hast brought me into thy banqueting-
house, and placed me in thine orchard. Stay me with thy flaggons,
and comfort me with thine apples : for I am sick, and my soul is
wounded with thy love. Behold, thou art fair, my love : behold,
thou art fair, thou hast dove's eyes. Behold, thou art fair my love ;
yea, pleasant also : our bed is green. The beams of our house are
cedars and our rafters are of fir. How fair and how pleasant art
thou 1 O love for delights ! my heart is ravished with thee. O
when shall I see thy face ? How long wilt thou delay to be to me
as a roe, or a young hart, leaping upon the mountains, and skipping
upon the hills ? As a bundle of myrrh be thou unto me, and lie all
night between my breasts. Because of the savour of thy good oint
ments, thy name is as an ointment poured out ; therefore, desire I to
go out of the desart, and through to the place where thou sittest at
tby repose, and where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon.
When shall I be filled with thy love ? Certainly, if a man knew
how precious it were, he would count all things dross and dung to
gain it. I would long for that scaffold, or that axe, or that cord, that
might be to me the last step of this my wearisome journey, to go to
thee my Lord. Thou, who knowest the meaning of the spirit, give
answer to the speaking, sighing, and groaning of the spirit within

26 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
me. Thou, who hast inflamed my heart to speak to thee in this
silent, yet love-language of ardent aud fervent desire, speak again
unto my heart, answer my desires, which thou hast made me speak
to thee. O death! where is thy sting? O gravel where is thy
victory ? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the
law : but thanks be to God, that giveth me the victory, through my
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What can be troublesome to me,
since my Lord looks upon me with so amiable a countenance ? And
how greatly do I long for these embracements of my Lord! O that
he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth : for his love is better
than wine ! O that my soul were the throne whereon he might sit
eternally 1 O that my heart were the temple wherein he might be
magnified and dwell for ever ! * Who am I that he should first
have called me, and then constitute me a minister of the glad tidings
of the gospel of salvation these years already, and now last of all
to be a sufferer for his cause and kingdom. Now let it be so, that
I have fought my fight,, and run my race, and now from henceforth
is laid up for me that crown of righteousness, which the Lord that
righteous God will give, and not to me only, but to all that love his
appearance, and choose to witness this, that Jesus Christ is the king
of saints, and that his church is a most free kingdom, yet as free
as any kingdom under heaven, not only to convocate, hold, and keep
her meetings, and conventl-jns and assemblies ; but also to judge of
all her affairs, in all h"r meetings and conventions amongst her
members and subjects. These two points, First, That Christ is tbe
head of his cburcb. Secondly, That she is free in her government
from all other jurisdiction except Christ's ; these two points, I say,
are the special cause of our imprisonment, being now convict as
traitors for the maintaining thereof : we have been ever waiting with
joyfulness to give the last testimony of 'our blood in confirmation
thereof, if it should please our God to be so favourable as to
honour us with that dignity: yea I do affirm, tbat these two points
above written, and all other things which belong to Christ's crown,
sceptre, and kingdom, are not subject, nor cannot be, to any other
authority, but to his own altogether. So that I would be most glad
to be offered up as a sacrifice for so glorious a truth : but alas I I fear
" There are not only many expressions, but even sentiments, as must be
confessed, in this address of the Saviour inconsistent with the rigid and
refined taste of modern times, as regards the feelings and language of devo
tion. But this being acknowledged, it may also be observed, that there is a
glow and a fervour, (occasionally well expressed) in the sentiments of this
good man, to which the experience of ordinary professors, affords no parallel,
and with which therefore, it cannot be expected that they should readily
sympathize. The truth is, that the habitual tone of Mr. Welch's mind
is scarcely equalled by the occasional and most elevated states of feeling
experienced by every-day Christians : no wonder then, that upon occasions
like the present, it should exhibit something like ecstasy and extravagance.
Indeed, it must be obvious to every one who compares the religious character
of the present age with that of Welch and Rutherford, and other worthies,
tbat whatever we have gained in clearness and simplicity of view, we have
lost in depth and intensity of feeling.

JOHN WELCH. 27
that my sins and the abuse of so glorious things as I have found,
deprive me of so fair a crown ; yet my Lord doth know, if he should
caU me to it, and strengthen me in it, it would be to me the most
glorious day, and the gladdest hour, I ever saw in this life, but I am
in his hand to do with me whatsoever shall please his majesty. It
may suffice me I have had so long a time in the knowledge of tbe
gospel, and that I have seen the things that I have seen, and heard
the things that I have heard, and through the grace of God, I have
been so long a witness of these glorious and good news, in my weak
ministry, and that my witnessing hath not been altogether without
fruit and blessing; so that I hope at that day, I shall have him to ba
my crown, my glory, my joy, and reward, and therefore boldly I say
with Simeon, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, not
in a peaceable dying in my bed, but by rendering up to him my spirit,
and the sealing and stamping this truth with my blood. I desire not
to have it remedied, but let my Lord's will be done.
" The guilt of our blood shall not only lie upon our prince, but also
upon our own brethren, bishops, counsellors, and commissioners, it is
they, even they that have stirred up our prince against us ; we must
therefore lay the blame and burden of our blood upon them especially,
however the rest above written be partakers of their sins with them :
and as to the rest of our brethren, who either by silence approve, or
by crying peace, peace, strengthen the arm of the wicked, that they
cannot return, in the mean time make the hearts of the righteous sad,
they shall all in like manner be guilty of high treason against the
King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ, his crown and kingdom.
"Next unto them, all our commissioners, chancellor, president,
comptroller, advocate, and next unto them, all that first or last sat in
council, and did not bear plain testimony for Jesus Christ and his
kingdom, for which we do suffer. And next unto them, all those who
should have at present, and who should at such times have come, and
made open testimony of Christ faithfully, although it had ,been con
trary to plain law, and with the hazard of their lives. When the poor
Jews were in such danger, that nothing was expected but utter destruc
tion, queen Esther, after three days' fasting, concluded thus with her
self, ' I will,' said she, ' go in to the king,' though it be not according
io law, ' and if I perish I perish,' Esther ix. 16. With this resolu
tion, such as are born counsellors, should have said, Christs kingdom
is now in my hand, and I am bound, also, and sworn, by a special
covenant, to maintain the doctrine and discipline thereof, according to
my vocation and power, all the days of my life; under all the pains
contained in the book of God, and danger of body and sou , in the
day of God's fearful judgment ; and therefore, though I should perish
in the cause, yet will I speak for it, and to my power defend it, accord-
in- to my vocation. Finally, All those that counsel, command, con
sent, and allow, are guilty in the sight of God But the mourners
for these evils, and the faithful of the land, and those who are un-
foignedly grieved in heart, for all these abominations, those shall be
marked as not guilty, Ezek. ix.
« I know not whether I shall have occasion to write again ; and

28 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
therefore, by this letter, as my latter will and testament, I give testi
mony, warning, and knowledge of these things to all men, according
to the Lord's direction to the prophet, ' Son of man, I have made
thee a watchman,' Ezek. xxxiii. 7. &c. Therefore I give warning to
all men hereby, that no man's blood be required at ray hand. Thus
desiring the help of your prayers, with my humble commendations
and service in Christ, to my lord, your husband, and all the saints
there, the messenger of peace be writh you all for evermore. Amen.
Yours to my full power, for the time Christ's prisoner.
' r JOHN WELCH."*

X. ROBERT BRUCE.
[Robert Bruce was one of the most distinguished men of his time.
He was born about the year 1554, and bred to the study of the
law ; but in consequence of strong conscientious feelings, he was
led to prefer that »f divinity, and became ere long one of the min
isters of Edinburgh. Here he shone as a great light, and forth
with became a principal actor in the affairs of the church, and a
strenuous maintainer of its established forms. He thus exposed
himself to much persecution, which he endured with unshrinking
constancy. He concluded a long and arduous life in a manner
which deserves to be recorded, giving a short but striking testimony
to the strength and reality of his faith and his hope.]
For some time previous to his death, which happened in August 1631,
he was, through age and infirmity, mostly confined to his chamber.
Being frequently visited by friends and acquaintances, he was on one
occasion asked by one of them, how matters stood betwixt God and
hia soul ? He made this reply, " When I was young, I was dili
gent, and lived by faith on the Son of God ; but now I am old and
not able to do so much, and yet he condescends to feed me with lumps
of sense and experience." On the morning before he was removed,
his sickness consisting chiefly in the weakness of age, he came to
breakfast ; and having, as usual, eaten an egg, he said to his daughters,
" I think I am yet hungry, ye may bring me another egg." But in
stantly thereafter, falling into deep meditation, and after having mused
a little, he said, " Hold, daughter, my Master calls me !" Upon
these words, his sight failed him ; and calling for his family Bible, but
finding he could not see, he said, " Cast up to me the eighth chapter
of the epistle to the Romans, and set my finger on these words, / am
persuaded that neither death nor life, 8cc. shall be able to separate me
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. " Now,"
said he, « is my finger upon them ?" and being told it was, he said,
" Now God be with you my children ; I have breakfasted with you,
and shall sup with my Lord Jesua Christ this night." And so, like
Abraham of old, he gave up the ghost in a good old age, and was
gathered to his people. +
• Life of Welch, pp. 13—19. tFlem'nS's FulBlling of the Scriptures, vol. i.

JOHN GORDON, VISCOUNT KENMUIR. 29

XI. JOHN GORDON, VISCOUNT KENMUIR.
£This nobleman was born in 1 559. He was fortunate in having spent
some time, in his youth, with the famous Mr. Welch of Ayr, dur
ing his exile in France. This was most probably the source of
his religious impressions ; impressions which, though for a time ex
tinguished by the pursuits of worldly ambition in which he mingled,
were revived in the season of sickness, and at death were, displayed
with a power to which the experience of few Christians affords any
parallel. The illness of which he died lasted about a fortnight. The
whole of his experience during that period, has been recorded.
What is here given as his last words, refers to the four days which
preceded his death, when his faith was confirmed, and the doubts
and fears previously felt by him, had passed away.]
Some consolatory truths being stated to him, which he welcomed and
repeated, the pastor who attended him (Mr. Rutherford) perceiving
him becoming weaker, said, " My lord, the marriage feast is drawing
near ; make ready the marriage robes ; set aside all care of your estate
and the world ; and give yourself to meditation, prayer, and spiritual
conference." After that, he was observed to be always upon that exercise ; and
when none was near him, he was overheard praying ; and many times,
when to our sense he was sound sleeping, he was at prayer. After a
sleep, he called for the pastor, and said, " I have been troubled in my
sleep with this, that being at peace with God, I am not also at peace
with men ; and, therefore, send for such a kinsman, (with whom I am
not reconciled), as also for such a minister that did before offend me,
that I may friend with them ;" which was done quickly. When the
preacher came, he said, " I have ground of offence against you, as a
natural man, and now I do to you what all men breathing could not
have moved me to do, but now because the Holy Spirit commands
me, I must obey, and therefore I freely forgive you, as I would wish
you to forgive me. You are in an eminent place ; walk before God,
and be faithful in your calling, and take heed to your steps ; walk in
the right road ; hold your eye right ; for all the world, decline not
from holiness, and take example by me." To his cousin he said,
' Serve the Lord, and follow not the footsteps of your father-in-law,
(he had married the bishop of Galloway's daughter ;) learn to know
that you have a soul, for I say to you, the thousandth part of the
world knoweth not they have a soul ; the world liveth without any
sense of God."
He wished the pastor to sleep in a bed made upon the ground
beside him, within the chamber, and urged him against his call to
lie down and sleep, and said, " You and I have a far journey
to go ; make you for it." Some four nights before bis death, he
would drink a cup of wine to the pastor, who answered, " I receive it,
my lord, in hope you shall drink of the pure river of the water of life,
proceeding from the throne of God, and from the Lamb ;" and when
the cup was in his hand, with a smiling countenance, he said, " I think

SO TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
I have good cause to drink with a good will to you." After some
heaviness, the pastor said, " My lord, I come with newstoyox He
answered, " What be they?" The pastor answered, « Be not afraid
of death and judgment, because the process that your Judge had
against you is cancelled and rent in pieces, and Jesus Christ hath
trampled it under his feet: your dittay is burnt. My lord said,
very pithily, with a smile, " O ! that is a lucky tale : I will then be
lieve and rejoice, for sure I am that Jesus Christ and I once met, and
will he not come again?" The pastor said, " My lord, you have
gotten the first-fruits of the Spirit,— the earnest,— and Christ will not
loose his earnest : therefore the bargain betwixt Christ and you hold-
eth." He asked the pastor, " What is Christ like, that I may know
him ?" The pastor answered, " He is like love, and altogether
lovely, Cant. v. 6. Love cannot but be known wheresoever it is. The
pastor said, " My lord, if you had the man Christ in your arms now,
would you not thrust him to your heart, howbeit your heart and side
be pained with a stitch ?" He answered, " God knoweth, I would
forget my pain, and thrust him into my heart ; yea, if I had my heart
in the palm of my hand, I would give it him, and think it too un-
. worthy a gift for him." He complained of Jesus Christ's going and
coming. " I find," said he, " my soul drowneth with heaviness :
when the Lord cometh, he stayeth not long." The pastor said,
" Wooers dwell not together, but married folks take up house together,
and sunder not. Jesus Christ is now wooing, and therefore he feed-
eth his own with hunger, which is as growing meat, as the sense of
his presence." He said often, " Son of God, when wilt thou come ?
God is not a man that he should change, or as the son of man that
he should repent. Those tbat come to Christ he casteth not away,
but raiseth them up at the last day." Still, after peace and full as
surance of reconciliation, he cast back his eyes to his sins, and mourned.
The pastor discoursed to him of the New Jerusalem, and the glory of
our Father's house above, and said, " What will you think, my lord,
when Christ shall dry your watery eyes, and wipe all tears from your
face, and lay your head upon his breast, and embrace you in his arms,
and kiss you with the kisses of his mouth ?" He said, " I want
words to say what I think ; but I know heaven is above the commen
dation of all earthly men, howbeit they had the tongues of angels."
He was heard to say in his sleep, My well-beloved is mine, and I am
his. Being asked if he was sleeping, " he said he was asleep, but he
remembered he was giving a claim to Christ in his sleep."
Another time, after sleep, he wakened with exceeding great joy,
not long before his death, saying, " I have felt an extreme sweetness,
a sweet perfume, which so filled my heart, that I was not able to con
tain the same ; and as a precious perfume, it diffused itself through
the whole rooms about me, with a most delicate and odoriferous smell."
The physician desired him to say over the words again, which he did,
and said he felt " joy unspeakable and glorious." After a sound
sleep, in the dawning, the pastor said, " My lord, where lay Christ
all night ? Did not your well beloved lie as a bundle of myrrh be
twixt your breasts?" He answered, " Nay, not betwixt my breasts,

JOHN GORDON, VISCOUNT KENMUIR. 81
but betwixt my breasts locked in my heart." He asked, " When
will my heart be loosed, and my tongue untied, that I may express
the sweetness of the love of God to my soul ?" and before the pastor
answered any thing, he answered himself1, " even when the wind blow-
eth." Being asked by the • pastor, " If ever he had benefited by the
word of God in public, which he had heard preached these many years ;"
he answered, " I never came to your communion, but I was filled with
the sense of God, and Christ was powerfully borne in upon my soul,
that do my best, I was not able to hold him out ; but in he would be,
whether I would or not ; but oh ! oh ! my woful outbreakings, for
the saints I was inclined to. The devil and temptations took me at
such a time, as I could not win by unhurt, but oh ! oh ! strong, strong
Jesus ; O the depth of the love that would not want me I"
Being asked, " what was his judgment concerning the ceremonies now
entered in the kirk of God ?" " I think," said he, " and am persuaded
in my conscience, they are superstitious, idolatrous, and antichristian,
and come from hell, and I repute it a mercy, that my eyes shall not see
the desolation that shall come upon this poor church. It's plain popery
that is coming among you ; God help me ! God forgive the nobility, for
ihey are either key-cold, or ready to welcome popery ; whereas they
should resist ; and wo be to a dead, timeserving, and profane ministry;
they are but a company of dumb dogs." He called his lady, and a gen
tleman who was a friend to his lady, and had come a good way to meet
him, with the pastor, caused the chamber door to be shut upon all
others, and from his bed directed his speech to the gentleman, saying,
" I ever found you kind and honest to me all the time of my life ;
therefore, I must now give you a charge, which you Bhall deliver to
all the noblemen you know, and with whom you are acquainted. Tell
them all how heavy I have found the weight of the Lord's hand upon
me, for not giving testimony to the Lord my God, when I had occa
sion once in my life at the last parliament. For this foul fault, how
fierce have I felt the wrath of the Lord my God I My soul hath raged
and roared. I have been grieved to the heart. Tell them that they
will be as I am now. Encourage others that stood for the Lord.
Tell them that failed, that, as even they would wish to have mercy
when they are as I am now, that they would repent and crave mercy
from God. Would to God I had such an occasion again, to testify
my love to the Lord ! For all the earth, should I not do as I have
done." To a gentleman, a kinsman of his, he said " I love your soul,
and I love your body; you are a blessed man if you understand it,
because ye may have the blessed means of the word preached beside
you ; and seeing you are but a tender man of body, I would not have
vou to drown yourself so much with the interests and troubles of this
"world, as I did ; who knows but ye may be the next man that follows
me ? My greatest grief is, that I have not the occasion of good means
as you have, and if you yourself make not the right use of the occa
sions of your means, one day they shall be a witness against you.
Alas I take example by me ; I was a fool, and lifted up with folly ;
and now when I was at the very top, I was taken by the Lord, when
1 least expected. The Lord hath smitten me ; therefore take example

32 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
by me, and leave the world and the fisheries of friends timely ; ten
der your soul, and tender your worn body. If I were to live in the
world again, I should not vex and trouble myself so much as I did,
but should dwell at the Rusco the most part of my life, that I might
have tbe happiness of the exercise of hearing God's word preached, as
you have ; good cousin, use the counsel of your pastor."*
To a nobleman, [lord Herries] that was his brother-in-law, he said,
" Mock not at my counsel, my lord. In case you fellow the course
you are in, you shall never see the face of Jesus Christ. You are de
ceived with the merchandise of the harlot, that makes the world drunk
out of the cup of her fornication. Your soul is built upon a sandy
foundation. When you come to my state, you will find no comfort
in your religion. You know not what a wrestling I have had, ere I
came to this state of comfort ; the kingdom of heaven is not got with
a skip or a leap, but with much seeking and thrusting." The lord
Herries, not liking this discourse, did press to break it off by these
words, saying, " My lord, I thank you kindly. I am content to see
your lordship 60 resolved. If I bad known of your sickness, I had
seen you sooner." Kenmuir answered, " I pray God give you grace
to make good use of your coming. And seeing you are now come,
contemn not good counsel, for I have interest in your lordship, and
love your soul, and I must exonerate myself, as I will be answerable
to God." To his sister, [lady Herries,] he said, " Who knows but
the words of a dying brother may prevail with a loving sister. Alas !
you incline to a rotten religion. Cast away these decayed dregs ;
they will not avail you when you are brought to this case as I am.
The half of the world are ignorant, and go to hell, and know not that
they have a soul. It is a wonder to see any know that they
have a soul. Read the Scriptures. They are plain Scottish lan
guage to all who desire wisdom from God, and to be led to heaven."
To a gentleman, his neighbour, he said, " Your soul is in a dangerous
case, but you see it not, and as long as you are in the case you are
in, you will never see it. I pray you, as you love the salvation of
your soul, leave these courses. You must seek out another way to
heaven than yoii are in, else expect to land in hell. There are small
means of instruction to be had, because the most part of the ministry
are profane and ignorant ; search God's word for the good old way,
and search and find all your own ways." To a gentleman, his cousin,
he said, " You are a young man, and know not well what you are
doing. Seek God's direction for wisdom in your affairs, and you shall
prosper ; and learn to know you have need of God to be your friend.'
To another cousin he said, " David, you are an aged man, and you
know not well what an account you have to make; and if you were
in the case I am in, you would endeavour more earnestly to make up
your accounts than you do. I know you better than you believe, for
you worship God according to men's devices. You believe lies of
» The kinsman here spoken of, was, probably, John Gordon of Cardoness, in
the parish of Anwoth ; a man of great piety, and a zealous supporter of the
presbyterian faith.

JOHN GORDON, VISCOUNT KENMUIR. 33
God. Your soul is in a dreadful state ; and till you know the truth,
you shall never see your own way, aright.' To a young man, his
neighbour, he said, " Because you are but a young man, beware of
temptations and snares ; and above all, be careful tp keep yourself in
the use of means. Resort to good company; and though you be
named a puritan, and mocked, yet care not for that, but rejoice' and be
glad, that they who are scorned and scoffed by this godless and vain
world, and nicknamed, puritans, would admit you to their society.
for I must tell you, when I am at this point as you see me, that I
get no comfort to my soul from any second means under heaven, ex
cept from those that are branded as puritans. They are the men that
can give a word of comfort to a weary soul in due season — and that I
have found by experience, since I did lie down here."
One of his natural sisters he thus addressed : " My dove, thou art
young, and alas I ignorant of God. I know thy breeding, and up
bringing well enough. Seek the Spirit of regeneration. Oh I if thou
knew it, and felt the power of the Spirit as I do now. Think not that
all is gone, because your brother is dead. Trust in God, and your
Father liveth, — and beware of the follies of youth. Give yourself to
reading and praying, and to careful hearing of God's word ; and take
heed whom you hear, — and bow you hear, — and God be with you."
To a minister Qlrving of Parton,*] he said, •" Mr. James it is not
holiness enough to be a minister, for you ministers have your own
faults, and those more heinous than others. I pray you be more
painful in your calling, and take good heed to the flock of God, and
know that every soul that perisheth by your negligence, shall be
counted to your soul as murdered before God. Think not but such
a man as I may at this time give a wise man counsel. Take heed in
these dangerous days how you, lead the people of God, and take heed
to your ministry." To his chaplain, who was then Mr. George Gil
lespie, he said, " You have carried yourself discreetly to me, so that
I cannot blame you. I hope you will prove an honest man. If I
have been at any time harsh to you, forgive me. I would I had taken
heed to many of your words. I might have got good by the means
God gave me ; but I made no use of them."f
" Now," continues Kenmure, " I see that it was God that Bent the
pastor unto me, because he resolved to stay longer at Irvine. The
Lord has now let rae see my ways : my soul hath been troubled for
them ; but my God hath given me comfort, and hath begun to loose.
my tongue : God be thanked for tbat which I have got : I look for
more : great is the work of ipjercy that is shown to me ; now the love
of God is made known to my soul, and I am grieved for my ingrati
tude against my loving Lord, and that I should have sinned against
him who came down from the heaven to the earth for my cause, to
die for my sins. The sense pf this love borne in upon my heart hath
• Mr. Irving, soon after this time, inclined to episcopal principles, and took
part with bishop Sydserf in hib persecution of the presbyterians.
f Mr. Gillespie was afterwards minister of Wemyss, and subsequently one
of the ministers of Edinburgh. E

34 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
a reflex, making me love my Saviour, and adhere to him again. The
sparks and embers of this love shall fly up and down in this bed, so
long as 1 lie in it."
To another kinsman he said, " Learn to use your time well. Oh,
alas I the ministry in this country are dead. God help you ; you are
not led/ right; ye had need to be busy among. yourselves. Men are
as careless in the practice of godliness as if godliness were but words,
signs, and shows ; but all these will not do the turn. Oh 1 but I
find it hard now, to take heaven by violence, and to thrust in at it."
To two gentlemen, neighbours, he said, " It is not rising soon in the
morning, and running to the park or stone-dyke, that will bring peace
to the conscience, when it comes to this part of the play. You know
not how I have been beguiled with this world. I would counsel you
to seek that one thing that is necessary, even the salvation of your
souls. Be continually casting up your accounts : let not your reck
onings be behind as mine were ; but count with your own souls every
day and every night." To a cousin, [Robert Gordon,] bailie of Ayr,
be said, " Robert, I know you have light and understanding ; and
though you have no need to be instructed by me, yet have you need
to be incited. Care not overmuch for the world, but make use of the
good occasions and means you have in your country ; for here is a
pack of dumb dogs that cannot bark ; they vaguely talk to you of
terror and of comfort, but without any sense or life." To a young
cousin, and another young gentleman that was his friend, he said,
" You are young men,' and you have far to go, and it may be some of
you have not far to go, and if it fall out that your journey be short,
however it is dangerous. Now are you happy, because you have time
to lay your accounts with Jesus Christ. See therefore that your
reckoning be made daily, lest you be taken, as I am, to make your
accounts, and to have all your senses to seek about you. Suffer not
therefore this example that you see of me to slip unobserved,, but
make your best use of it. I entreat you to give your youth to Jesus
Christ, for it is the most precious offer and acceptable gift you can
give him. Give not your youth to the devil and your iusts ; and then
reserve nothing to Jesus Christ but your old rotten bones. It is to be
feared that then he will not accept you : learn therefore to watch and
take example by me."
He called Mr. Lamb * who was the bishop of Galloway, com
manding all who were within the chamber to remove, and had a long
conference with him ; exhorting him earnestly not to molest or remove
the Lord's servants, and not to enforce or inthral their consciences to
receive the Five Articles of Perth, or do any thing against their con
sciences, but to behave himself meekly towards them, as he would
wish to have mercy from God." The bishop answered, " My lord
our ceremonies are of their own nature but things indifferent, and we
«.l -An?£o La"lb T" translated ft™ the See of Brechin to that of Gallo-
mlZ {m » J*."-* ,Mih°P CowP«— Pith's Catalogue of Scottish
™ ,T/h V's, S6 d'ed m l6SS tba" tbree months after Kenmuir, aud wa,
succeeded by Sydserf, a man of a totally opposite character.

JOHN GORDON, VISCOUNT KENMUIR. 35
impose them for decency and order in God's kirk. They need not
stand so scrupulously on them as matter of conscience in God's wor
ship." Kenmuir replied, " I am not to dispute with you, but one
thing I know, and can tell you from dear experience, that these things
indeed are matters of conscience, and not indifferent ; and so I have
found them : for since I did lie down on this bed, the sin that lay
heaviest on my soul, and hath burdened my conscience most, was my
withdrawing of myself from the parliament, and not giving my voice
for the truth against these things which they call indifferent ; for in so
doing, I have denied the Lord my God." When the bishop began to
commend and encourage him for his well-led life, and did put him in
hopes of health, and praised him for his civil carriage and legal be
haviour, saying he was no oppressor, and without any known vice, he
answered, " That's no matter : a man may be a good civil neighbour,
and yet go to hell." The bishop answered, " I confess, my lord, we
have all our faults ;" and thereafter insisted in long discourse, which
Kenmuir thought impertinent. This made him interrupt the bishop,
saying, " What should I more ? I have got a hold of Christ, and
Christ of me. God be with your lordship."
On the morrow, the bishop came to him, and said, " My lord, how
do you do ?" My lord answered, " I thank God, as well as a saved
man, hastening to heaven, can do :" After that he gave the clerk of
Kirkcudbright a most divine and grave counsel concerning his Chris
tian courage, and how he should walk in his particular calling. He
caused him to hold up his hand, and swear by the Lord, that he should
never consent, but oppose the election of a corrupt minister or magis
trate. He said to his coachman, " You will now be apt to go to any
man that will give you most hire ; but do not so : go where ye may get
best company ; though you get less wages, yet will ye get the more
grace, because your calling is subject to drunkenness and company."
He made him hold up his hand and promise before God to do so.
To two young serving-men, who came to him weeping to get his last
blessing, he said, " Content not yourselves to be like old divines, with
a superficial view of religion to make a show of, blessing yourselves in
the morning for a fashion only : yea, though you should pray both
morning and evening, yet that will not avail you, except likewise ye
make your account every day. Oh ! ye will find few to direct or
counsel you : but I will tell you what to do : first pray to the Lord
fervently, to enlighten the eyes of your mind ; then seek grace to rule
your affections. You will find the good of this when you are as I
am." He took their oaths to strive to do so. And as he counselled
them, he gave also many divine and powerful exhortations to several
individuals, insomuch that they could hardly all be written at length.
He caused every man to hold up his band, and swear in his presence,
that by God's grace, they would forsake their former sins, and follow
his counsel.
After he had exhorted many friends and servants, as they were go
ing out of the chamber, he said to them, " I have somewhat yet to
say ; be not deceived with the world ; for me, I have played the fool,
and brought the house of Kenmuir to the perfection of a complete

36 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
fabric, as it was never before,' and busied myself exceedingly; and
when I came to the top of my hopes,, and thought to enjoy them, the
Lord came and plucked me from my hopes ; thereafter I did see my
own folly; and this also I observed in my father. Take example by
me, and be not ensnared with the world. There be some who seek
the world too carefully, and some too greedily, and many unlawfully;
and men have it so much in their mind, thafthey are upon the world
in the morning, ere they come out of their bed, and before even they
seek God. Sirs, set your hearts to take pains, in sad earnest, for the
kingdom of heaven. I will tell you the heavenly kingdom is not got
with a skip or a leap. I find it now, there must be thrusting, and
thronging, and climbing to enter in. It is a strait and narrow way."
His own omissions in the morning time, through needless toils and dis
tractions, touched his conscience : this he confessed with regret.
He was giving a divine counsel to a friend ; and resting in the midst
of it, he looked up to heaven, and prayed, for a loosened heart and
tongue to express the goodness of God to men ; and afterwards went on
in hi? counsel, not unlike Jacob, Gen. xlix. 18. who in the midst ofa
prophetical testament, rested a little, and said, " I have waited for thy
salvation." He gave his lady, diverse times, and that openly, an hon
ourable and ample testimony of holiness and goodness, and all re
spectful kindness to her husband, and earnestly craved her forgive
ness where he had offended her, and desired her to make the Lord
her comforter, and said he was gone before, and it was but fifteen or
sixteen years up or down. He spoke ordinarily to all the servants of
the house, butlers, cooks, &c, omitting none ; saying, " Learn to
serve and fear the Lord, and use carefully the means of your salva
tion, that you put not off your accounts till the latter end of the day,
as I did foolishly. I know what is generally your religion. Ye go
to church, and when ye hear the devil or hell named in the preaching,
ye sigh and make a noise, and it's forgot by you before ye come home,
and then you are holy enough. But I can tell you, the kingdom of
heaven is not got so easily as your pastor and guides would have you
suppose ; they are but a pack of dumb dogs. Use the means your
self, and gain some sense of God, and pray as you can, morning and
evening. If you be ignorant of the way to salvation, God forgive you!
for I have discharged myself in that point towards you, and appointed
a man, [Mr. George Gillespie, mentioned above,] to teach you;
your blood be upon yourselves. The little knowledge that you have,
if you would use it carefully and with a good conscience, the Lord
would lead you on farther, and teach you his ways ; but your form is
to ask for that master who will give you most hire, and little care
you to live in good company, where you may find the means of sal
vation, and so ye spend the time all over in the ignorance of God."
He took an oath of his servants that they should follow his advice
he made a speech severally, to every one of them : he was so far
humbled that he said to every one of them, (the meanest not excepted,)
" If I have been rough to thee or offended thee, I pray thee, for God's
sake forgive me." And among others, one, to whom he had been
rough, said, " Your lordship did me never wrong ; — I will never get

JOHN GORDON, VISCOUNT KENMUIR. 37
such a master again :" yet my lord urged the boy tq say, " My lord,
I forgive you :" howbeit the boy was hardly brought to utter these
words. He said to all the beholders about him, " behold how low
the Lord hath laid me !" To a gentleman burdened in his estate, he
said, " Sir, I counsel you to cadt your burden upon the Lord your
God." r '
A worthy and religious gentleman of his name came to visit him
four days before bis death. He beholding him afar off, said, " Robert,*
ome to me; leave me not till I die." Thereafter, being much com-
Vted by the gentleman's words, he would have him to wait ; and be-
ng more and more comforted With his speeches, said,> " Robert, you
are a friend to me, both in soul and body." The gentleman asked
him, " What comfort hath your soul in your love towards the saints?"
He answered, " I rejoice at it." He then asked him, " what comfort
he had in bringing the minister who attended him to Galloway ?"
He answered, " God knows that I rejoice that ever he put it in my
heart so to do ; and, now, because I aimed at God's glory in it, the
Lord hath made me find comfort to my soul in the end. The minis
ters of Galloway murdered my father's soul, and if this man had not
come they had murdered mine also."f
In the hearing of my lady Herries, his sister, a papist, he testified
how willing he was to leave the world, insomuch, that he could not
command his soul to look back again to this life. He did so long, he
said, for his soul-full of the well of life, that papists may see that
those who die in their religion, see and know well whither they go,
and that we are by death fully loosed from the love of this world, for
the hope of our own Father's house.
It was told him that letters were come from some of his friends to
him : he caused deliver them to his lady, saying, " I have nothing to
do with them ; — I had rather hear of news from heaven concerning
my eternal salvation." It was observed when any came to him on
the subject of worldly business, that before tbey were out at the
doors, he returned unto pr&ying, conference, ' meditation, and some
spiritual exercise, and was exceedingly short in despatching all earthly
business ; yet so as he took the pains to sign all needful writs when
he was required: likewise he recommended the care of the poor to
his friends.
When he was wearing weaker, he fell into a swoon, and being
.awakened, he said with smiling and signs of joy to all about him, " I
* The individual spoken of in the text, was probably Robert Gordon of
Knockbrex, " a simple hearted and painful Christian."— Livingstone's Me
morable Observations, MS. His name is well known to those acquainted with
the history of Rutherford, or with his Letters. His sons, John Gordon oS
Knockbrex, and Robert Gordon, were executed at Edinburgh, on the 7th Dec.
1G66, for having been concerned in tbe -rising that was terminated by the battle
of Pehtland. — See their Testimony.
f Kenmuir, in the prospect of death, seems to have experienced great comfort
from the recollection of having been the means of bringing a gospel preacher and
a faithful clergyman, like Rutherford, to Ariwbth". He previously alluded to tbe
same circumstance, and evidently appealed to it as the most praisewdrtby acts
, of his life.

88 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
would not exchange my life with you all ; nay, not with you who are
ministers : I feel the smell pf the place where I am going to.
Upon Friday morning, the 12th of September, the day of his de
parture from this life, he said to the pastor, " This night must I sup
with Jesus Christ in paradise." The minister read to him 2 Cor. v.
and Rev. xxii. and made some short notes on such places as concerned
his state. After prayer, he said, " I conceive good hopes that God
looketh on me, when be gives his servants such liberty to pray for
me. Is it possible that Jesus Christ can lose his hold of roe ? Neither
can my soul get itself plucked from Jesus Christ." He earnestly de
sired a sense of God's presence; and the pa«tor said, " What, my
lord, if that be suspended till you come to your home, and be before
the throne, clothed in white, and get your harp in your hand, to siDg
salvation to the Lamb, and to him that sitteth on the throne ; for that
is heaven ; and who dare promise it to you on earth ? There is a
piece of nature in desiring a sense of God's love, it being an apple
that the Lord's children delight to play with. But, my lord, if you
would have it only as a pledge of your salvation, we shall seek it from
the Lord for you, and you may lawfully pray for it." Earnest prayers
were made for him, and he testified tbat he was filled with the sense
of the Lord's love. Being asked what he thought of the world, he
answered, " It is more bitter than gall or wormwood." Being de
manded if now he feared death, he answered, " I have tasted death
now. It is not a whit bitter: welcome tbe messenger of Jesus
Christ !" He never left off to mourn for his sins, especially his desert
ing of the parliament. The pastor said to him, " There is a process
between the Lord and your father's house, but your name is taken out
of it. How dear, dear, was heaven bought for you by your Saviour,
Jesus Christ?" He replied, " I know tbere is wrath against my
father's house, but I shall get my soul for a prey ;" which words he
had frequently in his mouth. Ofttimes also he said, " Is not this a
sweet word that God saith, As I live, I delight not in the death of a
sinner. I will not let go the hold that I have got of Christ: Though
he should slay me, yet will I trust in him ; and lie at his feet and die
there, and lie at his door, like a beggar, waiting on him, and if I may
not knock, I may scrape." Another word was ordinary to him, —
" Oh, Son of God I one love-blink, one smile I" When he had been
deep in a meditation of his change of life, he made this question,
" What will Jesus Christ be like when he cometh ?" It was answered,
" all lovely."
The day of his change, being Friday the 12th of September, he was
heard to pray divinely : on which day he said to the doctor, " I
thought to have been dissolved ere now." The pastor answered,
" My lord, weary not ofthe Lord's yoke : Jesus Christ is posting fast
to be at you ; he is within a few miles." He answered mildly, " This
is my infirmity. I will wait on ; he is worthy the on-waiting. Though
he be long in coming, yet I dare say he is coming, leaping over the
mountains, and skipping over the hills. If he were once come, we
should not sunder."
The pastor Baid, " Some have gotten their fill of Christ in this lifr,

JAMES MITCHELL. 39
though he is often under a mask to his own. Even hia best saints,
Job, David, Jeremiah, &c. were under desertions." His lordship
answered, " What are those examples to me ? I am not ia holiness
near to Job, David, or Jeremiah." The minister answered, " It is
true, my lord, you cannot take so wide steps as they did, but you are
in the same way with them. A young child followeth his father at
the back ; and though he cannot take such wide steps as he, yet this
hindereth him not to be in the same way with him. My lord, your
hunger overcometh your faith : only believe his word. You are long
ing for Christ : only believe he is faithful, and will come quickly."
To this my lord answered, " I think it time ; Lord Jesus, come."
Then the pastor said, " My lord, our nature is in trouble to be wholly
upon our own deliverance ; whereas God seeketh first to be glorified
in our faith, and patience, and hope ; and then it is time enough that
we be delivered." He answered, " There is good reason that my
Lord be first served. Lord, give me to wait on ; only, Lord, burn
me not to dross."
Another said, " Cast back your eyes, my lord, on what you have
received, and be thankful." At the hearing whereof, he presently
brake forth in praising of God ; and finding himself weak, and his
speech failing, more than an hour before his death, he desired the pas
tor to pray, — which he did. After prayer, the minister cried in his
ear, " My lord, can you now sunder with Christ ?" He said nothing.
Nor was it expected he would speak any more. Yet a little after, the
minister asked, " Have ye any sense of the Lord's love ?" He an
swered, " I have sense." The pastor said, " Do you not enjoy ?"
He answered, " I do enjoy." Thereafter the pastor said, " Will ye
not sunder with Christ ?" He replied, " By no means." This was
his last word, not being able to speak any more.
Tbe pastor asked if he should pray. He turned his eye towards
the pastor. In the time of tbat last prayer, he was observed joyfully
smiling, and looking up with glorious looks, as was observed by the
beholders, and with a certain beauty, his visage was beautified, as
beautiful as ever he was in his life. He expired with loud and strong
fetches and sobs, being strong of heart and body, of the age of five
and thirty years. The expiring of his breath, the ceasing of the mo
tion of his pulse, (which the physician was still holding,) ceased all
precisely with the Amen of bis prayer, and so" he died, sweetly and
holily, and his end was peace. He departed about the setting of the
sun, September the 12th, 1634.

XII. JAMES MITCHELL.

[This was an amiable young man, a preacher of the gospel, who died
at the early age of twenty-three. He was the son of James
Mitchell of Dykes, in the parish of Ardrossan, and was born
about the year 1621. During his studies at the University of

40 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
Glasgow, he acquired the affection and esteem of all who knew
him, and passed through his trials for license, with the highest
approbation of the professors and presbytery. He had preached
only a few times, when seized with a consumption, of which he
died. Of his Christian experience, and pious expressions towards
the close of life, we have the following detail.]
During his sickness, the Lord was pleased so to guard his heart
against the malice of Satan, that his confidence and peace were but
little disturbed. He possessed all manner of patience and submission,
and never was heard to murmur, but often thought his Masters time
well worth the waiting on, and was frequently much refreshed with
seeing and hearing good pious neighbours, who came to visit him.
Among other gracious =sayings, he declaimed much against imprudent
speaking, especially in students and young ministers ; as being but
the froth and vanity of a foolish mind. He lamented the pride of
many such in usurping a priority of place, which became them not ;
and exclaimed frequently against himself for his own practice, yet
faid, he was in the strength of God brought to mortify the same. He
frequently exhorted his parents to carry themselves to one another as
the word of God: required, and above all things to fear God, and de
light in his word : be often said, that he dearly loved the book cf
God, and sought them to be earnest in prayer, showing that it was
an unknown thing, and a thing of another world, and that the in
fluence of prayer behoved to come out of heaven ; that the Spirit of
supplication must be wrestled for, else all prayer would be but life
less and natural.
On one occasion, the laird of Cunningham coming to visit him, as
he did frequently; he enumerated all the remarkable passages of
God's goodness and providence towards him, especially since he con
tracted sipkness, as in showing infinite mercy to his soul, tender
compassion towards his body, patience and submission to his will
without grudging, calmness of spirit, without passion, solid and
constant peace within and without ! " This," said he, " is far beyond
the Lord's manner of dealing with many of his dear saints, and now,
Sir, think ye not that I stand greatly indebted to the goodness and
kindness of God, who deals thus graciously and warmly with me
every way ;" and then burst out in praise to God in a sweet and
lively manner.
At another time, the laird being present, May 26th, looking out of
his bed to the sun shining brightly on the opposite side of the house,
he said, " O what a splendour , and glory will all the elect and re
deemed saints have one day ; and O ! bow much more will the glory
of the Creator be, who shall communicate that glory to all his own,
but the shallow thoughts of men are not able to conceive the ex
cellency thereof!"
Again, Mr. Macqueen being present, his father inquired at him,
wherein our communion with God stood? He said, "in reconcili
ation and peace with him, which is the first effect of our justification :"
then, he observed, there was access and love to God, patience and
submission to his will, &c. ; then, the Lord manifested himself to

JAMES MITCHELL. 41
us, as Christ himself says, Ye shall know that I am in the Father,
and you in me, and I in you. And again, He that loveth me
shall be loved of my Fat/ier, and I will love him, and manifest
myself unto him.
One morning to Hugh Macgavin and his father, he said, " I am
not afraid of death, for I rest on infinite mercy, procured by the
blood of the Lamb." Then he spake as to himself, " Fear not,
little flock, it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the king
dom :" and then said, " What are these who are of this little flock ?
Even sinners. ' I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to re
pentance.' But what kind of sinners ? Only those who are sensible
of sin and wrath, and see themselves to be lost, therefore, says
Christ, ' I came to seek and to save them who are lost.' There are
two words here, seeking and saving ; and whom ? Even those who
are lost bankrupts, who have nothing to pay. Those are they whom
Christ seeks, and who are of his flock."
To John Kyle, another morning, he said twice over, " My soul
longeth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning."
At another time, perceiving his father weeping, he said, " I cannot
blame you to mourn, for I know you have thought that I might,
with God's blessing, have proved a comfortable child to you; but
comfort yourself in this, that ere it be long, I will be at a blessed
rest, and in a far better state than I can be in this life, free from sin and
every kind of misery, and within a short time ye will follow after me.
And in the meantime, encourage yourself in the Lord, and let not
your mourning be like those who have no hope. The Lord by de
grees will assuage your grief, for so he has appointed, else we would
be swallowed up, and come to nought, for I could never have been
removed out of this life in a more seasonable time than now, having
both the favour of God and man, being hopeful that my name shall
not be unsavoury when I am gone ; and none know what affronts,
grief, and calamities, I might have fallen into, had I lived much
longer. And for crosses and trouble, how might my life have been
made bitter to me ! for when I think what opposition I might have
ere I was an actual minister, by divisions of the people, the patron,
and the presbytery, it could not but overwhelm me ; and then being
entered, I know not what a fighting life, with a stubborn people,
might be my lot, and then what discontent I might have in a wife,
which is the lot of many an honest man, is uncertain ; then cares,
fears, straits of the world, reproaches of men, personal desires, and
tbe devil and an evil world to fight with, these and many more
cannot but keep a man in a struggling state in this life.* And now,
lest this should seem a mere speculation, I could instance these things
* This is at once a very correct, and very consolatory view of the many
and various evils from which it is not improbable Mr. Mitchell was exempted
by his premature death. And to have been able thus to contemplate them,
thus to bring them together before the eye of his mind, whilst it no doubt
reconciled him to relinquish the world and all its prospects, may also be
held as indicating a degree of intellectual sagacity and Christian experience,
in the highest degree creditable to this youthful saint.
E

42 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
in the persons of many worthy men ; I pass all these and only point
at one, whose gifts and graces are well known to you, viz. Mr.
David Dickson, who, I am sure God has made the instrument of the
conversion of many souls, and of much good in the country ; and
yet this gracious person has been tossed to and fro. And you know
tbat the Lord made him a gracious instrument in the late reformation,
«ind yet he has in a great measure been slighted by the state and the
Kirk also. What reason have I then to bless God, who, in mercy is
timously removing me from all trouble, and will make me as wel
come to heaven as if I had preached forty years, for he knows it was
my intention, by his grace, to have honoured him in my ministry ;
and seeing he has accepted the will for the deed, what reason have I
to complain ? for now I am willing and ready to be dissolved, and
to be with Christ, which is best of all ; wherefore, dear father, com
fort yourself with this."
One time, in conference concerning the sin in tbe godly, bis father
said to him, " I am sure you are not now troubled with corruption,
being so near death." He answered, " You are altogether deceived,
for as long as my foot remaineth on this earth, though the earth were
translated above the clouds, my mind would not be free of sinful
motions." Whereupon, he regretted that he could not get his mind
and his affections so lifted up, as he could have wished, to dwell or
meditate on God, his word, and the endless hfe ; that he could not
feel such spirituality as became him, by entertaining thoughts of
God's greatness and goodness, and was often much perplexed with
vain thoughts ; but still he was confident, that the Lord, in his rich
mercy, would pity and pass by this, his weakness and infirmity."
About ten or twelve days before his dissolution, he fell into a faint,
and waB speechless for nearly an hour, so that none present had any
hopes that he would again recover ; but in the meantime he was
wrapt in divine contemplation. At last he began to recover, and his
heart being enlarged, he opened his mouth with such lively exhorta
tions as affected all present ; and directing his speech to his father,
he said, " Be glad, Sir, to see your son, yea, I say, your second son,
made a crowned king." To his mother also he said, " Be of good
courage, and mourn not for want of me, for ye will find me in the
all-sufficiency of God :" and then exclaimed, " O death, I give thee
a defiance, through Jesus Christ ;" saying to the on-lookers, " Sirs,
this will be a blythe and joyful good night."
In the meantime, Mr. Bell came in, and to him he said, " Sir,
you are welcome as a witness to see me fight out my last fight."
After this, he fell quiet, and got some rest. Within two days, Mr.
Bell being come to visit him, he said, " O Sir, but I was glad the
last night when you were here, when I thought to be dissolved, that I
might have met with my Master, and have enjoyed his presence for
ever; but I was much grieved, when I perceived a little reviving;
and that I was likely to live longer."
To Mr. Gabriel Cunningham, when conferring about death and
the manner of dissolution, he said, " O 1 how sweet a thing it were,
for a man to sleep to death in the arms of Christ." He had many

GEORGE GILLESPIE. 43
other lively and comfortable speeches which were not remembered •
not a day passing during the time of his sickness, but the on-waiters
were refreshed by him.
The night before his departure, he was sensible of great pain.
Upon this he said, « I see it is true, that we must enter into heaven
through trouble, but the Lord will help us through it." Then he
said, « I have great pain, but mixed with great mercy, and strone
confidence. He called to mind the saying of John Knox, on his
deathbed, " I do not esteem that pain, which will be to me an end
of all trouble, and the beginning of eternal felicity."
His last words were these : « Lord, open the gates that I may
enter m;" and a little after, his father asked, What he was doing?
Whereupon he lifted up his hands, and caused all his fingers shiver
and twirl, and in presence of many honest neighbours, yielded up his
spirit, and went to his rest, a little after sunrisinj?, upon the 11th of
June, 1643.*

XIII. GEORGE GILLESPIE.
[Mr. Gillespie, was the son of Mr. John Gillespie, minister of
Kirkaldy. Being from principle a supporter of presbyterian
government he was for sometime licensed to preach, before he could
gain admission to a living. He was at length, however, ordained
minister of Wemyss, in 1638 ; being the first who was inducted dur
ing that period, without an acknowledgment of the bishops. Hence
forth, he became a most zealous defender of the presbyterian interest.
In 1641, he was translated to Edinburgh, and two years after
was sent as a commissioner for the church of Scotland, to the
Westminster assembly. On his return from this court, in which
he distinguished himself highly, he continued to take a prominent
lead in the public affairs of the church, and in 1648 was chosen
moderator of the general assembly. He was also appointed to
superintend the treaty for uniformity of religion with England,
but shortly after, being seized with his last sickness, he died
on the 17th oi December following. His last words, whilst they
record his sentiments with respect to religion in general, have
a special reference to the question which then agitated the public
mind, with regard to the duke of Hamilton's unlawful engage
ment in favour of the king. We insert them in the order in
which he delivered them, as imbodied in his latter will, his farewell
Letter to the general assembly, and his Testimony.]
1. His Latter Will.
" Being, through much weakness and sickness, in expectation of my
last change, I have thought good, by this my latter-will, under my
• Scots Worthies— Life of Mitchell.

U TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
hand, to declare first of all, that the expectation of death, which
appeareth not to be far off, doth not shake me from the faith and
truth of Christ, which I have professed and preached ; neither do I doubt,
but this so touch opposed covenant and reformation ofthe three king
doms, is of God, and will have a happy conclusion. It hath pleased
God, who chooseth the foolish things of this world, to confound the wise,
and the things that are not, to confound tbe things that are, to employ
me (the unfittest aud unworthiest among many thousands) in the
advancing and promoting of that glorious work ; and now I repent no
forwardness or zeal that ever I had therein, and dare promise, to as
many as will be faithful and zealous in the cause of God, it shall be no
grief of heart to them afterward, but matter of joy and peace, as
this day I find it, through God's mercy, passing by my many and
great infirmities, and approving my poor endeavours in his cause.
But if there be a falling back to the sin of compliance with malig
nant ungodly men, then I look for the breaking out of the wrath of
the Lord, till there be no .remedy. O that there were such a spirit
at least, in such of our nobility as stand for the truth, that they may
take more of God's counsel, and lean less to their own reason and
understanding. As for dangers on the other hand from sectaries, —
I have been, and am ,of the opinion, that they are to be prevented
and avoided by all lawful means ; but that the dangers from malig-
nants are nearest and greatest in this kingdom." * *
Sic Sub.— GEORGE GILLESPIE"
" Kirkaldy, Sept. 4th, 1648."
2. His Letter to the Commission of the General
Assembly.
" My very reverend and dear brethren, — Although the Lord's
hand detaineth me from attending your meetings, yet, as long as
I can write or speak, I dare not be silent, nor conceal my thoughts
of any sinful and dangerous course in the public proceedings.
Having therefore heard of some motions and beginnings of compliance*
with those who have been so deeply engaged in a war, destructive
to religion, and the liberties of the kingdoms, I cannot but discharge
* It would appear from this, that some members of assembly, imposed on by
tbeir high pretensions to zeal for religion and the covenant, had discovered a
tendency to favour the malignants. This, therefore, Mr. Gillespie inveighs
against as a tacit recognition of their unlawful engagement and as a dereliction
of the principles on which, in reference to that matter, the assembly had
hitherto acted. It was certainly from no want of loyalty, in the proper sense
of the word, that the covenanters were opposed to the lately adopted measures
in behalf of the king. They were on the contrary his best and steadiest
friends. Tbey were bis friends from principle, and not merely, from a
vapourish and enthusiastic feeling of loyUty which would flatter him to bis
own and his country's ruin. They, therefore, wished to favour him, in a
way that was consistent with their solemn obligations. And above all, they
desired to free him from the counsels, and check the influence, of a set of men,
who, with the most ample professions of religion, as well as of patriotism, had
it secretly as their object to lay at the feet of the monarch, both the Teligious
and political privileges of their fellow subjects.

GEORGE GILLESPIE. 45
my conscience, in giving a testimony against all such compliance.
I know, and am persuaded, that all the faithful witnesses that gave
testimony to the thesis, that the late engagement was contrary and
destructive to the covenant, will also give testimony to the appendix,
that compliance with any who have been active in that engagement,
is most sinful and unlawful. I am not able to express all the evils
of that compliance, they are so many ; sure I am, it were a harden
ing of the malignant party, a wounding of the hearts of the godly,
an infinite wronging of those, who, from their affection to the
covenant and cause of God, have taken their life in their hand ; a
great scandal to our brethren of England, who as they have been
strengthened and encouraged by the hearing of the zeal and
integrity of the well affected in this kingdom, and how they opposed
the late engagement, so they would be as much scandalized to hear
of a compliance with malignants now. Yea, all that hear of it
might justly stand amazed at us, and look on us as a people
infatuated, that can take into our bosom the fiery serpents that have
stung us so sore.
" But above all, that which would heighten this sin even to the
heavens, is this, that it were not only a horrible backsliding, but a
backsliding into that very sin which was specially pointed at, and
punished by the prevalency of the malignant party; God justly
making them thorns and scourges, who were taken in as friends,
without any real evidence, or fruits of repentance. Alas ! shall we
split twice upon the same rock : yea, run upon it, when God hath
set a beacon on it ; shall we be so demented as to fall back into
the same sin, which was engraven with great letters in our late
judgment ; yea, I may say, shall we thus outface and outdare the
Almighty, by protecting his and our enemies, when he is persecuting
them ; by making peace and friendship with them, when the anger
of the Lord is burning against them ; by setting tbem on their feet,
when God hath cast them down. Oh ! shall neither judgments nor
deliverances make us wise. I must here apply to our present con
dition, the words of Ezra : « And after all this is come upon us, for
our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou, our God,
hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hath given us
such dehverance as this : Should we again break thy commandments,
and join in affinity with the people of these abominations ? Wouldest
thou not be angry with us, till thou hast consumed us, so that there
should be no remnant, nor escaping ?' O happy Scotland, if thou
canst now improve aright, and not abuse this golden opportunity;
but if thou wilt help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord,
wrath upon wrath, and wo upon wo shall be upon thee from the
Lord. " This testimony of a dying man, (who expects to stand shortly
before the tribunal of Christ) I leave with you, my reverend
brethren, being confident of you, through the Lord, that ye will be
no otherwise minded ; but that, as men of God, moved with the
zeal of God, you will freely discharge your consciences, against
every thing which you see lifting up itself against the kingdom of

46 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
the Lord Jesus: this shall be yow peace and comfort in your latter
end. Now the God of all grace establish you, and direct you, and
preserve you all blameless to tbe end, and bring others out ot the
snare, that hanker after that compliance. So prayeth, your most
afii ctionate brother, to serve you in what I can to my last :
GEORGE GILLESPIE."
"Kirkaldy, Sept. 8th, 1648."
3. His Testimony.
" Seeing now, in all appearance, the time of my dissolution is very
near, although I have in my latter will declared my mind of public
affairs, yet I have thought good to add this further testimony, that
I esteem the malignant party in these kingdoms, the seed of the
serpent, enemies to piety, and presbyterian government, (pretend what
they will to the contrary) a generation that have not set God before
them. With the malignants are to be joined the profane and scan
dalous, from all which, as also from heresies and errors, the Lord I
trust is about to purge his churches. I have often comforted myself
(and still do) with the hopes of the Lord's purging this polluted
land ; surely the Lord hath begun and will carry on that great work
of mercy, and will purge out the rebels. I know there will be
always a mixture of hypocrites, but that cannot excuse the con
niving at gross and scandalous sinners. This purging work which
the Lord is about, very many have directly opposed and said by
their deeds, ' we will not be purged nor refined, but we will be joining
and mixing ourselves with these whofal the ministers preach against
as malignant enemies to God and his cause.' But let him that is
filthy be filthy still, and let wisdom be justified of her children. I
recommend to them that fear God, sadly and seriously to consider
that the holy scripture doth plainly hold forth, 1st. Tbat the helping
of the enemies of God, or joining and mingling with wicked men,
is a sin highly displeasing. 2d. That this sin hath ordinarily ensnared
God's people into divers other sins. 3d. That it hath been punished
of God with grievous judgments. 4th. That utter destruction is
to be feared, when a people, after great mercies and judgments,
relapse into this sin, Ezra ix. 13, 14.
" Upon these and the like grounds, for my own exoneration, that
so necessary a truth want not the testimony of a dying witness of
Christ, also the unworthiest among many thousands ; and that light
may be held forth, and warning given, I cannot be silent, at this
time, but speak by my pen, when I cannot by my tongue ; yea,
now, also by the pen of another, when I cannot by my own,
seriously, in the name of Jesus Christ, exhorting, and obtesting all
that fear God and make conscience of their ways, to be very tender
and circumspect, to watch and pray that they be not ensnared in
that great dangerous sin of conjunction, or compliance with malig
nant, or profane enemies of the truth, under whatsoever prudential
considerations it may be varnished over, whicb, if men will do, and
trust God in his own way, they shall not only repent it, but to the

ANDREW GRAY. 47
greater joy and peace of God's people, they shall see his work go on
and prosper gloriously. In witness of the premises, I have subscribed
tbe same with my hand at Kirkaldy, Dec. 15, 1648, before these wit
nesses, Mr. F. Carmichael, minister at Markinch, and Mr Alex. Mon-
crief, minister at Sconie. Sic Sub.— GEORGE GILLESPIE."*
F. Carmichael, 1 ,ir.
A. MoncrIEf, | Witnesses.

XIV. ANDREW GRAY.
[It appears that Mr. Gray was born about the year 1634, and being
very early sent to college, was prepared for license by his twentieth
year. He, shortly after, was called to be minister of the Outer
High Church of Glasgow, where his notable gifts as a preacher
soon procured for him an extensive reputation and a numerous
auditory. People from all quarters flocked to hear him, it being
their constant emulation who should be most under the refreshing
drops of his ministry. He was allowed to continue in his blessed
work only for about two years and a half, when it pleased his
divine Master to call him home. It is to be regretted that his last
words were not recorded. We may learn, however, what were his
spiritual exercises, and what his concern for the church's prosperity,
and what his desire to save souls, from the following letter, addressed
by him to lord Warriston, a little before death, and bearing date
February 7th, 1656.]
" My Lord, — It may seem strange, that after so long interruption of
intercourse with your lordship by letters, I should at this juncture of
time write to you, wherein there seems to be a toleration of tongues,
and lusts, and religion, wherein many by their practice Bay, ' our
tongues are our own.' I am afraid, that sad word shall be spoken to
Scotland yet seven times more, ' That whereas he hath chastised with
whips, he will do it by scorpions, and his little finger shall be heavier
than his loins in former times.' If our judgments that seem to
approach, were known, and these terrible things in righteousness, by
which he, whose furnace is in Jerusalem, is like to speak to us, were
eeen and printed on a board, it might make us cry out, ' Who shall
live when God doth these things, and who can dwell witb everlasting
burnings ?'
" He hath broken his staff of bands, and is threatening to break his
staff of beauty, that his covenant which he hath made with all the
people, might not be broken. Is it not to be feared, ' That the sword
of the justice of God is bathed in heaven, and will come down to
make a sacrifice, not in the land of Idumea, or Bozrah, but on these
tbat were once his people, who hath broken his everlasting covenant,
• Testimony-bearing Exemplified, pp. 39 — 44.

48 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
and changed his ordinances ?' What shall Scotland be called ? Loru-
namah and Lo-ammi, who was termed Beulah and Hephzibah, ' A Pe«-
ple delighted in, and married to the Lord.' I think that curse in Zeph.
i. 17. is much accomplished in our days, ' They shall walk like blind
men, because they have sinned against the Lord.' Does not our car
riage under all these speaking and afflicting dispensations, fighting
against God in the furnace, and our dross not departing from us,
speak this with our hearts, < That for three transgressions, and for
four, he will not turn away the punishment of these covenanted lands ?'
And this shall be our blot in all generations — ' this is that Scotland
that in its afflictions, sins more and more.' It is no wonder then, that
we be put to our, ' How long, how long wilt thou hide thy face ?
How long wilt thou forget, O Lord ? O Lord, how shall thy jealousy
burn like a fire, and we hear the confused noise of war, and of
rumours of war ?'
" Since God has put it, ' How long wilt thou go about, O thou back
sliding daughter?' Jer. xxxi. 22. Are ye not gadding about to
change, turning his glory into shame, and loving lying vanities ? And
there are four How longs that God is put to lament over Scotland,
and which are most in Luke ix. 41. ' How long shall I be with you,
and suffer you ?' Is not Christ necessitate to depart, and to make us
a land sown with salt and grass in our most frequented congregations?
Ay, believe it, ere it be long, these two words shall be our lot, there
is that in Jer. ii. 31. ' O generation, see the word of the Lord;'
when these that would not hear him in his word, shall see him in his
dispensations; when all our threatenings shall be preached to oar
ears ; and that word in Hosea vii. 12. 'I will chastise them as their
congregation hath heard.' O shall poor Scotland serve themselves
heirs to the sins of the Gadarenes, to desire Christ to flit out of then-
coasts, and to subscribe the bill of divorce (in a manner) before Christ
subscribe it ? It is like, these three sad evidences of affliction that are
in Iaaiah xlvii. 11. ' shall come upon us in their perfection.' I shall
add no more on a sad Bubject.*
" My lord, not being able to write to you with my own hand, I have
thought fit to present these few thoughtB unto you by the hand of a
friend. " I know not, (I will not limit bim) but I may stand within that
judgment-hall, where that glorious and spotless high priest doth sit,
• It must be evident to every one at all acquainted with the history ofthe times,
that in the foregoing reflections Mr. Gray alludes to the state of matters in
Scotland, produced by the repeal of the act of classes, and more lately, by the
toleration of all sects under Cromwell's usurpation. We pretend not to say
How tar his views on these matters were correct, but only to explain the allu
sions which he makes to the religious aspect of Scotland at the period in ques-
t.on. And undoubtedly, to one who regarded presbytery as the most perfect,
and indeed, the divinely authorized form of church government, the diversitv of
principle, and consequently of profession, which then prevailed, even amongst
the lehg.ous; and the laxity of feeling and conduct amongst the careless and the
profane, naturally resulting from such a confusion in the public mind, might
well appear to be the token and the precursor of still farther chastisements from

ANDREW GRAY. 49
with that train that does fill the temple : and, O to be among the last
of these that are bidden come in, and partake of that everlasting
peace ! O what a poor report will the messengers of the covenant and
gospel make, whose image they crucify in their hearts, to whom I may
apply these words by allusion, ' The morning of conversion is to them
as the terrors of death, and as the terrors of the breaking in of the day
to the destroying of them ?' What a poor account will some of us
make, both as to the answer of our conscience, and as to the answer of
his pains taken upon us, and as to the answer of his promises, and as to
the answer of his threatenings, and as to the answer of his commands-
and as to the answer of our light? Now, not to trouble your lord
ship, whom I also highly reverence, and my soul was knit unto in
the Lord, but that you would bespeak my case to the great Master
of requests, and my broken case before him, who has pleaded the
desperate case of many, according to tbe sweet word in Lamentations
iii. 56. — this is all at this time from one in a very weak condition,
in a great fever, who for much of seven nights has but slept little at
all, but has been kept in a right sad and grievous torment from his
hand, with many other sad particulars and circumstances.
" I shall say now no more, but I am yours in some single respects,
I hope, I may say, dying in Christ,
ANDREW GRAY."*
• Gray's Works, pp. 513 — 514.

LAST WORDS
AND
DYING TESTIMONIES
OF THE
SCOTS WORTHIES.

PART SECOND:
comprehending testimonies that were emitted, between
the years 1660 and 1680.

I. SAMUEL RUTHERFORD.
QThis eminent Christian and divine, so well known to the religious
world by his " Letters," was educated at Edinburgh, and very early
was elected professor of philosophy in that university. He was
afterwards called to be minister of Anwoth in Galloway, and be
came no less distinguished by the conscientious performance of his
private duties, than by the troubles he experienced on account of
his nonconformity. These he detailed to the memorable assembly
of 1638, and in consideration of his high merits, was forthwith ap
pointed to the divinity chair in the new college of St. Andrews. He
was also selected in 1643, as one of tbe commissioners to the assem
bly at Westminster. It was about this period he published the
famous treatise, entitled Lex Rex, for which, in the year 1661, it
was proposed to indict him, when he was happily removed from the
threatened evils into a better world. Together with his last
words, we subjoin his testimony to the work of reformation, since
1638, which was signed by him only twelve days before his
death.]
1. His Last Words.
During the time of his last sickness, he uttered many savoury
speeches, and often broke out in a kind of sacred rapture, exalting
and commending the Lord Jesus. Especially when his end drew near,
he often called bim his " blessed Master," his " kingly King." Some
days before his death, he said, " I shall shine ; I shall see him as he

SAMUEL RUTHERFORD. 51
is ; I shall see him reign, and all his fair company with him, and I
shall have my large share. Mine eyes shall see my Redeemer ;
these very eyes of mine, and none other for me. This may seem a
wide word : but it is no fancy or delusion : it i9 true. Let my
Lord's name be exalted, and, if he will, let my name be grinded to
pieces, that he may be all in all. If he should slay me ten thousand
times, I will trust in him. He often repeated Jer. xv. 16. " Thy
words were found of nie, and I did eat them."
When exhorting one to diligence, he said, " It is no easy thing to
be a Christian. For me, I have got the victory, and Christ is hold
ing out both his arms to embrace me." At another time, to some
friends present, he said, " At the beginning of my sufferings, I had
mine own fears, like other sinful men, lest I should faint, and not be
carried creditably through, and I laid this before the Lord, and as
sure as ever he spoke to me in his word, as sure as his Spirit
witnesseth to my heart, he hath accepted my sufferings. He said to
me, Fear not, the outgate shall not be simply matter of prayer, but
matter of praise. I said to the Lord, If he should slay me five
thousand times five thousand, I would trust in him : and I speak
with much trembling, fearing 1 should not make my part good ; but
as really as ever he spake to me by his Spirit, he witnessed to my
heart, that his grace should be sufficient." The Thursday night
before his death, being much grieved with the state of the public, he
had this expression, " Horror hath taken hold on me." And after
wards, falling on his own condition, he said, " I renounce all that
ever he made me will and do, as defiled and imperfect, as coming
from me ; I betake myself to Christ for sanctification as well as
justification: — Repe-ating these words, "He is made of God to me
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption :" — adding, I
close with it, let him be so, he is my all in all.
March 17th, three gentlewomen came to see him, and after ex
horting them to read the word, to be much in prayer, and much in
communion with God, he said, " My honourable Master and lovely
Lord, my great Royal King, hath not a match in heaven nor in earth.
I have my own guilt, like other sinful men ; but he hath pardoned,
loved, washed, and given me joy unspeakable and full of glory. I
repent not that ever I owned his cause. These, whom ye call pro
testers, are the witnesses of Jesus Christ. I hope never to depart
from that cause, nor side with those that have burnt the ' Causes of
God's Wrath.' They have broken their covenant oftener than once
or twice ; but I believe the Lord will build Zion, and repair the
waste places of Jacob. Ob ! to obtain mercy to wrestle with God
for their eternal salvation. As for this presbytery, it hath stood in
opposition to me these years past. I have my record in heaven, I
had no particular end in view, but was seeking the honour of God,
the thriving of the gOBpel in this place, and the good of the new
college, that society which I have left upon the Lord. What
personal wrongs they have done me, and what grief they have oc
casioned to me, I heartily forgive them, and desire mercy to wrestle
with God for mercy to them, and for the salvation of them all."

52 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
The same day, Messt*. James M'Gill, John Wardlaw, William
Vilant, and Alexander Wedderburn, all members of the same pres
bytery coming to visit him, he made them welcome, and said,
"My Lord and Master is the chief of ten thousand; none is
comparable to him in heaven or earth. Dear brethren, do all for
him ; preach for Christ, pray for Christ, feed the flock committed to
your charge for Christ: do all for Christ: beware of men pleasing,
there is too much of it amongst us. The new college hath broke my
heart, I can say nothing of it ; I have left it upon the Lord of the
house, and it hath been, and still is my desire, that he may dwell in
this society, aiid that the youth may be fed with sound knowledge.
After this, he said, " Dear brethren, it may seem presumptuous m me,
a particular man, to send a commission to a presbytery ;" and Mr.
M'Gill replying, it was no presumption, he continued, " Dear
brethren, take a commission from me, a dying man, to them to
appear for God and his cause, and adhere to the doctrine of the
covenant, and have a care of the flock committed to their charge ; let
them feed the flock out of love, preach for God, visit and catechise
fer God, and do all for God: beware of men pleasing, the chief
Shepherd will appear shortly. I have been a sinful man, and
have had mine own failings ; but my Lord hath pardoned and ac
cepted my labours. I adhere to the cause and covenant; and
resolve never to depart from the protestations* against the con
troverted assemblies. I am the man I waB. I am still for keeping
the government of the kirk of Scotland entire, and would not, for a
thousand worlds, have had the least hand in the burning of the
' Causes of God's Wrath.' Oh ! for grace to wrestle wilh God for
their salvation."
Mr. Vilant having prayed at his desire, as they took their leave,
he renewed his charge to them, to feed the flock out of love. The
next morning, as he recovered out of a fainting, in which they who
looked on, expected his dissolution, he saW, " I feel, I feel, I believe,
I joy and rejoice, I feed on manna." Mr. Blair (whose praise is in
the churches) being present, when he took a little wine in a spoon to re
fresh bifiiself. being then very weak, said to him, " Ye feed on dainties
in heaven, and think nothing of our cordials on earth." He answered,
" They are all but dung; but they are Christ's creatures, and, out of
obedience to his command, I take them. Mine eyes shall see my
Redeemer, I know he shall stand at the last day upon the earth, and 1
shall be caught up in the clouds to meet him in the air, and I shall be
ever with him ; and what Would you have more ? there is an end."
And stretching out his hands, he said again, " There is an end."
And a little after, he said, " I have been a sinful man, but I stand at
the best pass that ever a man did : Christ is mine, and I am his." —
And spoke much of the white stone and new name. Mr. Blair (who
loved with all his heart to hear Christ commended) said to him again,
* This appears to be these papers bearing the name of representations
propositions, protcsti.-tions, &c. given in by hlui, and Messrs. Cant and Living-
•ton, to the ministers and elders met at Edinburgh, July 24th, 16-SL

SAMUEL RUTHERFORD. 53
_ What think ye now of Christ?" To which he answered, " 1 Bhall
live and adore him. Glory, glory to my Creator and my Redeemer
for ever ! Glory shines in Emmanuel's land." In the afternoon of
that day he said, " Oh ! that all my brethren in the public may know
what a Master I have served, and what peace I have this day. I
shall sleep in Christ, and when I awake, I shall be satisfied with his
likeness. This night shall close the door, and put my anchor within
the vail, and I shall go away in a sleep by five of the clock in tbe
morning ;" which exactly fell out. Though he was very weak, he
had often this expression, " Oh ! for arms to embrace him I Oh !
for a well tuned harp !" He exhorted Dr. Colvil (a man who com
plied with prelacy afterward) to adhere to the government of th-s
church of Scotland, and to the doctrine of the covenant, and to have
a care to feed the youth with sound knowledge. And the doctor be
ing a professor of the new college, he told him, that he heartily
forgave him all the wrongs he had done him. He spoke likewise to
Mr. Honeyman (afterwards bishop Honeyman), who came to see him,
saying, " Tell the presbytery to answer for God, and his cause and
covenant," saying, " The case is desperate, let them be in their duty."
Then directing his speech to Mr. Colvil and Mr. Honeyman, he said,
" Stick to it. You may think it an easy thing in me, a dying man,
that I am now going out of the reach of all that men can do ; but he,
before whom I stand, knows, that I dare advise no colleague or brother
to do what I would not cordially do myself, upon all hazard ; and as
for the ' Causes of God's Wrath,' that men have now condemned, tell
Mr. James Wood from me, that I had rather lay down my head on a
scaffold, and have it chopped off many times (were it possible), before
I had passed from them." And then to Mr. Honeyman he said,
" Tell Mr. Wood, I heartily forgive him all the wrongs he has done
me, and desire him from me, to declare himself the man that he is
still, for the government of the church of Scotland."
Afterwards, when some spake to him of his former painfulness and
faithfulness in the ministry, he said, " I disclaim all that : the port that I
would be at, is redemption and forgiveness through his blood, ' Thou
shalt shew me the path of life, in thy sight is fulness of joy :' there is
nothing now betwixt me and the resurrection, but ' To-day thou shalt
be with me in paradise.' " Mr. Blair saying, " Shall I praise the Lord
for all tbe mercies he bas done and is to do for you ?" He answered,
« Oh ! for a well-tuned harp." To his child, he said, " I have again
left you upon tbe Lord : it may be, you will tell this to others, that
' the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places, I have got a goodly
heritage,' I bless the Lord that he gave me counsel."
Thus, by five o'clock in the morning (as he himself foretold), it
was said unto him, ' Come up hither,' and he gave up the ghost, — the
renowned eagle took its flight unto the mountain of spices !
2. His Testimony.
" Though the Lord needeth not a testimony from such a wretched
man as I, and if all the world should be silent, the very stones would
cry, it is more than debt, that I should confess Christ before men and

54 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
angels. It would satisfy me not a little, that the throne of the Lord
Jesus were exalted above the clouds, the heaven of heavens, and on
both sides of the sun; and that all possible praise and glory were
ascribed to him : that, by his grace, I might put my seal, such as it
is, unto that song, even the new song of these, who with a loud voice
sing, Rev. v. 9. ' Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open i the
seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by
thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,
and hast made us unto our God kings and priests : and we shall reign
upon the earth.' And blessed were I, could I lay to, my ear of faith,
and say, Amen, to the Psalm ' of the many angels round about the
throne, and the beasts and eiders, whose number is ten thousand
times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying, with a loud
voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and
riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and bless
ing ;' and if I heard ' every creature, which is in heaven, and on
the earth, and under the earth ; and such as are in the sea ; and all
that are in them (as John heard them), saying, Blessing, and honour,
and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and
unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.' I mean not any such visible reign as
the Millenarians fancy. I believe (Lord help my unbelief) the doc
trine of the holy prophets and the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
contained in the books of the Old and New Testament, to be the un
doubted truth of God, and a perfect rule of faith, and the only way
of salvation. And I do acknowledge the sum of the Christian re
ligion, exhibited in the confessions and catechisms of the reformed
protestant churches ; and in the national covenant, divers times
sworn by the king's majesty, the state and church of Scotland, and
sealed by the testimony and subscriptions of the nobles, barons, gentle
men, citizens, ministers, and professors of all ranks : as also in the
solemn league and covenant, in the three kingdoms of Scotland, Eng
land, and Ireland. And I do judge, and in conscience beheve, that
no power on earth can absolve and liberate the people of God from
the bonds and sacred ties of the oath of God. I am persuaded, that
Asa acted warrantably, in making a law, that the people should stand
to the covenant, and in receiving into the covenant such as were not
of his kingdom, 2 Chron. xv. 6, 10. And so did also Hezekiah, in
sending a proclamation through all the tribes, from Dan to Beersheba,
tbat they should come and keep the passover unto the Lord at Jeru
salem, 2 Chron. xxx. 6, 7, though their own princes did not come
along with them : yea, and it is nature's law, warranted by the word,
that nations should encourage, and stir up one another, to seek the true
God. It is also prophesied, that divers nations should excite one
another this way, Isa. iii. 8. ' Many people shall go, and say, Come ye,
and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the
God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways.' Zech. viii. 2. ' And
the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go
speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts : I
will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to
seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem ; and to pray before the Lord.'

SAMUEL RUTHERFORD. 55
There is also a clear prophecy to be accomplished under the New Tes
tament, ' That Israel and Judah shall go together and seek the Lord :
they shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying,
Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant,
that shall not be forgotten,' Jer. 1. 4, 5. It is also foretold, that dif
ferent nations shall confederate with the Lord, and with one another,
Isa. xix. 23, 24, 25. 'In that day there shall be an highway out of
Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come to Egypt, and the
Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assy
rians. In that day, shall Israel be the third with Egypt, and with As
syria, even a blessing in the midst of the land : whom the Lord of
hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt, my people, and Assyria,
the work of my hands, and Israel, mine inheritance.'
" The church of Scotland had once as much ofthe presence of Christ,
as to the power and purity of doctrine, worship, discipline, and govern
ment, as many we read of, since the Lord took his ancient people to
be his covenanted church. The Lord stirred up our nobles to attempt
a reformation in the last age, through many difficulties, and against
much opposition, from those in supreme authority : he made bare
his holy arm ; and carried on the work gloriously, like himself ; his
right hand getting him the victory, until the idolatry of Rome, and her
cursed mass were dashed. A hopeful reformation was in some mea
sure settled, and a sound confession of faith was agreed upon by the
lords of the congregation. The people of God, according to the
laudable custom of other ancient churches, the protestants in France
and Holland, and the renowned princes of Germany, did carry on the
work, in an innocent self-defensive war, which the Lord did abundantly
bless. When our land and church were thus contending for that begun
reformation, these in authority did still oppose the work. And there
were not wanting men from among ourselves, men of prelatical spirits,
who, with some other timeserving courtiers, did not a little under
mine the building. And we doating too much upon sound parlia
ments, and lawfully constitute general assemblies, fell from our first
love, to self-seeking, secret banding, and little fearing the oath of
God. " Afterwards, our work in public was too much in sequestration of
estates, fining aud imprisoning, more than in a compassionate mourn-
fulness of spirit toward those whom we saw to oppose the work. In
our assemblies, we were more bent to set up a state opposite to a
state ; more upon forms, citations, leading of witnesses, suspensions
from benefices, than spiritually to persuade, and work upon the con
science, with the meekness and gentleness of Christ.* The glory and
» We think there can be only one opinion as to the truth of this observation.
With all our admiration of the Worthies who succeeded the reformation from
popery, we cannot but observe that there was frequently displayed by them
more zeal for the forms than the essence of religion, and more perhaps of a bold,
undaunted, and fiery spirit of opposition to the aggressing power, than the cir
cumstances of the case called for, or was consistent with their own characters as
subjects of a kingdom, not of this world, and disciples of the lowly Jesus. At
the same time, we are not ignorant of the value and importance of the forms for

56 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
royalty of our princely Redeemer and king was trampled on, as any
might have seen in our assemblies. What way the army, and
the sword, and the countenance of nobles and officers seemed to sway,
tbat way were tbe censures carried. It had been better, had there
been more days of humiliation in assemblies, synods, presbyteries, con
gregations, families, and far less adjourned commissions, new per
emptory summonses, and new drawn up processes. And if the meek
ness and gentleness of our Master had got so much place in our hearts,
that we might have waited on gainsayers and parties contrary minded ;
we might have driven gently, as our Master Christ, who loves not
to overdrive, but carries the lambs in his bosom.
" If the word of truth in the Old and New Testament be a sufficient
rule, holding forth what is a Christian army, whether offensive or
defensive ; whether clean, or sinfully mixed, — then must we leave the
question betwixt our public brethren* and us to be determined by that
rule: but if there be no such rule in the word, then the confederacies
and associations of the people of God with the idolatrous, apostate
Israelites, with the Egyptians and Assyrians, as that of Jehoshaphat
with Ahab, and these of Israel and Judah with Egypt and Assyria,
should not be condemned ; but they are often reproved and condemned
in scripture. To deny the scripture to be a sufficient rule in this
case, were to accuse it of being imperfect and defective ; — a high and
unjust reflection on the holy word of God ! Beyond all question, the
written word doth teach, what is a right constituted court, and what
not, Psal. x. ; what is a right constituted house, and what not, Josh.
xxiv. 15. ; what is a true church, and what is a synagogue of Satan,
Rev. ii. ; what is a clean camp, and what is unclean. We are not
for an army of saints, and free of all mixture of ill affected men : but
it seems an high prevarication for churchmen to counsel and teach,
which they contended, to the very existence, and cei-tainly to the preservation
and the spread of true godliness ; nor must we fail to observe, that the cir
cumstances in which they were placed, and the encroachments with which tbey
were still farther threatened, might have excited their vigilance, as to minor
points, to a higher pitch than their individual importance might seem to war
rant. * Tbat is to say, tbe public reaolutioners.— those who were favourable to the
repeal of the act of classes, and the admission of all men, of whatever religious
denomination, to serve in the army and otherwise. The Scottish parliament
had passed some acts, particularly tbe act of classes, for excluding from places
of trust, civil and military, persons who had manifested a malignant opposition
to the religion and liberties of the nation, as then established. After the defeat of
the Scottish army at Dunbar and Hamilton, by Cromwell, the court, in the end
of 1650 and beginning of 1651, put two queries to the commission of the General
Assembly, with reference to the admission of malignants to places of trust. The
commission's answers, otherwise called the public resolutions, were favourable to
the views of the court, and the act of classes was repealed. The n solutions
and subsequent procedure of the commission and General Assembly, were pro
tested against by a considerable number of ministers aud elders. This gave rise
to a division between the resolul loners and protesters (as tbey were called),
which, though accommodated, was not completely healed, when the restoration
took place. Tbe protesters (of whom Rutherford was one), being the stricter
presbyterians, "vers most obnoxious to the restored government.

SAMUEL RUTHERFORD. 57
that the weight and trust of the affairs of Christ, and his kingdom,
should be laid upon the whole party of such as have been enemies to
<~ur cause ; contrary to the word of God, and the declarations, remon
strances, solemn warnings, and serious exhortations of his church,
whose public protestations the Lord did admirably bless, to the encour
agement of the godly, and the terror of all the opposers of the work
" Since we are very shortly to appear before our dreadful. Master and
Sovereign, we cannot pass from our protestation, trusting we are
therein accepted of him ; — though we should lie under the imputation
of dividing spirits, and unpeaceable men. We acknowledge all due
obedience, in the Lord, to the king's majesty ; but we disown that
ecclesiastic supremacy, in and over the church, which some ascribe to
him ; that power of commanding external worship not appointed in
the word ; and laying bonds upon the consciences of men, where
Christ has made them free. We disown antichristian prelacy, bowing
at the name of Jesus, saints' days, canonizing of the dead, and other
such corrupt inventions of men, and look on them as the highway to
popery. Alas I now there is no need of a spirit of prophecy to
declare what shall be the woful condition of a land that hath broken
covenant, first practically, and then legally, with the Lord our God :
and what shall be the day of the silent and dumb watchmen of Scot
land ? Where will we leave our glory ? and what if Christ depart
out of our land ? We verily judge, they are most loyal to the king s
majesty, who desire the dross may be separated from the silver, and
the throne established in righteousness and judgment. We are not
(our witness is in heaven) against his majesty's title by birth to the
kingdom, and the right of the royal family : but that the controversy
of wrath against the royal family may be removed ; that the huge
guilt of the throne may be mourned for before the Lord ; and that
his majesty may stand constantly, all the days of his life, to the cove
nant of God, by oath, seal, and subscription, known to the world ;
tbat so peace and the blessings of heaven may follow his government ;
that the Lord may be his rock and shield ; that the just may flourish
in his time ; that men fearing God, hating covetousness, and of known
integrity and godliness, may be judges and rulers under his majesty —
and they are not really loyal and faithful to the supreme magistrate,
who wish not such qualifications in him. We are not!; in this parti
cular, contending that a prince, who is not a convert or a sound be
liever, falls from his royal dominion ; the scriptures of God warrant
us to pray for and obey, in the Lord, princes and supreme magistrates,
that are otherwise wicked ; and to render all due obedience to them,
Rom. xiii. 2, 5. 2 Tim. ii. 12. 1 Pet. ii. 18. Our souls should be
afflicted before the Lord, for the burning of the ' Causes of God 8
Wrath.' A sad practice, too like the burning of the roll by Jehudi,
Jer. xxxvi. 22. In these controversies; we should take special heed
to this, that Christ is a free, independent Sovereign, King, and Law
giver. The Father hath appointed him his own King in mount Zion ;
and he cannot endure, that the powers of the world should encroach
upon his royal prerogatives, and prescribe laws to him : this presump
tion is not far from that °f citizens that hated him, Luke xix. 14.

58 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
« He shall not rule over us;' and from the intolerable pride of those
who are for breaking asunder the bands of the Lord, and his anointed,
and for casting away their cords from them, Psal. u. 3. especially
seeing the man Christ would not take the office of a judge upon bun,
Luke xii. 14. and discharged his disciples, to exercise a civil lordship
over their brethren. True it is, the godly magistrate may command
the ministers of the gospel to do tbeir duty, but not under the pain of
ecclesiastic censure, as if it were proper for him to call and uncall,
depose and suspend from the holy ministry. The lordly spiritual
government in and over tbe church, is given unto Christ, and none
else : he is the sole ecclesiastic lawgiver. It is proper to him to smite
with the rod of his mouth ; nor is there any other shoulder, in heaven
or on earth, that is able to bear the government. As this hath been
the great controversy betwixt our Lord Jesus and the powers of the
world from the beginning, so it has ruined all that coped with him.
Christ has proved a rock of offence to them ; they have been dashed
to pieces by the stone that was cut out of the mountain without
hands, Dan. ii. 34, 45. And the other powers tbat enter the lists
with him shall have the same dismal exit. Whosoever shall fall on
this stone shall be broken ; and on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall
grind them to powder, Matth. xxi. 44. As the blessed prophets and
apostles of our Lord contended not a Uttle with the rulers of the earth,
that Christ should be head corner stone : that Christ is the only head
of the church, is as sure, as that he died, was buried, and rose again.
It is a most victorious and prevailing truth, not only preached and
attested by the ambassadors of the Lord of hosts, but confirmed by
blood, martyrdom, and suffering. Many precious saints have thought
it their honour and dignity, to suffer shame and reproach for the name
of Jesus ; and it is beyond doubt, that passive suffering for the preci
ous name of Christ comes nearest to that noble sampler, wherein
Christ, though a Son, learned obedience by the things which he
suffered, Heb. v. 8. Now blessed is the soul, who loves not his life
to death, Rev. xii. 11., For on such rests the Spirit of glory and of
God, 1 Pet. iv. 14. We cannot but say, it is a sad time to our land
at present, it is a day of darkness, and rebuke, and blasphemy. The
Lord hath covered himself with a cloud in his anger, we looked for
peace, but behold evil : our souls rejoiced, when his majesty did swear
the covenant of God, and put thereto bis seal and subscription ; and .
therefore confirmed it by his royal promise. So that the subjects'
hearts blessed the Lord, and rested upon the healing word of a prince.
But now, alas! the contrary' is enacted by law, the carved work is
broken down, ordinances are defaced, and we are brought into the
former bondage and chaos of prelatical confusions. The royal prero
gative of Christ is pulled from his head, and, after all the days of sor
row we have seen, we have just cause to fear we shall be made- to
read and eat that book, wherein is written mourning, and lamentation,
and wo. Yet we are to believe Christ will not so depart from the
land, but a remnant shall be saved ; and he shall reign a victorious
conquering king to the ends of the earth. O that there were nations,
kindreds, tongues, and all the people of Christ's habitable world, en-

MARQUIS OF ARGYLE. M>
compassing his throne with cries and tears for the spirit of supplica
tion, to be poured down upon the inhabitants of Judah for that
effect."*
Sic. Sub.— SAMUEL RUTHERFORD.
February 28th, 1661.

II. ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, MARQUIS OF ARGYLE.
[This illustrious nobleman, having received a religious education,
began very early to discover his zeal for the interests of the pres
byterian church. In 1638 he attended the General Assembly which
met at Glasgow, and contributed much by his presence and advice
to give dignity and effect to its deliberations. Next year, and in
deed for five years after, he was active in defending the same cause
by his sword, which hitherto he had promoted by his talents and in
fluence ; and till the year 1648, might be regarded as the principal
supporter of the covenated reformation in Scotland. In 1649, he
assisted in reinstating Charles II. on bis father's throne, and received
many professions of favour from that monarch. Having afterwards,
however, during the success of Cromwell, been induced to capitu
late, though after many refusals ; all his good services were forgotten,
and at the king's return in 1660, he was arrested, and sent to the
Tower of London, whence he was brought to Scotland to be tried
by tbe parliament for alleged high treason. This was early in
1661. On the 25th of May that year, he was tried and con
demned, and, on the 27th, he suffered the death of a traitor,
though there can be no doubt the essence of his crime consisted in
his rigid adherence to the presbyterian interest.]
His Last Words in Prison.
After sentence, he was ordered to the common-prison, where bis
excellent lady was waiting for him. Upon seeing her, he said,
" They have given me till Monday to be with you, my dear, there
fore let us make for it." She, embracing him, wept bitterly, and
said, " The Lord will require it ; the Lord will require it ;" which
drew tears from all in the room. But being himself composed, he
said, " Forbear, forbear. I pity them, they know not what they are
doing. They may shut me in where they please, but they cannot
shut God out from me. For my part, I am as, content to be here
as in the castle, and as content in the castle as in the Tower of Lon
don, and as content there as when at liberty ; and I hope to be as
content on the scaffold as any of them all." He added, he re
membered a scripture cited by an honest minister to him while in the
castle, which he intended to put in practice : — " When Ziklag was
• Rutherford's Life and Testimony. — Glasg. 1784.

60 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
taken and burnt, the people spake of stoning David, but he encour
aged himself in the Lord."
He spent the short time, till Monday, with the greatest serenity
and cheerfulness, and in the proper exercises of a dying Christian.
To some ministers who were permitted to attend him, he said, " That
shortly they would envy him, who was got before them," — and added,
" Remember that I tell you, my skill fails me, if you who are ministers
will not either suffer much or sin much ; for though you go along
with these men in part, if you do not in all things, you are but where
you were, and so must suffer ; aud if you go not at all with them you
must but suffer."
He also said, that he was naturally inclined to fear in his temper,
but desired those about him, to observe that the Lord had heard his
prayer, and removed all fear from him. Mr. Robert Douglas and Mr.
George Hutcheson preached to him in the tolbooth on the Lord's
day, and at his own desire, his lady took her leave of him that eve
ning. His dear and much valued friend, Mr. David Dickson, it is
said, was his bed-fellow the last night he was in time.
The Marquis had a sweet time in the tolbooth as to the condition
of his soul, and this still increased the nearer he approached his end ;
as he slept calmly and pleasantly the preceding night, so on Monday
morning, though much engaged in settling his affairs in the midst of
company, he had at intervals much spiritual conversation, and was so
overpowered by a sensible effusion of the Holy Spirit, that he broke
out on one occasion into a rapture, and sa'd, " I thought to have con
cealed the Lord's goodness, but it will not do. I am now ordering
my affairs, and God is sealing my charter to a better inheritance, and
just now saying to me, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven
thee." About this time he received an excellent letter from a certain min
ister, his friend, full of encouragement and comfort under his present
circumstances. He then, with his own hand, wrote to his majesty in
the following pathetic terms, respecting his family.
His Letter to the King
" Most sacred Sovereign, — I doubt not but your majesty hath an
account given you from others of the issue of that strange process and
indictment laid against me, before this can come to your royal hands ;
of which, if I had been guilty according to the charge, I should have
esteemed myself unworthy to breathe upon the earth ; much less would
I have presumed to make an application to your majesty. But of all
those great crimes which have been charged upon me, there hath no
thing been proven except a compliance with the prevalent usurping
rebels, after they had subdued all your majesty's dominions ; whereby
I was forced, with many others, to submit unto their unlawful power
and government, which was an epidemic disease and fault of the time.
" What measure soever I have met with, and whatever malice or
calumny bath been cast upon me, yet it is my inexpressible joy and
comfort under all these sufferings, that I am found free and acquitted
of that execrable murder committed against the life of your royal

MARQUIS OF ARGYLE. 61
father, which (as I desire a comfortable appearance before the Judge
both of the quick and the dead), my soul did ever abominate ; for
death, with the inward peace of my innocency, is much more accept
able to me than life itself, with the least stain of treachery.
" And now, I am confident, that your majesty's displeasure will be
satisfied, and you will suffer my failings to be expiate with my life,
which, with all humility and submission, I have yielded up ; and in
this small period that remains of my life, no earthly thing shall be
more cordially desired by me than your happiness ; and that your
majesty and your successors, to all generations, may sway the sceptre
of these nations, and that they may be a blessed people under your
government. " And now, hoping that the humble supplication of your majesty's
dying subject may find some place within the large extent of your
princely goodness and clemency, 1 have taken the boldness to cast the
desolate condition of my poor wife and family upon your royal favour ;
for whatever may be your majesty's displeasure against myself, these,
I hope, have not done any thing to procure your majesty's indigna
tion. And since that family have had the honour to be faithful sub
jects, and serviceable to your royal progenitors, I humbly beg my
faults may not extinguish the lasting merit and memory of those who
have given so many signal proofs of constant loyalty for many gener
ations. Orphans and widows, by special prerogative and command
from God, are put uuder your protection and defence, tbat you suffer
them not to be wronged : they will owe their preservation so entirely
to your majesty's bounty and favour, that your countenance, and no
thing else that's human, can be a shield against their ruin.
" I shall add no more : only being addebted to several of your
majesty's good subjects, and your royal justice being the source and
fountain of all equity, whereby all your people are preserved in their
just rights and interests, I humbly beg that none of them may suffer
for my fault, but that you would allow them satisfaction and payment
of what is justly owing unto them, from those sums and debts which
are truly resting to my son and me. And as it is my serious and last
desire to my children and posterity, next to tbeir duty to Almighty
God, that they may be faithful and serviceable to your majesty ; so,
were I to enjoy this frail life any longer, I would endeavour, before
all the world, to evidence myself to be your majesty's most humble,
devoted, and obedient subject and servant,
ARGYLE."
" From your Prison, Edinburgh,
May 27tb, 1661."
After this, he dined precisely at twelve o'clock, in company with
his friends, displaying great cheerfulness, and then retired a little.
Upon his opening the door, Mr. Hutcheson said, " What cheer, my
lord ?" He answered, " Good cheer, Sir, the Lord hath again con
firmed and said to me from heaven, Thy sins be forgiven thee." Upon
this tears of joy flowed in abundance ; he retired to the window and
wept ; from that he came to the fire, and made as if he would stir it

62 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
a little to conceal his concern ; but it would not do, his tears rap
down bis'face ; and coming to Mr. Hutcheson, he said, «' I think his
kindness overcomes me. But God is good to me, that he lets not
out too much of it here, for he knows I could not bear it. Get me
my cloak and let us go." But being told that the clock was kept
back till one, till the bailies should come, he answered, " They are
far in the wrong ;" and presently kneeled and prayed before all pre
sent, in a most sweet and heavenly manner. As he ended, the bailies
sent up word for him to come down, upon which he called for a glass
of wine, and having asked a blessing to it, standing and continuing in
the same frame, he said, " Now let us go, and God be with us."
After having taken his leave of such in the room as were not to go
with him to the scaffold, going towards the door, he said, " I could
die like a Roman, but choose rather to die like a Christian. Come
away, gentlemen, he that goes first goes cleanliest." When going
down stairs, he called the reverend Mr. James Guthrie to him, and
embracing him in a most endearing way, took his farewell of him ;
Mr. Guthrie, at parting, addressed the Marquis "thus : " My lord,
God hath been with you, he is with you, and will be with you. And
such is my respect for your lordship, that if I were not under sentence
of death myself, I would cheerfully die for your lordship," So they
parted to meet again in a better place on tbe Friday following.
Then, accompanied by several noblemen and gentlemen, mounted
in black, he with his cloak and hat on, went down the street, and
having mounted the scaffold, with great serenity, like one going to his
Father's house, saluted all on it. Mr. Hutcheson then prayed ; after
which his lordship addressed the spectators.*
His Speech on the Scaffold.
" Many will expect that I speak many things, and according to their
several opinions and dispositions, so will their expectations be from
me, and constructions of me ; but.1 resolve to disappoint many, for I
come not hither to justify myself, but the Lord, ' Who is holy in all
his ways, and righteous in all his works, holy and blessed is his name ;'
neither come I to condemn others : I know many will expect that I
speak against the hardness of the sentence pronounced against me ;
but I will say nothing to it. I bless the Lord, I pardon all men, as I
desire to be pardoned of the Lord myself: let the will of the Lord be
done ; that is all that I desire.
" I hope that ye will have more charity to me now, than ye would
have at another time, seeing I speak before the Lord, to whom I must
give an account very shortly. I know very well that my words have
bad but very little weight with many; and that many have mistaken
my words and,, actings both: many have thought me to be a great
enemy to these great works, that have of late been brought to pass.
But do not mistake me, good people : I speak it in the presence of
the Lord, I entered not upon the work of reformation with any design
of advantage to myself, or prejudice to the king and his government ;
• Scots Worthies— Life of Argyle. Wodrow's Hist. vol. i.

MARQUIS OF ARGYLE. 63
as my latter will which was written, 1655, and thereafter delivered to
a friend (in whose hands it still remaineth), can show. As for these
calumnies that have gone abroad of me, I bless God, I know them to
be no more : and as I go to make a reckoning to my God, I am free
as to any of these, concerning the king's person or government. I
was real and cordial in my desires to bring the king home, and in my
endeavours for him when he was at home, and I had no correspond
ence with the adversaries' army, nor any of them, in the time when
his majesty was in Scotland ; nor had I any accession to his late
majesty's horrid and execrable murder, by counsel or knowledge of it,
or any other manner of way. This is a truth, as I shall answer to my
Judge. And all the time his majesty was in Scotland, I was still
endeavouring his advantage, my conscience beareth me witness in it.
So much to that particular. And [turning about, he said] I hope,
gentlemen, you all will remember these.
" I confess, many look on my condition as a suffering condition :
but I bless the Lord, that he that hath gone before me, hath trod the
wine-press of the Father's wrath ; by whose sufferings, I hope that my
sufferings shall not be eternal. I bless him that hath taken away the
sting of my sufferings : I may say that my charter was sealed to-day ;
for the Lord hath said to me, ' Son be of good cheer, thy sins are
freely forgiven thee :' and so I hope my sufferings shall be very easy.
And ye know that the scripture saith, ' the Captain of our salvation
was made perfect by sufferings.'
" I shall not speak much to these things for which I am condemned,
lest I seem to condemn others ; it is well known, it is only for com
pliance,* which was the epidemical fault of the nation. I wish the
Lord to pardon them : I say no more.
" There was an expression in these papers presented by me to tho
parliament, of the ' contagion of these times,' which may by some be
misconstructed, as if I intended to lay an imputation upon the work
of reformation ; but I declare, that I intended no such thing ; but it
only related to the corruptions and'failings of men, occasioned by the
* His " compliance" with Cromwell's government was no doubt the chief
judicial ground on which sentence against him was passed. And, in palliation
of this fact, there are many circumstances to be taken into account. First of
all, it was, as he declares, " the epidemical fault of the nation" and times. It was
in his case become a matter of absolute necessity, so as to save himself and peo
ple from impending min, before he acceded to it. It was a fault, moreover,
which was committed by many others, under circumstances as aggravated, who,
nevertheless, were received into favour and office after the restoration, without
an exception being taken to their loyalty. Of this, Sir John Fletcher, the
king's advocate, who led the prosecution against him, and many of the noble
men who sat as his judges, were notable instances. It was determined, how
ever, by Middleton and others, who expected to share in his property, and who
dreaded his opposition in the measures they had in view anent the church, —
tbat he should be made a sacrifice. And the detestable baseness of General
Monk, who sent forward some of the Marquis's confidential letters, in which
he had expressed approbation of the usurper's government, unhappily afforded
means on which to substantiate the very insufficient plea upon which he was
condemned.

64 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
prevailing of the usurping powers. [ At this he turned, and took
them all witnesses.]
" Now, gentlemen, concerning the nation, I think there are three
sorts of people that take up much of the world, and of this nation.
There is : —
" 1st, The openly profane : and truly I may say, though I have
been a prisoner, I have not had mine ears shut ; I hear assuredly, that
drinking, swearing, whoring, were never more common, never more
countenanced than now they are. Truly, if magistrates were here, I
would say to them, if they would lay forth their power for glorifying of
God, by restraining this, they should fare the better ; if tbey continue
in not restraining, they shall fare the worse. I say no more, but
either let people shun profanity, and magistrates restrain it, or assur
edly the wrath of God shall follow on it.
" 2d, Others are not openly profane (every one will not allow
that), but yet they are Gallios in the matter : if matters go well as to
their private interest, they care not whether the church of God sink
or swim. But whatever they think, God hath laid engagements upon
Scotland ; we are tied by covenants to religion and reformation; these
that were then unborn are yet engaged ; and in our baptism we are
engaged to it. And it passeth the power of all the magistrates under
heaven to absolve them from the oath of God : they deceive them
selves, and it may be, would deceive others that think otherwise. But
I would caveat this ; people will be ready to think this a kind of insti
gation to rebellion in me ; but they are very far wrong that think
religion and loyalty are not well consistent. Whoever they be that
separate them, religion is not to be blamed, but they. It is true, it is
the duty of every Christian to be loyal ; yet, I think, the order of
things are to be observed, as well as their natures ; the order of re
ligion, as well as the nature of it. Religion must not be the cock
boat, it must be the ship. God must have what is his, as well as
Csesar what is his : and these are the best subjects that are the best
Christians. And that I am looked upon as a friend to reformation, is
my glory.
" 3d, There is another sort that are truly godly: and to speak to them,
I must say what I fear, and every one hath reason to fear, (it is good
to fear evil.) It is true the Lord may prevent it ; but if he do not, (and
truly I cannot foresee any probability of it,) times are like either to be
very sinning or very suffering times : and let Christians make their
choice : there is a sad dilemma in the business, ' sin or suffer ;' and
surely, be that would choose the better part, will choose to suffer.
Others that will choose to sin, shall not escape suffering ; tbey shall
suffer, but it may be, not as I do, [turning about, and pointing to the
maiden] but worse : mine is but temporal, theirs shall be eternal ;
when I shall be singing, they shall be howling. Beware therefore of
sin, whatever you are. aware of, especially in such times.
" Yet I cannot say of my own condition, but that the Lord in his
providence hath mind of mercy to me, even in this world : for if I
had been more favourably dealt with, I fear I might have been over
come with temptauons as many others are, and many more I fear

MARQUIS OF ARGYLE. 65
will be ; and so should have gone out of the world with a more pol
luted conscience, than through the mercy of God now I have. And
hence my condition is such now, as when I am gone, will be seen not
to have been such as many imagined. It is fit that God take me away
before I fall into these temptations that I see others are falling into,
and many others I fear will fall : I wish the Lord may prevent it.
Yet blessed be his name, that I am kept both from present evils,
and evils to come." [ Here he turned about a little, and spoke some
words to Mr. Hutcheson ; when, turning again to the people, he spoke
as followeth.]
" Some may expect I will regret my own condition ; but truly, I
neither grudge nor repine, nor desire any revenge. And I declare I
do not repent my last going up to London, for I had always rather have
suffered any thing, than lie under reproaches as I did. I desire not
that the Lord Bhould judge any man ; nor do I judge any but myself:
I wish, as the Lord bath pardoned me, so he may pardon them for
this and other things ; and that what they have done to me, may
never meet them in their accounts. I have no more to say, but to
beg the Lord, that when I go away, he would bless every one that
stayeth behind."
[His last words, immediately before he laid his head on the
block, after his doublet was off, were these :] " I desire you, gentle
men, all that hear me this day to take notice, and I wish that all who
see me might hear me, that now when I am entering into eternity, and
am to appear before my Judge; and as I desire salvation, and do
expect eternal salvation aud happiness from him, — from my birth to my
scaffold, I am free from any accession by my knowledge, concerning
counsel, or any other way, to his late majesty's death ; and I pray the
Lord to preserve his majesty, and to pour his best blessings on his
person and government ; and the Lord give him good and faithful
counsellors." [Turning about to his friends, he said,] " Many Christians
may stumble at this, and my friends may be discontented ; but when
things are rightly considered, my friends have no discredit of me, nor
Christians no stumbling-block, but rather an encouragement."*
When he had delivered this seasonable and pathetic speech, Mr.
Hamilton prayed; after which he prayed most sweetly himself; then
he took his leave of all his friends on the scaffold. He first gave the
executioner a napkin with some money in it ; he gave to his sons-in-
law, Caithness and Ker, his watch and some other things out of his
pocket; he gave to Loudon his silver penner, to Lothian a double
ducat, and then threw off his coat. When going to the maiden, Mr.
Hutcheson said, " My lord, now hold your grip sicker." He an
swered, " You know, Mr. Hutcheson, what I said to you in the
chamber. I am not afraid to be surprised with fear." The laird of
Skelmorlie took him by the handv when near the maiden, and found
him most composed. He kneeled down most cheerfully, and after he
had prayed a little, he gave the signal (which was by lifting up his
hand), and the instrument, called the maiden, struck off his head from
his body.f
• Naphtali, pp. 285 — 290. ¦(¦ Scots Worthies— Life of Argyle.

66 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.

III. JAMES GUTHRIE.
[Mr. Guthrie was born of an ancient and honourable family. Having
passed through the usual course of learning at the grammar school
and college with applause, he was elected a regent of philosophy
in the university of St. Andrews. Whilst in this situation, by con
verse with Mr. Rutherford, who was then professor of divinity, his
sentiments seem to have undergone a most important change ; and
from having been opposed to the presbyterian interests, he forth
with became their most cordial defender. Having passed his trials,
he was in 1638, settled minister at Lauder, where he remained-for
about ten years. He was then translated to Stirling, where he
continued till his death a most faithful watchman on Zion's walls.
Notwithstanding the love to his country, and loyalty to his king by
which he was distinguished, and which on many occasions he had
prominently displayed, he was, according to the spirit of the times,
charged with high treason, on account of certain expressions, which,
in the discharge of his duty, he had written and uttered ; and on
the 1st of June, 1661, just three days after his friend Argyle's
execution, he suffered a similar death.]
His Last Words in Prison".
Betwixt Mr. Guturie's sentence and his execution, he enjoyed perfect
composure and serenity of spirit, and wrote a great many letters to
his friends and acquaintances. In this interval he uttered several pro
phetical expressions, which, together with the foresaid religious let
ters, could they now be recovered, might be of no small use, in this
apostate and backsliding age. The day (June 1.) on which he was
executed, it being reported tbat he was to buy his life, at the expense
of retracting some of the things he bad formerly said and done, he
wrote and subscribed the following declaration :
" These are to declare, that I do own the * Causes of God's Wrath,'
the Supplication at Edinburgh, August last, and the accession I had
to the remonstrances. And if any do think, or have reported, that I
was willing to recede from these, they have wronged me, as never
having any ground from me to think or to report so. This I attest,
under my hand, at Edinburgh, about eleven o'clock, forenoon, before
these witnesses r« 
Mr. Arthur Forbes, Mr. John Guthrie,
Mr. Hugh Walker, Mr. James Cowie."
Upon the same day, and it is probable about the same time, he ad
dressed a farewell letter to his wife, which is as follows.
His Letter to his Wife.
" My heart, — Being within a few houre to lay down my life for
lhe testimony of Jesus Christ, I do send these few lines as the last
obedience of unfeigned and spotless affection which I bear unto you,
not only as one flesh, but as a member with me of that blessed mysti-

JAMES GUTHRIE. 67
cal body of the Lord ; for I trust you are, and that God who hath
begun his good work in you, will also perfect it and bring it to an end,
and give you life and salvation. Whatever may be your infirmities
and weakness, yet the grace of God shall be Nuflicient for you, and his
strength shall be perfected in your weakness. To me you have been
a very kind and faithful yoke-fellow, and not a hinderer but a helper in
the work of the Lord. I do bear you this testimony as all the re
compense I can now leave you with : — In all the trials I have met
with in the work of the ministry, these twenty years past, which have
not been few, and that from aggressors of many sorts, upon tiie right
hand and upon the left, you were never a tempter of me to depart
away from the living God, and from the way of my duty, to comply
with an evil course, or to hearken to the counsels of flesh and blood,
for avoiding the cross and for gaining the profit and preferment of a
present world. You have wrought much with your hands for furnish
ing bread to me and to my children, and was always willing that I
should show hospitality, especially to those that bore the image of
God. These things 1 mention not to puff you up, but to encourage
you under your present affliction and distress, being persuaded that
God will have regard unto you and unto the children of my body,
which I leave unto your care, that they may be bred up in tbe know
ledge of the Lord. Let not your wants and weaknesses discourage
you: there is power, riches, and abundance with God, both as to the
things of the body and things of the soul ; and he will supply all your
wants, and cany you through. It is like to be a most trying time,
but cleave you to God and keep his way, without casting away your
confidence ; fear not to be drowned in the depths of the troubles that
may attend this land, God will hide you under his shadow, and keep
you in the hollow of his hand. Be sober and of a meek spirit ; strive
not with providence, but be subject to bini who is the Father of Spi
rits. Decline not the cross, but embrace it as your own. Love all
that love the Lord, and delight in their fellowship. Give yourself
unto prayer, and be diligent in reading the holy Scriptures. Wait on
the ordinances, and have them in great esteem as tbe appointed means,
of God, for your salvation. Join the exercise of piety and repentance
together, and manifest your faith in the fruits of sincere obedience
and of a gospel conversation. Value your conscience above your skin.
Be not solicitous, although you know not wherewith to clothe you and
your. children, or wherewith to dine; God's providences and promises
are a tine, rich, and never-failing portion. Jesus Christ be all your
salvation and all your desire ! You, I recommend unto Him, and Him
unto you : My heart ! I recommend you to the eternal love of Jesus
Christ — I am helped of God, and hope I shall be helped to the end.
Pray for me while I am here, and praise with me hereafter. God be
with you — I am your's,
" Edinburgh Tolbooth, ' JAMES GUTHRIE."*
June 1st, 1661."

• For this letter, which he prolines has ne.yer before been published,
Editor is indebted to one of Mr. Wodrow's M SS. yet in the possession of his

68 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
After this, he dined with his friends with great cheerfulness.
After dinner he called for cheese, of which he was fond, but which he
had been dissuaded from using for some time, being subject to the
gravel, and said, I am now beyond the hazard of that disease. After
having been in secret for some time, he came forth with the utmost
fortitude and composure, and was carried down, under a guard from
the tolbooth to the scaffold, which was erected at the cross. Here he
was eo far from showing any fear, that he rather expressed a contempt
of death ; and spoke an hour with the composure of one delivering s
sermon.* His Speech on the Scaefold.
" Men and brethren, I fear many of ysu be come hither to gaze,
rather than to be edified by the carriage and last words of a dying
man : but if any have an ear to hear, as I hope some of this great con
fluence have, I desire your audience to a few words. I am come
hither to lay down this earthly tabernacle and mortal flesh of mine;
and I bless God, through his grace, I do it willingly and not by con
straint. I say, I suffer willingly : if I had been so minded, I might
have made a diversion, and not been a prisoner ; but being conscious
to myself of nothing worthy of death or of bonds, I would not stain
my innocency with the suspicion of guiltiness by my withdrawing:
neither have I wanted opportunities and advantages to escape since I
was prisoner, not by the fault of my keepers, God knoweth, but
otherwise ; but neither for this had I light or liberty ; lest I should
reflect upon the Lord's name, and offend the generation of the right
eous : and if some men have not been mistaken, or dealt deceitfully
in telling me so, I might have avoided not only the severity of the
sentence, but also had much favour and countenance, by complying
with the courses of the time :¦)- but I durst not redeem my life with
the loss of my integrity ; God knoweth I durst not ; and that since I
was prisoner, he hath so holden me by the hand, that he never suf
fered me to bring it into debate in my inward thoughts, much less to
propone or hearken to any overture of that kind. I did judge it bet
ter to suffer than to sin ; and therefore I am come hither to lay down
my life this day. And I bless God, I die not as a fool ; nor that I
have any thing wherein to glory in myself : I acknowledge that I am a
sinner, yea, one of the greatest and vilest that has owned a profession
of religion, and one of the most unworthy that has preached the gos-
scendants, the perusal of which he obtained through the good offices of a friend.
lt appears that Mrs. Guthrie, the worthy person to whom it was addressed,
was, along with ber daughter, brought to trouble sometime after for having in
their possession a copy of the ' Apologetical Narration,' and refusing to tell what
they knew of its author. They were even sentenced to exile in the Shetland
Isles, but this sentence was not carried into execution.
• Scots Woi'thies — Life of Guthrie
f Mr. Guthrie here refers to the offer of n bishopric which was made to him
while in prison, in order to induce him to comply with prelacy. That such an
offer was made, even though it were less certain from the statements of history,
is rendered exceedingly probable by the importance which both parties attached
to his countenance and support..

JAMES GUTHRIE. 69
pel ; my corruptions have been strong and many, and have made me
a sinner in all things, yea, even in following my duty : and therefore,
righteousness have I none of mine own, all is vile ; but, ' I' do ' be
lieve, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, whereof
I am chief.' Through faith in his righteousness and blood have I
obtained mercy ; and through him and him alone, have I the hope of
a blessed conquest and victory over sin, and Satan, and hell, and
death ; and that ' I shall attain unto the resurrection of the just ;'
and be made partaker of eternal life. ' I know in whom I have be
lieved, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto
him against that day.' I have preached salvation through his name,
and as I have preached, so do I believe, and do commend the riches
of his free grace, and faith in his name unto you all, as the only way
whereby ye can be saved.
" And as I bless the Lord that I die not as a fool ; so also, that I
die not for evil doing. Not a few of you may happily judge, tbat ' I
suffer as a thief, or as a murderer, or as an evil doer, or as a busy
body in other men's matters.' It was the lot of the Lord Jesus ChriBt
himself, and hath been of many of his precious servants and people,
to suffer by the world as evil doers ; and as my soul scareth not at it,
but desireth to rejoice in being brought into conformity with my
blessed Head, and so blessed a company in this thing ; so I do desire
and pray, that I may be to none of you to-day, upon this account, • a
stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence.' Blessed is he that shall
not be offended at Jesus Christ, and his poor servants and members,
because of their being condemned as evil doers by the world. God is
my record, that in these things for which sentence of death hath
passed against me, I have a good conscience 1 I bless God, they are
not matters of compliance with sectaries, or designs and practices
against his majesty's person or government, or the person or govern
ment of his royal father. My heart, I bless God, is conscious unto
no disloyalty ; nay, loyal I have been, and I commend it unto you to
be loyal and obedient in the Lord. True piety is the foundation of
true loyalty : a wicked man may be a flatterer and a time-server, but
he will never be a loyal subject. But to return to my purpose, the
matters for which I am condemned, are matters belonging to my calling
and function as a minister of the gospel, such as the discovery and re.
proving of sin ; the pressing and the holding fast of the oath of God in
the covenant, and preserving and carrying on the work of religion and
reformation according thereto; and denying to acknowledge the civil
magistrate as the the ' proper competent judge in causes ecclesiasti
cal :' tbat in all these things which (God so ordering by his gracious
providence) are the grounds of my indictment and death, I have a
good conscience, as having walked therein according to the light and
rule of God's word, and as did become a minister of the gospel.
« I do also bless the Lord, that I do not die as ¦ one not desired.
I know that, by not a few, I neither have been nor am desired. It
hath been my lot to have been a man of contention and sorrow ; but
it is my comfort, that for my own things I have not contended, but
for the things of Jesus Christ, for what relateth to his interest and

70 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
work, and the well-being of his people. In order to the preserving
and promoting of these, I did protest against, and stood in opposition
unto these late assemblies at St. Andrews, Dundee, and Edinburgh ;
and the public resolutions for bringing the malignant party into the
judicatories and armies of this kingdom, conceiving the same contrary
to the word of God, and to our solemn covenants and engagements ;
and to be an inlet to defectioj, and to the ruin and destruction of the
work of God. And it is now manifest to many consciences, that I
have not been therein mistaken ; nor was not fighting against a man
of straw. I was also desirous, and did use some poor endeavours to
have the church of God purged of insufficient, scandalous, and cor
rupt ministers and elders ; for these things I have been mistaken by
some, and hated by others : but, I bless the Lord, as I had tbe testi
mony of my own conscience ; so I was and am therein approved in
the consciences of many of the Lord's precious servants and people ;
and how little soever I may die desired by some, yet by these I know
I do die desired,, and their approbation, and prayers, and affection is
of more value with me, than the contradiction, or reproach, or hatred
of many others ; the love of the one I cannot recompense, and the
mistake, or hatred, or reproach of the other, I do with all my heart
forgive; and wherein I have offended any of them, do beg their
mercy and forgiveness. I do from my soul wish that my death may
be profitable unto both, that the one may be confirmed and established
in the straight ways of the Lord, and that the other (if the Lord so
will) may be convinced, and cease from these things tbat are not
good, and do not edify, but destroy.
" One thing I would warn you all of, that God is wroth, yea, very
wroth with Scotland, and threateneth to depart and remove his candle
stick ; the causes of his wrath are many, and would to God it were
not one great cause, that causes of God's wrath are despised and re
jected of men. Consider the case that is recorded, Jer. xxxvi. and
the consequence of it, and tremble and fear. - 1 cannot but also say,
that there is a great addition and increase of wrath.
" 1st, By that deluge of profanity that overflowed all the land,
and bath reins loosed unto it every where, in so far that many have
lost, not only all use and exercise of religion, but even of morality,
and that common civility that is to be found amongst the heathen.
"2d, By that horrible treachery and perjury that is in the matter
of the covenant, and cause of God, and work of reformation ; ' Be
astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very
desolate, saith the Lord ; for my peorle have committed two evils,
they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them
out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Shall he break
the covenant and prosper? Shall the throne of iniquity have fellow
ship with God, which frameth mischief by a law ?' I fear the Lord
n about to bring a sword on these lands, which shall avenge the
quarrel of his covenant.
i "jM' V°r."ule ,ingra[itude : the L°rd, after ten yeare' oppression and
bondage, hath broken the yoke of strangers from off our necks ; but
what do we ren<)er unto him for his goodness ? Most of the fruit of

JAMES GUTHRIE. 71
our delivery is to work wickedness, and to strengthen ourselves to do
evil. " 4th, A most dreadful idolatry, aud sacrificing to the creature :
we have changed the glory of the incorruptible God, into the image
of a corruptible man, in whom many have placed almost all their sal
vation and desire, and have turned that which might have been a
blessing unto us (being kept in a due line of subordination under
God) into an idol of jealousy, by preferring it before him. God is
also wroth with a generation of carnal, corrupt, time-serving minis
ters : I know and bear testimony, that in the church of Scotland there
is a true and faithful ministry : blessed be God, we have yet many
who study tbeir duty, and desire to be found faithful to their Lord
and Master; and I pray you to honour, and reverence, and esteem
much of these for their work's sake : and I pray them to be encour
aged in their Lord and Master, who is with them to make them as
iron pillars, and brazen walls, and as a strong defenced city in the
faithful following of their duty : but oh I that there were not too
many who mind earthly things, and are enemies to the cross of Jesus
Christ, who push with the side and shoulder, who strengthen the
nands of evil-doers, who make themselves transgressors, by studying to
build again what they did formerly warrantably destroy, I mean prelacy,
and the ceremonies, and the service-book, a mystery of iniquity that
works amongst us, whose steps lead unto the house of the great whore,
Babylon, the mother of fornications : or whosoever eke he be that
buildeth this Jericho again, let him take heed to the curse of Hiel
the Bethelite, and of that flying roll threatened, Zech. v. And let
all ministers take heed that they watch, and be stedfast in tbe faith,
and quit themselves like men, and be strong ; and give faithful and
seasonable warning concerning sin and duty. Many of the Lord's
people do sadly complain of the fainting and silence of many watch
men ; and it concerneth them to consider what God calleth for at their
hands in such a day : silence now in a watchman, when he is so much
called to speak, and give his testimony upon tbe peril of his life, is
doubtless a great sin. The Lord open the mouths of his servants to
speak his word with all boldness, that covenant breaking may be dis
covered and reproved, and that the kingdom of Jesus Christ may not
be supplanted, nor the souls of his people - destroyed without a wit
ness. " I have but a few words more to add : all that are profane
amongst you, I exhort them to repentance, for the day of the Lord's
vengeance hasteneth, and is near : but there is yet a door of mercy
open for you, if you will not despise the day of salvation. All that
are maligners, and reproachers, and persecutors of godliness, and of
such as live godly, take heed what ye do, it will be hard for you to
kick against the pricks ; you make yourselves the butt of the Lord's
fury, and his flaming indignation, if you do not cease from, and repent
of all your ungodly deeds. All that are neutral, and indifferent, and
lukewarm professors, be zealous, and repent ; lest the Lord spew you
out of his mouth. You that lament after the Lord, and moum for
all the abominations that are done in this city, and in the land, and

72 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
take pleasure in the stones and dust of Zion, cast not away your con
fidence, but be comforted and encouraged in the Lord. He will yet
appear to your joy ; God hath not cast away his people nor work in
Britain and Ireland : I hope it shall once more revive by the power
of his Spirit, and take root downward, and bear fruit upward. There
is yet a holy seed and precious remnant, whom God will preserve
and bring forth : but how long or dark our night may be, 1 do not
know ; the Lord shorten it for the sake of his chosen. In the mean
while, ' be ye patient and stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord, and in love one to another :' beware of snares
which are strawed thick ; cleave to the covenant and work of refor
mation ; do not decline the cross of Jesus Christ ; ' choose rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of
sin for a season ;' and account the reproach of Christ greater riches
than all the treasure of the world. Let my death grieve none of you,
it will be more profitable and advantageous both for me, and for you,
and for the church of God, and for Christ's interest and honour, than
my life could have been. I forgive all men the guilt of it, and I de-
Bire you to do so also : ' Pray for them that persecute you, and bless
them that curse you, bless, I say, and curse not.' I die in the faith of
the apostles and primitive Christians, and protestant reformed churches,
particularly of the church of Scotland, whereof I am a member and
minister. I bear my witness and testimony to the doctrine, worship,
discipline, and government of the church of Scotland, by kirk sessions,
presbyteries, synods, and general assemblies. Popery and prelacy,
and all the trumpery of service and ceremonies that wait upon them,
I do abhor. I do bear witness unto the national covenant of Scot
land, and the solemn league and covenant betwixt the three king
doms of Scotland, England, and Ireland : these sacred, solemn, public
oaths of God, I believe, can be loosed nor dispensed witb, by no per
son, or party, or power upon earth ; but are still binding upon these
kingdoms, and will be for ever hereafter ; and are ratified and sealed
by the conversion of many thousand souls, since our entering thereinto.
I bear my witness to the protestation against the controverted assem
blies, and the public resolutions ; to the testimonies given against the
sectaries ; against the course of backsliding and defection that is now
on foot in the land, and all the branches and parts thereof, under
whatsoever name or notion, or acted by whatsoever party or person.
And in the last place, I bear my witness to the cross of Jesus Christ ;
and that I never had cause, nor have cause this day, to repent because'
of any thing I have suffered, or can now suffer for his name : I take
God to record upon my soul, I would not exchange this scaffold, with
the palace or mitre of the greatest prelate in Britain. Blessed be
God, who hath showed mercy to such a wretch, and hath revealed his
Son in me, and made me a minister of the everlasting gospel ; and
that he hath deigned, in the midst of much contradiction from Satan
and the world, to seal my ministry upon the hearts of not a few of
his people, and especially in the station wherein I was last, I mean
the congregation and presbytery of Stirling. God forgive the poor
empty man, tbat did there intrude upon my labours, and hath made a

WILLIAM GOVAN. 73
prey of many poor souls, and exposed others to reproach, and oppres
sion, and a famine of the word of the Lord. God forgive the mis-
leaders of that part of thfe poor people, who tempted them to reject
their own pastor, and to admit of intruders, and the Father of mercies
pity that poor misled people : and the Lord visit the congregation and
presbytery of Stirling once more with faithful pastors, and grant that
the work and people of God may be revived through all Britain, and
over all tbe world. Jesus Christ is my light, and my life, my righte
ousness, my strength, and my salvation : .' He is all my salvation, and
all my desire.' Him, oh, him, I do with all the strength of my soul com
mend unto you. ' Blessed are they that are not offended in him :'
blessed are they that trust in him. * Bless him, O my soul, from
henceforth, even for ever.' Rejoice, rejoice all ye that love him ; be
patient and rejoice in tribulation : blesBed are you, and blessed shall
you be for ever and ever. Everlasting righteousness and eternal sal
vation is yours : ' All are yours, and ye are Christ's and Christ is
God's.' 'Remember me, O Lord, with the favour thou bearest to thy
people ; O visit me with thy salvation, that I may see the good of thy
chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation ; that I may
glory with thine inheritance.' — ' Now let thy servant depart in peace,
since mine eyes have seen thy salvation.' "*
Sic Sub.— JAMES GUTHRIE."
He gave a copy of this his last speech and testimony, subscribed
and sealed, to a friend to keep, which he was to deliver to his son,
then a child, when he came to age. When on the scaffold, he lifted
the napkin off his face, just before he was turned over, and cried,
" The covenants, the covenants, shall yet be Scotland's reviving."

IV. WILLIAM GOVAN.
[Of this person, who suffered along with Mr. Guthrie, little informa
tion has been transmitted. He is in some papers styled ' Captain
Govan.' At all events, it is evident he was a soldier, and that as
the chief offence charged against him, he had deserted the king's
standard at Hamilton, in company with many others, when the
protector's successes had rendered farther resistance useless. It
was also alleged against him, that he was present on the scaffold
, when Charles I. was beheaded ; but to the satisfaction of all, he
proved himself alibi. He was reckoned a pious good man, and
was evidently-an adherent of the presbyterian interest. His speech,
which he delivered immediately after Mr. Guthrie's execution and
just before his own, contains almost all the account that now re
mains of his life and character.]
" Gentlemen and countrymen, — I am here to suffer this day; and
that I may declare to you the cause — it is for laying down my arm9
• Naphtali, pp. 290—299.
K

a

74 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
at Hamilton, as did all the rest of the company that was there. What
was I, that king and parliament should have taken notice of me, being
i private boy thrust forth into the fields, who was not worthy to be
'noticed by any? For as I was obscure in myself, so my actions
were not conspicuous. Yet it pleased the Lord to employ me as a
mean and instrument (unworthy as I was) for carrying on a part of
the late reformation ; which I did faithfully endeavour in my station,
not going beyond it,— for which I am to suffer this day.
"Licentious people have taken occasion to calumniate me this
time past, in saying I was an instrument in his late majesty s death,
and that I should have said I was on the scaffold at the time of bis
execution :— all which I do here deny, in the presence of Almighty
God, to whom I must -shortly answer. And, before you all, I do
here protest, as I hope for salvation, that I was not instrumental in
that, either in word or deed. But on the contrary, it was sore against
my heart, who was still a wellwisher of his majesty, and even wished
he might be to these lands as David, Solomon, and Josiah. But what
could a simple protestation of one who is the least among men do?
I do indeed remember I was honoured to briog up Montrose's stand
ard through these streets, and deliver it to the parliament ; in which I
glory, as thousands more than I did at that time, for I was then but
an executioner, but now I am a sufferer for these things.
" Let me now speak a word to some sorts of people. First of all
you that are profane, leave off your profanity, forbear sin and seek
mercy ; otherwise you will undoubtedly repent it when too late. For
ere long you must answer, as I am shortly to do, before a just God.
Again, to you civilians and indifferent folks, who, if your own private
earthly interest prosper, do not care how the affairs of Christ and his
church go, — know that that will not do your turn ; you must bear a
testimony for God, be zealous for his cause, and repent now of your
sins : so shall you avoid that curse pronounced against the lukewarm
Laojliceans, — I will spue them out of my mouth. As to the really
godly, I would say this : be not afraid nor astonished to bear testi
mony and suffer for his truth.
" As for myself, it pleased the Lord, in the fourteenth year of my
age, to manifest his love to me, and now it is about twenty-four years
since ; all which time I professed the truth which I suffer for, and
bear testimony to at this day, and am not afraid of the cross upon that
account : it is sweet, it is sweet — otherwise how durst I look upon
the corpse of him who hangs there, with courage, and smile upon those
sticks and that gibbet as the gates of heaven ! I die confident in the
faith of the prophets and apostles, bearing my testimony to the gospel
as it is now preached by an honest ministry in this city : though, alas !
there be a corrupt generation among the ministry.
" I bear witness with my blood to the persecuted government of
this church, in general assemblies, synods, and presbyteries, and also
to the protestation against the public resolutions. I bear witness to
the covenants, national and solemn league, and now am to seal these
with my blood. I likewise testify against all popery, prelacy, idol
atry, superstition, and the service-book, for I have taken not a little

LORD WARRISTON. 75
pains in searching out those things, and have found tliem to be but
the relics of the Romish superstition and idolatry left in king Henry
VIU's time ; who, though it pleased the Lord to make use of him for
beginning the work of reformation, yet he was no good man."
After having thus spoken, he took a ring from his finger and gave
it to a friend upon the scaffold, desiring him to take it to his wife,
and say that " he died in humble confidence, and found the cross o
Christ sweet." He declared that " Christ had done all for him, and
it was by him alone he was justified ;" and being desired to look up
to Christ, he answered, " He looketh down and smileth upon me."
Then mounting up some steps of the ladder, he said, " Dear friends,
pledge this cup of suffering before you sin, as I have done ; for sin
and suffering have been presented to me, and I have chosen the suf
fering part." Then the cord being put about his neck, he said, " Now
I am near my last, and I desire to reflect on no man ; I would only
acquaint you of one thing : the commissioner and I went out to the
fields together for one cause ; I have, now the cord about my neck,
and he is promoted to be his majesty's commissioner ; yet for a thou
sand worlds I would not change lots with him ! ! — Praise and glory
be to Christ for ever." After having again prayed for a little, he gave
the sign, and was forthwith turned over.*

V. SIR ARCHIBALD JOHNSTON, LORD WARRISTON.
[This truly eminent and excellent person was bred to the profession
of the law; and having given unequivocal proofs of his zeal in
favour of the reformation then going forward, was chosen clerk to
the General Assembly in 1638, and afterwards procurator for the
church. In these offices, and in the various matters which they led
him to undertake, he conducted himself in a manner which secured to
him the respect of both the church and state ; and in 1641, he was
knighted by his majesty, and appointed a lord of session. After
wards, in 1643, he was sent as a commissioner to the Westminster
Assembly, an appointment which lasted till 1648. In 1650 the
act of classes being repealed, he took a prominent part with those
who protested against it; and in 1657, repaired to London with
some others, to plead the cause of that party. This appointment,
honourable as it was, proved fatal to him. He was won over by
the insinuating arts of Cromwell, and prevailed on to accept the
office of Clerk-register at his hands. And this, together with his
zeal for the protesting cause, was, after the restoration, turned into
a charge against him, upon which he was condemned. The follow
ing speech he read at his execution, on the 22d of July, 1 663.]
" Right honourable, much honoured, and beloved auditors and spec
tators, — that which I intended and prepared to have spoken at this
* Wodrow's History, vol. i.

76 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
time, and in this condition, immediately before my death (if it should
be so ordered that it should be my lot) is not at present in my power,
having been taken from me : but I hope the Lord shall preserve it to
bear my testimony more fully and clearly, than now I can in this con
dition, having my memory much destroyed, through much sore and
long sickness, melancholy, and excessive drawing of. my blood ;*
though I bless the Lord my God, that notwithstanding the foremen-
tioned distempers, I am in some capacity to leave this short and weak
testimony. " 1st, I desire in the first place to confess my sins, so far as is
proper to this place and case, and to acknowledge God's mercies ;
and to express my repentance of the one, and my faith of the other,
through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ our gracious Redeemer
and Mediator. I confess that my natural temper (or rather distemper)
hath been hasty and passionate, and that in my manner of going about
and prosecuting of the best pieces of work and service, to the Lord,
and to my generation, I have been subject to many excesses of heat,
and thereby to some precipitations, which hath no doubt offended
standers-by and lookers-on, and hath exposed both me, and the work,
to their mistakes ; whereby, the beauty of the work hath been ob
scured : neither have I, in following the Lord's work, his good work,
been without my own self-seeking ; which hath several ways vented
itself, to the offence of both God and man, and to the grief thereafter
of my own conscience, and which hath often made me groan, and cry
out with the apostle, ' O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver
me from this body of death ;' and to lie low in the dust mourning and
lamenting over the same, deprecating God's wrath, and begging his
tender mercies to pardon, and his powerful grace to cure all these
evils. I must withal confess, that it doth not a little trouble me, and
he heavy upon my spirit, and will bring me down with sorrow to the
, grave (though I was not alone in this offence, but had the body of the
nation going before me, and the example of persons of all ranks to in-
When, ,n the year 1661, the order to apprehend him reached Edinburgh, War-
r.ston happened to be from homer, and being informed of it, before entering the
meTcb,n<; H -°rSe ^ T^ °Ut °f the kinSdom, in *¦ di^uise of a
h^Wn \ ^ str???* aftCT deClai'e* a fugitive' and> notwithstanding
his absence sentenced to forfeiture and death. It was natural in these circum-
s«monavnwhrbnr'°l,Pe;- *¦* WUh SUf ° ^ a"'aitine Mm' he should P™*™ the
testimony which he had in view to seal with his blood. As yet, his powerful mind,
and fouW m.To T ^T^ ^ T^*0^ ™ -Impaired ta its energies
fami T and w] A ZTtt™ *° 1° T^ ^^ t0 vi"VS w-ith which he wa
tdimliar , and « Inch he had long and often advanced and promoted Durimr his
stay at Hamburgh, however, where he chiefly resided du.hiTh sexHe Te wl
ment T^e chra^efof^ "' ^ l""' '" "^ * "™ -^red by^is rei"
^shortened Zt7s of p" "^i"*" ^"°Wed his f,iends t0 boast of his hav
.". id tht? he pvXrtSTi™ b-S ^ a"eSati0n DOt -Probable. It
60 ounces of blood th,?rrP"Jn h'S physic' and took f™m him about
Now t is no ?,nlit? r, !',"ng h'S mind' by destroying his bodily vigour.
^; »7 1 mIw the testimony which previous to this he might
-s h;s: ;s ™,m r:rdTnVthr/a^:: be {™A ¦*- ¦*». L

LORD WARRISTON. 77
snare me), that I suffered myself through the power of temptations,
and the too much fear anent the straits that my numerous family
might be brought into, to be carried unto so great a length of compli
ance in England with the late usurpers,* which did much grieve the
hearts of the godly, and made these that sought God ashamed and
confounded for my sake, and did give no small occasion to the adver
sary to reproach and blaspheme, and did withal not a little obscure
and darken the beauty of several former actings about his blessed and
glorftras work of reformation, happily begun, and far advanced in these
lands, wherein he was graciously pleased to employ, and by employ
ing to honour me to be an instrument (though the least and un-
worthiest of many) whereof I am not ashamed this day, but account
it my glory, however that work be now cried down, opposed, laid in
the dust, and trode upon. And my turning aside to comply with
these men, was the more aggravated in my person, that I had so fre
quently and seriously made profession of my averseness from, and
abhorrence of that way, and had shown much dissatisfaction with
these that had not gone so great a length ; for which, as I seek God's
mercy in Christ Jesus, so I desire that all the Lord's people, from my
example, may be more stirred up to watch and pray, that they enter
not into temptation.
" 2d, I do not deny on the other band, but must testify in the
second place, to the glory of his free grace, that the Lord my God
hath often showed and engraven upon my conscience, the testimony
of his reconciling and reconciled mercy through the merits of Jesus
Christ pardoning all my iniquities, and assuring me that he would
deliver me also by the graces of his Holy Spirit, from the speat,-|-
tyranny, and dominion thereof; and hath often drawn out my spirit,
to the exercise of repentance and faith, and often engraven upon my
heart in legible characters, his merciful pardon, and gracious begun
cure thereof, to be perfected thereafter, to the glory of his name, the
salvation of my soul, and edification of his church.
* This, as stated in the previous notice, formed the chief ground of the in
dictment on which he was condemned. And yet there was much to be said in
palliation, or even excuse of his conduct. First of all, he strongly objected to
being sent on the commission, in the discbarge of which at London he was un
happily gained over, and this just because he was afraid the temptations which
he knew would be held out to him would prove too strong. Then, it evidently
was from no indifference or want of loyalty to the exiled monarch, that he was
led to acknowledge the protector's government, because, for upwards of five
years, he had struggled with all his might for the king's interest, and both
spoke and wrote against Scotchmen taking offices from Cromwell. Besides, it
must not be forgotten that all his exertions seemed to have had little effect, nv.rt
that resistance or opposition to the reigning influence had become vain, from
its being generally and almost universally acceded to. And last of all, what
probably weighed most with this good man in the step which he thus deeply
deplores, was his private and domestic circumstances : his family was large —
considerable sums were owing, which he had advanced on the public service,
and a good many bygone years' salaries ; and it is not wonderful that these
considerations, added to the importunity which no doubt would be employed,
should have prevailed on him to accept an oflice, lucrative in itself, and per
fectly adapted to his profession and^haracter.
+ i. «;. the overflowing.

78 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
" 3d, I am pressed in conscience to leave here at my death, my
true and honest testimony in the sight of God and man, to and for
' the national covenant ; the solemn league and covenant ; the solemn
acknowledgment of our sins,' and ¦ engagement to our duties ;' to all
the ' grounds and causes of fasts' and humiliations, and of the ' Lord's
displeasure' and contending with the land ; and to the several ' testi
monies' given to his interests, by general assemblies, commissions of
the kirk, presbyteries, and by other honest and faithful ministers and
professors. " 4th, I am also pressed to encourage his doing, suffering, witness
ing people, and sympathizing ones with these that suffer, that they
would continue in the duties of witnessing, mourning, praying, and
sympathizing with these that suffer, and humbly to assure them in the
name of the Lord our God, the God of his own word and work, of
his own cause, covenant, and people, that he will be seen, found, and
felt, (in his own gracious way and time, by his own means and instru
ments, for his own glory and honour) to return to his own truths, and
interests, and servants, and revive his name, his covenant, his word,
his work, his sanctuary, and his saints in these nations, even in the
three covenanted nations, which were by so solemn bonds, covenants,
subscriptions, and oaths, given away and devoted unto himself.
" 5th, I exhort all these that have been, or are enemies or un
friends to the Lord's name, covenants, or cause, word, work, or peo
ple, in Britain and Ireland, to repent and amend, before these sad
judgments, that are posting fast, come upon them, for their sinning so
highly against the Lord, because of any temptation of the time, on the
right or left hand, by baits or straits whatsoever, and that after so
many professions and engagements to the contrary.
" 6th, I dare not conceal from you, that are friendly to all the
Lord's interests, that the Lord (to the commendation of his grace, be
it humbly spoken) bath several times, in the exercise of my repent
ance and faith during my trouble, and after groans and tears upon
these three notable chapters, to wit, the 9th of Ezra, the 9th of Ne
hemiah, and the 9th of Daniel, with other such suitable scriptures,
and in the very nick of fervent and humble supplication to him, for
the reviving again of his name, cause, covenant, word, and work of
reformation, in these covenanted nations, and particularly in poor
Scotland, which first solemnly engaged to him, to the good example
and encouragement of his people, in the other two nations, to do the
same also, that the Lord, I say, hath several times given to me good
ground of hope and lively expectations of his merciful, gracious,
powerful, and wonderful renewing and reviving again of his foremen-
tioned great interests in these covenanted nations : and that in such a
way, by such means and instruments, with such antecedents, concur
rents, consequents, and effects, as shall wonderfully rejoice his mourn
ing friends, and astonish his contradicting and counteracting enemies.
" 7th, I do earnestly recommend my poor wife and children, and
their posterity, to the choicest blessings of God, and to the prayers
and favour of all the Lord's children and servants, in their earnest
dealing with God and men in their behalf, that they may not be ruined
for my cause, but for the Lord my God's sake, they may be favoured.

LORD WARRISTON. 79
assisted, supplied, and comforted, and also may be fitted by the Lord
for his fellowship and service; whom God himself hath moved me
often, in their own presence, and with their own consent, to dedicate,
devote, and resign alike, and as well, as I devote and resign my own
soul and body to him for time and eternity.*
" 8th, I beg the Lord to open the eyes of all the instruments of
my trouble, that are not deadly irreconcilable enemies to himself and
his people, that they may see the wrong done by them to hia interests
and people, and to me and mine, and may repent thereof and return
to the Lord ; and may more cordially own and adhere to all his inte
rests in time coming : the good Lord give unto them repentance, re
mission, and amendment ; and that is the worst wish I do wish them,
and the best wish I can wish them.
" 9th, I do earnestly beg the fervent prayers of all his praying peo
ple, servants, and instruments, whether absent or present, wherever
they be, in behalf of his name, cause, and covenant-work, and people j
and in behalf of my wife, children, and their posterity : and that the
Lord would glorify himself, edify his church, encourage his saints,
further his work, accomplish his good word, by all bis doings and
dealings, in substance and circumstance toward all his own.
" 10th, Whereas I have heard, that some of my unfriends have
slandered and defamed my name, as if I had been accessary to his
late majesty's death, and to the making of the change of government
thereupon ; the great God of heaven be witness and judge between
me and my accusers in this ; for I am free (as I shall now answer be
fore his tribunal) from any accession, by counsel or contrivance, or
any other way, to his late majesty's death, or to their making that
change of government : and I pray the Lord to preserve our present
king his majesty, and to pour out his best blessings upon his royal
posterity, and to give unto them good and faithful counsellors, holy
and wise counsels, and prosperous successes, to God's glory, and to
the good and interest of his people, and to their own honour and
happiness. " 1 1th, I do here now submit and commit my soul and body, wife
and children, and children's children from generation to generation for
ever, with all others his friends and followers, all his doing and suf
fering, witnessing and sympathizing ones, in the present and subse
quent generations, unto the Lord's choice mercies, graces, favours,
services, employments, empowerments, enjoyments, improvements, and
inheritments, on earth, and in heaven, in time, and eternity. All
• It has already been observed, that lord Warriston's family was numerous ;
and, no doubt, the thought of leaving them unprotected and forlorn in the midst
of an unpitying world, must have excited within him the most pungent sorrow.
It was consolatory to him, however, that he was able in this and a following
passage, to commit them, in the exercise of faith and hope, to the Father of
mercies. And it may be consolatory to others about to leave the world, though
not by a death similar to his, to know that in this, as in a thousand other in
stances, the trust reposed in God was not disappointed. " His numerous
family," says Wodrow, " he left upon the Lord's providence cheerfully, who
provided as well for most of them as they could have expected, though he had
continued in his outward prosperity."

80 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES,
which -suits, with all others, which he hath at any time by his Spirit
moved and assisted me to make ..and put up, according to his mil, I
leuve before, and upon the Father's merciful bowels, and the bone
mediating merits, and the Holy Spirit's compassionate groans, for now
and evermore. Amen."*

VI. JAMES WOOD.
[Mr. Wood is spoken of as having been one of the brightest lights of
the period in which he lived, and as a person most eminent for his
piety and learning. Of his early history we have no account.
But, at the restoration, he held tlie ofl&ce of principal in the old
college of St. Andrews, and was a minister of that city. Haying
given offence to the archbishop, with whom he had formerly been inti
mate, by some bold reflections upon his lately discovered treachery,
he was, in July 1663, cited before the council, stript of his
office, on the plea that he had received it from the usurper, and
ordered to confine himself to Edinburgh. Shortly after, however,
his father's illness and other affairs requiring his presence at St.
Andrews, he obtained leave to go thither ; and, previous to his re
turn, he took sick, and died there, early in the following year.
During his sickness, he was visited by Sharp, who spread the re
port that,he now felt a total indifference with regard to presbyterian
government. It was to contradict this misrepresentation that he
emitted his Testimony, as is evident from the following very full
detail of his last words.] 1. His Last Words.
Upon Monday night, being the 29th of February, 1664, which was
the first day of his keeping bed all day without rising, his brother-in-
law, Mr. J. C.-j- came to visit him ; to whom, with outstretched arms,
embracing him, he said, " Long looked for, long looked for." And
beginning to speak a little of bis spiritual condition, he said, " I have
been under several shakings, but that word hath stayed me, ' Him
that cometh to me, I will in no ways cast out ;' blessed be the mouth
that spoke it, may I not trust to it ?"
On Tuesday, the 1st of March, he caused send for some persons
concerned, and when they were come, he caused read over his
Testament, J and, after he had desired his brother-in-law to pray, he
subscribed it. And having been informed of some reports that were
going through the country, anent what was spoken by him to Mr.
Sharp, when he came to visit him, and hearing that some persons
whom he respected were in town, he earnestly desired that they
might be sent for in the evening. And when they were long in com-
* Naphtali, pp. 300—306. \ Mr. John Carstairs.
\ This was his Latter-will, which, it appears, was written before his Tes
timony.

7: JAMES WOOD. 81
ing, he inquired once and again if they were come, saying, " 1 am
pained till they come." And though it was the time of the evening
that he used to take some refreshment, yet he put it by till he spake
with them, so serious was he in what he was to say to them. When
one of these, with another occasionally in company with him, came,
being again sent for, though he was in great weakness of body, yet he
did witb much earnestness of mind, and more than ordinary extension
of his voice, speak to them to this purpose, taking one of them by the
hand, and saying, "I am glad to see you, an honest man. The
bishop might have spared his visit, but sith he offered that civility,
they could not keep him at the gate. I hear several reports have gone
of what passed at that visit, as, that when he was speaking his dissat
isfaction with the brethren that did not keep the meeting, that I should
have assented, and said, ' if I live, I will testify against them'— the
falsest lie that ever was spoken." And being inquired whether he
called church government a nicety, and, if he lived, he would abstract
more from such niceties, he answered, " Fie, fie, never such a thing
I did indeed, that the bishop might not think tbat I was pursuing that
controversy against them, say, I had a great business to think upon
my salvation and peace with God at the stake ; but I did not say, nor
think that presbyterian government was a nicety. I judge it to be a
truth of God, an ordinance of Jesus Christ, a part of his visible king
dom, for which every Christian, as called to it, should suffer even unto
death ; and I would exhort them to it, for it is but little that we have
suffered yet, and, if I were to live, I would through the grace and might
of the power of God, account it my glory to lay down my life in defence
of that truth. There is no man in the world that hath more and stronger
obligations on him, to stand to the maintenance of that government
than I, wherein the Lord hath cleared me with a strong hand. I
blesB the Lord that made me understand the nature of his covenant,
and gave me light in the point of justification, and helped me in some
measure to hold out light therein to others, and cleared me in the
controversy with the independents, and this anent prelacy." He said,
" he had said before, and said so still, that if ever he should come to
be against presbyterian government, he might fear to meet with God's
everlasting wrath, and be made a spectacle to others." He said fur
ther, with much grave confidence, " God will give an outgate, (mean
ing of the prelates) though they will say, it is impossible, and how
should it come ; he can hiss for the bees, as beyond the river." He
"aid also, nothing of it being suggested by them to him, " That he had
a mind to leave a testimony behind him."
On Wednesday, the 2d of March, when in the forenoon it was told
him that a co-presbyter of his was coming up to see him, while he was
coming up stairs, he said to his brother-in-law, " That is a precious
man, with little din." And when he came near him, he spake a few
words to him, and desired him to pray. And when he was about to
take his leave of him, he said, (nothing to thai purpose having been
hinted at by the person nor any other) " I take you witness before
the Lord, that I did not, directly nor indirectly, speak any thing to
the prejudice of presbyteriaf government ; but to the contrary, I

32 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTfliES.
judge it to be a truth of God, and a part of the kingdom of Jesus
Christ, for which every Christian, if he be calledrto it, should suffer.
The Lord bless you, and make you a blessing to his church, and you
are a blessing." He did tbat morniiig, none moving any such thing
to him, expressly desire tbe person that had written to him all the
time of his sickness, who was going a little out of the town, to exe
cute somewhat relating to the security of his children's provision, tbat
he would come in to him about twelve or one o'clock, for he had
somewhat to write that would take time. And when he asked,' if he
would not do it now ? " No," said he, " for I must think of it." And
when he came in, he did after dinner fall very weak, yet with wonder
ful calmness, presentness, and composure of mind, caused him to write
the following testimony to presbyterian government, whereof he had
spoken the night before, to divers ministers, and for which he had de
sired the young man that wrote to him to haste him in again, so much
was the thing in his heart, and so deliberate was he in it.
Mr. William Tullidaff, one of the subscribing witnesses to this
testimony, came in after the writing of it, most occasionally, knowing
nothing at all of such a business ; whom, after the testimony was sub
scribed by himself and the witnesses, after the distinct reading of it
over, he commended as a very faithful friend, " and whom," be said,
" he respected, especially for the grace of God in him." Adding,
moreover, " they say he is led by me, and that it is by my influence
upon him that he doth not conform : but I say it before you, brother,
(directing his speech to his brother-in-law) that it was not through
my influence, but through the strength of reason in himself, that. he
hath not done it." He continued in a most Bweet and divine frame
of spirit all that night ; so that when one at the other end of thf
room, was at supper, blessing the table, and speaking somewhat of a
frame fit for heaven, he cried out, " O to be there, O to be there I"
And in midst ofthe night spake most refreshingly, thus : " I would fain,
I would fain be taken up with the love of Jesus Christ, and be exercised
in commending of it, which I hope shall be my exercise to all eternity :
I think I will now lay by ray doublings, and stay myself on him.
Many, many challenges, but now the feud is taken away, the feud is
taken away ; he hath said, < because I live, ye shall live also.' " When
after sitting up a little, he laid his head down on his .pillow, he said,
with great weight and seriousness, " Many say, who will show ub
any good ? But, Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon
us, for thou hast caused more joy and gladness to my heart, than they
have when their corn and wine abound ; I will lay me down and sleep,
tor than only makest me to be in safety : I would not for a thousand
worlds, for^ a thousand worlds, change my present condition with their
bishoprics. And when it was said to him, « It is another sort of
sweetness and satisfaction that ariseth from the hope of seeing God's
face, than these things can afford," he said, » Hay, even from present
approbation of myself in the course wherein I have suffered." A little
alter, he said, " I hope my anchor is cast in good ground, it will not
drive, but draw me home to the harbour." He did twice that samo
night pray sweetly himself, being much therein taken up with the

JAMES WOOD. 88
Mediator's sympathy with his afflicted members. Nbw, are all these
so gracious sayings and deliberate doings, the sayings and doings of a
man that knew not what he said or did ? What man of conscience,
ingenuity, or reason, will say it ?
On Friday, he called for his brother-in-law, and said, " Brother,
O for one hour's " converse with Him, for one hour's converse with
Him." On Saturday, in the evening, after he had been much tossed
with sickness all the day, his brother-in-law told him that Dr. Yeo
man, whom he had caused send for, was come, and asked what he
was doing? He answered, " I am longing, longing for a sight of
that blessed face : O blessed be he that laid down his life at Jerusa
lem for poor sinners 1 O the love, O the love, O the love of Jesus !
I bless him, that ever was pleased to reveal himself to me : O what
would have become of me if he had not done it ?" When it was said
to him, that it would have been sad lying in that posture, if Christ
had not died, and that death would have had a most dreadful aspect,
he said pleasantly, "O death, where is thy sting?" Then a little
after, when somewhat was spoken of sin, he said, " O to be freed
from indwelling corruption, from a body of sin and death."
On the Lord's day, being the 6th of March, he was sorely oppressed
with sickness and great weakness, yet he said, " He knew it was the
Sabbath." Then he said, " Poor thing, poor thing, under a clog !"
He would fain have spoken somewhat further ; and when it was asked
what he would say ? he replied, " What shall I say, what shall I say,
but Jesus, but Jesus ; I am heavy and dead, but he must pardon, and
I hope he will pardon." Then he desired that the family would with
draw for seeking God together. Toward the evening, he said, " O
friendship with Jesus Christ ! O friendship, friendship, with Jesus
Christ !" When he was inquired whether the Lord had left any
doubts with him about his friendship, he, after a while's silence, very
soberly said, " I dare not doubt, I dare not doubt ; but I fear a new
storm." Then, a little after, he said, " Dearest Lord, deareBt Lord,
sweet Saviour, save me from all that I would be saved from ; he will
save me from all that I fear : I was beginning to fear, but he will dis
appoint my fears." Then he did, griping his brother-in-law fast by
the arm, cry with great earnestness, " O to apprehend Jesus Christ —
brother, brother." Then he said, sweetly, " Bless the Lord, O my
soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name." When it was
said to him, " It is but a little, and it will be sung ; ' bless him who hath
pardoned all thine iniquity, and hath healed all thy diseases, which he
is now a healing ;' " he said, " That will sing sweetly, that will eing
sweetly." Speaking of a certain person,* he said, " I have said, and
say so still, that God will honour him, as he hath honoured Him ;
G"d will bless him and his family ; I am persuaded God will bless
his family, I am persuaded of it." A little after, h~- uiid, " Dear
Lord Jesus ! — the matter of a song, not of straitened words, but of
enlarged praise to all eternity."
On Monday morning, being the 7th of March, his brotner-in-law
* Mr. John Carstairs.

84 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
did inquire how he had been all that night? He said, "Not well,
but I bless the Lord I had some comfort. I would fain have sung a
psalm with you if ye had been here, I would have sung a' part of it
myself:" and being inquired what psalm ? he said, " the 103d,"
which he had caused his son William to read to him a little before.
Toward the evening, when upon an apparent change, his relations were
weeping about him, he said, " Would ye have me coming again when
so near the shore, when so near the shore, when I am so near home ?"
In the night when he was so full of toseings, even till the morning, he
spoke some sweet words in his agony : " lam weak in my thoughts,
but God will pardon ; he hides all mine iniquities." When it was
asked at him, if there were any challenges now haunting him, he
answered, " I have many, many and grievous challenges ; but Jesus
Christ answereth them all; through him, matters are fully taken up
betwixt God and me. Blessed be God, blessed be God that ever
was pleased to send his Son to die for sinners ; what would have be
come of us if he had not died." When he was inquired, whether the
thoughts of being a while under sharp affliction were terrible to him,
he said, " Not : death is not terrible, but sweet to me ; I will assure
you, death is not terrible to me, for things are taken up betwixt God
and me." When God's pardoning mercy in Jesus Christ was spoken
of, he said, " It should make him to be extolled in praise." And
when it was further said to him, there was indeed good ground- for
that song, ' Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity?'
he replied, " I would fain sing it, but challenges detain me from it a
while ; yet all matters are taken up betwixt him and me."
On Tuesday, having been silent almost all the day, when he was
inquired why he spake not ? he said, " I cannot, I am very weak,
but I hope I am strong in the Lord Jesus."
On Wednesday morning, the 9th of March, being exceedingly
weak, he was inquired if his mind was quiet ? to which he answered,
" Somewhat quiet, but I cannot speak ; fain would I be enlarged, to
speak to the praise and commendation of the Redeemer." And being
asked, whether there were any challenges moving now about him ? he
said, " None, but such as are answered by Jesus Christ." And when
one sitting by, spoke of the answer of a good conscience, he cried,
" No answer to challenges but through the blood of Jesus Christ."
And when it was said to him, that ere long he would be associated
with the spirits of just men made perfect, and sing his part of their
hallelujahs before the throne, he lifted up his eyes and hands with
much gravity and seriousness, a considerable space. A little after,
having spoken a few words about common business, when he was de
sired not to trouble himself now about these things, be said, com
posedly, " Let then all business be laid aside : welcome, welcome,
Lord Jesus ; come, come, sweet Saviour ; make haste, make
haste, Lord ; hasten thy pace, and come on the mountains.'- On
this occasion the woman that waited on him, and had waited on
his first wife when she was a dying, said, that she did chirm* and sing
* i. c. rhaunt or hum.

JAMES WOOD. 85
sweetly a whole night, and that in the next morning she lifted up her
eyes stedfastly, and said, ' I see him as it were putting his head
through the clouds, and coming on the mountains.' And when the
woman was inquired how long that was before her death ? Mr. Wood
overhearing, said, " it was the same day she died : and," said he, " I
thought I then saw heaven." About eleven o'clock, the defluxion
coming down mightily on him, it was said by one standing by, there
is a torrent of it, whereupon he took occasion to cry out : " A torrent
of the love of God, a torrent of the righteousness of Christ ; I cannot
enough wonder at the love of God, and at the love of Jesus Christ in
his purchase ; what, would have become of me, if he had not died ?'\
he added, " Lord, pardon all mine iniquity ; Lord Jesus, intercede foi
me, and interpose betwixt me and the justice of God." When it
was said to him, " your dissolution seems to be at hand ; put yourself
m-a posture to wait for the coming of the Lord ; let your soul be on
wing to meet him." " Td meet him," said he, " to meet him, blythe
at my heart, blythe at my heart ; he will give me wings, he hath
promised it." In the night he was sorely oppressed, and much tossed
with his fever. Yet, when some death-like passions* did overtake him,
he was gathered and sweetly composed, and said to his weeping rela
tions, " Hold me no longer, I am going ; I desire to take leave of
you." Then he spake a few weighty words in reference to his own
case : " There are many faults, but he will pardon them all : Death
maketh a fast bargain betwixt God and the soul, 'I mean of the be
liever. The bargain is agreed, death is not terrible, but sweet to me ;
Jesus Christ hath taken away the sting of it. Good news, good news,
I am coming to heaven." When it was said to him, " God maketh
your passage easy," he replied, with wonderful presentness of mind,
" He hath made it easy, by a word that he spake to me even now ; it
is in 2 Cor. v. ' He hath made him to be sin for us, that we might be
made the righteousness of God through him.' " When he was in
quired if all fears and doubts were now blown away, he said, " I am
scarce able to speak ;" yet, with lifted up eyes and hands, he said,
" They are blown away, only, only through the righteousness of
Jesus." After which time he had but little speech ; only on Friday
he was overheard cry, " Lord, loose a poor prisoner I"
On the Lord's day, March 13th, about two or three in the morning,
when he was inquired, if under this sore and long conflict he did win
quietly to believe that the love of God was the same to him, he said,
sweetly, " Yes, blessed be God, blessed be God ; I find no change in
him, he is constant, and just the same he was." After which he
spake few sentences, or none at all. He fell asleep in the Lord, on
Tuesday the 15th of March, about ten o'clock in the morning.-]-
* i. e. pangs.
t The above very interesting account of Mr. Wood's last words, now pub
lished for the first time, has been copied expressly for this Work from a MS. in
the Advocates' Library at Edinburgh. There are various circumstances which
render it probable that it was written by Mr. John Carstairs, Mr. Wood's
brother-in-law, and one of the witnesses to his testimony. At all events, there
is every reason for regarding it as perfectly accurate in all ite details. —[MS. in
Bibl. Jnrid. Edin. £|. Jac. V. i. 21. art. 70.]

86 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
2. His Testimony.
" I James Wood, being very shortly, by appearance, to render up my
spirit to the Lord, find myself obliged to leave a word behind me, for
my vindication before the world. It hath been said of me, that I
have, in word at least, departed from my wonted zeal for the presby
terian government, expressing myself, concerning it, as if it were a
matter not to be accounted of, and that no- man should trouble him
self therefore, in matter of practice. Surely any Christian that knows
me in this kirk, will judge that this is a wrong done to me. It is
true, that I being under sickness, have said sometimes, in conference
about my soul's state, that I was taken up about greater business than
any thing of that kind ; and what wonder I said so, being under such
wrestling anent my interest in Jesus Christ, which is a matter of far
greater concernment than any external ordinance ? But for my esti
mation of presbyterian government, the Lord knoweth, that since the
day he convinced my heart, which was by a strong hand, that it is the
ordinance of God, appointed by Jesus Christ, for governing and or
dering his visible church, I never had tbe least change of thought con
cerning the necessity of it, nor of the necessity of the use of it. And
I declare, before God and the world, that I still account so for it ;
and that, however there may be some more precious ordinances, that
is so precious, that a true Christian is obliged to lay down his life for
the profession thereof, if the Lord shall see meet to put him to trial ;
and for myself, if I were to live, I would account it my glory to seal
this word of my testimony with my blood. Of this declaration I
take God, angels, and men, to be my witnesses ; and have subscribed
these presents, at St. Andrews, on the 2d March, 1664, about seven
hours in the afternoon, before Mr. William Tullidaff, minister at Dum-
bog, Mr. John Carstairs, my brother-in-law, and John Pitcairn, writer
hereof.
JAMES WOOD."*

William Tullidaff,
John Carstairs, ^ Witnesses.f
John Pitcairn,

[wit

* Wodrow's History, vol. i.
t It may serve to give the reader some idea of the cruelty and injustice that
• prevailed during the times in question, to state, that these persons, for simply
witnessing to the subscription of a friend, were brought to much trouble.
"When Mr. Wood's testimony came to be propaled, the primate raged terribly,
and caused summon Mr. Carstairs, Mr. Tullidaff, and the notary, before the
high commission court. The bishop alleged, yea, spread the report pretty pub
licly, that the notary informed him that when Mr: Wood was in great weak
ness, Mr. Carstairs had imposed upon him, and made him subscribe that paper
which he had formed for him. But when Mr Tullidaff and the notary came
before them, both of them declared that the notary wrote it at his desire, and
attested it, as it was his office to do. Here the primate once more got the lie
given him to his face ; and when tho two had continued some time in prison,
and nothing worthy of death and bonds could be fixed upon them, the bishop
was forced to dismiss them, without any farther punishment, having shown his
malice, and got shame for his reward. Mr. Carstairs thought fit, on many
considerations, to abscond, and did not compear." — Wodrow, vol. i, p. 209.

KOBERT BLAIR. 87

VII. ROBERT BLAIR.

Mr Blair was born at Irvine, in 1593. He was educated at Glas
gow, and, having completed his studies, was appointed a regent in
that university. In 1616, he was licensed to preach, and though
he had several charges offered to him in Scotland, accepted a call
to become minister of Bangor, in Ireland. In that country his la
bours were remarkably blessed. But being at length ejected from
his living by the bishop of Down, he returned about the year 1638,
and was admitted minister of Ayr, and next year was transported
to St. Andrews. He now took a prominent share in the public
acts of the church ; and in 1646, was sent as a commissioner from
the Assembly to the king at Newcastle, along with Mr. Henderson
and others, and, on the death of that Worthy, became king's chap
lain in his stead. In 1648, too, he, with two others, was sent to
treat with Cromwell anent uniformity of religion in the three king-
tioms ; and after the restoration, in 1660, he suffered the award
then so frequently bestowed on merit such as his, by being harassed
with repeated citations and imprisonments, and afterwards turned
out of his charge.]
Being worn out with age, and his spirits sunk by sorrow and grief for
the desolations of the Lord's sanctuary in Scotland, Mr. Blair, upon
the 10th of August, 1666, took his last sickness ; and ever extolling
the good and glorious Master whom he had served, contemplated
with serious composure his approaching end. His sickness increasing,
he was visited by many friends and acquaintances, whom he strength
ened and comforted by his many gracious and edifying words.
At one time, when they told him of some severe acts of council
lately made, upon Sharp's instigation, he prayed that the Lord would
open his eyes, and give him repentance. And at another time, to
Mrs. Rutherford, he said, " I would not exchange conditions with
that man, (though for himself he was now on the bed of languish
ing, and the other possessed of great riches and revenues) even if all
betwixt us were red gold, and given me to the bargain." When
some ministers asked him, if he had any hopes of deliverance to the
people of God ? he said he would not take upon him to determine the
times and seasons which the Lord keeps in his own hand, but that it
was to him a token for good, that the Lord was casting the prelates
out of the affections of all ranks and degrees of people, and even
some who were most active in setting them up, were now beginning
to loathe them for the pride, falsehood, and covetousness they dis
played. To his wife and children he spake gravely and affectionately ; and,
after having solemnly blessed them, he admonished them severally as he
judged expedient. His son David said to him, " The best and worst
of men have their thoughts and afterthoughts, now, Sir, God having
given you time for afterthoughts on your way, we would hear what
thoy are now." — He answered, " I have again and again thought upon
my former ways, and eejyimuned with my heart ; and as for my public

88 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
actings and carriage, in reference to the Lord's work, if I were to be
gin again, I would just do as I have done." He often repeated the
16th, the 23d, and once the 71st Psalm, which he used to call his
own. About two days before his death, his speech began to fail, and
he could not be heard or understood : some things, however, were not
altogether lost ; for speaking of some eminent saints then alive, he
prayed earnestly that the Lord would bless tbem, and as an evidence
of his love to them, he desired Mr. George Hutcheson, then present,
to carry his Christian remembrances to them. When Mr. Hutcheson
went from his bed side, he said to his wife, and others who waited on
him, that he rejoiced in suffering as a persecuted minister. " Is it not
persecution," added he, " to thrust me from the work of the ministry,
which was my delight, and hinder me from doing good to my people
and flock, which was my joy and crown of rejoicing, and to chase mo
from place to place, till I am wasted with heaviness and smtow for
the injuries done to the Lord's prerogative, interest, and cause ?" What
he afterwards said was either forgotten or not understood, and, at
length, about four o'clock in the morning, August 27th, 1666, he was
gathered to his fathers, by a blessed and happy death, the certain re
suit of a holy life.*

VIII. THOMAS PATERSON, AND OTHERS.
[Upon the defeat of the covenanters at Pentland, 28th November,
1666, about 80 prisoners in all were brought to Edinburgh. Of
these, the greater number were lodged in Haddock's Hold, a place
which, as Wodrow remarks, has since then been turned to a better
purpose, being now used as a church. Such, however, as were
most distinguished by their station or office, it was thought proper
to secure in the tolbooth-prison. And of this number, it seem
Mr. Paterson was one. — He was a merchant in Glasgow, and had
probably joined the insurgents in their progress from Ayr to Lan
ark. It seems he was confined in a chamber with some of the
ten who were shortly after condemned and executed, and that he
must have shared their fate, had he not died of his wounds before
the trial. That his death preceded the trial, appears from his
name not being in the process. The following testimony, there.
fore, to which he assented, must have been agreed upon by his
companions-)- in trouble, previous to December 4tb, the day -on
which they were condemned.!
• Scots Worthies— Life of Blair.
f Who the particular individuals were, whose sentiments it expresses, we have
no means of knowing. It is certain, however, that they were of the ten, who
were honoured to be the first victims of prelatic revenge. It is not improbable,
that perceiving Mr. Faterson's death approaching, they might have drawn up
the paper, on some of the few days which elapsed between their apprehension
and their trial. In the preface to it in " Naphtali," it is said, that he " being
in like manner indicted, but dying of his wounds before sentence, did communi
cate the same to his friends, with his assent thereunto."

THOMAS PATERSON AND OTHERS. 89
" Men and brethren, — Being condemned by our rulers as traitors, lest
we should seem to many to suffer as evil-doers,
" 1st, In the first place, we bless and praise the Lord our God, who
hath made us (the unworthiest of all men) worthy to be faithful to
him, who is ' King of kings and Lord of lords,' and in simplicity and
godly sincerity, singly to mind his glory ; and who also maketh tha
cross of Christ (though by men superscribed with treason) our sweet
c onsolation, and his own joy, our strength.
" 2d, We declare, in tbe presence of the same God, before whom
we are now ready to appear, that we did not intend to rebel against
the king and his just authority, whom as we acknowledge for our law
ful sovereign ; so we earnestly pray in his behalf, that God would
open his eyes and convert his heart, that he may remember his vows
made unto God, relieve this oppressed kirk, and long reign and flour
ish in righteousness.
" 3d, We declare, that perceiving the holy covenants of our God
broken, the work of the Lord overturned, the gospel and kingdom of
Jesus Christ despised and trampled upon, his pure ordinances cor
rupted, his faithful and our soul-refreshing ministers cast out, and the
land filled with perjury and profanity, and like to be hurried back to
that gulf of ignorance, superstition, and confusion, whence the Lord
did so gloriously deliver us ; and finding ourselves not only spoiled of
our most precious blessings, and most dear enjoyments, but urged and
compelled by cruel violence and barbarous persecution, to the wicked
apostasy from our holy covenants, and to rebellion against our God ;
and all this done by no other hand than the wicked and perjured pre
lates ; and for no other ends (whatever they may pretend) than the
satisfying of their own vile lusts, and establishing their so often ab
jured antichristian tyranny, over both souls and bodies of men.
" 4th, And lastly, finding former petitions condemned as seditious,
and our private complaints, when but muttered, insolently rejected,
we did in the fear and zeal of our God, and by the warrant of -his
holy word, according to the first and most innocent instinct of pure
nature, and the practice of all people and persons in the like case ;
and after the example of all the oppressed kirks of Jesus Christ, and
of our noble ancestors, take the sword of necessary self-defence, from
the rage and fury of these wicked and violent men, until we might
make our heavy grievances known to his majesty, and obtain from his
justice a satisfying remedy.
" We will not now mention our particular sufferings, nor the sighs
and groans of poor wasted Galloway, which though very heavy from the
hand of man, are all too light for Jesus Christ ;* nor are we willing to
" This is a very proper distinction, and one which ought ever to be kept in
view, when judging of the sufferings to which man is subject in the present
state. These sufferings may be altogether unmerited from the persons who in
flict them, and their infliction may be consequently altogether unjustifiable ; but
it ought ever to be. remembered, that great as they may be, they cannot be un
deserved as coming from God. From him it is only suffering we can be said to
merit. At the very best, we are unprofitable servants ; nay, we should rathe*
tay that all of us have sinned, and come short of his glory, and are therefore
AI

90 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
reflect upon these grievous and bitter laws and edictB, by which they
seem to be warranted: only we know, that God is righteous, whose
laws and judgments are superior and above all the laws and actions of
men. And to him who will judge righteously, we entirely commit
our cause, which is none other than the reviving of the work of God
and renewing of his covenant : which though it pleased the holy and
wise God, not to favour with success in the field, and though by men
it may be made our condemnation, yet it is our righteousness, inno-
cency, and confidence in his sight. And all praise and thanks be unto
our God, who not only kept us stedfast in his covenant, and made
us willing and ready to adventure our lives for his name, but hath
also accepted and dignified our offer with this public appearance :*
where, in his own glorious presence, before whom we shall instantly
appear, and before our often sworn and once zealous and tender
brethren in the same cause, and in midst of thee, O Edinburgh ! once
famous for the glory and zeal of God and of this covenant, we may
give and seal this our testimony with our blood.
" We therefore, the unworthiest of all the faithful, do, in the Spirit
of God and glory, testify and seal with our blood and lives, that both
the national covenant and solemn league and covenant, are in them-
Belves holy, just, and true, and perpetually binding, containing no
other thing than our indispensable obligation to all duties of religion
and righteousness, according to the revealed will of God, which no
authority nor power of man, is or ever shall be able to disannul : and
that our blessed reformations, both from popery and prelacy, and all
that was done or ensued, in the sincere and upright prosecution
thereof, was and is the work of God, which though men fight against,
yet shall they never be able to prevail. And as this is our faith, so it
is our hope to all that wait for the salvation of God, that our God
will surely appear for his own glory, and vindicate hiB cause and per
secuted people, and render vengeance to his adversaries, even the ven
geance of his holy temple and broken covenant. O be not then
moved with our sufferings, which are but light and momentary, for
they ' work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,'
and for you also a strong confirmation, and abounding consolation
against the like trial that possibly may befall you. O then save your
selves from this wicked and apostate generation, and ' be ye stedfast,
unmoveable, always abounding in the work and cause of the Lord :
waiting for the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in his
guilty before him. But this, it must be observed, is no excuse for those who,
to gratify their own malignant passions, or compass their own selfish purposes,
violate every feeling of humanity, trample on the rights of their fellow men,
and are even forward to shed their blood ¦
* Of course, though this testimony was not spoken, and in so far as Pater
son was concerned, could not be spoken, it was written under the impression
that all who concurred in it would be called to make such a public .appearance
as is here referred to. It is needless to say a word here with regard to the
principles it avows Of these principles it seems to contain an eloquent vindi
cation. But, at the present day, it is enough for this purpose to remark, that
they are the very principles which ultimately triumphed in the glorious revolu
tion of 1688.

JOHN M'CULLOCH AND OTHERS.. 91
time he shall show, wbo only hath immortality, dwelling in the light
which no man can approach, whom no man hath seen, or can see, to
whom be honour and power everlasting 1' Amen."*

IX. JOHN M'CULLOCH, AND OTHERS.
[[John M'Culloch of Barhulm was " a gentleman of good parts and
great piety." He had already suffered much for his conscientious
adherence to the presbyterian church, having shared extensively
both in 1663 and 1665, in the fines and exactions which were
levied from Galloway. He was now far advanced in life, and we
may be sure it was no ordinary oppression that had induced him to
embark in the late insurrection. It appears he had served in the
army, and had attained the rank of major. In consequence of this
circumstance, as well as from his family influence, it is probable
he was regarded as the most distinguished of the prisoners taken
at Pentland. He was therefore one of the ten who, immediately
after the defeat, were condemned and executed. And hence he
was the first to affix his name to the following testimony, (which,
in addition to that previously agreed to by some of them,) they
subscribed in the prison, at Edinburgh, on the day of their death,
being 7th December, 1666.]
" Men and brethren, — This is a great and important work, both for
vs, who are now to render up our spirits to him that gave them, and
for you who are not a little concerned in the cause, and in our blood,
by justifying or condemning our sentence ; and therefore, as we speak
to you as dying men, who dare not dissemble with God or man, nor
flatter ourselves ; so ye should not be idle, curious, or unconcerned
spectators. " We are condemned by men, and esteemed by many as rebels against
the king (whose authority we acknowledge! ) but this i3 our rejoicing,
* Naphtali, pp. 311—311.
f It has been common for the apologists of the House of Stuart, to hold up
the covenanters who suffered under its dynasty, as characterized by the extremes
of disloyalty and sedition. Not'''11?' however, can be farther from the truth. —
Whoever considers the tendency of their principles, must readily perceive that it
must have been in an entirely opposite direction. But to pass over this, and to
come to facts. The reader must perceive in the above, and in other succeeding
instances, that those of them at least who had engaged in the Pentland insurrec
tion, did so with far other feelings than rebellion against their king. Such was
their uniform profession when about to leave the world, and surely, in such cir
cumstances, it is but fair to acknowledge that, in such a profession, they were
at least sincere. And what is more, they uniformly refer to the oppressions
they had endured, as the sole cause of their rising ; and release from these op
pressions, and from the iniquitous system under which they were sanctioned,
as the only end which they had in view. Nor is there a man, wbo candidly
considers these oppressions, as described in the above testimony, and as detailed
in " Naphtali," the " Apologetical Relation," " Wodrow's History," and other
works relating to the period, that will not, if a spark of humanity remains in
bis bosom, be ready to acknowledge that they constituted a cause too adequate.

92 TESTIMONIES, OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
the testimony of our conscience, that we suffer not as evil-doers, but
for righteousness, for the word of God, and testimony of Jesus Christ;
and particularly, for our renewing the covenant, and, in pursuance there
of, for preserving and defending of ourselves by arms, against the usur
pation and insupportable tyranny of tbe prelates ; and against the most
unchristian and inhuman oppression and persecution, that ever was
enjoined and practised by just rulers, upon free, innocent, and peace
able subjects !
" The covenant and cause being so just in themselves, and the
duties of self-preservation and mutual defence in maintenance thereof,
being to judicious and unbiassed men so clear, we need to say the less
for vindication of our practice : only, the laws establishing prelacy,
and the acts, orders, and proclamations made for compliance there
with, being executed against us by military force and violence ; and
we, with others, for our simple forbearance, being fined, confined, impris
oned, exiled, scourged, stigmatized, beaten, bound as beasts, and driven
unto the mountains for our lives ; and thereby hundreds of families being
beggared, several parishes, and some whole country-sides exceedingly
impoverished ; and all this, either arbitrarily, and without any law, or
respect had to guilt or innocency ; or unjustly, Contrary to all con
science, justice, and reason, though under the pretence of iniquitous
laws, and without regard had to the penalty specified in the law : and
all remonstrating of grievances (were they never so just and many)
and petitions for redress, being restrained by laws condemning all for
mer remonstrances and petitions in the like cases ; there was no other
remedy left to us, but that last of necessary self-preservation and de
fence. And this being one of the greatest principles of nature, war
ranted by tbe law of God, scriptural instances, and the consent and
practices of all reformed churches and Christian states abroad, and of
our own famous predecessors at home, it cannot in reason or justice
be reputed a crime, or condemned as rebellion by any human au
thority. " Though we be not the first that have suffered for the cause of
God within the land, yet we are among tbe first that havebeen legally
condemned and put to death expressly for taking the covenant : and
we are so far from being ashamed thereof, that we account it our hon
our to be reckoned worthy to suffer for such a cause ; and cannot but
bless tho Lord, that we have such a cloud of witnesses, in this and
other reformed churches, going before us in the same duty for sub
stance, and in suffering therefore.
" We cannot but regret (if we could, with tears of blood,) the na
tional and authorized backsliding of the land, by perjury and breach
of covenant ; the overturning of the work of reformation ; the great
desolation of the house of the Lord, by smiting of the shepherds, and
scattering of the flocks ; the intrusion of so many mercenary hirelings
into the ministry, who, because of apostasy, perjury, ignorance, and
profaneness, can neither be acknowledged as (jod's mouth to the peo
ple, in preaching, nor employed as their mouth to him, in prayer ; the
abounding of popery, superstition, and profaneness, by unheard of
oaths, blasphemies, uncleannesses, and drinking, even in some whose

JOHN M'CULLOCH AND OTHERS. • 93
office and place requireth them to be more exemplary ; and the shedding
tbe blood of the saints by the rage of persecution : and therefore we
cannot but disown all these abominable laws, courses, and practices,
and declare our abhorrency of the same, and dissent therefrom ; pro
testing before angels and men, that we be not interpreted as consenters
thereto ; and beseeching the hearer of prayer, that we be not involved
in the guilt thereof, nor partake of the plagues which follow there
upon. " As this land was happy above all nations, for the purity and plenty
of the gospel, and for a form of church government more conform to
the pattern in the scriptures, than in others of the reformed churches ;
bo we acknowledge his great goodness to us in special, that gave us
our lines in such pleasant places ; for we have full persuasion of the
truth of the reformed religion in the church of Scotland, and have felt
so much of the power and sweetness thereof, that we do here declare
our firm belief and persuasion of, and adherence to the same, in doc
trine, worship, discipline, and government, according to the ' National
Covenant, the Solemn League and Covenant, the Confession of Faith,
Catechisms, Directory of Worship, and Propositions for Government;'
accounting it our honour and happiness to have been born in it, to have
lived in communion with it, and now to die, through grace, members,
witnesses, and assertors thereof.
" And further, as Christians, and as members of the same church
and commonwealth, in the fear and zeal of our God, in love to our
brethren, in desire of the preservation of church and kingdom, and for
our own exoneration, now when we take our leave of the world, we
do seriously, and in the bowels of Christ, supplicate, warn, exhort,
and obtest you. all the inhabitants of the kingdom, from the king
to the meanest of the subjects, according to your old principles, pro
fessions, promises, declarations, oaths, and covenants, faithfully to own,
maintain, preserve, and defend the said religion ; and after the ex
ample of our noble and renowned ancestors, to quit yourselves like
men and Christians, in endeavouring by all just means, according to
your places and powers, to shake off this heavy yoke of ' prelacy,
which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear,' and which is de
structive to all our true interests, religious and civil ; as ye would
not involve yourselves in the guilt and plagues of perjury and breach
of covenant ; and as you tender the good of your own names, persons,
estates, families, and liberties, as well as of your immortal souls ; and
as ye would partake of the good of God's chosen, and of our joys,
when ye come so near eternity as we are.
" We shall say no more, but as we were not afraid to take our
lives in our hands, so we are not afraid to lay them down in this
cause ; and as we are not ashamed of Christ because of his cross, so
we would not have you offended in Christ, nor discouraged because of
us : for we bear you record, that we would not exchange lots with
our adversaries : nor redeem our lives, liberties, and fortunes, at the
price of perjury and breach of covenant.
" And further, we are assured, though this be the day of Jacob's
trouble, that yet the Lord when he hath accomplished the trial of his own,

94 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
and filled up the cup of his adversaries, will awake for judgment,
plead his own cause, avenge the quarrel of his covenant, make inquiry
for blood, vindicate his people, break the arm ofthe- wicked, and estab
lish the just ; for to him belongeth judgment and vengeance : and
though our eyes shall not see it, yet we believe that < the Sun of
Righteousness shall arise with healing under his wings ;' and that he
will revive his work, repair the breaches, build the old wastes, and
raise up the desolations ; yea, < the Lord will judge hia people, and
repent himself for his servants, when their power is gone, and there is
none shut up or left : And therefore, rejoice, O ye nations, with bis
people : for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render
vengeance to bis . adversaries, and he will be merciful to his land and
people. So let thy enemies perish, O Lord ; but let^ them that love
him, be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might !' "
Sic Sub. —
John M'Culloch of Barholm, John Shields,
Andrew Arnot, James Hamilton,
John Gordon of Knockbrex, John Parker in Busby,
Robert Gordon, his Brother, Christopher Strang,
John Ross, Gavin Hamilton.

X. ANDREW ARNOT.
[[Captain Arnot, as he is usually styled, from the rank which, it ap
pears, he had previously borne in the army, was a gentleman of some
property and influence. He was brother to the laird of Lochridge,
an estate lying in the district of Cunningham. He joined the
covenanters at Ayr, took the command of a troop, and proceeded
with them to Lanark ; and from thence, till they arrived at Rullion
Green, where be was taken with his sword in hand. Whether he
delivered the following speech on the scaffold, we have not ascer
tained. As containing his separate testimony, to the cause in
which he suffered, it may be regarded, only as an addition and en
forcement to the foregoing, which, with his nine companions in suf
fering, he had already subscribed.]
" Dear friends and spectators, — I am brought by the good providence
of God to this place of execution (which is no dishonour) for points
of treason, as is alleged; but God knoweth (who knoweth the secrets
of hearts) whether in rebellion or not, I came forth ; he is my wit
ness, and will be my judge. And whoever they be that any way
iiave been instrumental or incensed against me, to procure this sen
tence against me, God forgive them, and I forgive them. I am not
now purposed to dispute the matter of my being in company with
these worthy Christians who are now defeat and broken, tbeir blood
shed, and they despitefully mocked by many : 1 acknowledge and
declare, that I was with them. As to the cause of my being with
them, whether in rebellion or not, God knoweth, and all Israel sbsl!

JOHN SHIELDS. 05
know. And for me, I say the cause is the Lord's, who made the
heaven and the earth, though now it be hated. And, I desire to bear
witness, with the rest of the worthy witnesses who are gone before,
and are now staged to that glorious work of reformation in Britain
and Ireland, and to gospel ordinances in their purity, as they have
been taught and administered these thirty years by-past. And I ad
here to the presbyterial way of doctrinal worship, discipline, and gov
ernment, by general assemblies, synods, presbyteries, and sessions,
according to the pattern of the holy scriptures, (Jesus Christ himself
fceing the head corner stone) the Confession of Faith, Catechisms
Shorter and Larger, Directory for Public Worship, National Covenant ,
Solemn League and Covenant, and every paper tending to the goo d
of the true religion. And this I think fit to testify and declare undei
my hand (not knowing if 1 shall have any liberty to speak) and intend.
God willing, to seal with my blood shortly. I confess, that unex
pectedly I am some to this place, (though sometimes I have had some
small thoughts of it) and I do account myself highly honoured to be
reckoned amongst the witnesses of Jesus Christ, to suffer for his name,
truth, and cause ; and this day I esteem it my glory, garland, crown,
and royal dignity, to fill up a part of his sufferings.
'' And now, I take my leave of you all, my dear and worthy friends
and acquaintances. The blessings of the eternal God be multiplied
upon you and your seed, and upon all the suffering friends of Christ, this
day ; upon my dear and loving wife, who hath been a faithful sympa
thizer with me, and upon my dear children. The work of God is now
put under, but it shall carry the day : blessed is he that believeth and
seeth not, for there shall be a performance. Now, the eternal God,
who brought again the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, the great
Shepherd of the sheep, strengthen and stablish you, and all the Lord's
people. So pray ye, and so prayeth your friend,
ANDREW ARNOT."*

XI. JOHN SHIELDS.
[[This was another of the ten persons who suffered on the 7th December,
1666. He is described in Wodrow, as resident in Titwood, and as
a tenant of Sir George Maxwell of Nether Pollock. It appears
that he had joined the insurgents in Ayrshire, and, that, with John
Ross and others, he was employed to watch the movements of the
king's forces in the neighbourhood of Kilmarnock. From thence he
accompanied them till their overthrow at Pentland, where he was
made prisoner. The following is his separate testimony to tht,
cause in which he died.]
" I am a man unlearned, and not accustomed to speak in 'public ; yet
being now called to witness and suffer for the Lord in public, I can
not be altogether silent of that which religion and reason hath taught
me anent the cause of my suffering.
* Naphtali, pp. 314—316.

96 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
" 1 bless the Lord, I suffer not as an evil-doer, especially not for
any rebellion against his majesty's lawful authority ; I attest him who
is the searcher of hearts, that was never my intention in the least, and
it is as little the nature and intention of what I have done ; but for
the renewing of the covenant with the Lord, and following the ends
thereof, as to the suppressing of abjured prelates, and intruders upon
the Lord's flock, and the restoring of the government of the house of
God by presbyters, as he himself hath appointed in his word, with a
faithful, godly, called, and sent ministry ; and together with pure or
dinances, the power of godliness. For this 1 am condemned, and to
suffer this day. This I acknowledged freely before our judges ; this
I still acknowledge, and am persuaded that herein I witness a faithful
confession. This cause and covenant I commend to all the Lord's
people. It is not free for you to forsake it ; you are inviolably en
gaged in it ; it is not safe to desert it, because of the curse of the per- «
jurer and false swearer. There is unspeakable blessedness in the pur
suance of it, whereof I can bear witness to the Lord by my rich ex
perience, since we began to do and suffer at this time for him : where
upon I cheerfully lay down my life for this his cause ; he it is who
justifieth it, what man or authority under heaven can condemn it ? j» »
• Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail against thee ! Plead and judge -"*V:
this cause which is thine own, for thine own name's sake ' "*

XII. -ANONYMOUS.
QThe Bhort testimony that follows has come down to us without a
name. It professes to be by another ofthe ten-j- persons who were
executed on the 7th December, 1666, and is said to have been left
subscribed in the hands of a friend. Who the individual wan, can
not now be ascertained, but from its having appeared in ' Naphtali,'
which was first published about 1667, there seems to be no good
ground for doubting its genuineness.]]
" I designed no rebellion against lawful authority, but the suppressing
of prelacy and of profanity ; and advancing of holiness in God's world :
in a word, I adhere to all the articles of the good covenant, and did
intend the restoring of our good and soul-refreshing ministers, and the
casting out of the dumb greedy dogs that canuot bark. In this cause
I was a free volunteer, pressed by none, thinking it my duty to appear
for helping the Lord against the mighty. This I testify under my
hand, from the tolbooth of Edinburgh, the 6th of December, 1666-t
• Naphtali, pp. 316, 317. f Naphtali, p. 317
t We shall here subjoin a few slender particulars, with regard to the seven
individuals of this number that remain, besides M'Culloch, Arnot, and Shields,
of whom we have already given some account.
John and Robert Gordon were brothers, of the respectable family of
Kr.ockbreck in Galloway. This family had suffered much from the oppres
sions previously exercised in that district of country. Besides being har-

ALEXANDER ROBERTSON*. 97

XIII. ALEXANDER ROBERTSON.
[Tt has been supposed that there were two individuals of this name
connected with the Pentland insurrection. And certainly there is
some difficulty, without this supposition, to reconcile the statements
which have been made with respect to a person or persons so desig
nated. The following particulars seem undoubtedly to refer to the
author of the following testimony. He was a preacher of the gos
pel, and the son of a minister. He had joined the insurgents so
early as their arrival in Dumfries, where it appears he was present
at the seizing of Sir James Turner. From thence he accompanied
them to Ayr, and then to Lanark, where he took the covenant with
the rest of the party. He then proceeded with them to Collington
and Pentland, where he was seen fighting with a sword and pistols.
He was basely betrayed by the laird of Morton, his friend, to whom
he surrendered upon promise of his life. He was one of five who,
on the 10th of December following, were put upon trial, and con
demned to be hanged. One of the five obtained a respite ; Mr.
Robertson and the other four were executed on Friday, the 14-th of
that month.]
" Fearing that after the example of others, I should not be permitted
assed by "the quartering of soldiers, their dwelling was wantonly pillaged
and destroyed; aud a similar treatment befell their tenantry. No won
der then that the two young men in question should have been tempted to
join the insurgent forces. Who in such a case would not have, rebelled against a
government which, with a view to enforce conformity to a form of religion which
they hated, recklessly surrendered its unoffending subjects to the insults and
aggressions ofa domineering soldiery? They are described " as youths of shin
ing piety and good learning." Of them it might be literally remarked, that
" they were beautiful in their lives, and that in death they were not divided."
Being in the act of embracing when the drop fell, they died locked in each
other's aims. — We have collected the following with respect to the others : —
John Ross belonged to Mauchline ; he joined the insurgents in that neighbour
hood, and "was sent along witb John Shields and others to discover the motions
}f the king's troops, and particularly whether they had yet come to Kilmarnock.
James Hamilton was a tenant in Killimuir. He took the covenant at Lanark,
and belonged to M'Lellan of Barscobe's troop of covenanters. John Parker
was a " walker" (waulker, perhaps) in the parish of Kilbride. He also joined
the insurgents in the west, and proceeded with them to Pentland.
Christopher Strang also was of Kilbride parish. He was at Lanark and
took the covenant, and afterwards fought at Pentland under the command of
Captain Patori.
Gavin Hamilton was from Mauldside, in the parish of Carluke. He joined
in the west, and with James Hamilton (perhaps his brother) was in Barscobe's
troop. It may not be uninteresting to add, that the sentence with regard to the
whole ten was, that, after being hanged, their heads and right arms should be
cutoff, and disposed of as follows : the heads of M'Culloch and the two Gor
dons to be affixed at Kirkcudbright ; those of Parker, the two Hamiltons, and
Strang; at Hamilton ; those of Ross and Shields, at Kilmarnoi-k ; and Captain
Arnot's at the Watergate of Edinburgh. And the right arms of all of them to
be sent to Lanark, to be put up in the public parts of the town, " being ths
place where tbey took the covenant."

98 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
to speak openly to the people, I thought fit (beside my adherence to
what my brethren, who have gone before me, left behind them con
cerning our common cause) to leave a word in writ for satisfaction of
them who survive me.
" That, for preservation and defence or the true religion of this
church, and for the relief of my poor brethren afflicted and persecuted
therefore, I joined with others in arms, and that I renewed the cove
nant, that all men might the better know my cause and principles, I
am so far from denying or being ashamed of, that I both acknowledge
and avow it as my duty ; but let no man, that will not condemn him
self upon the same common obligations to do what I did, account me
a rebel therefore, because with the same breath that I did swear, and
with that same hand that I did subscribe to preserve and defend reli
gion, I did also swear to defend the king and his authority.
" Our church was not more glorious in herself, and terrible to her
adversaries, while we enjoyed pure ordinances of word and sacraments,
and her beautiful assemblies for government and discipline, of the
Lord's own institution, than she became of late deformed by the usur
pation and tyranny of prelacy ; and I solemnly declare as a dying
man, who dare not dissemble, tbat as I thought and still aver, that the
erecting of this abjured prelacy is the cause of much of the sin in the
land, and of all the sufferings of the Lord's people therein ; so I had
no worse design, than the restoring of the work of reformation accord
ing to the covenant, and more particularly the extirpation of prelacy,
to which his majesty, and all tbe subjects are as much obliged as I..
And let that be removed and the work of reformation restored, and I
dare die in saying, that his majesty shall not have in all his dominions
more loving, loyal, peaceable, and faithful subjects, than these who
for their non-compliance are loaded with the reproaches of fanaticism
and rebellion.
" The sufferings and insupportable oppression* of these, that could
* It is impossible in the short compass of a note to give any thing like an
adequate idea ofthe severities which excited the rising in Galloway. First of
all, at three several inroads made into that county by an aimed force, under the
command of Sir James Turner, the most exorbitant fines were levied. Then
by billeting soldiers on particular families, sometimes for 12 or 15 weeks at a
time, their substance was wasted and consumed, to an amount perhaps still
greater. But tbe exactions in money, and the destruction of property, 'was not
all. The conduct and carriage of the soldiers who were thus quartered was such
as to deprive the inhabitants of peace and comfort — to expose them to every
species of inconvenience aud insult, and sometimes by direct violence to injure
their persons or endanger their lives. In support of these statements, many in
stances on record might be quoted, altogether tending to evince that the suffer
ings referred to were insupportable. And when we reflect that such sufferings
were inflicted on account of nonconformity, and in order to compel men to de
scrt the ministrations of pastors whom they venerated and loved, and attend
upon those of persons whom they hated and despised, we are apt involuntaril}
to exclaim, Is it credible that such things took place in Scotland ? How mud:
more astonishing then, that in Scotland there should be found those who are
forward to palliate, to excuse, cr even to defend the exercise of such enormities,
and to condemn and calumniate the unhappy men whose lot it was to bear
them .

ALEXANDER ROBERTSON. 99
not, because of the command and oath of God, acknowledge and com
ply with prelacy, may seem light to some, in whom the spirit of the
old enmity, that is betwixt the seed of the woman and the seed of the
serpent remaineth, and to others (perhaps their friends) who look
thereupon at a distance ; but as there is just reason to think, that il
these rigid oppressions had been made known to his majesty, his
justice and clemency would have provided a remedy, and as the half
thereof would have made the prelates, their patrons and adherents im
patiently mad, for as loyal as they pretend to be ; so in the like cases
of irresistible necessity, when there is little open door for representing
of grievances and desires, and less hope of relief thereby, I suppose it
will not be found condemned by the confessions of reformed churches,
or doctrine of sound divines, but that it is authorized by the light and
law of nature, by uncondemned examples in the holy scripture, and
by the practice of all Christian states, — by arms to preserve and defend
men's lives, their religion, liberties, and fortunes ; and especially,
where they are not seeking to acquire a new religion or new liberties,
but only to preserve their old, or recover them, when they are vio
lently and unjustly spoiled of the same, as in our case ; otherwise we
should sin against the generation of the just, and condemn as rebel
lious the most of the thorough reformations of the reformed churches
abroad, and of our own at home.
" If this course was lawful, and if it was our duty to join therein,
as I believe and lay down my life in the persuasion that it was ; and
if all the kingdom was (as they are) bound by covenant to assist and
defend one another in tbe common cause of religion and liberty, what
ever may be said of these that came not forth to help the Lord against
the mighty, — it cannot but be their dreadful sin, who joined themselves
in arms, or took oaths to oppose, suppress, and break it, seeing they
have sided themselves against the Lord and his work, and their car
riage is a much higher degree of accession to the blood that was shed,
than Paul's keeping of the clothes of them that stoned Stephen to
death ; and I wish that they may lay the matter to heart, and repent
of it, that God may forgive them, as I forgive all men, and particu
larly Morton, who did apprehend me.
" I know that there is a holy seed in the land, who shall be the
substance thereof, and I pray that the Lord may make them more
zealous and valiant for the truth upon earth ; I know also, that
there are many whose bowels of compassion have been drawn forth
toward these who took their lives in their hands, by prayers to God
for them, and charity to them, and especially in Edinburgh toward
the poor prisoners (of whom I may not only say, that what they have
done, deserveth to be told for a memorial wherever the gospel is
preached, but am assuredly confident, that besides the blessings of the
poor and persecuted, the Lord is not unrighteous to forget their work
and labour of loye, which they have showed towards his name, and
that they have ministered to the saints and do minister) and yet I
must needs regret, that so many in this city once famous and hon
oured for harmonious owning of the cause and covenant of God, and
blessed above many other cities with solemn assemblies for worship

100 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
and government, should have been ensnared into an oath so contra
dictory to the oath of the covenant ; and which was devised, contrived,
and imposed in lieu of the declaration against the same, and for a
grave-stone to suppress the revival of the work of God within this
land. " The apostasy of this land is very great by perjury and breach ol
covenant, and so much the worse and more aggravated, that it is au
thorized, and yery universal. And as I cannot but regret that so
many are insnared therein, so I must needs warn all to abhor and be
ware of all declarations and oaths contradictory to the covenant, and
renunciatory thereof, as they would not involve themselves in the
guilt and plagues denounced- against, and ordinarily inflicted upon per
jury and breach of covenant ; and so much tbe rather, because this is
like to be the Shibboleth and trial of the times.
" As for myself, I have seen and do find so much worth in truth,
which is to be bought at any rate, but sold at none ; and so much
transcendent excellency and amiableness in Christ, that not only with
cheerfulness and confidence I lay down my life for him and his truth,
committing my soul to him, to be kept in hope of a joyful resurrec-
tiou of the body ; but also bless him that gave me a life to lose, and a
body to lay down for him ; and although the market and price of
truth may appear to many veiy high, yet I reckon it low, and all that
I have or can clo little, too little, for him ' who gave himself for me,'
and to me : ' for I account all things but loss and dung for the excel
lency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord, for whom I now suf
fer the loss of all things, that I may win him, and be found in him,
and that I may not only know the fellowship of his sufferings, but the
power of his resurrection, and attain unto the resurrection of the dead.'
" And as for you, my dear friends, as I pray for you, tbat ' the God
of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after ye have suffered a while,' may ' make you perfect, stablisb,
strengthen, and settle you ;' so I recommend to you the same truth, that
' ye be not soon shaken in mind, but that ye hold fast the profession
of your faith without wavering :' and • as you have received the Lord,
to walk in him ; warning and obtesting you, by all manner of obliga
tions, and by the hope and joy of tbat crown which I wait for, that ye
keep yourselves unspotted with the abominable courses and practices
of these times, whereunto ye may be tempted by the extremity of
suffering, and particularly, that ye beware of unlawful oaths and de
clarations against the cause and covenant of God, that ye have no
compliance witb, nor give consent unto this prelacy, which ye have
abjured ; and that you be afraid and aware of popery, which by con
nivance doth so visibly abound and daily increase ; but by fighting in
the good fight, and keeping of the faith, you may finish your course,
as I do, in the assurance of the crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge, hath laid up, and shall give unto me, and
not to me only, but to all them that love his appearance.
ALEX. ROBERTSON."*
Naphtali, pp. 317—322,

JOHN NEILSON. 101

XIV. JOHN NEILSON.

(_M"r. Neilson was laird of Corsack, in Galloway — a man of excellent
parts and sincere piety. Being conscientiously attached to the
presbyterian worship, and not attending the episcopal curate, an in
formation was laid against him to Sir James Turner, and he was ex
posed forthwith to the most severe oppressions on account of his
nonconformity. Under the influence of these, he joined the rising
which shortly after took place in his neighbourhood. Far, how
ever, from wishing to avenge himself on the instrument of his suf
ferings, he, at Dumfries, interposed in behalf of Turner, and saved
his life. He then accompanied the insurgents in their progress to
the Pentlands, where he was taken prisoner, and conducted to
Edinburgh. Tbe sufferings to which he was shortly after exposed
afford matter for one of the blackest pages in the history of perse
cution. With the youthful martyr, Mr. Hugh M'Kail, he was, on
the 4th December, put to the torture, " and so fearfully tormented,
that his shrieks would have melted any body but those present, who
still called for the other touch." He was, with Mr. Robertson and
others, tried on the 10th, and suffered the sentence which was
passed upon him on the 14th of that month. Here follows the tes
timony which he left behind him.]
" Being made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men, I found
it necessary for vindication of the truth, and of myself, for undeceiv
ing of some, and encouraging of others, to leave this line behind me,
which, with my innocent blood, may speak when I am gone.
" I am condemned, I shall not say how unjustly, as a rebel against
man, but the Lord God of gods he knoweth, and all Israel shall know,
that it is not for rebellion against God, but for endeavouring to re
cover the blessed work of reformation, and particularly for endeavour
ing to extirpate prelacy, which hath been the cause of so much sin
and suffering within this land, and for renewing of the covenant, from
the obligation whereof (seeing I made my vow and promise to the
Lord) neither I myself, nor any human authority can absolve me.
And if any account this rebellion, I do plainly confess, ' that after the
way which they call heresy, I worship the God of my fathers.'
" Although the insupportable oppression under which I and many
others did groan,* were enough to justify our preserving and defend-
* In order to give this statement of Neilson's it3 due weight on the reader's
mind, it may be proper to set down a few particulars with regard to the suf
ferings which he had been called to endure, as these are recorded by Wodrow :
' Mr. Dalgleish," says he, " curate of Parton (the parish in which Neilson re
sided), had no small hand in this gentleman's hardships. When Sir James
Turner came first into Galloway, Corsack was soon delated for nonconformity,
and Sir James exacted -£100 Scots from him; and, contrary to promise, he was
sent prisoner to Kirkcudbright. He suffered very much by quarterings ot
soldiers upon him : from the beginning of March to the end of May that year,
he had troopers lying on him, sometimes ten, sometimes six, sometimes four at
once, and was forced to pay each man half-a-crown a day, which came to ;£81 9

102 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
ing of ourselves by arms, yet know that the cause was not ours, but
the Lord's ; for we suffered all our grievous oppressions, not for .evil-
doing, but because we could not in conscience acknowledge, comply
with, and obey prelacy, and submit unto the ministry of ignorant,
light, and profane men, who were irregularly and violently thrust upon
us ; neither did we only or mainly design our civil liberties, but the
liberty of the gospel, the extirpation of prelacy, the restoration of oui
i'iiithful pastors, the suppression of profanity, promoving of piety, tbe
saving of ourselves from unjust violence, until we had presented our
grievances and desires ; and, in a word, tbe recovering of tbe once
glorious, but now ruined work of reformation, in doctrine, worship
discipline, and government, according to the national covenant and
solemn league and covenant, to which I declare my adherence ; and
through grace shall seal the same with my blood.
" My advocate drew up a supplication for me, wherein was ac
knowledged, tbat I had been with the rebels; but let none offend
thereat : for I do hereby declare, that I was so far from accounting
that course rebellion, that I judged, and still do judge, it was my duty
to join therein, and my honour to suffer therefore ; otherwise, I should
have counted myself accessary to the blood of the Lord's people which
is shed : and cannot but regret that others of the Lord's people, when
they heard of us, did not come forth with speed to help the Lord
against the mighty ; much more let all mourn, that not only many
have appeared as enemies, but also conjured themselves against the
Lord, and the same covenant which they so solemnly sware ; and as
for the petition itself, I knew not that expression was in it.
" Being conscious myself of so much weakness, and so many
heinous sins which predominate in me, and of unfruitfulness under the
gospel, and unsuitable walking thereto, I confess myself the vilest
of sinners, and desire to mourn for the same, and pray tbat the Lord
for Christ's sake may freely forgive me, as I have forgiven them that
have wronged me, and hope through the righteousness of Jesus
Christ to obtain the same ; and I do exhort all and every one of my
friends to more holiness,' prayer, and stedfastness, always abounding
in the work of the Lord ; and above .all things, to detest and shun

Scots, and free quarters besides to man and horse ; which moderately computing
at fifteen pence a day, amounts to .£408 : 10s. Next year Sir James Turner
sent six foot soldiers to quarter upon him, from March to the middle of June.
These had each of tbem twelve-pence'a day, besides free quarters ; which amounts
to ^756. By those hardships Corsack was obliged to leave his house and wan
der up and down; and upon his hiding, he lost his horse, worth -£100, and
was seized himself and imprisoned for some time. The loss of his household
stuff, victual, and most part of his sheep, cannot be well reckoned. When they
had turned his lady and children out of doors, they fell next upon his tenants,
and obliged tbem to bring them in sheep, lambs, meal, and malt, till tbey were
well nigh ruined. And last of all, they drove all his oxen and black cattle to
Glasgow, and sold tbem. — And all this for nothing else but precise nonconfor
mity ! ! After all this oppression, of which I have before me an attested ac
count, the reader can scarce wonder that he and many others in like circum
stances took hold on the first opportunity that offered to complain of, and re
lieve themselves from these calamities." — Wodrow, vol. i. p. 258.

JOHN NEILSON 103
that wicked declaration against the covenant, the apparent temptation
of the time, and the very mark of antichristian prelacy.
" All that I have is but litlle, but if I had many worlds, I would
lay them all down, as now I do my life, for Christ and his cause .
nothing doubting but the Lord will abundantly provide for my wife and
my six children, whom 1 commit to the Lord's care, and recommend
to the kindness and prayers of the faithful ;* and do lay an express
charge on my wife that she show all my children, that I have bound
them all to the covenant, for which now I lay down my life, and that
she lay it upon them as my last command, that they adhere to every
article thereof.
" The work and people of God are brought very low ; it may be,
because they were not ripe for a deliverance; and for the greater trial,
and filling up of the cup of the adversaries : or, because there was little,
or less prayer than should have been amongst those who appeared at
this time, that the Lord hath made this late breach. But, dear
friends, be not therefore tempted to call in question the work of re
formation ; or to think the worse of Christ and his cause, because of
sufferings ; nor bo discouraged because these few who took their
lives in their hands, fell before the adversary ; for as sufferings are
often sweetened by the Spirit of God and glory that resteth upon the
sufferers, and afterward bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness
unto them that are exercised thereby ; so the Lord will arise in due
time, and have mercy upon Zion, and plead the cause which is
* His " wife and children," alas ! were for long exposed to a continuance of
the distresses in which he himself had so largely participated. " His lady," says
Wodrow, "being in Edinburgh, after her husband's death, Maxwell of Milton
came to the house of Corsack with thirty men, and took away every thing that
¦was portable, and destroyed the rest, and turned the family, and a nurse with a
sucksng child, into the fields." " Sometimeafter, Sir William Bannatyne came
and inventured any thing that was in the house, seized that year's crop, and ar
rested the rest in the tenants' hands. The same Sir William, a little after, came
and took lodging, with 30 horse, in Corsack, till the lady gave him a bond, with
two neighbour gentlemen cautioners, for 300 merks. The said gentlewoman had
all her moveables seized for her converse with her own son, who had been inter-
communed, and paid near a hundred pounds. In the year 1680, her son was
forfeited merely for noncompearance ; and in a year or two, by Claverhouse's
troop and others, she lost and expended, on vexatious suits, upwards of j£400.
Her eldest son, for three years, was forced to wander and hide in Ireland. In
the year 1684, she and her son being cited to account for not hearing the curate,
her son was imprisoned for some months, and fined in 200 merks- And still
forward, until the liberty in 1687, this excellent gentlewoman Mas vexed with
parties of soldiers, and compearance before courts, which put her to grea'
trouble and much charges. "—[Wodrow, vol. i. pp. 258, 259.] And is it therefore
to be supposed that the prayers of Neilson were unheard, or that his confidence
on her account, and on that of his children, in the kindness and care of Provi
dence, -was unfounded or misplaced ? No. Amidst all these distresses, it may
be that they inherited the choicest blessings of heaven ; that the peace of God,
which passeth understanding, kept their hearts — that in the midst of theit
thoughts within them, his spiritual consolations delighted their souls, and that
all those calamities, severe as they were, were felt to be preparing thcin for tbat
better world,, " where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary arc at
vest."

104 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES
his own : anil this testimony, as I am this day to seal with my blood,
so I subscribe with my hand : — JOHN NEILSON of Corsack." *

XV. GEORGE CRAWFORD.
(XX the five prisoners who were condemned on the 14th of December,
one, namely, John Lindsay, belonging to Edinburgh, was for the time
respited,and eventually obtained a reprieve. The remaining four were,
— Robertson and Neilson, the authors of the foregoing testimonies,
John Gordon of Irongray parish, who does not seem to have left
one ; and George Crawford from the parish of Cumnock, where it
it is probable he joined the insurgents in their march to Lanark ;
whose testimony is as follows. It seems to be the production of a
plain but respectable man, who understood and had weighed ths
principles which he owned and acted upon.]
" Seeing I am to die after this manner, I lay before you this testi
mony, which I avow before God, and leave behind me to the world,
" That which moved me to come along with these men, was their
persuasion, and my desire to help them (which, with a safe conscience,
I could not well refuse,) who, being tyrannically oppressed by the
prelates and their dependants and upholders, and seeing no other way
was left to be taken, took up arms for their own defence ; and if this
be rebellion, I leave it to the great God, the supreme Judge, to de
cern : for in my weak judgment, I found it warrantable from the word
of God, and without prejudice of the king's authority (whom I pray
God to direct and guide in the right ways of the Lord, and to make
him prosper therein, so that he may be surely set in his kingdom, hav
ing him whom no enemy can resist, to defend him,) seeing there was
nothing intended by us, against his, or any other's, just and lawful
authority. " But that which was my principal and chief design, was giving
my poor assistance to the rooting out of the prelates and prelacy, and
all such as are come into God's vineyard without the Master's com
mission, these hirelings who came not in at the true door, Jesus Christ,
but nave climbed up some other way, as thieves and robbers, whose
voice the Bheep know not ; (all which is too sadly confirmed by the
dreadful and horrid sins that are risen in the land, and the curses and
plagues that have followed thereupon,) that so, by taking away these,
the abuses, which proceed from them, anti the sad consequences which
follow their standing or falling with them, the covenant of God might
be re-established, and true pastors that were silenced, might be set at
liberty, their mouths opened, and they themselves put to the keeping
of their flocks, and all other such persons, who were banished, or any
other way under suffering, relieved.
" And I do adhere to the way of church government sworn to in
the covenant, which I think and assert to be conform to God's word;
* Naphtali, pp. 322—325.

HUGH M'KAIL. 105
which, with his Spirit directing, is the only pattern and judge in all
controversies : and however our endeavours , at this time have not been
successful, it is of the Lord, who will come in his own time, for he
can do as well with a few as with many ; but it is like, the cup of
the adversaries is not full : and who knoweth, but the Lord God of
hosts will hiss for the bee of Egypt, and the fly of Assyria, who will
be more cruel and bloodthirsty than we were, to avenge the quarrel of
his own people, and to make way for the establishing of his own cause.
I say no more, but as I was willing to hazard my life for this cause,
so I am ready to lay it down at my Master's feet, seeing he calls for
it : and I pray the Almighty, to send his Spirit of consolation pro
mised by his Son to his own people to strengthen them and bear them
through, till the appointed time of the Lord's coming with deliver
ance : for he will come for his own cause, and for his people's sake,
and will not tarry.
GEORGE CRAWFORD."*

XVI. HUGH M'KAIL
[It is scarcely possible to conceive a case more deeply affecting than
that of this youthful martyr. Having finished his education, he
was taken on trials, and licensed as a preacher in 1661, when only
twenty years of age. A tier officiating several times, much to the
benefit and gratification of those who heard him, he was called to
preach in the great church of Edinburgh on the Sabbath immedi
ately preceding the day fixed for the arbitrary removal of its minis
ters. And having in his sermon been led to remark, that " the
people of God had been persecuted by a Pharaoh on the throne, a
Hainan in the state, and a Judas in the church," he was thought to
have alluded to the then rulers ; and a party was sent next day to
apprehend him. He escaped,' however ; and concealed himself
for about four years. The people in the south and west being at
length roused in defence of their rights, he joined them so early as
the 1 8th November. But at last worn out, and rendered use
less through fatigue, he was in the act of Jeaving them in the neigh
bourkood of Edinburgh, on the 27th of that month, when, unhap
pily, he was taken and lodged in prison. After being again and
again examined, he was, along with Neilson of Corsack, subjected
to the torture of the boots, on the 4th of December. On the 18th
he was arraigned with other eight for the crime of rebellion, and,
being found guilty, was executed on tlie 22d of that month, in
company with five of these, the others being reprieved.]
1. His Sayings in Prison.
During his abode in prison, the Lord was very graciously present with
him, both to sustain him against the fear of death, and to dispei ail
these overcloudings of terror, unto which thefrailty of flesh and blood
hath sometirr.js exposed the best rf men; and alsoh, assisting him in
» NimM*.ii, —- M^—SQI.

106 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
prayer and praises, to the admiration of all his hearejs, especially on
tbe Thursday's night, December 20th, whereon being set at supper
with his fellow-prisoners and his father, and one or two besides, he
requested his fellow-prisoners, saying merrily, " Eat to the full, and
cherish your bodies, that we may all be a fat Christimas-pye to the
prelates." After supper, in thanksgiving, he burst forth in blessing
God, tbat had made him such a fool as to come to that prison ; and
after many gracious words, continued saying, " Many crosses have
come in our way, and wrought but weakly upon us, but here is a cross
that hath done more good than all the many that befell us before. '
Then lamenting the condition of the church of God, with much ear
nestness, he used that exclamation in the last of Daniel, " What, Lord,
shall be the end of these wonders 1"
The last night of his life, being Friday, December 21st, he proposed
and answered himself several questions, to the strengthening of his fel
low-prisoners, and great refreshing of all his hearers. As,
1. He inquired, " How should he, going from the tolbooth through a
multitude of gazing people and guards of soldiers, to a scaffold and gib
bet, overcome the impression of all these ?" To which he answered,
" By conceiving a deeper impression of a multitude of angels, who are
also on-Iookers ; according to that, ' We are a gazing-stock to the world,
angels, and men :' for the angels rejoicing at our good confession, are
present to convey and carry our souls, as the soul of Lazarus, unto
Abraham's bosom ; not to receive them, for that is Jesus Christ's
work alone, who will welcome them to heaven himself, with the songs
of angels and blessed spirits ; but the angels are ministering spirits,
always ready to serve and strengthen all dying believers : and as
Stephen saw the heavens opened, and Jesus standing on the right
hand of God, who then said, ' Lord Jesus, receive my spirit ;' so," said
he, " do I believe that Jesus Christ is also ready to receive the souls of
his dying sufferers."
2. He inquired, " What is the way for us to conceive of heaven,
who are hasting unto it, seeing the word saith, « Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him ?' " Whereunto he
answered, " That the scripture helps us two ways to conceive of
iieaven. The first is, by way of similitude, as in Rev. xxi. where
I eaven is held forth, by the representation of a glorious city, there
described; and, in the same place, it is also termed the bride ; but
*> ) ! how unlike are these two, a bride and a city 1 which doth clearly
evidence the insufficiency and vast disproportion of all such simili
tudes ; and therefore," he added, " the scripture furnishes yet a more
excellent way to conceive of heaven ; and that is, 1st, By conceiving
the love of Christ to us, even what is the breadth, and length, and
depth, and height, and immenseness of that love of Christ, which
passeth knowledge, which is also the highest and sweetest motive of
praise : — ' Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in
his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his
Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.' —
By holding forth ihe love of the saints to Jesus Christ, and teaching

HUGH M'KAIL. 107
us to love him in sincerity, which is the very joy and exultation of
heaven : — Rev. v. 12. < Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory,
and blessing.' And no other thing than the soul breathing forth love
to Jesus Christ, can rightly apprehend the joys of heaven."
The last words which he spoke at supper, were in the commenda.
tion of love above knowledge, saying, " 0 but notions of knowledge
without love, are of small worth, evanishing in nothing, and very dan
gerous." After supper, his father having given thanks, he read the
16th Psalm, and his first words thereafter were, " If there were any
thing in this world sadly and unwillingly to be left, it were the read
ing of the scriptures : — ' I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the
Lord, in the land of the living,' but this needs not make us sad ; for
where we go, the Lamb is the book of scripture, and the light of that
city, and there is life, even the river of the water of life, and living
springs." To this he added many excellent observations, and making
mention of the 23d verse of the 31st Psalm, " O love the Lord, all ye
his saints," added, " That where love was, it was so operative, that it
made flesh spirit, and where it was not, there spirit waS made flesh :"
thereafter he sung a part of the same Psalm..
Supper being ended, he calls, smilingly, for a pen, saying, " it was
to write his testament," wherein he only ordered some few books,
which he had, to be re-delivered to several persons.
He went to bed a little after eleven o'clock, and having slept well
till five in the morning, he arose and called to his comrade, John
Wodrow, saying pleasantly, " Up, John, for you are too long in bed ;
you and I look not like men going this day to be hanged, seeing we
lie so long." Thereafter he said to him, in the words of Isaiah, xlii.
24. " ' Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers ? Did
not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned, for they would not
walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.' And
I think, John," said ho, " I have not known, nor do I lay it to
heart, as is said in the end of the 25th verse. But, John," said he,
" for all this be not afraid, but read tbe xliii. chap. ver. 1, 2. for all
will go well with us." John said to him, " You and I will be cham
bered shortly in heaven, beside Mr. Robertson." He answered, " I
fear, John, you bar me out, because you was more free before the
council than I was ; but I shall be as free as any of you upon the
scaffold." Before breakfast, he said, " he had got a clear ray of the
majesty of the Lord after his awaking, but it was a little again over
clouded." Thereafter he prayed, and attested the Lord, " that he
had devoted himself to the service of God in the ministry of the Lord
Jesus, and the edification of souls, very early ;" adding, " Albeit, I
have not been so with my God, yet ' thou hast made with me an
everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure ; this is all my de
sire,' joy, ' and salvation, albeit thou make me not a house to grow.
Now, Lord, we come to thy throne, a place we have not been
acquainted with ; earthly kings' thrones have advocates against poor
men, but thy throne hath Jesus, an advocate for us. Our supplication

108 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
this day, is not to be free of death, nor of pain in death, but that we
may witness before many witnesses, a good confession."
His father coming to him that morning to bid him farewell, his last
words to him were, after prayer and a little discourse, " That his suf
fering would do more hurt to the prelates, and be more edifying to
the Lord's people, than if he were to continue in the ministry fol
twenty years." And then he desired his father to leave him, else he
would but trouble him. " And I desire it of you," said he, " as the
best and last service you can do me, to go to your chamber, and pray
earnestly to the Lord to be with me on that scaffold ; for how to carry
there is my care, even that I may be strengthened to endure to the
end." About two o'clock in the afternoon, he was carried to the scaffold,
with other five that suffered with him ; where he appeared, to the cott'
viction of all that formerly knew him, with a fairer, better, and more
stayed countenance than ever they had before observed. Being come
to the foot of the ladder, he directed his speech northward to the mul
titude ; and premising, " That as his years in the world had been
but few, so his words at tbat time should not be many," be spoke
to the people the following testimony, which he had before written and
subscribed.* 2. His Testimony.
" Being by a great surprisal of providence, thus staged before the
world, in a matter of so universal concernment to all that fear God,
and desire to be stedfast in his covenant, I could not forbear to leave
behind me this standing testimony, concerning the occasion and uses
thereof, for the glory of God, and the vindication of my profession
from the aspersions cast thereon by men, and tbe edification of these
by my death, to whom I had devoted my hfe in the work of the
ministry. " I have esteemed the government of this church by presbytery, to
be among the chief of the ordinances of Jesus Christ, which by his
blood he has purchased, and ascended up on high to bestow as a gift
upon it ; as being the very gospel ministry in its simplicity and purity
from the inventions of men, and so the mean by which other ordin
ances are administered and the most fundamental truths made effec
tual in the hearts of his people, and therefore that it ought with that
same carefulness to be contended for. Experience, both of the having
and wanting of it, hath given it this epistle of commendation, so that it
may be both known and read of all men : which is also true of the
solemn engagements of the nation thereto, by the national covenant,
the solemn league and covenant, which I have esteemed in their rise
and renewing, pregnant performances of that promise, Isa. xliv. 5.
where it is evident, that where church reformations come to any ma
turity, they arrive at this degree of saying, ' I am the Lord's ; and
subscribing with the hand unto the Lord.' So was it in the days of
* Naphtali, pp. 341—345.

HUGH M'KAIL. 109
the reforming kings of Judah, and after the restoration from the cap.
tivity in the days of Nehemiah. This same promise did the Lqrd
Jesus make yea and amen to us, when he redeemed us from spiritual
Babylon ; which is so much the greater evidence, that these were the
very motions of God's Spirit in our first reformers, that they were ex
pressly designed against the greatest motions of the spirit of darkness
in antichrist and his supporters, and against the greatest confirmations
that ever these abominations attained by the decrees of the council of
Trent, and that bloody bond called the Holy League. And there
fore, whatever indignity is done unto these covenants, I do esteem
to be no less than doing despite unto the Spirit of grace in his most
eminent exerting of himself, but especially, declaring against the same
as flowing from a spirit of sedition and rebellion, to be a sin of the
same nature with theirs, who ascribed Christ's casting out of devils
to Beelzebub ; and that, with this aggravation, that these Scribes and
Pharisees came never the length of professing Christ, and submitting
themselves to him and his ways.*
" But we are condemned to death upon the account of this cove
nant, for adhering to the duties therein sworn to, by such as once did
as much themselves as we have done, and some of them more than
some of us : which considerations have moved me to great fears of
God's, wrath against the land, according to tbe curse that we are bound
under, if we should break that covenant, and in the fear of it, many
times to pour out my soul before tbe Lord ; and as soon as I heard of
a party up in arms in behalf of the covenant, (all other doors being
shut, whereby the redress of the manifest violations of it might be ob
tained ; and these by manifest and unheard of violence obtruded upon
others to go along with them,) being bound by that covenant against
detestable indifferency and neutrality in this matter, and to esteem
every injury, done to any engaged in this covenant upon account of it,
as done to myself : — very conscience of duty urged me to this against
some reluctancy of fear of what might follow. Upon the same rea
sons, at Lanark, with the rest I declared my adherence to the cove-

* In one sense it may be said, that whatever opposes his work in the world
—the progress of truth and the triumphs of the Redeemer's kingdom, is a sin
committed against the Holy Spirit of God. In so far then as the covenants
were means under providence of promoting and perpetuating genuine Christi
anity, " the declaring against them as flowing from a spirit of sedition and re
bellion," might be viewed as a sin somewhat similar to, though not perhaps " of
the same nature with theirs, who aseribed Christ's casting out of devils to
Beelzebub." In this latter instance, we have reason to believe there was a
special degree of malignity against God, a determined hostility to his truth,
combined at the same time with <t perception and consciousness of its claims
upon their reception, such as is not often exhibited in ordinary instances of infi
delity. But yet it is impossible not to remark the resemblance, existing between
tbe circumstances of those, who thus insulted the Saviour to his face and sinned
against the Holy Ghost, and of those who, notwithstanding the impressions
they must have had of their devotedness and worth, did, ivith unrelenting se
verity, exclude from their sacred office, men, whose fidelity and success in minis
terial labours, loudly proclaimed them the servants of God — supplying their
places with those, whose characters displayed that they were the very reverse.

110 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
nant, by my lifting up of my hand, after the articles thereof were
read. " And here I cannot but with grief of heart acknowledge my faint
ing in a day of trial, that being engaged with tbem upon such ac
counts, I many times in fear designed to withdraw, and at length did,
which, as it was the occasion of my falling into the hands of the
enemy, bo I think among other things it was the cause why God de-
ivered me into their hands. Upon the same fear, in all my examina
tions, I have denied my engagement with them, and endeavoured to
vindicate myself by asserting the real designs I had to part from them,
and have utterly cast away, the glory of a testimony, which my very
being in their company, as a favourer of the ends of the covenant, and
as one willing to contribute my best endeavours for the promoting of
them, but especially my declaring for the covenant, did bear unto the
truth and ordinances of Jesus Christ against this untoward generation :
this I confess to be no less than a denying of Jesus Christ, and a being
ashamed of his words before men ; but I hope the Lord, who remem-
bereth tbat we are but frail dust, shall not lay it to my charge, and
according to his faithfulness and grace will forgive me, who by this
public confession, take to myself shame and confusion of face, and fly
to the propitiation offered to all sinners in Jesus Christ. And these
things as they have procured this death unto me, as an act of God's
justice ; so they mind me of other evils in mine own heart, that have
been the source of this my unwillingness, to take on Christ's cross :
my heart hath not studied to maintain that spirituality in walking with
God, and edifying exemplariness with others, that became one that
had received the first-fruits of the Spirit, and aimed at the ministry of
the gospel, living in times of so much calamity for the church of God,
and particular afflictions as to myself. If I had spent my days in
groaning after my house from heaven, would I have shifted so fair oc
casion of being clothed with it ? Alas, that I have loved my Lord and
Master Jesus Christ so little ! Alas, that I have done so little service
to him, that I have so little labour to follow me, to my everlasting
rest ! This I speak to these especially, with whom I have familiarly
conversed in my pilgrimage, tbat seeing the Lord will not grant me
life to testify my real reformation of these things, my acknowledgment
at death may have influence upon them,- to study not only godliness
but the power of it.*
* The inconstancy (if it may be so termed) which Mr. M'Kail regrets
so bitterly, throughout the foregoing paragraph, was that exhibited in his de
claration before the council, and especially in his supplication of December 11th,
entreating an adjournment of his trial, whilst as yet he was writhing under
the effects of his late torture — and his petition, after sentence, for the king's
pardon, or a mitigation of punishment. Into this hist document, it is proper to
observe, that his friends, out of zeal for his life, introduced several expressions
which he never sanctioned ; and that even with these expressions retained, it
does not, in the judgment of charity, present any thing very inconsistent witb
tlie most cordial approval of those principles, for which he now was ready to lay
down his life. But such was tbe extreme tenderness of his conscience, and
such the ardent desire to glorify God, of which he was now conscious, that
what might well appear to other men as venial shortcomings, prompted by the

HUGH M'KAIL. Ill
" As I acknowledge that I have not been free and ingenuous in
these particulars foreinentioned, so in other things, wherein I inter-
poned that holy name of God, as to the not being upon the contriv
ance of this rising in arms, nor privy to any resolution thereanent, nor
conscious of any intelligence at home or abroad concerning it, I was
most ingenuous : and they have wronged me much, who said that I
denied upon oath, that which they were able to make out against me,
O r knew to be truth ; but none allege perjury against me, but such
a s are so manifestly guilty of it before the world, that their tongues in
such allegements are no slander.
" Although I be judged and condemned as a rebel amongst men,
yet I hope, even in order to this action to be accepted as loyal before
God. Nay, there can be no greater act of loyalty to the king, as the
times now go, than for every man to do his utmost, for the extirpa
tion of that abominable plant of prelacy, which is the bane of the
throne, and of the country : which, if it be not done, the throne shall
never be established in righteousness, until these wicked be removed
from before it. Sure I am, those who are now condemned as rebels
against him, by them, are such as have spent much time in prayer for
hhn, and do more Bincerely wish his standing, and have endeavoured
it more by this late action so much condemned, than the prelates by
condemning them to death.
" This disaster hath heightened greatly the afflictions of our church,
and ought td teach all of you to drink the wine of astonishment : ye
have not known tribulation till now : now we judge them happy that
are fallen asleep, and removed far away, and know that God hath
been taking away his servants from the evils that were to come.
Know that God's design is, to make many hearts contrite, that have
been formerly too whole, and have not lamented sufficiently the re
moval of his ordinances and ministry, and the reproach rubbed upon
the work of reformation. Beware that your sorrow be not a momen
tary motion of common compassion, that evanisheth, when it may be,
there is some intermission, in this violent course of shedding innocent
blood ; but labour to have a constant impression that may sanctify
the heart ; nay, ye should live much in the apprehension of approach
ing judgment. Certainly the withdrawing of many from us, and not
contributing their help to the great work they were engaged to, as
well as we ; the general rising against us in many places of the coun
try ; but, above all, this open shedding of the blood of the saints,
which involveth the land in the guiltiness of all the righteous blood
shed from the foundation of the world, have made Scotland fit fuel
for the fire of God's wrath. I can say nothing concerning times to
come, but this, ' All things shall work together for good to them that
love God,' and so this present dispensation. And they shall have
most comfort in this promise, who are most willing tbat such afflic
tions as we are brought to, be the way that God chooseth to work
their good.
love of life, and justifiable even, on the score of duty, were felt by him as sins
lying heavy upon his heart, and demanding of him, the contrition and acknow
ledgments which are here expressed.

112 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
" Commit wholly the management of all matters to God, and make
it your entire study, night and day, to keep your very garments clean :
it is hard in times of so general corruptions not to be defiled one way
or other ; be free of the sins as ye would be of the judgments, which
will certainly be such as will make ' all the churches know, that God
is the searcher of the hearts, and trier ofthe reins,' Rev. ii. 23. and so
will not be mocked by these pretences, whereby men colour their
going along in an evil course, from the real love that they have to a
present world. If simple presence amongst them who are esteemed
rebels by men, be sufficient to engage them in the crime and punish
ment, (for that is all the ground of my condemnation,) shall not God
be much more zealous of his own glory, against all who so much as
seem to go along with this course of backsliding.
" As a good mean and encouragement, to all the duties of our
time, labour to be rooted and grounded in the love of Jesus Christ ;
this will be tender of any thing, that may have the least reflection
upon him, his words or works, and will prompt the soul to zealous
appearing for him at the greatest hazard, and to as much willingness
to die for him, as to live tbat they may glorify him. And for the en
couragement of you all in this matter, I do declare, that ever since
the day of my coming into prison, God hath kept my soul free from
all amazement or fear of death ; that since my indictment and sen
tence, God hath so manifested himself at Beveral times, that he hath
lifted up my bou! above prelateB, principalities, and powers, death,
and hell, to rejoice and be glad in bis salvation ; and from my soul to
account him worthy, for whom, in this his cause, I should undergo
the greatest shame or pain ; and to the assured hopes of eternal com
munion with him in heaven : and that nothing hath more brangled my
peace, than shifting an open and free testimony before my examina-
tors, to tbe work that I was engaged in.
" I do freely pardon all that have accession to my blood, and wish
that it be not laid to the charge of this sinful laud, but that God
would grant repentance to our rulers, that they may obtain the same
reconciliation with him, whereof I myself do partake. Truly, I be
lieve many of tbem, if not instigated by the cruel prelates, (at whose
door our blood doth principally lie) would have used more mitigation:
but that reluctancy of mind to shed blood, will be so far from vindi
cating of them, that, upon the contrary, it will be a witness against
them in tbe day of the Lord.
" I heartily submit myself to death, as that which God bath ap
pointed to all men because of sin, and to this particular way of it, as
deserved by my particular sins. I praise God for this fatherly chas
tisement, whereby he hath made me in part, and will make me per
fectly partaker of his holiness. I glorify him that called me forth to
suffer for his name and ordinances, and the solemn engagements of
the land to him, and that he hath taken this way to take me away
from the evil to come. The Lord bless all his poor afflicted groaning
people that are behind.
" Hereafter, I will not talk with flesh and bloed, nor think on the
world's consolations : farewell all my friends, whose company hath

HUGH M'KAIL 113
been refreshful to me in my pilgrimage ; I have done with the light of
the sun and moon. Welcome eternal life, everlasting love, everlasting
praise, everlasting glory ! Praise to him that sits upon the throne, and
to the Lamb for ever ! Though I have not been so with thee as I
ought to have been in the house of my pilgrimage, yet ' thou hast
ma;le with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure ;
and this is all my salvation, and all my desire.' Bless the Lord, 0
my soul 1 that hath pardoned all mine iniquities in the blood of his
Son, and healed all my diseases ! ' Bless him, O all ye his angels
that excel in strength, ye ministers that do his pleasure I Bless the
Lord, O my soul !' Hallelujah ! Sic Sub.— HUGH M'KAIL."*
" Edinburgh Tolbooth,
Dec. 22d, 1666."
3. His Last Words.
Having done speaking to the people, who heard him , with great at
tention, he sung a part of the 31st Psalm, and then prayed with such
power and fervency, as forced many to weep bitterly. Having ended,
he gave his cloak and hat from him ; and when he turned himself, and
took hold of the ladder to go up, he said with an audible voice, " I
care no more to go up this ladder, and over it, than if I were going
home to my father's house :" and as he went up, hearing a great noise
amongst the people, he called down to his fellow-sufferers, saying,
•' Friends and fellow-sufferers, be not afraid, every step of this ladder
is a degree nearer heaven." Then having seated himself thereon, he
6aid, " I do partly believe, that the nobles, counsellors, and rulers of
the land, would have used some mitigation of this punishment, had
they not been instigated by the prelates ; so our blood lies principally
at the prelates' door. But this is my comfort now, that ' I know my
Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the
earth,. and though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my
llesli shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes
shall behold', pointing to his eyes, ' and not another, though my teiils
be consumed in me.' And now I do willingly lay down ray life for
the truth and cause of God, the covenant, and work of reformation,
which were once counted the glory of this nation. And it is for en
deavouring to defend this, and to extirpate that bitter root of prelacy,
that I embrace this rope," (the executioner putting the rope about bis
neck.) Then hearing the people weep, lie said, " Your work is not
to weep, but to pray that we may be honourably borne through ; and
blessed be the Lord, that supports me : now, as I haye been beholden
to the prayers and kindness of many since my imprisonment and sen
tence, so I hope you will not be wanting to me now, in this last step of
my journey, tbat I may witness a good confession : and that you may
know the ground of my encouragement in this work, and what my hope
is, I will read to you the last chapter of the Bible :" and having read it,
he said, " Here you see the glory that is to be revealed upon me, ' a
• Naphtali, pp. 349—356.
p

114 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
pure river of water of life, and so forth (reading the passage) « where
the throne of God is, and {he Lamb is in it, where his servants serve him
and see his face, and his name is in their foreheads, and the Lord God
giveth tbem light, and they shall reign for ever and ever ;' and here
you see my access to my glory and reward. ' Lethim that is athirst
come, and whosoever will, let him take of the water of hfe freely.'
And here you see also my welcome, ' The Spirit and the- bride say,
Come.'- " Then he said, " I have one word more to say to my friends,
(looking down to the scaffold) Where are you ? You need neither
lament me nor be ashamed of me in this condition, for I may make
use of that expression of Christ, ' I go to your Father and my Father,
to your God and my God, to your King and my King, to the blessed
apostles and martyrs, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general
assembly and church of the first-born, and to God the Judge of all, and
to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of
the new covenant ;' and so I bid you all farewell : for God will be
more comfortable to you than I could be ; and he will also now be
more refreshing to me than you can be : farewell, farewell in the
Lord !" Then the napkin being put on his face, he prayed a space
within himself, after which he put up the cloth from his face, with his,
own hand, and said, " He had one word more to say, and that was to
show them the comfort he had in his death," saying, " I hope you
perceive no alteration or discouragement in my countenance and
carriage, and as it may be your wonder, so I profess it as a wonder to
myself, and I will tell you the reason of it : besides the justness of
my cause, this is my comfort, which was said of Lazarus when h<j
died, that ' the angels did carry his soul into Abraham's bosom ;' so,
that as there is a great solemnity here, of a confluence of people, i
scaffold, a gallows, and people looking out of windows ; so is there a
greater and more solemn preparation in heaven of angels to carry my
soul to Christ's bosom. Again, this is my comfort, that it is to come
into Christ's hands, and he will present it blameless and faultless to tht
Father, and ' then shall I be ever with the Lord.' And now I leave
off to speak any more to creatures, and turn my speech to thee, O
Lord I and now I begin my intercourse with God, which shall never
be broken off. Farewell father and mother, friends and relations;
farewell the world and all delights ; farewell meat and drink ; fare
well sun, moon, and stars. Welcome God and Father ; welcome
sweet Lord Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant ; welcome
blessed Spirit of grace, and God of all consolation ; welcome glory ;
welcome eternal life ; welcome death." Then he desired the execu
tioner not to turn him over, until ho should himself put over his
shoulders, which, after praying a little within himself, he did, saying,
" O Lord, into thy hands I commit my spirit : for thou hast redeemed
my soul, Lord God of truth !" Thus in the 26th year of his age, he
died, as he lived, in the Lord.*
• Naphtali, pp. 341—356.

JOHN WODROW. 115

XVII. JOHN WODROW.

£ With respect to this person, who was imprisoned in the same room
with Mr. M'Kail, and suffered along with him, very little informa
tion has come down to us. It appears he was a merchant in Glas
gow, and had probably joined the insurgents during their progress
through Ayrshire, or at Lanark. He seems at all events to havo
been cordial in the cause which they had in view to promote ; and
as has been observed, has expressed himself in regard to it with a
degree of propriety and force notto.be expected from his education
or condition in life. His last words consist in a letter to his wife,
written on December 22d, being the day of his death, and the tes
timony delivered by him upon the scaffold.]
1. His Letter to his Wife.
" My heart, — Reverence the good providence of the Lord our God, who
can do nothing wrong ; for whatsoever he doth is well done, and my
bouI saith, Amen. I had not a will of my own, my heart, since that day
wherein you and I parted, my Lord and my God captivated it, and
brought it to a submission unto his will : I bless him for evermore for
it, that I was never left to my own will : praise, O praise him all ye
living ! and O thou, my soul, praise the Lord for it. I bless the Lord
for evermore, that ever he visited my father's family, that ever he con
descended to come unto my father's family, and to give a visit to the
like of me : he visited me there, and set his love upon me, and hath
chosen me for this very end, to be a witness for his covenanted refor
mation. For this my soul is glad, and my glory rejoiceth for this
honour, wherewith he hath honoured me ; and that, though I be con
demned to die by men on earth, yet am I justified of God through tbe
blood of my Saviour Jesus Christ, who standeth in our nature in
heaven, and hath made me free through his imputed righteousness,
made over unto me, in which I stand for ever : and within a few
hours I shall see him in peace, as I am seen of him, and behold and
wonder, and wonder and behold for evermore, even that most glori
ous excellency which is in him 1 All that which is spoken of him is
but little : O my heart, my dear love, come and see, I beseech you I
I thought I had known something of my dearest Lord before, that I
had some love from and to him before, hut never was it so with me,
as it hath been with me since I came within the doors of this prison ;
many a precious visit hath his gracious Majesty given unto me. He
is without all comparison ; O love, love him ! O come to him : O
taste and see, and that shall resolve the question best. The thing I
suffer for is the covenanted reformation. I bless God, and all that is
within me doth bless and magnify his holy name for this, that Scot
land did ever enter into a covenant with the Lord, into a sworn cove
nant, with the hand lifted up to the Lord : and I have now sworn
and renewed this covenant again for myself, and you, and my four
children, in all the parts and points thereof; and I pray, God help
you to abide in the covenant for ever !

116 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
" And now I give you and my four children unto the Lord, and
commit you to him as your covenanted God and Husband, and my
children's covenanted Father. I say no more, but either study to be
indeed a sincere Christian, and seeker of his face in sincerity, or else
you will be nothing at all. I recommend you and your young ones
to him who is God all-sufficient, and aboundeth in mercy and love to
them that love him, and keep his covenant. The blessing of the
covenant be upon you, so fare you well. So saith your loving and
dying husband,
JOHN WODROW."*
2. His Speech on the Scaffold.
" Dear friends, — I am condemned to die. I shall say little con
cerning men who have judged and condemned me, they are to an
swer to God for it ; but I. bless the t Lord, who hath counted me
worthy to die for so good and honourable a cause. And that I be
not mistaken after I am gone hence, I have thought fit to testify, that
in singleness and sincerity of heart, I came into the service, not con
strained, but from conscience of my being engaged by covenant to
God, and with a full purpose to perform my vows made in that cove
nant unto the Lord, in the strength of Jesus Christ ; and that I might
endeavour to restore again the precious ordinances to their former
;punty and power,- and to recover the fair church in this land (which
our blessed Lord hath purchased to himself, and bought at so dear a
rate) to her 'former beauty, which is now defaced : and particularly
to bring do#n that antichristian prelacy, and that perjured crew of
prelates, who have so perfidiously wronged the interests of our blessed
Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. This is the only cause for which I
undertook this service, and joined with others my dear and covenanted
brethren ; and that I had no intention to wrong the king's person or
authority, but to seek his real good, according to my duty in the word
of God, and also as I sware in the same covenant wherein I did swear
against prelacy. And notwithstanding I be condemned of men as a
rebel, yet I am justified of God, my God and Father, in and through
my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who giveth me sweet peace of
conscience and joy of heart : I grant it is not enough to justify me
before him, that I had a just cause, unless likewise I had therewith
the acceptation of my person through faith in the merits of Jesus
Christ,f who standeth in our nature in heaven, which I dare declare
this day as a dying man, that I have obtained ; for I am confident
• Naphtali, pp. 360—362.
f Perhaps to some into whose hands this volume may fall, the statement
here made may seem to require explanation. Let it then be observed, that it
is in complete consistency with the acknowledged principles of revealed truth, to
inculcate tbe necessity of the Mediator's righteousness towards the acceptance
on the part of God, of even our best and most laudable actions. Hence says tbe
apostle, " whatsoever is not of faith, is sin," thereby intimating, that, without
faith in Christ, and the consequent acceptance of our persons in and through
him, all our actions, however excellent in themselves, must be destitute of value
in the sight of God.

JOHN WODROW. 117
that through his righteousness made over unto me, he hath made me
free, in which I shall stand for ever ; and that within a few hours I
shall see him in peace, as I am seen of him ; and behold and wonder,
and wonder and behold for evermore that most glorious excellency of
his. And this yieldeth to me great consolation in all my extremities,
were they never so great ; this, I say, is my peace and consolation
this day, even Christ my righteousness, who hath both accepted my
person and cause : therefore I count it a small thing to be judged and
condemned of men, for my testimony is on high, and my record in
heaven. " And now, my friends, I am condemned to die for adhering to my
covenant made with God, for reformation of religion and conversa
tion, to which all ranks of the land are bound as well as I, though
many (alas I too many) shaking off all fear of God, have despised the
oath, not only by breaking the covenant, but by professing and declaring
avowedly the bond thereof null, and not binding, either to their own or
other men's consciences : and this mischief is framed by a law, which
doth greatly heighten the sin ; ' O ! tell it not in Gath, and publish it
not in Askelon.' Oh ! that this should be heard of amongst papists
and pagans, that professed reformed protestants should stand in so
little awe of a solemn oath, and name of the great and living God.
" But I exhort and obtest you all, that so much the more as others
have made void iis covenant, you would esteem it t(ie more precious,
and closely follow the reformation vowed, in every article thereof,
upon all occasions given you of the Lord ; and tbat you abhor, de
test, and refuse any engagement whatsoever, that may wrong your
oath in the covenant directly or indirectly, as ye would escape the
wrath of God tbat is coming on such breaking of covenant ; but
rather choose the greatest extremity of affliction, than the least sin of
this sort ; as Moses did, who refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter, but chose rather to suffer reproach for Christ : and be not
• afraid of suffering for Christ, as though it were an evil thing, neither
scar ye at his cross, for the Lord himself saith, ' My yoke is easy, and
my burden light ;' yea, it is lighter to us, than to many that stand by :
believe it, faith maketh all burdenB light to the believing sufferer.
" And now I beseech you believers in Christ, abide in him, bring
forth fruit unto holiness, and study tenderness in all manner of con
versation, and holiness, ' without which no man shall see the Lord ;'
and let not this profane and mocking generation have any thing to re
proach you with, but that whereof you would not be ashamed ; that
when you suffer, ye may not suffer as evil-doers, that whereas they
speak evil of you, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good
conversation in Christ. It is not knowledge, nor a bare profession,
that glorifieth God, but tenderness, holiness, and righteousness, that do
commend religion and his cause to all men, and shall convince your
adversaries of their wickedness in wronging you, and make them the
more inexcusable in that day when they shall be judged : yea, what
know ye, but ye may win others, by your tender and good conversa
tion? " I recommend to you, that ye would be much and fervent in tho

118 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
use of that precious duty of prayer, wherein most near communion;
with God upon earth is to be found : be much in prayer with and for
others. ' Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the
manner of some is,' (I wish they may see the evil of it who neglect it)
' but exhort one another, and so much the more, as you see the day
approaching'. — Earnestness and diligence will hasten the Lord's com
ing with relief unto you, and to the Lord's borne-down work ; and
your slackness in this, may make the wheels of his chariot to move
the more slowly. For, the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous
availeth much with God ; it will do more than armies of men and
weapons of war for your defence and deliverance.
¦' I beseech you also, my dear friends, that you acquaint yourselves
with the word of God in the holy scripture, that yc may have ac
quaintance with Jesus Christ, who is clearly set forth therein ; that ye
may know him in his excellency, and come to love and believe in bim
whom ye know ; that ye may be acquainted with his revealed will
therein, and may know what is true, and cleave fast thereto, from a
sure persuasion that it hath the warrant of bis word; and may be
guarded against every error of the wicked, and that ye may fully know
what is good and what is evil : and that ye may suffer with confidence,
when ye are brought forth thereto as I am.
" Finally, my dear friends, be ye perfect, be of good comfort, be of
one mind, live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with
you.
JOHN WODROW."*

XVIH. RALPH SHIELDS.
[This person, as is evident from the tenor of the following testimony,
was by birth an Englishman. Having come to Scotland in the pro
secution of his worldly employment, he seems to have settled in
Ayr, and to have practised the trade of a clothier. It is probable
he joined the covenanters whilst in that neighbourhood ; and it
must be obvious from his own words, that he did so from the most
cordial acquiescence in their principles. He was one of the five
who suffered along with Mr. M'Kail on the 22d of December,
1666. The following is the testimony which he declared on the
occasion.]
" My Friends, — I am come here to die, and I thank God it is not foi
evil-doing, that I now suffer: although I be charged with rebellion
against the king's authority, yet I declare before God and you all,
that in all this matter, I never intended to wrong his majesty's just
power and greatness, but for conscience' sake, did respect authority as
the ordinance of God, appointed for the punishment of evil-doers, and
that I wish his majesty all welfare both in this life, and the world to
• Naphtali, pp. 356—362.

RALPH SHIELDS. 119
come ; and that it may be his happiness to consider his obligations to
God and perform the same, that so it may be well with him and his
posterity to many generations ; and I pray to God make him a friend to
his cause, and the truly godly who own the same, though falsely called
fanatics or turbulent persons.
" I declare I have such persuasion of the interest of religion re
formed, and sworn unto in the covenant, that I dare venture not
only to lay down my own life, but if every hair of my head were a
man, they should all be put to venture for this cause : I would not
have the world to stumble at the cause, because of my death after this
manner ; for I rejoice greatly in it : and I desire every good Christian,
as they tender their own souls' good, that they would grip fast, lay
hold on, and cleave to Jesus Christ and his way.
" My coming out at this time, I say, was not against his majesty,
but for the covenant which is now trodden under foot ; my intention
was for the cause of Christ : I take God to witness, it was nothing
else I came out for, and for that I am free to lay down my life.
" I bless God I am much encouraged in this, and not at all afraid
to die for so good and clear a cause ; and I hope, he will bring me
through all my difficulties in this dark shadow of death : I hope I
have the peace of a good conscience, and have had some glimpses
from Jesus Christ, of his countenance and reconciled face, since I came
into this prison ; for which, I desire to bless his name with all my soul,
heart, and spirit. And I rejoice that he has made use of me to suffer
for his cause ; and I think it too little, not only to lay down my body,
but (if it were possible) even my very soul at the stake for that cause,
and for Jesus Christ my good and kind Master, who hath loved me,
and given himself for me. I give the Lord thanks that 1 had some of
bis presence since I came into this condition : and again I say, I am
much encouraged and not afraid to die, and bless him that I die not
as a murderer, or evil-doer, or rebel against authority, but for such a
cause as this.
" O that it were the happiness of my nation of England, once to
subject themselves unto the sweet yoke of Christ's reformed govern
ment, under which this nation of Scotland hath enjoyed so much of
the power and life of the gospel, by a faithful ministry, according to
the covenant sworn by them both !
" And now, my dear friends in Christ, and fellow-covenanters,
though I be a stranger in this land, being an Englishman, but trysted
by providence in the prosecution of my calling, to have my residence
for a time here in Scotland, (which I look upon, as a singular evidence
of God's special love to me) though I be a stranger, I say, to many
of you, yet I must be bold, as a dying friend, to beseech you, by the
mercy of God, and bv your appearance before Jesus Christ, when we
shall have to do with none but him as our Judge, that ye be faithful
and stedfast in the cause of God, and the covenant which ye have sworn
with hands lifted up to the most high God, which no power on earth
can loose you from, and that ye keep you from snares unto the con
trary, and not suffer yourselves to fall into a detestable neutrality and
.indifferency in the cause of God ; especially that ye keep yourselves

120 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
free of any engagements by word or writ, that may wrong your oath
of the covenant. I commit my wife and children to his care, who
careth for them that put their trust in him before the sons of men, not
doubting but they shall be eyed with good will and favour by the
godly, after I am gone. And now I render up my spirit to him who
gave it me, and for whose sake 1 now lay down my life. To this
God, my covenanted God, be glory, blessing, and praise, for now and
ever ! Amen.
" That this is my mind and testimony, which I leave behind me, I
witness by my ordinary subscription
R. SHIELDS."^

XIX. HUMPHREY COLQUHOUN.
LThis was another of the five individuals who were executed along
with Mr. M'Kail. He seems to have been a plain unlettered man,
belonging, it is probable, to the lower ranks of hfe. The following
notice by Wodrow of his behaviour at death, is the only informa
tion which history has transmitted respecting him : " Humphrey
Colquhoun, when he died, spoke not on the scaffold and ladder like
ar. ordinary townsman, but, like one in the suburbs of heaven, re
lated his Christian experience, called for his Bible from one of his
friends, and laid it on his wounded arm, and read some most ap
posite passages, and spoke to the admiration of all who heard him:"
His testimony is as follows.]
" Dear friends and spectators, — I am come here this day, to this place
io die this death, for crimes for which (I thank God) my conscience
doth not condemn me. My crime, as is alleged, is for disloyalty
against the king's majesty ; yet I thank God that my appearing lately
with the Lord's people was from my sense of my obligation in the
covenant, and the sense of the wrongs done in the land, and the cry
ing oppressions committed therein. This was the end of my appear
ing for the Lord against his enemies, to bear witness against the same;
the which obligation of the oath of God, I judge that none on earth
can loose the conscience from. I blesB the Lord again and again, I
die for this oath and covenant; and I thank God also, that I have by
the great mercy of the Almighty God in Christ Jesus, obtained mercy
axd forgiveness for att ttiy transgressions both against the first and
Becond table of the law : and that through that ocean of grace which
is in the Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that I am justified and sancti
fied, and believe now to be glorified with him, by that blessed blood
of his, which hath purchased this salvation to me, through faith in the
same, made application of, according to the good covenant of grace.
He hath performed this, out of bis wonderful and incomparable free
grace : and this is my joy and exceeding great rejoicing and consola-
• Naphtali, pp. 362—364.

JOHN WILSON. 121
tion, and all my salvation, for which I am grace's debtor throughout all
eternity ! I die with this my testimony, and my adherence to the na
tional covenant, to the solemn league and covenant, to the work of
reformation a great length carried on, and now overthrown most sin
fully by ungodly men, who have established their apostasy by law,
which no just power on earth could ever do. Also I adhere to the
presbyterial government, the Confession of Faith, Catechisms Larger
and Shorter, and to the solemn acknowledgment of the church of
Scotland, and public testimonies thereof, against the sins of the time.
This day I rejoice that He hath counted me worthy to lay down my
life for him, as one that beareth witness against the breach of all the
sacred oaths and ties that were established in this land, yea, by the
just laws both of God and man, which never could have been repealed
lawfully, as this wicked generation hath done.
" Dear friends, I hope ye will stand fast in this obligation, and in
the solemn oaths and ties ye are under, and all the body of the laud
also will be stedfast in the same, upon the greatest hazard ye can meet
with ; and that ye will study perfect holiness and nearness with God,
which will help to keep you straight in this day of persecution and
sharp trial that is now raging in this land : I bless the Lord, I die not
a fool, though some men have thought so of me by their speeches to
ine, since my imprisonment : neither durst I ever be the man to buy
my 'liberty at such a dear rate as perjury, and to shake off these bles
sed bonds I did willingly come under ; and I thank God, I never yet
to this moment rued or repented it ; and sure I am, it is better for me
to suffer the worst of deaths, than to preserve my life by breaking the
oaths of God. I also give my testimony against prelacy and that
wicked hierarchy now established in this land, as that which the
church of Christ could never bear until this day, it being such a grand
enemy to the purity of the gospel, and power of godliness ; yea, a
yoke which the church of God groaneth under. I have no more to
say, but commend all you the lovers of our Lord Jesus Christ to God
himself, and to the good word of his grace, which is able to build you
up until the day of his appearance, and to give you all an inheritance
with them that are sanctified through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ :
And subscribe myself an expectant and apparent heir of the grace of
Christ,
HUMPHREY COLQUHOUN."*

XX. JOHN WILSON.

[John Wilson was from the parish of Kilmaurs, in Ayrshire, but hit
occupation or rank in life has not been mentioned. With the ex
ception of " Mungo Kaipo from Evandale " whose testimony, if he
gave one, has not been transmitted, he is the last of the five who,

» Naphtali, pp. 365—367.
Q

122 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
with Mr. M'Kail, were executed on December 22d, 1666. He
seems to have been a person like the most of his companions in
suffering, of plain good sense, belonging to some of the humbler
ranks of life, and without much of what is properly denominated
learning. This much may be gathered from the following testi
mony, which, however, contains a very clear and manly statement
of the principles for which he suffered.]
" Good people and spectators, — I am here condemned to die upon
. alleged rebellion against the king and his authority, which God know
eth, I never intended. For in my judgment, a man's endeavouring to
extirpate perjured prelates and abjured prelacy, according as he is
bound by oath in a sworn covenant, may very well stand with a man's
loyalty to king and country ; for I ara sure, the king and his subjects
may be happy, yea, more happy in the extirpation of prelates and
¦prelacy, than in their standing; yea, the throne shall never be estab«
fished in peace, until that wicked plant be plucked up by the roots,
which hath so much wasted and made desolate the Lord's vineyard:
for my part, I pray that the Lord may bless our king with blessings
from heaven, and make him a friend to the interests of Christ, as the
best way for the standing of his throne to many generations : and I
pray for all that are in authority under his majesty, that the Lord
may not lay to their charge the innocent blood of bis saints, which
they have shed. But the ground of my sentence is truly, the renew
ing of the covenant with my God, and labouring to defend the same,
according to my oath : and this I profess is and was my duty, and by
the grace of God will not quit it ; and in token hereof, I am here be
fore you all to lay down my life in defence of the same, and require
you all to be witnesses to this my testimony ; I do declare, I am not
ashamed, but count it my glory. I do likewise declare this before
you all in the sight of God, the Judge of all hearts, that since the day
I did first swear and subscribe this covenant for reformation, it hath
been sweet unto me, for I am persuaded in my conscience of the war-
rantableness thereof. I did swear the covenant four times, and the
last time at Lanark, which was the sweetest time to me of them all ;
for with my whole soul I renewed it, and gave up both my soul and
'body to him, to be at his disposal, which, I trust in God, I shall never
rue. Hearty praise and thanks be to the blessed God, that ever it
pleased him to give to this poor church that mercy to enter in cove
nant with himself, that he might be unto us a covenanted God, the
richest mercy that can be bestowed on men !
I have lived a presbyterian in my judgment, according as I have
sworn, and judge it to be the only way that God hath appointed in
his word, for the government of his church on earth; for under that
government the power and practice of religion hath greatly flourished,
and many a soul has been converted to the Lord, and found sweet
fellowship with him in his ordinances, by the ministry of his honest
and lawfully called servants. And blessed be the day that ever I
heard a faithful sent minister preach the gospel ! I do declare before
heaven and earth, that my whole design in this rising in arms was only
against abjured prelacy and prelates, the great oppressors of God's in-

JOHN WILSON. 123
terests, and cruel persecutors of his people, both in their consciences
and bodies ; and I judge their government and way to be not conform
to the word of God in the holy scriptures. I might cite many scrip
tures to this purpose, but I shall only name two, Luke xxii. 26. ' Bat
ye shall not be so : but he that is greatest among you, let him be as
the younger ; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.' And 1 Pet.
v. 3. ' Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples
to the flock.' Yea, it may be seen from sad experience, that under
their government, the power of godliness hath decayed, and avowed
profanity and popery itself hath increased, both to the dishonour of
the holy Lord, and great grief of the hearts of the godly. I am so
persuaded of the truth of the covenant, and of the error of their way,
and that Jesus Christ is the only King and Lord over his own house,
and besides him there is none else, ' for he will not give his glory to
another,' that I dare seal the truth thereof with my blood, and am
come hither for the same end, without any fear or amazement ; yea, if
every hair of mine head were a man, I would have ventured all, ac
cording to the covenant which I made with my God ; and although I
be a poor polluted sinner, and ' my house not so with God,' as it be
came ; ' yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, well or
dered in all things and sure, and this is all my salvation, and all my
desire ;' and I hope the Lord will soon tread down all his enemies with
shame, and the enemies of his covenant also. Therefore, let all that
love the Lord Jesus Christ and his truth and covenant, take comfort
and courage, notwithstanding all that which is come to pass;, and let
them not be ashamed to adhere thereunto, whatsoever sufferings they
meet with therein, for he will make up that loss in himself, and avenge
the wrongs done to himself and them, in his own due time : I assure
you, Christ is a good Master to serve : if ye knew him rightly and
his cross, it is sweet and easy to the believer ; for he maketh death
to be life, and bringeth light out of darkness. I desire to follow the
blessed Captain of my salvation through weal and wo. I beseech you,
my dear friends, whom now I am to part with, that ye stand to the
defence of all the truths of God and of his word ; and that ye receive
the Lord Christ as he hath offered himself therein, ye who have not
closed with him ; and that ye who have closed with him, abide in him
by a lively faith and love, bringing forth fruits, that you may put a
credit on your profession, and keep off every thing that may shame
your glorious and blessed Master before this evil and adulterous gen
eration. And I give you all warning, and dehort you heartily as ye
love your own souls, and as ye will answer to him, who shall judge
the quick and dead, that ye stand fast in all the duties ye are sworn
unto in the national and in the solemn league and covenant, both to
wards God, your king, and one another : and that ye beware of snares
in taking of any oaths or declarations contrary, in the least, to the
oath of God in these covenants. I leave my wife and little children
upon Jesus Christ my Lord, who are now to be made a widow and
fatherless for his sake, trusting, he will care for them ; and I recom
mend them to the counsel and kindness of his people under him. I
can forgive the wrong done to me in taking away my life for this

124 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
cause, and wish God to be merciful to those that have condemned me,
or have had any band in my death : but blessed be God, that brought
and hath kept me on His side of this cause, and honoured me to be a
public witness for him and his blessed truth and cause ; for which I
shall praise him in the world to come, whither I now go : yea, I will
praise him on the borders of death and eternity. To his blessed
name, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be praise for now and ever. So
saith your dying friend, for Christ : —
JOHN WILSON."*

XX. JOHN LIVINGSTONE.
[Mr. Livingstone was born at Kilsyth, in 1603, and was the son of
the minister of that parish. He studied ht Glasgow, and, having
passed Master of Arts in 1621, was in about four years after,
licensed to preach the gospel. After some disappointments with
regard to a settlement, he was induced to accept of a call to Kil-
linchie, in Ireland, where he remained till about 1638. Having
then returned to Scotland, he shortly after became minister of
Stranraer, in Galloway. From this station he was, ten years after,
translated to Ancrum, in Teviotdale, and henceforth began to take
a part in tbe public affairs of the church. In 1650, he was sent as
one of the commissioners to the king, at Breda. In 1654, he re
paired to London, oa a conference with Cromwell ; and some time
after, was appointed by the General Assembly to wait upon the
committee of Estates, then with the protector's army. He also
took some interest in the disputes with respect to the public re
solutions, and joined tbe Protestors. And with many of that party,
after the restoration, having refused to subscribe the oath of allegi
ance, he was banished from the king's dominions. He went to
Rotterdam, and continued there till his death, which happened on
the 9th of August, 1672. Previous to his last words, we insert a
letter which about a year before, he wrote to his flock at Ancrum,
as a parting memorial of his fidelity and affection.]
1. His Pastoral Letter.
" Notwithstanding, all the sad things that have fallen out of late, I
would put you in mind of the many good days we have seen together,
both of Sabbath-days and solemn communion-days, wherein we saw
the Lord's power and grace in the sanctuary, that in remembrance thereof
we may exalt his name together ; for my part, I have challenges, be
sides many others, that in my ministry I did not so stir up or improve
the gift that the Lord had given me, nor so cany myself like a spiri
tual, grave, diligent, and faithful servant of Christ, as I ought to have
done ; that in my ministry among you, I was not more frequent in
visiting families and dealing with persons in particular, to bring them
* Naphtali, pp. 367—370.

JOHN LIVINGSTONE. 125
f
to, and keep them in the ways of God. As for you, I may reckon
you all in three ranks : and I fear the far greater number is of
those who, although in general professors of Christianity, yet, so far as
coirid be observed, never laid religion to heart, and some of these
for gross ignorance and looseness were always debarred from the
Lord's supper ; others, although having some knowledge and * civil
walk, yet upon good grounds were always suspected to be void of
the love and fear of God, continuing in their natural unrenewed con
dition, neglecting the worship of God in their families and alone, and
Bhowing by all their carriage, that their thoughts and designs were
never beyond the world : these, no doubt, are glad of the change now
come, that they may cast off Christ's yoke, and be free of the word and
discipline which terrified and tormented them, and may now both swear
terrible oaths and drink themselves drunk, which by some will be ex
pounded as an evidence of their loyalty ; they may now, after the example
of many great ones, walk in the lust of uncleanness, mind nothing but
how, justly or unjustly, to get the world, and then how to spend it
on their lusts ; and hate, and to the utmost of their power persecute
all, who will not run with them to the same excess of riot. Now, as I
have often in public, with as great earnestness and tenderness as I could,
warned these to flee from the wrath to come, so I would yet desire them
to stand still before they go to the pit, and hear from a truly loving
friend, a few words, which I am confident in the day of the great
reckoning, shall be found a message from tbe living God. Do you
believe that there is a God, or heaven or hell ? Or can you, with all
your will and strength, 'scape the' thoughts of these out of your Bleep
ing consciences ? Or do ye in such sort hate God, that because ye
are his creatures ye will in so far be avenged, as to sell yourselves to
his enemy, the devil, for nought — to be tormented in all eternity ?
I am most sure, none of you all can be sure, that you are repro
bates ; and I can give you assurance, greater than the stability
of heaven and earth, even the sworn word of him that liveth and
reigneth for ever, that, if you will betake yourselves to the only
Saviour of the world, of lost sinners, and forsake your sins, ye are no
reprobates. O ! what advantage have ye when ye have gained all
the world, all the pleasures, all the riches, and all the favours of it,
and have lost your precious and immortal souls ? It is utterly impos
sible but that sometimes your heart tells you there will be bitterness
in the end. Doth not whoredom and drunkenness waste the body,
take away the judgment, and leave a sting in the conscience? Can
any avoid ths curse that goods gotten by falsehood and oppression
bring upon the man, and all he hath, yea, on his posterity ? Is it not
sad that Satan can prompt man to swear, curse, and blaspheme, and
utter tbat which he dare not utter himself? Though ye were free of
all outbreakings, doth not an unrenewed state, the neglect of com
manded duties, Sabbath-breaking, and such like evils, bind you over to
the wrath of him who is coming there in flaming fire, to take vengeance
on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel ? Ye may pos
sibly think ye are so far gone on, that there is no retreat, and the

126 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
ways of the Lord are such as your disposition can never agree with ; but
how can your disposition agree to burn and consume, and yet never con
sume, in everlasting flames, where each of all your sins shall have their
own particular torment? How can you agree to dwell with infernal
furies ? Or will ye add to your other wickedness— despair, and despising
all the Lord's loving, loud, and long-continued invitations ? What shall
you answer, if the Lord shall say to some of you, at the judgment, I
would have given thee both grace and glory if thou hadst sought it;
thou wouldest not give one, two, or three knocks at my door ; thou
wouldest not open when I knocked often and long at thy door, by
so doing thou hast subscribed thine own condemnation I
" O let me obtain this much, of all and every one of you, for all
the pains I have taken among you in preaching, for all my nine years'
banishment from you, for all the prayers I have put up for you, for
all the love which He who knoweth all things, knoweth that I bear to
you, yea, let your own souls, and the love ye have to your own welfare
here and hereafter, obtain it, or rather let him who for sinners shed
his most precious blood at Jerusalem, obtain this of you, that you
will take one day, each of you, from morn to even, forbearing
both meat and drink, and go apart either into some quiet room
in a house, or unto some part of the fields, where, you may be most
quiet, and having beforehand marked in the Bible, such places as
are fit to be read at such a time, as also having somewhat searched
your way toward God, and his ways toward you, there set yourselves
in his sight, spending the time in confession of sin, and prayer for
pardon and grace to serve him, and save your own souls : and if
(which is not readily to be supposed) ye get no access on such a day,
yet, continue thereafter, in such exercise and suits ; for, dehver
ance from hell, enjoyment of heaven, and the favour of God, are
worth more pains than you can take all your life. Now, if this so
easy and necessary advice shall be rejected, without prescribing
time and place, or measure and manner, I take instruments before
sun and moon, and all the creatures, that I have left this warning as
an endorsed summons fixed on the door of your consciences, to be
called aud judged before Him who is ready to judge the quick and
the dead at his appearance, in his glory, when besides the wit
nessing of your own conscience, and of all the creatures, I also, as
your lawful minister, sent to bring about your reconciliation to God,
" shall appear to witness, that ye got fair warning, but did reject the
same and would choose death. Therefore, while it is called To-day,
take a trial of Christ's yoke, do but put him to it, and' see whether or
not he will open the windows of heaven and rain blessings and right
eousness upon you ; come and see, and taste the goodness of the
Lord, you shall be made to say, He is a rich and loving Master ; once
engage your heart to him and ye may defy Satan and all the allure
ments and terrors of the world to draw you from Him. Glad would
my heart be before I go to the grave, that some of you have begun a
new course, and if ye begin indeed, ye will not get it suppressed ; it
will be heard. I shall, as I can pray for it, and desire others here to

JOHN LIVINGSTONE. 127
pray for it ; it is not needful to multiply words. I leave it with you
as ye shall answer to Jesus Christ when he shall come in the clouds
with power and great glory.* Your affectionate pastor,
JOHN LIVINGSTONE."
Rotterdam, October, 1671."
2. His Last Words.
Upon the 9th of August, 1672, the day on which he died, some of
his friends who occasionally came to visit him being present, he was
desired by his wife to speak something to them. He said, " There is
a vanity in speaking and desiring to hear. But He (Jesus Christ)
needs no testimony from man, yet if my poor testimony could signify
any thing, it is good my duty to give it him, for he hath made
good his word to me in all things. The Lord was pleased to
take me when I was young, and to keep me on his side, for when I
was at the college of Glasgow, he engaged me to an opposition to
kneeling at the communion. The first acquaintances ever I had were
Christian acquaintances, as the tutor of Bonnington, and my lady
Kenmuir, who is the oldest acquaintance I have alive now in Scot
land. And when I was called to Ireland, I was joined to some worthy
men there, whose books I was not worthy to bear."
And after a pause, (for he was not able to speak much together) look
ing towards his friends, he saith with an emphatic sweetness, " Carry
my commendations to Him, (meaning Jesus Christ) till I come there
myself and bring them."
After this Jacob-like pause, he added," I die in the faith that the truths
of God, which he hath helped the church of Scotland to own, shall be
owned by him as truths so long as suu and moon endure. I hate in
dependency ; though there be good men among them, and some well
meaning people favour it, yet it will be found more to the prejudice of
the work of God than many are aware of, for they evanish into vain
opinions. I have had my own faults, as other men, but he made me
always to abhor shows. I have, I know, given offence to many
through my slackness and negligence, but I forgive, and desire to be
forgiven. I cannot say much of great services, yet, if ever my heart
was lifted up, it was in preaching of Jesus Christ. There is a cloud :
I would not have people forecasting the worst, — yet there is a storm
coming, but I hope it shall not last long. I have not much to do
with creatures, I have ordered my cause, and he knoweth my words
which I uttered before him at Mizpeh I"
Speaking of some of his special friends in the south, he mentioned
these two ladies, the lady Merton and the lady Riddell, who, he said,
" had been very useful to him and bis family."
His wife apprehending him not able to speak more at that time, and
fearing what shortly followed, desired him to take his leave of his
friends : " I dare not," said he, with an affectionate tenderness, " and
•Gillies' Historical Collections, vol. i.

128 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
it is like our parting will be but for a short time .'"* And then he
slept in the Lord.

XXI. JOHN BURNET.
fMr. Burnet is characterized by Wodrow, as having been a man " of
great solidity and learning." He was, at the restoration, minister of
Kilbride, in Lanarkshire ; and had laboured for many years in that
parish with much assiduity, acceptance, and success. He was, how
ever, along with the great majority of his faithful brethren, outed
from his charge, and deprived of his living by the Act of 1662.
From this period, we do not observe any mention of him till 1673,
when with many others, he was offered the Indulgence. This favour
he felt it his duty to decline ; and though he did not carry his op
position to the measure so far as others, he yet regarded it as a mea
sure derogatory to the fundamental principles of presbyterian govern
ment. Being unable, from sickness, to appear before the council when
cited, to give his reasons for refusing it, — he forwarded them in
writing, with a letter to the Chancellor. The paper containing
them, together with that letter, is here introduced, as exhibiting a
very clear and decided Testimony, not merely against the evil in
question, but also in favour of the presbyterian government of the
church of Scotland. And, considering that he died shortly after,
on the 22d December, 1673, these may still farther be regarded
as constituting his last testimony, to tbat good cause.]
1. His Testimony against the Indulgence.
" Being called before his majesty's privy council f to give an account
of the reasons, why I have not accepted of this present Indulgence,
granted by his most excellent majesty to several presbyterian ministers
in Scotland ; I desire humbly and in the fear of God (who standeth
in the congregation of the mighty, and judgeth among the gods) to
give this true, sober, and ingenuous relation of such things, as did and
do invincibly bind me, why I cannot accept of this late complex In
dulgence, framed in three distinct acts of council, of the date Septem
ber 3d and 7tb, 1672 — To which, I shall premise these things
briefly : —
" ist. That it is well known to all the protestant reformed churches
* This account of Livingstone's last words has been extracted expressly for
this Work, from a MS. in the handwriting of Mr. M'Ward, who was present
when he died. The title of the MS is as follows : — " Some expressions of Mr.
John Livingstone, when some of his friends were together occasionally to see
dim, a little before his death August 9th, 1672." — l"LX. Jac. V. 1. 10. Art.
58.] f In reference to the particular form in which this paper has come down to
us, as a memorial to the privy council, the author has prefixed to it the follow
ing intimation : — " The draught of this paper was framed purposely to the S.
Council, as will appear in the very entry thereof, which mould I could not
change, because of the want of health, and other inconveniencies. "

JOHN BURNET. 129
abroad, concerning the constitution and government of this ancient
church of Scotland for many years, and particularly in'the year 1660,
that it was framed according to the word of God ; confirmed by many
laudable and ancient laws ofthe kingdom ; and solemnly sworn to bv
all ranks within the same.
t _" 2d, It is also found by lamentable experience, that since that time,
tais ancient and apostolic government is wholly overturned in its very
species and kind, and that by the introduction of lordly prelacy, which
is tyrannically exercised ; whereby the church was suddenly deprived
of her lawfully called pastors, and their rooms filled by strangers, vio
lently thrust in upon the people, many of whom have proved scandal-
ous and insufficient.
" 3d, The sad effects of these things are conspicuously apparent
upon tbe face of this church this day,— such as involving tbe land in
great backsliding and defection ; the abounding ignorance and atheism ;
the overflowing speat of sensuality and profaneness like to Sodom ;
the increase of popery and error through the land, even to the height
of antichristian paganism, and quakerism ; the sharp suffering and
smartings of many of his majesty's loyal subjects through the land,
merely because they cannot conform to tbe present prelatical frame ;
and, finally, the increase of animosities, dissensions, divisions, jeal
ousies, and differences among the subjects.
" 4th, Whatever power sound and orthodox divines do acknowledge
the magistrate to have, and to have exercised in a troubled and ex
traordinary state of the church ; yet, it is not at all yielded by them,
that the magistrate may, in any ways, alter its warrantably established
government, and so turn that same troubled and perplexed state and
frame of the church, made such by himself, merely to be the subject
of his magisterial, authoritative care, and operation.
" 5th, That I be not mistaken, as denying to his majesty his just
power in ecclesiastic matters, I do humbly and with great alacrity ac
knowledge, that the civil magistrate hath a power circa sacra, which
power is objectively ecclesiastic ; bo as he, by his royal authority,
may enjoin, that whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven,
may be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven ; which
power also is by God's appointment only cumulative and auxiliary to
the church, not privative, nor destructive, and is to be exercised al
ways in a civil manner.

" As to the reasons of my not-acceptance of the present offer, and
not repairing to the place designed by the council, they are ; —
" 1. That our Lord Jesus Christ, Mediator, the King, and Law
giver of his own church, hath committed all ministerial authority, for
government of his house, to his own church officers, as the first pro
per subject and receptacle thereof, John xx. 21. 'As my Father sent
me, so send I you.' Matth. xxviii. 18, 19, 20. ' All power is given
to me in heaven and earth ; go ye and preach the gospel.' 2 Cor. x.
8. ' Our authority which the Lord hath given us for edification, and
not for destruction,' &c. But so it is, that the act explanatory of his

130 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
majesty's supremacy in the church, (whereupon the Act of Indulgence
is grounded) doth not only claim the power to belong of right to his
majesty and successors, as an inherent privilege of the crown, but
doth actually, also, inveBt and clothe him with the formal exercise
thereof in his own person, and that he may derive the same and con
vey it to others, as in his royal wisdom he shall think fit : for, his
majesty is pleased to design and make application of ministers to
congregations, and that, without the previous call of the people, and
power of the presbytery (which would suppose the civil magistrate to
have authority to judge of the suitableness of ministers' parts and gifts
to labour amongst such and such a people ;) as also to frame and
prescribe ecclesiastic rules, relating to the exercise of the ministerial
office, as also appointing a commission to plant and transplant minis
ters, as they shall think fit ; notwithstanding that it hath been unan
swerably evinced, that presbyterian government is founded on the
word of God, and confirmed otherwise abundantly.
" 2. Although I do freely disdlow and condemn all tumultuary
and seditious meetings (among which, it is sad and grievous, that the
peaceable meetings of the Lord's people for worship, and hearing the
word soundly preached, should be reckoned,) yet I am so convinced
in my heart of the Lord's blessing attending the preaching of tbe gos
pel (though not in a public parish church) as that I judge the narra
tive of the first act to go near to involve my acceptance of this Indul
gence, being an interpretative condemning of the said meetings.
" 3. There is a standing relation betwixt me and another flock,
over which I was set by the appointment of Jesus Christ in his word,
which tie can never really be dissolved by any other power than that
which at first did make it up, and gave it a being : and after that I had
ten years (during the English usurpation) wrestled in opposition to
quakers and independents, in the place where the first breach had
been made upon the church of Scotland, I was without any ecclesiastic
sentence thrust from the public exercise of my ministry in that place,
where there will be twelve hundred examinable persons, whereof
there were never fifty persons, yet to this day, who have subjected
themselves to bim, who is called the regular incumbent ; and that,
even when I was living thirty miles distant from the place. Now,
what a door is hereby (by my being kept from my charge) opened to
error, atheism, and profaneness may be easily conjectured by those
who hear of the deplorable case of that people : and what a grief
must it be to them, to have their own lawful pastor shut up in a cor
ner, whereby we are both put out of a capacity to receive any more
spiritual comfort flowing from that relation, which is yet in force be
twixt us ? or how is it to be imagined that any new supervenient re
lation can result betwixt another flock and me, by virtue of an act only
of a were civil judicatory?* Beside, that the people, in whom I
,N Mr. Burnet, as already stated, had been minister of Kilbride, in Lanark
shire, and it was now proposed in the act of indulgence to settle him at New-
mills, in Ayrshire. This, however, as is here well argued, was in direct opposi
tion to the presbyterian polity, which requires that a man should be presbyteri-
ally loosened from one charge, before being admitted to another.

JOHN BURNET. 131
have present interest, are utteny rendered hopeless, by a clause in the
end of the first act, viz. ' That the Indulgence is not hereafter to be
extended in favours of any other congregation than these mentioned
in the act,' whereof they in that parish are none.
" 4. That I will not offer to debate the magistrate's sentence of
confinement, let be his power to do the same; yet I shall soberiy say,
there are so many things attending the present application thereof to
my person, tbat it cannot be expected I should give tbat obedience
hereto, which might infer my own consent or approbation. For, 1st,
Though this confinement be called a gentle remedy of the great evils
of the church, in the narrative of the first act, yet it is found to be a
very sharp punishment, as it is circumstantiate. 2d, All punishments,
inflicted by magistrates on subjects, ought to relate to some cause or
crime, and cannot be done arbitrarily, without oppression, which truth
,1 is engraven on the light of nature ; for Festus, a heathen man, Acts
xxv. 27. could say, ' It seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner,
and not withal to signify the crime laid against him ;' yet am I sen
tenced and sent in fetters to a congregation, without so much as being
charged with any crime, and all the world are left to collect the. rea
son of this censure ! 3d, If my confinement relate not to any crime,
it must needs relate to a design, which design is obvious to common
sense, viz. that I should preach and exercise the office of my ministry,
wholly at the appointment and disposal of the civil magistrate ; and a
sentence of confinement is less obvious to debate and dispute by the
subjects, and will more easily go down with any simple man, than an
express command to preach, grounded on his majesty's royal preroga
tive and supremacy, and cannot readily be refused by any, unless a
man make himself to be constructed a squeamish, wild fanatic, and ex
pose himself to great sufferings ; so this confinement, which hath both
his majesty's prerogative and supremacy in ecclesiastic matters in it,
comes to me in room, and that directly, of the people's call, and pres
bytery's authority, and other ecclesiastic appointment. Now this de
sign, however closely covered, I dare not in conscience, yea, I cannot
(with the preservation of my judgment and principles) concur with,
or be consentient thereto. 4th, By the confinement I am put to an
open shame before the world, and particularly in that place where I
am permitted to preach the gospel : for what weight can my preach
ing or ministerial acts of discipline and government have, while I my
self am handled and dealt with as a malefactor and transgressor, a
rebel or traitor to my prince and nation ? Or how can I preach the
word of the Lord freely and boldly against the sins of the times (as
against profaneness, error, injustice, and oppression) as ministers ought
impartially to do, while I am kept under a perpetual check of the sword
of the magistrate at my throat ? This to me is not preaching, but an
overawed discourse : moreover, I become a prey for any malicious
prejudicate hearer, who shall happen to accuse and inform against me.
Can I be answerable to God who sent me, to render up myself wil
lingly to be a servant of men ? Were not this to cut out my own
tongue with my own hand's ? 5th, This confinement is not simply or
mainly of my person, (which sentence, if it were so, I should most

132 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
willingly undergo) but it is of tbe office itself (the imprisonment of
which ought to be sadder to me, than any personal suffering whatso
ever) while, 1st, It is not of me alone, but of all the presbyterian
ministers in Scotland, a very few only excepted. 2d, While the pro
pagation of the gospel by the personal restraint of us all is manifestly
obstructed. 3d, We are cut off from the discharge of many neces
sary duties, which we owe to the nation and church ; and especially
at such a time, while she is in hazard to be swallowed up with a
swarm of Jesuits, quakers, and other damnable subverters of the truth ;
and (which is yet more) while three parts of the kingdom are groan
ing under the want of the word, faithfully preached, and some few
shires only here in the west are made, as it were, the common gaol
of all the ministers that are permitted to preach. 4th, By this con
finement, I lose an essential part of my ministry, which is the exercise
of jurisdiction and church government ; which yet Mr. Baxter (a
very favourable nonconformist) asserts to be as essential to the office
of a minister, as preaching of the word ; the staff being as needful to
the shepherd, as either the pig or the horn is ; so says the scripture of
preaching elders, Acts xx. 28. ' The Holy Ghost hath made you over
seers' or bishops, no less than teachers ; a principal part of which
government is ordination of ministers, for preservation of a succession
of faithful men in the church ; whereof by tbe act of confinement (as
also is expressly provided by the last clause of the last act) we are
intentionally deprived for ever, while it is in force : in losing of which
one branch of our government, we undo our own cause with our own
hands. I remember the first thing the ambitious Roman clergy in
vaded and usurped, was the jurisdiction and authority of presbyters,
turning the ministers of Jesus Christ into the prelates' journeymen,
making curates of them, only for preaching and intimating the bishops'
mandates. And what else do I in this case, but make the ministry
of the gospel in my person immediately dependant, in the exercise of
it, upon the arbitrament of the civil magistrate.
" 5. As for the permission and allowance I have to preach, when
confined : this permission seemeth very fair, while I look on it ab
stractly, without relation to the rest of the particular circumstances
of the act ; for this would look like opening the door in part, which
the magistrate himself had shut ; but while I take it complexly with
what else is joined with it, it doth presently carry another face, like
some pictures or medals that have two or three different aspects to
the eyes of the beholder : for, permission' to preach in any vacant
church within the kingdom is so very great a favour, that for it I
would desire to bless God, and thank his majesty most heartily : but
take it without the previous call of the people, the authority and as
sistance of a presbytery, as it may be had ; and take it without the
exercise of discipline and government but what is congregational — and
so it is lame. Again, take it with the confinement, and other clogs
and caveats contained in the second act ; or take it with the burden
•of being obliged to follow all matters (formerly referrible to presby
teries and synods) before these presbyteries and synods, which are
now constitute by bishops and their delegates ; and so it is -nothing

JOHN BURNET. 133
but that same accommodation, which we formerly had in our offer from
the bishop, and did refuse : and take it yet with the robbing of our
own congregations, and with the depriving of three parts of four of
the whole rest of the land, and then I have it to consider, whether
this my permission to preach be not the putting of my neck under a
heavier yoke, than it could be under before.
" 6. The last reason (for brevity) is from the affinity with and
dependance this act of his majesty's royal Indulgence bath upon the
late explanatory act of his majesty's supremacy,) which I desire with
sorrow of heart to look upon, as the greatest encroachment can be
made upon the crown and authority of Jesus Christ, who only is King
and Lawgiver of his church upon earth) as will be evident by compar
ing the two acts together ; for the act of his majesty's supremacy (be
sides the narrative) contains two principal parts, viz. 1st, The asser
tory of his majesty's supremacy, which is the main theme proposed to
be explained, in these words : ' The estates of parliament do hereby en
act, assert, and declare, that his majesty hath the supreme authority and
supremacy over all persons, and in all causes ecclesiastic within this
kingdom.' 2d, The explanatory part follows, in so many most com
prehensive and extensive branches and articles, thus : ' That by vir
tue thereof the ordering and disposal of the external government of
the church doth properly belong to his majesty and his successors, as
an inherent right of the crown, and that his majesty and successors
may settle, enact, and emit such constitutions, acts, and orders con
cerning the administration of the external government of the church,
and the persons employed in the same, and concerning all ecclesiasti
cal meetings and matters, to be proposed and determined therein, as
they in their royal wisdom shall think fit.'
" Again, the act of his majesty's royal Indulgence, which is the
exercise and actual application of his supremacy in matters ecclesias
tic, may be taken up in these particulars comprehensively. 1st, The
nomination and election of such and such ministers, to such and such
respective places. 2d, A power to plant and transplant, put out and
put in ministers to the church. 3d, The framing and prescribing
rules and instructions, for limiting ministers in the exercise of the
ministerial office. 4th, The ordaining inferior magistrates, as sheriffs,
justices, &c. to inform the council every six months, under highest
pains, anent the carriage of indulged ministers, and how they observe
the foresaid rules. 5th, The confining of licensed ministers to one
small corner of the kingdom, and declaring all other places and con
gregations whatsoever within this nation to be incapable of any share
of this royal favour, except such places only as are expressly contained
in the act itself. Now, that these particulars of the act of indulgence
are of the same nature and kind with the articles explanatory of his
majesty's supremacy, will demonstratively appear by this plain argu
ment, viz. ' To settle, enact, emit constitutions, acts, and orders con
cerning matters, meetings, and persons ecclesiastic, according to their
royal pleasure,' is the very substance and definition of his majesty's
supremacy, as it is explained by bis estates of parliament. But the
act of his majesty's indulgence, in the whole five forenamed particu-

134 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
lars thereof, is only to settle, enact, and emit such constitutions, acts,
and orders, concerning matters, meetings, and persons ecclesiastical,
according to royal pleasure : therefore the Act of his majesty's Indul
gence is the substance and definition of his majesty's supremacy, as it
is explained by his estates of parliament. The rules and instructions
for limiting ministers in tbe exercise of their office, as also the rest of
the two forenamed particulars of the Indulgence, are, such, as I de
clare I cannot accept of them, or any other favour whatsoever, upon
such terms and conditions ; because they contain the downright exer
cise of erastianism, (as I humbly conceive ; and a discretive judgment
of such acts as a man resolving to practise cannot be denied him, un
less men be turned into brutes, and so be ruled no more as reasonable
creatures) namely, the magistrate by his proper and elicit acts, doing
that which is purely spiritual and ecclesiastic, as a nomothetic head
and lawgiver, framing such laws and constitutions ecclesiastic, as are
not competent for any ministerial or declarative power to enact or im
pose ; but of that power only, which is absolutely sovereign : and
whatsoever will militate against an ecclesiastic person, to arro
gate to himself to be Christ's vicar on earth, and a visible head, to
give and make laws for the church, according to his pleasure ; the
same also, will make much against any other, though the greatest in
the world, to assume to himself this prerogative, so long as he can
produce no divine warrant for this claim.* A more particular consid
eration of these rules, and other particulars, I must needs (for brevity)
forbear."
2. His Letter to Lauderdale.
" My noble Lord, — Having, in the singleness of my heart, and I
trust without any just ground of offence, given this short and sober
account of the reasons why I have not made use of his majestys royal
favour and indulgence ; and being fully persuaded in my conscience,
that both magistracy and ministry are God's ordinance, and no ways
destructive, but mutually helpfol one to another ; so that I cannot but
earnestly long, that the Lord, who hath the hearts of kings and rulers
in his hand, would put it in the heart of our great sovereign (and in
your grace's heart to be instrumental therein) that he would grant us,
ministers, hberty to make foil proof of that ministry, which the Lord
hath given us for edification, and not for destruction ; that we might
have the opportunity to make it appear, that the government, which
tbe Lord Jesus hath appointed in his church, dotb well consist and
agree with the magistrate's civil government in the state, that so I
and all others, my outed brethren, may have access to our former
charges, or other congregations, as we shall have opportunity of a cor-
to LIMh*66 ^ ?j-tbfal testimony> we *<* what reasons moved him not
to accept of this supposed favour; and particularly we may observe that one
^rd°tnhr,,the;elatir an/caffinity that ^^^a^^z
I-.dul* n T? C^y vCt °f SuPrema°5-; » th.t whoever accepted of thi.
Indulgence, could not but be looked upon as virtually and materially fat leastl
u^°*ilTirSendDSt<!<ithe Saprema6y; 8Dd whatini^/StrS
up in thi., . few words could not express. "-Brown's Hist, of the Indulgence.

JOHN BROWN. 135
dial invitation1 from the people, with the assistance and help authorita
tively of lawful church judicatories, until such time as God shall grant
a patent way to return to our own charges. And 2d, that presby
terian ministers may have access to his majesty for representing just
grievances, which press heavily our consciences, and the consciences
of the people, his majesty's loyal and faithful subjects in tbe land : — In
granting of which necessary and just deBire, I, your grace's servant,
shall be a humble supplicant at the throne of grace, for the preserva
tion of his majesty's person, the establishing of his throne in righteous
ness ; and that the Lord would pour forth the spirit of righteous
judgment on your grace, that the Lord may be blessed, and your grace
may find mercy in the day of visitation.
J. BURNET."*

XXII. JOHN BROWN.
QPerhaps there are few of his cotemporaries who, for talents, learning,
and piety, can be put into comparison with John Brown. For
many years previous to the restoration, he was minister of Wam-
phray, in Annandale ; and not only in that parish, but also in the
whole district of country where it is situated, had his labours been
abundant and successful. Upon some trivial offence given to
the prelatic party, who then governed the church, he was, in 1662,
summoned before the Council, and forthwith sent to prison. Here
he remained five weeks, when the failure of his health, by reason
of the confinement, caused him to supplicate for liberty. This,
however, was acceded to only upon his obliging himself, to remove
from the king's dominions. He accordingly, shortly after, went
over to Holland, — at that time the asylum of the persecuted
covenanters. But even there, he was not free from annoyance.
In 1676, an application was made to the States-general to banish
him, alon» with other two, from that country. The application
was ultimately successful ; and by an act of that body, he was
doomed to leave Rotterdam in March, 1677. It seems, however,
that on the attestation of a physician that his health would be in
jured by tbe removal, he was allowed to remain in the country, and,
it would appear, took advantage of this opportunity to prepare the
following very valuable Testimony, which is dated in that year.]
" Reader,  Because some, not knowing what was the true cause of
my silence and speaking nothing in public, as my worthy and dear
brother, Mr. M'Ward did, while we were both of us to depart out of
Rotterdam, in order to our going out of the United Provinces, (in
obedience to the resolution of the States-general, taken in compliance
with the importunate urging of the king of Britain, contrary to their own
inclinations, being sufficiently convinced of the injustice of the thing,
* Faithful Witness-bearing Exemplified,, pp 188 — 196.

13G TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
and of the injury done to us,) might wonder how it came that I gave
no testimony unto that cause, for which I was as hardly pursued and
persecuted in strange cities as the rest, and might hence suppose that
my zeal for that glorious cause, of owning and witnessing for Christ's
truth, ordinances, and interest, was cooled, and tbat sinful fainting
and base timorousness had seized upon me, to tbe scandal and offence
of the worthy and valiant sufferers for tbat cause — to the grief and
trouble of the godly, who yet adhere unto that persecuted cause —
and to the rejoicing of the hearts of apostates from, and enemies to
the same : — I thought I was called of the Lord, and under an obliga
tion to lay hold on this unexpected occasion and opportunity, to the
end I might remove, so far as I could, all occasion of mistake or
stumbling in this matter. As to that which was the real cause of my
not appearing in public at that time, I shall not need to say much,
seeing it is abundantly well known to all the Scottish congregation in
Rotterdam, and to many others in that city, that by reason of much
sickness and infirmity of body, under which I had been for half a year
before, occasioned by the recurring of that chronic distemper which
hath afflicted me these eleven years by-past, — I was not in case to visit
friends and acquaintances in that city, and salute them at my depar
ture ; nor in case to preach, as I had purposed, for some diets before
that day. This* and nothing else, was the true cause of my not ap
pearing in public, whether to preach a farewell sermon unto that peo
ple unto whom I had for a long time bad liberty and opportunity of
preaching the gospol, or to give any public testimony unto that noble
cause, for which I had been exiled fourteen years before, and forced
to live all that time in a strange country.
" I cannot but acknowledge it to have been a rare and singular
dispensation of love and grace in God towards such an unworthy Bin-
ner as I am, that he should have at first honoured me with banish
ment into a strange land, for his cause and truth, with six others of
his faithful and worthy servants, with whom I was never worthy to be
named in one day; and tbat now, after he had so wonderfully deliv
ered me from so many deaths in which I have been these eleven years
past, I should have a second crown put upon my head, and be hon
oured with a second exilement, together with my dearly beloved
brother, after all the rest of our number who were exiled from
our native country, for tbe testimony of Jesus, were fallen asleep in
the Lord, and enjoying their rest above, after all their labours and
toil here below for their Lord and Master : — Mr. Livingstone, (I
mean) that great seer and famous divine ; siealous Mr. Trail ; con
stant and faithful Mr. Nevay ; stedfast and public spirited Mr. Sim-
son ; and pious Mr. Gardner : herein I ought to rejoice, and, through
his grace, shall rejoice, that the free grace of God will yet once more,
before I go hence and be no more in this valley of tears,  put me, to
undergo a little more for my Lord and King ; and, at least, have me
called and accounted a sufferer for his name and truth, witb my
brother, zealous, faithful, and magnanimous Mr. M'Ward, and that
valiant and faithful old soldier of Jesus Christ, colonel James Wal
lace.

JOHN BROWN. 137
." ?*st no man think that a" th'9 unrighteous usage, and these
injuries I ain put to suffer upon the account of the truth and interest
of Jesus Christ, have in the least darkened the glory, beauty, and good
ness of that cause in my esteem, or abated my affection thereunto,
and zeal therefore. I thank the Lord, all these things do contribute
more and more to tbe confirming of my soul, in the certain persua
sion and full conviction that this course of defection and apostasy
from the truth and interest of Christ, is hateful and abominable in the
eyes of the Lord, and an iniquity that the righteous Lord will not
suffer to go unpunished, even in the sight of the nations, that all flesh
may tremble before him, and see how jealous he is for his name and
glory. And I account it my mercy, that I have this occasion and
call, before I receive my last summons to depart hence, and, before
my decaying tabernacle fall into pieces, to bear witness to the truth,
which is now blasphemed and buried under heaps of obloquy and re
proach, and to give testimony against this unparalleled catastrophe
begun in the year 1660, and carried on since, in Britain and Ireland,
by a profane, predominating, popish, prelatical, malignant, and erastian
faction, (the old and constant enemy of the church of Scotland from
the very beginning ; the Amalekites that first made war against our
Israel, after our forefathers were delivered from the bondage of
Egyptian Romish taskmasters ; and the Canaanites that have ever
since been pricks in our eyes and thorns in our sides,) conspiring
against the Lord and against his anointed ; who are not satisfied with
their own treacherous and perfidious apostatizing from the truth,
which they once outwardly owned, defended, and appeared for, in
their several capacities, — in pulpits, assemblies, councils, parliaments,
and in arms against king and court, and all that were engaged against
the same ; but with rage, cruelty, inhumanity, and barbarous persecu
tion, do also compel, and with a God-daring audacity and hellish
fury, force all, so far as they can, to blaspheme, and join with them in
the same excess of wickedness and rebellion against the Most High.
" Though it be but little that I can say in ray present circumstances,
wherein, upon several accounts, I am much out of case to speak to this
great and weighty matter as I ought, (the full delineation whereof in its
rise and progress, in its causes and consequences, in its parts and con
comitants, would call for a more able head and fitter hand than I have,
and require a large volume rather than a sheet,) yet, not knowing how
soon it may please the Lord, after many granted issues from death, and
unexpected deliveries from the very mouth ofthe king of terrors, to put
an end to my tossings in this valley of sin, trouble, and distance fron
him, I durst not at this present be wholly silent ; but finding myself
called of the Lord to witness a good confession for him, and for his
oppressed truth and interest, now trode under foot, and trampled
upon with the highest insolency, contempt, and audacity, I re
solved to speak a few words (how weakly and insufficiently soever i t
might be) to a few heads of things, unto which other particulars may
be reduced.
I. " And first,— « to begin with that which was the first foundation
stone of this Babel and rebellion against the Lord, and which, as corrupt

138 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
blood, runneth through all the veins of this defection to this day, I
mean that horrid sin of covenant-breaking, whereof the land and the
inhabitants thereof stand in a high measure guilty before the Lord.
It pleased the Lord to choose that land, and to set his love upon it, be
cause he loved it ; and we became a special people to himself, above
all people that are upon the face-of the earth, so that, though all the
earth be the Lord's, yet we became a peculiar treasure unto him,
above all people, when he took us into covenant with himself, when
all our tribes, officers, and rulers, our wives, and little ones stood
before the Lord, that they should enter into covenant with the Lord
their God, and into the oath of the Lord to be his ; and avouched the
Lord in that day to be our God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep
his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken
to his voice ; and the Lord did avouch us in that day to be his pecu
liar people, to make us high above all nations which he had made, in
praise, in name, and in honour ; and that we ought to be a holy
people unto the Lord. Thus the Lord, after he had redeemed us for
a people to himself, to make himself a name, and had done great
things and terrible — when he redeemed us from Egyptian darkness,
— did confirm us unto himself, to be a people unto bim for ever, and
the Lord Jehovah became our God. This, even this, was our glory
above all nations : for, what great nation was there, that had the Lord
so near unto them as the Lord our God was unto us, in all things,
that we called upon him for ? When we were as no people, and no
eye pitied us, being cast out in the open field, and lying polluted in
our blood, it pleased the Lord to say to us even then, live ; for it was
a time of love, and he spread his skirt over us ; yea, he sware unto
us, and entered into a covenant with us, and we became his : he
washed us, and anointed us with oil — he clothed us, and decked us
with ornaments, and made our renown go forth for our beauty, for it
was perfect through the comeliness which he bad put upon us. What
a wonderful mercy was this, that the Lord should have made choice
of Scotland, above all other lands, to be his peculiar covenanted peo
ple ; and that he should have avouched us for his people, and caused
us to avouch him to be our God, by a solemn covenant, and that so
frequently ; for at five several times did the Lord bring that land into
covenant with him, and moved tbem to devote themselves to the Lord
to be his, to own and stand for the crown, privileges, and prerogatives
of Jesus Christ, to receive and submit to his doctrine, discipline, and
government, and to have all things done in the house of the God of
heaven, according to the mind and command of the God of heaven.
This, sure, was a crown, whereof we might have gloried in the Lord
above all people or nations, that are, or have been upon the face of the
earth since the rejection of Israel. And what a singular dispensation
of love and favour was it, that the Lord should have carried on this
work so far, as at length to have brought the neighbour kingdoms of
England and Ireland into tbe same bond of the covenant, whereby these
islands became the Lord's in another manner, and more nighly related
to him, than was the whole continent beside. Thus, were the uttermost
parts of the earth given for a possession to Jesus Christ, in a singular

JOHN BROWN. 139
manner, as his peculiar subjects, openly and formally owning and ac
knowledging Christ as King in Zion, and as only head ofthe church, —
embracing his laws, ordinances, and institutions ; and rejecting all men's
inventions, all superstition, and dregs of popery, and every thing that
materially or virtually did impugn, or was inconsistent with Christ's
sole right and authority, as King and Lawgiver in his house and king
dom. And what a wonderful dispensation of providence was it, that
the king himself should have become a covenanter with God, and that
in these lands in their most public capacities, in their parliaments
and high councils, should have owned this glorious and honourable
relation and subjection to the Lord God ! Was not this the peculiar
glory of these lands, to have the God of the whole earth so nearly
related unto, and engaged for them ; and they to become his espoused
land, his peculiar inheritance, and covenanted kingdoms I But now, be
hold, not only hath there been in the year 1660, and since, — a mani
fest, shameful, wicked, and impudent departing from our oaths, vows,
covenants, promises, engagements, resolutions, declarations, attestations,
proclamations, acts, and actings ; and a doing contrary to what we had
sworn, and that solemnly, with hands lifted up to the most High God,
with direful imprecations if we should not stand to the covenant, and
promised under the pain of all the curses contained in the book of
God, and as we should answer to bim in the great day, when the
secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, attesting the Searcher of hearts
of the reality and sincerity of our intentions herein : but also, there
hath been an open, deliberate, plain, and avowed renouncing of that
covenant ; a parliamentary annulling and rescinding of it, beside other
affronts done unto it, as if we could not have been satisfied with a
simple cancelling of our contract and obligation, and with an open
declaring before all the world, angels, and men, that we would no
more own the Lord Jehovah for our God, nor any longer abide his
people, devoted unto him : but such was our wickedness, spite, and
rage, that we would have the same covenant that was so solemnly
sworn, and ordered to be printed and translated into Latin, tbat
the nations about might see and understand in what relation we stood
unto the great God, and what we had vowed and sworn to do and to
be for him ; yea, and affixed publicly, in an open place, in the pal-lia-
ment house of England, and in every church and chapel throughout
the same, that parliaments, when assembled, might be kept mindful
of their obligation, and steer their course in all their parliamentary
consultations, deliberations, votes, and resolutions, according to the
solemn league and covenant ; and that people, when assembling to
worship the Lord, might see and read their obligation, and remember
their engagements to the Most High, before whom they were appear
ing, — such, I say was our rage, that we would have this covenant
taken and burned publicly by the hand of a public hangman, (thus
was it dealt with in England) in testimony of our souls' perfect and
pure abhorrence of the same ; for, a greater declaration of detestation
and abhorrence could not be devised to be done to the most blasphem
ous, hellish, and devilish pamphlet that ever was or could be penned.
Ol will not the Lord God be witness against us, even the Lord from

140 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
his holy temple ? Was ever the like of this heard ? Be astonished,
O ye heavens,' at this ; bo horribly afraid, and be very desolate, for we
have not only forsaken the fountain of living waters, but we have done
it with all the indignity and effrontery imaginable. ' Pass over the isles
of Chittim and see, and send unto Kedar and consider diligently, and
see if there be any such thing. Hath a nation changed their gods,
which are yet no gods ? But we have changed our glory for that
which doth not profit.' Will not the Lord plead with us and. with
our children, yea, and with our children's children, upon this account ?
Will not the Lord deal with us, as we have done, who have thus des
pised the oath, in breaking the covenant ? Will he not judge us with
the judgments of a woman that breaketh wedlock, and give us blood
in fury and jealousy ? May we not fear that the righteous and jeal
ous God shall punish us, till he make his fury towards us to rest, that
all lands may be taught, not to do after our lewdness : and because we
have forgotten him, and cast him behind our back, make us bear our
lewdness and our whoredoms ? Can this wickedness be paralleled
in any history, divine or human ? Where shall we read that the
same individual persons who had so solemnly (what solemnity could
be imagined to contribute to give a deeper impression of the weight
and worth of the matter ?) sworn and covenanted with God, upon no
temptation, have so resolutely, deliberately, and wickedly, not only
renounced the same, but also done it with such circumstances of so
lemnity as might bear a declaration to all the world, that this was no
rash or inconsiderate deed, but deliberate rather, and such as they
would own, avow, and stand to ? What more could be devised to
declare our open doing despite unto the Lord, and putting him, who
is blessed for ever, to open shame ? And where shall we find, that
a people so solemnly engaged to God, have so quickly, so solemnly, and
so formally renounced their interest in, and relation to Jehovah ; and
not only so, but also in their public and authoritative capacities com
pelled by laws, declarations, and penalties, all under them, to ran
with them to the same excess of perjury and wickedness ; and not
only materially break their vows, oaths, and covenants made to and
with the living God, but even formally to renounce and abjure tbe
same ; — that so the whole land, from the highest to the lowest, may
come under this formal guilt of whoredom and apostasy, and lie under-
all the curses, plagues, and judgments denounced in the word against
revolters from God, covenant-breakers, inquirers after vows, oatb-
violaters, treacherous dealers, perfidious backsliders, and forsakers of
God ? Should not this so heinous iniquity be testified against by all,
who would not be charged with the guilt thereof, in the day of their
appearance before the tribunal of Jesus Christ ? And should not all,
wbo have not utterly Binned away all the faith and fear of God,
mourn, because of this abomination, and because of all the acts, de
clarations, or proclamations made by parliaments or councils to this
end, and for carrying on of this design, lest they be charged with the
guilt, and partake of the plagues that will undoubtedly fall upon tbe
lands, because of this iniquity ?_of which, if any doubt, let them
weigh in the balance of judgment and of the sanctuary, these few of

JOHN BROWN. 11 1
many passages, pointing forth both the heinousness of the sin, and the
dreadfulness of the judgments attending it: — Deut. iv. 23 — 28.
Ezek. xvi. throughout. Ezek. xvii. 11 — 22. Deut. xxix. through
out. 1 Kings xix. 10, 14—17. Psal. lv. 19, 20, 23. and
Ixxviii. 37, 56—64. Jer. xi. 2—4, 8—12. Jer. xxii. 5—12. and
xxxiv. 8. to the end. Hos. iv. 2, 3. and x. 4. Zech. v. 3, 4. Rom. i.
31. 1 Kiugs xi. 11. 'Josh. ix. 15, 19. compared with 2 Sam. xxi. 1 —
10. 2 Kings xvii. 14—18, &c. Judg. ii. 20, 21. Amos i. 9, 10. Josh.
xxiii. 16. Hos. vi. 7 — 10. and viii. 1. Deut. xxiii. 21, 23. Prov. xx.
25. Eccles. v. 4. Levit. xxvi. 25.
II. " Next, — That work of reformation, public and private, in church
and in state, which was intended by the covenant obligation, and in the
same sworn to be endeavoured by all ranks of people, in their several
places and capacities, was, so long as we remained faithful and single-
hearted in prosecuting the ends of the covenant, owned and coun
tenanced of the Lord ; — endeavours to promove it were blessed, and the
work was carried on with signal demonstrations and appearances of
the Lord from heaven, to the comfort and establishment of his peo
ple, and to the conviction and terror of enemies. The Lord was
with us and for us, fighting our battles, so long as we were with him,
and abode faithful in our engagement. And this work, thus owned,
countenanced, and carried on by the signal hand of divine providence
with remarkable success and great glory, did lift us up in the eyes of
the nations, who looked upon us with amazement, wondering at the
great things tbe Lord was pleased to do for us and among us, and
drew all tbeir eyes upon us, when they observed such an extraordinary
dispensation of divine power, love, and grace among us. And as we
were thus looked upon by other reformed churches, as a pattern
worthy to be imitated, and as the measure of their desires and wishes;
so, we became the greater terror unto the kingdom of antichrist, and
all the followers of the beast and of the false prophets ; being so closely
knit and united in such a sure bond and covenant, and obliged by sacred
oaths to extirpate that abomination, root and branch ; and against every
thing that might countenance the same, or contribute the least to its
approbation or establishment. But, oh ! now how are the tables turned,
all of a sudden ! How is this whole work overthrown I How are
the bulwarks of our defence against popery removed ! And how is
the work of reformation, that had cost no small expense of blood,
watchings, tears, prayers, and fastings, overturned in a moment, yea,
and razed to the very foundations ! How are we now become a
laughing stock, the reformed churches wondering and amazed at our
inconstancy ; and papists rejoicing in the hope of reducing again under
the yoke ofthe Roman antichrist, all these lands, once sworn away and
solemnly devoted unto the Lord I How are these locusts now, find
ing this advantage, strenuously playing their game, and diligently ply
ing their time, and that with such success, that, if the Lord prevent
it not, they cannot miss their end, and fail of their intentions, and so
at length come again unto their wonted cruelty and bloody practices,
even to imbrue their bands in the blood of protestants, and re-act
their former bloody tragical massacres, to tbe establishing of the

H2 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
abominations of that abominable wbore, which hath been long drunk
with the blood of the saints ! That matters now are already at this
pass, and running in this cursed channel, who cannot see that have
eyes in their head, and see about them ? Since our covenant-obliga
tions (our strongest bulwark against prelacy, papacy, superstition,
will-worship, error, and idolatry) were shamefully taken away, and
this first stone of Babel was laid, bath it not been obvious to all that
would not wilfully shut their eyes, what a tendency all acts, conclu
sions, consultations, ways, and courses taken, have had hereunto ?
To speak nothing of public and authoritative acts and actings, giv
ing countenance and encouragement to Jesuits, mass-priests, popish
assemblies, and open masses, and suppressing, persecuting, and bear
ing down the lovers of truth and zealous owners of the reformed re
ligion, and other things of that nature, that clearly demonstrate the
genius of this raging spirit, and the native tendency of this course of
apostasy and defection which hath been and is thus violently carried
on; — the inundation of irreligion, profanity, blasphemy, atheism, and
all sort of wickedness that attended this woful catastrophe, and came
in, as a flood, overrunning the whole land, carrying multitudes away
who formerly seemed at least outwardly religious and sober, and
wheeling many into that woful and destructive gulf of indifferency
and neutrality in all matters of religion, yea, and blunting the edge
of not a few who formerly seemed zealous for religion and the cause
of Christ, — is a direful but too evident and plain demonstration of a
spirit prone and strongly inclining to a returning unto Egypt : and
this quickly appeared in the kindly reception and setting up of those
abjured prelatical captains, the first foundation of the Romish apos
tolical hierarchy, and is a presage of blackness of Egyptian darkness
at hand. ' A man was famous, according as he had lifted up axes
upon the thick trees, but now tbey break down the carved work
thereof at once with axes and hammers 1' Who knoweth not, that as,
such a profane and godless frame that is now the epidemic temper,
or distearoei rather, of this generation hath a thorough compliance
with, and encouragement, by that gaudy, superstitious, and idolatrous
vanity and abomination of popery, — so it maketh way for it, and pre-
pareth unto a kindly reception thereof, and submission thereto, as
being a device so well suited every way to carnal humours, and no
way contrived to the restraining from whatsoever wickedness the
debauched heart delightetb in, and would run after, but rather to the
encouraging thereunto. And, oh ! to this pass is all our reformation
now come, through our profane casting off the Lord, and renouncing
our obligations to him, as our God, — laying aside all sense and con
sideration of our vows, promises, oaths, declarations, protestations,
solemn engagements, and covenants. And where can such fix a
stand who have thus shamelessly and with a high hand revolted from
God? What wicked course will not such willingly comply with,
who have thus audaciously and effrontedly banished Christ, his rights,
power, authority, work, ordinances, interest, and all, so far as they
can, out of the land ? ' Behold, O Lord, and see, and plead thine
own cause. O spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage

JOHN BROWN. 143
to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Wherefore
should they say among the people, Where is their God ? How long,
O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood
on them that dwell on the earth.'
III. " Thirdly, — I must in tbe next place take notice, that as it was
the great honour and advantage ofthe church of Scotland, acknowledged
by such abroad as had any Christian concernment in these matters, —
so it was a signal evidence of the special favour of God unto, and
blessing upon her, that, together with purity of doctrine, and renounc
ing of antichristian and heretical error, he granted unto her reforma
tion in worship, discipline, and government, so that she had purity of
gospel-worship, according to the pattern of the New Testament ; and
also, according to the same pattern, gospel-discipline, and government :
and the Lord set the beauty of his ornament in majesty among us.
Hence at the very beginning of reformation in doctrine and worship,
we had the gospel-discipline of the house of God duly exercised, and
presbyterial government, in its principal part set up, in general assem
blies, held twice a year : and, as truth did spread through tbe land,
popish abominations were abandoned, and faithful reformed ministers
planted aud settled, — the same government and discipline was carried
on, and more and more confirmed, as the difficulties and injuries of
these times would suffer ; so that with much travail, pains, labour, fast
ings, and wrestlings in prayer, it was established in all its parts, at
length, through tbe whole land, in kirk sessions, presbyteries, provin
cial synods, and national assemblies, in that comely order and sub
ordination that the house of God requireth : and together with this,
the nature, end, and extent of church discipline and power was, after
no small pains, fully cleared in the second book of discipline, which,
after free disputes and debates, was unanimously agreed upon and
established ; and all this was sweetly carried on and put in exercise
without trouble or opposition, until licentious court parasites, in love
with papists, and not loving the wholesome and gentle yoke of Jesus
Christ, but desiring rather to follow their lusts without any curb or
control, did bring the king first into a dislike thereof, and thereafter
unto a manifest opposition thereunto. So that by tyranny, force, and
fraud of the court, the free exercise of this useful and necessary ordi
nance of Jesus Christ was much obstructed, weakened, and resisted ;
and at length, when this could not fully effectuate the end intended,
a way was devised to ruin both discipline and government, by church
men influenced of the court ; who, not only suffered corruption to enter
into the church, but piece and piece carried it on by treachery, false
hood, double-dealing, indirect courses, and manifest perjury ; — during
all which time, the faithful and zealous servants of the Lord opposed
this wicked course of defection, and stood stedfastly, so long as they
were able, to the maintenance of the discipline and government which
Christ had appointed, and which, through God's great mercy, had
been established by acts of parliament, and confirmed by a solemn
oath and covenant ; and in defence thereof, endured much tossing,
hardship, and persecution, and many affronts, injuries, and indignities.
And after that course of defection had been in the ascendant for

144 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
a considerable time, and had at length come to the height of tyranny, —
after all the gospel-discipline and government had been subverted and
ejected, and gospel worship begun to be corrupted with popish-Eng
lish ceremonies and men's inventions; it pleased the Lord, in his rich
mercy, to visit our church, that had been long oppressed and borne
down with hollow-hearted, treacherous church-men, who, for their
own ambitious ends, and lustful, covetous designs, complied with all
court projects, to destroy all the gospel liberty aud privileges which
our church had enjoyed, and to bring about, in an unexpected and
wonderful manner, our deliverance from that yoke of bondage, in the
year 1638, and to re-establish our former church-government and dis
cipline with purity of worship, in glory and splendour, bringing the
whole land again into the bond of tbe covenant for the asserting, vin
dicating, and maintaining of the same ; whereby, at length, the church
of Christ became, with us, terrible unto evil-doers, as an army with
banners, and was preserved from error, heresy, and other evils, which
prove noxious and destructive to churches. Now was this govern
ment and discipline, in the maintenance and vindication whereof after
that it had been by the treachery of perfidious apostates overturned,
the Lord had so wonderfully appeared ; — so countenanced and blessed
of the Lord, that it could not but be manifest to all, that it was the
true appointment and institution of Jesus Christ; which afterward, in
the assembly of divines at Westminster (called together by the par
liament of England, to search after a government and discipline most
agreeable to the primitive pattern, in prosecution of the ends of the
solemn league and covenant) was found to be the only government
and discipline that came nearest to the primitive pattern, instituted by
Christ and his apostles, of all that offered any pretence thereunto.
But now, notwithstanding all this, this government and discipline
of the house of God, instituted by Jesus Christ, countenanced and
confirmed by his signal appearances in the behalf thereof, and against
its enemies and opposers, — blessed with much saving fruits and effects
on church members, — confirmed and ratified by all acts requisite,
whether in church or state, — and received with an universal approba
tion and satisfaction, is now again with wicked hands overturned and
razed to the very foundations, contrary to all acts,' vows, covenants,
solemn promises, and engagements ; — the precious institutions of Jesus
Christ are irreligiously and profanely hated, condemned, destroyed,
and shamefully thrust away ; — the authority of Christ maligned and
. rejected ; — his laws despised and trampled under foot ; — his wisdom
undervalued ; — his fidelity and faithfulness called into question ; — his
ordinances vilipended and contemptuously slighted ; — his sceptre
despitefully thrown out of his hand ; — his crown pulled from his
head ; — his church robbed of ber privileges, and exposed to all the
wild beasts of tbe forest ; — his ministers shamefully misused, and
thrust from their pastoral work and government ; — his kingdom in
vaded, plundered, and pillaged ; — and his assemblies, that once looked
forth as tho morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible
as with banners, now changed into despicable and disorderly routs ! 1
' O Lord God of hosts, thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt, thou

JOHN BROWN. H5
bast cast out the heathen, and planted it; thou preparedst room be
fore it, and didst cause it take deep root, and it filled the land ; the
hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof
were like goodly cedars : she sent out her boughs unto the sea,
and her branches unto the river. Why hast thou then broken down
her hedges, so that all they, which pass by the way, do pluck her ?
The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the
filed doth devour it. Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts, look
down from heaven and behold, and visit this vine, and the vineyard,
which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch thou madest strong
for tbyseif."
IV. " Fourthly, — As for prelacy, which is now again re-intro
duced, all, who would be found faithful to Christ, and to his interests,
must bear witness against it ; — being a plant which our heavenly
Father never planted ; — a stirrup to the man of sin ; — a foundation to
his antichristian hierarchy; — a dominion in the church, not only des
titute of all warrant from the laws of Christ, but expressly prohibited
by Christ and his apostles, and repugnant to the government insti
tuted by our Lord; — a power derivir-g no authority from, and having
no dependance upon Christ, the head of the church, and sole fountain
of all legitimate church power and authority ; — the mere result of pride,
ambition, and affectation of worldly pomp and greatness, calculated not
to the edification of the church, which this product of pride and
vanity is utterly inept for, yea, and destructive of; but to the foster
ing of carnal ease, luxury, ambition, profanity, and secular dominion,
framed wholly to promove Satan's and antichrist's design : and, as our
church bath always experienced, they have been the fittest instru
ments of the devil for ruining of souls, destroying of the church, and
of all her just interests, and for opposing all that is really good, and
for subordinating of religion and all the interests of souls unto polite
ends and court designs, — being base flattering scycophants and make-
baits ; — the pests and constant troublers of our church ; — the sworn
slaves of the court, by which only they stood, and prostituting faith,
conscience, religion, and all honesty to their ambitious and avaricious
lusts ; — a weed that our church, from the very beginning, hath laboured
to be delivered from, and an enemy that she hath opposed and fought
against by prayers, tears, covenants, and church censures ; and in
faithful and stedfast adhering to and maintaining of the true gospel-
government of the church, against all the subtile insinuations, deceitful
practices, false calumnies, clancular underminings, tyrannical usurpa
tions, and open treachery of these base, perfidious selfseekers, belly-gods,
sons of Luciferian ambition, luxurious petulants, and church-destroyers,
hath suffered and undergone much trouble, vexation, threatening, dis
pleasure of king and court, temptation, hardship, journeyings, tossings,
harassings, confinements, imprisonments, relegations, and banishments ;
— an evil, which our church, and state too, at length, through the good
hand of God upon them, did spue out, as an abominable, loathsome bur
den, and cast over the hedge, with all imaginable detestatioA and abhor
rence, and witb universal acclamations of joy, throughout the whole
land, and did bar the door against their re-entry by renewed cove-

146 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
r.ants, vows, and engagements, and all other ways imaginable. Yet
now is this same abjured prelacy re-established, in all its former anti
christian grandeur and tyrannical usurpation, neither out of love to
the government itself, which is with us accompanied with so much
power in state matters, and intolerable ambition in the persons, and
insolent tyranny over all ranks of people, that it is sufficiently hate
ful ; nor out of love to the persons installed, being deservedly con
temptible to all, in whom is any measure of true ingenuity, for their
treachery, perfidy, avarice, and pride ; but merely to please the king,
and out of pure enmity to the reformation, and to the gospel-govern
ment of Chi ist's" house, and a desire after fleshly liberty and carnal
licentiousness. Thus, contrary to all engagements, vows, covenants,
solemn promises, and oaths, is this vomit and abominable crudity
licked up again, and that cursed antichristian plant replanted, to our
perpetual shame and infamy, — to the scandal of Christianity, — to the
ruin of pipty and of true religion, — to the introduction of popery and
of all abomination, — to the dishonour of God, and contempt of Christ,
of his laws and institutions, — yea, to the despite of the Holy Spirit,
who witnessed his displeasure against the former prelates, tbe troublers
of our Israel, by manifest plagues and judgments upon them and theirs ;
and his approbation of our reformation in discipline and government, as
well as in doctrine and worship, by his signal owning thereof, and his
blessing thereupon ; and thereby commending it to every honest and
serious conscience, beside the express declaration of the mind of God
thereanent, in the written word. Now is a part of Eli's doom come
upon us, for we see an enemy in the habitation of the Lord. Behold,
the righteous Lord hath profaned his sanctuary, the excellency of our
strength, the desire of our eyes, and the pity of our soul. ' O God,
why bast thou cast us off for ever ? Why doth thine anger smoke
against the sheep of thy pasture ? Remember thy congregation,
which thou hast purchased of old, the rod of thine inheritance, which
thou hast redeemed, this Mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt. Lift
up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations, even all that the enemy
hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. Thine enemies roar in the
midst of thy congregation : they set up their ensigns for signs.'
V. " Fifthly, — That which I shall mention in the next place is, that
which was laid as the ground of the preceding evil, and of all the con
comitant and consequent corruptions in the church, and which will
necessarily perpetuate the same, and reduce the church and all her
interests to nothing, viz. the supremacy in ecclesiastical matters, as
sumed by, and granted to the king, as head of the church, no less
than of the commonwealth ; and this now screwed up to a supra-papal
height, whereby Christ is dethroned and spoiled of his Royal preroga
tive and glory, as only Head and King to and over his visible church
and kingdom ; for he will not admit of a co-rival or competitor, nor
suffer any to share of that glory which is due to him alone ; and yet
by this supremacy, a power in church matters is granted to the king,
and that as his essential right, and inherent in the crown, equal to that
which Christ himself assumeth and exerciseth in such things, as be
long to the external reglement of church administrations ; yea, this

JOHN BROWN. 147
power granted to the king is made superior to that which Christ er-
erciseth : for the king in all his injunctions and impositions must be
obeyed, though he command in and about the worship of God, as
such, what Christ hath not commanded, and consequently hath pro
hibited : as also though he inhibit and discharge what Christ hath ex
pressly enacted and enjoined. Is not this an image of jealousy, which
provoketh to jealousy ? What is this, but to make the king, with
Lucifer, the son of the morning, say, ' I will ascend into heaven, I
will exalt my throne above the stars of God ; I will sit also upon the
mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north : I will ascend
above the heights of the clouds ; I will be like the most High,' Isaiah
xiv. 13, 14. But we well remember that word, 1 Sam. ii. 10. < The
adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces ; out of heaven shall
he thunder upon them : the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth ;
and he shall give strength unto his King, and exalt the horn of his
Anointed ;' and advise all to read, believe, and obey what is written,
Psal. ii. and to consider what is said, Ezek. xxviii. 6, 8, 9, 10. But
to proceed : — By this supremacy the church is bereaved of the liberty
and privileges granted to, and purchased for her Lord, Redeemer, and
King : the officers of the church are made to renounce their immedi
ate allegiance unto, and dependance upon their only Lord and Head,
Jesus Christ, and to derive their power and authority from another
fountain, and act in subordination to, and by influences received from,
another head. The nature of church government and discipline is
utterly perverted, and church administrations are made to run in
another channel ; — the church, as to her ecclesiastical being is anni
hilated ; — and there is no more a church, as such; for, that company is
now metamorphosed into a formal part of the civil polity, and is like
unto any other company or society of merchants, tradesmen, or the
like ; — all her courts and judicatories are perverted, as to the rise of
their power, the nature of their actings, the authority by which they
rule, and the end of their administrations ; yea, they are utterly made
void and null, having nothing left to them but a precarious power to
advise and consult about what is proposed, and to make chimerical
acts and conclusions, whether touching the exercise of church cen
sures, for removing of scandal, or the making of church canons and
constitutions foi the orderly regulating the affairs of the church, ii:
alterable things, according to the general rules and laws of Christ in
the gospel, which are wholly but ciphers, until confirmed, ratified,
and authorized by the king or his delegate : thus, also, the natural and
essential difference betwixt the church and the commonwealth,
church officers and civil officers, church power and politic power,
arising from their different originals, natures, work, manner of acting,
and ends, is removed and quite destroyed ; — the power and saving ends
of all church discipline and administrations are taken away ; — power
is hereby granted to tbe king, to introduce all the external part of the
Jewish and Romish religion, and an hundred times more, for there is
no restraint or limitation annexed : hereby, a confusion is brought in,
destructive of all that comely and edifying order, appointed and estab
lished by the God of order, as if we were wiser than God : hereby,

148 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
Christ's kingdom is made a kingdom of this world, — expressly contrary
to his own plain denial, or else — he declared to be no more a king, —
contrary to that faithful witness be did bear hereunto, while challenged
by men ; whereby, tbe very point of truth is denied, for which he died a
martyr, as to men. Thus, all the laws, institutions, commands, or
dinances, and appointments of Jesus Christ, in his spiritual kingdom,
are made to avail unto a heterogeneous power, and to run in a civil
channel ; and consequently are made null and of no effect, as to their
own proper and spiritual ends : the civil magistrate, as such, (and,
consequently, though a pagan, an apostate, or a persecuting Julian,) is
made a church-member, yea, a church-officer, and that of the highest
degree ; yea, the very fountain of all church-power and authority,
contrary to all the laws of Christ, the nature of the church, and of
church-power, and to the ground of church-privileges, and of right to
them : hereby, the practice of the primitive and apostolic church,
though influenced and regulated by the apostles, actuated by an infal
lible Spirit, in settling and appointing of gospel order, ordinances, and
government, is rejected ; — though appointed for a perpetual pattern to
all gospel-churches, to the end of the world : yea, Christ and his
apostles are hereby condemned, for erecting a kingdom within a king
dom, or a kingdom different and distinct from the temporal or political
kingdom headed by Caesar. This is an usurpation and encroachment,
no way warranted by the word, but everywhere, both in the Old and
New Testament, condemned ; an evil having sad and direful effects, as
to the doctrine, piety, worship, discipline, government, and all the
concerns of the church ; — suggested and contrived by licentious syco
phants and base flatterers, wbo love not tbe yoke of Christ's discip
line, nor to be under his laws and government, and therefore cry up
the supreme magistrate, as supreme also in God's house and in Christ's
kingdom, that they may state them with themselves, as the butt of
the indignation of the King of Zion, who is a jealous God, and will
not give his glory to another ; — an evil repugnant and contradictory
to, and destructive of all the proper ends of the institution of the
church, and of church-ordinances, condemned by all tbe reformed in
tbe Arminians and Erastians, and assented to by prelates and others,
only for their own base ends, that they may thereby be advanced to,
and settled in their antichristian usurpations and dominion over the
church, according to that, tufacis hunc Dominum, tefacit ille Deum;
— an evil against which our worthy predecessors laboured with much
faithfulness and zeal, constantly opposing all those encroachments, and
legally, to their power, defending the just rights of Christ as King,
and the privileges of his church and kingdom, by testimonies, protes
tations, declinatures, and sad sufferings ; — an evil against which we
^tand solemnly engaged, from the king upon the throne, to the mean
est subject, both by the national covenant and by the solemn league
and covenant ; — an evil, finally, wherein we have exceeded and far
outstripped those of England, and so have more than justified them
in what they have done of this kind. ' Have respect unto the cove
nant : for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of
cruelty. Arise, O God, plead thine own cause : remember how the

JOHN BROWN. 149
foolish man reproacheth thee daily. Forget not the voice of thine
enemies : the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth
continually.' Ps. lxxiv. 20, 22, 23.
VI. " Sixthly,— The next thing which I shall mention is that Act
of council at Glasgow, whereby so many faithful and honest labourers
in the Lord's vineyard, to the number of three hundred and above,
more than the third part of the whole ministry of Scotland, were at
once thrust out from their work, banished from their flocks, made to
wander witb their families, they knew not whither ; and the sentence
was so framed, as that it was hardly conceivable where they could fix
their abode. I shall not altogether justify the too ready submission
that was given unto this tyrannical act, whether by myself, or others,
supposing that (though I will not in these, deny the magistrate's power
to dispose of the persons of ministers, as well as of other subjects, as he
will answer to the supreme God, of whom he hath the power ; nor
question his authority to banish whether out of his whole dominions,
or out of a part thereof, for civil crimes, knowing that in this he trans-
gresseth not the lines of his jurisdiction, howbeit, as to the cause it may
be an act of iniquity and oppression ; yet) as matters then 'were stated,
we were called of the Lord to stand to our post, until we had been
personally and particularly thrust from our charges : yea, I conceive,
hereby we gave too great encouragement to the enemy, to proceed in
their intended work, to which this was an open door : the consideration
of whicb with other circumstances, and sad consequences of this too
ready yielding, (too many here to be mentioned) should have moved us
to have fed our flocks, until personal force had particularly enforced
our departure. But not to exaggerate this, further — that act of perse
cution, more suitable for Turks, or antichristian enemies, than for
professors of the reformed truth — considering how all that was laid
down for the ground thereof, was so insufficient, in point of reason or
equity, to have founded such a sentence so tragical in itself, as circum
stantiated ; so insupportable and grievous to the persons and families
of so many called and authorized ministers of Jesus Christ ; and so
destructive to the church and flock of God, cannot but be looked on
as a crying sin of the land ; and for which, all that would find mercy,
in the day of God's anger, and be preserved from the destroying wea
pon, should sigh and cry : for what was this else, than a laying the
church of God desolate, banishing away the means of knowledge,
and with that, all piety, faith, fear, and religion ; — an exposing of the
flock of God to wolves, false teachers, and soul-murtherers ; or a giving
of them up to perfect atheism, and barbarity : not to mention the ini
quitous ground thereof, nor the wicked design, that was promoved and
carried on thereby ; nor the many lamentable and deplorable effects
and consequences that followed thereupon ; — all which are on record in
heaven, and will be brought forth ib judgment, in the day that the Lord
of hosts, wbo is jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy,
shall return to Jerusalem with mercies, and build his house in it, and
stretch forth a line upon it, and raise up carpenters that shall fray and
cast out these horns ofthe Gentiles, which have scattered Judah, Israel,
and Jerusalem. ' 0 Lord, behold and see how thy flock was scattered,

150 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
because there was no shepherd, and they became meat to all the beasts
of the field, when they were scattered. O Lord God, according to thy
word, both search thy sheep and seek tbem out ; and feed them upon
the mountains of Israel, by the rivers. Seek that which was lost ; bring
again that which was driven away ; bind up that which is broken, and
strengthen that which is sick. Set up one shepherd over them, that
he may feed them, even thy servant David ; let him feed them, and be
their shepherd : and be thou the Lord tbeir God, and thy servant
David, a prince : away then, aud make with them a covenant of peace,
and cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land, that they may dwell
safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.' Ezek. xxxiv. 23 — 25.
VII. " Seventhly, — Who can mention or recall to mind, without
lamentation and wo, tbe inhumanity and cruelty, which is exercised
to this day, to the end this defection from and rebellion against the
Lord may be fixed, established, and perpetuated to after generations ?
— I mean the barbarous and cruel persecution of all ranks of persons,
by chasing, harassing, fining, confining, imprisoning, deportation to
American plantations, Highland outlawers, letters of intercommuning,
&c. against all such as cannot and will not in all points comply with this
course of apostasy from the truth, once delivered, received, professed,
owned, and sworn to by all ranks of people. What a strange and
wonderful matter is this, tbat non-compliers, or non-conformists must
be so used, because tbey cannot turn so quickly as others do, who
seem to have shaken off all the faith, and all the fear of God, nor
turn so prodigiously profane and irreligious, as to shake off bo easily
all the bonds and obligations of oaths, vows, engagements, covenants,
and whatever can either bind persons, as men, or as Christians, to
stedfastness and constancy ? How irrational is this, thus to vex and
persecute them, because they will not in a moment change their judg
ments, thoughts, and apprehensions of these matters in question, when
it is not in their power ; and they dare not cudgel conscience to a
corner, nor can they enjoin it to be silent, or to stand out of the way,
as it is like some do ? What then can all this cruel and barbarous
persecution tend to, but to drive persons either to manifest and open
atheism, or to avowed rebellion against God, in practising contrary to
conscience, which always giveth forth its mandates and prohibitions in
the name and authority of God ? Particularly, how is it to be regretted
and amented, that the faithful ministers of Jesus Christ are thus hunted,
harassed, searched for, and drawn into prisons, for preaching the king
dom of Christ, and' the poor people in the like manner troubled for
hearing of them ; — when the ministers are under a severe injunction of
their Lord and Master, to preach in season, and out of season ; and
under a pressing necessity, yea under a wo and curse if they preach
not the gospel ; — and therefore must hazard the displeasure of men,
before they run the risk of encountering with the wrath and anger of
the great God, and by all lawful- means possible endeavour faithfully
and strenuously, upon the old score of dependance upon Christ, their
only head and Lord, without acknowledgment of or subordination to
that sinful and detestable corruption of abjured prelacy, to keep up the
interest and kingdom of Jesus Christ ; that by their means and ministry,

JOHN BROWN. 151
poor souls may be converted from nature to grace, others confirmed in
the truth, and such as are seduced and led away from the truth, in this
day of defection and apostasy, may be rightly informed, and brought
into the way again ; that thus Jesus Christ may be kept in possession
of the land, and that ignorance, atheism, profanity, and wicked apostasy
from the living God, may not continue thus to overspread all, and to
infect the posterity, as an epidemic and hereditary plague ; and thereby
the Lord be provoked to give out an irrevocable sentence of non-
churching us, and of removing the candlestick wholly, and so give us
up either to popery or paganism : — on the other hand, when people are
under the peremptory commands of the Lord, to hear such, as he hath
sent, to own them, as his ambassadors, and to receive his word from
Xheir mouths, (whom he hath authorized and sent to speak to them in
his name, and in his stead, and whom no civil power or authority ran
degrade or remove from this function, or from the exercise thereof, when
they please ;) — and dare not neglect their souls' welfare, by shunning to
hear such as God hath sent, blesseth and countenanceth, whether in the
open fields, or in private houses, howbeit contrary to the wicked laws
of men ; nor dare own and countenance those intruded and intruding
hirelings and thieves, who have no lawful call from God, or man,
conform to the gospel order and institutions ; (who for the most part are
persons manifestly given up to all wickedness, and become the very
reproach and shame of moral men, let be of the holy ordinance of the
ministry ; and cannot but feed people with wind and lies,, and drive on
to, and confirm in a course of apostasy from, and rebellion against the
true and living God ; and who carry upon them all the marks of men
disowned of God, which are given in Scripture ;) — and when neither
pastors nor people dare possibly comply with, or give any formal coun
tenance unto this stated and continued course of opposition to the con
cerns and interests of Jesus Christ, the covenanted head and husband
of the church of Scotland ! ' Lord, for thy sake are we killed all the
day long ; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake, why
sleepest thou, O Lord ? arise, cast us not off for ever. Wherefore hidest
thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression ? Arise
for our help, and redeem us, for thy mercies' sake.' ' When wilt thou
take out of our hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of
thy fury ; that we no more may drink it again : when wilt thou put it
into the hand of them that afflict us ; which have said to our souls,
Bow down, that we may go over ?' Ps. xliv. 22 — 26. Isa. li. 22, 23.
VIII. " Eighthly, — I cannot but declare my dissent from, and dis
satisfaction with all compliances with this course of defection and apos
tasy from the Lord, and opposition to, and manifest war waged against
the Lord and his anointed ; against his truth, bis cause, his ordinances,
his work, and his interest, first and last, whether by seeking or accept
ing of presentations and collations, by being present at bishops' meetings,
and the like ; or by borjds, subscriptions, promises, — yea or by silence,
 as being contrary to our solemn oaths andvows, madetothe most Higb,
and to our covenants, sworn with hands lifted up to the most high God,
and a partaking of the sin of these open enemies to Christ and his cause ;
and a confirming of them, in their wicked courses of opposition to all

152 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
the concerns of our Lord. Especially and particularly, I must bear
witness against the accepting of the Indulgence, (as it was called,)
which I cannot but look upon, (whatever circumstances may, as to
some, help to alleviate the matter,) considered in itself, as a provoking
sin before the Lord ; whether I notice the rise, fountain, and spring of
this hell hatched device, founded upon, and directly and expressly ris
ing out of the sinful and usurped supremacy ; or notice the end, design,
and native tendency thereof, — to wit, to break the suffering party ; that
being divided and broken, they may become tbe more weak, and so the
more easily suppressed and triumphed over ; to confirm the standing
defection from the covenanted cause and truth ; and the usurpation of
Christ's crown ; and spoiling the church of her just and lawful privileges ;
and to lull people asleep in blindness, security, and unconcernedness.,
in the trite and dreadful controversy which the Lord hath with the land
this day ; and in the principal duties called for at the hands of all who
would be approven of God, as stedfast and faithful, in this day of trial :
— or notice the sad and native effects and consequences thereof, whether
in and upon themselves and ministry, or upon the people to whom they
preach, or upon tbeir brethren, or upon the faithful owners of and
sufferers for the truth and for following their duty, or upon the stated
enemies to Christ's concerns. When, I say, I take notice of these
things considerable in it, and with all, call to mind its relation to,
dependance upon, and confirmation of that horrid usurpation of the
supremacy, screwed up to such a height, in the explicatory, or rather
amplicatory act made thereanent, which some, who had a chief hand
in the contrivance and carrying on of the Indulgence, have openly con
fessed, and confidently declared, when they affirmed, that the one was
done to make way for the other ; and consider moreover, how in itself
it is a tacit and virtual (at least, if not more formal and direct) renounc
ing of the former ground ministers stood upon, and call by which they
acted, and authority with which they were clothed : a consenting unto
and confirming of the usurped supremacy : a subordinating of the min
istry and of ministers, in their most spiritual and ministerial acts, in
dispensing word, sacraments, and church censures, unto the magistrate :
an overturning of our former orthodox and presbyterian grounds : a
wronging of the churches and the lawful pastors, in their just liberties
and privileges : a condemning of all our former contendings and plead
ings for, and laudable assertings of the true prerogative of Christ, as
king of his church, and the just privileges ofthe church, his kingdom :
a wreathing an Erastian yoke upon the neck of the church and her
ministers, under which she and they may be made to groan long enough:
and consequently a violating of our sacred bonds and obligations ; con
sidering, I say, these things, I cannot but look upon the Indulgence
itself, (abstracting always from the intentions of the persons, who have
accepted the same, as being confident, that such of them, as I know,
and hopeful that others, have not had any corrupt or sinistrous design
in the matter as accepted and established,) as the greatest wound our
cause bath got since this lamentable change began, and as a stab given
io it under the fifth rib. Wherein, I am confirmed not only by the pre
sent too visible and sad effects thereof, formerly in part hinted ; but

JOHN BROWN. 153
also, by the sad fears and apprehensions I have of the sad consequences
of this preparative* in time coming, — too frequent experience teaching,
that magistrates are loath to part with what power in church matters
they have once been in possession of. It cannot with colour be pre
tended, as ground of excuse, that there was a necessity to preach the
gospel, to which this was a necessary medium ; for as this had not the
least consideration, in the designs and intentions of the contrivers of,
and actors in this affair ; so the door to preach the gospel stood open
for them, as well as for others, who to this day continue to preach the
gospel, upon their old call and commission, though with hazard, and
without man's countenance and authority : and if zeal for the kingdom
and house of Christ had made a thorough reconciliation with the cross,
and eaten up all sinful love to ease, peace, and quiet, all apprehended
difficulties might easily have been overcome, — they might have stood
in their integrity, and remained united with their brethren : — so, many
had not been made to stumble and offend, the hearts of the godly had
not been so grieved, nor the enemy made to rejoice, and the church
had been much more edified. And though they have no dependance
upon, nor relation to prelates, yet experience proveth, that this way
hath not a little contributed to their peaceable and quiet possession of
their unlawful places, and usurped authority. ' Should we again break
thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abomi
nations ? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed
us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping ? O Lord God of
Israel, thou art righteous ; for we remain yet escaped, aB it is this day .:
behold, we are before thee in our trespasses ; for we cannot stand before
thee because of this,' Ezra ix. 14, 15.
IX. " Ninthly, — It cannot but be sad and afflicting to consider, that
there hath been so little zeal and courage, in this generation, to with
stand and oppose this course of dreadful and shameful defection, by
faithful and open witnessing for the truth ; — notwithstanding that the
truth and glory of that cause and work, which is now overturned, was
so manifest and conspicuous, that none, before this catastrophe, had a
face to deny it, yea or to make the least doubt thereof; and notwith
standing we were all from the highest to the lowest, so solemnly and
so frequently engaged by covenants, by vows, by oatbs, and by pro
mises, to own it, and avow it upon all hazards ; — and notwithstanding
we had the same work and cause, many times and many ways own ed
and asserted by the God of heaven, and confirmed by his visible ap
pearances, in the behalf thereof, in the wonderful works of judgment
against the enemies, and in his wonderful works of mercy for the
favourers and maintainers thereof ; — and notwithstanding we had the
example of our noble and magnanimous predecessors before us, who
did not quit their post so basely, as we have done, but did bear plain
and faithful witness, both more publicly, and more privately, against all
encroachments made upon, or injuries done unto the work of God, and
the liberties of the church, and ordinances of Christ ; and Btood to then-
rights, maintaining the cause of Jesus Christ, so long as tbey could
stand, by protestations, petitions, declinatures, declarations, and faithful
ministerial witnessing to and pleading for the truth, both in public and
in private. How may our faces be filled witb shame, when we call to

154 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
mind and Temember, how those, who were under more disadvantages
than we were, did carry themselves valiantly, considering their circum
stances, and acted their part like men, from year to year, without
wearying or giving over the cause, under continued and growing troubles
and difficulties, tossings, harassings, citations before the council, and
high-commission courts, letters of horning, confinement, imprisonment,
sentences to death, banishment, relegations, and what not, that malice
and wickedness could invent; and notwithstanding all this lasting
and growing persecution, did faithfully, so far as lay in their power,
endeavour by witnessings, sufferings, and all legal courses imaginable,
to transmit the truth to us their posterity, pure and entire : and when
upon the other hand, we look back and consider, how we have appeared
so little, in the defence of and witnessings for these truths and interests
of Christ, which our forefathers accounted more dear and precious,
than their goods, liberties, blood, and lives, when the opposition made,
and the destruction and overthrow intended against them, was so mani
fest, clear, and undeniable to all ? How must it be a lamentation, and
for a lamentation, in all time coming, that there is not this day a stand
ing testimony, from any church-judicatory, higher or lower, against
this unparalleled defection ? How may the posterity curse our carriage
and cowardice, who by our fainting and fearfulness have betrayed the
cause, and them, into the hands of these enemies ? This maketh me
imagine, that when our Lord shall come again to vindicate and assume
his own rights, and to plead his own cause, he shall not possibly follow
such a legal and formal like course, as formerly ; but shall appear, as
a jealous king, in wrath and great fury, to assert immediately, and
recover by sore judgments, his own prerogative and interests ; and all
flesh shall be afraid, and even sucb, as have through his grace and
goodness, been preserved from siding with those workers of iniquity,
and from running with them to the same excess of opposition to, and
rebellion against the Lord, shall cover their faces with shame, and cry
out, ' We have sinned, we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags.' And at present, we may with
Daniel pray, and say, ' We have sinned, and have committed iniquity,
and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from
thy precepts, and from thy judgments. O Lord, righteousness be
longeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day ; to
the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and- unto all
Israel, that are near, and that are far off. O Lord, to us belongeth
confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers,
because we have sinned against thee. Yea, all Israel have transgressed
thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice : there
fore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the
law of Moses the servant of God, because we have siuned against Him.
— We have sinned, we have done wickedly. O Lord, according to
all thy righteousness, let thine anger be turned away from thy city
Jerusalem, thy holy mountain : because for our sins, Jerusalem and thy
people are become a reproach to all that are about us. Now there
fore, O our God, cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is
desolate.' Isa. lxiv. 6. Dan. ix. 5, 7, 8, 11, 15 — 17.
X. " Tenthly, — I shal! not much take notice of the screwing up of

IOHN BROWN. 155
the prerogative, in civil matters, many pegs above whatever was for
merly ; nor of (which is but a native consequent of this) the many
iniquitous acts and actings, tending to the prejudice of the subjects as
to their civil rights and privileges, and to the hurt and detriment of the
common good, which rulers should by all lawful means seek to pro
mote, and not seek their own greatness and establishment : for, when
rulers have shaken off all the fear of God, and have destroyed the
spiritual rights and privileges of their subjects, as Christians, it is but
a small matter to rob them also of what is their due, as men, and as
members of the civil society : where soul interests are taken away, the
loss of bodily interests is not much to be regretted, or bewailed. Only,
it is to be observed, as a righteous act in the just and holy God, that
the land should be made to groan, under a yoke of tyranny and bond
age, in their civil concerns, which did not groan under, nor lament for
their bondage and slavery in spiritual matters ; but out of sinful and
excessive love to their temporal trifles, and out of a vain hope aud ex
pectation of great advancements therein, and increases thereof, did too
willingly follow after the command, and not only yield to, but also
concur in, the overthrow of all the precious interests of Jesus, which
as Christians, we were obliged to prefer to all our particular, civil,
and temporal concernments whatsoever. Thus the Lord hath, in a
manner, made good what was threatened by Moses, ' Because thou
servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of
heart, for the abundance of all things ; therefore shalt thou serve thine
enemies, which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and in
thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things : and he shall put a
yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.' And
whether the Lord shall not pursue us further, as is thereby threatened,
in the following verses, who can tell ? We have reason, sure, to be
afraid ; and in the meantime, may with Nehemiah say, ' Howbeit thou
art just in all that is brought upon us ; for thou hast done right, but
we have done wickedly: neither have our kings, our princes, our priests,
nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments,
and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. For
they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in the large and fat land
which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked
works. Behold, we are servants this day ; and for the land that tbou
gavest unto our fathers, to eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof,
behold, we are servants in it ; and it yieldeth much increase unto the
kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins : also they have
dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure ; and
we are in great distress.' Deut. xxviii. 47, 48. Neh. ix. 33 — 37.
XI. " Eleventhly, — -The prodigious growth and abounding of pro
fanity, atheism, unparalleled blasphemy, and impudent wickedness of
all sorts, that now swarmeth over the whole land, and that among all
ranks of persons, should be witnessed against. This spirit of wicked
ness and all ungodliness, that now carrieth away even many, that for
merly seemed at least outwardly religious and civil peisons, as it is the
constant concomitant of this course of defection prevailing, and an evi
dent demonstration of the Lord's departure from the land, and of his

156 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
withdrawing his restraining influences ; so it prognosticated sore and
dreadful plagues, and wrathful judgments to be coming on the land.
To which may be added, tbe falling away of so many to popery and
Quakerism ; a clear evidence it is, that the love of the truth hath not
been received, when so many are given up to strong delusions, to be
lieve a lie. And howbeit many may think this little concerneth them,
so being, they be not themselves chargeable with these evils ; yet all
these evils bring guilt upon the land ; and for them the land will be
made to mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein be made to lan
guish. These are (to speak so) debitum fundi; and as they are the
native consequences and fruit of our departing froni God, and breaking
wedlock ; so because of both, we may look for terrible destructions
and judgments making desolate, when the sword of the Lord, — with
which he shall avenge the quarrel of his covenant, and which is sharp
ened to make a sore slaughter, and furbished that it may glitter, and
to consume because of the glittering, — shall be drawn, and put into the
hand of the slayer, — then shall it devour flesh : and when the Lord shall
draw forth his sword out of his sheath, and cut off from the land the
righteous and the wicked, and stretch out his hand against us to de
stroy us, a« being weary with repenting, because we have forsaken the
Lord, and are gone backward ; then shall we reap the fruit of our do
ings, and our own wickedness shall correct us, and our backslidings
shall reprove us ; and we shall know and see, that it is an evil thing
and bitter, that we have forsaken the Lord our God, and that his fear
is not in us. " How long, Lord ? wilt thou be angry for ever ? shall
thy jealousy burn like fire ? O remember not against us former ini
quities : let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us ; for we are brought
very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name ;
and deliver us, and purge away our sins.' Ps. lxxix. 5, 8, 9.
XII. " Twelfthly, — I must not forget to bear witness unto that
loyal and magnanimous attempt to set the crown again upon the head
of our Lord ; to deliver the whole land from the insupportable yoke
of tyranny, and unjust and illegal oppression both of soul and body ; to
recover the rights and privileges of the church, which by wicked hands
had been robbed and taken away ; to vindicate, according to the cove
nants of the Lord, the just and lawful rights and liberties of the sub
ject ; to re-establish, according to solemn oaths and vows, the true and
only lawful government of the house of God ; to put a stop to the
farther progress of that defection and apostasy from God which had
been for Beveral years carried on with great madness and fury ; and
consequently to prevent the dreadful and terrible judgments of God,
which our wicked and woful backslidings from the living God, and our
covenanted Lord and husband, could not but procure at the hands of
the jealous and righteous Lord Jehovah : — I mean that laudable enter
prise and adventure, in the year 1666, undertaken in such singleness
and simplicity of heart, followed and managed with such integrity and
freedom from self-seeking designs, desire of private revenge, or the like
corrupt principles and intentions ; as that all, not maliciously pre
occupied in their judgments, and blinded with prejudice, could not
but be convinced of the innocency of the whole design ; and approve

JOHN BROWN. 157

of the same, as a truly commendable and praiseworthy undertaking.
It is true, it seemed not good in the eyes of the Lord, to countenance
the same, and to make it prosperous : but that is so far from laying
the ground of its condemnation to me (for I dare not look upon
Jehovah, with such eyes of flesh, and to such as would make such
inferences, I shall only say, —

— —  • careat successibus opto,
Quisquis, ab eventu facta notanda putet,)
that I look upon the dispensation, as saying upon the one hand, that
the cordial appearance for Christ and his interest, was too late, and
should have been in the year 1660, (and not first in the year 1666,)
when the enemies of the Lord first appeared with their design to over
throw the whole work of the Lord, and to bring us back into Egypt,
and the defection was breaking in as a flood. Had the faithful of the
land then appeared for the Lord and his cause, and resolved to have
Christ and his interests secured, cost what it would, the Lord had
probably appeared on their head, and given success to the work ; but
when instead thereof, there was such a willing going after the com
mand, and such an universal and formal joining with the wicked, and
conspiring against the Lord ; and such as should have been valiant for
the truth, were so couching under the burden and loving rest, as tbat
virtually at least, and interpretatively by their silence, they consented
to all that was enacted and concluded against the Lord, and against
his Anointed, what could now have been expected ? And may Dot
righteousness be ascribed unto the Lord, in this disappointment, upon
this very account ? Again, I look upon the dispensation, as saying,
upon the other hand, that this appearance was too early, — I mean, that
the time of our delivery was not yet near at band, it being equitable
and just, that we should first drink deeper of the cup, which we had
mingled for ourselves ; and should find by more bitter experience, the
difference betwixt the service of the Lord, and the service of enemies ;
and should be made to serve the enemies of the Lord, in hunger, and
in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things, and have a yoke
of iron upon our necks, until we be destroyed ; because we would not
serve the Lord our God, with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart,
for the abundance of all things. Of this, I shall say no more, (though
it is to be feared, that their mentioning the king's interest together
with Christ's, where the king was, as such, bo formally and directly
stated against Christ and his cause, that they were incompatible and
inconsistent, might have been a provocation in the eyes of His jealousy ;)
nor need I adduce reasons to justify the same, in itself, upon the part
of the undertakers, seeing the Lord from heaven did give such a proof
of his approbation thereof, as to their single end, in causing such as
were called to suffer at the hands of man for the same, ride so tri
umphantly in the chariot of heavenly joy and consolation, through all
the terrors and fears of the king of terrors, and through the malice and
rage of imbittered enemies, who thirsted for blood, and executed theii
cruelty with fury ; and in helping them so wonderfully and undaunt
edly to speak in the defence thereof, and to seal the same most cheer-

158 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
fully and courageously with their blood and lives ; and others to suffer
upon the account thereof, loss of their estates, and long imprisonment,
and other hardships, not only without the least regret, but even with
joy and gladness of heart. < O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast
scattered us, thou hast been displeased ; O turn thyself to us again.
Thou hast made the earth to tremble ; thou hast broken it ; heal the
breaches thereof; for it shaketh. Thou hast showed thy people hard
things ; thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. Thou
hast cast us off, and put us to shame ; and goest not forth with our
armies. Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy; and they
which hate us spoil for themselves. The dead bodies of thy servants
have they given to be meat unto the fowls of heaven, the flesh of thy
saints unto the beasts of the earth. Their blood have they shed like
water round about Jerusalem ; and there was none to bury them. We
are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to
them that are round about us. How long, Lord ? wilt thou be angry
for ever ? shall thy jealousy burn like fire ?' Ps. lx. 1 — 3. xliv. 9 —
12. lxxix. 2—5.
XIII. " Lastly, — I must also give testimony against that yearly
abomination, and renewed declaration of the land's apostasy and defec
tion from God : — I mean, the celebration and solemn observation of the
twenty-ninth of May, yearly; not only upon the account, that it is
called an holyday, (though in mere mockery both to God and man so
called, being indeed a day rather set apart to Bacchus, than sanctified
to the Lord, and like that day mentioned Hosea vii. 5.) as if man could
sanctify and set apart to the Lord, any part of time, in any revolution
of weeks, months, or years ; which is the Lord's prerogative alone ;
and therefore cannot be observed, even by preaching, without homolo
gating this usurped power ; and a professed declaration of our super
stitious mind, besides tbe prostitution of the holy ordinance 'of preach
ing to usher in a feast for Bacchus and Venus; and to begin and
make a part of tbe solemnity of such a profane day. Nor yet, only
upon the account that it is the celebration of the king's birthday ; for
which we have no warrant either by command, or approved example ;
and which is a practice savouring more of paganism than of Christian
ity, both as to its original, and as to its observation ; and hath been
attended with snares, superstition, and several other vanities. But
mainly, upon the account of the ground and fundamental reason of the
institution and observation, set down in the narrative of the act, made
thereanent ; whereby the proper genius of the day, and the native
tendency of the work thereof, is manifestly declared, to be a solemn
declaration before angels and men, of our condemning the whole work
of reformation, blaspheming the name and work of the Lord, fathering
the same upon the devil, (as the wicked Pharisees did father tbe won
derful works of our Lord and Saviour on Beelzebub, the prince of
devils ; a great ingredient in, if not the greatest part, or whole, of the
unpardonable sin, the sin against the Holy Ghost,) by calling and
accounting it a work of rebellion ;— a rejoicing in this overthrow and
shameful catastrophe; — profanely offering and presuming to give thanks
to the Lord, for the cause of all our sin and shame : — an hardening of

JOHN BROWN. 159
our hearts, after a high manner of presumption, in this our rebellion
against the Lord : — a bringing of the guilt of all this apostasy upon our
heads ; and that yearly, with a piece of profane (yet very suitable)
solemnity : — a yearly solemn dedication of ourselveB and posterity to
the principal author of this wickedness, for the carrying on of all the
ends thereof: — and a. plain and solemn obliging of ourselves to perpetu
ate this defection and apostasy ; bo that, the least countenance given
unto the observation of this day, under whatsoever colour or pretext,
doth manifestly homologate this stated opposition to the prince of the
king3 of the earth ; bring on the guilt of all this evil, and expose the
observer to all those judgments, with which the righteous Lord shall
punish this defection and apostasy. ' Thus have we corrupted our
selves ; our spot is not the spot of his children : we are a perverse and
crooked generation. Do we thus requite the Lord, O foolish people
and unwise ? is not he our Father that hath bought us ? hath he not
made us, and established us ? Did not the Lord find us in a desert
land, and in the waste howling wilderness ? he led us about, he in
structed us, he kept us as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth
up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings,
taketh them, beareth them on her wings ; so the Lord alone did lead
us, and there was no strange god with us. But Jeshurun waxed fat,
and kicked : we forsook God which made us, and lightly esteemed the
Rock of our salvation. We provoked him to jealousy with strange
gods, with abominations provoked we him to anger. Of the Rock that
begat us we are unmindful, and have forgotten God that formed us.'
May we not fear that ' the Lord hath abhorred us, because of the pro
voking of his sons and of his daughters ;' — And hath said, — ' I will
hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be : for they
have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God ; they have
provoked me to anger with their vanities : and I will move them to
jealousy with those which are not a people ; and I will provoke them
to anger with a foolish nation ! — For a fire is kindled in mine anger,
and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with
her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will
heap mischiefs upon them ; I will spend mine arrows upon tbem.
They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and
with bitter destruction. The sword without, and terror within, shall
destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also, with the
man of gray hairs.' Deut. xxxii. 5, 6, 10 — 12, 15 — 25.*
* The preceding Testimony has been copied expressly for the present work
from one of the Wodrow MSS. in the Advocates' Library. It has never before
been published, so far as the Editor is aware ; and he cannot but regard it as
forming a very valuable addition to the previously printed Testimonies of the
Scots Worthies. Indeed, whether we think of the high degree of respectability
which attaches to the name of its Author, or look to its own intrinsic merits, it
cannot but be viewed as an interesting relic, of the zeal, fidelity, aud public
spirit, — in the cause of civil and religious liberty — by which our covenanting
forefathers were so eminently distinguished It is entitled, " Orig. MS. in
Bibl. Jurid. Edin. 4to. M. S. xcviii. Rob. III. 5, 8. art. 23."

160 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.

XXIU. JAMES MITCHEL.
[Mr. Mitchel, having finished his studies, and obtained the degree of
Master of Arts, at the university of Edinburgh, was licensed to
preach the gospel about the year 1661. How he employed himself
during the interval is unknown ; but in 1666, having joined the in
surgents in their progress to Pentland, though not present at the
battle, he was induced to go abroad, and remained in Flanders till
the beginning of 1668. It was on the 1 1th of July, that year,
he made the attempt on the life of Archbishop Sharp, for which he
was condemned. Having escaped till the year 1674, he was then
discovered, and taken by the Archbishop's brother. He was shortly
after tried ; but the diet being deserted for want of proof, be was
remanded to prison, and continued till January 1676, when he was
put to the torture. He was, after this, detained for another year
in prison, and then sent to the Bass, till 1678, when he was again
tried, and being condemned on a confession which he had judicially
retracted, suffered death, on the 18th of January that year.* Of
these latter particulars, the reader will find very ample information
in the following authentic documents, which, with his Testimony
and Last words, be left behind him.]
1. Account of his Trial.
" Edinburgh, January 18tb, 1678. — My accusation before the Jus
tices was, that I shot a pistol at the archbishop of St. Andrews, in
* His execution was at last most cruelly hurried forward, contrary to the
following very moving petition of his wife ; a petition, to accede to which, it
seems, was too much for the wisdom and humanity of the Commissioners even
after detaining him in prison for four long years.
" The humble supplication of Elizabeth Somervill, the poor wife of the sen
tenced Mr. James Mitchel, unto tbe right honourable the lords of his ma
jesty's privy council,
" Humbly sheweth ;
" That whereas your supplicant's husband was upon Thursday last, by the
Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Justiciary, sentenced to die upon Friday
next, the 18th day of January instant, and tbat it cannot be otherways con
ceived, but in nature and humanity, your supplicant hath an ardent desire to
see her husband, and to take her long farewell of him before he die, which at
present she cannot do, nor will she be able to do betwixt and the said day, in
lespect of her present case and condition, it not being above twelve days since
she was brought to bed of a child, and presently affected with a fever, and
where through she will be disappointed and frustrate of that her only worldly
desire, and thereby may be brought to the grave as soon as her husband, unless
your lordships graciously prevent the same.
" May it therefore please your lordships, for the love of Christ, mercifully to
consider the premises, and be graciously pleased to reprieve the foresaid sen
tence for such a time, as your gracious lordships shall think expedient, that
your poor indigent supplicant may be in that space capable to see her said
husband, and take her last farewell of him, and your supplicant shall ever pray.
Elizabeth Somebvill."*
* Naphtali, p. 411.

JAMES MITCHEJL. 161
July 1668, whereby the bishop of Orkney was wounded in the arm,
and that I did confess the same before my lord chancellor and the
council. But my defence amongst others waa, that my confession I
made was upon oath and promise made to me, upon life and safety ;
and indeed the promise made to me by my lord chancellor, was in
these words, ' Upon my great oath and reputation, if I be chancellor, I
shall save your life. And if ye will not confess, the council will taket
another way to make it out,' which I took for the boots, which after
wards I found : and the justices did indeed find my confession to be
a judicial one, although I did refuse to own it before the court, but
did expressly retract it, unless that the abovementioned promise were
made good to me : it was likewise true, that they did also sustain my
defence upon the said oath and promise made to me. And when the
indictment came to be proven by the lords, viz. my lord chancellor and
other lords of council witnessed against me, because at the said time they
also denied the making, or any knowledge of the making any such
oath or promise to me ; but it having pleased the lord to provide me
the copy of an act of council, which was made by the said lords, and
subscribed (as I believe) by my lord chancellor, wherein the same oath
and promised assurance, is expressly granted to have been given to me
by warrant of the lord commissioner, for the time in council ; albeit it
be by the same act revoked, for the reasons therein mentioned ; — the
lords who had witnessed against me, were greatly moved, and did
with great vehemency press the justices, that no such act should be
received, to prove for me, since it did so directly contradict what
they had sworn ; which, though it was no ways reasonable, that the
oaths of any should prejudge me, contrary to the truths and proofs ad
duced by me ; yet the justices were necessitate, without hearing my
advocate upon the matter, to reject the foresaid act, and put me off
from so clear a probation of my defence ; whereupon, I was found
guilty by the assizers, upon the ground of my said confession ; al
beit, in all likelihood the assizers would not have found me guilty, if
the act of council had been received, seeing the lord-justice had de
clared, that the foresaid truth being proven, it should take off my con
fession.* However it is most certain, that the indictment against
* There can be no doubt whatever as to the truth and accuracy of the state
ment here given. In proof of it we subjoin the copy of the act here referred to,
which was left by Mr. Mitchel among the rest of his papers. It will be found
to agree throughout with tbat preserved by Wodrow in the first volume of his
history ; and, notwithstanding the oaths of several of the commissioners, and
among the rest, of the Primate, to the contrary ; it proves most decidedly that the
confession on which they condemned him was made under promise of indem
nity, and could therefore afford no valid ground for the sentence which was
passed upon him. ' Act of Council dnent the Chancellor's promise.
" Edinburgh, March 12th, 1674. —The lord commissioner his grace, and
lords of his majesty's privy council, having appointed a committee to examine
Mr. James Mitchel, prisoner in the tolbooth of Edinburgh, the said Mr. James
being brought- before the said committee, he did make a free and voluntary con
fession of his accession to the said rebellion and rising in arms in the west, and

162 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
ne was carried on against both right and truth : but remitting this
unto the Lord, who one day will clear both me and all his servants in
his most righteous judgment, I have here subjoined myself, principles,
and foresaid practices, as they were set down in a letter to a friend,
and another declaration written by me, when first convened before the
lord justices in the year 1 674.
" Edinburgh Tolbooth, February — 1674, — Sir, Me who may
justly call myself ' less than the least of all saints, and the chiefest ol
all sinners,' yet, ChriBt Jesus calleth to be a witness for his despised
truth, and trampled-on interests and cause, by the wicked, blasphem
ous, and God-contemning generation, and against all their perfidious
wickedness. Sir, I say, the confidence I have in your real friendship,
and love to Christ's truth, people, interest, and cause, has encouraged
me to write to you at this time, hoping ye will not misconstruct me,
nor take advantage of my infirmity and weakness. You have • heard
of my indictment, which I take up in these two particulars : First, As
that after he had notice of the same, he went from Edinburgh with colonel Wal
lace and others, and was with the rebels there, and from thence came alongst
and was with them until the night before tbe fight at Pentland hills, and that
at the desire of captain Arnot he crime then to Edinburgh, to speak to some
persons concerning them ; and being examined upon the attempt made upon the
person of the archbishop of St. Andrews, and who shot the pistol at the said
archbishop, when the bishop of Orkney was hurt, in the month of January,
1668, — he did declare that the time, and the day that the said attempt was made,
he was in the town of Edinburgh, and that he had bought the pistol, which
was about him charged with three balls, when he was apprehended, about the
time when tbe bishop was shot, from Alexander Logan, dag-maker in Leith
Wynd, but refused be was the person that made the attempt, until having re
tired apart with one of the said committee, he did confess, upon his knees, that
he was the person, upon assurance given him by one of the committee, as to his
life, who had warrant Jrom the commissioner and council to give ihe same, and
did thereafter confess freely before all that were at the said committee, that he
shot the said pistol at the said archbishop, and did subscribe his confession in
presence of the said committee, which is also subscribed by them. And there
after, the said Mr. James in presence of the said commissioner his grace, and
council, did renew and adhere to the said confession, as to his accession to the
rebellion and attempt aforesaid, and acknowledged he made the said attempt,
because that the said archbishop had a hand in troubling and persecuting those
- tbat were in the rebellion; and nevertheless, being brought before the lords
commissioners of the justiciary, and asked, if he owned the said confession, he
, did altogether refuse to answer and adhere to the said confessions, notwithstand-
* ing he was told by the said commissioners of the justiciary, and his majesty's
advocate, that if he would adhere to his said confessions, he should have the
benefit of the said assurance, and if otherwise, he should lose the same. The
lord commissioner his grace, and the lords of his majesty's privy council, do de
clare, that they are free ; and that the said Mr. James ought not to have the
benefit of any such promise or assurance, and that the same is altogether void,
and that the lords of the justiciary and assizers ought to proceed without any
respect to the same : and further do declare, that the said Mr. James Mitchel
is that person intended and mentioned in the proclamation in the years 166S
and 1669, discharging any intercommuning with the rebels therein mentioned,
and excepting the said Mr. James, and other persons therein mentioned, from
his majesty's favour and indemnity, and no other name of Mr. James Mitchel,
though there had been any other of that name involved in the said rebellion."—
Naphtali, pp. 408, 409.

JAMES MITCHEL. 163
they term it, rebellion and treason ; — ' anent which I answered to my
lord chancellor in committee, that it was no rebellion, but a duty
which every one was, bound to have performed in joining with that
party.' And in the year 1656, Mr. Robert Leighton being then primar
in the college of Edinburgh, before our laureation, tendered to us
the national covenant, and solemn league and covenant. Upon mature
deliberation, I found nothing in them but a short compend of the
moral law, only binding us to our duty towards God and towards
men in their several stations ; and I finding that our banished king's
interest lay wholly included therein, and both coronation and allegi
ance oaths, &c. and they being the substance of all loyalty ; and, my
lord, it was well known, that then many were taking the tender, and
forswearing Charles Stuart, parliament, and house of lords, I then
subscribed both, the doing of which ray lord chancellor would have
stood at no less rate, if as well known, than, this my present adhering
and prosecuting the ends thereof doth now. And when I was ques
tioned what then I called rebellion ; I answered, it is in Ezra vii. 26.
' And whosoever will not do the law of thy God and the law of the
king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto
death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprison
ment.' But being questioned before the commissioner and the council
thereanent, I answered as I said to my lord chancellor before, in the
year 1656, ' Mr. Robert Leighton being then primar in the college of
Edinburgh, before our laureation, he tendered to us the national and
solemn league and covenant :' he stopt me, saying, ' I'll wad ye are
come here to give a testimony :' and then being demanded what I
called rebellion, if it was not rebellion to oppose his majesty's forces
in the face ? — to which 1 answered, viz. ' My lord chancellor, if it
please your grace, I humbly conceive they should have been with us,'
meaning, that it wa3 the duty of these forces to have joined wilh us,
according to the national and solemn league and covenant, at which
answer I perceived him to storm. ' But,' saith he, ' I heard ye have
been over seas, with whom did ye converse there ?' Ans. ' With
my merchant.' ' But,' saith he, ' With whom in particular ?' Ans.
' With one John Mitchel a cousin of mine own.' Saith he, ' I have
heard of him, he is a factor in Rotterdam,' to which I conceded.
' But,' saith he, - Did ye not converse with Mr. Livingston, and such
as he ?' To which I answered, ' I conversed with all our banished
ministers :' To which he replied, ' Banished traitors, ye will speak
treason at the bar.' Then he answered himself, saying, ' But tbey
would call the shooting at the bishop an heroic act.' To which I an
swered, ' That I never told them any such thing.' ' But where did
you see James Wallace last ?' Ans, ' Towards the borders of Ger
many, some years ago.' ' But what ailed you at my lord St. An
drews ?' (pointing at him with his finger) Ans. ' My lord commis
sioner, the grievous oppression and horrid bloodshed of my brethren,
and the eager pursuit after my own, as it appeareth this day to your
grace, and to all his majesty's honourable privy council.' After which
he commanded to take me away, that they might see what to do
next with me.

164 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
" The Second is the shooting of the shot intended against the bishop
of St Andrews, whereby the bishop of Orkney was hurt : to which I
answered my lord chancellor in private, viz. ' That I looked on him
to be the main instigator of all the oppression and bloodshed- of my
brethren that followed thereupon, and the continual pursuing after my
own ; and, my lord, as it was creditably reported to us (the truth of
which your lordship knows better than we) tbat he kept up his ma
jesty's letter inhibiting any more blood upon that account, until the
last six were executed ; and I being a soldier not having laid down
arms, but being still upon my own defence, and having no other end
nor quarrel at any man (but according to my apprehension of him)
that as I hope in sincerity, without fixing either my sense or action
upon the covenant itself, as it may be understood by the many
thousands of the faithful, besides the prosecution of the ends of the
same covenant which was, and in that point the overthrow of pre
lates and prelacy, and I being a declared enemy to him on that ac
count, and he to me in like manner : so, I never found myself obliged,
either by the law of God, or nature, to set a sentry at his door for his
safety ; but as he was always to take his advantage, as it appeareth ;
so I of him, to take any opportunity offered. Moreover, we being
in no terms of capitulation, but on the contrary, I by his instigation
being excluded from all grace and favour, thought it my duty to pur
sue him at all occasions. Also, my lord, Sir Wilham Sharp making
his apology, anent his unhandsome and cheating way taken, (for he
took me under the pretence to have spoken with me about other mat
ters, I not knowing him until five or six of bis servants were laying
fast hold of me, they being armed of purpose,) desired I would excuse
him, seeing what he had done was on his brother's account ; which
excuse I easily admitted, seeing that he thought himself obliged to do
what he did to me, without law or order in the behalf of his brother ;
much more was I obliged to do what I did in the behalf of many
brethren, whose oppression was so great, and whose blood be caused
to be shed in such abundance. Moreover, he persisted in his bloody
murders, as witnesseth the wounding of Mr. Bruce, at his taking, by
his emissaries, some few days before that fell out concerning himself.
Now, if by any means, in taking him away, I could have put a stop
to the then current persecution, I esteemed it my duty.' Thus far I
have truly resumed what passed.
" But this answer to the second part of the indictment may be
thought by some to be a step out of my ordinary way ; wherefore I
shall offer to your consideration that passage, Deut. xiii. 9.* wherein it
• The reader will perhaps be pleased by having the remarkable passage here
alluded to, quoted in full. It is as follows: — Deut. xiii. 6 — 11. " If thy brother,
the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom,
or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us
go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers ;
namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee,
or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of
tbe earth ; thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him ; neither
shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal

JAMES MITCHEL. 165
is manifest, that the seducer, or enticer to worship a false god, is to
be put to death, by the hand of those whom he seeks to turn away
from the Lord; especially by the hand of the witnesses, whereof I am
one, as appeareth, in Deut. xiii. chap. Which precept, I humbly take to
be moral, and not merely judicial, and that it is not at all ceremonial or
Levitical : and as every moral precept is universal, as to the extent of
place, so also as to the extent of time and persons. Upon which
command, Sir, I think that Phinehas acted in taking away the Midian-
itish whore, and killed him whom she had seduced, Num. xxv. 8.
Also Elijah, by virtue of that precept, gave commandment to the peo
ple to destroy Baal's priests, contrary to the command of the seducing
magistrate, who was not only remiss and negligent in executing jus
tice, but became a protector and defender of the seducers. Then,
and in that case, I suppose the Christian's duty not to be very dark.
Moreover, we see that the people of Israel, 2 Chron. xxxi. 1. de
stroyed idolatry not only in Judah, wherein the king concurred, but
in Israel and in Manasseh, where the king himself was an idolater.
And surely what all the people were bound to do by the law of God,
every one was bound to do it, to the uttermost of their power and
capacity. And so it was in Zech. xiii. 3. ; — there, the seducer's father
and mother shall put him to death. 1 take this to be meant of the
Christian magistrate ; but when he is withdrawn by the seducer from
the exercise of his office and duty, and is become utterly remiss and
negligent in putting the seducer to death, according to God's express law,
(which is not to be expected of him, since then he should do justice
upon himself,) but is become a protector and defender of the idolater ;
then, I doubt not, but that it doth become the duty of every Christian,
to the uttermost of his power and capacity, to destroy and cut off both
idolatry and idolaters. Yea, these presumptuously murdering pre
lates, ought to be called so by the avenger of blood, when he meeteth
them, by the express commandment of God, seeing the thing is mani
festly true, and not to have liberty to flee to such cities of refuge, as
the vain pretext of lawful authority : but they should be taken from
the horns of such altars, aud be put to death. Moreover, what is
spoken concerning Amalek, upon tbe account he designed and re
solved the extirpation of the Lord's people and truth, (which are his
throne,) upon which he put forth his hand, and because he took occa
sion against them. Exod. xvii. 14. Num. xxiv. 20. He endeavoured
that God should not have a people to serve him according to his re
vealed will upon earth ; and if he could have effectuated his design,
there should none have lived, who would not have served and worshipped
him, and his idol gods. And for the better effectuating his design, he
took occasion against them, when they were wearied coming out of
Egypt, Deut. Xxv. 17, 18. and the reason there annexed is, 'he feared
him ; but thou shalt surely kill him ; thine hand shall be first upon him to put
him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone
him with stones, that he die ; because be hath sought to thrust thee away from
tbe Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and from the
house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more
any such wickedness as this is among you."

166 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
not God.' And because I know that the bishops both will and do
say, that what they did against the Lord's people, whom they mur
dered, they did it by law and authority, but what I did was contrary
to both ; — rl answer, The king himself, and all the estates of the land
and every individual person in the land, both were, and are obliged
by the oath of God upon them, to have, by force of arms, extirpated
the perjured prelates and prelacy ; and in doing thereof, to have de
fended one another with their lives and fortunes. The covenants being
engaged to on these terms, viz. ' After supplications, remonstrances,
protestations, and all other lawful means have been used now for that
effect ;' — as the last remedy we took up arms ; upon which condition,
our nobility, and all the representatives of the nation, according to the
national covenant, and solemn league and covenant, gave to the king
both the sword and sceptre, and set the crown upon his head ; and he
accordingly received tbem, and promised and swore by the ever hving
God, to use and improve them for the use forsaid : and especially in
order to the performing this article, viz. ' the extirpation and over
throw of prelacy.' And now they vaunt of authority; of what
authority they do mean to speak of, truly I know not, except it be the
authority of their aggregated gods, new gods, gods of whom they have
their gain, life, and standing ; — Chemosh or Bacchus, which drunken
Moab delighted to dwell with in dark cells ; — Ashtaroth or Venus,
whom they worship of the female kind, because of their adulteries and
whoredoms ; — as also Malcom or Moloch, which signifies tyrannical
king, or a devil, (if they will have it so), in whose arms and power they
put their poor infants and posterity to be burnt according to his lust
and pleasure. Amos v. 26. Psal. cvi. 37. : — and their Mammon, which
they delight to worship daily, together with their own bellies ; ' whose
glory is their shame, who mind earthly things, whose end will be
destruction,' except they repent, which there is little probability of,
Phil. iii. 19. to which we may add their abominable pride, and blas
phemous perjurieB, then their gods will be equal in number to the
Whore their mother's sacraments, from whom they have their being,
strength, and standing, and from the devil their father, who was a
deceiver and murderer from the beginning. And now, seeing the
prelates possess whatever their god Chemosh giveth them to possess,
then should we not possess what the Lord our God giveth us to possess,
viz. the eternal truths manifested to us in his revealed will, and keep
and defend the same from all innovations and traditions of his and
our adversaries, defend our lives and liberties out of the hands of our
usurping enemies, Judges xi. 29. For, sure I am, that God once
dispossesed the prelates and and malignants of all these ; and should they
again possess them through our defect ? God forbid ; but the like of
this work, our murdering prelates like not, who plead like the Whore
their mother for passive obedience, and that all the Lord's people,
who may not comply with their idolatries and perfidies, should lay
down their bloody axe, with whom too many of our hypocritical time
serving and perfidious professors do agree, who had rather abide with
Reuben among the sheep-folds, than jeopard life and fortune in the
help of the Lord against the mighty ; but do not consider the bitter

JAMES MITCHEL. HS7
turse pronounced by the angel of the Lord against Meroz, to which
immediately he subjoins a blessing on Jael the wife of Heber the
Kenite. Others excuse themselves thus, ' Vengeance is mine, I will
repay it ;' but so the throne of judgment is the Lord's, and by this
they will take away the use and office of magistracy ; which erroneous
principles I detest : for, God even in the working of miracles, in di- ,
viding the Red Sea, Exod. xiv. 16, commanded Moses to stretch forth
his rod ; and Christ, when he opened the blind man's eyes, maketh use
of clay and spittle ; though indeed, I mean not of any who were wil
ling to have helped, but wanted opportunity ; yet, there are many
peevish, timeserving professors, who resolve they shall never suffer,
so long as tbey have either soul or conscience to mortgage, providing
that tbey may keep them from suffering. And if it will not do their
business, it seemeth before they suffer, they resolve to sell all out at
tbe ground.
" Now, Sir, I have neither misinterpreted scripture, nor misapplied
it, in regard to the persons here hinted at, nor have I been wrong in the
end, which ought to be, the glory of God and the good of his church and
people. Then, I think that some persons ought to forbear to scourge
me so sore with their tongues, while I am not yet condemned by the
common enemy. And my hearing of some things reported by some
behind my back, hath occasioned my writing to you at this time. O,
Sir, be entreated to pray to the Lord in my behalf, that he would be
pleased, out of bis mercy and goodness, to save me from sinning under
suffering, in this hour and power of darkness : for, my soul is pressed
within me in the search betwixt Bin and duty, viz. lest I should be
niggard and too sparing of my life, when God calleth for it : and on
the other hand, too prodigal and lavish of it, in not using all legal de
fences in preserving of it, and in any of the like nature. I am in a
strait ; O Lord, undertake for me ! — Sir, I hope ye will excuse me in
sending you these indistinct and irregular lines, when you consider
my present condition. Sir, believe me, I would many times, when I
am before them, think a scaffold a sweet retirement, lest they should
cheat and deceive me, in making me either to stain the declarative
glory of God, my own conscience, or his people and interests, and
wronging of them, either by opening the enemy's mouth against them,
or letting loose their hands upon them ; henceforth, let the adversaries
both say and do what they can, yet ' the righteous shall hold on in
his way, and he who hath clean hands will be stronger and stronger.'
Job xvii. 9. ' But he that saith unto the wicked, thou art righteous,
him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him.' Prov. xxiv. 24.
Farewell in the Lord."
Postscript. — " It is acknowledged by all rational royalists, that it
is lawful for any private person to kill an usurper, or a tyrant, sine
titulo, and to kill Irish rebels, and tories, or the like, and to kill bears
and wolves, and catch devouring beasts, because the good of his action
doth not only redound to the person himself, but to the whole com
monwealth, and the person acting incurs the danger himself alone. In
the second part ofthe Cloud of Witnesses, p. 60, Mr. Knox hath these
express words : ' For God (said he) had not only given me know-

168 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
ledge, and a tongue to make known tbe impiety of the idol, but had
given me credit with many, who would have put in execution God's
judgments, if I would only have consented thereto ; but so careful
was I of tbe common tranquillity, and loath was I to offend some, that
in secret conference with zealous men, I travelled rather to slacken
that fervency God had kindled in them, than to animate and encour
age them to put their hands to God's work ; wherein I acknowledge
myself to have done most wickedly, and from the hottom of my heart
I do ask God pardon, that I did not what in me lay to have suppressed
that idol in the beginning.'
" But Oh ! how far are the men in our time from such convictions,
whose work it is to put out any spunk of life and zeal, which appear
eth to be in any person against the idolatry and idols in our time I
Let men, whether foes or friends, carry or quarrel never so much, yet
the purpose aud determinations of God will not be disappointed, in
leaving a witness against this misbelieving generation : and that he
is both as powerful and willing to deliver one or more of his people
trusting in him, yea, and that there is no restraint to the Lord to save
by many or few, 1 Sam. xiv. 6. — if any be obedient to the voice of
his commands ; though success doth not always follow thereupon,
more than it did to Israel, Josh. vii. 12. against the city of Ai, be
cause there was an Achan in the camp. And alas ! there are many
Achans in the camp of our Israel, which causeth the Lord's people
to fall daily before their enemies, and which makes all their endeavours
unsuccessful ; I mean the hidden time-serving hypocrites and mur-
murers, who have preferred their backs and their bellies to the interest
of God, and their hearts still desirous to return to Egypt : I say, until
such rebels be purged out and die, we can have little expectation to
prosper in any enterprise or undertaking : for they have both belied
and misbelieved God, notwithstanding of all his miracles, which he
did of old, and which he hath done in our days for his people, and
before their eyes, that they are so far gone back in a course of apos
tasy and compliance witb tbe Canaanites of our time, and are become
so brutish and ignorant of tbe express law of God* and are such ene
mies thereto, that they rather concur with the Canaanites, Judg. vi. 30.
to have Gideon put to death, for performing his duty according to the
express command of God, than either to study the knowledge thereof
themselves, or give obedience thereto. But if it be objected, that
Gideon had an express command from God for his encouragement ;
yet he had no new command from God, save that which was expressly
enjoined upon all the Israelites, by virtue of which every one was
obliged to have done what he did, without any such message from God,
Deut. vii. 2. and xiii. 15. but who were readier than Judah (before
they would incur any danger or loss) to send three thousand men to
bring Samson bound to the Philistines, rather than to send him ten
for his assistance against tbe common enemy ; concerning the truth
of which we have gotten many sad experiments. However, I hope,
that which hath been said shall occasion a further cognition, and
more serious search into these forementioned truths, than hath been
for a long time bypast.

JAMES mitchel; 169
" That albeit I have singly declared mine own motives and reasons
for that attempt and shooting, wherein I had, and now have peace,
and I hope to find acceptance of God, according to the multitude of
his mercies to such as seek him in truth and sincerity ; yet, I will not
take it on me absolutely, and in every respect to justify, or assert it.
That is my own deliberate and fixed principle, albeit, that it is justi
fied by, and is the principle of the non-conformist presbyterian party
of the church of Scotland, of which I have the honour and happiness
to be one, though the un worthiest of any. If I would say, it is of them,
I should be found a liar against the truth, for I adventured on it from
my own pure and proper motion, without the instigation of any, yea,
without so much as the privity of any of that party, whom therefore
I earnest desire, that none may charge with it : and if any shall,
I do with confidence aver, that they deal with them most un
justly. I have, I say again, in the simplicity of my heart with can
dour and ingenuity, being a dying man and a Christian, believing that
I must be made manifest before the tribunal of Christ, and there re
ceive according to the deeds done in the body, whether they be good
or evil, — given an account of the reasons and motives putting and press
ing me on to it, wherein I had quietness of mind in the time, and have
still at this present hour ; hoping, that as He is sovereign Lord over
all creatures, and moves any of them as instruments to whatsoever his
pleasure is, and that as I say, I did take, and do still look upon the
motion, as from himself, — so, he will accept of my sincerity in it, and
one day bring forth his own and my righteousness, as the light !
Sic Sub.— JAMES MITCHEL."
2. His Testimony.
" Now in this place I leave my testimony against and abhorrence
of balls, bordel bouses, mountebanks, acts of comedies, festival days,
viz. at Yule and Pentecost, &c. which are all the product of a profane
and perfidious clergy, all of them being instigated by Satan, as fitted
instruments for exciting and stirring up of lust to this apostate and
rebellious generation, against God, his truth, covenant, people, and
cause ; and for the further increase of Satan's dominion in such as are
rebellious against God.
" I suppose, some will be desirous to know what hath brought me
to this place of suffering, to which I give no other answer than that
which Elijah gave when threatened with death by Jezebel, 1 Kings
xix. 14. ' I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts, be
cause the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down
thine altars, and true worship, and slain thy prophets and ministers,
and they seek my life to take it away, this day.' I know no other
reason why I am brought to this place, but because I have lifted up
my hand to the most high God, and sworn in judgment and in right
eousness, from which I cannot go back, Jer. iv. 2. viz. from prosecut
ing the ends of these blessed covenants, which are the very basis, and
the fundamental rights and constitution of the kingdom, which all
ranks and stations were and are equally obliged and engaged to main-
Y

17C TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
tain to the uttermost of their lives and fortunes, and from which obli
gation and holy covenants, no power on earth is capable to loose any
man's conscience.
" With all my heart and soul I own and adhere to the work
of reformation, as it was begun and carried on in this kingdom, ac
cording to the word of God, and to the national covenant, and solemn
league and covenant, and as it was ' settled amongst us in doctrine,
worship, discipline, and government, by general assemblies, synods,
presbyteries, kirk-sessions, and the people's just power to choose and
call their own lawful pastors ; and I do declare, that I judge patron-
ages to be a popish rite, and an usurpation in the house of God.
" I homologate and approve of ' Lex Rex,' ' The Causes of God's
Wrath,' (to which there be many since that time to be added,) ' The
Apologetical Relation,' ' Naphtali,' ' Jus Populi,' &c — as orthodox
and consonant to the received principles and doctrine of the church
of Scotland.*
" I believe that magistracy is an ordinance appointed of God, as
well under the New Testament, as it was under the Old, and that
whosoever resisteth the lawful magistrate in the exercise of his lawfu/
* It may be interesting to the reader, and it is in some degree necessary to
wards the illustration of the text, that something should be said in reference to
the various treatises here referred to. Lex Rex, it is well known, was written
by Rutherford, and has in view to assert the sovereignty of the law, in opposi
tion to the despotism of the reigning prince. The Causes of God's Wroth
against Scotland, manifested in his late sad dispensations, was written by Mr.
James Guthrie. Its object is sufficiently explained by tbe title. Both of these
treatises were by an act of council, dated September 19th, 1660, denounced as
treasonable, and ordered to be suppressed. And on the 17th of October there-
¦ after, they were publicly burnt by the hands of the hangman. — But it was
much easier, as the judicious Wodrow remarks, thus to destroy the books, than
to answer the reasonings contained in the one, or the facts stated in the other.
With respect to the others, — The Apologetical Relation ofthe particular Suf
ferings of Faithful Ministers and Professors of the Church of Scotland, since
August, 1660, was written by Mr. Brown of Wamphray, and printed in 1665.
It is a work which, though somewhat prolix, displays much vigour of mind and
force of reasoning.
Naphtali, or a true and short Deduction of the Wrestlings of ihe Church of
Scotland foi the Kingdom of Christ, from the beginning ofthe Reformation to the
year 1667: — This book consists of an argumentative aud a narrative part; the
first of which was executed by Mr. (afterwards Sir) James Stuart of Good-
Trees, advocate ; the second, by Mr. John Stirling, minister of Paisley. It
was published about 1667, and therefore originally contained only tbe last
speeches and testimonies which were emitted previous to that date ; Mr. Mit-
chel's, witb those which follow, having been added in future editions. A pro
clamation was emitted against it on the 12th December, 1667. It was ordered
to be publicly burnt, and thereafter suppressed. It has, nevertheless, gone
through many editions — that from which the above text is taken, bears date,
Edin. 1761.
It was attempted to be answered by bishop Honeyman, but he weakened the
cause which he meant to defend ; and he was taken up with great strength of
reasoning by Mr. Stuart in the Jus Pojiuli Vindicalvm, or, the People's right to
Defend themselves, and their Covenanted Religion, Vindicated. This treatise
was published in Holland, whither its author had fled for safety. It experi
enced the fate of its predecessors, being condemned as seditious, by a proclama
tion, dated February 16th, 1671, and all the copies of it ordered into custody.

JAMES MITCHEL. 171
power, resisteth the ordinance and appointment of God, Rom. xiiL
1 — 8. ' for he is God's minister to thee for thy good,' and in doing
good thou needs not be afraid of him. 1 Pet. ii. 13. ' We must obey
f the magistrate for conscience' sake.' Deut. xvii. 15, 16, 17, &c. the
'. lawful magistrate must be a man qualified according to God's appoint
ment, and not according to the people's lust and pleasure, lest in the
end he should prove to them ' a prince of Sodom,' and ' governor of
Gomorrah,' whom God in his righteousness should appoint for their
judgment, and establish for their correction, &c. ; he must be ' one of
thy brethren,' and not the son of a stranger ; he must not ' make him
self strong by multiplying of horses,' to the end he may compel the
Lord's people to rebel against God's express command, and Jeroboam-
like, compel the people to any course of apostasy ; ' he must not
multiply wives to himself,' much less whores, nor marry an idolatrous
wife like Jezebel, 1 Kings xvi. 31. nor covetous, ' in multiplying to
himself silver or gold :' he must be ' a diligent student of the law of
the Lord all the days of his life, that he turn neither to the right
hand, nor to the left therefrom,' but must judge the people accord
ingly ; otherwise, neither he nor his children can expect to prolong
their days in Israel, 2 Sam. xxiii. 3. ' He must not be a son of
Belial,' without or above law and order, whom a man cannot touch
except he be fenced with iron ; for such shall be ' thrust away ; for,"
saith David, ' he tbat ruleth over men must be just, walking in the
fear of God,' &c. But, if a man simulating himself to be thus quali
fied, and thereafter, when he hath strengthened himself upon his
throne, shall abjure and falsify his oath and covenant both to God and
hia subjects, and shall transgress the law and commandment of the
Lord, wl.iih have given the magistrate only an accumulative power to
promove, protect, and defend God's laws, truth, and people, from
being corrupted, violated, or any ways damnified, and for that end he
hath received both his place and power from God and men ; (for, he
hath not received of the Lord an absolute, an obstructive, destructive,
and privative power, but as hath been said, the people can give no
right nor power to any man, but what is according to God's appoint
ment, lest they should incur that sad challenge from God, Hos. viii. 4.
' Tbey have set up kings, but not by me ; they have made princes,
but I knew it not,' for in chap. x. 3. Israel confesseth their fault, and
they denied that tbey had a king, because he was not such as God
had appointed ; and saith, ' What should a king do to them,' seeing
he had partly by force,, and partly by fraud withdrawn them from the
fear and obedience which they owed to God and his law ; and had
seduced and compelled them to idolatry and worshipping of false
gods,) — and if the magistrate, being in power, shall overturn the cove
nanted work of God, his truth, and interest, the fundamental and
municipal laws of the land ; and, moreover, a parliament selected
according to his own mind, and for his own use and ends, shall, as the
people's representatives, by acts rescissory, rescind all acts of laud
able parliaments, committees of estates, or counsellors, wherein were
contained and comprehended a mutual bond, obligation, covenant, or
contract betwixt the prince and people, — he having divested himself of

172 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
any legal right to rule over such a people, and they being in statu que
prius, none having right to rule over them without their own consent:
—if the foresaid magistrate shall then again injure and invade the peo
ple's lives, religion, liberties, and laws, and make even a simple sup
plicating of him a crime of treason, contrary to the dictates of nature ;
and by his armed emissaries, and his arbitrary power, carried on by
the sword in their hands, compel the Lord's people to relinquish and
forsake the true religion and worship of God, and make a surrender
of both their souls, consciences, lives, lands, and liberties, and embrace
a false religion, and will-worship, and engage to serve and worship
false and idol gods at his pleasure ; (for this is all that is near and dear
to a people being in extremity of hazard,)— then, it necessarily follow
eth to be the duty of such a people, or any part of them, to take up
arms in defence of their lives, laws, liberties, and religion, and of their
posterity, that they may not be left in such intolerable^ bondage, and
as tbey would not be accounted guilty of bringing God'B wrath upon
the whole land; Jer. xxii. 2, 3. ' Hear ye the word of the Lord, 0
king of Judah, thou and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by
these gates, execute ye justice, and judgment, and righteousness, and
dehver the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor ;' Jer. xxxvii.
2. ' But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land,
hearkened unto the prophet Jeremiah, till wrath from the Lord con
sumed them all.' — And now, if it had not been the people's duty to
have executed judgment and righteousness, and to deliver the oppressed
out of the hand of the oppressor Zedekiah and his servants, (which
I think was meant by the nobility or princes proving deficient, in order
to the performing of their duty ;) — it had not been their sin to have
omitted it ; but here we see it is as well charged home to be the sin
of the people, as the sin of the king, or of the nobles, &c. But say
some, Who shall be judge in such cases? for what other judge is
there, when two kings or monarchies fall out in war, neither of
them being subject to any judge? But, some profane, brutish, ignorant
malignant says, Shall this or that ignorant fellow, or hussy, take upon
them to determine what the law of God says in such cases ? I an
swer, that neither this nor that ignorant fellow nor hussy, nor yet this
or that profane, wicked, or perfidious prince or princes, are capable to
be judge, Deut. xxx. 11. ' For the commandment which I command
thee this day, is not hid from thee, neither is it far off.' Ver. 12. 'It is
not in heaven, that thou shouldst say, Who shall go for us to heaven,
and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it?' Ver. 13, 14.
' Neither is it in the sea ; but the word is near unto thee, even in the
mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it ;' and in this case I
do appeal to every man of sober wit or judgment, Beeing ' the secrets
of the Lord are with them that fear him,' Psal. xxv. 14. and seeing
' evil men understand not judgment, but they that seek the Lord
understand all things,' Prov. xxv. 5. for, they know not how to do
right, ' they store up robbery in their palaces,' Amos iii. 10. Who is
then most capable to judge what the law of God determineth, in all
such matters ? Artaxerxes, a great monarch, commanded, ' that
whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, it should be dili-

JAMES MITCHEL. 173
gently done for the house of the God of heaven ; for why should
there be wrath upon the realm of the king and of his sons ?' Ezra vii.
23. But oh 1 how many at this time of the sons of Belial, contrary
to what is here spoken, screw up those that are above themselves, to
such a pinnacle of unlimited and arbitrary power, far above either
what the law of God, or the law of nature will admit of, for this very
end and purpose, that they may glory in the work of their hands ; and
he whom they have thus set up, and to whom they have made a
surrender of both credit, conscience, and common honesty, may re
turn to them a power over others who are under tbem, by putting a
sword in the hands of bloody cut-throats, who are raised and kept up
for that effect, to bring and keep into an Egypt-bondage their persons,
lives, laws, and liberties ; yea, even tbe souls and consciences of the
Lord's people ! This power, I declare to be diabolical, profane, and
blasphemous ; and Pharaoh-like to say, ' Who is the Lord that I
should obey him,' Exod. v. 2. Now, seeing both the throne and
judgment is the Lord's, then blessed and happy magistrate, who rul-
eth and governeth his subjects, keeping a straight line of subordina
tion to God's law and statutes ; for in so doing none may say to him,
What doest thou ? And happy and blessed people thus governed,
Deut. iv. 7. ' And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes
and judgments so righteous, as this law, which I set before you this
day ?' But O the blasphemous perjuries of this wicked and apostate
generation, whom no bonds, obligations, nor covenants can bind, ex
cept these spoken of in Psal. cxlix. 8. ' But shall they thus break the
covenant and prosper?' escape and be delivered? Ezek. xvii. 15. and
18. as if the Lord's hand could not reach them to inflict due and just
punishment upon them who commit such things.
" I do detest and abhor that woful indulgence, and encroachment,
and usurpation on the crown and prerogative royal of our Lord Jesus
Christ, (both in the givers and receivers thereof) howbeit I have very
much charity, love, and affection to many of the ministers who have
embraced the same ; for I do really think that they have been outwitted
in that matter, and have not wickedly departed from following the
Lord ; yea, I hope, they shall get their souls for a prey, in the day of
the Lord ; although, they may suffer loss in building such hay and
Btubble upon the rock Jesus Christ, when their work shall be burnt
by the fire of the Lord's jealousy. I approve of Mr. Burnet's letter
sent to the commissioner thereanent.*
" I protest before God, angels, and men, against all these acts of
parliament and council, which are against, or derogative to the work
of God and reformation, and carrying on of the same, according as we
are engaged and sworn to, in these holy bonds of the national and
solemn league and covenant. I abhor the shedding of the blood of
the Lord's people, for their adhering to the same, and the people's
guarding such in prison-houses and scaffolds unto their death ; whom
* This was Mr. John Burnet, minister of Kilbride, near Glasgow, who re
fused, with many others of the outed ministers, the indulgence offered them in
1673. — See his Testimony, p. 128.

174 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
both by the oath of God upon them, and by the ancient and laudable
laws of the land, and by the law of nature, they were obliged to have
defended to the uttermost of their lives and fortunes. It being well
known, that such as were put to death had committed no crime ; but
on the contrary had performed the duty, which the guarders were as
much obliged to have performed as the pannels, if they had been as
faithful to God and men, as they were.
" Likewise I protest against their banishment, their imprisonment,,,
their finings, and confinements, and against all the hardships and per
plexities of whatsoever kind they have been put to, through the ini
quities of the times, so that we may justly (with our predecessors)
Bay, that our persecutors have devoured us, and have crushed us,
swallowed us up like dragons, and have filled their bellies with our
delicates, and have cast us out, Jer. li. 34. for which cause God gave
a charge to prepare instruments for the overthrow and destruction of
such persecutors, ver. 11. : Because it was the vengeance of the Lord,
and the vengeance of his temple, and so shall our remnant who out
live the persecution say, ver. 35. ' The violence done to me and my
flesh be upon Babylon, and my blood be upon the inhabitants of
Chaldea;' let tbe wrath of the Lord pursue them, for their blood and
violence in their persons and estates, and their strength wherein they
confide, and their friends and favourites, who have consulted and
continued with them in their wicked courses. I hope the time is
drawing near, and the joints of their loins are loosening, their knees
are beginning to smite one against another, Dan. v. 6. and the hand
writing beginning to be pourtrayed upon the wall, because they have
not considered what God did to their predecessors for their idolatrous
pride and wickedness, although they know it, yet they are become
more insolent in idolatry and wickedness, and daring against God
than ever their forefathers presumed to be, meddling with the vessels
and materials of the Lord's house, and with the crown and kingly
office of Christ Jesus, and have appropriate them for their own idola
trous ends and uses, ver. 23. therefore when the furbished sword of
the Lord's indignation and justice shall break forth to devour, which
it may do before the dark night of these dreadful dispensations quite
pass over ; then shall the time-serving hypocrites of this generation
begin to tbeir untimely prayers, viz. ' for hills and mountains to fall
upon them, to hide them from the face of the righteous Judge; for
who may abide the day of his coming,' for executing vengeance on his
adversaries. In that day the man shall be accursed that ' keepeth
back his sword from blood, and who doth the work of the Lord
deceitfully,' Jer. xlviii. 10. Yea, happy shall he be, that taketh this
cursed malignant and prelatic brood; and dasheth them against the
stones ; yea, happy shall he be that rewardeth them as they have served
us, Psal. cxxxvii. ' For this honour have all the saints, the high
praises of God in their mouth, and' a two-edged sword in their hands,
to execute vengeance on the heathen,' Psal. cxlix. 9.
" Having thus delivered myself in the point that I have mentioned,
I only add to what I have said, that I own these things, as my own
judgment allenarly, (what, may seem to be singular in those great and

JAMES MITCHEL. 175
important matters,) not willing that any thing, wherein others may
differ from me, should be looked upon as the principles, or persuasion
of the party whereto I adhere. I obtest that no man be so diabolical
and profane, as to charge this upon any of my persuasion, it being but
my own, which I hope God hath approved in me ; and whom God
justifieth, who dare condemn ?
" Now, if the Lord in his wise and overruling providence bring me
to the close of my pilgrimage, to the full enjoyment of my long looked
for and desired happiness, let him take his own way, and time, in
bringing me to it. And in the mean while, O my soul, sing thou this
song, Spring thou up, O well of thy happiness and salvation, of thy
eternal hope and consolation, and, whilst thou art burdened with this
clog of clay and tabernacle, dig thou deep in it by faith, hope, and
charity, and with all the instruments that God has given thee ; dig in
it by precepts and promises, dig carefully and dig continually, aye
and while thou comest to the source and head of the fountain himself,
from whence the water of life flows ; dig until thou come unto the
assembly of the first-born, where this song is most suitably sung to
the praise and glory of the rich grace and mercy of this fountain of
life. O my soul, follow thou in all thy diggings the direction of the
great Lawgiver, so shalt thou prosper in all thy taking of pains. O
happy nobles and princes of Israel, who were admitted to the sight
and to the song, to tbe pains, and to the profit, which none of the
mixed murmurers were admitted to, because of their unbelief ! Num.
xxi. 17. And O, Father of mercies, (whilst I am tossed upon the
turbulent seas of manifold troubles) grant that thy presence may be
with me, and that thy everlasting arms may be underneath me to sup
port me ; for sure I am, Moses thy servant had good reason to be im
portant in his suit, Exod. xxxiii. 12. compared with verses 14, 15. and
chap, xxxiv. 9. seeing no lees could furnish him with fresh support in
the work he was about. O let thy presence be with me, and then
my soul shall dig and sing, and sing and dig through times of trouble
unto eternal rest, where I shall be admitted to behold the rock Christ,
out of whom floweth the pure river, and fountain of life and happiness,
where I may drink, and not be damnified through the assaults of Satan,
and the invasions of Satan, or of a wicked world any more. Now,
according to the promise, Matth. x. 1 9. out of thy fatherly mercy grant
present help, supply, and direction in this time of trouble, seeing ' that
it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps,' Jer. x. 23. And
although it be a hard thing to distinguish betwixt sin and duty, yet thy
' law,' thy • word,' and ' truth, which are quick and powerful, dividing
asunder the soul and spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts ;
thy law giveth light,' Psal. cxix. 105. ' And thy testimonies, O Lord,
are sure, making wise the simple,' Psal. xix. 7. For they alone, O
Lord, can make all the dispensations profitable, in order to ' the
purging away of sin,' even when they seem to be ' destructive,' 18a.
xxvii. 9. Especially when thou intendest them ' not for destruction,
but for trial,' and further ' humiliation,' Deut. viii. 2, 1 6. for thou, O
Lord, hast led me tor many years through a barren and wearisome
wilderness, to the end that thou mightest work this work of mortifi-

176 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
cation in me ; although had it seemed good unto thee, thou wouldst
Lave brought me into the land of promise and rest another nearer
way, Exod. xiii. 16. For, by hardships, many a time ' thou hidest
pride from men, and sealest up their instruction, that thou mayest de
liver his soul from tbe pit, and his life may see the light,' Job xxxiii.
17, 18. And although, O Lord, thou shouldest send me the back
track and tenor of my life, to seek my soul's comforts and encourage
ments from them, yet, I have no cause of complaining of hard dealing
from thy hand, seeing it is thy ordinary way with some of thy people,
Psal. xlii. 6. ' O God, my soul is cast down in me, therefore I will
remember tbee from the land of Jordan and from the hill Hermon,'
&c. Yea, the last time be brought me to the banqueting-house, and
made love his banner over me, among tbe cold Highland hills beside
Kippen, November, 1673, he remembered his former loving-kindness
towards me. But withal he spoke in mine ear, that there was a tem
pestuous storm to meet me in the face, which I behoved to go througL
in the strength of that provision, 1 Kings xix. 7. And now, O my
soul, seeing the ordinary method and way with the Lord is to send a
shower, and a sun-blink, and again a sun-blink and a shower, there
fore keep thou silent unto God, murmur not, fret not, be not dis
quieted, be still and be content, seeing that all ray persecutors can do,
either by fraud or force, can neither alter the nature, or kind of my
sufferings, nor add so much as one degree thereto, neither lengthen
out the time of them one moment, Micah vii. 10. Exod. xii. 41.
All Pharaoh's power could not keep Israel one moment longer in
Egypt, therefore it is my duty to study with Paul, Phil. iv. 12.
' In whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.' And say,
' Should the earth be forsaken, and the rocks removed for me ?' Job
xviii. 4. Should God alter the course of providence for me, in which
there is such efficacy, as to carry all things to their proper and ap
pointed end, with a most stable power ? ' And that I may be found
in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but
that whicb is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is
of God by faith,' Philip, iii. 9, 10. And to resign up to God my will
and affections to be disposed of as he pleaseth ; and to say with fear,
humility, and reverence, ' O, Father, not my will, but thy will be
done,' and whether I live or die, I may be the Lord's, that through
his mercy and grace I may attain to his approbation, viz. that, ' Well
done good and faithful servant ;' who hath hitherto ' shut the lions'
mouths by his angel, that they have not hurt me,' Dan. vi. 22. And
who hath so shut the eyes of my persecutors with a Sodomitisb blind.
ness, tbat hitherto they could not find out tbe way to break in upon
me ; and it may be in due time he will bring me out of the furnace,
and will, through his grace, not suffer the smell thereof to be found
upon me ; and if not, yet I never held it to be my duty to worship
this rotten and stinking idol of jealousy, which these nations have set
up, ' Who have both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets,
and have persecuted us,' 1 Thess. ii. 15. For thou, Lord, hast not
despised nor abhorred my afflictions when I was afflicted, neither hast
thou hid thy face from me : ' When I cried unto thee thou heardst

JAMES MITCHEL. 177
me, Psal. xxii. 24. ' 0 Lord God, thou hast made the heavens and
the earth by thy great power and outstretched arm,' Jer. xxxii. 17.
Bring thou me at length to a happy arrival within the gates of the
new Jerusalem, where no unclean thing can come, ' that my praise
may be of thee in the great congregation.' And although, as Job
saith, chap. x. 17. that thou, O Lord, hast delivered me over into the
hand of the wicked, yet ' by this, O Lord, I know that thou favourest
rne, because mine enemies shall not triumph over me,' Psal. xii. 11.
Ard when 1 stood in judgment, thou, O Lord, didst not condemn
me. And if it please thee, ' thou wilt not leave me in then' hand,'
Psal. xxxvii. 33. ' But canst bring up my life from the pit of cor
ruption,' Jonah ii. 6. And seeing I have not preferred, nor sought
after mine own things, but thy honour and glory, the good, liberty,
and safety of thy church and people, although it be now misconstructed
by many, yet I hope at length thou, Lord, wilt make ' my light to
break forth as the morning, and my righteousness as the noonday,'
and that shame and darkness shall cover all who are adversaries to my
righteous cause, for thou, 0 Lord, art the shield of my head, and tbe
sword of my excellency, and mine enemies shall be found liarB, and
shall be subdued. Amen, yea and Amen.
Sic Sub.— JAMES MITCHEL.
3. ACCODNT OF HIS EXAMINATION BY TORTURE.
A JRELA TION of what passed betwixt the Committee, consisting
of COUNCILLORS, — Lords Linlithgow, Hatton, Dundonald,
Ross, and Murray: JUSTICIARIES,— Lords Craigy, Col-
lington, fyc. ; and Mr. James Mitchel, whom ihey intended to have
surprised after two years' imprisonment, by calling him before them
unawares, at six o'clock of the night, about the enclosing of the
wards, upon die V&th of January, 1676 .• —
" At my appearance before the said committee, the lords justiciaries
obscuring themselves, by putting their hands upon their faces and
leaning upon their elbows upon tbe table ; my lord proses said, ' Sir,
ye are brought here before the Committee, to see if you will ad
here to your former confession, or not.' To which I answered, ' My"
lord, it is not unknown to your lordship, and others here present, that
by the Council's order I was remitted to the lords justiciaries, before
whom I received an indictment, at my lord advocate's instance,
wherein I was indicted both of life and fortune, although, my lord,
fortune have I nune ; to which indictment I answered at three se
veral diets. Being deserted by my lord advocate, I humbly conceive
that both by tbe law of the nation, and the practice of the house, at
tbat time I ought to have been set at liberty, yet notwithstanding, I
was, contrary both to law, justice, and equity, returned to prison.
And upon what account I am brought this night before your lord
ships, I know not.' To which my lord preses answered, ' Ye are
not accused here, neither upon life nor fortune, but to see whether you
will adhere to your former confession.' To which I answered, ' I
am not convinced of any crime, therefore I know not any such con
fession, as your lordship alleges.' To which my lord treasurer-de-

178 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
pute replied, ' He is one of the most arrogant rogues, cheats, liars,
and what not.' To which I replied, ' My lord if there were fewer of
such persons of whom your lordship have been speaking, in the na
tion, I would not be standing this night at your bar : but my lord ad
vocate knows, that what hath been alleged against me, is not my con
fession.' To which he replied, ' Do you not remember, that before
the lord commissioner and the council, you said such and such things.
To which I replied, ' That my lord commissioner never inquired about
any such thing. Only he said, he heard that I had been abroad, and
over seas, and inquired with whom I did converse tbere ?' To which
I replied, - With my merchant, my lord ;' ' But with whom in parti
cular ?' To which I answered, ' With one John Mitchel, a cousin of
mine own, so that there was no such discourse before the council :'
but says my lord preses, ' We will make a sharper thing make you to
confess.' To which it was replied by the pannel, ' I hope your lord
ships are Christians and not pagans.' To which the treasurer-depute
added, saying, ' That the pannel was no Christian ;' to which the
pannel replied, ' My lord, you know the old proverb turpe est doetori,'
&c. and so I was returned to prison for that night, to wit, to close
prison, being the 18th day of January.
" Upon the 22d day, being called before the said committee, wbo
sat in the Town's council-house, at which time my lord preses said to
me,* ' Sir, ye are called here again, to see if ye will adhere to your
former confession, opening a large paper to the pannel, and alleged it
to be subscribed by me ?' To which I answered, ' My lord, I ac
knowledge no such thing. Then he replied, ' Sir, you see what is
upon the table before you, I shall see if that can cause you do it.'
To which I answered, ' By that torture you may cause me to blas
pheme God, as Saul did compel the saints ; you may by that torture
cause me to speak amiss of your lordship, to call myself a thief, a
murderer, or warlock, and what not, and then pannel me upon it :
but if ye shall, my lords, put me to it, I here protest before God and
your lordships, that nothing extorted from me by torture shall be
made use of against me in judgment, nor have any force against me
in law, or any other person whatsomever ; but to be plain with your
lordship, I am so much a Christian, that whatever your lordship shall
legally prove against me, if it be a truth, I will not deny it. But, my
lord, on the contrary, I am so much a man, yea, and a Scotsman, that
I never held myself obhged, either by the law of God or nature, or
by the law of nations, to become my own accuser.' Then said my
lord depute-treasurer to die preses, ' He hath the devil's logic, and
sophisticates like him. Ask him whether or not that be bis subscrip
tion ?' To which I answered, ' I acknowledged no such thing.' To
which Hatton answered, - Bid him say yea or not.' Then my lord
preses said, pointing his hand to the boot, ' you see what is before

* In this and other instances throughout this document, the Editor has
taken upon him to alter the language, so as to preserve an uniformity in the nar
rative, by making it in every case to run in Mr. Mitchel's own name, as ita
author evidently intended.

JAMES MITCHEL. 179
you, say either yea, or not,' I answered, ' I say not ;' and so I was
returned to close prison as before.
" Upon the 24th" day, they solemnly assembled, to wit, with their
robes, in the parliament-house, where the lords of the session sit, at
which time the executioner was present with the boots, and I the pan-:
nel being brought as before to the bar ; the lord preses said : ' You are
now brought here, to see if you will yet confess, before you be put
-fy torture ?' But I the pannel knowing, according to the rate of the
Spanish inquisition, that always the more I confessed, either concern
ing myself or any other person, the more severely the torture would
be made use of, to make me confess more ; therefore I answered
after this manner : ' My lord, I shall study brevity by speaking in a
few words what I have to say, viz. that I have been now these two
full years in prison, and more than one of them in bolts and fetters,
and upward of thirty weeks in close prison. My imprisonment hath
been more intolerable to me than the pains of many deaths, if I had
been capable thereof : yea, and it is well known, that within a shorter
time, in regard of my imprisonment, severals have made away with
themselves rather than endure the affliction of a prison. But, my lord,
an obedience to the express commandment of God hath made me to un
dergo all the hardships I have hitherto met with, and to undergo this pre
sent torture, (to wit, the preservation of my life, and the lives of others,
as far as it is in my power,) and to keep off innocent blood from your
lordships, and your families and relations, for by shedding of mine,
doubtless you would bring upon yourselves, posterity, and relations, —
wrath from the Lord, to the consuming thereof, until there should be
no remnant nor escaping. And now, my lords, I do again protest be
fore God and your lordships, that whatever may be extorted from me
by torture, may not be made use of against me, nor any other person
in judgment, nor have any force in law. And so, my lords, I have
done : you may call the men whom you have appointed to your
work.' After which, they called the macer to call upon the execu
tioner, and two officers appointed for that effect, who tied me in an
armed chair, and brought the boots, and inquired which of my legs
they should take, but they, after speaking amongst themselves, com
manded the executioner to take any of tbem ; upon which he laid my
left leg upon the boot, but I, the pannel, lifted it out again, saying,
' Seeing the judges have not determined it, take the best of the two,
for I freely bestow it in the cause, and laid my right leg into the tor
ture ;' after whicb, the king's advocate said, ' I shall speak but one
word or two,' but notwithstanding, continued his discourse for a con
siderable time ; so, when he had made an end, I answered thus, ' My
lord preses, the advocate's one word or two hath multiplied to so
many, that my memory cannot serve me iu the condition wherein I
am, to resume them, so as to answer them in particular ; but I shall
answer to the scope of his discourse. 1st, Whereas he hath been
speaking to the sovereignty of the magistrate, I shall say somewhat
more than he hath said, to wit, that the magistrate whom God hath
appointed, is God's deputy, and that both the throne and the judg
ment is the Lord's, while he judgeth for God, and according to the law

180 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
of God ; and that a great part of his office is to deliver the oppressed
out of the hand of the oppressor, and to shed no innocent blood, ac
cording to the commandment of God to Zedekiah, by the prophet
Jeremiah, cbap. xxii. 3. And, my lords, disobedience to this com
mandment brought the wrath of God upon him, his princes, and the
whole nation of the Jews, chap, xxxvii. 2dly, My lord advocate hath
been hinting at the sinfulness of lying upon any account : it is an
swered, my lords, that not only lying is sinful, but also a pernicious
speaking ofthe truth, is a horrid sin before God, while it tendeth to
the shedding of innocent blood, as witness that of Doeg, Psal. Iii.
compared with 1 Sam. xxii. 29. But what my lord advocate hatb
forged against me is false ; so that I am standing upon my former
ground, viz. the preservation of my life, and the lives of others, as far
as it lies in my power, the which I am expressly commanded to do by
tbe Lord of hosts.' After which, the clerk's servant being called by
the advocate, they interrogated me in many questions, (upwards of the
number of thirty,) only to see if they could catch me in a contradic
tion ; or to see, if they could find out any person to witness against
me ; but I understanding their drift, answered as followeth. ' My
lords, not knowing that I shall escape this torture with my life, there
fore, I beseech you to remember what Solomon says, He who
showeth no mercy, shall have judgment without mercy. And, if
there be any here present, as I hope there are few or none, yet if
there be any such here, whose disposition is so eager in pursuing after
innocent blood, tbat nothing less than a full draught will satisfy them,
I say, let such remember what is spoken,' Rev. xvi. 5, 6. Thou art
righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou
hast thus judged: for they have shed the blood qfthe saints, and pro
phets ; and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy,
&c. And now, my lords, I do freely from my heart forgive you
who are judges sitting upon the bench, and the men who are ap
pointed to be about this horrid work ; and also these who are vitiat
ing their eyes in beholding the same. And I do entreat, that God may
never lay it to the charge of any of you, as I beg God may be pleased,
for his Son Christ's sake, to blot out my sins and iniquities, and never
lay them to my charge here or hereafter :' —
" Q. ' Are you that Mr. James Mitchel, who was excepted out of
the king's act of grace and favour, or not ?' A. ' I never committed
any crime deserving me to be excluded, but rather to be in
cluded, protected, and defended.' Q. ' Know you any more of that
name?' A. ' Yes, there are two within Mid Lothian, and what
know I, but there may be more elsewhere ?' Q. ' When knew you
of the rising in arms, anno 1666 ?' A. ' My lords, I knew of it when
the rest of the citizens knew of it.' Q. '- When was that ?' A. ' When
there came a messenger to the council to that effect, and when Dal-
ziel and his soldiers marched out at the West Port in order thereto.'
Q. ' Went you not out of town with captain Arnot ?' A. ' No.'
Q. ' Where did you meet with James Wallace ?' A. ' 1 did not
know him at that time.' Q. ' Was you at Ayr ? or did you join
with the rebels there, or any where else ?' A. ' I never joined with

JAMES MITCHEL. J81
any such :' — To which my lord Hatton, treasurer-depute, replied, say
ing, '- My lord, he never acknowledges these men to be rebels.' To
>hich, I answered, — ' My lord, I shall in answer to what is spoken
follow Solomon's advice in that he says, that sometimes even a fool by
holding his peace will be reputed wise;' — .whether or not Hatton took it
to be spoken of him, I cannot tell, but there was nothing replied
thereto by any of them. Q. ' Where was you at the time of Pent
land ?' A. ' In Edinburgh.' Q. ' Where was you before it ?' A.
' Iu Edinburgh.' Q. ' Where was you after it ?' A. ' In Edin
burgh.' Q. ' Where did you lodge before that time ?' A. ' In one
Grizel Whiteford's.' Q. ' Where did you stay at that time, and was
you still in the town, or not ?' A. ' My lord advocate, I do not
know what you mean by being still in the town, for you may call it
out of the town, if I was at the Windmill, or at Leith.' Q. ' What,
was you nowhere further abroad, than at such places ?' A. ' My
memory cannot serve me now after ten years' space, to determine
where I was, neither do I keep a journal of times past, nor is it my
duty so to do ; neither do I think any man's memory here present
can serve him for so long a time : but this I judge, that it is my duty
every day to be about my lawful employment and calling, according
as God hath commanded, and therewith to rest satisfied.' Q. ' What
took you out of the town at that time ?' A. ' I was making myself
ready to go over to Flanders.' Q. ' With whom went you ?' A.
' With one John Forrester, an Ostender.' Q. ' How long was it
after Pentland before you went ?' A. - I cannot tell.' Q. ' Can you
not give a guess ?' A. ' About a month or six weeks.' Q. ' What
was you doing all that time ?' A. ' I was making myself ready, and
thereafter there came a contrary wind.' Q. ' Who was merchant in
the ship ?' A. ' I inquired not.' Q. ' But went not the merchant
alongst with you ?' A. ' No.' Q. ' What was the reason of that ?'
A. ' It was the time of the Dutch war against the English, and at
such times merchants of ships do not hazard their persons with their
goods, but commit their affairs to factors abroad.' Q. ' How long
stayed you there ?' A. ' About three quarters of a year.' Q. < Why
stayed you so long there ?' A. ' It was a space before I was ready
to return, and thereafter, the report of peace came, which thereafter
followed, and I thought it better to wait a little time than hazard in
war.' Q. ' With whom came you home again ?' A. ' With Dutch
men who were Amsterdamers.' Q. ' Was there no Scotsmen with
you?' A. ' I have told you, my lords, I came home with Dutch
men.' Q. ' Who was the skipper of tbe ship ?' A. ' I cannot re
member, but he came to Limekilns for a loading of coals from Sir
James Hacket.' Q. ' What goods fetched you home ?' A. 'I can
not now remember the particulars.' Q. ' Where did you enter them ?'
A. ' I made the best shift I could to shun the Customers :' — At which
Sir William Parvas riseth, to cause call the excisemen. To which I
replied, ' O, Sir William, it was out of your time and theirs.' Q.
' .Did you know Peniry ?' A. ' Yes.' Q. '- Is he living ?' A. ' No.'
Q. ' Did you know Sir James Stirling, and Mr. Robert Ferguson ?
Are they alive ?' A. ' They are both dead, the one in this town,

182 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
and the other in the Indies, being called by the Indian merchants to
be a minister in one of their plantations.' Q. ' Knew you William
Young, and whose tenant he was ?' A. ' Yes ; I both knew him,
and that he was a tenant of Sir John Gibson's . ' Q. '- Bought you a
horse from him at that time ?' A. 'I never bought a horse from
him.' Q. ' From whom had you a horse, when you went out of
town ?' A. ' There was none in the city who had a horse to lend
for hire, who would have refused me for my money.' Q. ' But of
whom had you a horse ?' A. ' Where I could have none, I took me
to my feet.'
" These are the questions, so far as my memory can reach, which
being ended, the executioner being commanded thereto, took down
my leg from offa chest upon which it had been lying the whole time
in the boot, and it being set upon the ground, he began to thrust in
the shafts, and drive the wedge. And at every stroke they inquired,
if I had any more to say ? To which I answered, ' No more, my
lords ;' and thus it continued to the number of nine strokes upon the
head of the wedge : at the end of which I fell into a little swarf*
through the extremity of pain ; at which the executioner cried out,
' Alas, my lords, he is gone, he is gone.' Then they commanded to
leave off the torture, and rising from their seats went away. After
whicb, I was returned to the tolbooth, being carried by my friends
in the chair, in which I was tied during the time of my torture.
" But for obviating and removing any scruple, which may be ob
jected against what is formerly rehearsed, I offer these things to your
consideration : —
1st, Where there is an antecedent upon oath, or promise, upon
confessing or acknowledging a duty performed, the one depending
illatively upon the other : and when the antecedent, viz. the oath
or promise is judicially rescinded, made null and void, in order
to all force and effect whatsoever ; I hope then, and in that case,
no man upon legal or rational grounds will deny but the conse
quent, by the same act rescissory, which relatively depends thereupon,
is as freely and fully made null and void, as to any force and effect,
which either in law, or reason, or conscience, can be pretended to the
contrary ; and so both parties, by mutual consent, are put in statu
quo prius. But it is true concerning the antecedent, which is clear
from Joshua ii. 4.
" 2d, Consider, that when a bloody and persecuting enemy, regard
ing neither law, conscience, nor reason, and having the power of life
and death in their hands, rules over the people of God ; — in that case,
the obscuring and concealing of a necessary and commanded duty,
and to divert them by some other thing for a time, is warrantable.
I hope this is manifest from 1 Sam. xvi. 26. ' And Samuel said, how
can I go, if Saul hear of it, he will kill me ; and the Lord said, take
an heifer with tbee, and say, I am come to sacrifice,' &c. As also,
ye may see it, 1 Sam. xx. 6. ' If thy Father at all miss me, then say
* The reader will no doubt conclude from the scope of the passage, that by a
swarf Mr. Mitchell means a swoon or fainting Jit,

JAMES MITCHEL. 183
David earnestly,' &c. As also from Jer. xxxviii. 24, 26. so it is evi
dent, that it had been the practice of the most eminent of the Lord's
people to take that way to shift the hellish fury of adversaries.
"'3d, Consider, that when an adversary having power in his hand,
doth subvert and overturn the very nature and truth of a discourse ;
for example, — if it were of a minister's sermon, by leaving out the most
material truths, and putting in circumstances and untruths in the
room thereof; then, and in that case, I hope, it is not that sermon,
speech, or declaration, or testimony, or call it what you will, but it
becometh another thing. Now this toucheth the case in hand.
" 4th, Consider, that a person being brought before a judicatory,
having power to judge and determine anent what is confessed and
proven before them, yet out of mere malice and envy, finding the ex
tent of their power not great enough to satisfy their lust, malice, and
envy, doth wrest, lie, malign, add, and diminish from what hath been
spoken before them, to make up a ground of judgment before another
judicatory, before any thing was confest or proven, whose power is
both distinct from, and of greater extent than theirs, viz. the one having
power both of life and limb, and the other having power of neither.
" 5th, Consider, how difficult the case is : — Godless and inhuman
adversaries study to make a man's principles and conscience to be the
ground of his indictment, while both are regulate by the law, and the
revealed will of God ; and by this means they endeavour to make a man
his own accuser, contrary both to the law of God, the law of nature,
and the law of nations ; and by this means cause a man to concur with
them in calling his duty a sin, as they do contrary both to equity and
justice ; — whereas, they ought to prove what they allege in such cases,
where penury of witnesses cannot be instructed. Acts xxiv. 13.
' Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.'
As also our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, putteth his accusers to
prove what they alleged against him, Matth. xxvii. 11. And thus by
a non-confession he puts them to a probation, which appears verse 13.
" 6th, Giving and not granting, that it were true which they allege,
viz. a legal denying upon the grounds and reasons aforesaid, which
they call a lie, and a sin of such a high nature : yet this may stop
their mouths, seeing they are the men, whom neither subscription,
promises, nor oaths made and granted before God, angels, and men,
can bind and oblige, to the performance thereof, but have both sub
scribed and sworn the contrary. O how can such a generation of
hypocrites escape the damnation of hell fire ! who would snatch at so
small a mote alleged by them to be in their neighbour's eye, and will
not see nor cast out so big a beam out of their own eyes, which is so
visible to the whole Christian world I
4. His Speech on the Scaffold.*
" Christian people : — It being rumoured abroad immediately after I
had received my sentence, that I would not get liberty to speak in
* This speech he had prepared beforehand, under the apprehension that he
would not be allowed to deliver it distinctly, from the barbarous practice then

184 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
this place ; therefore, I have not prepared a formal discourse, and account
of the pretended crimes, for which I was accused and sentenced ;
neither did I think it very necessaiy, — the fame of my process having
gone so much abroad, — and tbat, by a former indictment given me near
fouryears since, the dietwhereof was suffered to desert, in respect the late
advocate could not find a just way to reach me, with that extrajudicial
confession they opponed unto me. All know he was zealous in it ;
yet my charity is such unto him, that he would not suffer unwarrant
able zeal so far to blind him, as to over-stretch all laws of the land
beyond their due limits, in prejudice of the life of any natural subject.
Next, by an extreme inquiry of torture ; and then by exiling me to
the Bass ; and after all, giving me a new indictment, at the instance
of the advocate, who formerly was one of mine, when I received the
first indictment ; to which new indictment and debate in that 'process I
remit you ; — and particularly, to these two defences of extrajudicial
confession, and to the promise of life given to me thereupon by my
lord .chancellor, upon his own, and the public faith of the kingdom ;
upon the verity whereof I am ready to die, and consent to lay down
my life. And I hope, your charity will be such to me (a dying man)
as not to misconstruct me herein ; — especially, when it is so notourly
adminicular by an act of the Secret Council, and yet denied upon oath
by the principal officers of state present in council at the making of
the said act, and which the act bears to have been present thereat ;
(the duke of Lauderdale being then his majesty's commissioner:)
whicb act of council was by tbe Lords of Justiciary's Interloquitor,
most illegally repelled ; but I shall have charity to some of these lords,
whom I knew would have given law and justice place, even as to my
just absolution, if they had not been overpowered by the plurality of
votes of them who were overawed and dared by the lords of the
Secret Council  But that will not absolve their consciences at the last
day !
As to my advocates.and lawyers : — I ingenuously acknowledge their
care, fidelity, and zeal in my defence ; whicb, I hope, shall be some
standing fame to them for this, and all future generations. So, — thus
much, as a short account of tbe affair, for which I am brought unjustly
to this place. But, I acknowledge my particular and private sins have
been such, as have merited a worse death unto me ; but, I die in tbe
hope of the merits of Jesus Christ, to be freed from these eternal
punishments due to me for sin ; yet, I am confident, God doth not
plead with me in this for my private and particular sins ; but I am
brought here, that the work of God may be made manifest, and for
the trial of faith, John ix. 3. and 1 Pet. i. 7. and, that I may be a
witness for his despised truth and interest in his land, — who am called
to seal the same with my blood. And I wish heartily, that thus my
poor life may put an end to the persecution of the true members of
introduced of beating drums, so as to drown the voice of the suffering martyrs.
It appears that this was accordingly the case, and that being interrupted, he
threw it, in manuscript, over the scaffold, — having previously intrusted copies
of it to some of his friends.

JAMES LEARMONTH. 185
Christ in this kingdom, — so much cheated by these perfidious prelates ;
and in opposition to whom, and in testimony of the cause of Christ, I
at this time willingly lay down my life. And I thank God, that he
hath thought me so worthy as to do the same for his glory and interest.
Finally, — conceiving it a Christian duty in a singular and extraordinary
case anent my particular judgment concerning both church and state,
it is evidently declared and manifested more fully elsewhere ;* so fare
well all earthly enjoyments, and welcome Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
into whose hands I commit my spirit."
Sic Sub.— JAMES MITCHEL."f
" Edinburgh Tolbooth,
Jan. 18th, 1678."

XXIV. JAMES LEARMONTH.
[Perhaps there are few cases of more lawless oppression, and more
wanton cruelty, than that exhibited in the death of this good man.
He was by trade a Chapman, and probably belonged to East
Lothian. At all events, being present at a conventicle which met
in that district, just over against the Bass, in May, 1678, when a
soldier of the party sent to attack them was killed ; — he was appre
hended, and along with another individual, called William Temple,
indicted upon this charge. Both of them were freed by the verdict
of the assize, of any actual participation in the death ; but it being
proved that Temple had a sword, (though not drawn,) and that
Lear mon th, (though unarmed,) had exhorted his fellow worship
pers to make resistance ; an order of council was procured, authoriz
ing the court to sentence them : upon which, Temple was con
demned to perpetual banishment, and Learmonth to be beheaded as
a traitor, and to have his property confiscated for his majesty's use.
This sentence he accordingly underwent on the 27th September,
1678. He prepared and left behind him the following documents.]
1. His Testimony.
" Men and Brethren, — I am come here this day to lay down my
life, and I bless the Lord I die with a willing heart, and a cheerful
mind, as being conscious to myself before God, angels, and men, that
I am most innocent of that man's blood, for which lam condemned to
die, that I am as free as the child new born, and that I had neither art
nor part in taking of his life, as was proven before the justice court,
and the assize declared me not guilty of the foresaid blood ; but after
the assizers' declaration, some of the lords thirsting after my blood,
unjustly passed sentence to take my Hfe. It was also proved before
the justiciary court, that all the weapons I had, was only a wand in
* Here he refers to the foregoing Testimony, in which his sentiments on Ihe
points alluded to are declared most fully.
f Naphtali, pp. 412— 414.
2 A

186 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
my hand. And also it was proved, that when the man was killed, I
was at a great distance from the place ; only this is all they charge on
me, tbat I should have spoken such words as to provoke, the meeting, to
fall upon the party that came to interrupt the worship of God, and to
scatter the meeting ; yet, God is my witness, before whom I must
shortly appear, that I had no intention for blood, but only for our own
defence, being violently pursued, to hinder us in following the service
of God upon his own day, and being upon our own just self-defence,
and the defence of the gospel. I hope none can deny, much less
Christians, that it was not out of contempt of lawful authority ; but
that it was grievous to me to see the work of the Lord hindered, and
his day profaned. Therefore, my dear friends, I do here declare to
you all, as the words of a dying man, tbat I desire to bless tbe Lord,
although I be but a poor wretched sinner of myself, by reason of my
original and actual transgressions, yet I have reason again and again
to bless and magnify the Lord, that it hath pleased his gracious
Majesty so far to condescend to manifest himself to me, as not only
to show me my misery, but also to call me, and reveal Christ by his
grace in me ; also, I bless the Lord, that hitherto he hath kept me
from all scandalous sins that are reigning and raging in these times,
and the Lord hath made out that word to my experience : — 2 Pet. i.
3 — 8. ' According as his divine power hath given unto us all things
that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that
hath called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceed
ing great and precious promises, that by these ye might be made par
takers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in
the world through lust ; and besides this, giving all diligence, add to
your faith, virtue ; and to virtue, knowledge ; and to knowledge, tem
perance ; and to temperance, patience ; and to patience, godliness ; and
to godliness, brotherly-kindness ; and to brotherly-kindness, charity ;
for if these things be in you and abound, they make you, that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ.' My friends, I earnestly desire you, that you would not stumble
at the cross of Christ, and his despised gospel, because of my
sufferings, and especially ye that are dear to me in East Lothian ; for
since I have received this sentence of death, I have found his gracious
presence and love manifested to my soul, in sustaining both me and
my cross ; for he hath made out that to me, that he sends none a
warfare upon their own charges. Ye may also call to mind that scrip
ture, Philip, i. 27 — 30. ' Only let your conversation be as it becometh
the gospel, that whether I come and see you, or be absent, I may
hear of your affairs ; that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind,
striving together for the faith of the gospel, and in nothing be terrified
by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition,
but unto you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you is given
in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer
for his sake, having the same conflict ye saw in me( and now hear to
be in me.' — I also bless the Lord, that I am a member of the church
of Scotland, which was once one of the purest and best reformed

'", -,S JAMES LEARMONTH. 187
churches for doctrine, government, discipline, and worship, according
to the word of God, as it is expressed iu the national covenant, the
solemn league and covenant, the Confession of Faith, the Larger and
Shorter Catechisms, and that blessed work of reformation so far once
advanced, though now brought low, by the usurpation of tho crown
which belongs only to Jesus Christ, as head of his church ; to all which
truths, I adhere, and resolve through the Lord's grace and strength to
seal the same with my blood. Particularly, — I adhere to the national
covenant and solemn league and covenant, as we ore all sworn therein,
against all popery, prelacy, and all the corruptions thereon depending.
As also, I adhere to the solemn league and covenant, as a holy con
trivance of the holy Lord for the three kingdoms in a holy harmony
and union, for the advancement of Christ's kingdom in the world ; and
I die in the faith of it, that however this blessed work of reformation
be brought low, yet the Lord in his own time, who is king and cap
tain of salvation, shall make it glorious and renowned in the eyes of
the world, in despite of all adversaries whatsoever. Though it please
the Lord to let them triumph and insult for a time, yet he will defend
and revive his own work, and the spirits of his own oppressed remnant
also, in these barren places ; the seed of the gospel that hath been
sown in East Lothian, shall have a spring season and a harvest in
despite of devils and men, to the glory of God, and the comfort of his
own people. Therefore, I do here give my testimony against all per
secutors of the Lord's people and interest, in this sad time of defection ;
I also testify against all these that have intruded themselves into the
calling of the ministry,* and upon the labours of his faithful sent ser
vants. And I give my testimony against all apostates and indifferent
lukewarm professors, who only follow Christ as the times make for
them. Likewise, I give my testimony against all profane, profligate,
wicked livers, who carry themselves so as if there were not a God,
all whose damnation slumbers not, except it please the Lord to give
them repentance and mercy. I also desire the Lord to make Alex
ander Maitland sensible, — who first apprehended me, and who promised
upon his faith and conscience, that he would not see me wronged, — at
whose door and his brother's, lies immediately my innocent blood, and
that they may repent for the same. I desire the Lord to show them
mercy, and freely forgive them. And as for the magistrates of Had
dington, — they are not free of my blood ; I wish the Lord may make
them sensible thereof, and give them repentance. Also, I declare my
blood lieth at the bishop of St. Andrews' door, to stand against
* The reader, it is presumed, need scarcely be told, that Mr. Learmonth here
refers to the Episcopal curates, by whom the places of the presbyterian clergy,
who were outed by the Glasgow act of 16G2, were supplied. These were men
of whom it might well be alleged, tbat they sought to be " put into the priest's
office for a bit of bread ;" whose characters and conduct must have rendered
them contemptible, even if their principles, and the system under which they
served, had been less obnoxious to the people ; and who therefore might well be
viewed as " intruders into the ministry," when compared with the able, zeal
ous, and conscientious pastors, " the faithful sent servants," by whom they
were preceded.

188 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
him ; for, since I received this sentence of death, it hath been fre
quently brought to my ears, that he pressed the king's advocate to
take my life, although he needed not for want of malice :* — Isa. xxvi.
11. ' Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see, but they
shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at thy people ; yea, the fire
of thine enemies shall devour them.' Rev. vi. 10. ' And they cried
with a loud voice, and said, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost
thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth :'
— And I hope my blood shall still cry to the Lord against them, with
all the innocent blood that hath been shed for the truth. I here most
freely, before I go hence (without desire of revenge upon the fore-
named persons, or any other, who have been the occasion of my blood
Bhedding, now in my last words, after the example of my Lord and
Master,) say, as is mentioned in that Scripture, Luke xxiii. 34. 'And
Jesus said, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do, and
they parted his garments, and cast lots,' &c.
" My dear friends, I give my testimony against that calumny cast
upon presbyterians, that they are seditious and disloyal persons ; the
which aspersion I do abhor. Therefore, I exhort all people, that they
will show loyalty to the king, and all lawful magistrates, and all their
just and lawful commands, in so far as their commands agree with the
word of God. I also desire all the Lord's people to continue faithful,
and persevere to the end ; for only such shall be saved. I also re
quest you for the Lord's sake, to be straight in the matters of God,
which are of so high concernment, as the glory of our dearest Lord
and Master, for God will not be mocked, Isa. xxviii. 22. ' Now
therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong ; for I
have beard from the Lord God of hosts, even a consumption deter
mined upon the whole earth.' And do not halt between two opinions ;
and let that scripture be always before you, and lay it to mind, Rev.
xix. 4. ' These are they that have not been defiled with women, for
they are virgins : these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever
he goeth ; these were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits
unto God, and to the Lamb.' Likewise, take notice of the word,
« All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.'
But again, precious Christ comforteth his followers with these words,
John xvi. last verse, * These things have I spoken unto you, that in
me ye might have peace ; in the world ye shall have tribulation, but
be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.' And this I must say
• Here there are two persons named by this martyr as accessory to his death.
With regard to the first, — it is probable that the name should have been printed
¦ Charles instead of Alexander Maitland, as that was the name of the ensign, by
'whose party the conventicle was attacked : or, it is possible he might refer to
some one of the countrymen, whom it appears the ensign had compelled to accom
pany and assist him, on that occasion. — With regard to the other person named,
— Archbishop Sharp, we quote the following statement of the circumstance re
ferred to, from Wodrow. After saying that Learmonth's " trial and sentence
were mightily cried out upon," he continues : — " Some papers before me say,
he was assoilizcd by the jury, but Bishop Sharp being peremptory that he must
die, moved the advocate to threaten them with the utmost severity, and at length
tbey were prevailed with, to bring him in guilty." — History, vol. j.

JAMES LEARMONTH. 189
to the commendation of our blessed Lord, that in my experience I
have found that scripture verified to me, Prov. iii. 17. ' Her ways are
ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.' Although to flesh
and blood the cross of Christ be irksome, yet to the renewed part,
Christ's yoke is easy, and his burden light ; as it is Mat. xi. 28 — 30.
' Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am,
meek and lowly of heart : and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For
my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.' My brethren, but especially
of East Lothian, do not scare at the precious cross of Christ Jesus for
my suffering, for I can assure you, Christ's cross is beautiful, and
fruitful, and not to be stumbled at, as it is Isa. xxvii. 8. If ye take
it on you willingly, and draw kindly in it, it shall be the heartsomest
work in the world, to work and the cross upon your back ; for, he will
bear you and it both, as I have found it in my experience, ever since
I began to seek his face, but especially, since he called me to the
hardest task ; but no task is hard that he hath called me unto : but I
may say, what am I, or my Father's house, or any of the lost posterity
of Adam, Psal. viii. 2 — 4. ' Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings
thou hast ordained strength, because of the enemies, that thou mightest
still the enemy and avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the
work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained :
— What is man, that thou art mindful of him ? and the son of man,
that thou visitest him ?' That such a holy one as He, should have
singled out such a poor silly man as I, out of that country-side wherein
I lived, and that he should have honoured me, by calling me to lay
down my life for adhering and following of him in the way of duty, —
in countenancing his despised gospel and persecuted cause, now
preached in the fields, by his lawfully called servants, — whereby he
hath sealed to my soul, that be owns these field meetings, and doth
tryst with his friends there, as I have found in a singular manner both
in word and sacraments, — as I have found it to my comfort at East
Nisbet in the Merse, 1 Cor. i. 13. ' For the preaching of the cross is
to them that perish, foolishness ; but unto them that are saved, it is
the power of God :' — and there he dealt bountifully with his friends,
as in Isa. xxvii. 7. I hope ere long the following words of the fore-
named chapter shall be made out to me, and I shall enjoy him to all
eternity. Be exhorted, to follow this way of the Lord, though unjustly
reproached in that calumny of sedition and rebellion. And again, I
exhort you to follow Christ in the use of all his commanded services
both in public and private, cost what it will : — As Mat. x. 37 — 39.
' He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me ;
and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of
me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not
worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it ; and he that
loseth his life for my sake, shall find it.' As for my part, now in my
last words, I declare, if all the hairs of my head were men, I would
willingly lay them down with my life, for owning my Master Jesus
Christ, and his cause, in the field meetings, when you cannot get the
liberty of a house as formerly, — where his goings hath been seen in

190 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
the sanctuary to his people in their wilderness condition these sixteen
years and upwards, as he hath promised to his people, Ezek. xi. 16.
' Yet will I be to them a little sanctuary in the countries where they
shall come.' And I die in the faith of it, that God will come, and
countenance and own those, who venture most for him. Therefore,
my beloved, let not the fear of man prevail, but fear him who can kill
both soul and body : — Luke xii. 4, 5. ' Fear not him that can kill the
body, but fear him that after he hath killed the body, hath power to
cast into hell.' Isa. li. 12, 13. ' Shouldest thou be afraid of a man that
shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass ; and
forge ttest the Lord thy Maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and
laid the foundations ofthe earth ; and hast feared continually every day,
because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy ;
and where is the fury of the oppressor ?' Consider for your encourage
ment what our Lord hath suffered for his elect : — Isa. liii. throughout.
— Also, Luke xxii. 44. ' And being in an agony, he prayed more
earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood ;' and
mind what will follow, Rev. ii. 4. ' Nevertheless I have somewhat
against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.' Luke xxii. 28.
' Ye are they which have continued with me in my tentations, and I
appoint unto you a kingdom.' As that chapter hath been oft sweet
to me, press towards the mark, and sink not; as it is, Psal. lxxiii. 1.
' Truly God is good to Israel;' and Isa. xl. 29 — 31. ' He giveth
power to the faint ; and to them that have no might he increaseth
strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young
men shall utterly fall : but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength ; they shall mount up with wings as eagles ; they shall
run, and not be weary ; and they Bhall walk, and not faint.' John
xiv. 1 — 3. ' Let not your heart be troubled ; ye believe in God, be
lieve also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions : if it
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and re
ceive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.' All
the eighth chapter to the Romans hath oft comforted me ; yea, the
Lord who hath the tongue of the learned, hath spoke a word in due
season to me, which words have been as apples of gold in pictures of
silver. There is not a moment of our time, but we must depend on
him, und to all such needy dependants he will make out that word,
2 Cor. xii. 9. ' My grace is sufficient for thee.' John xvi. 1 3. ' When
the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth : for he
shall not speak of himself : but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he
speak : and he will show you things to come.' And at the close of
the warfare, God will make out these sweet words, 1 Cor. xv. 54.
' So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this
mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass
the saying tbat is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.' Job
xix. 25, 26. ' I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth : and though after my skin,
worms destroy this body, yet ih my flesh shall I see God.' Psal. xvii.
15. ' As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness : I shall be

JAMES LEARMONTH. 191
satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.' Psal. xvi. 8  11. ' I
have set the Lord always before me : because he is at my right hand,
I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory
rejoiceth ; my flesh also shall rest in hope : for thou wilt not leave
my soul in hell ; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see cor
ruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life : in thy presence is
fulness of joy ; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.'
Psal. xxx. 5. ' In his favour is life ; weeping may endure for a night,
but joy cometh in the morning;' ver. 11, 12. ' Thou hast turned my
mourning into dancing, to the end that my glory may sing praise unto
thee.' Rev. iii. 12. ' Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in
the temple of my God ;' chap. vii. 10. ' And they cried with a loud
voice, saying, Salvation to our God, and to the Lamb ;' chap. xix. 7.
' For the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made her
self ready.' Isa. xxxiii. 24. ' And the inhabitants shall not say, I am
Bick.' I shall end here with these words, Rom. viii. 17, 18. ' If so
be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together :
for I reckon, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to
be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.' 2 Tim. iv.
7, 8. 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith, — henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.'
Rev. xxii. 20. < Surely I come quickly. Amen, even so come Lord
Jysus.' Sic Sub— JAMES LEARMONTH."
" At Edinburgh,
27th September, 1678."
2. His Speech on the Scaffold.
" Men and Brethren : — I am called here this day to lay down my
life, — I hope as one whom the Lord will own as a witness to the
born-down cause and truth, that now in this hour and power of dark
ness is unjustly oppressed, although one of the least and unworthiest
of all that the Lord hath called to seal his truth with blood, — yet I
am called and honoured here in your audience to declare, before i die,
that I adhere to that work of reformation from popery, prelacy and
profanity, heresy, and all manner of ungodliness abounding in these
loose times, — as the fruit of breaking down of the hedge of government,
occasioned by the coming in of that unjust usurpation of the crown of
Jesus Christ, and putting it upon the head of a mortal man, whose
breath is in his nostrils. I also adhere to the church of Scotland, — as
it was governed by a general assembly lawfully constitute, by synods,
presbyteries, and kirk sessions, — as the only hedge appointed of God,
if well approven, to hold out the wild beasts out of his vineyard. I
adhere also to the national covenant, and solemn league and covenant,
to the solemn acknowledgment of sins, the- Confession of Faith, the
Larger and Shorter Catechisms, to the despised way of preaching of
the gospel, the receiving of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's
supper, from the lawfully ordained and called ministers of the gospel,
who are forced to the fields, because of persecution from those who
were never friends to the church of Christ, or his church in this na-

192 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
tion ;  I mean these lord prelates, who, contrary to the rule, lord it
over the consciences of the inheritance of the Lord. Also I declare,
I die free of the blood of all men, especially the blood of that man,
for which I am unjustly condemned. to die this day, as the assize did
find me not guilty of his blood, whatever seemed to be alleged to
the contrary, to the lords who passed sentence against me, without
any just ground as from them ; and there is a day, wherein the right
eous Judge will judge again, when he makes inquisition for blood,
and will call to account all the bloodshed of the saints, that is dear in
his sight, ...As for Alexander Maitland who apprehended me, my
blood lie's directly at his door, who promised me then, that nothing
should reach iny life, as he swore by faith and conscience ; and his
brother is also guilty of my blood, who hath much pursued after my
blood. I desire the Lord to give them repentance, and mercy, if it
be possible. And as for the Archbishops, I charge my blood upon
them, with all the blood of the innocent sufferers in this cause, which
by their means and their associates has been shed, and all the other
sufferings the covenanted people of the Lord has been put to, all
which cry for just revenge from the righteous Lord and Judge of all.
I havo my mind more fully expressed in another paper, that is more
large, all which I subscribe as a dying man, who am to appear imme
diately before tbe righteous Judge, — I hope to receive the sentence,
' Well done faithful servant, enter into your Master's joy;' — though not
by my merit, but through the meritB and purchase of Christ. So
farewell all enjoyments in time, — farewell sun, moon, and stars, —
farewell all ordinances, and welcome precious Christ !
Sic Sub — JAMES LEARMONTH."
" Being to die this day,
the 27th Sep. 1676.''

XXV. JOHN KID.
[To all who are in the least acquainted with the history of the period,
it is well known that the persecuted presbyterians, again stimulated
to insurrection by the oppressions of the government, were opposed
and defeated by tbe king's troops at Bothwell bridge, on the 22d
of June, 1679. Of the prisoners who were taken on this memor
able occasion, Mr. Kid was one, and was with his brother, Mr.
King, shortly after doomed to an ignominious death. Whether he
bad ever been ordained, or was only a probationer, we have not ,
discovered. If he was, it must have been shortly previous to the
engagement at which he was taken, and his presence at which was
deemed sufficient to infer the highest penalty. He was strictly
examined as to the origin of the rising, and his answers not being
satisfactory, he was questioned by torture. He was thereafter in
dicted, along with Mr. King, for having been in the rebellion, and
for having preached at field conventicles. And notwithstanding

JOHN KID. 193
their offering to adduce an exculpatory proof, which was refused, and
there being no other evidence but their own declarations, partly
gained bypromises, and partly extorted by the Boot, — they were
condemned and executed on the 14th of August, 1679. Here
follows Mr. Kid's Testimony.]'
" Right worthy and well beloved Spectators and Auditors : — Con
sidering the bodily distempers I have been exercised under since I
came out of the torture, viz. scarce two hours out of my naked bed
in one day,— it cannot be expected I should be in case for saying any
thing to purpose, in such a juncture ; especially, seeing I am not as
yet free of it ; however, I cannot but reverence the good hand of God
upon me for good, and desire with all my soul to bless him for this
present lot.
" It may be, there are a great many here, that judge my lot very
sad and deplorable : — I must confess death in itself is very terrible to
flesh and blood, but as it is an outlet to sin, and an inlet to righteous
ness, it is the Christian's great and inexpressible privilege. And give
me leave to say this : —
" I. That there is something in a Christian's condition, that can
never put him without the reach of unsufferableness, — even shame,
death, and the cross being included.* And then if there be peace
betwixt God and the soul, nothing can damp peace through our Lord
Jesus Christ ; it is a supporting ingredient in the bitterest cup, and under
the sharpest and fieriest trial he can be exposed unto. This is my
mercy, I have somewhat of this to lay claim unto, viz. The intimations
of pardon betwixt God and my soul. And as concerning that for
which I am condemned, I magnify his grace, that I never had the
least challenge for it, but on the contrary, judge it my honour that
ever I was counted worthy to be staged upon such a consideration.
" II. Another thing that renders the most despicable sufferings of
Christians and mine sufferable, and that is a felt and sensible presence
from the Lord, strengthening the soul, when most put to it. And if
I could have this for my allowance this day, I could be bold to say,
' O death, where is thy sting?' and would but cry out, welcome to
it, and all that follows upon it. I grant, the Lord from an act of
sovereignty may come and go as he pleases, but yet he will never
forsake his people, and this is a cordial to me in the case I am now
exposed unto.
" III. The exercising and putting forth of his glorious power, is
able to transport the soul of the believer and mine, above the reach of
all sublunary difficulties ; and therefore, seeing I have hope to be kept
by this power, I would not have you to look upon my lot, or any
other that is, or may be in my case, in the least deplorable ;— seeing
* This is a statement which, from the manner in which it is expressed, tho
reader may find it difficult to comprehend. The meaning seems to be, that
there are sources of peace, and joy, and comfort, in the Christian's condition,
such as may render tolerable the severest troubles and trials of life, or at least
prevent them being intolerable.
2B

194 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
we have ground to believe, that in more or less he will perfect his
power and strength in weakness.
" IV. Tbat I may come a little nearer to the purpose in hand, I
declare before you all, in the sight of God, angels, and men, and in
the sight of that sun, and all that he has created, that I am a most
miserable sinner, in regard of my original and actual transgressions :
I must confess they are more than the hairs upon my head, and alto
gether past reckoning : I cannot but say, as Jacob said, ' I am less
than the least of all, God's mercies,' yet I must declare to the com
mendation of the freedom of his grace made known, and that by a
strong hand, and dare not but say, ' He has loved me, and washed me
in his own blood from mine iniquity ;' and well is it with me this day,
that ever I heard or read that faithful saying, ' Jesus Christ came into
the world, to save sinners, of whom I am chief.'
" V. I must also declare in his sight, I am the most unworthy that
ever opened the mouth to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ in
the gospel ; yea, the sense of this made me altogether unwilling to fall
about so great a work, until by the importunity of some, whose names
are precious and savoury to me, and to many others, I was prevailed
with, to fall about it : and howbeit out of great weakness I went
about it ; yet I am hopeful not altogether without some fruit : and if
I durst say it without vanity, I never found so much of the presence
of God upon my spirit, as I have found in exercises of that nature,
though I must still confess, attended with inexpressible weakness.
And this is the main thing for which I must lay down my tabernacle
tbis day, to wit, That I did preach Christ and the gospel in several
places ; for which I bless him, as I can, that ever such a poor obscure
person as I am, have been thus privileged by bim, for making mention
of his grace, as I was able.
" VI. Give me leave to add this word, that though there be great
appearance for the spreading and preaching this glorious gospel, yet I
fear there pe a snare at the bottom, and poison in the dish, which
may gender and be productive of, not only greater scarcity of honest
preaching and preachers, but a real famine of the word. This, I say,
is my fear ; and I hope God will keep his servants from fomenting
any thing to the detriment of the gospel.
" VII. I am also afraid, the Lord is intending to multiply his
strokes upon the land. We have walked seven times contrary to him,
and therefore we may lay our account (unless repentance prevent it)
that he will walk seven times contrary to us : there is more than
ground to fear, that a sword is bathed in heaven, a glittering sword,
sharpened and furbished against thee, O guilty and harlot Scotland !
" VIII. For that other clause in mine indictment, upon which my
sentence of death is formed, viz. personal presence twice or thrice
with that party, whom they called the rebels — for my own part, I never
iudged them, nor called them such. I acknowledge, and do believe,
there were a great many there, that came in the simplicity of their
own hearts, like those that followed Absalom long ago. I am as sure
on the other hand, that there was a great party there, that had nothing
before them, but the repairing of the Lord's fallen work, and the re-

JOHN KID. 195
storing of tne breach, which is wide as the sea ; and I am apt to think,
that such of these, who were most branded with mistakes, will be
found to have been most single : but for rebellion against his majesty's
person, or lawful authority, the Lord knows my soul abhorreth it,
name and thing : loyal I have been, and will every Christian to be so ;
and I was ever of this judgment, to ' give to Csesar the things that
are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.
" IX. Since I came to prison I have been much branded with
many things, which I must call aspersions, whereof Jesuitism is one.
I am hopeful, there were never any that did converse with me that
had the least ground for laying this to my charge : and I know not how
it is come to pass, to cast it upon me, except for implacable prejudice,
that some have been prepossessed with, against me. I am not ignor
ant that near two years ago, a person of some note in this church,
while living, was pleased to say, That I had died in that judgment ;
after he was better informed, he changed his note, and said, it was
misinformation. But now the Lord, before whom I must stand and
be judged by and by, knows, I have a perfect abhorrence of that
thing, and that was never my temptation, directly nor indirectly ;
though I must confess, -some few years ago some were very pressing
with me, that I might conform and embrace prelacy ; but for popery,
and that trash, it came never nearer my heart, than the pope's conclave,
and the Alcoran, which my soul abhors.
" X. I have been also branded with factiousness, divisive and sedi
tious preaching and practices. I must confess, if it be so, it was more
than ever I was aware of. According to the measure God has given
me, it was my endeavour to commend Christ to the hearts and souls
of the people, even repentance toward God, and faith toward our
Lord Jesus Christ, according to the word of God, Confession of Faith,
and Catechisms Larger and Shorter. Yea, I did press them also,
when God did cast it into my way, to remember their sworn covenant,
in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government ; and that they would
make it their work to stand to it in substance and circumstance, seeing
it is so cried down in this day, and if this be divisive preaching, I
cannot deny it.
" XI. I am pressed in conscience to bear my testimony and abhor
rence of every invasion, usurpation, and encroachment that is made,
or has been made against Christ's royal prerogative, crown, and king
dom, originate upon, and derivate from that which they call the su
premacy. I was never free to say a confederacy with those, who, I judge,
have in a great part said a confederacy with that thing. And the
Lord is my record, I was never free in my conscience for that, that is
called the Indulgence, neither first nor second, as it was tendered by
the council, and as it was embraced by a great many godly and pious
men in this land. Yea, it was never lawful nor expedient to me : and
in effect, this is one of the main grounds, why I am rendered ob
noxious to so many imputations, that I have been all alongst contrary
to that Indulgence in my judgment. I confess, I have been of that
judgment, and I die in my judgment contrary to it : and this 1 crave

196 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
leave to say, without any offence given to the many godly and learned
that are of another judgment.*
" XII. I judge it fit likewise in this case to leave my testimony
against that stent, taxation, and cess, that has been bo unjustly im
posed, so irrelevantly founded, and vigorously carried on by the abet
tors of that convention, and merely upon no other account imaginable,
but to a final extirpation of Christ and his gospel ordinances out of
these lands : and how lamentable is it to consider, how many profes
sors did willingly pay it, and were most for inciting others to do the
sarae.f " In the next place, though to many I die desired, yet I know to
not a few my death is not desired ; and it is the rejoicing of my heart,
that I die in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath loved me,
and given himself for me, and in the faith of the prophets and apostles,
and in this faith — that there is not a name under heaven by which
men shall be saved, but the name of Jesus, — and in the faith of the
doctrine, discipline, and worship of the kirk of Scotland, as it is now
established according to the word of God, Confessions of Faith, Cate
chisms Larger and Shorter, &c. Likeas, I join my testimony against
popery and perjury, profanity, prelacy, heresy, supremacy, and every
thing contrary to sound doctrine.
" In the close, as a dying person, and as one who has obtained mercy
of the Lord to be faithful, I would humbly leave it upon godly minis
ters, to be faithful for their Lord and Master, and not to hold their
peace in such a day, when so many ways are taken for the injuring
of him, his name, way, sanctuary, ordinances, crown, and kingdom.
• It is obvious from this, that Mr. Kid was opposed to the reception of an
Indulgence at the hands of government ; but it is likewise obvious, that he could
agree to differ with these " godly and pious men" by whom it had been em
braced. And though it has been insinuated by those authors who are favourable
to tbe views of what was termed the high or honest party among the covenanters
at Bothwell, i. e. those who thought all union with the Indulged unlawful, —
that he was of that opinion — it must be plain, we think, even from the above
expressions, that this was not the case. The respect which he avows for the
opinions of those who differed from him, and his professed desire to give them
no offence, is evidence to the contrary.
f The tax here referred to, and against which Mr. Kid has left his decided
testimony, Was imposed by an act ofthe Convention of Estates in 1678. It being
thought necessary that an addition should be made to the king's troops, and that
requiring money to support it, the sum of 1,800,000 pounds Scots, was voted
for that purpose. It now became a question amongst the presbyterians, whether
it were lawful to pay the cess which was thus imposed, — some maintaining that
the payment of it was an active concurrence with the persecutors in bearing
down the Lord's work -. others reasoning, that since violence would be used
to compel payment, it was better, by a ready compliance with the act, to pre
serve themselves and their property from the injury they must otherwise, at all
events, sustain ; and others choosing a middle way, and paying it, — but testifying
at tbe same time, against it.— Having stated these different opinions, in illustration
of what is said in the text, we leave the reader to judge for himself which is the
right one. If may be added, however, tbat the question, as anticipated, was
after a few months practically solved, every one being compelled to pay it in one
form or another.

JOHN KID. 197
I hope there will be found a party in the land, that will contend for
him, and his matters, upon all hazards. And as faithfulness is called
for in ministers, so they should concern themselves, that they counte
nance not, nor abet any thing that is inconsistent with former princi
ples and practice.
" 1. Let the land consider how neutral and indifferent we are
grown in the matters of God, even like Ephraim long ago, a cakei
not turned, — which is upon the matter contrary to, and inconsistent
with our solemn sworn covenants : —
" 2. Next, how far we are fallen from our first love, how far we are
degenerate from that noble vine into which the Lord did once plant
us, how lamentable is it ? How far we are gone in the way of Egypt,
drinking the waters of Sichar.
" 3. Again, what a woful cursed spirit of bitterness is predominating
in this land and in this age, Ephraim vexing Judah, and Judah Ephraim,
Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh ; — the growing doggedness
of this temper almost amongst us all, portends terrible things from the
Lord against Scotland.
" 4. Reformation according to our sworn covenants, neither designed
nor practised, — what means all this deformity, that is come to pass in
these days instead of the contrary ? how many of us are pulling down
that which we have been building up ? how many of us calling good
evil, and evil good, disowning and disavouching that which sometime
we judged our honour to testify for, and to avouch ?
" 5. A public spirit in contending for God in his matters, in substance
and circumstance, according to our vows and obligations, is much
a missing amongst us this day. Further,
" I. I am pressed in conscience to make honourable mention of
all these great and glorious things that God has done in Scotland,
since the year 1638, — the abundant measure of his Spirit that was
poured out upon his servants and people at the renewing of the na
tional covenant twice in that year, and once in the year following : —
the blessed efficacy that the gospel had at that time in all corners of
the land,* and the great things that followed upon it, which while
improven, made our land desirable.
* There can be no doubt, that Mr. Kid is in the main correct as to the effi
cacy of the gospel under the Second Reformation. The period here referred to,
may well be esteemed as a " time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.'
It is presumed, however, that the most remarkable season during that period,
for the success which attended the gospel, was from 1652 to 1660. Such at
least is the view which we are led to adopt, from reading the following state
ment in Law's Memorials :—
" It is not to be forgotten," says he, " that from the year 1652, to the year
1660, there was great good done by the preaching of the gospel in the west of
Scotland, more than was observed to have been for twenty or thirty years be
fore ; a great many brought in to Christ by a saving work of conversion, which
was occasioned through ministers preaching nothing all that time but the gospel,
and had left off to preach up parliaments, armies, leagues, resolutions, and re
monstrances, which was much in use before, from the year 1638, till that time,
52, which occasioned a great number of hypocrites iu the church, who, out ef
hope of preferment, honour, riches, and worldly credit, took on the form of god
liness, but wanted the power of It." — Law's Mem. p. 7.

198 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
" II. Ifiear my testimony to the solemn league and covenant, as it
was pressed and sworn in England, Scotland, and Ireland, 1643 ; yea,
as it was timed and taken by the representatives and body of these
three lands ; — which tie is binding, and can by no power on earth be
infringed, whether secular or ecclesiastic, and that it was our glory to
be counted a people married to the Lord, from one generation to
another, from henceforth and for ever. So that prelacy, as it is now
established by a pretended law, is downright destructive to that
sworn covenant ; yea, and not only prelacy, popery, malignancy, and
heresy, but the supremacy, and every thing originated upon and derived
from it.
" III. I cannot but make mention of that honourable and noble
practice, that this land was privileged with, viz. after two defections,
the Lord put it into the heart of both state and church to renew these
covenants once again, viz. both the national covenant, and solemn
league and covenant, together with an acknowledgment of sins, and
engagement to duties, and that in the close of the year ; — which per
formance, was attended with so much of the Lord's power and pre
sence, that it was like a resurrection from the dead to all that were
witnesses, yea, to both speakers and hearers, that many were forced
to cry out, ' The joy of the Lord is our strength, God, of a truth, is
here.' " IV. I dare not but add this in the case wherein I now stand,
viz. I cannot but add my concurrence with, and adherence to all these
public testimonies, protestations, and declarations, that have been
owned, evinced, and emitted by all the presbyterian ministers aud
professors of old and of late, since this work began ; and particularly,
I dare not but join my approbation of, and adherence to the testimony
and protestation of those renowned and eminently worthy gentlemen,
ministers, and professors, that appeared against the pubhc resolutions,
for taking in the malignant party into judicatories and armies ; — as also,
I join my cordial adherence to and with them, that protested against
the two pretended assemblies at St. Andrews and Dundee, which en
deavoured to approve what the commission had done in the year 1650,
and 1651, in reference to the intrusting the malignant party ; — which,
as was said by the protesting worthies, laid the foundation to all that
is come, or may come upon us.* I hope this will not offend any.
" V. I am bound in conscience likewise in the next place to testify

* Some account of the measures which divided the church into the two great
parties, called Resolutioners and Protesters, was given in note, p. 56. It is to
these that Mr. Kid here refers. And, that they were, as he asserts, the origin
of all the cruel and oppressive policy, subsequently exercised against presby-
terianism, and in favour of prelacy, cannot be doubted by any candid and
discerning mind who duly considers the history of the period. One thing is
certain, and cannot fail to be noticed at the very outset— that the Earl of
Middleton, under whose government the memorable act of 1662 was adopted,
had been one of the most prominent and avowed adherents of the malignant
party : that is to say — the party who were opposed to the covenant and its
interests, and consequently to the state of matters which had been established in
conformity to it, previous to the restoration.

JOHN KID. 199
my dislike and abhorrence of that cruel, horrid, and barbarous unheard
of, and unparalleled deportment and practice of that Act Rejgissory,
wherein at one dash, by an act of that precipitant parliament, they
endeavoured to rescind, annul, and expel all these great and glorious
things, that the strong hand of the Lord had done in Scotland, for
more than twenty years bygone, over the belly of so much opposition
and standing contradiction of proclaimed and avowed adversaries upon
all hands ; — yea, I proclaim my abhorrence of all the confusions, blood
and murder, fining, confining, imprisonment, stigmatizings, with all
other inexpressible cruelties that have issued from that cursed act these
nineteen years bygone. And moreover, I leave my testimony against
all other confusions, imprisonment, and blood, that is or may be in
tended against those of the land that desire to keep their garments
clean, whether in prison, or out of prison.
" VI. As concerning that which is the ground of my death, — viz.
preaching here and there in some corners : — I bless my God, I have
not the least challenge for it, and though those that condemned me
are pleased to call such preachings rendezvouses of rebellion, yet I
must Bay this of them, they were so far from being reputed such in
my eyes, that if ever Christ had a people, or party, wherein his soul
took pleasure, I am bold to say, these meetings were a great part of*
them : the shining and glory of our God was eminently seen amongst
these meetings, the convincing power and authority of our Lord went
out with his servants, in these blasphemously nicknamed conventicles.
This I say, without reflection upon any. I have a word to add fur
ther, That God is calling persons to repentance, and to do their first
works. O that Scotland were a mourning land, and that reformation
were our practice, according as we are sworn in the covenant.
" Again, Christians of grace and experience should study more
straightness and stability in this day, when so many are turning to the
right, and many to tbe left hand ; ' But he that endures to the end
shall be saved :' He hath appointed the crown and kingdom for such
as continue with him in his tentations.
" Next, As ever ye expect to have the form of the house showed
you, all the laws thereof, goings out thereof, and comings in thereof,
then, — think it no shame to take Bhame to you, for all that hath been
done ; sitting down this side Jordan is like to be our bane ! O when
shall we get up and after him with all our heart, and never rest till
he return.
" I recommend my poor wife, and young one, to the care and
faithfulness of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; — the God that
hath fed me to this day, and wbo is the God of my salvation, be their
God and my God, their father and my father I I am hopeful that
Christian friends and relations will not be unmindful of them when I
am gone.
" Lastly, I leave my testimony to the cross of Christ, and bless him
that ever he counted me worthy to appear for him in such a lot as
this : all glory to him that ever I heard tell of him, and that ever he
fell upon such a method of dealing with me as this ; and therefore let
none that love Christ, and his righteous cause, be offended 'in me.

200 TESTIMONIES OF .THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
And as I have lived in the faith of this, that the three kingdoms are
married' lands ; so I die in the faith of it, that there will be a resurrec
tion of his name, word, cause, covenants, and of all his interests therein,
though I dare not determine the time when, nor the manner how, but
leave all these things to the infinitely wise God, who hath done, and
will do all things well. O that he would return to this land again,
repair our breaches, take away our backslidings, and appear for his
work ! O ! that he were pacified towards us. O ! that he would pasi
by Scotland again, and make our time a time of love : come Lord
Jesus, come quickly, — himself hasten it in his own time and way.
' The Lord is my light, and my life ; my joy, my song, and my salva
tion !' The God of his chosen be my mercy to-day, and tbe enriching
comforts of the Holy Ghost keep me up, and carry me fair through,
to the glory of his grace, to the edification of his people, and to my
own eternal advantage ! Amen. Sic Sub.— JOHN KID."*

XXVI. JOHN KING.
[It appears that Mr. King had officiated for some time as chaplain to
Lord Cardross, and that in 1674, and the following year, he was
apprehended in his lordship's house. In the former instance he .
was liberated on a bond of security, and on the latter was rescued
by the interference of some country people who had benefited by
his ministry. About a month before the battle of Bothwell he was,
with seventeen others, again seized in the neighbourhood of Ham
ilton, and being carried by Claverhouse to Drumclog, was there
retaken by the victorious covenanters. Some days after the defeat
at Bothwell, he was taken at the Laird of Blairs, in Dairy, Ayr
shire, and being forthwith marched to Edinburgh, he was examined
and tried, condemned and executed, along with Mr. Kid. They
enjoyed much peace and joy in their last moments, and delivered
their testimonies with perfect composure and serenity of micd.
Their heads and right hands were cut off, and affixed on the
Netherbow Port of Edinburgh, beside tbat of Mr. Guthrie, as new
monuments of the injustice of this period.]
" Men and Brethren : — I do not donbt, but many that are spec
tators here, have some other end than to be edified by what they may
Bee in the behaviour, and hear in the last words of one going into
eternity. But if any of you have ears to hear, which I nothing doubt
but some of this great gathering have, therefore I desire your ears and
attention, if the Lord shall help, and permit, to speak a few things.
" I. I bless the Lord, since infinite wisdom and holy providenco
hath so carved out my lot to die >after this manner, that I die not
unwillingly, neither by force. It is true, I could not do this of myself,
• Naphtali, pp. 424—435.

JOHN KING. 201
nature having always an inclination to put the evil day far away, but
through grace I have been helped, and by his grace hopeful, yet shall ;
and though possibly I might have shunned such an bard sentence, if I
had done things, that, though I could, I durst not do — no not for my
soul — yet, I durst not, God knoweth, redeem my life by the loss of
my integrity and honesty. I bless tbe Lord, that since I have been
apprehended, and a prisoner, God hath very wonderfully upholden
me, and made out that comfortable word, ' Fear not, be not dismayed,
I am with thee, I will uphold thee by the right hand of my righteous
ness,' Isa. xliii. 10. I thank the Lord, he never gave me leave so
much as to have a thought, much less to seek after any shift that
might have been in the least sinful. I did always, and yet do judge
it better to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season : therefore I am come hither to suffer,
and to lay down my life. I bless the Lord, I die not as a fool : though
I acknowledge I have nothing to boast of myself; I acknowledge I
am a sinner, and one of the chiefest that have gone under the name of
a professor in religion, yea, amongst the unworthiest of those that
have preached the gospel ; my sins and corruptions have been many,
and have defiled me in all things, and even in the doing and following
of duty, I have not wanted my own sinful infirmities and weakness :
so that I may justly say, I have no righteousness of mine own, all is
vile like filthy rags. But blessed be God, that there is a Saviour for
sinners, — and an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous ; and I do believe,
' Jesus Christ is come into the world to save sinners, of whom I am
chief;' and that through faith in his righteousness I have obtained
mercy ; and that through him, and him only, I desire to hope for, and
have a happy ahd glorious victory over sin, Satan, hell, and death ;
and that I shall attain to the righteousness of the just, and be made
partaker of eternal life. ' I know in whom I have believed, and that
he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that
day.' I have in my poor capacity preached salvation in his name,
and as I have preached, so do I believe ; with all my soul I have
commended, and yet I do commend to all of you, the riches of his
grace, and faith in his name, as the alone and only way whereby ye
can be saved.
" II. It-may be, many may think, — but I' bless the Lord without
any solid ground, — that I suffer as an evil-doer, and as a busybody
in other men's matters, but I reckon not so much on that (having the
testimony of my conscience), for it was the lot of our blessed Lord
Jesus himself, and also the lot of many of his eminent precious ser
vants and people, to suffer by the world as evil-doers ; yea, I think, I
have so far ground not to fear at such a lot, that I count it my non
such honour. And oh ! what am I, that I should have been honoured
so, when so many Worthies have panted after the like, and have not
come at it ; and my soul rejoiceth in being brought into conformity
with my blessed Lord and Head, and such blessed company, in this
way and lot ; and I desire to pray, that I may be to none of you to
day a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence : and blessed is he
2c

202 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
that shall not be offended in Christ and his poor followers and mem
bers, because of being condemned by the world as evil-doers.
" As for these things for which sentence of death was passed against
me, — I bless the Lord, my heart doth not condemn me. Rebellious
I have not been, neither do I judge it to be rebellion, for me to have
endeavoured, in my capacity, what possibly I could, for the ruined
and borne-down interest of our Lord and Master, and for the relief of
my poor brethren afflicted and persecuted, not only in their liberties,
privileges, and persons, but also in their lives ; — therefore it was that I
joined with that poor handful.* The Lord knows, — who is the
searcher of hearts, — that neither my design nor practice was against
his majesty's person and just government ; but I always intended to
be loyal to lawful authority in tbe Lord. I thank God, my heart
doth not condemn me of any disloyalty : I have been loyal, and do
reeommend it to all to be obedient to higher powers in the Lord.
And, that I preached at field meetings, which is the other ground of
my sentence; — I am so far from acknowledging that the gospel
preached that way, was a rendezvousing in rebellion, as it is termed,
that I bless the Lord that ever counted me worthy to be a witness to
such meetings, which have been so wonderfully countenanced and
owned, not only to the conviction, but even to the conversion of many
thousands ; yea, I do assert, that if the Lord hath had a purer church
and people in this land than another, it hath been in and among these
meetings in fields and houses, so much now despised by some, and
persecuted by others. That I preached up rebellion and rising in
arms against authority, — I bless the Lord, my conscience doth not
condemn me in this, it never being my design : If I could have
preached Christ and salvation in his name, that was my work, and
herein have I walked according to the light and rule of the word of
God, and as it did become, (though one of the meanest,) a minister
of the gospel.
" III. I have been looked on by some, and misrepresented by
others, as having been of a divisive and factious humour, and one
that stirred up division in the church ; but I am hopeful, that ye will
• Mr. King here refuses the term rebellion, as the proper designation of the
rising, in which he had participated, and he assigns to himself, two motives, for
having joined his persecuted brethren: — namely, the restoration of their civil,
as well as their religious liberty. Whether the latter of these ought ever to be
made a ground of war, has by some been questioned ; but there can be no hesi
tation in admitting, as such a ground, the recovery or defence of civil aw1
political freedom. Even, therefore, keeping out of view " the ruined and borne-
down interests of his Lord and Master," which also, Mr. King has mentioned
as a reason for the rising, it must be plain, that the state of his brethren, afflicted
and persecuted in their liberties, persons, and lives, affords a reason quite sufficient,
to justify the conduct of those who engaged in that enterprise. This might be
made to appear, even on the general ground of that supposed contract, to which,
philosophers have attempted to trace the mutual obligations of sovereign and
subject; but allowing the purely fictitious nature of such a contract, it is
certainly put beyond all doubt, when we consider the terms of that real and
actual compact which took place between King Charles and the people of Scot
land, when they respectively swore allegiance to the solemn league and covenant.

JOHN KING. 203
give me charity, being within a little to stand before my Judge, and I
pray the Lord that he will forgive them that did so misrepresent me :
and I thank the Lord, whatever men did say of me concerning this,
that, upon the contrary, I have often dissuaded from such ways, and
of this my conscience bears me witness. But here I would not have
any to mistake me, as if I did approve of ways and practices contrary
to the word of God, and our covenanted reformed religion. As I
ever abhorred division and faction in the church, as that which tends
to its utter ruin, if the Lord prevent it not ; so I would in the bowels
of my Lord and Master (if such a feckless one as I may presume)
persuade and exhort both ministers and professors, ' If there be any
consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the
Spirit, if any bowels of mercy ; — that ye be like minded, having the
same love, being of one accord, of one mind ; — in lowliness of mind
let each esteem others better than himself,' Phil. ii. 1 — 3. Harmoni-
ousness and oneness in the things of God can never enough be sought
after, and harmony and unitedness in things that tend to the prejudice
and hurt of Christ's interests, can never enough be fled from and
avoided. And, as I am willing to lay down my tabernacle, so also I
die in the faith of the holy scriptures, and in the faith of the apostles
and primitive Christians, and protestant reformed churches, and par
ticularly of this church of Scotland, whereof I am a poor member,
that hath been bo powerfully carried on against so much opposition,
by the mighty power and goodness of God.
" IV. I bear my witness to the doctrine and worship, discipline
and government of the church of Scotland, by kirk sessions and pres
byteries, synods and general assemblies. As also, I bear my witness
and testimony unto our solemn covenants, national and solemn league
betwixt the three kingdoms, which sacred and solemn oaths, I believe,
cannot be dispensed with, or loosed by any person or party upon the
earth, but are still binding upon these nations, and will be so for ever
hereafter. Also I bear my witness and testimony unto our public
confessions of sins, and engagement to duties, and that either as to
what concerns the reformation of our families or persons, or the re
formation of the whole land in general ; as also the causes of God's
wrath, the rejecting of which is to be feared to be one of the greatest
causes of God's wrath this day against our land. I also do bear wit
ness and testimony to the protestation given in against the controverted
assemblies in their public resolutions, for bringing in the malignant
party into places of power and trust, contrary to our solemn engage
ments and obligations to God. I also adhere to our Confessions of
Faith, Shorter and Larger Catechisms. I bear witness and testimony
against popery, which is so greatly increased ; yea, so much counte
nanced and professed openly by many, and that without the least
punishment. I bear witness against tbat antichristian prelacy, now
established by a law, contrary to our vows to the almighty God ; and
against the rescinding of our solemn engagements and oaths, as a thing
that calls for divine vengeance, and against all oaths and bonds con
trary to our covenant and engagements, especially the oath of su
premacy, the declaration against our covenant, and that bond called

204 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
the bond of peace ; and that horrid bond so frequently imposed against
the meetings of his people in houses and fields, intended for the down-
bearing of the gospel and interest of our Lord and Master, with all
these bonds, public and private, contrary to our obligations and oaths
to God. Also, against all such as connive at, complies with, or
strengthens the hands of the malignant, prelatic, and persecuting party :
against all schism and heresy, contrary to our engagements witb God,
and especially against that ruining and soul-deluding evil, or rather
devilry, — Quakerism, so much connived at, if not allowed and counte
nanced by many, whose office it is to restrain it : as also, against all
the steps and courses of backsliding and defection, which has been and
now is on foot in this land, and against all the branches and parts
thereof, under whatsoever name or notion.
" V. Moreover, I bear my testimony to all the testimonies given
both formerly and of late by our suffering and banished witnesses, and
to all the testimonies of our first witnesses, noblemen, gentlemen, and~
others, that have suffered in this city and kingdom, who cheerfully
laid down their lives with admirable divine assistance, and to all these
wbo have laid down their lives, either formerly, or of late in the fields.
As also, to all these who have sealed their testimonies either with
forfeitures, imprisonment, or banishment, on this account, score, and
quarrel. And particularly I bear my testimony against that horrid
violation done to our Lord Jesus Christ, and that by usurping upon
his royal prerogatives, and in spoiling him of his crown, sceptre, sword,
and royal robe, by taking the princely ornaments to invest a man,
whose breath is in his nostrils, through that woful supremacy so much
applauded, and universally owned, even by those, of whom better
things might be expected ; I mean the indulged, and such as counte
nance them in that way, even to the ruining and renting of the church,
which is also, too too evident by sad and doleful experience. As also,
I leave my testimony against this cess imposed by tbe late convention
of estates, whereby the enemies of Christ and his church are supplied
with all necessaries, for the utter extirpating of the interest of Christ
in this church.
" VI. There is one thing more I would say, the Lord seems to be
very wroth with this land; the causes are many. 1. The dreadful
slights our Lord Jesus has received in the offers of his gospel. 2.
The horrid profanity that has overpassed the whole land, that not only
religion in its exercise, but even common civility is gone. 3. The
horrid perjury in the matters of our vows and engagements ; it is to
be feared, the Lord will bring bis sword on the land, which shall
avenge the quarrel of his covenant. 4. There is a dreadful formality
and supineness in the duties of religion, whicb is introductive to that
wo which came upon the careless daughters. 5. Horrid ingratitude ;
what do we render to him for his goodness ? Is it not the most of all
that we do, to work wickedness, and strengthen our hands to do evil ?
6. The want of humility under all our troubles ; we are brought low,
yet we are not low in the sight of God. 7. Dreadful covetousness
and minding of our own things, more than the things of God, and
this amongst all ranks ; would to God that there were not too much

JOHN KING. 205
of this amongst many who are enemies to the cross of Christ, and
mind earthly things. And yet, I dare not say, but that there are many
faithful and precious to him in Scotland, both of ministers and pro-
fesBors, whom I hope, God will keep stedfast, and who will study to be
faithful to their Lord and Master, and whom I hope, he will make as
brazen walls, and as iron pillars, and as defenced cities in the following
of their duty, in these sad and evil times ; but it were to be wished,
that there were not too many who strengthen the hands of evil-doers,
and making themselves transgressors, by studying to build up again,
that which formerly they had destroyed ; let such take heed of that
flying roll in Zech. v. And let all the Lord's servants and ministers
take heed, that they watch and be stedfast in the faith, and • quit
themselves like men, and be strong :' and that they set the trumpets
to their mouths, and give a seasonable and faithful warning to all ranks,
concerning sin and duty, especially against the sins of this sinful time.
It is to be lamented, and is Badly regretted by many of the Lord's
people, that there hath been so much silence and fainting, even amongst
ministers. Oh ! how great a concernment is it now in this sad junc
ture ! Let ministers consider well, what it is that God calleth for at
their hands ; to be silent now, especially when so horrid and cruel
things are acted, when they are so much called, and ought to be con
cerned to speak, even upon the peril of life, is certainly a dreadful sin
in the sight of God. I shall only desire, that God may open the
mouths of his faithful servants, that with all boldness they may speak
out the mind of their Master, and so the work, interest, crown, and
kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ may not be destroyed ; and that
the souls of his poor people, which are precious to God, may not
without testimony be ruined. I shall but say two or three words
more. 1. All that are profane, — I would seriously exhort you, that ye
would return to the Lord by serious repentance, which if ye do, ini
quity shall not be your ruin ; if not, know, that the day of the Lord's
vengeance is near, and it hasteneth on. 0 know for your comfort,
there is a door of mercy yet open, if ye be not despisers of the day of
salvation. And ye that have been and yet are reproachers and perse
cutors of godliness, and of such as live godly, take heed ; sad will your
day be when God ariseth to scatter his enemies, if ye repent not of
all your ungodly deeds. 2. All those that are Gallios, — if their own
private interest prosper, and go well, they care the less for the interest
of Christ ; take heed, be zealous and repent, lest the Lord pass that
sentence, ' I will spew you out of my mouth.' 3. For the truly godly,
and such as are lamenting after the Lord, and mourning for all the
abominations done in the city and in the land, and are taking pleasure
in the rubbish and stones of Zion, — be of good courage, and cast not
away your confidence. I dare not say any thing to future things, but
surely the Lord hath a handful that are precious to him, whom he
will be gracious unto. This is a dark night, how long it may last,
the Lord knoweth : and let none of the sad disasters his people are
trysted with, though very astonishing, terrify you ; beware of sin that
abounds ; cleave fast to your covenanted, reformed religion ; do not
shift the cross of Christ, if ye be called unto it, it is better to suffer

206 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
than sin ; account the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the
treasures of the world.
" VII. In the last place, let not my death be grievous to any of
you ; — I hope it will be more profitable both for you and me, and for
the church and interest of God, than my life could have been. I bless
the Lord, I can freely and frankly forgive all men the guilt of it, even
as I desire to be forgiven of God; ' Pray for them that persecute
you, and bless them that curse you.' As to the cross of Jesus Christ
the Lord, I never had cause, nor have this day, to rue for any thing I
have suffered, or can now suffer for his name. I thank the Lord,
who hath showed mercy to such a vile sinner as I am, and that ever
he should have advanced me to such a high dignity, as to be made a
minister of the blessed and everlasting gospel, or that ever I should
have had- a seal set to my ministry upon the hearts of some in several
places of this land. The Lord visit Scotland with more and more
faithful pastors, and send a reviving day to the work and people of
God. In the meantime, ' Be patient, be stedfast, unmoveable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord ;' and live in love and peace one
with another, and the Lord be with his afflicted, groaning people that
are behind.
" Now I bid farewell with all my friends and dear relations ; fare
well my poor wife and child, whom I leave on the good hand of Him,
who is better than seven husbands, and will be ' a father to the father
less.' Farewell all creature comforts, and welcome everlasting life,
everlasting glory, everlasting love, and everlasting praise. ' Bless the
Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me.'
Sic Sub — JOHN KING."*
" Edinburgh,
« August 14th, 1679."
• Naphtali, pp. 435 — 414. — In this and the preceding testimony it will be
observed, that whilst the strongest general professions of loyalty to the king
are set forth, there is also a firm and faithful vindication, from the charge of
rebellion — of the rising in arms at Bothwell. Nor can it, in justice, be held as
inconsistent with this, that the two martyrs in their petition to the council for
the privilege of an exculpatory proof, and also in their judicial confession, 
speak of that enterprise under this odious title : — For, in reference to the first
of these papers, (which are both to be seen in Wodrow) " The style," says he,
" is evidently that of their lawyers, and when people are under their manage
ment, it must be expected their petition will run in their phrases, as a patient
must follow a physician's prescription." And with respect to the other  it
would, of course, be written by the clerk of court, and would probably be signed
by our Worthies under the excruciating torture of the boot  Notwithstanding
all the abuse that was heaped upon them at the time, and notwithstanding such
apparent discrepancies, as may still appear in their testimonies — they seem to
have been faithful and enlightened witnesses to the principles of the presbyterian
church of Scotland.

THOMAS BROWN AND OTHERS. 207
XXVII. THOMAS BROWN AND OTHERS.
Sect. I. Their joint Testimony.
[It may be perceived, that the arrangement of this, and the three
succeeding articles, is somewhat peculiar. This is owing to the
number and variety of their respective contents. — Thomas Brown
was one of Five men, who, on the 25th of November, 1679, were
executed and hung in chains, at Magus Muir, in Fifeshire, the scene
of the Archbishop's death. This was not because of tbeir having
had any hand in that deed, for they were not even charged with it
in the indictment ; but having refused, when called upon, to declare
it murder, and being found guilty of the Bothwell insurrection, it
was determined they should suffer on that spot, as marking " the
king's detestation" of the event which had there taken place.* — The
papers containing their views as to the cause in which they suffered,
are here arranged under four general heads, and for the sake of
distinction, designated as follows : — Their joint or general Testi
mony ; their respective or particular Testimonies ; their Dying
* " A letter from the king, dated July 26th, to the Council, bears—' his
detestation of the murder of the late Archbishop of St. Andrews ; and being
desirous to vindicate that innocent blood and show his detestation of the murder,
he commands them to cause process criminally, nine of those who were in the
late rebellion, with this additional consideration of having owned these murder-.
ers — who are hereby excepted from any indemnity ; and that, besides the
persons who are to be excepted therein — those nine being to be executed merely
upon that account. They, being convicted, are to be hanged in chains upon the
place where the horrid murder was committed.' — No reflections are necessary
upon this ; it probably was a proposal sent up from, Edinburgh. At the same
time, Lauderdale, in his letter, signifies to the council, ' that the king wonders
he hath no account of the trial of the prisoners who were eminently ringleaders
and active in the rebellion ; and that it is bis express pleasure that the justice-
court proceed immediately to the trial of them.' The council in answer to both,
acquaint the king, ' that the Justiciary had already sentenced Messrs. King and
Kid ; and had appointed a committee to consider the most proper methods for
proceeding against others who have been ringleaders in the rebellion.' Wodrow,
vol. ii. —
This committee, it appears, on the 6th of August following, gave in a report,
containing the names of about thirty individuals who refused to call the
insurrection, rebeUion, and the Archbishop's death, murder, — and in consequence
of this, nine individuals, of whom Thomas Brown was one, were impannelled
on the 26th of that month. This trial, however, was not proceeded with, and
nothing farther was done in the matter till November 10th, when some of the
nine with a great many others, including the five persons, whose Testimonies
are here given, were indicted for being in the rebellion and owning the Arch
bishop's murderers. Their indictment was full of tbe most false and odious
misrepresentations, which have been well refuted by Wodrow. It was, never
theless, read and sustained. All the rest, except the five whose death was
determined on, were remitted to another diet ; but the prosecution against them
does not seem to have been resumed. These five were condemned upon tbeir
own confession of having been at Bothwell. They were sentenced to be
executed on the 18th November. But whether the council respited them till
the 25th, or that the Editor of Naphtali bas been mistaken as to this date, cannot
be ascertained.

208 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
Speech ; and their Last Words. The first of these is a paper of
considerable length, and constitutes the present Section.]
" Men and Brethren : — Although the most part of this generation,
not only be wicked and declared enemies of our Lord, but also too
many professors and ministers* may, and do look upon us as fools,
because of our suffering unto death, for tbat which too many either
account not duty, or at least, look upon it as a light and indifferent
thing : yet we assure you, it is not so with us, nor can we see how all
these cunning and far-fetched distinctions would be able to clear and
cover us from a flat denying of our Lord and Master, and a plain
going out from under his banner and protection, to make peace with,
and seek quiet and safety from those who have lifted themselves up
against him and his cause. For Isaiah said, chap. lvii. 21. ' No peace
unto the wicked, saith my God ;' how can we expect peace under
them, who are in open war with our Lord, aud have robbed him of
his glory ; and have the ark in captivity, under their hand ? It is
vain to think that any can have peace under tbem, who have God for
their party against them, Obad. ver. 6, 7. " How are the things of
Esau searched out ! how are his hid things sought up ! All the men
of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border ; the men
that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed
against thee ; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee,
there is no understanding in him." Now, however we be looked
upon as fools, both because so many have left us, and so many appear
and speak against us ; yet we are confident, it shall be found for
Christ's sake and the gospel's, and that yet there is a remnant in this
land that cordially join and sympathize with us, and will adhere unto
that which we are called to seal with our blood. We confess, we are
not learned men, and have not that wisdom and policy that is so much
approved and followed in the world, yet we shall find it our mercy to
follow that wisdom that is from above, which is first pure and then
peaceable, and tbat understanding which is from above, and that to
depart from all evil, is and hath been our surest rule, — when the
Searcher of all hearts shall bring forth the hidden things of dishonesty,
and when tbat Bcripture, Luke xvi. 15. by after providence, is applied
and seen upon them, and their practices, that now condemn us, " Ye
are they who justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your
• There is here an allusion to what is afterwards discussed more fully, namely,
the unlawfulness of accepting their liberty by signing the proposed bond. It
would appear from what is here stated, and indeed we know it to be the fact,
that many, to whose Christian profession tbere could be no valid exception,
and some even who were invested with the sacred office, and otherwise good and
faithful men, were induced to look upon the signing of the bond as not incon
sistent with their duty to the Saviour, and offered many reasonings to tbat
effect. And perhaps to them, and to many others, tbe firmness of those who
refused it, might seem to be the merest obstinacy; whilst their death, in such
circumstances, might appear to resemble the fool's. It is enough, however, to
say, that the sufferers themselves thought otherwise, and surely it must be
allowed, that they had the deepest interest in deciding aright.

THOMAS BROWN AND OTHERS. 209
hearts, for that which is highly esteemed amongst men, is an abomina
tion in the sight of God."
Now to satisfy you a little further, we shall tell you, that it is the
fear of offending, and losing the peace and favour of our good Lord,
who is this day an angry and jealous God, that makes us we dare not
take this wicked and hell-hatched bond.* For in our baptism, our
fathers devoted, and gave us unto the Lord, and afterward, when we
came to desire an interest in him, and close the bargain with him,
we took him for our Lord and King, as well as our Saviour and Priest,
and upon his own terms ; and so to follow and walk in him, even
though it should cost us our lives. And now, since he is calling for
our lives, we dare not take our word again, and break the bargain
with so kind a Master, for all the bounties and baits that is promised
by, or can be gotten from men. Ye see, by the first part of the bond,
they would make us acknowledge our appearance at Bothwell-bridge
to be rebellion, which we cannot : but were then, and still are of the
mind, we were only appearing for our Lord and his truths, by
dissenting from, and testifying against both the appearing of open
and stated enemies, ' that have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his
dwelling places,' and also, all those, though professing friends, that
have sided with, and strengthened their hands, and offended and made
sad the hearts of his poor people ; that so, if there shall be not only a
further usurping, as hath been already, but a giving up by consent by
the most part, the glory of the Lord, and submitting to the supremacy;
* With respect to the bond here spoken of, it may be proper to note a few
particulars. — Upon the fatal issue of the battle of Bothwell, about twelve or
thirteen hundred prisoners were taken, and carried to Edinburgh. These, with
about two hundred more, who had been apprehended at Glasgow, Stirling, and
other places in that neighbourhood, after enduring many and great hardships,
in their progress, were, with the exception of a few individuals who were put
into the Prison, lodged in the Grayfriars' church yard, as the place of their
confinement. In about a fortnight thereafter, the lords of his majesty's privy
council in obedience to a letter received from his majesty on the subject, ordained
that all the less distinguished of them might be set at liberty on their subscribing
the following bond : —
" I being apprehended for being at the late Rebellion ; and
whereas the lords of his majesty's privy council in pursuance of his majesty's
command, have ordained me to be set at liberty, I enacting myself to the effect
underwritten : — Therefore, I bind, oblige, and enact myself in the books of the
privy council, that hereafter I shall not take up arms, without or against his
majesty or his authority. As witness my hand," &c
The exact number of those who took and of those who refused this obligation,
aannot be ascertained. It appears that the greater part fell in with it : and it
was said that many wbo did so, signed it under the impression that their rising
was nut against his majesty's authority, and consequently that it did not bind
them up from any such appearance when occasion offered again. About four
hundred, it seems, refused, and consequently were continued in their confine
ment, in the church-yard : but to many the bond was not in the first instance,
offered. Of these four hundred, it was reckoned that about a hundred got out,
in one way or another, without any compliance. With those who remained,
every means was resorted to, in order to induce them to subscribe. But they
continued unshaken in their purpose; and "as their troubles grew, so did thuir
firmness and resolution."
2d

210 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
which will be found the idol of jealousy, and that not only by the
indulged, but those who are gaping so much after the new indulgence.
We are confident, his people's appearing at Bothwell bridge, and our
Bufferings and blood now, shall be found as a witness against them,
and a protestation for, and an indication of the Lord's returning and
staying in the land, for the glory of his great name, and the good of
the posterity to come ; and that he shall deliver his poor remnant, that
he may let enemies see, it hath been in vain, and impossible for tbem
always to resist him, and also let ministers and professors see their
sin and folly to distrust him, by making peace with them ; for truly it
is to be feared, that sad things are to come on this generation, that
not only do iniquity, but defend it, and hate and censure all that stand
fast in the faith, and withstand the defections of the time, as if we
were more to fear some men, and please others, than to fear and please
the living God ; branding us with singularity, and as unstable fools,
tending to error and schism, as if it were more to study unity with,
and follow ministers, and the bulk of professors, than to study unity
in Christ our Lord and Head, and so unity in his truth, and to follow
truth, which only can make us free. Let such as so reproach us
consider Luke xvi. 15. And as to the rest of the bond, which is,
that we shall not lift arms against the king and his authority, without
any qualification or condition, this is more than we or our fathers were
obliged to by the obligatory oath, sworn by the people at his
coronation, which we find was in these words, ' By the eternal and
Almighty God, who liveth and reigneth for ever, we become your
liegemen, and truth and faith shall bear unto you, and live and die
with you against all manner of folks whatsoever, in your service,
according to the national covenant, and solemn league and covenant.'
By which we see an express condition and qualification ; — so, that seeing
we be sworn only to be for him according to the covenant, which
must be understood in defence of, and prosecuting the ends of the
covenant, then surely we cannot be thought to be obliged to be for
him, while he is positively, plainly and declaredly against these
covenants, and the ends thereof, and suppressing and persecuting all
those that adhere thereunto. Now this we observe from that which
is the people's oath to him as their king. But also in his coronation
oath he is sworn to maintain the true religion of Christ Jesus, the
preaching of his holy word, and due and right administration of the
sacraments then received within this kingdom, which was neither
popery, prelacy, nor this erastian government; — but by his oath or
taking the covenant, before ever he was received king, or the coronation
oatb tendered, — how doth he in the presence of Almighty God, the
Searcher of hearts, allow and approve, and faithfully oblige himself to
maintain the national covenant, and solemn league and covenant, and
to prosecute the ends thereof; and that he for himself and his
successors shall consent and agree to all the acts of parliament enjoining
these covenants, and fully establishing presbyterian government ; and
that he shall observe these in his own practice and family ; and that
he shall never make opposition to any of these acts, or endeavour any
change thereof. And further, we see that after these oaths solemnly

s. HOM AS BROWN AND OTHERS. 2il
sworn in the presence of God and all the people, it is upon these
conditions foresaid, that he was set upon the throne ; for at his
coronation we see and understand, when the sword was given him
by the Lyon at arms, the Lyon's words were these, ' Sir, receive this
kingly sword for the defence of the faith of Christ, and the protection
of this kirk, and the true religion, as it is presently professed within
this kingdom, according to the national covenant, and solemn league
and covenant, and for executing equity and justice, and for the
punishment of all iniquity and injustice.' Now, in this flattering,
blind, and juggling age, let God arise (by whom kings reign, and for
whom kings should reign) and judge between him and us, and see
who have transgressed most, and forfeited their right before God and
men ; for which read 1 Kings xviii. 18. where Elijah's answer to
Ahab was, ' I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's
house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and
thou hast followed Baalim.' Also, Psal. xciv. 20 — 23. ' Shall the
throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief
by a law ? They gather themselves together againBt the righteous,
and condemn the innocent blood ; but the Lord is my defence, and
my God is the rock of my refuge : and he shall bring upon them their
own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness, yea,
the Lord our God shall cut them off.' Read also, Psal. ii. 1 — 4.
' Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing ?
the kings of the earth set themselves, and the princes take counsel
together, against the Lord, and against his Anointed, saying, Let us
break their bands asunder, and cast- their cords from us. He that sits
in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision :
then shall he speak to them in wrath, and vex them in his sore
displeasure.' Amos viii. 4 — 8. : Hear this, O ye tbat swallow up
the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, saying, When
will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn ? and the Sabbath,
that we may set forth wheat? making the ephah small, and the
shekel great, and falsifying tbe balances by deceit? that we may
buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes ; yea, and
Bell the refuse of the wheat ? The Lord hath sworn by the excellency
of Jacob, Surely, I will never forget any of their works. Shall not
the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein ?
and it shall rise up wholly as a flood ; and it shall be cast out and
drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.' Now, hath not our king, and
many of all ranks, not only broken these oaths of the covenants
lying upon them, but risen up against all that own and adhere, or
contend against them ? and the blood of his people is about the throne,
and upon their skirts, and an ugly crew of hell-hounds hired and •
hunted out against his people, and paid by the cess, and all authority
extended and bended mainly against such as will not bow unto, that
idol of jealousy ; for ye see, how all that have said a confederacy with
them, (which we cannot do,) get fair quarters for'a time ; but popery
is coming fast on. But take heed, lest these who have fled from
suffering to save life, may not lose it then, when they shall not be
honoured to give a testimony. Wherefore read Isa. viii. from ver. 6,

212 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
' Forasmuch as this people refuse the waters of Shiloah that go Boftly,
and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son. Now therefore, behold the
Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many,
even the king of Assyria, and all his glory ; and he shall come up
over all his channels, and go over all his banks. And he shall pass
through Judah, he shall overflow, and go over, he shall reach even to
the neck, and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of
thy land, O Immanuel. Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye
shall be broken in pieces ; and give ear, O ye of far countries, gird
yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together,
and it shall come to nought ; speak the word, and it shall not stand,
for God is with us. For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong
hand, and instructed me, that I should not walk in the way of this
people, saying, Say ye not, ' a confederacy' to all them to whom this
people shall say ' a confederacy ;' neither fear ye them, nor be afraid.
Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let
him be your dread. And be shall be for a sanctuary ; but for a stone
of stumbling, and for a rock of offence, to both the houses of Israel ;
for a gin, and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Bind up the
testimony, and seal up the law among nay disciples. And I will wait
upon the Lord, who hideth himself from the house of Jacob, and I
will look for bim. Behold I, and the children whom the Lord hath
given me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel, from the Lord of
hosts, who dwelleth in mount Zion. And when they shall say unto
thee, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that
peep, and that mutter : should not a people seek unto their God ? the
living to tbe dead ? To the law and to the testimony ; if they speak
not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry ; and it
shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret
themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward
And they shall look unto the earth, and behold trouble and darkness,
dimness of anguish, and they shall be driven to darkness.' Now,
considering all these things, and their circumstances, and what we may
see to be the design of the enemies of our Lord on foot, and after
God's contending with us at Bothwell-bridge, and rubbing shame on
our faces, in causing us to flee after such a manner, for our unfaithful
ness in our declaration, and in not plain acknowledging and mourning
for the sins, which are the causes of God's wrath upon the land.
Therefore read Mic. vii. 8 — 10. ' Rejoice not against me, O mine
enemy; when I fall, I shall arise ; when I sit in darkness, the Lord
shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord,
because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and
execute judgment for me ; he will bring me forth to the light, and I
shall behold his righteousness. Then she that is mine enemy shall
see it, and shame shall cover her, which said unto me, Where is the
Lord thy God ? mine eye shall behold her ; now shall she be troddert
down as the mire of the streets.' Should we then yet add iniquity
unto our transgressions by taking this woful bond ? nay, God forbid
we do such a great evil, and sin more against God ; for although Peter,

THOMAS BROWN AND OTHERS. 213
after denying his Master, got repentance, yet we dare not but confess
and avouch him to be our liege Lord and Lawgiver, Head and King
in Zion ; Isa. ix. 6. ' For unto us a child is born, and unto us a
Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders,' &c.
And Psal. ii. 6, 7. ' But I have set my King upon my holy hill of
Zion,' &c — That he may confess and own us before the Father, when
he shall sit and judge, and before whom, and by whom our so unjust
sentence, and all such, shall be revised and canvassed again : and then
all kings and rulers shall be made to tremble and shake before him ;
yea, and to cast their crowns under his feet, and to curse tbem that
now flatter them most, whether statesmen or churchmen, whether
prelates or papists, or these timeserving, self-seeking, new conformed
clergy, that confirm the wicked by their indifferency, unfaithfulness,
blunt and ambiguous ways of speaking, and also sadden and break the
spirits of the small remnant, that groan to see the neutrality of some,
and the joint conspiracy of others against our Lord, and in his matters ;
for the prelates and curates drive our king and rulers on all their
cruel and wicked courses : and the indulged and others that testify
not against tbem, do either concur, comply with, or wink at, the
wicked in their wicked rebellions against God, and all for love of
peace, unity, quiet and ease ! Therefore read Ezek. xiii. 4, 5. ' O
Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the desarts. Ye have not
gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of
Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord,' &c. And ver.
19. 'And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley,
and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to
save the souls alive that should not live.' For which, we fear their
hands will not be found altogether free of blood, although they would,
and do justify them that take this bond. Let none hereafter cry out
upon us as erroneous and schismatic, or separatists or dividers, except
they can prove that we are to follow ministers whether they follow
Christ and his truth fully, or not, which is contrary to Paul's exhorta
tion, Follow me no further than I follow Christ. And we are well
advised by Jeremiah, Lam. ii. 14. ' Thy prophets have seen vain and
foolish things for thee, and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to
turn away thy captivity, but have seen for thee false burdens, and
causes of banishment.' We therefore, however we be mistaken of
men, declare ourselves presbyterians, both in principles, and in this
our present suffering, and sealing a testimony against all such, as have
been too faint and ashamed of our sworn-to principles, in yielding to
Erastianism. As we testify against those who establish it with a high
hand ; so we own and adhere to the former work of reformation in
doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, agreed to, summed up, and
held forth in the Confession of Faith, Shorter and Larger Catechisms,
Directions for Church Government, all according to the word of God,
and sworn to in the covenants. We own and adhere to the acknow
ledgment of sins, and engagement to duties, then also sworn to, and
also the Causes of God's Wrath, and all the former testimonies of our
worthies ; — and in particular do acknowledge and bless God for the
faithful warnings and testimonies we have had for the truth from the

214 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES,
banished in Holland, in their faithful adhering to the work for which
we now . suffer, to the honour of their Master, and comfort of his
Bufferers.* •
And we again declare against all the former and present proceedings
of the stated enemies of the Lord, both in their acts and laws made
against that which they are solemnly sworn to in the covenants, to
defend with us, in the defence of this cause for which they now shed
our blood, and persecute all such as will not render up their bodies
and souls to the blind obedience of their unreasonable and wicked
wills : and also we declare against all the private practices, underhand
dealings, and more public appearances of ministers and professors,
either for the enemies of our Lord, or compliance with them, or
wherein they have not more faithfully appeared with the poor remnant
to help the Lord against the mighty. Therefore, in the presence of
Almighty God the Searcher of all hearts, we desire as we can, in our
own name, and in the names of all those that adhere unto us, and in
name, and for account of the posterity to come, and for the glory of
God, to take instruments in the sight of angels and men : and hereby
protest against all such causes of indifferency and neutrality in the
matters of God, as well as a bowing unto, and formal underhand
compliance with this idol of jealousy, which, amongst many other
sins, these have, and are like to provoke the Lord, yet more to leave
the land : and instead of turning unto the Lord, and being confounded
and ashamed of former Ways, we are still more and more going back
ward, wherefore read Jer. v. 1. ' Run to and fro through the streets
of Jerusalem, and see now and know, and Beek in the broad places
thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment,
and seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it.' Ver: 2. ' Although they
say, The Lord livetb, surely they swear falsely.' Ver. 3. ' O Lord,
are not thine eyes upon the truth ? thou hast stricken them, but they
have not grieved ; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused
to receive correction ; they have made their faces harder than a flint,
tbey refuse to return.' Ver. 4. ' Therefore I said, Surely these are
poor, they are foolish ; for they know not the way of the Lord, nor
the judgment of their God.' Ver. 5. ' I will get me to the great men,
* Whilst there were some among the ministers, who were otherwise the
adherents and supporters of the presbyterian government, tbat advised the
acceptance of the proffered bond — this was by no means their sentiment
universally, or even generally. Nor is it to be supposed that those of the
prisoners who refused, any more than those who complied with it, were destitute
of counsel from men of the most respectable character and attainments. On the
contrary, their views and conduct were countenanced and defended by the very
ablest divines and casuists then alive. Among others — the ministers who had
taken refuge in Holland, particularly Messrs. Brown and M'Ward, (than whom,
there were none more respectable as authorities on such a subject,) gave tbeir
most decided support to the conduct and views of what were reckoned the
stricter party among the sufferers. Many of their letters, both in reference
to the proffered bond and other points of difference amongst them, are yet extant,
both in print and manuscript ; and the reader who may wish to peruse their
sentiments for himself, is referred to M'Ward's Earnest Contendings  a work
which was published from his papers about a century ago.

THOMAS BROWN AND OTHERS. 215
and will speak unto them, for they have known the way of the Lord,
and the judgment of their God ; but these have altogether broken the
yoke, and burst the bonds.' Ver. 6. ' Therefore a lion out of the
forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evening shall spoil them.'
Ver. 9. ' Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord ? and shall
not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this ?' Ver. 10.' Go ye
up upon her walls, and destroy : but make not a full end : take away
her battlements, for they are not the Lord's.' Ver. 12. 'They have
belied the Lord, and said, It is not he, neither shall evil come upon
us, neither shall we see sword nor famine.' Ver. 1 :?. ' And the prophets
shall become wind, and the word is not in them : thus shall it be
done unto them.' Ver. 30. ' A wonderful and horrible thing is
committed in the land.' Ver. 31. ' The prophets prophesy falsely,
and the priests bear rule by their means, aud my people love to have
it so : and what will ye do in the end thereof ?' Like unto the
former courses of our fathers, first departing from the Lord, when the
resolution party of the church so far complied with the malignant
designs of the court, that they turned persecutors, which now is, and
ere it be long, may be more the case of the church than now : but we
can assure you it will be in vain ; for his purpose shall stand ; and he
hath hitherto, and yet shall keep up a party, and remnant, bow small
and contemptible soever, that shall declare and protest against all such
courses, whether in the enemies, or pretended friends of our Lord,
who accepts their will for their deed, and will work his own work
in them and for them, to the glory of his great name ; and in the
confidence of this, and of his faithfulness, which is engaged, we cast
our burden, and the burden of all ours upon him, and the burden of
all his work and people upon him ; we being cordially willing and
free to leave, quit and forsake, all for tl e gaining and enjoying of
Christ, and therefore shall only entreat, and exhort all that love and
desire to see his appearance in peace, and to be made like to him iu
glory, that they may not now scar, so much at his cross ; but in such
a sinning and declining time, to be made like him in suffering. Be
valiant and steadfast in the faith, cast not out with truth because of
our suffering ; for it behoved so to be, that we five seal that with our
blood, to obtain which our Lord suffered, and our worthy fore
fathers before us ; and ye know not how soon any of you,, to whom
this our testimony may come, may be called, either to suffer for the
same truths, or deny them ; therefore seek of him to believe, and also
to suffer for his sake : for by what is past, any body may see, it must
be given of the Lord : and be sure to consult more the law and the
testimony, (Isa. viii. 20.) and your former obligations more than to
consult flesh and blood, and not to follow men more than God, which
one day will not be approven of God, which if we had done, we had
not suffered this day. Mistake us not, we are not against your taking
counsel of those that be faithful ministers and professors, that fear
God, and seek to please him more than men, Micah-like, as Mic. iii. 8.
' Surely I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judg
ment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to
Israel his sins.' Ver. 9. ' Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the

216 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment,
and pervert all equity.' Ver. 10. ' They build up Zion with blood,
and Jerusalem with iniquity.' Ver. 11. ' The heads thereof judge
for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets
thereof divine for money ; yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say,
Is not the Lord amongst us ; no evil can come upon us.' Ver. 1 2.
' Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and
Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house, as the
high places of the forest.' And these that are like Jeremiah, Lam.
iii. 48. * Mine eyes run down with rivers of water for the destruction '
of the daughter of my people.' Ver. 49. ' Mine eye trickleth down,
and ceaseth not, without any intermission :' ver. 50. ' Till the Lord
look down and behold from heaven.' And all such as do like Daniel,
chap. vi. 10. and the three children, Dan. iii. 16—18., who said to
the king, ' We are not careful to answer thee in this matter : if it be
so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning
fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine band, O king. But
if not, be it known unto tbee, O king, that we will not serve thy
gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.' And
like Nehemiah, chap. i. read it all throughout, and chap. vi. 11. who
said, ' Should such a man as I flee ? and who is there, that being as
I am, would go into the temple to save his life ? I will not go in.'
And all such as are like Uriah, Job, and Joseph, tbat was separated
from his brethren. And all the other apostles and prophets, who
were valiant for the truth. And on the other hand, be always jealous
of such as are holden forth. Mai. ii. 8, 9. - But ye are departed out of
the way, ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of
hosts ; therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before
the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been
partial in the law.' As also, all such, as in Ezek. xiii. 10. ' Because,
even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace, and there
was no peace : and one built up a wall, and lo, another daubed it
with untempered mortar.' And read also, ver. 18, to 23, yea, the
whole chap. Such also, as in Mic. vi. 16. ; observe the statutes of
Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and walk in their
counsels. Yea, in short, beware of every one that is in favour with
the wicked, who seek or accept favours from them, not according to
his word, and wink at them, and much more those that are approven
by them ; and any body may see, who are in favour with them, and
for that ye may read Lam. ii. 14. and the former scriptures, and that
in Neh. vi. 10 — 15. But the good Lord who hath preserved us poor
weak things from fainting ; lead and guide all these that look unto
him, and keep their feet free from the snares of the time ; as he hath
done it, he will do it, if ye depend upon him. To whom be glory
for ever and ever. Into whose hands we commend our spirits.
Sic Sub : —
THOMAS BROWN, JAMES WOOD, ANDREW SWORD,
JOHN WADDEL, JOHN CLYDE."*
• Naphtali, pp. 444—458.

THOMAS BROWN. 217
XXVIII. THOMAS BROWN AND OTHERS.
Sect. II. Their respective Testimonies.
[In addition to their general attestation, conveyed in the foregoing
paper, to the principles for which they suffered, — these five martyrs
seem to have thought it necessary or proper, to leave behind them
the following individual Testimonies, in favour of the same cause.
These Testimonies, as might be expected, are in substance very
nearly the same. That of Thomas Brown, which comes first in
order, and that of John Waddel, which is the fourth, are consider
ably longer than any of the rest ; but each of them Beems to be
characterized by varieties both in the sentiment and expression,
corresponding to the character and views of the different in
dividuals by whom they are*" subscribed. Of each of these
individuals we subjoin a few particulars, in the form of a note to
their several Testimonies.]
1. Thomas Brown.*
" Men and Brethren : — I am come here this day, in your audience>
to lay down this life, which God hath given me, for my being in the
defence of myself, and in the defence of the gospel of Christ Jesus, —
which ye know we are solemnly engaged to defend with our lives and
liberty, and all that we have in our station ; and being conscious to
myself that I was concerned to appear at Bothwell-bridge, and was
willing to cast in my poor mite amongst the people of God. And
although, I be now called to lay down my life, upon the account of
rebellion, as they call it ; yet the Lord is my witness, and my con
science bears me witness, that I never intended rebellion against the
king at all, but I thought it was grievous to me to see the work of
God so trode down by a generation that have been stated enemies to
the cross of Christ these many years bygone, by their shutting up his
faithful ministers, part of them in tolbooths, and part of them in the
rocks of the sea, and part of them banished out of the land, and part
expelled to corners, and likewise private persons put out of their
families, expelled to the mountains and rocks, dens and caves of the
earth, and put out of all capacity to provide for their families and
little ones. And I thought it was not a time for me to lie at ease in
Zion, and trust in the mountains of Samaria, lest I had brought that
curse of Meroz upon me, because I would not go out to ' help the
Lord against the mighty ;' which I hope none will deny, and much
" Of this person, as indeed of all the five, very little information can now be
obtained. He is designated in Naphtali, " Thomas Brown, shoemaker in
Edinburgh." It is probable, we think, that he was respectable, in his rank of
life ; and it is evident from his Testimony that he must have been a man of
good sense and considerable decision of character. He was with other eight,
as already remarked, first indicted on the 26th of August, but the diet was
in that instance adjourned till the 1st of September, and then ultimately
deserted. With some more of the eight he was again impannelled on the 10th
of November — and being selected from the rest, together with the four persons
who were his companions in death, he was condemned and sentenced as we have
already stated.
2i

218 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
less Christians. Therefore, my friends, let none of you put any
reflection upon any that appeared at Bothwell-bridge, lest ye state God
an enemy against you, since we are sworn in the National Covenant,
and Solemn League and Covenant, and Confession of Faitb, Larger and
Shorter Catechisms, and the work of reformation, and the Solemn
Acknowledgment of Sins, against Popery, Prelacy, and Quakerism, and
all manner of profanity, which is carried on by all ranks and degrees
of people in this land. We are bound to defend our covenanted
religion,* with our lives and liberties in our station, when ' none calleth
for justice, nor any pleads for the truth,' Isa. lix. 4. ' Ye have not
gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of
Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord,' Ezek. xiii. 5.
And as for my part, I could not take any bond which was presented
unto me, when I considered the^bnnds of the covenants that I was
solemnly engaged unto ; although I never sware the covenant, yet I
am engaged to maintain it, for whose sake it is named the covenant
of God, who hath said, Lev. xxvi. 25. ' I will bring a sword upon
you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant.' So I desire you,
my friends, for the Lord's sake, to mind your vows, ties and engage
ments, that ye are tied and obliged to perform, so far as in you lies,
to tbe Lord, for ye know what is said, Ezek. xvii. 15. ' Shall he
prosper ? shall he escape that hath done such things ? Shall he break
the covenant and be delivered ?' Ver. 18. ' Seeing he despised the
oath by breaking the covenant, (when lo he had given his hand) and
hath done all these things, he shall not escape.' Ver. 19. ' Therefore
thus saith the Lord God, As I live, surely mine oath that he hath
despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recom
pense upon his own head.' Therefore, my friends, mind your en
gagements unto him, and mourn for sin, and lie in the dust before him,
and give him no rest, until he aris^and plead Zion's cause, and that
he may restore the waste places of poor Scotland, and take away the
deluge of wrath, that is hanging over the heads of these lands, for the
breach of covenant in them. And as for my part, I have reason again
and again to bless the Lord, that ever he set his love upon me, and
hath condescended so far, as to single out the like of me, (who am
but a poor wretched sinner of myself, and worthy of nothing but
eternal damnation, by reason of original and actual transgressions) as
to be a witness of his despised and borne down work in these lands.
As ye will find written in 1 Tim. i. 15, 16. ' This is a faithful saying,
and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners of whom I am chief.' And Isa. li. 12. ' I, even I
am he that comforteth you ; who art thou that shouldest be afraid of
man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as
grasB ?' Ver. 13. ' And forgettest the Lord thy Maker, that hath
stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth, and
hast feared continually every day, because of the oppressor, as if he
were ready to destroy; and where is the fury of the oppressor?'
Likewise that of Isa xii. 10. " Fear thou not, for I am with thee,
be not dismayed ; for I am thy God ; I will strengthen thee, yea, I
will help thee ; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my

THOMAS BROWN. 219
righteousness.' Likewise Isa. xlix. 25. ' I will contend with him
that contendeth with thee.' Isa. xxvii. 8. ' He stayeth his rough
wind in the day of his east wind.' Isa. xxxiii. 16. ' His bread shall
be given him, and his water shall be sure.' Ver. 17. ' Thy eyes
shall see the King in his beauty ; they shall behold the land that is
very far off.' Psal. cxl, 7. « Thou hast covered my head in the day
of battle.'
These scriptures have been very sweet and refreshful to me in my
experience. Therefore, I desire not to scare at the cross of Jesus
Christ, because of my suffering, for I can assure you from my
experience, that his yoke is easy, and his burden is light, for he hath
well made out, that he sends none a warfare upon their own charges.
Therefore, my dear friends, give him much credit, and trust much in
him, for he is well worth all the pains ye can be at for him. Psal.
xxxiv. 8. ' O taste and see that the Lord is good : blessed is the man
that trusteth in him.' As for my part, I durst not comply with that party
in any terms which was sinful in the sight of God, for the saving of
my life, since he hath said in his word, ' He that seeks to save his life,
shall lose it.' And if I had taken that bond, I would have subscribed!
that to be a sin, which I acknowledge to be my duty. I am persuaded
in my conscience from the word of God, he that is faithful in that
which is least, is faithful also in much, and he that is not faithful in
that which is least, will never be faithful in that which is much ; ' and
he that denies me before men, him will I deny before my Father
which is in heaven ; and him that confesseth me before men, will I
confess before my Father which is in heaven.' I give my testimony
to the cross of Christ. Likewise I bless the Lord, that it hath pleased
him to fall on such a method with the like of me, as to put it into
my heart to appear at Both well-bridge for his cause and interest,
which was so much trodden under foot by men. And I die in the faith
of it, that the seed sown at Bothwell-bridge shall have a glorious spring
and harvest, which shall be renowned in the eyes of all the beholders
of it. Likewise, / adhere to the National Covenant, the Solemn
League and Covenant, the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins, the
Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, and the
work of reformation, fyc. as aforesaid, which was once far advanced in
our land against popery, prelacy, quakerism, and all manner of error
and profanity, which are" now abounding in these loose times, by the
usurpation of that to the crown, which belongs only to Jesus Christ,
as Head of his church, and not to any mortal man ; for all kings and
princes are, but in subordination to him, Mat. xxii. 22. ' And he said
unto them, Render unto Ctesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God
the things that are God's.' Therefore, my dear friends, give the king
all obedience, in so far as ye are commanded from the word of God,
Eccl. viii. 2. ' I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and
that in regard of the oath of God,' — in so far as ye are engaged
solemnly in your covenant ; but do not take any evil course to shun
the cross of Christ, for the saving of your life, and of your means,
lest ye state God an enemy against you ; and do not let the fear
of men prevail with you, but contend for the faith that was once

220 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
delivered to the saints ; for I can assure you from his word, that his
grace will be all-sufficient for you. As for my part, I bless the
Lord that I am a member of the Church of Scotland, which was one
of the most glorious and best reformed churches in the world, for
doctrine, discipline, and government, and the work of reformation,; as
one of the. most holy contrivances of the most holy Lord, for a hedge
to keep, out the wild boars out of the vineyard. So, my friends, ye see
now by our not being stedfast in our covenant, how that the malignant
and prelatic party hath broken into the sanctuary, and defiled His
courts^ and broken down the carved work those many years bygone :
ye see how his poor people are scattered in the place of dragons by
that usurped power and tyranny, which is carried on by all ranks of
people in this land. So, I would if it might stand with glory, (not
that I desire to limit his holy Majesty), and that he would yet send
down a pouring of his Spirit upon the hearts of his poor people in
Scotland, that there may be yet a reviving amongst tbem in these
lands, that bone 'may come to bone, and sinew to sinew, that there
may be a reviving of his work again in the midst of the years.
Therefore, my dear friends, study more loyalty to our blessed Lord
Jesus Christ, and give him that which is his own due right, that
thereby ye may dwell in the land, and that ye may have his comely
presence to dwell amongst you, now when the men of the world are
making him to wear a crown of thorns upon his head, and crucifying
him in his members, and putting him to open shame, that he is forced
to go to the mountains, and dens, and caves of the earth, and is yet
looking down to see if there be any that will turn from their iniquities,
and seek after him, and he will pardon them. Therefore, my friends,
' cast not away your confidence, which hath a great recompense of
reward ; for ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the
will of God, ye might receive" the promise,' Heb. x. 35, 36. ' And
study to walk in the light, as he is in the light, that we may have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin, 1 John i. 7. and Heb. ix. 12. ' Neither by
the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, be entered in
once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us,'
and ver. 13, 14., and Psal. xxxii. 5, 6. So, I desire to bless the Lord,
that his gracious presence hath not been wanting to my soul during
my imprisonment, which I can say in my experience, that my prison
hath been a Bethel to me. So I desire you all, my friends, to seek
unto bim for grace to help in the time of need. I give my witness
and testimony against popery, prelacy, and malignancy, and all manner
of corruptions, that are abounding in these loose times. I give my
witness and testimony against prelates, curates, and tbeir associates ;
and against all those that have intruded themselves into the calling of
the ministry, and had never a call from God, to enter by the door into
the sheep-fold, but have climbed up another way. I give my witness
and testimony against indifferent and lukewarm professors, who follow
Christ, as the times make for tbem. I give my witness and testimony
against all drunkards, and all false swearers, and profane persons,
against all persecutors of the Lord's people, against all profligate and

THOMAS BROWN. 221
wicked livers, who know not God, nor will acknowledge him to be
the Head of the church. 2 Pet. ii. 3. ' And through covetousness
shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you ; whose
judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation
slumbereth not.' I give my witness and testimony against all bonds
and declarations taken for the saving of their life and liberty, when it
comes in competition with the confessing of our blessed Lord, or the
denying of him : ' he that seeks to save his life, shall lose it ; and he
that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.' I give my witness and
testimony against all compilers and connivers in strengthening of the
adversary to carry on their course of defection against the Lord's
people, 2 Tim. ii. 12. ' If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with
him ; if we deny him, he will also deny us.' Therefore, I bless the
Lord, that ever he hath been pleased to single out the like of me,
who am but a wretched sinner of myself ; yet I could willingly, if
every hair of my head were a man's life, lay them all down with my
life, for Christ and his cause. Therefore, my friends; do npt deceive
yourselves, God will not be mocked. 2 Cor. vi. 17. '^Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.' Ye see how
many are ' following their pernicious ways, by whom the way of God
is evil spoken of; they are natural brute beasts, meet to be taken and
destroyed, speaking evil of the things they understand not, and shall
utterly perish in their own corruption, and shall receive the reward of
unrighteousness ; having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from
sin, beguiling unstable souls, a heart they have exercised with covetous
practices, cursed children, which have forsaken the right way, and are
gone astray, following the way of Balaam, who loved the wages of
unrighteousness.' Take that scripture for your encouragement against
these ravenous wolves, Isa. lvi. 10. ' These watchmen are blind, they
are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping,
lying down, loving to slumber.' Ver. 11. ¦ Yea, they are greedy
dogs,' &c. — So, my friends, ye see their practices, how they feed
themselves, and not the flock of Christ, therefore trust not in them,
for they will deceive you, yea, even the very elect, if it were possible ;
but for the elect's sake, these dayB shall be shortened. So, ye may
understand what their design and end is ; for they love the purse, the
wages of unrighteousness, and they will get it and the curse of God
with it, if they mend not their manners ; — --as Judas did, who betrayed
our blessed Lord and Master for thirty pieces of silver ; and although
he did cast them back, yet he got no place for repentance. I
desire you to come out from among them, lest ye be partakers of their
plagues and judgments. I give my witness and testimony against
their idolatrous practices, and their abominable courses, which they
take to deceive and entangle poor things. Read Isa. xxvi. 11. ' Lord,
when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see, but they shall see, and
be ashamed for their envy at the people ; yea, the fire of thine enemies
shall devour them.' Likewise, I give my testimony against the
calumny cast upon presbyterians, that they are not loyal subjects to
the king, which aspersion I abhor. Therefore, my friends, give only

222 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
obedience as far as the word of God will teach you, but do not stretch
your consciences, lest the Lord lead you forth with the workers of
iniquity, and there shall be no exemption in that day, when he shall
appear in the clouds gloriously with all his holy angels, and then he
shall separate the clean from the unclean. So, if ye abide with him,
he will abide with you, 2 Chron. xv. 1. « And the Spirit of the Lord
came upon Azariah the son of Oded.' Ver. 2. « The Lord is with
you, while you be with him ; and if ye seek him, he will be found of
you ; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.' Therefore, my
friends, seek him, and sanctify the Lord God in your hearts : and be
not afraid of tbeir fury, and their treacherous dealings. As for my
part, indeed I must confess, that I ought to go mourning to the grave
for the dreadful apostasy and defection, which, through the prevalency
of temptations hath overpowered this land, and yet there are so few
that dare venture on precious Christ, or credit him with their lives,
as their Lord and IVbster. Therefore, my soul, bless him that ever
he hath credited me, to venture my life for his cause and interest,
against this tyrannical course of defection in these lands. I hope
within a very little I shall be made a sharer of those heavenly mansions,
and the peaceable fruits of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous
Judge shall give me, not for any thing of my merit, but in and through
the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour, upon the terms of the new
covenant. Since the Father hath given all fulness unto the Son, I
desire to believe in the faith of it, that he will communicate of that
fulness to such poor sinners as we are, which he aforetime hath
prepared for them to whom he hath a mind by the election of grace.
Yet I know there are many professed friends, of whom I dare not
say, but they have the root of the matter in them,* who could say to
my own hearing that day when I received my sentence, that I could
not have peace in my conscience, in laying down my life for such a
little matter, as the refusing of that bond for the saving of my life, of
which I had it in some measure borne in upon my spirit, that I could
not escape their hands ; yet, I bless the Lord, that although I have
many prevailing corruptions and sins, which have prevailed with me ;
I have reason to bless him, that he is not wanting to me in my
present necessity, for he hath well made out that scripture to my
experience, ' I will be a present help in time of trouble.' Therefore,
* It has been already stated, with regard to the bond, held out by govern
ment to the prisoners taken at Bothwell, as the condition of their release, that it
was viewed by different individuals, equally alive to the interests of religion and
of presbyterian church government, with very different feelings. Some, as
above specified, with respect to whose piety there were good reasons forjudging
favourably, not only felt themselves at liberty to take it, but even pressed others
to follow their example ; and in a previous note we have mentioned some of the
views on which it is conceivable they might get rid of objections to it— which
in all probability they would otherwise have felt. And surely this very
circumstance must be regarded as one of the strongest proofs that could possibly
be afforded, of tbe unbending fidelity and conscientious devotedness by which
they were distinguished — who not only braved the cruel persecution of enemies,
but even the advice and entreaties of friends and fellow Christians, rather than
diverge from what they conceive to he the line of duty and the dictates of truth !

JAMES WOOD. 223
I would desire you all to draw near to him, and he will draw near to
you. Ye may call to mind that" scripture, Mat. x. 38, 39. ' He that
loveth father or mother better than me, is not worthy of me ; and he
that taketh not up his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of
me ; he that findeth his life, shall lose it ; and ha that loseth his life,
for piy sake, the same shall find it.' And although this dispensation
be fallen out to me in a very dark and dismal time, wherein his poor
people can hardly discern betwixt sin and duty ; yet I believe through
his grace that he will land me fair on the other side of the shore, Isa.
xxxv. 10. ' And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to
Zion with songs.' As for my judgment anent the indulgence, ye may
see it by my giving witness and testimony against bonds and declara
tions taking ; and likewise against all compliance and connivance with
that party, in carrying on that course of defection and apostasy against
the Lord's work and cause. - As for that latter indulgence, which they
have accepted of at this time, I had no love to it. Erastianism is not
to be approved by any sound and well principled Christian, that knows
any thing of the principles of religion. Being straitened with time,
and Bince I cannot say my mind fully in this, I refer you to the
general testimony left hy us all, — recommending my poor wife to the
Lord and his good people. Farewell, all my good friends : — Welcome
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, into whose hands I commend my spirit.
Amen. Sic Sub  THOMAS BROWN."*
2. James Wood.-)-
" Men and Brethren, — Seeing it hath pleased the Lord, who is
just, holy, and righteous in all his dealings, to call me by this public
death to witness for the truth, I judge it my duty to make it
known to the world, that I suffer not as an evil-doer, but for adhering
to these truths that we and our fathers, yea, all ranks of the land from
the lowest to the highest are engaged to. And I bless the Lord, I
give my life willingly for him, and his cause, that gave his life for me ;
yea, if I had many more lives, I would think them all too little to lay
down for this cause. I bless his name, it was my desire to die a
martyr for him, and now he hath called me to it, and by his grace
hath wonderfully helped me to carry, in and under my present lot,
notwithstanding the many tentations I was trysted with from one hand
and another, even from those whom I would have expected to
* Naphtali, pp 458—468.
¦f- James Wood was from the parish of Newmills in Ayrshire. His occupa
tion in life we have not discovered. Mr. Wodrow remarks that " his case was
a little different from those of the other four : the probation against him being
the oaths of some soldiers— that he was taken at Bothwell. " And the assize,"
he observes, " were just enough to bring him as having been taken at Bothwell,
without arms ; and yet the judges throw him in with the rest, and press the same
doom upon him. This," says he, " is another instance of the illegal and severe
procedure of this period — to hang a mau and put him in chains as a murderer
of the Primate, who was only present at the gathering at Bothwell without
arms."-— Wodrow, vol, ii.

224 TESTIMONIES OF. THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
strengthen our hands ; but his grace is all-sufficient to bear up a poor
weak thing in the day of trial. He is as good as his promise, and he
hath promised to keep them in the hour of temptation that keep the
word of his patience, which he hath made out to me. But as for the
grounds of our suffering, it^s known to God, that it was my love to,
my Lord and Master and his persecuted gospel, that moved me to
rise in arms against these open blasphemers and enemies to our Lord
Jesus, and not for any prejudice I had at great or small of that party,
the Lord knows : but a party appearing for that work, I judged
myself bound in duty, from obligations both from the Word and
Covenant to join with them. And O that my blood were a river of
blood to witness against all that hath preferred their present ease and
their temporal life, to our Lord's work and eternal life. But more
particularly for this bond which was pressed so much ; I have this to
say for it, that my love to my King Christ made me to stand in awe
to say ' a confederacy' with that par?y that are stated enemies to him
and his work. And seeing they have taken his crown and sceptre to
invest a mortal man with, shall I say, that I should never resent these
wrongs and injuries, done to my Lord and Master ? Nay, through his
grace, if I had many more lives than I have, I would part with them
all for his sake. But beside, we are all bound by our covenant to
extirpate popery and prelacy ; and should I score myself out of that
party, that God may, and yet will raise for his broken down and
contemned work ? — so tbat, I could not take this accursed bond, unless
I had renounced that solemn obligation which I judge myself bound
to, and incur the hazard of that wo, which is denounced against those
that are at ease in Zion ; and the frowns of my blessed Lord and
Master, — which I durst not adventure on, for incurring the wrath of
all the kings of the world : so that, whatever men may brand us with,
as separating from others that were engaged in the same quarrel with
us ; yet, I am persuaded that God will not account us so, and in due
time it shall appear, that they have separated from us, and not we
from them. And we, through the sovereign power and might of God,
(not by any thing in us more than in them) are adhering to our former
avowed and sworn to principles ; and I profess, I die in the faith of
the Church of Scotland, as it was reformed in doctrine, worship,
discipline, and government, conform to the word of God, the Con
fession of Faith, and Catechisms Larger and Shorter, the National
and Solemn League and Covenants, and I give my hearty approbation
of the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties,
the Causes of God's Wrath ; and I adhere to all the testimonies of
our sufferers of old and of late, who have suffered for his cause, and
do give my testimony, and protest against all the open and avowed,
or underhand enemies to our Lord and his work in these lands. And
I give my testimony against these cursed plants of popery and prelacy,
which God never planted. And I leave my testimony against
supremacy, and all those both ministers and people that have been
strengthening the hands of those who have robbed our Lord of his
royal prerogatives, by receiving indulgencies former or latter, or giving
sinful bonds, to bind ministers in these things, for which Christ hath
H

ANDREW SWORD. 225
purchased their freedom at a dear rate. And I give my testimony
against the paying of that cess, and all other sinful bonds and ties
contrary to scripture and our former covenants, But being straitened
with time, I refer you to a general testimony subscribed by us all,
wherein all our minds are more fully expressed. I bid farewell to all
my dear friends, farewell all earthly comforts, and welcome Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Sic Sub.— JAMES WOOD "

*

3. Andrew SwoRD.f
" Men and Brethren, — Although I be a man of small learning, yet
I cannot be altogether silent, since it hath pleased the Most High,
wise and holy Lord, to single me out, and call for a public testimony
to his cause, work, and persecuted interest ; not only borne down by
avowed enemies, but, which is now disowned, even by many professors;
when it is come to that, they must either seal the cause with their
blood, or else break the covenant, and turn their back on Christ and his
cause, to which they were and are solemnly engaged in the sight of
God ; so that I desire that what I am wanting in my written testimony.
I may supply by my sufferings and death : which, though for his sake
I lay it down, yet i trust not in my own death, but in the mercies
and blood of Jesus Christ, who hath purchased and promised the
crown of life unto all those, whom through his strength, he keeps
faithful unto the death, Rev. ii. 10., and especially in such an hour of
temptations as we have been trysted with ; and I count his assisting
grace, in helping me to stand, when stronger than I, have yielded,
yea, and made me rejoice in that he hath chosen poor me, one amongst
the few that are honoured to confess and avow him and his truth in
such a time and manner: I say, I am confident, it is a token for good
to them and me, and I take it in earnest of that crown of life, which
I am hopeful to enjoy, ere long, through all eternity, that neither can
be lost by me now, nor robbed from me by the wicked men of this
generation, who now unjustly rob me of my life and liberty ; for I
believe I go, where most part of them shall never come. I hless the
Lord, I suffer not as an evil-doer, although I be judged and condemned
of men for ray being in arms, and joining with that little handful, that
appeared in the fields in defence of Christ, his cause and interest, as
we are bound to do by the word of God, and by our covenants ;
they call it rebellion against his majesty, but by that way which they
call rebellion (or which is called heresy by others) we worship the
God of our fathers. And he who is the Searcher of hearts knows,
that it was not rebellion against the great and living God and his
• Naphtali, pp. 468—470.
f Andrew Sword was by trade a Weaver, and belonged to the parish of Borgue
in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. With regard to his motives in joining the
insurrection, the reader may consult his testimony. But that he was there, he
seems to have confessed judicially, along with Brown, Waddel, and Clyde. It is
scarcely necessary to add, that with all the other four he was entirely guiltless
of the Primate's death, and was not even charged with it in the indictment.
2 F

226 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
Christ. And if Samuel were living now, when so many of our
teachers are so silent, he could tell them that rebellion is as the sin of
witchcraft. And I dare venture to say, though no prophet, that we
are not the troublers of Israel, but the king and his family, and the
wicked Hamans, the railing Eabshakehs, the wicked Doegs, the
false and unfaithful prophets, these axe the greatest troublers of our
Israel. Therefore, let them read Lam. ii. 6, 7. ' And be hath
violently taken away his tabernacles, as if it were of a garden ; he hath
destroyed his palaces of the assembly ; the Lord hath caused the
solemn feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised
in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest : the Lord hath
caBt off his altar ; he hath abhorred his sanctuary : he hath given up
into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces,' &c. And ver.
9. ' Her gates are sunk into the ground, he hath destroyed and broken
her bars ; ber king and her princes are among the Gentiles ; the law
is no more, her prophets also find no vision from the Lord.' And I
bless his name that ever I was a man to carry arms upon that account.
I here declare, that I rue it not, although I be condemned to die for
it. I bless the Lord who hath counted me worthy to die for so good
and so honourable a cause, who am but a poor, feckless, worthless,
sinful creature.
" And now, my friends, since he hath honoured me with such a
piece of honour, as to have been shut up in prison for a while, and
after that, now sentenced to death by men ; and in all this time the
Lord bath supported me beyond what I can express : wherefore, ye
may hear and see, that they fare best that venture farthest for Christ.
Therefore I pray you in his name, scare not at his cross ; for when to
your eye and sense it seems to be most bitter, yet even then, he can
make it most sweet. I can tell this by experience ; Now, for ever
and for ever blessed be his name for it. Now, will ye wrestle
honestly under his yoke, and he will not only bear the heavy end of
it, but he will help you under your end of it. And indeed, when I
was first shut up in close prison, I was somewhat dejected and cast
down, upon several accounts ; but, blessed be his name, my last time
was better, and more sweet to me, than my first time. Although I
was sentenced to die, I hope I am not condemned in the court of
heaven, for that which men have condemned me on earth. The cause
is righteous, lawful, just, and good ; yet I know it is not enough to
justify me in God's sight, that I had a good cause ; it is the having
of Christ's righteousness imputed to me, and received by faith alone,
that must do that. I declare I put not my hand to that work to gain
any honour, or reputation to myself, but in singleness and sincerity of
heart, I came unto the service, not constrained by any man, but from
conscience of my being engaged by covenant unto God ; and as under
the name of a Christian-, so to own the work and interest of Jesus
Christ ; although I bad never the occasion to swear the covenant with
an uplifted hand, yet I hold myself as deeply engaged in it, as if I had
done it ; and I declare ray appearing with that persecuted handful in
the fields, was to do the utmost of my power, for the down-bearing
of abjured prelacy, and prelates, and papists, and all other enemies of

ANDREW SWORD. 227
our Lord ; and to testify not only against them, but all other errors,
and sects, and sectaries whatsoever, — but even the defections and
sinful compliance of the indulged, and others defending them. All
which is made daily more clear to be contrary to the word of God,
and our sworn covenants. And I declare my appearing, as it was to
testify against all them that have wronged our Lord, his kirk and
people, so also, to endeavour to my power, the restoring again the
pure ordinances to their former power aud purity, and to recover the
church in this land (which Jesus Christ hath purchased at so dear a
rate) to her former beauty, which is now defaced and broken down in
these lands, by perjured prelates and their underlings ; and alas !
disowned even by many ministers and professors, Ezek. xiii. 10 — 12.
' Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace,
and there was no peace : and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed
it with untempered mortar,' &c. And ver. 19. ' And will ye pollute me
among my people for handfuls of barley, and for pieces of bread, to
Blay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that
should not live, by your lying to my people, that hear your lies ?' &c.
— Who have declared by their apostasy and compliance, that they
love their life and gear better than Christ and his cause ; either of the
which they were and are bound to maintain and own, even to the
' resisting unto blood, striving against sin.' Alas ! alas ! to see
professors, who once professed to know so much of Christ and his
truth ; and that they have declared, in the sight of enemies, — that
they durst not trust precious Christ, and his worthy and precious
promises, — by their joining and complying with the enemies of the
cross of Jesus Christ. These things have they done by taking the
bond to procure their life ; but, truly the less wonder that poor people
have done it, when not only threatened by enemies, but counselled
and driven to it by ministers : Oh ! ' the leaders of my people have
caused them to err.' Therefore read Jer. xii. 9. ' Mine heritage is
unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about ate against her ;
come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.' Ver.
10, ' Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden
my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate
wilderness.' And ver. 11. ' They have made it desolate, and being
desolate, it mourneth unto me ; the whole land is made desolate,
because no man layeth it to heart.' And ver. 12. ' The spoilers are
come upon all high places through the wilderness ; for tbe sword of
the Lord shall devour,' &c. ' and no flesh shall have peace.' And
when I think on that of Hos. ii. from ver. 1 — 8., I shall now heartily
pray, and I pray you, plead with your mother church, the bulk of
ministers and professors, tbat tbey would acknowledge their defection,
mourn for it, and return to the Lord ; and if they will not hear you,
nor believe and lay weight upon our words, though men dying,
witnessing against their present practices, as well as against our above-
board and avowed enemies, I pray you, if they will not turn, let all
pray, that the Lord himself may hedge up their way with thorns, and
make a wall that they may not find their paths. And indeed it seems,
that word hath little weight with or upon them, which Christ hath

228 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES,
said, ' He that seeks to save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall
lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.'
And if any would ask at me what I think of the cross, when it is at
the heaviest, I can answer them very well that question. I think it
an easy and sweet cross ; and I bless His name that ever He made me
take it up and follow bim. Now, because we are straitened for time
to get any thing of a testimony left particular enough, to mention all
things we are now clear of, and would be at, as duty to you ; and all
things in us, our fathers, our prince, our nobles, ministers and all ranks,
that are provoking in His sight, and the causes of God's wrath on the
land, I refer you to the joint and more general testimony agreed to,
and subscribed by us all, as our minds together ; and desire the Lord
may deal and prevail with the hearts of all such, ou whom our death
or words, 'tis like, will not prevail, that he may pour forth his Spirit
from on high upon us while in time, — and on you that remain, that ye
may look on him whom ye have pierced, and mourn until he return :
for, I hope ere long to rejoice in that I have been mourning, and now
suffering, for that which others dare bless God for as a mercy, and
rejoice in ; — tbat is, the first and now late favours, both indulgencies
and indemnities, and other things which the wicked are but spreading
in your way as snares, and it is too true, that bribes blind the eyes of
the wise. Therefore, I beg the Spirit of truth may lead you into all
truth ; and bidding farewell to all friends, being willing to leave all, to
enjoy Christ, to whom I recommend my spirit.
Sic Sub.— ANDREW SWORD.*
4. John Waddel.-)-
" Men and Brethren, — It may be thought by some, that the cause
of my death by suffering, is but a thing indifferent in some respect ;
but the Lord knoweth that my intention is, and was, from the first
day I appeared in open war, against all those that were fighting against
Christ and his cause, from the thought and deep sense of my duty to
appear in hazard of my life, and goods, and all I had in the world,  to
defend and maintain Jesus Christ and his cause. And now we are
condemned as guilty of death, and held by them as rebellious, to
appear for the interest of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and tbey
have condemned him, to have no right to govern his church and ecclesi
astical affairs, which we are bound by the word of God and covenants
to own and avow in spite of all that will say the contrary, without
respect of persons. It is true, I am bound to maintain all lawful
* Naphtali, pp. 471—476.
¦f Of John Waddel our information is equally scanty as of the three previously
mentioned individuals. He was, according to the designation to his testimony,
as given in Naphtali, from the parish of Newmonkland, in Lanarkshire. But in
Appendix, No. xxxiii. to the second volume of Wodrow's History, we have the
following notice of him as of some others of the five. " John Waddel, in the
parish of Shotts, acknowledges the RebeUion to have been a rebellion, but denies
tbe AnlibUhop's murder to be sinful." How far this accords with his testi
mony, we leave the reader to judge for himself.

JOHN WADDEL. 229
authority, as it is agreeable to his word ; and to obey the king, as far
as he maintains the church in her liberty, and no further on any
accounts ; we are also bound to maintain and own him in holding out
foreign nations ; but if he be against God, then we are bound to stand
in defence of the church, in all that belongs to the true worship and
fear of God, and to do our utmost to the bearing down defection and
profanity, and all those things that are contrary to our solemn engage
ment in the National and Solemn League and Covenant ; and as he
hath bound us in his word, and commanded us to lay down our lives
for his cause and interest, he hath also said, ' He that seeks to save
his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for the gospel, shall
save it.' And I have this to say, that I declare I am not worthy
to receive the least honour of a testimony, because I am the least,
and less than the least of all those that have appeared for his cause, at
this time, or at any time have appeared for his cause and truth : for I
am, as Jacob said, less than the least of all God's mercies ; but I have
this to say, to the commendation of free love and mercy that he hath
made that as clear to me, as the sun shineth, that if I had yielded at
that time, when I was called in question for him and his truths, that
he should have disowned me, for doing that, in my greatest strait.
And on the other hand, I was fast and sure, that the Lord would own
me, if I owned him ; for he says, ' He that contends with you, I will
contend with him ;' wherefore I have ground to lay hold upon the
promises, yet not I, but the grace of God in me, and the love of him
that died, and rose again from the dead in his own strength, and now
lives for ever.
" I bear my testimony against all those that have declared themselves
open enemies against Christ, and against the work of reformation ; —
which cause many profess they are owning, and yet denying a part of
the truth to be truth ; but well, let them remember that word, < Wo
to them that call good evil, and evil good.'
" Next, I bear my testimony against all that say, I might have abode
at home, and served God : but I grant that is true, if I had been clear
of it, and joined with indulgents. It is true, I acknowledge I once
heard them, but now I am sorry for the thing I have done therein :
but for their persons, the Lord knows, I have no ill will at them : but
upon the other hand, some will say, although I went out, yet now I
might have taken the bond, and saved my life, and done as other men
did ; but I have reason to bless the Lord, that has borne in that upon
my heart so clearly, as to see the evil of it, from the beginning of it,
and now I declare it, at the end of the time I have to be here-away.
" Next, I bear my testimony against that tax so unlawfully imposed
against the people, for it was only to maintain that party, who were
setting themselves with all their might against the work and worship
of God, because it was in power and purity, and because it was not
agreeable to profanity, as they would have had it, therefore they
persecute that work and despise it, because it looks so like God, and
they so like the devil; and they bate the people of God, because they
hate God, and all that are like him, for this is the reason of our being
condemned, because we had something of the fear of God ; and I

230 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
confess there is nothing in me, to be the end and way of the dealing
of God, but it is in himself that has moved him to fall in love with
me, and bring me into the way of heaven and salvation, although by a
terrible way and manner. Nevertheless, I shall win to heaven, though
it were through a sea of troubles and difficulties, for tbe apostle says,
Rom. viii. near the close, ' Neither principalities nor powers, death
nor life, things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor
any any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord ;' and ver. 31. 'If God be for
us, who can be against us ?' It is God that justifies, who is he that
condemneth ? It is Christ that died, yea rather who is risen again
from the dead, that we might live ; who is even at the right hand of
God, and is making intercession for us. — For thy sake we are killed
all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter, but, in
all these things we are more than conquerers through him that hath
loved us.' And as he saith, ver. 18. 'I reckon that the sufferings of
this present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that
shall be revealed in us.'
" Next, 1 bear my testimony against all sects and opinions that are
contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ, both popery and prelacy,
perjury and all profanity, and all malignancy, and particularly against
tbat protection that is called indulgence, that shelter, that so many
have run in under, in these chilled times, while the ark of God is in
the open fields, as was said by a worthy man long ago, who was killed
in the fields, fighting for the church of Christ, as we were ; and
there is a ground for it. I argue it lawful to rise in arms, jn
opposition to any that are incensed and enraged against the work
of our Lord and Saviour, and his gospel. And that is in Jer.
xlviii. 10. ' Cursed be he tbat doth the work of the Lord deceit
fully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.'
These were all enemies against God and his way, for it was
Moab, that cursed crew, and it may be Edom was there too,
our bastard brother, as there was some of the folk, that ye and
we call many times friends, but yet they were at Bothwell-bridge, and
appeared in open war against Christ, and these who once seemed to
be for him (as we thought) and these were they who are indulged ; I
could name them to you, but I need not, for the Lord knoweth them
and us both, and we must all answer to him what was our intention.
But as for me, I am in the way of going to eternity, and must appear
within a few days, and be judged by Christ ; but that day will not be
like that day of November, when we got our sentence ; but it is like,
that these who judged us then, will be as far down in that day of our
appearance, as we were under them in that day, for they did as they
thought fit against us, but it shall not be so in that great day, 2 Cor.
v. 10.
" Next, I bear my testimony against all those that say, we are of
the sect of the Jesuits, tending to Quakerism and error, because we
are willing Christ should wear his own crown, kingdom, and all his
prerogative rights, and these truths we are engaged unto, and will not
give them unto a man whose breath is in his nostrils. As for me, a

JOHN WADDEL. 231
dying person, I declare my hatred before God, angels and men, that
I love none of that kind that we are ranked up with, as some friends
said of me, and not of me only, that we agreed well with Quakerism,
and had some of their principles ; but the Lord knows, and they shall
know, when all of us shall stand before the tribunal of God, and there
receive a just sentence, that we abhor these ways.
" Next, I bear my testimony against all that say, we will not give
the king his due, as we covenanted ; but they are all wrong, for they
would have us to give king Charles that which we owe to King Christ.
I hope through him that withheld me hitherto from complying and
subscribing that bond, that was so clear a sin to me, He will yet help me
more, for he says, " Ye are they whicb have continued with me in my
temptations ; therefore I appoint for you a kingdom, as my Father
hath appointed unto me ; that ye may eat and drink with me in my
kingdom,' Luke xxii. 28 — 30. And Rev. vii. 13 — 16. ' What are
these which are arrayed in white robes, and whence came they ?
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said unto me,
These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb ;' and they
are found without spot before the throne of God, and blameless :
' Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and
night in his temple ; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell
among them ; and they shall hunger no more.' And that innumerable
company of angels, and the generation of the first-born are to accom
pany them that shall win through to the other side.
" Next, I bear my testimony against all those unlawful things that
have been imposed upon tbe people of God, and against all those that
have put them to the door, and they who have yielded to that woful
cess ; but what need I say any more of that? It is clear even to the
light of nature ; but we are all waxed gross, and are like a deceitful
bow, as in Psal. Ixxviii., which is a remarkable scripture : but now
ye may see, they are the bravest men that can deny most of the
scriptures : but I leave this to the Lord of heaven and earth.
" Next, I bear my testimony against these noble-men and women,
gentle-men and women, ministers, and others, who, though tbey seem
to be our friends, yet say, — we are led on in such a way of superstition
by a few Billy women, because we durst not do as they would have
us do, and that was in taking the bond, and confessing that our being
at Bothwell-bridge was rebellion, not only against man, but they
would even have me say, that it was rebellion against God; but the
Lord is my record, I durst not do it for my soul : for, I was clear in
my conscience, that it was a duty lying on me to appear in arms
against the generation of wicked men, that, like Ahab, have sold
themselves to work wickedness in the sight of God, and so it says to
me, that the Lord will do to them as he did to Ahab, Jeroboam, and
Baasha, — he made an end of them, both root and branch ; but if it
may please the Lord to give them repentance, from my very heart I
wish them pardon — both king and nobles, — as I would be forgiven of
God myself.
" There is another word I have to say, — and that is to all Christians,

232 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
— to fear God, and honour the king, as far as he and you agree in
honouring Christ, and no farther. Although he be a monarch, if he
fall on, and break down the work of God, I charge all that have a
mind to come to heaven, to arise and contend for the work of God,
as ye will be answerable to him in the great day, who is taking notice
of all those who are contending for him, his cause and truth, and do
not account their life dear to lay it down for him, — who was at the
pains to come down from the bosom of the Father, and take on man's
nature as a sinful man ; and he was trysted with all sorts of trouble
and affliction as we are now, and yet without sin, and yet persecuted
as for sin ; and he had fellow-feeling of all our infirmities.
" Next, I have this to bear my testimony against, and that is, this
great course of defection and backsliding both in ministers and
professors, and also the profanity and wickedness in all other ranks
and degrees so much carried on by a great many, and not only by a
backward and godless generation, but by a professing party, that are
crying, ' Away with him, away with him, crucify him ;' but there is a
day coming, when many of these will cry to ' hills and mountains to
fall upon them, and cover them from the face of him that sitteth on
the throne, and from tbe wrath of the Lamb, for who will be able to
stand when he appears ?'
" Now, there is another ground of my sentence, and that is, because
I thought it my duty to appear in name and behalf of the church
and people of God, and in owning that handful that was borne down,
and made to seek the open fields night and day, because of the
fury of the oppressor, and therefore, the more I thought it was my
duty, the more it was persecuted. And because I was in covenant
with God, — although 1 was never honoured, so as- to hold up my
hand, and swear to God before men, — yet I am not the less engaged
in that, to God, but the more ; and having this to say, that I came
out of my own free will, no man pressing me, but only so far as my
conscience did command me, in the peril of my life, to appear in open
war against all piofanity, and a wicked apostate generation, and to
own a small persecuted and despised handful that was forced to take
the open fields, by reason of a perjured party, that has so come in,
and oppressed all these that would live peaceably. If they would have
let them have the word of God preached in power and purity, as we
had it once in a day : — but now we are deprived of these great and
precious privileges by our misimproving of them, and the Lord hath
been pleased to remove his candlestick into corners ; and not only so,
but he hath been pleased to let some fall and comply with an adulter
ous generation, both ministers and professors, for the which we mourn
this day, and do testify against them.
" Next, I bear my testimony against all these proclamations and
declarations, or laws any other way made and set out, contrary to the
word and law of God, by a cursed crew of perjured men, who have
broken covenant, and the oaths of God, and have stated themselves
against Christ and his cause, which was a great ground of my appearing
against the wicked party's side and faction, and made me own the other
party, (although in hazard of my life) being lying in the open fields.

JOHN WADDEL. 233
Nevertheless, my bond and engagement to God lay on me, that I
should defend that interest with my life and liberty, and made it clear
that it was a duty, (and particularly to me,) according to my engage
ment to him. I being but a private person, you need not look for
such a testimony from me as from others, yet I think it my duty to
write a word or two to those that are left behind, to make it appear,
that I died not as a fool, as some do imagine ; but I reckon not what
any man shall say of me. Now, I hope to be at an end ere long, and
beyond all their censures and reproaches, and therefore I die willingly,
for ' I know in whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep
that which I have committed to him against that day ;' and I must
declare, that I have nothing of myself to boast of, but all in Christ, —
' through his grace I am that I am.' I must declare, that he may as
justly cast me down into the lowest hell, as to honour me with the
contrary, and that is, by giving a testimony on a scaffold ; — and only
for him, and for him only I now suffer. I am willing to die upon
that account, having the clear call of God to hold me up, for he saith,
Isa. xliii. 2, 3. ' Fear not thou, O Jacob, for I will be with thee ; when
thou walkest through the fire, it shall not burn thee ; when thou
passest through the waters, they shall not drown thee ;' and is not
that a bra,ve ground of hope and encouragement ? Therefore suffer
cheerfully, all my friends, I have not much to say, being of small
judgment, but I have that word to say anent my case, Since I was a
prisoner, but mainly since I was under the sentence of death, I have
had much of the presence of God since that was my lot ; and I may
say, - My lot is fallen in pleasant places, I have a goodly heritage.'
Although some dark clouds and vails do intervene, and mar me now
and then, yet I must declare, I am not left in the dark altogether.
And I have reason to bless God, that he doth not leave me all the
way alone, as he may justly do, and my soul blesseth him for owning
me so much, as to strengthen me with his own strength. I have a
word, Acts xxiv. 13 — 16. that ' they cannot prove the things which
they lay to my charge :' but in so far as they did count my duty and
fear of God to be rebellion against God and the king ; so I desire the
Lord would pardon them for so gross and grievous a sentence that
they passed on us, condemning us as accessory to the death of that
perjured, profane, and abominable prelate, Sharp, who was one of
those in this land that did use all his power to the overthrowing of
the work of God ; — but he is now at his portion, where the Lord
will ; and I shall say no more of that, but leave all to the Lord ; and
I leave on him all causes in this land of Scotland, and all our
covenanted lands.
" Next, I leave my testimony against those who have pressed the
bond on some, advising them who were but weak in judgment ; — and
in so doing, you have a hand in their sin, and shall as surely partake
of their plagues that shall be sent on them from the hand of the Lord
for so doing, as he hath broken them ; for the which I am very sorry,
both for them that have taken the bond, and those that enticed them
so to do ; but I hope ye shall see some of them ere long rue that step
of defection. I wish I may be forgiven of God for all my sins and
2 g"

234 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
provocations, but I hope to be forgiven only through His grace, death,
and sufferings, — which is the only way by which we must inherit the
crown purchased through the precious blood of Christ, which crown
we live and die in the faith of, tbat we shall have a right to : but the
Lord hath several ways in so doing, and we are to enjoy the crown in
an extraordinary way.
" I pray that the Lord may, and will be pleased to return and come
again, and make his work a rejoicing work ; and tbat his poor people,
who are precious, near and dear to him, may not depart without a
testimony, and go to the grave, and may not be silent, and may see
tbe great hazard of being silent, — I mean both ministers and profossors,
— but may declare the mind of their Master more faithfully, and that
with all boldness, as it is said in that word, ' Who art thou that art
afraid of man that shall die, and forgettest me the Lord thy Maker ?'
I have another word to say, and that is, James v. 5, 6. ' Ye have lived
in pleasure on the earth, and have nourished your hearts as in a day
of slaughter ; and have condemned the just for the unjust, and he
doth not resist you. My. brethren, be patient until the coming of our
Lord ;' he will make up all your loss, trouble not yourselves ; for
' God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to tbe humble,' 1 Pet. v.
6 — 8. ' Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of the Lord, and
he will exalt you in due time : Cast all your care upon the Lord, for
he careth for you ; and be sober.' 1 Pet. iv. 6 — 8. ' For this cause
was the gospel preached to them that are dead, that they might be
judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the
spirit ; but tbe end of all things is at hand, be ye sober, therefore, and
watch unto prayer ; and above all things, have fervent charity amongst
yourselves, for charity covers a multitude of sins.' Ver. 12 — 19.
' Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, as if some
strange thing had happened unto you ; but rejoice in as much as ye
are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall appear,
ye may be glad also with exceeding great joy. If ye be reproached
for the name of Christ, happy are ye ; for the Spirit of God, and of
glory resteth on you. On their part he is evil spoken of, but on your
part he is glorified ; but let none of you suffer as a fool, or as a busy
body in other men's matters, or as an evil-doer ; yet if any man suffer
as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on
this behalf ; for the time is come tbat judgment must begin at the
house of God ; and if it first begin at us, what will become of them
that obey not the gospel of God ? And if the righteous scarcely be
saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear ? Wherefore, let
him that suffers according to the will of God, commit the keeping of
his soul to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator.' I desire to
mind the poor case and condition of this once much honoured land of
Scotland. O Scotland ! that was once so much honoured with the
everlasting gospel ! which now is despised and disowned, not only by a
malignant party, but by some lukewarm professors, who once appeared
for the defence of that cause.
" Again, I bear my testimony to tbe cross of Christ, and against all
those who are thirsting after the blood of the saints, and against those

JOHN CLYDE. 235
that are yet putting some to death, and others to banishment. I bear
my testimony against all imprisonments or blood, either shed on
scaffolds, or in tbe fields ; and against all reproaches cast on the people
of God,. calling them fanatics; and against all oppression done by the
perjured prelatic party, and against all those that join in affinity with
these persecutors : ye may remember what became of Jehoshaphat
with Ahab ; ye will find it in 2 Chron. xix. 2.
" Next, I bear my joint testimony with all those that have gone
before me, either in that way on scaffolds, or in fields, or shall go yet.
I pray God may prevent that any more should suffer, if it be his will ;
and I leave my testimony against all these wolves, who have entered
into the labours of the faithful servants of our Lord; and likewise
against all ranks and degrees that have done, or shall do any thing
contrary to the word of God. And lastly, I refer you to the general
testimony agreed to, and subscribed by us all five, as our joint minds
together, beside our particular testimonies. So, recommending all
my dear friends and relations to the guiding and protection of the
Almighty ; farewell all earthly comforts, and welcome Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, into whose hands I commend my spirit. Amen.
« Sic Sub.— JOHN WADDEL."*
5. John Clyde.-j-
" Men and Brethren, — These are to show you the case that I am
in at this time, and what the Lord hath in his infinite wisdom carved
out to be my lot and condition at thiB present time : and I am but a
very young man to have such a lot and dispensation cast in my way,
at this day ; and for my age, it is but small in account, and few in
number, about twenty-one years of age. And I may say justly, as
Jacob said to Pharaoh, ' My days are few and full of trouble ;' although
I have not come so far a length as Jacob came, nor have met with the
hardships he met with, yet in my poor station, I have been trysted
with sundry cross dispensations, according to my weak capacity,
partly from within, and partly from without. And I may justly say,
that I am < the least of all saints,' and one of the unworthiest that
have gone under the name of a profession ; and far less to be counted
* Naphtali, pp. 476—488.
f Nothing is mentioned either in Wodrow's History or in Naphtali respecting
the profession or place of residence of this individual. He speaks of himself in
his " Last words," as having been a ploughman, and in his Testimony as
being a very young man, only twenty-one years of age. He judicially confessed
the fact of his having been at Bothwell — and he here defends it on the ground
of duty. So guiltless was he, however, with regard to the Archbishop's death,
that, as he himself informs us, he had never even seen him to his knowledge.
He seems to have, in a special manner, earned the displeasure of the council
by his forwardness and firmness in refusing the bond. Wodrow informs us
that, out of fifteen individuals who, in the month of August preceding, were, in
consequence of the report of committee alluded to in a previous note, im-
pannelled for life, John Clyde was one of two who resisted the taking of the
bond, though strongly urged to it by the advice of one of the ministers This,
in so young a man, was highly honourable to his decision of character.

236 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
worthy to give a testimony for such an honourable cause as this is —
that the Lord in his infinite wisdom and holy providence hath laid in
my way at this time — that ever he should have counted me worthy
to have laid down my life in such a way as this. And now, my dear
friends, I am to let you know upon what account I am to lay down
my life, and what moved me to cast myself into this hazard. It was
a precious word of God that gave me a call to it, as ye will find.
Judges v. 23. • Curse ye Meroz' with a double curse, ' because they
came not out to the help of the Lord against the mighty.' My dear
friends, I confess, ye may object and say, that if the Lord had seen it
fit, he could have made the stones to have risen up to have fought
his battle ; I confess that he could have done it : yet, however, the
Lord allows his people to do it to the uttermost of their power, for
the owning and maintaining of his work and interest. We are bound
in the sixth article of the Solemn League and Covenant, ' That we
shall, according to our places and calling, in this common cause of
religion, liberty, and peace of the kingdom, assist and defend all those
that enter into this league and covenant, in the maintaining and
preserving thereof, even to our lives and liberties losing.' And I
might prove it further from scripture, if need were. But I think, if
there were but one page in all the holy scripture, it might be a
sufficient call and ground for us to defend the work of reformation,
even to the loss of our lives and liberties. As ye will find it, Jer.
xlviii. 1 0. ' Cursed be be that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully
and cursed be he that keepeth his sword back from blood.' 1 might
insist and prove my rising in arms by these scriptures, but I shall not
insist any longer upon it, because I had need to be taken up about
other exercise than this. But yet I thought it my duty, to let you
see upon what grounds I lay down my life this day, to put you
beyond debate ; for I thought it my duty, and do yet count it my
duty, and am so far from repining, desponding, or grudging, that I count
it my honour and glory, that ever I should have been counted worthy *o
give my weak and feeble testimony against a sinful and apostatizing
generation, that hath trampled under foot the covenant and work of
reformation, and counted the blood of the Son of God an unholy thing.
This I may say, without breach of charity, and without reflection upon
any body, for it is visibly seen by the generality of all the people that
do countenance the malignant party, But I must confess, there are
some better than others : but by the whole plurality there is nothing
countenanced, nor carried on, but popery, and prelacy, and quakerism,
and all manner of abomination : and there is nothing holden under-
board, but the glorious work of reformation, which I am to lay down
my life this day for, as a witnessing against popery and prelacy,
quakerism, and all manner of abominations abounding in this poor
covenanted land. And I think, any that are but half-witted, or have
a spunk of mother-wit (as we use to say), may see that the Lord
hath a controversy with these lands, because ' the righteous perish,
and no man layeth it to heart, and merciful men are taken away, and
no man regardeth it,' Isa. lvii. 1. And I wot well, it is clearly seen
and made out in our days that this is true ; for the faithful ministers,

JOHN CLYDE. 237
and other Christians, are taken away, what by death, what by banish
ment, what by execution ; and hunted up and down, that they have
not so much as a house to stay or make their abode in. And for my
part, I shall say but very little to it ; but I think, our king and
counsellors should think shame to do so ; but truly I may say, that
shame is past the shade of their hair (as we used to say in an old
proverb). And as the word says, ' They have a whore's forehead, they
cease to be ashamed ;' for any body may see it so, — or else they
would never do as they do ; for if they were not void of the grace of
God, they would be afraid to do as they do. I shall say nothing to
this, purpose, but what I shall make good from his word : when David
lamented for the death of Saul and Jonathan his son, though David
was accounted to be king over the people of Israel, yet because Saul
and Jonathan were killed by their enemies, David says, ' Tell it
not in Gath, nor publish it in the streets of Askelon, lest the
daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncir
cumcised triumph,' 2 Sam. i. 20. For truly I think, to my poor and
weak skill, our rulers should think shame to be using their poor subjects
so for nothing, but for following the work of God, as tbey are bound
upon conscience to do, to be executing some, and banishing others, as
they are doing. But for my own part I shall say no more, but
wish, that the Lord would not lay it to their charge, for I desire to
forgive them, if it may stand with the Lord's holy will ; and if not,
I desire to turn it over on the Lord, let him do as he sees fit. Only
this I may say, that it is for no evil that I have done, that I am made
a gazing-stock to all these beholders this day ; and I bless his name
for it, I die not as a fool ; — I have his own word for it, that if ' I
suffer for him, 1 shall also reign with him ;' and I wot, that the Lord
Jesus owns the cause as his, and he calls it his temptations. Therefore,
although it be somewhat terrifying to the eyes ofthe beholders, and to
flesh and blood, yet it will yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness to
all those that are exercised thereby. And although I am to be executed
here, and my body, after I am executed, is to be hung up until it
consume all away ; yet I die in the faith of this, that although it
should hang till it consume all away, and be scattered up and down
the earth, till there be not so much as a hairbreadth together ; though
the fowls of the air should come and take away part of it, and the
beasts of the field should come and consume the other part of it ; and
though, if it were possible, that fishes should come and take another
part of it, yet I desire to die in the faith of this, that it will be all
gathered together again, and a hairbreadth of it will not be lost, when
King Christ comes with the sound of the Archangel, and the sound of
the last trumpet, and then ' the dead in Christ shall be first raised,' and
then ' we must all stand before his tribunal, and give an account of
the deeds of the body, whether they have been good or evil ;'
according as we have done here, so it will be done unto us, where
there will be no respect of persons, where the beggar that sits upon
the dunghill will be as much thought of that day, as the king that sits
upon the throne : yea, and ' Tophet is prepared of old, for the king
as well as for the beggar.' Now, my beloved, I shall let you see the

238 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
confidence I have of this truth. First, ye will find it, Job xix. 26.
' And though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh
shall I see God.' Ver. 27. ' Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes
shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within
me.' And likewise, ye will find it written in Isa. xxx. 33. ' For
Tophet is prepared <jf old : yea, for the king it is prepared, he hath
made it deep and large, the pile thereof,' &c. Now, my dear friends,
I hope you will find nothing here but what is written in the scriptures,
for this is of a certain truth, that it will be so both for kings, nobles,
and ignobles, if they do not repent and turn from the evil of their
deeds, and turn unto the Lord. But alas ! tbere is no appearance of
turning from tbeir evil deeds. Tbe Lord has been shoaring (as it
were) this land with sore strokes, yet we may say, as the prophet
says, Isa. i. 5., to that wicked people, ' Why should ye be stricken
any more ?' for the more they are stricken, the more they revolt : but
stay still yet, there is a day coming when they shall be made to hear,
whether they will or not ; Mic. vi. 9. there is a voice of the Lord
calling to the city, compared to a rod : but alas ! it is very sad to
think upon it, that there are so few that are taking warning from the
word of the Lord, as there is. However, they will be made to hear,
and take with the warning, little for their profit, ' when the Lord shall
be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, taking vengeance
upon all them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ.' And now I shall say no more to this purpose.
" But I am to leave my testimony against Popery, and Prelacy, and
Quakerism, and Erastianism, and all abominations that are abounding
in this land. And likewise, I let all the world know, wheresoever
this paper of mine comes to be known, that I die in the faith of this,
. — that the Lord shall have a church in this land, whether the devil or
men will or not. We have his word for it; tbere shall be a generation
that shall be counted to the Lord for a people that shall serve him,
whether king or council will or not, let them do their best, and the
bishops and all their underlings, and all their attendants : if hell, and
death, and wicked men, and all were Bet in opposition against it, I say,
our King Christ will be head of his church, say against it who will :
and he shall reign in Zion till all his enemies be under his feet. Now,
I shall say no more, but only two or three words anent the thing I
was accused of, by those lhat pursued me, and that was the king's
advocate, and bishop Sharp's brother, anent the bishop's killing. And
whether I had spoken of it or not, tbere is nobody, but may
know, that it was the only thing that made them so sorely to insist
against me ; I wish the Lord may not lay it to their charge : for /
never saw that man whom they called the bishop of St. Andrews, that
I knew by another man ; and the other ground of my sentence was
the killing of a butcher,* who confessed that he committed both
* The reader must observe that this act was not charged home in the in
dictment on John Clyde, or any of his companions, personally — but only as the
act of the party of insurgents, with whom he and they had thought it their duty
to join. It may even be questioned how far it was the act of that body as a
whole — but at all events, the motives which led to it were far other than those

JOHN CLYDE. 239
adultery and buggery, and murdered a man of late at Glasgow ; and
when as himself did the most horrible acts that ever man did, yet they
called the killing of him murder. The third ground of my sentence
was, that I was at the late rebellion that was at Bothwell-bridge, as
they call it, the which I never held as rebellion, nor counted any thing
that was done that way rebellion. I bless the Lord that ever he
counted me worthy to bear witness to such things as these were.
The fourth ground of my sentence was the hearing of rebellious
ministers, that are holden out, as rendezvouses of rebellion, both in
neld and houses. My soul blesBeth the Lord that ever I was witness
So such meetings, either in the fields or in houses, as these were.
[ bear witness and give my testimony to such meetings as these were.
For I may say, that if ever the Lord had a poor church in Scotland,
lhat he has some [ministers] who have been wonderfully owned and
carried on by the Lord's powerful and mighty hand, not only to the
conviction of some, but to the conversion of others. And I leave
my testimony to this persecuted and borne-down work of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and leave my testimony against all the opposers thereof,
that they are enemies to the cross of Christ. And now I shall say no
more concerning these things: — But 1. I declare my testimony against
all these forementioned things, and against all bonds that are not
consistent with the word of God, and are not agreeable to tbe Solemn
League and Covenant, and against all declarations and cesses that are
for the army, to bring down the work of reformation, as it was once
owned and advanced in this island of Britain and Ireland, and
especially in Scotland ; which was once the best reformed church
tbat was in the whole earth. And I leave my testimony to the
Larger and Shorter Catechisms and Confession of Faith. 2. And
likewise I declare, that I lay not my life unwillingly down this day,
but freely, -without any restraint or constraint. Next, I declare, that
[ am free of all the crimes that they lay to me, for I was ever obedient
to the king and his lawful authority, and do commend every one
in their places and stations thereto, so far as his laws consist with the
word of God. 3. I declare, that it was for the defence of the gospel
that I arose, and that of free-will, not allured, nor enticed by any
3ody or person in the world. 4. I declare, that I durst not take the
bond that was laid to me, and go over the belly of my conscience, and
sin against God, and durst not take liberty to my body with prejudice
to my soul ; for, that word was borne in upon me, that those that
save their lives, shall lose their lives. 5. I bless the Lord, that since
I got my sentence I have been wonderfully carried through, not having
so much as an hard thought of any thing that I have done. Yea, the
Lord hath wonderfully upholden me since I got my sentence. 6. I
to which it was ascribed in the terms ofthe charge. The individual in question
seems to have been chargeable with the grossest crimes — and it was for these
crimes, and not for his zeal or diligence in serving his majesty, tbat he was
condemned and executed. But, indeed, as we have already stated, the indict
ment against these five individuals is full of the most glaring untruths and
misrepresentations in regard to the Bothwell insurrection, and this, as Wodrow
remarks, is undoubtedly one of them.

240 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
shall say no more to this, but desire my blessing to all my friends in
Christ ; and now, I must bid farewell to all earthly pleasures and
enjoyments, all kinsfolk and relations, and farewell to my loving
mother, and all other friends, and welcome Christ, heaven, and
eternity, and farewell sorrow and sighing, and farewell losses and
crosses, punishments and banishments, farewell all earthly sorrows,
and welcome Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for evermore ; ' Even so,
come, Lord Jesus, come quickly,' and receive my spirit ! Amen.
Sic Sub.— JOHN CLYDE."*

i
XXIX. THOMAS BROWN AND OTHERS.
Sect. hi. Their Dying Speech.
[The designation we have given to the following paper is in a great
measure arbitrary. We conceive it, however, justified by the pro
bable design with which it was written, and for any thing certain,
that appears to the contrary — which it actually served. It seems to
embrace a brief view of tbe principal topics discussed in their Joint
Testimony, which they probably reduced to this more concise form,
with the intention of delivering it at the place of execution. Whether
it was so delivered or not, we have not ascertained. But at all events,
it being necessary to distinguish it by a separate title, the present
one seemed proper, from certain forms of expression employed in
it, especially towards the beginning. J
" Men and Brethren, — We are come here this day in your presence
to lay down this life of ours, being iu our own defence, and defence
of the gospel, as ye know we are bound in the covenants, to defend
our religion, lives, liberties, and all in our stations. My dear friends,
mind your vows and engagements, tbat ye are lying under, and the
Church of Scotland is lying under this day. Now we come to give
you an account of the reasons, why we are come here to this place of
execution, this day. The thing was, our refusing of a bond, which
we could not take, no not for our lives, which were offered us, upon
condition of subscribing it. 1. The first thing that was in it, was that
we should acknowledge our being at Both well-bridge to be rebellion.
which we profess to be our duty. 2. We are commanded never to
lift arms against the king and his authority, in which authority these
acts establishing prelacy and the supremacy are included. So we are
commanded to maintain and defend tbem, never to rise against them,
which we know to be contrary to sound doctrine. So according to
our covenant we give our witness and testimony against them, and as
for rebellion, we never intended any such thing against the king or his
lawful authority, which we are all sworn to defend, with our lives,
and all that we have, in our station. But our appearing at Bothwell-
• Naphtali, pp. 488—4,95.

THOMAS BROWN AND OTHERS. 241
bridge we count no rebellion, but our bounden duty, and no sin,
for it was grievous to our hearts to see the work of God borne down,
and trode under foot by a generation that have discovered themselves
to be Btated enemies to the cross of Christ, by shutting up his faithful
servants of the ministry, some in the rocks of the sea, part also
banished, others expelled to corners, private persons being put to flee
to mountains, rocks, dens, and caves of the earth ; so, we thought
ourselves obliged in our station to appear there with others, for the
defence of the gospel, according as we are all sworn in the National
and Solemn League and Covenants, and Solemn Acknowledgment of
Sins, to defend the work of reformation against Popery, Prelacy,
Quakerism, and all manner of unsound doctrines and wicked practices
abounding in these times. So also, my friends, when we considered
the bonds of these covenants that we are all lying under, we durst not
subscribe any other bonds contrary unto them. Wherefore, we desire
all the Lord's people, in so far as it may consist with the word of God,
[to consider] the engagements of these covenants that are lying upon
tbem. As for our part, when we considered the obligations of them,
we thought it was not a time for us to lie at ease in Zion, lest we
should bring the curse of Meroz upon ourselves, if ' we went not out
to the help of the Lord against the mighty ;' for ye know it is said in
the word, ' Shall he break the covenant, and be delivered ?' So we
give our witness and testimony to the cross of Christ, and blessed be
the Lord that ever we appeared at Bothwell-bridge for the defence of
his persecuted cause, which within a little we shall seal with our blood.
" We desire you all not to cast a reproach on that late appearing
at Bothwell-bridge, lest ye state God an enemy against you ; for we
bless bim that ever he fell upon such a method with the like of us,
as to make us appear for so honourable a cause as that.
" We give our joint witness and testimony against Popery, Prelacy,
and all other corruptions abounding in these loose times, particularly
against bishops, curates, and malignants, and all who connive with
them in that black course they are in for the present, and strengthen
the hands of the adversary, in carrying on a course of defection. And
we give our testimony against indifferent and lukewarm professors,
who follow Christ as the times make for them. We give our
testimony against all profligate and wicked livers, who know not God,
nor will acknowledge him to be Head of his church, ' whose judgment
lingeretb not, and their damnation slumbereth not.' We give our
testimony against that calumny cast upon presbyterians, that they are
not loyal to their king, which aspersion as false we abhor ; so we
desire you all to obey your king in all his lawful commands, according
as ye are bound in the word of God, and your covenants : but when
God's laws and the king's laws are contrary one to another, do not
stretch your consciences for tbe saving of your hfe ; for he that seeks
' to save his life, shall lose it,' saith Christ ; ' but he who loseth his
life, for my sake, shall find it.'
" Likewise, we give our testimony against the taking of unlawful
bonds or declarations for the saving of the life, for which cause we
come here to lay down our lives, even for refusing to take such
2 H

242 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
bonds ; we bless the Lord who hath kept us free from these things,
and we hope to praise Him through all eternity : for since he called
us to the hardest task, which is not hard at all through his help, but
very refreshful, — he has fully made out unto us, ' that he sends
none a warfare upon their own charges ;' and also that promise in
Isa. xii. 10. ' Fear thou not, for I am with thee ; be not dismayed,
for I am thy God ; I will strengthen thee ; yea, I will upliold thee
with the right hand of my righteousness.' So, my friends, ' Cast not
away your confidence, which hath a great recompense of reward ; for
ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye
may receive the promise:' no more, — but we commit ' you to the word
of his grace, which is able to build you up unto the day of redemp
tion.' Ye will get our mind more fully in another paper elsewhere.
Farewell time, and all earthly enjoyments ; welcome blessed Christ;
into thy hands we commit our spirits.
Sic Sub : —
THOMAS BROWN, ANDREW SWORD, JAMES WOOD,
JOHN CLYDE, JOHN WADDEL."*

XXX. THOMAS BROWN AND OTHERS.
Sect. iv. Their last Words. •
[We have stated it as uncertain, whether the preceding speech was
actually delivered by these Five sufferers. And though we have
no decisive evidence on the point to the contrary, it seems most
probable that it was not, particularly from the following title prefixed
to the present article as given in Naphtali : — " A short sum of what
was delivered upon the place of execution, by these five men who
suffered at Magus Moor in Fife, being sentenced to die in that
place, upon the account of the bishop of St. Andrews' death." 
From the latter part of this announcement, it has frequently been
supposed that these individuals were charged or chargeable with
the death of the Primate. The contrary of this we have already
shown to have been the case. — It is pleasing to observe from the
details which follow, that the same unshrinking resolution, decided
principle, and stedfast confidence, which characterize their testi
monies, were evident in their last and dying moments.]
1. Thomas Brown.
Thomas Brown was the first of the Five that was executed.
After he was settled upon the ladder, he said, that Providence having
ordered his coming there, to die in that place upon the account of the
bishop's death : he behoved to declare unto the world, and before
these witnesses, his innocence. " Some of you," said he, " may
judge our dying and hanging here is upon the account of the
• Naphtali, pp. 496—499.

ANDREW SWORD AND JAMES WOOD. 213
bishop's death ; and that I was • accessory thereunto : but I must
tell you as to that, that I was never in this country before this time ;
but the ground of my sentence is,' because I will not call my being
with that party that was in arms at Bothwell-bridge, rebellion: and
because I will not take that bond so vigorously pressed by adversaries,
and persuaded unto by friends : Therefore I am- here to offer my life a
sacrifice to God. And for my part, in rising in arms I intended no
rebellion, but was tbere with that party in defence of the gospel, which
I judged my duty, and I hope you yourselves cannot deny it. As
for these favours offered to, and received by many preaching tbe gospel,
entering through the indulgence first and last, I look upon them as the
ruin of the Church of Scotland " And speaking of the work of
reformation, he cited that scripture, Lev. xxvi. 25. ' That the Lord
would arise, and avenge the quarrel of his broken covenant ;' and that
in Ezek. xvii. 15. ' Shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?'
" And though that poor handful had no success, yet' it hath been the
lot of the people of God in former times, that ' the children of Ephraim
turned their backs, though they lacked neither bow nor sword.'"
After he had prayed, he blessed the Lord, that if this day every hair
of his head were a man, and 'every drop of his blood were a life, he
would cordially and heartily lay them down for Christ and the cause
for which he is now sentenced.* 2. Andrew Sword.
Andrew Sword sang the xxxiv. Psalm, and thereafter said,
" The bishop of St. Andrews' death I am free of, haling lived four or
five score miles from this, and having never been in this place before :
neither did I ever see a bishop in the face that I knew to be a bishop.
My coming here is for refusing to take the bond at Edinburgh: I
bless the Lord for keeping me from that snare : I bless the Lord for
keeping me since I came to prison, both at Edinburgh and St.
Andrews. I exhort you all to seek the Lord, and not to fear suffer
ing, but to credit the Lord for through-bearing. I bear testimony
against the wicked abominations of these times, named by him, that
is gone before me: and I cannot but commend Christ and his cross
to you. I would not exchange my lot for a thousand worlds. Fare
well all created comforts." Then he prayed before he died.f
3. James Wood.
James Wood being upon the ladder, said, " As for our coming
here upon the account of the bishop's death, for my own part, I was
never in this part of th6 country before, nor ever saw I a bishop
in my life, that I could say there was the man. I am here this day
to lay down my life that God hath given me, because I could not call
my appearance in arms with those at Bothwell-bridge, rebellion'.; and
because I would not take the bond. As for my own part, I am so
far from calling or thinking it rebellion, that I bless God I was: a man
to be there with that party, though a man most unable for war, and
* Naphtali, pp. 499, 500. f Ibid- P' 500,

244 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
unskilful because of my infirm arm. And all the arms I had was a
halbert upon my shoulder ; and it was not for any thing I did or
could do with it ; but I behoved to be there, to show my good will
to the work of God, and the respect I had to the interest of our Lord.
For I got a command or charge from God, as though he had been a
most strict Master, to go and join with that party, and venture my
life, which I did most cheerfully : and I bless God that gave me a
life to lay down for his cause ; and though in remarkable providence
he took not my life in that day, yet for holy and good ends, he spared
it to lay it down this day. And now, my friends, I am so far from
rueing any thing, that I have done tbat day, in my appearing for Christ
and his cause, that I would heartily (wish, if I were to live) to see as
many men every year for the defence of the gospel gathered together,
and I would count it my honour to be with them. It was my desire
to the Lord, that he would let me die a martyr, and I sought it of
him ; and blessed be his name he hath answered me according to that
scripture, ' Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the
desire of thy heart ;' and now he hath granted me the desire of my
heart on earth, and I shall have the desire of my heart throughout all
eternity ; and what would any of you have more, Sirs ? And now,
my friends, I am not a whit afraid to go up this ladder, and to lay
down my life this day ; for it is the best day that ever yet mine eyes
saw ; and I am as sure of my interest, as the word of God, and the
Lord's Spirit by his word can make me ;" — whereat be smiled. After
wards he said, " I bless the Lord again for honouring me so highly, as
to lay down my life for this cause." And turning himself about to
some friends, he said, " If I had another life to lay down to-morrow,
it were something, but he will accept of this as the widow's mite, for
I have no more." And being up almost to the top of the ladder,
plucking up the napkin, he said, " Now I am going to lay down this
life, and to step out of time into eternity, and if I had as many lives
as there are hairs on mine head, and drops of blood in my body, I
would willingly lay them down for Christ, and for you all that are
here upon Christ's account. It is like, you may think this a frothy
word, but it is the word of a dying man." And turning to his friends,
he said, " Seek him, for he is well worth the seeking ; credit him,
Sirs, give him meikle credit, for he is well worth the crediting, and
blame yourselves if yoii want ; for he wants but employment, and he
likes well to be employed : and make the bargain sure. Take hills
and mountains, or wood, or trees, or any thing that's near to you, to
witness ; and see if once ye can get a hair in his neck, for he will be
as good as his promise ; get once his promise, and I warrant you."
4. John Waddel.
John Waddel, being on the ladder, said, " As for my accession
to the bishop's death, wherefore we are sentenced to die in this place,
I declare I was never over the water of Forth, in this country, before
this time. I have only two words to say to you, my friends, for I
• Naphtali, pp. 500 — 502.

JOHN CLYDE. 245
shall not trouble you with much speaking, because I am not expert in it,
but only to let you know, that I am not come here to die as a fool, for I
am sentenced to die here, because I would not call it rebellion — my being
with my friends at Bothwell-bridge, and because I would not take that
bond, binding me hereafter, never to lift arms against the king nor his
authority ; which thing in conscience I could not do : for whatever
others think of it, to me it says, that it is a denying of all appearances
for Christ and his cause, that hath formerly been : and likewise it says
to me, that we shall never any more lift arms for the defence of
Christ's gospel against any party whatsoever that seems to oppose it,
which is far from the word of God — ' If any man draw back, my soul
shall have no pleasure in him,' — and the Covenants, National and
Solemn League, which was publicly burnt in our nation (for which
God in his own time will yet arise) which we are bound to maintain."
And turning to bis friends, he said, " 1. I am here this day to lay
down my life, in opposition to, and to be a witness against all those
wrongs done to our Lord and his interests, and to testify against
popery, prelacy, and malignancy, and indulgence first and last, and
against all things contrary to sound doctrine whatsoever. And I bear
my testimony unto, and own our Covenants, National and Solemn
League— adhering to our Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter
Catechisms. 2. I have this day to say, that because we and the reBt
of the people of God, that desire to own him, and adhere to his
ways, are branded with Quakerism and Jesuitism,. — I therefore leave
my testimony against all these errors ; and more particularly I do,
because they are the only party now in Scotland that cleave to him
and his ways, that are branded witb it. And so, as a dying man this
day, (smiling) I enter my testimony against all those that are contrary
to the word of God and sound doctrine ; and declare before him
whom I must shortly appear before, and before you all, we own no
such thing." Next he said, " I here protest against that abominable
cess for tbe down-bearing of the work of God, and for the managing
and strengthening the hands of evil-doers, I shall be a standing witness
against all that have paid, or shall persist or go on in paying it
hereafter, unless they repent. Yea, I shall be a hanging witness
against them ; and although my body will rot, yet the witness shall
stand sure." And going to prayer, he said, " Now, Sirs, I am not a
whit discouraged to see my three brethren hanging before mine eyes,
nor before all this multitude to pray." And then he prayed.*
5. John Clyde.
John Clyde, after he had gone to the ladder, said, " I think our
being fetched here is like that which we have, in scripture, about
Herodias' suit to Herod anent John the Baptist's head, to gratify
the insatiableness of that lewd woman : nothing would satisfy the
lust of our persecutors but our blood, and in this manner and place,
to gratify the bishop's friends. But the ground of my being sentenced
is, because I was found in aims with that poor handful at Bothwell-
* Naphtali, pp. 502 — 504.

246 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
bridge, and would not call it rebellion, and because I would not. take
that bond, — which thing I had in my offer, and my life upon the taking
of it, and was threatened by some to take it, and allured and persuaded
by others, — but which I could not in conscience do, because it binds me
hereafter that I should not appear for Christ and his cause. And I
durst not do it, Sirs, for I was not sure of my life, no not one
moment; and likewise, I durst not procure the wrath of God at such
a rate ; for I judge the loss of my soul to be more hazardful, than the
loss of the life of my body, and likewise more hazard in offending of
God, than in gaining the greatest advantage in the world. I could
not stay at home, but judged it my duty to come forth, for I could
not see how I could evite that curse, — ' Curse ye Meroz, curse ye
bitterly, those that would not come out to the help of the Lord against
tbe mighty.' And I bless the Lord for keeping me straight; — I desire
to speak it to the commendation of free grace; — and this I am speaking
from my own experience, that there are none who will Iippen to God
and depend upon him for direction, but they shall be kept straight and
right ; but to be promised to be kept from tribulation, that is not the
bargain, for be bath said, that through much tribulation we must enter
the kingdom ; for he deals not witb us as Satan does, for Satan lets
us see the bonniest side of the tentation, but our Lord Jesus lets us
see the roughest side and the blackest, — after that tbe sweetest thing
comes ; and he tells us the worst thing that will happen to us. For
he hath not promised to keep us from trouble, but he hath promised
to be with us in it, and what needs more ? I bless the Lord for keeping
me to this very hour ; for little would I have thought a twelve
month since, that the Lord would have taken a poor ploughman lad,
and have honoured me so highly, as to have made me first appear for
him, and then keep me straight, and now hath kept me to this very
hour to lay down my life for him." At the ladder foot he said to his
brother, " Weep not for me, brother, but weep for yourself, and the
poor land, and seek God and make him sure for yourself, and he shall
be better to you than ten brethren. Now, farewell all Mends and
relations, farewell brother, sister, and mother; and welcome Lord
Jesus ; into thy hands I commit my spirit !" And lifting up the
napkin off his face he said, " Dear friends, be not discouraged because
of tbe cross, nor at this ye have seen this day, for I hope you have
seen no discouragement in me, and you shall see no more 1"*
* Naphtali, p. 505.

THE
LAST WORDS
on
DYING TESTIMONIES
OF THE
SCOTS WORTHIES.

PART THIRD:

comprehending testimonies that were emitted, between
THE YEARS 1680 AND 1688.

I. DAVID HACKSTON.
[Mr. Hackston is the first instance of Martyrdom, whicb occurred in
Scotland, since the executions that immediately followed upon the
Battle of Bothwell-bridge. He was the Laird of Rathillet in Fife ;
and having shared in the oppressions exercised by Carmichael, the
Sheriff of that county, — had engaged, on purpose to avenge them,
with the party who, on the 3d of May, 1679, attacked and slew
the Archbishop of St. Andrews. In this event, however, it is well
known he did not participate farther than being present when it
took place. But immediately after, he joined the Covenanters in
Evandale, and both at Drumclog and Bothwell-bridge held a
considerable command. After this, he was frequently searched for,
but still escaped — till having joined the followers of Richard
Cameron, and being with them when attacked at Afrsmoss, on
the 22d of July 1680, he was, after making a stout resistance and
receiving many wounds, taken prisoner and carried to Edinburgh.
Here the council directed that he should receive the most contu
melious usage, put him to the torture, and determined that he
should die, by a mode of execution the most barbarous and
revolting which can possibly be conceived.* He was brought
* In reference to the humiliating treatment which he received while alive,
and the inhuman cruelty which marked his execution, the reader may peruse
the two following extracts from Wodrow's History.
" Upon the account of his being taken, the Council, July 24, gave the follow
ing orders about him :— ' The magistrates of Edinburgh are appointed, as soon

24*8 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES,
before the Justiciary, but having declined its authority as he had
already declined that of the King and Council, he was forthwith
sentenced; and executed accordingly on the 30th of July 1680, at
the cross of Edinburgh. His Testimony to the truth for which he
suffered is contained in the following Letters, written shortly before
his death.]] 1. To his Christian Friend N  .

" Tolbooth of Edinburgh, July 26th, 1680. — Dear Acquaintance, I
know, this late dispensation of Providence will occasion much sadness
to you, and other lovers of the Lord's truth, now in this day ; when so
few, by their practice, prove themselves to be zealous for God, or
lovers of his truth, — but, instead of that growth in the graces of God's
Spirit, and stedfastnese which should be in Christians, have made
defection from the truth, and are fallen from their first love, to the
strengthening the hands of usurpers of the crown of Christ, in their
as the body of D. Hackston of Rathillet is brought to the Water- Gate, to receive
him, and mount him on a bare backed horse with his face to the tail, and his
feet tied beneath his belly, and his hands fastened with ropes; that the
executioner with head covered, and his coat, lead his horse up the street to the
Tolbooth, the said Hackston being bareheaded ; tbat the three other prisoners
be conveyed on foot, bareheaded, after him, with their hands tied to a goad of
iron : ordain the said executioner to carry the head of Cameron on a halbert,
from the Water- Gate to the Council house, that no meat or drink be given to
Hackston after he is in prison, but what is prepared in the master of the
Tolbooth's house ; that none speak with him, or any letter be conveyed to
him ; that the master of the Tolbooth have a special care of his person, as he
will be answerable, life for life.' One of the bailies of Edinburgh, and John
Vanse, master of the Tolbooth, are called, and these orders given them.
" No reflections are necessary upon these severe orders. In the afternoon, he
and the other prisoners were examined before the Council, but the particulars
are not insert in their books. July 27, they order the advocate to pursue a
criminal process against him upon Thursday, and reserve the appointment of
the time and manner of his execution to themselves."
" July 29, the Council, the day before Rathillet's trial, determine the manner
of his execution : they well knew his judges would find him guilty ; yet this seems
an extraordinary step. It stands in their books as follows : ' That his body be
drawn backward on a hurdle to the cross of Edinburgh ; that there be an high
scaffold erected a little above the cross, where, in the first place, his right hand
is to be struck off, and after some time his left hand ; then he is to be hanged up
and cut down alive, his bowels to be taken out, and his heart shown to the people
by the hangman ; then his heart and his bowels to be burnt in a fire prepared for
that purpose on the scaffold ; that afterwards his head be cut off, and his body
divided into four quarters ; his head to be fixed on the Netherbow, one of his
quarters with both his hands to be affixed at St. Andrews, another quarter at
Glasgow, a third at Leith, a fourth at Burntisland ; that none presume to be
, in mourning for him, or any coffin brought ; that no persons be suffered to be on
the scaffold with him, save the two bailies, the executioner, and his servants ;
that he be allowed to pray to God Almighty, but not to speak to the people ;
that the heads of Cameron and John Fowler be affixed on the Netherbow ; that
Hackston's and Cameron's heads be affixed on higher poles than the rest-'
These orders, with such as were before given at his coming into Edinburgh,
are so spiteful, inhuman, and barbarous, that I wonder how they were fallen
upon by the managers, or what they could design by them." — Wodrow's Hist,
v. ii.

DAVID HACKSTON. 249
unlawful encroachments on the privileges of the Son of God. Where
fore I entreat you, and all others, as you would not offend God, and
provoke him to more anger, do not murmur, but bless and praise him,
and submit to him in all humility ; for if this be one of the steps of
Zion's deliverance, and God's glory, why should not we praise him
for every thing ? If we had the manner of our delivery at our carving,
we would spoil it. — He is the wisdom of the Father, who sits at the
helm and orders all affairs. The faith of this would silence all
suggestions from Satan, our own hearts, and misbelief. I desire you
would charge all that have love or affection to me, not to be sad on
my account, but rather to rejoice on my behalf, that God hath so
honoured me in all I have been trysted with : for, as he took me
when I was a slave to Satan and sin, and cast his love upon me, and
plucked me as a brand out of the fire, and brought me into covenant
with him, to promote and carry forward his work, without fear of
what man can do unto me ; and as he helped me to make the bargain
with him upon good terms, which was a renouncing of my own
strength, and a resolution to do all in his strength ; so now he bath
been faithful in all things to me, and hath furnished me sufficiently for
what he hath called me to, and hath passed by my many gross failings
and breaches of my conditions to him, and hath done to me above what
I could ask of him. O that I could commend him to all, and stir up all
to fear, admire, and praise him, and believe on him ! But the luke-
warmness and want of love to God, and indifferency in Christ's matters,
(which in his condescendency to his church he hath reserved as his
declarative glory) and neutrality in these things, are come to so great a
height among professors, that, I think, God is laying a stumbling-block
before them, one after another, that when they are fallen (whom he will
have to fall) he may be glorified in his justice, by bringing that stroke of
vengeance that seems to be hanging over these lands ; — because of the
fearful idolatry, perjury, bloodshed, blasphemy, and other abominations,
the whole land is, this day, guilty of. Think it not strange that I say,
all are guilty ; there are none free, nor shall be reputed free in the
sight of God, but mourners in Zion. Lord grant repentance, and a
spirit of mourning ; brokenness and contrition of spirit is the only
sacrifice well-pleasing unto God ; and I prove all guilty. First, our
representatives, (and so we in them) established these sins, in our
national decrees, which we have homologate in owning them ever
after ; and much more have we homologate their sins, in contributing,
one way or other, to the strengthening of their hands against God; — as
alas, but few be free of this, this day ! 0 that preachers would preach
repentance, and professors would exhort one another to mourn, in
secret and together, because of sin ; and with their mourning would
believe ; — for these are very consistent together. I find flesh and blood
great enemies to faith, and friends, yea, fosterers of sinful fears. It
is above nature to believe, especially when dispensations seem to
contradict our faith : but if any hath faith towards God concerning
me, let not this brangle their faith, but rather strengthen ; there is
nothing can contradict what God hath determined ; but over the belly
of all opposition he will perfect his work in and by me, either to a
. 2 i

250 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
remarkable delivery, or through-bearing, as he sees most for his own
glory. " Wherefore let us submit to his will, and lie before the throne, in
behalf of Zion and her children ; and O ! that you yourself would,
and desire others that are faithful, to hold up my case to Zion's God,
that he would glorify himself in me, and let your prayers be in faith ;
' To him that believeth, all things are possible.' There are many
feckless, misbelieving prayers, that prevail not with God because of
unbelief. I know these sufferings will be a great stumbling to
many, otherwise gracious, but let it not be to you : I bless the Lord,
it is not (as yet) so to me, but rather the power, yea, the love of God to
me ; for it was not altogether unexpected unto me : for (not to reflect
upon any that have sealed that truth and cause, as we stated it, with
their blood) I cannot deny, but it was over the belly of conscience,
that I joined with some of our party ; for some of them had not their
garments clean of the late defections, and there was too much pride
amongst us : neither dare I allow, that taking of satisfaction for
.practices which are the homologating of the public sins, which we did
about half an hour before our break ; which checked me exceedingly
in the time. I think, real sorrow would make men like the prodigal,
to think themselves not worthy to be employed in that work ; real
evidences of reconciliation with God should be seen before admission
to such an employment. O that all would take warning, by my
reproof, not to venture to follow any man over conscience ! There were
choice godly men among us, but one Achan will make Israel to fall. I
fear the want of faith among us, first and last, and all alongst our late
business : I know, many mouths will be opened against me because
of what I did before this business, but I dare not but speak it, — this is
a stumbling-block laid to drive them to more sin ; and alas ! that I
did not more to purge us of every sin, especially known sin among us.
These that abode within, and came not out with us, let them remember
Meroz's curse ; I am afraid, God will think them not free of our
blood, for not joining to our help.
" And now, knowing ye will be anxious to know how it was then,
and how it hath been since with me. First, We getting notice of a
party out seeking us, sent two on Wednesday night late, to know their
motion, and lay on a muir side all night ; and Thursday, about ten
hours, we went to take some meat, and sent out other two, and
desired them to consult with the first two who had not come to us,
but were lying down to sleep, who all four returned and told us, it
was unnecessary to send any for intelligence, they having secured it.
Whereupon, after we had gotten some meat, we came to a piece of
grass, and lay down, and presently we were all alarmed that they were
upon us ; and so making ready, we saw them coming fast on ; and
that about three or four hours in the afternoon ; and each one resolving
to fight, I rode off to seek a strength for our advantage, and being
desired by a countryman to go into such a place for the best strength,
I went, and they followed ; but coming to it, I found we could go no
further ; and so turning and drawing up quickly, eight horse on the
right hand with R. D. and fifteen on the left with me, being no more ;

DAVID HACKSTON. 251
the foot hot being forty, and many of them ill armed, in the midst;
I asked all, if they were willing to fight ? who all said, Yes ; especially
I. G. The enemy advanced fast, whom I took to be above one
hundred and twelve, well armed and horsed ; who sending first about
twenty dragoons on foot to take the wind of us, which we seeing,
sent a party on foot to meet them, and the rest of us advanced fast
an the enemy, being a strong body of horse coming hard upon us ;
whereupon when we were joined, our horse fired first, and wounded
and killed some of them, both horse and foot : our horse advanced to
their faces, and we fired on each other ; I being foremost, after
receiving their fire, and finding the horse behind me broken, I then
rode in amongst them, and went out at a side, without any wrong or
wound ; I was pursued by several, with whom I fought a good space,
sometimes they followed me, and sometimes I followed them ; at
length my horse bogged, and the foremost of theirs, which was David
Ramsay, one of my acquaintance ; we both being on foot, fought it
with small swords, without advantage to one another ; but at length
closing, I was stricken down with three on horseback behind me ; and
receiving three sore wounds on the head, and so falling, he saved my
life, — which I submitted to. They searched me, and carried me to
their rear, and laid me down, where I bled much ; where were brought
several of their men sore wounded. They gave us all testimony of
brave resolute men. What more of our men were killed, I did not
see, nor know ; but as they told me after, the field was theirs. I was
brought toward Douglas. They used me civilly, and brought me
drink out of a house by the way. At Douglas, Janet Cleland was
kind to me, and brought a surgeon to me, who did but little to my
wounds, only stanched the, blood,
" Next morning, I was brought to Lanark, and brought before
Dalziel, Lord Ross, and some others ; who asked many questions at
me, but I not satisfying them with answers, Dalziel did threaten to
roast me ; and carrying me to the tolbooth, caused me to be bound
most barbarously, and cast me down, where I lay till Saturday morn
ing, without any, except soldiers, admitted to speak to me, or look
my wounds, or give me any ease whatsomever. And next morning
they brought me and John Pollock,* and other two of us, near two
miles on foot, I being without shoes, where that party which had
broken us at first, received us. They were commanded by Earlsball.
We were horsed, civilly used by them on the way, and brought to
Edinburgh about four in the afternoon, and carried about the north
side of the town to the foot of the Canongate, where the town
magistrates were, who received us ; and setting me on a horse with
my face backward, and the other three bound on a goad of iron, and
Mr. Cameron's head carried on a halbert before me, and another head
in a sack, which I knew not, on a lad's back ; and so we were carried
* With respect to this individual who seems to have been engaged in the same
cause, Wodrow had been able to ascertain nothing besides what is mentioned in
this place, to which he refers the reader. It does not appear that there were
any farther proceedings against bim ot1 a public nature, otherwise they must
have been mentioned in some of the records which he consulted.

252 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
up the street to the Parliament-close, where I was taken down, and
the rest loosed : all was done by the hangman. I was carried up to
the council, and first put into a room alone, where the chancellor came,
and asked if I knew him ? I answered, Yes. He (after some
protestations of love,* to which I answered nothing) went his. way ;
and then I was brought in before the council, where the chancellor
read a ditty against me. First anent the bishop's murder ; to which
I answered, I was obliged by no law, either of God or man, to answer
to it : and neither to accuse myself, nor reveal others by vindicating
myself, or any other way. The advocate asked, Where I was the
third day of May was a year ? To whom I answered, I am not
bound to keep a memorial where I am, or what I do every day. The
chancellor asked, if I thought it murder ? To which I answered,
though I was not bound to answer such questions, yet I would not
call it so, but rather say, It was no murder. The advocate said, Sir,
you must be a great liar, to say you remember not where you was
that day, it being so remarkable a day. I replied, Sir, you must be
a far greater liar, to say, I answered such a thing. Whereupon the
chancellor replied, My lord advocate, he said only, he was not bound
to keep in memory every day's work.
" The chancellor asked, If I adhered to Mr. Cargill's papers, which
they called the New Covenant taken at the Ferry ? I answered, I
would know what any would say against them. He asked, if I owned
the king's authority ?f I told, though I was not bound to answer such
* It appears that between Rathillet and the Chancellor there had formerly
subsisted a very close intimacy, and this may account for the expressions of
affection or of interest which are here referred to. Whether such expressions
were sincere or not, it is impossible to determine. They do not seem to have
been judged so by Rathillet. And certainly it might well have been expected,
that even the most moderate degree of regard, if sincere, might have sufficed to
procure for a friend, the benefit of a sentence less repugnant to the feelings of
humanity. 1* According to Wodrow, Rathillet was the first of the sufferers wbo publicly
denied the authority of the king and his officers. And that the reader may judge
for himself as to the grounds on which he did so ; we quote the following
account of his examination on July 24th, and of his declinature on July 29th
and 30th, as given in the Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 61 — 63.
Sis Interrogations and Answers before the Privy Council,
on Saturday, July 24, 1680.
I. Whether or not had you any hand in the murdering of the late bishop
of St. Andrews? Answered, He was not obliged to answer that question, nor
be his own accuser. 2. What he would declare as to the king's authority ?
Answered, That authority tbat dis >wns tbe interest of God, and states itself in
opposition to Jesus Christ, is no more to be owned ; but so it is, the king'b
authority is now such, therefore it ought not to be owned. 3. Whether the
killing of the archbishop of St. Andrews was murder, yea, or no ? Answered,
That he thought it no sin to despatch a bloody monster. 4. If he owned the
new covenant taken at Queensferry, from Mr. Cargill one of their preachers ?
Answered, That he did own it in every particular thereof, and would fain see
the man that in conscience and reason would debate the contrary. 5. If he
were at liberty, and had the power to kill any of the king's council, and murder
them as he did the bishop of St. Andrews, whether he would do it, yea, or no?
Answered, That he had no spare time to answer such frivolous and childish
questions.

DAVID HACKSTON. 253
questions, yet being permitted to speak, I would say somewhat to that.
And first, tbat there could be no lawful authority but what was of
God ; and that no authority, stated in a direct opposition to God,
could be of God ; and that I knew of no authority nor judicatory this
The chancellor told him, that if he were not more ingenuous in his answers,
he would presently be tortured. He answered, ' That is but a little addition to
your former cruelties, and I have that comfort, that though you torture my
wounded body, yet ye cannot reach my soul.' The chanceUor urged him with
several other questions, which he refused to answer. ' But,1 said he, * I would
gladly speak a little if I could have liberty ;' which was allowed him. Then he
said, ' Ye know that youth is a folly, and I acknowledge that in my younger
years I was too much carried down with the speat of it ; but that inexhaustible
fountain of the goodness and grace of God, which is free and great, hath reclaimed
me, and as a fire-brand hath plucked me out of the claws of Satan ; and now I
stand here before you as a prisoner of Jesus Christ, for adhering to his cause
and interest, which hath been sealed with the blood of many worthies, wbo have
suffered in these lands, and have witnessed to the truths of Christ these few
years bygone; and I do own all the testimonies given by them, and desire to
put my mite among theirs, and am not only willing to seal it with my blood,
but also with the sharpest tortures that you can imagine.' Then, being inter
rogated by the bishop of Edinburgh, what he would answer to that article of tbe
Confession of Faith, that ' difference of religion doth not make void the magis
trate's right and authority?' He answered, He would not answer any perjured
prelate : the bishop replied, He was iu the wrong to him, because he never took
the covenant, therefore he was not perjured, and so deserved not that name. But
some of them asked him, how he would answer that question? He answered,
That question was answered long ago by the Solemn League and Covenant,
which binds us only to maintain and defend the king in the defence of the true
religion ; but now the king having stated himself an enemy to religion, and all
that will live religiously, therefore it is high time to shake off all obligation of
allegiance to his authority. These interrogations were all read to him in the
face of the council, and he owned them all.
The next day that he was arraigned before the council, tbey asked if he had
any more to say ? He answered, That which he had to say was said already
in every particular thereof; 'and,' said he, ' I will not only seal it with my
blood, but with all the tortures ye can imagine.'
Extract of the proceedings ofthe Privy Council.
\" Edinburgh, July 29th, 1680. — In presence of the lords justiciary, clerk, and
commissioners of justiciary, compeared David Hackston, of Rathillet, and
declines the king's majesty's authority of the commissioners of justiciary as his
judges, and absolutely refuses to sign this declaration, as being before persons
who are not his judges. He refuses to answer concerning the murder of the
late bishop of St. Andrews, and says, the causes of his declinement are, Because
they have usurped the supremacy over the church, belonging alone to Jesus Christ.
and have established idolatry, perjury and other iniquities ; and in prosecuting
their design, in confirming themselves in this usurped right, have shed much
innocent blood. Therefore the said David, adbereing to Christ, his rights aud
kingly office over the church, declines them that are his open enemies and
competitors for his crown and power, as competent judges ; refuses, as formerly,
to sign this his declaration, dated from his own mouth; whereupon his majesty's
advocate takes instruments, and requires the commissioners of justiciary to sign
the same in his presence, as for him ; and bis majesty's advocate takes instru
ments, tbat the said David has declined his majesty's authority, and the
authority of his commissioners, and refused to deny tbe murder ofthe late bishop
of St. Andrews, and requires Messrs. John Vas, James Balfour, and the men
of the court witnesses to the foresaid declaration. Sic Sub :— Sir Robert Mait
land, James Foulis, David Balfour, David Falconer, Rodger Hodge."
Upon Friday, July 30, being again brought before the council, it was asked

054 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
day in these nations, but what were in a direct opposition to G«4»
and so could neither be of God, nor lawful, and that their, fruifc were
kything it, in that they were setting bugerers, murderers, sorcerers,
and such others at liberty from justice, and employing them in their
service, and made it their whole work to oppress, kill, and destroy
the Lord's people. The chancellor and all raged, and desired me to
instance one of such, so set at Hberty and employed. I answered to
ithat, Though it were enough tp instance any such when I saw a
judicatory to execute justice, yet I would instance one ; and I
instanced a bugerer, liberated at the sheriff court of Fife, and after
wards employed in their service. At which, the chancellor raged, and
said, I behoved to be a liar: but I offered to prove it. Bishop
Paterson asked, if ever Pilate and that judicatory, who were direct
enemies to Christ, were disowned by him as judges ? I answered,
that I would answer no perjured prelate in the nation. He answered,
that he could not be called perjured, because he never took that
sacrilegious covenant. I answered, that God would own that covenant
when none of them were to oppose it. They cried all, I was
prophesying: I answered, I was not prophesying, but I durst not
doubt, but that God, who had such singular love to these lands, as to
bring them into covenant in so peculiar a manner with him, would
let it be seen that his faithfulness was engaged to carry it through in
opposition to his enemies. Some asked, what I answered to that
article of the Confession of Faith concerning the king ? I answered,
It was cleared in these two covenants. The advocate asked, WTiat I
said of that article of the covenant, wherein we are bound to maintain
and defend the king ? I desired him to tell out the rest of it, which
was, in defence of religion, but not in the destruction of religion.
The chancellor threatened me with the Boots, and other terrible things ;
and said, I should not have the benefit of a sudden death. To which
I answered, it would be but an addition to their cruelties used against
God's people before, and that I was there a prisoner of Christ, owning
his truths against his open enemies, and referred it to their own acts
of parliament and council, to let their cruelty and opposition to God
and his people be seen.
" After this, they called for a surgeon, and removed me to another
room ; where he dressed my wounds. In which time, the chancellor
came and kindly asked, If ever I said to a shepherd on the Mounthill,
of him if he had any other thing to say ? He answered, That wh i ch I have
said I wiU seal it. Then they told him, that they had something to say to biin ;
and commanded him to sit Uqwn and receive bis sentence ; which 'willingly he
did, but told them they were all bloody murderers, for all the power they
had was derived from tyranny ; and that these years bygone they had npt only
tyrannized over the church of God, but had also grinded the faces of the poor,
so that oppressions, bloodshed, perjury, and many murders were to be found ip
their skirts. Upon which, be was, incontinent, carried away to the scaffold, at
the market cross of Edinburgh ; where he died with great torture inflicted upon
his body, not being permitted to leave any testimony to the world, except, what
¦s comprehended in the above letters directed to some of his Christian acquaint
ances, from his prison in the tolbooth of Edinburgh.* ~
* Cloud of Witnesses, Ed Glas. 1802, pp. 61—63.

DAVID HACKSTON. 255
That if I thought they Would not put me to an ignominious death, I
would refer myself to the chancellor? I said, No. He said, A
shepherd came to him and said so. I said, that he, or any other who
had said so to him were liars. I was asked by some concerning our
strength ; to whom I told how few we were, and that surprised
by such a strong party, and knowing with what cruel orders they
came against us, we were forced to fight, After dressing of my
wounds, I was brought back to them, and these things being written,
were read over to me ; to which I adhered : and being asked, if I
Svould sign them, I said, No. The chancellor said, He would do it
for me. Some one of them asked, at the same time, concerning ndy
being at some other business : to whom I answered, That though I
was not obliged to answer such questions, yet I adhered to all that
had been done in behalf of that cause against its enemies. After
which, I was 6ent to the tolbooth, and have met since with all manner
of kindness ; and want for nothing. My wounds are duly dressed,
which, I fear, may prove deadly, they being all in the head, the rest
of my body is safe.
" In all these trials, (I bless the Lord) I was stayed, unmoved ; no
alteration of countenance in the least, nor impatience appeared-. Some
of them have come to me, and regretted that such a man as I should
have been led away with Cameron. I answered, He was a faithful
minister of Jesus Christ, and as for me, I desired to be one of those
despicable ones whom Christ choosed. They said, It was a Quaker
like answer. I told it was the words of Christ and his apostles.
Bishop Paterson's brother, unknown to me, had a long reasoning with
me, but, I think, not to truth's advantage. He told me, that the
whole council observed, that I gave them not their due titles : at
which I smiled, and made no reply. He said, I was ill to the bishop.
I told, that I asserted the truth. He said, that he never took the
covenant, and so could not be perjured. I answered, prelacy itself
was abjured by the whole nation. He told me, that the whole
council found, I was a man of great parts, and also of good birth. I
replied, that, for my birth, I was related to the beat in the kingdom,
which I thought little of; and for my parts they were small; yet I
trusted so much to the goodness of that cause for which I was a
prisoner, that if they would give God that justice as to let his cause
be disputed, I doubted not to plead it against all that could speak
against it. It was cast up to me both at the council and here, that
there were not two hundred in the nation to own our cause. I
answered at both times, that the cause of Christ had been often
owned by fewer. I was pressed to take advice ; I answered, I would
advise With God and my own conscience, and would not depend on
men, and refused to debate any more, since it was to no purpose,
being troublesome to me, and not advantageous to the cause. At
the council, some said, I was possessed with a devil ; some one thing)
some another. The chancellor said I was a vicious man : I answered,
while I was so, I had been acceptable to him ; but now, when
otherwise, it was not so. He asked me, if I , would yet own that
cause with my blood, if at liberty ? I answered) both our fathers had

256 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
owned it with the hazard of their blood before me. Then was I
called by all, a murderer. I answered, God should decide it betwixt
us ; to whom I refer it, who were most murderers in his sight, they
or I?
*' You have an account, as near as I can give, of what passed among
us. Be you, and desire all others to be, earnest with God in my
behalf; for I am weak, and cannot stand without constant supplies
of the graces of his Spirit, O ! I am afraid lest I deny him : I have
rich promises, but I want faith. Pray and wrestle in my behalf, and
in behalf of the rest. And show this to my friends in that cause
with me, especially D. K. Let all lie before the Lord, that he
would show us the cause of his anger against us : and let me know,
with the first occasion, who of us were slain. Commend me to all
friends : and let none stumble at the cause, because of this. It was
often in my mouth to almost all, ' that if we purged not ourselves of
the public and particular sins among us, God would break us, and
bring a delivery out of our ashes.' Let none murmur at what we
should think our glory. And let ministers and others be afraid to
be more tender of men than God's glory. And however it be a
stumbling to some, let it be a token of the love of God, to bis
church, to you, and all that love his truth.- Pray for the out-lettings
of all the graces of God's Spirit to me, and all the rest. I have
need of patience, submission, humility, love to, and zeal for God ;
hope and faith above all, without which I am but a frail worm, and
will fall before these enemies of mine, inward and outward. And
thus recommending you to his grace, who hath bought us with his
precious blood, and remembering my love to all friends, I am, yours
in our sweet Lord, and Sympathizer in our afflictions : —
"DAVID HACKSTON."
" P. S. You may let others see this, but have a care to keep it ;
because I have no double, and it may be all my testimony. Send
nothing to me, for I am fully seen to, and have met with kindness
from all sorts ; > only friends have not liberty to see me. My love to
you and all friends. I said to Clerk Paterson, that I should have
seen Mr. Cargill's papers, before I had answered anent them."*
2. To a Christian Lady.
" Tolbooth of Edinburgh, July 28th, 1680.— Madam, The bearer
shows me, your ladyship desires to know what I mean by the Achan
I mentioned in my other ; which I shall explain : and alas ! that I
have such a wide field to walk in, when I name such a thing ; for
I know not how to find out the man that is free of the accursed
thing among us, for which God is contending against the land ;
especially against such as would be most free of the public sins, and
most downright for God. Only, I desire both to reverence, and
admire tbe holy wisdom and loving kindness of God, that is, by
these dark-like dispensations, purging his people, that he may bring
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 63 — 72.

DAVIO HACKSTON. 257
forth a chaste spouse to himself in Scotland. These are tokens of
his fatherly love : and I fear a delivery, while we stand guilty of such
things, as are so open whoredoms against our married husband,
might rather be looked upon as a bill of divorce, than joining again
in a married relation. And first, I must explain the national sins,
according to the light God hath bestowed upon me, out of his free
grace, who is not tied to any, but chooseth and revealeth himself to
whom he will ; and often glorifies his free grace, in making use
even of the greatest sinners, as I confess I have been one : which
national sins are contained in our national decrees.
"And first, the whole land is become guilty of idolatry, as it is
established by the acts of supremacy, especially in the act explana
tory; wherein all the declarative glory and prerogatives of Jesus
Christ are given to the king ; — which is fearful idolatry, in ascribing
that which he hath purchased with his precious blood, and received
from his Father, as his gift, and hath reserved as his peculiar glory ;
giving this, I say, unto a creature, whom, by this blasphemous
decree, we have set up in the room of Jesus Christ, as governor and
absolute head and judge in all ecclesiastic affairs : and by the same
decree, al) acts and laws contrary to it are rescinded, and the whole
word of "God, contained in the scriptures of both the Old and
New Testaments, are a law contrary to it, and so by this are
rescinded. Now, besides this sin of idolatry ; by the act rescissory,
all other acts, oaths, covenants, and engagements, that the lands are
lying under, sworn to God, and in his name, are rescinded* and
declared null : and in contempt of God, to whom, and in whose
name they were so solemnly sworn, and so often renewed, are burnt
by the hands of the hangman, through several places of these cove
nanted kingdoms. This is a legal perjury and breach of covenant,
unparallelable in sacred or profane history. Besides, in contempt of
the presence of God, seen at the meetings of his people convened
in his name, they have declared them rendezvouses of rebellion :
and by another act, have accounted it presumption for a minister to
preach without doors; — thus contemning the call of Christ ; whereby
they set themselves above God. I could instance many horrid
things acted and done by them, in their prosecuting the design of
having that idol of theirs fixed in the usurpation of the prerogatives
of Jesus Christ ; yet not doubting but your ladyship knows many
of them, I shall for brevity's sake omit : only, the land is filled, from
the one end to the other, with innocent blood, shed on that account;,
and with other terrible abominations, detestable among Turks and;
heathens : I think in God's righteous judgment, these men are given
up thereto, for the upfilling of the measure of their iniquity, that he
may be glorified in the stroke of his justice upon all ranks, which is
fast hastening, and that inevitably.
" But next, to mention who are guilty hereof; I know not how to
do it ; only I may say, I know none can be called free, and a freeing
of any, or ourselves thereof, is but a hardening ourselves against
God, and a defending sin against him, who is a ' swift witness, and
will not be mocked, but will bring forth the hidden things of
2 K

258 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
dishonesty to light.' And therefore, not to mention the idol of the
Lord's jealousy, or those that are prosecuting his wicked commands
under him, or prelates and their adherents, I judge, — and I fear, God
will esteem all guilty of these forementioned sins, that have any way
owned any of these, after their wickedness was discovered, and much
more, such as have by their personal deeds homologated these wicked
decrees, and that either by paying cesses for strengthening them in
their down-bearing of the meetings of God's people for his worship,
met in opposition to these wicked decrees, which is tbeir consent to,
and contribution for, the strengthening them in all their wickedness
against God, — or yet by subscribing any manner of bonds to them,
which is, an acknowledging them in that relation wherein they stand,
and are designing to fix themselves, when they- are pursuing, taking,
imprisoning, and letting them out on these bonds again. For, their
end in all their prosecutions of this nature, is to confirm themselves
in this usurpation of the crown of Christ, as head of the church : and
a subscribing any manner of bond prescribed by them, is, and will
be, in the sight of God, an acknowledging them as head of the
church, in the several stations wherein they have stated themselves ; —
the king as head, and they as factors under him, prosecuting his will,
and putting in execution his commands ; and an acknowledging any
other head, any manner of way, over the church, is directly a
denying of Christ before men, in his kingly office, which is a plain
denying of him, and hath sore threatenings annexed thereunto.
"Icould mention many other circumstances, wherein this generation
has touched the accursed thing, and has bowed the knee to that
Baal-like idol of tbe Lord's indignation and anger ; but I shall only
' mention besides these two, a third, of some who have appeared in
arms against God, for, and in company with his enemies. Now,
that way of giving and taking satisfaction for these sins, which some
are for, I cannot consent to : for first, these sinful practices being
practices immediately against God, and the first table of the law,
no satisfaction to man can be sufficient. I close not that door that
God hath opened in mercy to the really penitent, but, I say, real
evidences that God has forgiven, should be, before a joining with
such in society. I know the gospel should be preached to all, that
they may repent, — that being the means God hath appointed for
conversion, when men have sinned: but Oh ! when men after light
fall into these things, and others counsel and advise them to such
things, fearful shall their doom be, if God prevent them not in his
mercy ! Now, madam, there were some such among us ; and, as I
have observed, God has still punit-hed that party that has been
appearing for him, when they have taken in, and joined with, the
men of these abominations ; and has, as it were, laid by such as
have complied with the time's apostasy, — I doubt not, — reserving them
to the general stroke he is threatening the whole lands with. O
that one and all were making their soul's interest sure with God !
" Madam, I shall not mention the several steps of apostasy and
defection from God in these lands, in complying one way or other
with the stated enemies of the living God, to the strengthening them

DAVID HACKSTON. 259
in their usurpations of Christ's crown and privileges, and hardening
them in their sin, in shedding, so many ways, so much innocent blood,
and their other wicked courses : neither shall I mention that idolizing
of men that is among us, to the provoking of God, to let, yea, cause
them fall : neither that selfishness that is among us in our appearances
for God, which cannot away with a holy, spotless, and jealous God,
who ' will not give his glory to another.' Oh ! that one and all were
mourning for, and acknowledging our own and the land's guiltiness
in these things, and were seeking brokenness of spirit, which is a
sacrifice well-pleasing to God, that God might be reconciled tu
us, and set up by his Spirit, — his standard ; and gather in his own
people thereto ; and might let out his Spirit to one and all that are
called by his name. I doubt not but God will save a remnant,
but it will be of such in whom his free grace will be glorified, and not
of the great ones, that have not rendered to the Lord, according
to the talents he bestowed on them. Remember me to my fellow-
prisoners, especially such as are keeping their garments clean of
these pollutions ; and be earnest with God in my behalf, that he
would keep me standing, by bis free grace, — in this trial, — in patience,
humility, and godly fear. And I am, madam, your ladyship's, in all
humility, in Jesus Christ : —
"DAVID HACKSTON."*
3. To his Christian Friend N  .

" July 28, 1680. — Dear and Christian acquaintance, My love being
remembered to you and all friends in Jesus Christ ; these are to show
you and all others that I know and love the truth, as it is this day
owned by the smallest handful that pretend thereto ; ' and that I was
yesterday before the lords of justiciary. They charged me with several
things. I declined the king's authority as an usurper of the prerogatives
of the Son of God, whereby he hath involved the lands in idolatry,
perjury, and other wickednesses : and I declined them as exercising
under him the supreme power over the church, usurped from Jesus
Christ ; who, in carrying on their designs of confirming themselves in
their usurpations of the crown of Christ, had shed so much innocent
blood throughout the land : and that therefore I, as an owner of
Christ's right, and his kingly office, which they by their wicked
decrees had taken from him, durst not, with my own consent, sustain
them as competent judges ; but declined them as open and stated
enemies to the living God, and competitors for his throne and power,
belonging alone to him ; whereupon, I was dismissed, and at night
my indictment to compear to-morrow before an assize, was intimated.
Therefore I entreat you will, (for I know you have been moying with
God,) — cause other faithful friends set time apart, and inquire the
Lord's mind concerning me ; and be earnest with him in my behalf,
that he will glorify himself in me. You may send your letter to 
with a sure hand, who will give it to me. Wherever Mr. D. C. is,
¦ — acquaint him with my case, or send him this line ; for I know the
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 72—76.

260 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
mind of God is with him ; and desire him to write to me. I think,
I dare not misbelieve, but when fears assault me, I think there is a
voice saying to me, Fear not. Let none stumble at our cause, because
of the late dispensation ; it is God's cause, which was and is in our
hands, though he has punished us with his fatherly chastisements,
because of sin amongst us. ' Every tree tbat bringeth forth fruit, he
purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.' But, tbat which
decayeth and goeth backward, is laid by as useless. John Pollock
has been in the boots, but I am informed, he is not discouraged, but
is likely to be well again. My wounds are very sore, but, blessed be
God, he keeps me in a good temper, both of body and mind. I am
kindly enough used, wanting nothing. I recommend you, and all the
faithful, to the protection of him, wbo is the almighty God, and ever
lasting Father. No more, but rests, yours in our sweet Lord Jesus
Christ : —
« DAVID HACKSTON."*
4. To his Sister.
" Loving Sister, — I received yours, and the other with it, both to
my contentment and satisfaction : it makes me afraid, that the eyes
of many should be on me. Let all look to God ; I am frail, but
Christ is strong : I have his promise of through-bearing, and assurance
that he should honour me in his cause, before this. Lie low before
the Lord, and let others that are yet faithful be earnest on my behalf;
and do it in faith : < the prayers of tbe faithful avail much.' Have
you nothing, and tell all friends to have nothing to do with such, as
have ado with those that are sitting in that seat, and exercising that
power, which belongs alone to Christ. The stroke of the Lord's
anger is ready to be poured forth ; and those that have received
greatest talents from God, and have made that use of them, to
strengthen enemies' bands by bonds, or otherwise owning them, — shall
be most remarkable in the stroke ; and shall not be honoured to
testify for Christ, despised Christ, robbed Christ, contemned Christ,
by this generation. Remember me to all relations and friends : and
give warning to all to flee to Christ's truths and interest. If the
free grace of God be glorified in me, ought not all to praise him ?
' Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners.' Many of this
generation think they have so much grace that they cannot sin ; but
I must tell them, grace doth not warrant from sin, and they may so
think of it. " Sic Sub.— DAVID HACKSTON."

II. ARCHIBALD ALISON.
[Besides the worthy Author of the preceding letters, there were
two other individuals taken at Airsmoss, of whom Archibald
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp 76, 77. $ Ibid, pp 77, 78.

ARCHIBALD ALISON. 261
Alison was one. He seems to have belonged to Evan dale in
Lanarkshire — a district of country in which the supporters of the
Covenant were both numerous and respectable. With ¦ his com
panion in suffering, he was brought before the Justiciary on the 4th
of August — tried and condemned to be executed on the 1 1th, or
according to other accounts, on the 13th of that month, in the
Grassmarket of Edinburgh. This sentence he underwent accord
ingly. The following Testimony to the cause in which he suffered
he left behind him.]
" There have been many such sights seen in this place of execution,
since the year 1660, for this interest and cause, for which I have
received the sentence of death ; and here I am in your presence to
lay down my life this day ; for which I charge thee, O my soul, and
all that is within me, to bless and magnify the name of the Lord, who
can perfect his praise, and bring a testimony out of tbe mouths of
babes or sucklings ; yea, before he want some to seal his testimony,
even if it were from the beasts of tbe field, he will not want, as in
Balaam's days, the dumb ass speaking with man's voice, gave a
testimony against the madness of the prophet Wherefore, unworthy
as I am, I am come here, and beg your ear and attention, — ye who are
spectators and auditors — if the Lord shall permit me to speak a few
words, and I shall be but brief.
" There are many come here this day to hear and see me lay down
this tabernacle of mine, that hath various ends, but our Lord knows
you all and your ends both : it is true, God is my witness, that I
judge myself the unworthiest person of any tbat have lost their blood
for this honourable cause. He has been pleased to take a testimony
from noblemen, gentlemen, ministers, and poor ploughmen lads, and
tradesmen of several sorts, which is a token for good, that he has yet
a kindness for these covenanted lands. And I bless the Lord with
all my heart, that ever he called me with his heavenly calhng : I bless
the Lord, that I have a life to lay down for his sake ; glory to tbe
Lord, that I shall have blood and wounds in his cause.
" But to come more particularly to the purpose in hand, the articles
of my indictment were these : — First, they charged me with rebellion,
for joining with these they call rebels, and declared enemies to the
king, and enemies to all good government : for my own part I never
called them so. I declare here where I stand before him who will be
my Judge within a little, my design in coming forth with arms, was
to hear the gospel preached truly and faithfully, and I know it was
the design of that poor handful to defend the gospel, and to keep up
a witness and testimony against the abounding corruptions that this
deed is filled with from end to end, and to plead with the Lord that
he would not make a total removal therefrom. Yea, I heard Mr.
Richard Cameron say : — ' My friends, we are not to compare ourselves
with Gideon's three hundred men, no not at all ; our design is to have
you examined, how ye are, and what ye are ; to choose two or three
of the foot, and two or three of the horse, that are found fittest
qualified for elders, to try your principles, to try your life and

262 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
conversation, and to have you being Christians. Our number was
more the last day, and we gave them free leave to go home, and only
but a few handful to stay ; for we design not to fall upon any party
of the forces, except they be few in number, and oppose us in keeping
up the gospel in the fields, for I am persuaded that one meeting in
the fields has been more owned and countenanced by His presence
with His people, than twenty house meetings, as they are now bought ;
and therefore make no strife among yourselves about officers, because
they are but men ; yea, I think there is not a man among you all
meet for it ; we are not meet to be a minister to you, only we are
to wait till the Lord provide better ; and ye that are not satisfied to
stay in defence of the gospel, good-morrow to you, whatsoever ye be.'
And so I thought it was rational and warrantable both from the word
of God, and our solemn vows and covenants, which you and the whole
land are engaged unto. — Now, ye see what was my motive to join
with that handful, and in this I have peace, and on this ground I lay
down my life. There is a second motive I had, for which I thought
myself bound to own that persecuted cause and interest of my blessed
Lord and Master, Jesus Christ : I being about two years ago in
Carrick, and hearing the precious gospel of Jesus Christ; in these
glorious days, the shining of the countenance of our Lord was
discernibly seen there, both upon his ministers and people ; I thought
it my duty to mark it. The Lord did so soften and animate my heart
at that time, that I made it my work how I might win to clearness
how to state myself, being among tbe deceitful indulged ministers, and
finding several places of scripture calling me out from them, as that
known scripture, ' If the Lord be God, follow him ; but if Baal, then
follow him. Come out from among them, my people, and touch not
the unclean thing,' &c. ' Touch not, taste not, handle not, which are
all to perish with the using.' I thought it was dreadful to be halting
between two opinions. On the other hand, I had some scriptures
concerning the cross that attends pure religion and undefiled. 1'he
Lord who has called me here to-day, to seal these truths, wrought
with an irresistible power on my heart, that good word of his in the
xviii. Psal. 46, 47, 48. verses, ' The Lord liveth ; and blessed be
my Rock; and let tbe God of my salvation be exalted. It is God
that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. He delivereth
me from mine enemies : yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise
up against me : thou hast delivered me from the violent man.' This
makes me rejoice. ' The Lord of hosts is on my side.' * The God
of Jacob is my defence,'. &c. O so strongly as this binds and obliges
me to suffer, and count all joy now to go np this ladder ! And 1
had occasion to be at several other meetings, I bless the Lord for it :
I bless the Lord that ever he made choice of me, who was a
miserable sinner, to lay down my life for his cause : and so I die not
by constraint or force, but willingly at his command.
" There is another clause in my indictment, and sentence of death.
They say, that I walked up and down the country, murdering,
destroying, and oppressing the subjects. But, I say, I did never
mind the like. And so they have (as they have done to many a

ARCHIBALD ALISON. 263
one) assized and sentenced me wrongously ; for I did never mind to
murder or rob any man : therefore I am clear to charge them guilty
of my blood, and to give my testimony against them, as murderers of
the servants and people of God, in their being about the service and
worship of God, as I was.
" In the next place, I believe that all the scriptures of the Old and
New Testament are the word of the eternal and ever living God, given
by Divine, inspiration ; and that every duty commanded therein ought
to be obeyed and performed upon the greatest peril and hazard, and
that every crooked and false way should be avoided and guarded
against, whatever be the seeming advantages which may accompany
the embracing of it, under the pain of being led forth with the workers
of iniquity, when he shall pronounce peace on his Israel. 2dly. I
give my witness and join my adherence to the Confession of Faith,
the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, National and Solemn League and
Covenant, with our Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins, and Engage
ment to Duties. 3dly. I adhere to the Church-government by general
assemblies, synods, presbyteries, and kirk-sessions, according as it was
established in the year 1648. 4thly. I give my testimony to that
faithful declaration at Rutherglen, the 29th of May, 1679. 5thly. I
adhere, and give my testimony to the declaration at Sanquhar, June
22, 1680, together with the paper gotten at the Ferry upon Henry
Hall, June 3, 1680.* 6thly. I give my testimony and set to my seal
to all the former testimonies sealed by the blood of them who have
been murdered on scaffolds, in the fields, and in the sea, from the year
1660, to this day; and by all the imprisonments, and banishment of
exiled and wandering ones, and by all the spoilings and robbings,
oppression, stigmatizing, scourging, and booting, and other horrid
cruelties, which have been committed by the enemies of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
" On the other hand : — 1st. I enter my protestation before the Judge
of all, both living and dead, before whom I am to appear within a
little time, against all the encroachments made upon the prerogatives
of our Lord Jesus Christ, particularly against Popery, Quakerism,
and Prelacy, and all their underlings, and the joiners with them ; and
against all supremacy that is contrary to the word of God ; and
against all Erastianism ; and against both the indulgences first and
last, and all the joiners with, connivers at, and supporters of it ; and
against the silence in watchmen at this day, in not giving faithful
warning, according to that in Isa. lviii. 1. ' Cry aloud, and spare not;
lift up thy voice like a trumpet, show Israel their sins, and the house
of Jacob their transgressions ;' — and against her ambiguous and dark
applications, so that the sin of the times is not touched, lest they
irritate the magistrates, and bring themselves in hazard of our Lord's
cross ; which was an evil creeping in long ago, which the assembly
condemned in the ministers ; and ordered them to be suspended, if
they did not amend ; and seeing no humiliation for such a great sin,
they were to be deposed. 2dly. I enter my protestation against all
" Commonly called the Queensferry Paper, and drawn up by Mr. Cargill.

264 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
those wbo have declared themselves opposite' to our Lord Jesus
Christ, and have displayed a banner for Satan ; not only tolerating,
but acting and committing all manner of abominations, and horrid
cruelties in things civil and ecclesiastical. 3dly. I enter my protestation
against all declarations, proclamations, bonds, cess, and militia money,
for keeping standing forces with a displayed banner against our Lord ;
and against all profanity, looseness, and lukewarmness, and all the
backslidings of the Church of Scotland, since our entering into
covenant with God to this day.
" Now, Sirs, I have given you but a short hint of my faith and
principles ; and also of the motives which moved me to join witb the
serious seekers of God ; and also the grounds of my indictment, and
sentence of death : also some little glance at the corruptions of the
times. I have here joined my testimony to the sufferings of the
people of God, and I have entered my protestation against some open
sins, which are obvious to all who have not willingly yielded them
selves to work wickedness. O ! it is but little that I can say ! it would
take a long summer day to rank tbem up, and not win at them all : for
my part, I am but ignorant, my capacity can but reach to little things.
It may be tbat ye will take but little notice to what the like of me
Bays, but I cannot help it. Now, as a dying man, I leave all these
things to your consideration, if this prelatic and indulged party be tbe
party, to be meddled with, and owned, pleaded for and defended ;
what think ye of them that have gone before us ? What think ye of
Argyle, and Mr. Guthrie, that .were men of understanding? What
think ye of Mr. Kid, and Mr. King, and that gentleman that suffered
last at the cross ?* Nay, what think ye of religion and the cost of it ?
What think ye of heaven, and glory that is at the back of the cross ?
The hope of this makes me look upon pale death as a lovely messenger
to me. I bless the Lord for my lot this day.
I shall come shortly to a close, only I beg leave to speak a word
to two or three sorts of folks ; and I think, all may be comprehended
under these three. I entreat you take heed ; I wish I may not be a
stumblingblock to any, that is looking on me this day. ' Blessed is
he,' says Christ, ' that shall not be offended in me, and my followers.'
lite first sort is the seekers of God ; I have a word to you : ye have
kirk and state upon your top ; ye get leave to weep a long night,
and have none to comfort you : and if you cry, * Watchman, what
of the night ?' the watchmen are drunk and fallen asleep, they
cannot tell. ' Can these dry bones live ? Lord, thou knowest.'
Ye are seeing the godly cut off, one way and another ; ye are hearing
them that have tbe root of the matter in them crying up a sinful
union ; and ministers will not tell you what is your duty or danger.
O my dear friends, cast not away your confidence ; ye must come
through many tribulations ; but there is a begun heaven fur you at
night. ' Seek ye the Lord, ye meek of the earth : ye shall be hid
in the day of the Lord's anger.' There is no persecution in heaven,
where our Lord's enemies shall never come : I shall not take upon
• i. e. Mr. Hackston of Rathillet.

ARCHIBALD ALISON. 265
me to say, who of them will not come to heaven ; but this I may
say, if they come, it will be more than ordinary humiliation they
must have : as it is said of Manasseh ; that ' he humbled himself
greatly before the Lord God of his fathers.' Friends, give our Lord
credit ; he is always good ; but O he is good in a day of trial, and
he will be sweet company through the ages of eternity. '- There is
none like the God of Jeshurun, that rides upon the heaven in thy
help, and in his excellency on the sky. And underneath are the
everlasting arms, and he will save his people.' And secondly, I have
a word to say to you that are godly ; hut alas, you have wronged the
cause ; for which, I fear, ye have iost the countenance of God, and
will not get it again in haste ; ye have ' waxed fat and kicked ;' ye
have flung at God (so to speak), ye have said ' a confederacy' with
enemies, for a false peace ; ye have been crying peace and union
with the indulged, because they are godly men. I say before the Lord,
that ye, and these godly men, have most basely betrayed the kirk of
Scotland ; ye shall go to heaven in a fiery chariot, ye shall hardly
get leave to suffer but go away in a stink, for your complying and
shunning the cross. Thirdly, a word to the ungodly. O ye atheists
and ungodly magistrates, full of perjury and bloodshed, ye have
nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. The blood of the
Lord's martyrs, that has been shed these eighteen or nineteen years
within this city, will be charged home upon you, as well as upon the
assizers. Ye counsellors, your work will be rewarded. Ye criminal
lords, remember, ' the saints shall judge the earth,' and shall shortly
be in equal terms with you ; and they shall stand upon mount Zion
with the Lamb, and give their consents against you ; and shall shortly
cry, ' Hallelujah, hallelujah,' to your condemnation. And therefore
I obtest you, in the bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye will
desist from your wicked courses, and lie in the dust, and mourn for
all your abominations ; ' Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish.' Ye ignorant and profane drunkards, swearers, and sabbath
breakers, repent, or else ye shall likewise perish. And now, I take
my farewell of all the serious seekers of God for a short time : and
you that are calm, prudent professors, I leave you under process till
you repent, for casting off Christ and his cross, and for ' bringing up
an evil report on the good land,' and for your wronging of the cause.
And ye rulers, farewell for evermore, without repentance and deep
humiliation for wronging of Christ and his people. Return my soul
unto thy quiet rest ! Farewell all created comforts in time : and
welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, into thy hands I commit my
spirit. " Sic sub :— ARCHIBALD ALISON."*
• Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 78 — 84.

2 L

266 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.

III. JOHN MALCOM.
[John Malcom, was the other of the Two, who, along with Mr.
Hackston, were taken at Airsmoss. He was by trade a weaver,
and belonged to the parish of Dairy, in the Stewartry of Kirk
cudbright. Along with his companion, he was charged with
having been at Bothwell-bridge and Airsmoss, in arms, which
they judicially confessed, and were sentenced accordingly. " They
died," says Wodrow, " in great assurance, and with comfortable
hopes of well being." He left a Testimony to the cause for which
he suffered, and it is as follows :]
" I desire the audience of you, who are here spectators and auditors,
to hear some words of a dying man, ready to offer up this taber
nacle in your sight, who would have it among my last wishes, that
you would consider your ways and your doings, that are not good,
and not harden your hearts as in the provocation ; for, ye have to do
with a holy God, who is quickly about to come in flaming fire, to
take vengeance on all the ungodly profane persons, who are living at
ease in Zion, and rejoicing in the afflictions of the people of God.
I would obtest you, in the bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
you would break off your pernicious ways, and make peace with
God while he would make peace with you, lest ye be destroyed in
the overflowing flood of his wrath. There has been flockings and
gatherings to see others, who are gone before me, that have been
wonderfully countenanced and owned with the evident presence of
God, — convincingly helping some to go through the jaws of death,
rejoicing and looking profane on-lookers out of countenance, — and
have given their testimonies against the abominations committed in
the land. And I am come hither, who am the un worthiest of any
that have gone before me. Now, before I come further, I would
ask you, what you think of religion ? What think you can it be,
that makes men go to death with so great peace and sweetness ?
Ye have heard what malefactors have had to say. Think ye not
it strange, that a rational man can enter upon eternity, leaving such
a testimony as ye have heard ? And, I hope the Lord will help me
in less or more to be faithful and free in leaving my testimony in the
sight and presence of him, who is the sovereign Judge of all the
earth, before whom I must stand in a short time.
" The cause of my coming here this day is, because I was found
with that poor persecuted handful, who are the people that were
singly adhering to the honour and glory of God, — now when he is
threatening to bring in his sore plagues upon this apostate church,
that has ' played the harlot with many lovers ;' — for which he will
bring on indignation, wrath and pain, upon many. But this is ground
of encouragement to the seekers of God, (1.) That he is keeping up
party in the land, that see it their duty to contend for his cause
and interest, and shall ' overcome through the blood of the Lamb,
and by the word of their testimony, who are not loving their lives
unto tbe death ;' to contend for his cause and interest. For, be hath

JOHN MALCOM. 267
said, Ezek. vii. 16. * But they that escape of them shall escape, and
be like the doves upon the mountains, mourning every one of them
for his iniquities.' Now, I seeing and considering upon the one
hand, what treacherous dealings are hatched up among the ministers
and professors in this poor church, and on the other hand considering
what the Lord had done formerly, I thought, I was convinced in
conscience, — and from respect to the honour of God, which I had
before mine eyes, — and the good of my own soul. I was constrained
by an influence of the Spirit, bearing in that word upon my heart,
which we have, 1 Kings xviii. 21. 'And Elijah came unto all the
people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions ? if the
Lord be God, then follow him ; but if Baal be God, then follow
him.' The Lord determined me to join myself with that party, and
I do not repent it this day. I count it my duty, and no sin nor
rebellion. I think it my credit to serve such a noble master : and
indeed I wonder at his condescendency, that ever he sought service
from such a wretched sinner as I have been, who lived a stranger to
him all my days ; but O wonderful love ! O wonder at the matchless
acts of the Lord's condescendency, and incomprehensible ways with
me ! that he has made choice of such a poor, weak, frail, pickle
of dust as I am ; and has led me out and in, and has brought me to
this place of execution, to give my testimony to his work, cause and
interest ; and has passed by the eminent, wise, and prudent in the
land, and has made choice of such a feckless nothing as I am ; but
blessed be his glorious name, that will have his word made out, that
' out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, he can perfect his praise.'
(2.) And this likewise is ground of hope to you that are weak, and
cannot venture on suffering, being sensible of your own weakness ;
' to the weak he increaseth strength.' And this is another ground
of hope, that he takes the blood and wounds of poor weak things to
seal his truths.
" It cannot be expected that I shall be very formal in what I say,
I being no scholar, nor yet old in experience. And besides, after I
had received my sentence, I was taken out of a private room, and
put in the irons among bad company, except two days before this.
The ground of my indictment was, 1st, that I am against tbe king's
forces, and fired upon them under the command of Earlshall. I
declare, I intended not to resist, but being put to it, in defence of the
gospel, and my own defence, I did resist them to my power. 2dly
That I had been with that party in the months of April, May, and
June. I was but two days with them, intending no other thing, but
to hear the gospel, and for this I suffer, I bless the Lord, ' not as an
evil-doer,' but for my duty : for ye know we are all bound in
covenant, both kirk and state, according to the coronation oath : tbe
covenants were owned and sworn, both by the supreme magistrate,
the nobles, gentry, and commons of all sorts. The Lord did
wonderfully shine upon this land, so that it became the glory of the
whole world ; the fame of it went abroad, and was renowned
through the nations. I have heard that if a stranger of another
kingdom had come into a church of this land, there was such a frame

268 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
of spirit among the people, that the stranger would have thought
that they had been all saints. The church, then, was ' fair as the
moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.' But
we have not been content with these days : then the swearer was
bound up from oaths, and the drunkard's throat ran dry, ' iniquity
stopped her mouth.' The Lord was with his people in those days :
the gospel was successful : and yet I can say, there have been a s
great days of the gospel in the west of Scotland, in the foresaid
months, in the fields, as were in Scotland, since it was Scotland. I
am sure, the gospel preached by Mr. Richard Cameron, especially,
was backed with the power and presence of Christ ; as much of
Christ and heaven were found, as finite creatures on earth were able
to bold, yea, and more than they could hold ; the streams of the
living waters ran through among his people at these meetings, like a
flood upon the souls of many, who can witness, if they were called
to it, that tbey would not have been afraid of ten thousands : ' the
shout of a king was heard among them ;' the fruits of it, I am
hopeful, shall appear after this. All the troopers and dragoons in
the three kingdoms will never get that fire of love tbat is kindled in
the breasts of some in that country quenched ; it will never be
quenched ; it will not rot. The fathers will be telling the children
of it, when they are old men, who are not taken away from the
wrath that is coming on, to avenge the quarrel of a broken covenant ;
they will be telling, ' that in the year 1680, there were as great
days as there are now, (when tbere were prelates through these
lands) upon the mountains up and down this west : it was then tbat
I got the zeal of God upon my >soul.' And they shall say, ' who
were they that preached in mosses and mountains, and not in the
kirks or houses ? did not all the godly ministers, when the apostate
prelates were in the land, go out and witness and testify against
them, with their lives in their bands ?' And the fathers will say,
' Know, my children, tbey had run well fo$ a season, but they
wearied, and yielded up the church's liberties to a tyrant king, of the
name of Charles : and he set up the prelates, and they made the
land full of curates under them ; and after that, some that stayed off
a while, then turned council curates, and these council curates
beguiled the rest of them, and Erastianism was universal ; but the
moderate-indulged in judgment, would have silenced Mr. Richard
Cameron from preaching, but the Lord had said to him, ' go, and I
will go with thee ;' and so he was wonderfully helped. Indeed the
Lord countenanced him after that, and deserted them, and he died a
martyr, and had his head set up upon a port, beside other three of
his brethren ; and many that wrote against him, and had him in
derision, went away with a stink.' They will have this to say, and
tell to the young ones yet unborn ; < the righteous man shall be had
in everlasting remembrance.' Indeed, my friends, if any such be
hearing me, I may say, truly a great man in our Israel fell at
Airsmoss the 22d of July, 1680. And now, if I were set at
liberty, with a provision that I were not found with Mr. Donald
Cargill, whom 1 pray the Lord may keep from sinning, I would yet

JOHN MALCOM. 269
again join with that persecuted party, although they should use me,
as they did that eminently worthy gentleman that suffered before us.
So I am not in the dark how and for what I suffer. I am clear that
I was in my duty, and I have peace in it since, and I grow still
clearer in it, glory to his name : for it is true that after I got my
indictment, and received my sentence, I wanted the countenance of
God ; for I never knew that the Lord loved me, but since that time ;
hut I was never in the dark about the righteousness of the cause : I
knew it would bear a suffering unto blood and death. And now, I
am clear of my interest, and clear as to the grounds that I am laying
down my life for this day. I could wish that every hair of my head
were a life for his sake, and his persecuted cause. I die in the
faith of the true protestant religion, in doctrine, discipline, and worship,
as it was received in the year 1638, and in the year 1649. I join
my adherence to the government of this church, as it was reformed
from popery, prelacy, Erastianism, and supremacy. And I join my
cordial testimony to the church's laws and statutes at that time, as
she was governed by general assemblies, synods, presbyteries, visita
tions and sessions ; and to days of humiliation for sin, solemn days of
thanksgiving in receipt of mercies bestowed, and censures for trying
out persons of erroneous principles, either ministers or private persons.
I adhere to the Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter
Catechisms, the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagements
to duties, the National and Solemn League and Covenaut, and the
Protestation at St. Johnstoun. 1 join my testimony to and approba
tion of these papers at Queensferry, the 3d of June 1680. I adhere
to that faithful testimony at Rutherglen the 29th of May, 1679.
I join my testimony to that last testimony or declaration affixed upon
the market cross of Sanquhar the 22d of June, 1680. I witness my
testimony to the late appearance at Airsmoss the 22d of July, 1680,
where the Lord's worthies fell. Likewise I witness my testimony,
and set to my seal against that horrid murder of that eminently
worthy and famous, godly gentleman, David Hackston of Rathillet.
Likewise, against all the blood shed in the fields, scaffolds, and the
sea, these nineteen years. I enter my protestation against popery,
quakerism, supremacy, Erastianism, indulgences first and last ; and
against arbitrary power over civil and ecclesiastical matters, further
than the bounds appointed by the word of God. Likewise, I witness
my testimony against the pleaders for union, siding, joining, bailing
with usurpers of Christ's crown, sileuce in watchmen, and all their
contrivances, impositions, instructions, or limitations, they put upon
the young men to be licensed, prescribing a rule to them, to order
their ministry so and so, — their papers and pamphlets they have put
on lately, to lead men over to that woful indulgence, under the fair
pretext of union, which is dreadful underhand dealing, to bring the
people under the shadow of the Lord's adversaries. I enter my
protestation against the national declaration put forth in the year
1661, and all their declarations since, and all their bonds and oaths
imposed upon the Lord's people. Likewise, against the paying of
cess and militia money ; and against their imprisonments, stigmatizing,

270 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
booting, and burning with fire matches, fining and confining, robbing
and spoiling, banishment, oppression, rigour of masters of tolbooths.
And because of tbat mistake, that they say in my indictment, that
presbyterians, and I amongst the rest, had cast off all fear of God,
and are against all good order and civil law ; I declare I adhere to
Singly government^ but not to perjury and tyranny, turning upside
down church and state, contrary to the word of God, our covenants,
and the laws of the nation ; and contrary to the declaration at
Dunfermline, the coronation oath, and the acts of general assembly,
and acts of parliament, ratifying presbytery, and abjuring this prelatic
hierarchy, which is now established, and presbytery rescinded. And,
I bear my testimony against those that have been, and yet are
pleading for the favour (as they call it) of the Act of Indemnity,
after the murdering of Mr. King and Mr. Kid, who were executed
that day the proclamation was read over the Cross, the 14th day of
August, 1679 ; and against their justiciary courts, to insnare and
impannel the poor people of God in the west of Scotland.
" I shall draw to a close shortly ; but I might (if I had time)
enlarge further upon these. I will say only this to you, who are
looking upon me this day, that my lot is hard, but I bless the Lord
for it ; ' The captain of my salvation was made perfect through
suffering.' No man has wronged me by counsel or advice ; so I am
persuaded that the cause is the Lord Jesus Christ's cause, and he will
own it. ' And whosoever touches any of his people, touches the
apple of his eye. For he sends none a warfare upon their own
charges,' and in his own time ' he will make inquisition for the blood
of all his saints,' because ' it is right precious in his sight.' And when
he makes inquisition after their blood, and searches them out that
troubled his people, I would not be the king of Britain, nor a coun
sellor, prelate, or malignant, for a world : and whatever I be, yet I am
persuaded, they have the blood of his dear saints in their skirts, which
are this day under the altar, crying, - How long, O Lord, holy and
just, wilt thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth !'
You got Mr. King's advice on the scaffold, to be more sparing of
shedding more blood ; for within a short time, he told you, he would
be on equal terms witb you that judged him guilty of death : but that
doth not warn the rulers of this kingdom. Do not think that I am
quarrelling for the taking of my blood ; no, it is love to your souls that
obliges me to speak thus. O what can be expected, but that the Lord
has his sword furbished for blood, and he will have a day of nobles' blood !
The Lord bas been smiting and wounding his church and people, and
blood has touched blood. Pentlandhills hath touched Mr. Guthrie's
blood ; and Bothwell touched Pentland ; and the drowned in the sea
touched Bothwell ; and Airsmoss the drowned in the sea ; and our
blood toucheth that which was spilt the 22d of July last : O that at last
ye would be persuaded to desist, and spill no more blood ; O that the
Lord himself would stop the effusion of more innocent blood, if it may
stand with his honour. But if any more be for his honour and
service ; Lord, keep thy people when they are called to it, to say with
David, ' Here am I, let him do to me as seemeth him good.'

JOHN MALCOM. 271
" I am also apprehensive, that the Lord hath a great sacrifice of the
bodies of multitudes, and that he will give the flesh and blood of
many to the fowls of the air ; and he minds to give the fowls and
birds a feast of flesh and blood. O Scotland ! wilt thou never be
wise, until thou be betrayed into the hands of thine enemies ? Truly,
J think it is incredible, that this land will get leave to pass long, and
pot be swept with the besonl of justice : the Lord is really angry with
this land : for I know no person, no not one, but he has just ground
of controversy with. It is astonishing to me, to think on the sparing
mercies of God towards these lands. For my part, I am glad that he
calls me away after this manner, for which I desire with my soul to
bless him, for his kindness to me, in taking this method and way with
Buch a wretched sinner as I am, who deserves nothing but wrath, and
only wrath ; but glory to the riches of his grace, who • came into the
World to save sinners, of whom I am the chief : he is a noble High
Priest indeed. I must draw to a close ; I entreat your patience a
little, and I shall say but these three or four things shortly. 1st. I
Would entreat you that are strangers to God, make haste and flee
tmto God for your life, — .from this consideration, that all who had
union and communion with God are now landed in glory, have died
in the faith of it, that there are glorious days coming, and that the
Lord will reckon with his enemies, and pay them liberally, for all
the wrongs done to his cause and people. ' And it shall come to
pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones,
that are on the earth, and the kings of the earth, upon the earth ; they
shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered into the pit, and
shall be shut up in the prison, and- after many days they shall be
visited ; then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed,
when the Lord shall reign over mount Zion and Jerusalem, and before
his ancients gloriously.' You may read it at your leisure, in the 24th
chap, of Isaiah, from the 21st verse to the end. There is another
word in the xxxvi. of Job, 18th verse : it is a word of advice, given
by Elihu to Job ; ' Because there is wrath, beware lest he take you
away with a stroke ; then a great ransom cannot deliver you.' 2dly.
It is my comfort this day, that my enemies are God's enemies. It is
the allowance he bestows on poor things, in the following of their
duty ; — though they have not much knowledge in religion, nor great
experience, yet if they be faithful in the little, he helps them to be
faithful in much. Ye know he says, ' Because thou hast been faithful
in what I committed to thee, have thou rule over five cities.' I know,
that it is commonly reported, that they have not much grace that
adhere to this persecuted way ; as I take in myself among them, who
never had great gifts, nor parts, nor heart experience, — yet he has told
me, since I received the sentence of death by men who are the Lord's
sword, ' That faithfulness in this juncture of time, in not denying his
name, shall be an excuse for many infirmities.'* Among all the strong
* This sentiment will probably appear to the pious and reflecting reader to bo
inconsistent with right views of the Christian system. The Editor is con
strained to confess that it does appear in this light to him. It must readily

272 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
contenders, none get the prize but the sincere man, the resolute
man, and they who are determined, as Esther was, to go, though it
should cost them their life. And this is the time that the people
of God should be at holding and drawing, rugging and riving, or ever
the enemies of our Lord possess his crown, and bruik it with peace.
And this, I must add to these that are biassed, I shall be a dying
witness against ministers and professors that made it their work to
brand and clothe that faithful minister and martyr of Jesus Christ *
with odious names and notorious lies, in calling him a Jesuit, and
saying that he received the Pope's gold, and that he was a great
favourite of the duke of York, a declared papist ; whilst I know, and
many eminent Christians know, that he hated him as a limb of Satan ;
and also they said, that the troopers had commission to pass him by,
rather than any man, even after the declaration came out, to give 5000
merks for him dead or alive. Go and lie in the dust for what you
have said of him ; and what you have said of Mr. Kid ; I bless the
Lord that ever I saw his face, that ever I heard him preach. 3dly.
Give me leave to say this. much ; — I am afraid the apostasy of Scotland,
the neutrality and formality that is among both ministers and
professors, have shaped out this church and land of Britain, in length
and breadth, with the church of Laodicea, whom the Lord threatens
' to spue out of his mouth,' as a loathsome thing, and then he will
have pleasure in his Zion. Yet ye see, he is snedding down a
Guthrie, a Wei wood, a King, a Kid, a Brown, and a Cameron, and
the like of a Henry Hall, and a Robert Dick, that were contending
for the truth, and for restoring the privileges of the church : and these
were counted disturbers of your sinful union with the enemies of the
Lord. Lay it to heart ; now their blood is shed for the cause, and ye
are not free of it ; but ye can wipe your mouth, and say, ye are
innocent ! Remember that, in the fiftieth psalm, and 18th verse,
' When thou sawest a thief, thou joinedst with him ; and this the
Lord hath seen, and kept silence :' remember and mourn for it, ' lest
he tear you in pieces, when there is none to deliver.' The court
favour is too short a covering, it will not hide you : therefore as a
dying man, I warn you as from the Lord, ' Consider your ways and
your doings, that have not been good,' and cast yourselves out of the
court favour, otherwise I declare ye shall not get tbe favour of God.
4thly. If ye will set about some days of humiliation before the Lord,
and take with you your sins, and the sin of crying up this clatty liberty,
which is the price of blood. ' If ye will return to the Lord, then return
with all your heart ; for he is merciful and gracious, and repents him
of the evil that he threatens, neither will he give way to his anger.'
occur to every one who gives a moment's thought to the subject — that man, of
himself, cannot procure, or merit forgiveness for the slightest deficiency by any
exercise of patience, and fortitude, however extraordinary ; that, being at the
very best, nothing more than his duty.
* The person here alluded to was most probably Richard Cameron, whom
the greater part of his brethren in the ministry were inclined to regard as
animated by a zeal without knowledge, and of whom, it is not impossible, some
might cherish still harder thoughts, as specified in the text.

JOHN MALCOM. 273
He did so to me ; I no sooner began to look to him, but he made me
welcome, and put me to work, though I be but young, and know
nothing : he was tender of me, he took me to Bothwell-bridge, to own
his cause ; and I had many temptations to stay ; what from my mother,
and from one hand and another ; but I durst not for my soul stay
behind. I thought it my duty to join myself with that party against
tbe Lord's enemies, and the Lord was good to me there many ways ; he
covered my head in the day of battle, and suffered not one hair of my
head to fall to the ground, and he suffered many better than me a
thousand times, to fall on all hands of me : so I thought then I held
my life of him : and the Lord brought me to the Grayfriars' church
yard, though I came almost naked, yet he mounted me better than
ever I was before Tyith clothes, and wonderfully provided for me
beyond many others. I bless the Lord, my mother's sickness did not
keep me from Bothwell-bridge ; and when I was in the Grayfriars'
church-yard, I was threatened with death by the. Justice-general, who
swore a great oath, that I should die if I would not take the bond.
I told him, as it was true, that many better than I had been hanged ;
but I was brought out of his hand ; and the Lord took me to the sea,
and did deliver me from the ragings thereof, when he suffered many
better to lose their lives.* And when he laid his hand upon me by
* Our martyr here refers to an event the most deeply tragical perhaps, in its
consequences, of any that took place during the whole course of the persecution
in Scotland ; viz. the loss, partly by shipwreck, and partly by the inhumane
conduct of the sailors, of about Two hundred of the prisoners taken at the battle
of Bothwell, who refused the proposed bond. After detaining them for about
two months within the Grayfriars' church-yard, the council resolved to banish
them to the colonies. With this view, they entered into an arrangement with
one Paterson, a merchant in -Edinburgh, who undertook to transport them
accordingly. This arrangement was not completed till the month of November,
when the prisoners had been about five months in confinement. Of the
circumstances that followed, we give the following detail from Wodrow, which,
though somewhat long, cannot but be perused with interest by every person of
common humanity: —
" Upon the 15th of November 257 of the prisoners were taken out of the
Grayfriars' church-yard, early in tbe morning, before any of their friends knew
of it ; and for any thing I can find, they had no previous intimation of it given
to themselves. Yea, such was the cruelty used, that 30 of them who were
dangerously ill, of distempers contracted by their hard usage, were hurried
away with the rest, and no pity shewn them.
" They were carried down under a guard to Leith, put aboard a ship lying in
the Road, and continued twelve days in the Road before they sailed. The
barbarity executed upon them in the ship cannot be expressed. They were
stowed under deck in so little room that most part of them behoved still to
stand, to give room to such as were sickly, and seemingly dying : they were
penned so close, that they almost never got themselves moved, and were almost
stifled for want of air ; two hundred and fifty-seven of them being pent up in
the room which would scarce have contained a. hundred, — many of them
frequently fainted, being almost suffocated.
" The seamen's rudeness, and inhumanity to them was singular : when lying
in the Road, not only did they hinder their friends to see them, or minister to
their necessities, but they narrowed them very much in the bread they ought
to have had, and allowed them little or no drink, though the master had con
tracted to give both : to that pitch were they brought, that divers of them were
forced to drink their own urine to quench the extremity of their thirst.
2 M

274 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
sickness, he made me to be favoured by all my enemies : he healed
me, and brought me home ; and then he called me out to hear the
gospel ; for which I desire to bless him, and within a little while, I
shall praise him for it.
" The Lord was so seen amongst his persecuted handful tbere, that
he did engage me to join with them who were hazarding their lives
upon the fields for him. I was at that late engagement, and the Lord
took some work off my hand there ; and has brought me to this place,
this day, to lay down my life for his sake ; and this is the last combat
I shall have ; I shall work no more : I must take my leave of you all,
and so rest in his love. I go where ' all tears shall be wiped away ;'
where ' the servant is made free from his master,' — to the land where
' the inhabitants shall not say, they are sick.' Now, be not discouraged
at the w#ys of God's providence to me ; for I can assure you, the
cause is his own, and he will own it. ' For lo, thine enemies shall
perish.' I would have every one of you seeking the favour of God :
for ye will have ado with it at death and judgment : the greatest
persecutor or malignant will have sore missing of His favour in
that day. O seek him in time ! and the Lord help his poor young
" 'Tis with much truth then, that I find one of themselves, James Corsan, a
pious serious person, in some letter of his, dated Leith Road, complaining to his
wife and friends, ' that all the trouble they met with since Bothwell was not to
be compared to one day in their present circumstances ; that their uneasiness
was beyond words ;' yet he owns, in very pathetical terms, 'that the consola
tions of God overbalanced all, and expresses his hopes that they are near their
port, and that heaven is opening for them.' I am told there were fourteen
thousand merks collected for their use by honest people at Edinburgh, and put
in tbe hands of some to buy clothes and other things for them ; and somewhat
was to be given to each of them, that might relieve their necessities when in
America ; but I don't hear it was so well employed for their behoof as it might
have been, and not much of it was ever suffered to come to them by the master
and seamen : the most part of them never came to need it.
" Upon the 27th of November the ship sailed from Leith, and met with very
great storms. Upon the 10th of December they found themselves off Orkney,
in as dangerous a sea as is perhaps in the world. They came pretty near the
shore, and cast anchor : the prisoners fearing what came to pass, entreated to
be set ashore, and sent to what prison the master pleased ; but that could not
be granted. Instead of this, the captain, who, by the way, I am told, was a
papist, caused chain and lock all tbe hatches, under which the prisoners were.
" About 10 at night the ship was forced from anchor by a most violent tempest,
driven upon a rock, and broke in the middle. The seamen quickly got down
the mast, and laying it 'twixt the broken ship and the rock, got ashore ; yet so
barbarous were they, that upon the cries of the poor men they would not open
the hatches, though, 'tis probable, had this been done, most part would have
got ashore. But so far from this was the popish master and his men, that I
have many concurring informations, some of tbem from persons present, that
they hindered them from getting up upon the rock, and struck at them. And
yet this villain and his men were never called to an account by the council,
though the matter was notourly known ; and was as directly murder as if their
throats had been cut. However, about forty, some say fifty, got hold on boards
of the ship, and came ashore, and so about 200 were lost, or rather murdered.'
Wodrow's History, v. ii.
It seems that among the fifty who thus escaped from this melancholy
catastrophe, was John Malcom. His name accordingly is to be found iu the
account of the persons banished, in the Appendix to the Cloud of Witnesses.

JAMES SKENE. 275
wrestling people well through their trials ; the Lord help them to be
faithful, and to endure to the end ; for they have the promise of being
saved. Join with his people and cast in your lot with tbem, and do
not stand on the other side ; let his cause be your cause in weal or
wo. O noble cause I O noble work ! O noble heaven ! O noble
Christ, that makes it to be heaven ! and he is the owner of the work :
O noble Mediator of the new coveuant ! O noble Redeemer, who is
powerful to help in time of need, and will help such as trust in him !
There was never one that trusted in him that came to loss, he made
them always up, sometimes with an hundred-fold in this life, and
heaven after. .
" I lay down my life, not as an evil-doer, but as a sufferer for Christ.
I shall say no more, but a word or two. One is anent that which
some would be informed in, Whether I took the bond that was
tendered to the prisoners ? I acknowledge, there was a supplication
drawn up, containing two articles : one was, craving the benefit of
the act of indemnity : the second was, that I should not lift arms
against the king, or any in lawful authority : but because it was not
authority only, hut lawful authority, it was not granted. And, at that
time, there were pains taken by some persons of note, who persuaded me
to take the bond as it was tendered by the bloody council. Indeed it
hath been a thing heavier than the sand to me, and hath made me groan.
I think for that, and for many other private failings, the Lord did not
give me his countenance ; the Lord pardon that, as I hope he will,
that I should have put my hand to a pen, and blackened paper in that
supplication : but for the bond, I bless the Lord, I did not subscribe
it. The second thing I am reputed guilty of is, that I supplicated
for a delay some short time, and that I called it rebellion that I was
at Airsmoss. Indeed I subscribed no such things : but it was only
this, that it might please them to grant us some more time, for we
were in confusion, because of the shortness of the time ; we desired
some more time, that we might get our soul's case laid to heart, and
our peace made with God through Jesus Christ. I shall say no more,
but wish that ye would all seek repentance in time, before it be hid
from your eyes. I recommend my soul and spirit to him, ' that is
able to save to the uttermost all that come to him through Christ ;'
and desire to take my leave of all created comforts. Farewell all
relations, farewell world, farewell srn. Welcome Christ, welcome
heaven, and glory for evermore.
" Sic Sub.— JOHN MALCOM."*

IV. JAMES SKENE.

["Mr. James Skene was brother to the Laird of Skene in Aberdeen
shire. It was but lately that he had begun to attend upon the
gospel, as preached in the fields, but being informed against, he was
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 84—95.

276 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
apprehended as a hearer of Mr. Cargill, in the month of November,
1680. Indeed, this fact, which he confessed, together with his
expressed opinions in favour ofthe insurrections of .Bothwell-bridge,
and Airsmoss, and of the Sanquhar and Queensferry declarations,
constituted the whole of his crime. Accordingly, on the 22d of
November he was indicted for ' owning the rebels at Bothwell, and
Airsmoss, the Rutherglen and Sanquhar proclamations, and the
excommunication at Torwood ;' and being found guilty on his
own confession, was sentenced to be hanged on the 24th of that
month. At his own desire, however, his execution was delayed
till the 1st of December. His " last words " consist of several
letters to his friends, besides his proper testimony. In both, there
occur expressions that certainly cannot be defended, and in
reference to these, we insert the notes by which the original editor
of the Cloud of Witnesses has attempted to explain them.]
1. His Letter to his Brother.
" Dear Billy, — To satisfy your desire, I send you this line, to let you
know, that when I came before tbe council, (York and Rothes being
there, two bishops, viz. Burnet and Paterson, the advocate, clerk
Paterson, Linlithgow, and many more, sitters, and standers, Dalziel
the general, being porter, walking proudly up and down, not as a
servant) none was admitted to come in with me. I saluted them all
civilly and kept off my hat, because they kept off, that they might not
say that I was a Quaker. Rothes asked me, Was I at Bothwell, or
Airsmoss ? I answered, I was at home in the north both these times.
Tbey asked, if I did own Sanquhar declaration, and the testimony at
Rutherglen ? I told them, I did own them both. He asked, Did I
own the king's authority ? I said, in so far as it was against the
covenant and interest of Christ, I disowned it. He asked me, Thought
I it not a sinful murder, the killing of the Arch-prelate ? I said, I
thought it was their duty to kill him, when God gave them oppor
tunity ; for he had been the author of much bloodshed. They asked
me, Why I carried arms ? I told them, it was for self-defence, and
the defence of the gospel. They asked me, Why I poisoned my ball ?
I told them, I wished none of them to recover whom I shot. He
asked me, Why I carried a dirk ? I told them, they might ask Mr.
George M'Kenzie, if it was not our country fashion ; and he presently
told the chancellor that it was so. They asked, if I knew Cargill ?
I said, it was my comfort I knew him. Then they reproached him,
and me for conversing with him. I said, I blessed God, he gave me
sweet peace in it. They asked, Would I kill the soldiers, being the
king's ? I said, it was my duty if I could, when they persecuted
God's people. They asked; if I would kill any of them ? I said they
were all stated enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the declara
tion at Sanquhar, I counted them my enemies. They asked, if I
would think it my duty to kill the king? I said, he had stated himself
an enemy to God's interest, and there was war declared against him.
I said, the covenant made with God was the glory of Scotland, though
they had unthankfully counted it their shame. And in direct terms,

JAMES SKENE. 277
1 said to the chancellor, I have a parchment at home, wherein your
father's name is, and you are bound by that, as well as I. They
asked, Why I called the chancellor, Sir ? I said, Sir, was a title for a
king, and it might serve him. The chancellor asked, if I knew his
royal highness ? ' I never saw such a person.' York Idoks out by (for
he sat in the shadow of Bishop Burnet) and said, Why did I wish the
king so ill ? I said, I wish no ill to any ; but as they were in
opposition to God, I wished them brought down : and he spake no
more. The chancellor said, Would I not adhere to the acts of
parliament of this kingdom ? I said, I would not own any of them
which were in opposition to God and his covenant. Mr. M'Kenzie '
said, if the king were riding by in coach, would you think it no sin
to kill him ? I said, by the Sanquhar declaration there was war
declared against him, and so he needed not put that, in question.
So Mr* M'Kenzie came out by to the bar, and said, I know your
relations and mine are sib ;* be ingenuous in all that is demanded of
you, and I will save you from torture. I said, Sir, I know you, and
ye know me and my relations ; I have been as free and ingenuous as
I could imagine, because I reckon it my credit, and my glory, to give
a full and free confession for my blessed Lord's interest, that is
reproached and borne down. They asked me where I saw Cargill
last ? I said, I met him last in the West Bow, to my comfort.
They asked me, Who were the owners of the house ? I said, I really
could not tell them, I knew them not. They said, Would I know
the house ? I said, Yes. They said, Would I show it to some whom
they would send with me ? I told them I was free in what concerned
myself, but to hurt any else, I could not mar my peace with God ;
but if they were advertised to go out of the house, I should show it to
them. Then they desired me to go my ways. The general opened the
door, and rounded in my ear, Ye must go down with some soldiers,
and show them that house. I said, I will not do it to hurt any ; these
indwellers must be advertised to flee the house first.
" Then I was ordered to the guard, which was of Linlithgow's
soldiers, which took me, aud walked (after Archibald Stewart and
John Spreul, who were examined) to the Tron, and back to the
council-house of the town : I being alone, and only six soldiers with
me. I took me to prayer, and was comforted ; and then sent money
for meat and drink ; and then worshipped in public with the soldiers.
At night, a person from J  kindly wakened me, and brought me
bread and ale, and sugar, and some confected carvey. After that, I
was carried to a committee, where were .present the chancellor,
Hatton, Paterson, Justice Clerk, Wigtoun and Linlithgow : and they
showed me two letters of mine to Mrs. Simpson, wherein I owned
the declaration at Sanquhar, and told I would do much to persuade
many that it was just, from Mr. M'Ward's advice that was given to
the prisoners. I owned the letters, and told them, I did what I
could to dissuade professors from paying them the cess, which they
• i. e. kindred.

278 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
ordered for bearing down the gospel : at which they laughed. The
chancellor said, why did I not call him lord ? I told him, were he
for Christ's interest I would honour him. Then he said, he cared
not for my honour; but he would have me to know he was chan
cellor. I said, I knew that. He said, I was not a Scotsman but a
Scots beast. At which Wigtoun gloomed at him, and he laughed.
He then rounded to me, that he would be my friend, would I be
ingenuous. I told him, I wished him no ill. They asked me, what
Mr. William Alexander was it that I wrote of ? I said, Mr. Paterson
the bishop, and Mr. Ross at Glasgow knew him, and persecuted him
unjustly ; I then related to them how it was. Paterson said, I told
that which I knew not to be truth ; he pitied me. He said to the
chancellor, ' certainly I forgot to write.' — I was before the justiciary
court, where my confession was read, and after I read it again, and
told them, I thought it my honour to subscribe to it. I assented to
all that was recorded by tbe clerk ; I owned it, and counted it my
honour so to do. The justice clerk, Hatton's son, being there, said,
he pitied me, I being a gentleman ; he knew my friends. I said,
were I an earl's son, I would esteem it my honour. I desired them
to canvass well what they did, for they would be pannelled before
God for it. He said, I might prepare for another world. I said, I
hoped the Lord would prepare me.
" Now, dear Billy, I have given you an account of the truth, as I
confusedly remember ; but I entreat you take all the praise you give
me, and put it upon my Lord, for I am but a poor, simple, sinful
worm : it is from him I had this courage. Wigtoun and the Justice
Clerk, desired me to show them that house, saying, that I was free
enough in all except that ; and if I were obstinate, I might belike
get the boots. I said, let them do with me what they pleased, in
what concerned myself I was free, but to do hurt to others I would
not, to bring them under their wrath ; I would not mar my peace
with God so far. The general said, he would parole to me, that the
indwellers of tbe house should be advertised. I said, I would not
have his parole. The chancellor boasted * me for denying his parole.
I said to the chancellor, I was a gentleman that had blood relations
to his relations, the earl of Mar's mother and I being sisters' bairns.
He said, he was sorry I was so related. I said, the cause I was
there owning honoured me ; and I would it befell my friends. So
this, 1 hope, you will not too critically reflect on my confused
writing, since I am in haste ; ye know, it may be, I may he cited
before these bloody men this forenoon. I will not order for my
funeral till I know my sentence ; I may possibly be not allowed a
burial. My Lord comforts me, and I leave all on him to bear me
through this storm, through the valley and shadow of death. Dear
Billy, bid all ye see of our serious friends help me with their prayers,
that I may be helped of the Lord to be faithful unto the death : and
that he will give me the faith of assurance, that I shall enjoy my
' i. e. scolded.

JAMES SKENE. 279
Lord's love through all eternity : the want of this clouds me much, I
am so unworthy a wretch. I am, dear Billy, your unworthy friend,
and loving brother,
" JAMES SKENE."
" Tolbooth of Edinburgh,
November, 1680.*
" P. S. I told the chancellor, the cause was just, for which the
king and others were excommunicate ; though I was not there,
yet I adhered to it."f
2. His Letter to Three Friends.J
" Dear Friends, — The Lord having dealt so graciously with me, in
wonderful free love, as to bring me to the love of himself, his truths,
and despised interest ; as that he engaged me in a particular covenant
with himself, which, by his honouring me to make me a prisoner to
evil men for his despised interest, he has evidently confirmed to me ;
that he accepted of my bargain with himself, when most unworthy
and wretched ; though many times, by reason of a prevailing body of
sin and death, I provoked him to cast the bargain ; yet still by new
obligations he engaged me to renew it. My mercy has been great,
that providence ordered some time my coming south, where most
suffering has been for our Lord ; and for that reason, most light has
been given to professors here, that they might see what was clear
duty in these trying, tempting, and backsliding times. And whenever
the Lord helped me to see our covenant obligations, which are the
glory of Scotland, I was serious and zealous, ye know, to impart to
all of you, whom I was acquainted with : the Lord always making my
love to him to abound, I thought no travel ill- wared, § or any hazard
too great on any occasion, whereby I might propagate his despised
interest among you. You know, how much I have contended with
you for paying of that cursed cess, ordered by the convention of
estates, for bearing down tbe gospel ; as I was honoured to witness
against it at a committee on Saturday last at night : you are not aware
how you bring the blood of saints on your heads, by this obedience
to the stated enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ : your opposing of that
which was, and is the judgment of the most tender professors, in
withdrawing from indulged ministers, and from these ministers that
favoured them, and so did not, nor would not declare against the
indulgence as a sin, that most heinously and rebelliously dishonours
* This letter as given in the Cloud of Witnesses is dated thus: — "From
my Lord Jesus' house, which he has made a sweet palace, wherein he shews me
his wonderful free love, the close prison above the Iron-house, in the High
Tolbooth of Edinburgh, November 1680."
t Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 96 — 99.
£ This letter as given in the Cloud of Witnesses, is introduced with the
following title : — " Another letter from Mr. James Skene, to all professors in
the shire of Aberdeen, especially, Mr. William Alexander, Mr. William
Mitchell, and Mr. John Watson, my dear acquaintances. Being the last
testimony for the interest of Christ from Mr. James Skene, now in close prison
for Christ's interest, in the tolbooth of Edinburgh."
$ i. v. ill-spent.

280 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES
our blessed Lord as head of the church, and set up a tyrannous
usurper in his place, — was a particular I much contended with many
of you ; in my hearing you pleading for a sinful union with these who
have conspired to dethrone our blessed Lord. Some of you opposed
that which was an honourable testimony for our Lord at Rutherglen,
and that declaration at Sanquhar, and the testimony or covenant that
was taken at the Queensferry, calling those rash and inconsiderate,
whom the Lord called out to be valiant contenders for his truth and
interest, which is now contemned by a wicked apostate generation,
and to seal all of them with blood : by all these the Lord has been
calling his people to come from among Babel's brood; — its cursed brood,
who by many subtle Satanical ways, — what by Prelacy, Quakerism,
Arminianism, Latitudinarians, and indulged ministers, and ministers,
and professors, th?.t love so their quiet, that they will not declare
against, and decline that usurping traitor on the throne, Charles
Stuart, and all the cursed crew of pretended magistrates in Scotland,
— have forfeited their right of government, as appears by their wicked
and unparalleled apostasy from that Solemn League and Covenant,
upon that foul pretext, that we are not in a probable capacity to
extirpate them, or put them out of office. When in our place and
station, we give our witness against these usurpations, we so far
contend for God, and witness for his trodden-down and despised
interest, and testify our unwillingness, that our Lord should totally give
up with this poor land. O ! this hath been many times a sad heart
to me, ye have looked more to the credit of men than the glory of our
great Lord God. I fear this testimony be unacceptable and hazardous
to you to maintain, because of that they call treason in it ; but ah !
there is so much done to advance a mortal creature, a stated enemy to
Christ, a furious, hasty, cruel murderer of God's saints, there is fear
of disowning of God, and a palpable denying of him before men,
when you own tyrannous oppressors. Your estates you cannot part
with ; your credit, and pleasures, and your quiet in the world you
will not part with : you will rather imagine arguments to cheat your
selves in defending your practices that are clear breaches of covenant :
if your too great carnal love to the world did not blind you, and your
unwillingness to quit your life for Christ, which soon will come to an
end, however, with less comfort, than you would certainly have, when
you adventure all for our blessed Lord.
As for you, Mr. Alexander, I may say, I have found you willing,
on good information, to be for tender cleaving to your dear Master,
and on bad information, making it a question, if it was duty to dethrone
the pretended king ? which Mr. T. H. and Mr. R. M. opposing,
biassed you from that principal duty ; — by which we are singularly
known to be true covenanters, and leave those that are blind, and
follow our deal- Master in the duties he calls his people to ; and
he will own them, and I am persuaded he has owned them who
have owned him in this duty. You did quarrel at field-meetings,
¦ — enemies ordering against them, and consenting that house-meetings
be enjoyed ; but here is your testimony, when you keep the fields, —
you declare that our Lord's church has liberty to keep her meetings

JAMES SKENE. 281
and ordinances where she pleases, and ought not to be at the
arbitrament of men.
" To Mr. Mitchell I say, I have had a great esteem of you as a true
lover of piety ; and I doubt not, the Lord has sealed your ministry
sometimes, and some witnesses of it I have known : but, O Sir, what
a fearful snare are you in, by complying with curates in hearing them,
and taking both sacraments off their hands ! Oh ! if ye quit not all
' carnal love to the world, to credit, and friends, that will oppose your
coming off, the hazard is great ; — the Lord may rank you with them
that have opposed the rising of his kingdom : however, I am sure, he
will make you mourn for it, and I doubt (if ye shortly come not off
from that accursed crew) that the Lord will send you a sorer trial,
than sufferers for him meet with.
" To Mr. Watson, I write this as my last testimony ; O how
unfaithful is his ministry ! he dare not, for fear of losing his ministry,
declare against the heinous breach of covenant by all the pretended
magistrates iu the land. I grant your clearness as to other things was
much one with my own. O Sir, quit men as they quit Christ's way
and interest, else you will never be clear in truths, as the Lord lets
out light, and increaseth it. And this is most dreadful, to be so
ensnared to walk in darkness, and so be in opposition to our blessed
Lord ! O let love to the Lord Jesus Christ assuredly overcome you,
and then admiring of men, and cleaving to them who are out of
Christ's way, will be no small matter, but a heinous sin. Oh ! will
you adventure your salvation on it, to cleave to them who are
reproaching our Lord, his people and interest, by mixing in with the
cursed curates ? That person ye cleave to, draws on him the guilt of
all the saints' blood that is shed in maintaining His interest and
covenant, whose judgment ye cannot decline, he being Judge of all
the world. Ye may say much more, every one of you that know me :
I was many times negligent of a tender walking, by seeking of settle
ment, and if that had been my lot ye had not heard of this testimony.
You know every one of you, this testimony I gave you formerly ;
even when with you, I many times wished from my heart the Lord
would not order a settlement to me among you. My heart was
broken with your lukewarmness and indifferency. And this I testified
to several of you, and I rather choosed, I said often, to be a sheep-
keeper in the south, where I might be encouraged in godliness, than
to live in pomp and ease at home, with an ill conscience ; and when
I came away last, I was sorry at my purpose of leaving Scotland,
when I heard all were agreeing to apostasy, in my judgment then,
from our best covenanted God ; and I was determined for Ireland
then, being ill-informed of every one of the kingdoms, there not being
a people tenderly owning the covenant in Ireland, but all some way
owning the usurper Charles Stuart ; but in poor Scotland, here in the
south, I found a poor handful, and about one faithful minister, whom
the Lord called out, viz. Mr. Donald Cargill, to be his messenger to
his people, and give witness against the apostasy of ministers and
professors. Even those who were great lights in the land are now in
obscurity, and avowedly reproaching our Lord's interest and people,
2v

282 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
whom yet the Lord will clothe with shame, and make their peace
they boast of, and quiet sleep, to their great confounding. As for
the call I have, to suffer, I found it my only peace to quit thoughts of
Ireland, that I might not be involved in their guilt of denying to have
our Lord Jesus Christ to be king over them. Of that poor party I
find, only, for maintaining his prerogative royal, to which I am joined,
Mr. Donald Cargill being the only faithful ambassador our Lord has
in Scotland, I following the ordinances on Friday last, being as well
armed for defending the gospel and myself as I could ; — beyond
expectation, a party of Linlithgow's soldiers is sent out to my lodging,
and not dreading danger in the daytime, I thought our persecutors
had never heard of my name ; I was apprehended, and now at last
brought hither to close prison, the Lord having honoured me to give
an ample testimony before the council and lords of justiciary, for my
wronged Lord Jesus, and supposing I must seal it with my blood, I
leave this testimony to you, my friends and acquaintances in
Aberdeenshire, and subscribe it, November 17th, 1680.
" JAMES SKENE."*
3. His Letter to a Fellow-prisoner, N  .

" Much honoured friend in Christ, — I give it under my hand, I
have no cause to rue my sweet bargain. His cross is easy and light
yet ; and that which is most terrifying, I hope he will make comfort
able. O lovely Lord! what could make him to choose me to suffer
for him ! what is all the world to me if his honour be at stake ? If
his honour be advanced by my death, O happy me ! I have often
times wished a suffering lot. I heard and saw so much of God's
goodness, that I thought the cross and comforts of Christ could not
be separated : and I have no reason to complain ; the Lord is oft the
joy of my heart, that I am forced to wonder at it ; leaving further
troubling you, hoping you will be as good as your word. Be much
in prayer, for these two or three days. It is likely on Thursday
next I will need no help of prayers, being come to the immediate
vision of my Lord, to see him as he is : I will be stupified, as it were,
and amazed at it. If his merits were not of infinite value, I might
question, what would I do ? But he has promised, ' that I shall
reign with him.'
"JAMES SKENE."f
4. Another Letter to the same.
" My dear friend in Christ, — I received youre, encouraging me to
hold on in my blessed Lord's way, which he hath pathed to me. ]
am not unmindful of you, as I can ; and I desire you to pray, tbat
none may offend at the Lord's interest for me, there being a willingness
* To this letter the following note is appended in the Cloud of Witnesses :
— ft From my delectable prison, in which my Lord has allowed me his peace
anl presence, and comforted*) me with that, I shall reign with him eternally,
for X am his, and bought with his precious blood." — Cloud of Witnesses, pp.
98—104. f Cloud of Witnesses, p. 104.

JAMES SKENE. 283
on my part to suffer, though justly they cannot condemn me ; for they
offer me a delivery, if I would submit to the duke's and council's
mercy ; but it is often evidently seen, that the ' tender mercies of the
wicked are cruelty.' I find no liberty to; deny my Lord for fear of
death : I hope he will make up my loss in himself. All I can desire
of you is, to pray much for me, that the Lord will own me, for his
own cause, before the adversaries, and in my dissolution. I wish the
Lord to comfort his people, and tenderly own his despised interest.
Mr. Carstairs said, ' He was ashamed of that principle we maintained ;
and that we were not sound presbyterians ; and wished the Lord
might preserve him from the like.' I am no whit troubled at this,
I bless my Lord. They would have me conferring with him : I said,
I would not notice him if he came near me. Tell my friend, I would
have written, but had no time. I wrote yesternight to him. I need
both your helps, by supplications, and strong cries to the Lord, to
carry me through the valley and shadow of death. I must leave here ;
wishing the Lord to bear you up under all trials. I thought you
should have been in eternity before me ; but now I think, I shall
leave you in the vallies, when I shall arrive at the blessed harbour
I am, dear friend, your well-wisher, and Christ's prisoner,
"JAMES SKENE.
" P. S. A double of my confessions you may have from a friend
whom I shall desire to send it to you. I got my summons for eternity
with sound of trumpet yesternight; and my indictment with five
shouts of the trumpet, and pursuivants in their coats, at seven of the
clock, was a grave sight ; but my Lord helped me not to be afraid at
it, since all was from him."*
5. His last Speech and Testimony.-)-
" Dear people, — I am come here this day, to lay down my life for
owning Jesus Christ's despised interest, and for asserting that he
is a King, and for averring that he is head of his own church, and has
not delegated or deputed any, either pope; king, or council, to be his
vicegerents on earth. Since my blessed Lord Jesus Christ has in his
love engaged me by a particular covenant, in his own terms, to
renounce and resign myself to him, in soul and body, — assuring me by
his word, and testifying his acceptance of my resignation by his holy
and blessed Spirit, — promising to redeem me from all sins, giving me
assurance of a saving interest in himself, — and now having called me
in his providence, contriving this my suffering, by permitting his
ungodly enemies to apprehend and take me prisoner, — having wickedly
plotted my taking, in my going on the way to attend what the
Lord had to work on my soul by his preached gospel ; — to give a
testimony for his covenant, interest, and people, that are reproached
and borne down by a perjured, God-contemning generation, and ta
* Clond of Witnesses, p. 105.
f Of this speech, it is said that he intended to " have delivered it on the
scaffold ;" from which we may infer, that, in point of fact, he did not deliver it.

284 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
seal my sufferings and testimony with my blood, I most willingly lay
down my life for his interest. I leave my testimony to the National
Covenant, and the Solemn League and Covenant, which are founded
on the Scriptures, tbe word of God, which are written by the prophets
and apostles in the Old and New Testaments, which has Jesus Christ,
the blessed object of our faith, for the chief corner stone of the
building. I also leave my testimony to Mr. Donald Cargill's paper
taken at the Queensferry, called a New Covenant, according as they
agree to the true original copy.
" I adhere to presbyterian government, and the whole work of
reformation of the church of Scotland, tbe Confession of Faith, the
Larger and Shorter Catechisms, consulted well, and written by the
Assembly of Divines, except that article about magistracy, when ill
expounded, in the 23d chapter,* because our magistracy is but pure
tyranny, exercised by the lustful rage of men, yea, rather devils in the
shape of men, whom God has permitted in his holy and spotless
wisdom, for a trial to his people, and a snare to some others, to
oppress, tyrannize, and blasphemously tread under foot his truth,
interest, and people ; yea, that article is expounded in the National
Covenant, where we have vowed to the almighty God, not to maintain
the king's interest, when he disowns the covenant, and well settled
church government by presbyteries, synods, and general assemblies of
the church of Scotland. I adhere to the testimony for the interest
of Christ at Rutherglen ; at which time the wicked acts of parliament,
and the blasphemous declarations, by which they have sworn to be
enemies to the interest of Christ, were solemnly burnt. I adhere to
the Sanquhar declaration, whereby we that were true presbyterians
did depose that tyrant, Charles Stuart ; who is head of malignants
and malignancy, from his exercise of government as to us : and we
do no otherwise than the people of Libnah, 2 Chron. xxi. 10. ' The
same time, also, did the people of Libnah revolt from under the king
of Judah, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers.'
And this practice is not so gross that I own, in declaring against that
monstrous tyrant on the throne of Britain, as many conjecture, if
seriously folk would consider the injustice practised in civil matters,
by himself, and all his adherent inferior magistrates (yea, inferior
tyrants, for he is the head and supreme tyrant), that no poor man that
has a just cause, if he be not as profligate and wicked as themselves,
can have justice ; and his usurpation in ecclesiastic matters, — which is
too great a task for any on earth, since they must take upon them to
dethrone our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, ' who is given to be head
over all things to the church,' Eph. i. 22. Psal. ii. 8. You would
canvass tbe justice of disowning his authority, which to do, you are
engaged by oath to God, he overturning the whole work of reforma
* Let none mistake this sentence, as if this worthy gentleman thereby
disowned that unshaken principle of the protestant religion, that " infidelity or
difference in religion does not make void the magistrates' just and legal author
ity ;" for it is plain, he rejects only the false sense that was then put upon it,
to make it an argument for defence of tyranny and arbitrary power. — Cloud of
Witnesses.

JAMES SKENE. 285
tion, which was the great ground of his enthronement in Scotland,
— to maintain the Covenant and work of reformation. His wicked
burning of the Covenant, and Causes of God's Wrath, is cause enough
to me, to disown his authority, which is so maintained by perjury ;
Ezek. xvii. 15 — 19. 'Shall he break the covenant and prosper?'
Consider likewise his oppression, in ordering military forces to oppress
God's people, to obstruct, impede, and hinder the worship of God,
the ordinances in houses or fields, and compel them to join with a
cursed crew of prelates, curates, and some indulged ministers. Yea,
his tyranny is so great, that he ordered an host of armed men in the
year 1 678, to invade a peaceable country in the west ; who robbed,
stole from, and oppressed poor people, for no other reason, but
because they would not pollute their consciences, and be subject to
prelacy ; — which erastian government he has contended for, these
several years, and kept up in this land. If there were no other
cause of his rejection, these might suffice to justify any, who were
engaged by God, having time and place to cut bim off: for, by the
law of God, murder, adultery, and oppression, are punishable by
death, and kings are not exempted, far less tyrants, that are lawfully
excommunicated. But to these horrid impieties is added, the shedding
of the blood of poor innocents, which aggravateth his guilt ; so that
though the Lord should make him penitent, he deserves death by the
law, according to which, ' blood cannot be expiated, but by the blood
of him who shed it-' For confirmation of what I have said, see Ezek.
xxi. 25—27. read also Ezek. xliii. 9. ' Put away the carcases of your
kings far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of you for ever.'
Consider how our fathers contended for truth, and must we lose what
they have gained ? Ah ! this atheistical generation of perjured,
adulterous, and bloody powers,, are ripe for God's vengeance ! I give
my testimony against the cursed persecuting soldiers ; the blood of
God's saints is on their heads, and mine is laid on them, — especially
sergeant Warrock who apprehended me ; my blood is on the
justiciary,* who subscribed to my sentence, and on the fifteen
assizers, James Glen, stationer, being clerk ; and on the chancellor,
and on Mr. George' M'Kenzie, who pleaded for my condemnation ;
and Thomas Dalziel who ordered my taking ; and upon Andrew
Cunningham who condemned me ; and upon all the rest who
are accessory in the least thereto : yea, the privy council are to be
accountable for my blood ; and my blood is on the head of Mr. J —
C— who condemned my testimony against these bloody tyrants,
asserting me to be a Jesuit.f I leave my testimony against receiving
* These and the like sentences, which may possibly be met with in some
other testimonies, ought not to be mistaken, as the effects of a revengeful
ungospel spirit, but rather as a simple declaration of their being guilty of blood
in condemning them, to serve as a warning to the persecutors, not to proceed
further in these wicked courses, and to waken them to repentance, if possible,
for what they had already done ; and is much paralleled in its nature with that
of Jeremiah, in his apology before the princes," chap, v, lo — Cloud of Wit
nesses. 1" The person here referred to was Mr. John Carstairs, himself a sufferer
for presbyterian church government. It is certainly on all hands to be re-

286 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
that accursed traitor, James, Duke of York, and all papists, Quakers,
prelates, curates, latitudinarians, indulged ministers, and their favour
ers, — the Hamilton declaration, and other papers and actings, directly
or indirectly against the truth. I leave my testimony against the
lukewarm professors, who write and speak grievous things to reproach
the truly godly, and wbo keep silence when God calls them to give
a free and full testimony for his despised covenant, and whole work
of reformation, against a treacherous, backsliding, and adulterous
generation. And as in this place, or any other of my papers, I could
not have designed God's enemies, any otherways, than by their
pretended offices ; thus far, dear people, I crave your liberty, and let
none think, that thereby I own them in the least point.
" Likewise, whereas my sufferings were delayed, the Lord, in
whose presence I must appear ere long, knows what a soul grief it is
to me to remember it. When the day I was sentenced to die for
my dear Lord's interest, came, I — vainly expecting that my relations
that were great in court, who had seen me, should have procured a
reprival for me, but being disappointed, a fear of death surprised me,
— hearing that all were presently making ready for my execution ; and
then my carnal relations almost weeping on me, engaged me, by their
insinuations, to supplicate that bloody crew for it myself. A carnal
well-wisher drew it up in these terms : ' James Skene, prisoner,
earnestly desires your lordships to grant him a reprival for some days,
till he canvass these things he was sentenced for, with learned and
godly men ; and your lordships' answer.' After I subscribed it, a
great confusion and horror of spirit fell on me ; I went to prayer,
wishing in my heart it were not granted ; hut such was my trouble, I
could not say any thing but nonsense. My heart was afflicted sore
with this straitening, and the more when the reprival was granted. I
thought, I having shifted the cross, my Lord might deny me that
credit again, and put a worse on me in requital of my slighting him.
I judge the Lord left me thus to slip, to humble me ; and that he
hid his face to make me exemplarily punished for untender carrying
under his cross, which he had chosen for me, — to warn others under
the cross, that tbey should be circumspect and zealous for keeping from
being polluted with any compliance with the defections of the times,
that they may have a cleanly suffering. From this backsliding I
recovered not, for two days after, but found it sad for my soul ; — the
Lord hid his face from me : -but now my God has had compassion on
me, and this time of the eight days reprival, he has preserved me
gretted tbat Mr. Skene should have employed such strong and offensive
language in reference to so good and worthy a man. And therefore we conceive
it proper to quote the following very satisfactory explanation of the matter in
question, from Wodrow's History. " Mr. Carstairs himself came to some
trouble about this time — disowned Mr. Skene's tenets, and owned the king's
authority. In charity, I shall believe that Mr. Skene was informed that the
Rev. Mr. Carstairs had said [as above alleged] ; but the same charity, aud Mr.
Carstairs' known tenderness and temper forbids me to believe he said so.
Some ignorant person had informed Mr Skene of this, and thereupon he leaves
his blood upon Mr, Carstairs as Well as the Duke of York, and other perse
cutors." — VoL ii.

JAMES SKENE. 287
from such a backsliding, when the devil by his emissaries has had much
artifice to turn me aside from the way of the Lord. Yet I will say
this far, — all I have done was not in order to own that wicked council
as lawful rulers : but my life being in their tyrannous hands, I thought
I might then desire as much favour of them as of a robber, that had
the dagger at my breast.: and I trul/ look on all their actings in
courts, either higher ov -ower judicatories, in matters civil or ecclesi
astic, — that they act as murderers, oppressors, and tyrants only.
" And now these bloody oppressors say, because I will not sinfully
renounce my Lord and his interest, and look on them as magistrates,
and say, I spake rashly what I did, (on which terms, craving them
pardon, I would soon get remission, and be at liberty,) that they look
on me as guilty of my own blood : but I hope my God will not
account me guilty, who knows I dare not so, sinfully disown him, for
all the hazard of my poor life ; there being a dilemma in my case, —
either I must sin or suffer, — I have found it my only peace with my
Lord, to choose suffering, and hate the way of sinning. And this I
thought good to insert in my dying testimony, that others may beware
of an untender walk with God, ' who is a consuming fire to all
impenitent sinners.' Now my Lord has sealed my remission for this
extravagance, and has entered into a new covenant with me, and I
have resigned myself wholly to him, and to be at his disposal ; and it
is my rejoicing that he is calling me out to honour me so much as to
suffer for his sake. A poor countryman with us, would think it his
credit to be called to signify his loyalty to a nobleman who was his
master : — whose courage obliges him to fight for his safety to the loss
of his life : but O ! what a disparity is in my case ! I am but a base,
wretched, sinful worm, and I am called to signify my love and loyalty
to the King of glory, before treacherous and perfidious powers that
sit at ease, and disown, yea, declare against my Lord, that he is not our
covenanted King and Lord. And the two despised covenants are not
despicable, but our glory. I will first declare that they are traitors,
and ought to be disowned as magistrates or lawful rulers ; and so
manv of them as have imbrued their hands in the blood of the saints,
either by commissions, or votes in councils or other courts, or have
lived oppressing God's people, in adultery, uncleanness, wickedness,
and witchcraft, — they are guilty of death. And wben, tbere are no
other magistrates who will duly punish these impieties, it is my duty,
out of zeal to the Lord, — I say it again, — if the Lord would employ
me, — to cut them off : as that zeal of Phineas, though mocked at by
them in their proclamation, is a good example.
" Thus I end, wishing what I have here penned for a testimony to
the Lord's despised interest, may have weight with any, who consider,
that what I have written, I must ere long reckon for ; and so I have
laboured to be single-hearted before the Lord in it.
" Now, having touched every thing I can remember, concerning my
judgment of things controverted, as also some reason of my principles,
asserted in face of a great council, and twice before the justiciaries,
— which I gladly sign with my subscription, glorifying the Lord, who
owned me, so that I was not ashamed, but indged it my glory to give

288 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES
my full and free testimony for my blessed Lord's despised interest,
against that wicked and treacherous pack of God's declared enemies :
Now, — farewell all dear friends ; I hope the Lord will have a glorious
church in Scotland, and he will raise his glory out of the. ashes of a
burnt covenant. Now, farewell sun, moon, and stars ; farewell holy
scriptures. O ! I am going to a life, where I shall no more be
troubled with a body of sin and death ; O ! I am going to a mansion
of glory, that my Lord has prepared me. I shall have a crown of
life, because I have been, by my blessed Lord's assistance, (though I
slipped aside) made faithful to the death. Now, welcome Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, thou hast redeemed me by thy price, and by
thy power : O Lord God of hosts, into thy hands I commit my spirit.
" Sic Sub.— JAMES SKENE.
" In the close prison of Edinburgh, November 30, 1680, being the
day before my execution, according to the unjust sentence of a
perfidious court."*

V. ARCHIBALD STEWART.
[This person belonged to the town of Borowstounness in Linlithgow
shire. He seems to have been a follower of Cargill and Cameron,
and was with the latter of these Worthies, when killed, in the
skirmish of Airsmoss. He does not appear to have been appre
hended till some time after. But when taken, he was by order of
council put to tbe torture, and a confession of his having been
present in that affair, was extorted from him. He was tried along
with John Potter, on the 24<th of November, and being brought in
guilty, was, with him, condemned to suffer on the 1st of December,
— the day appointed for the execution of Mr. Skene  His Testi
mony is as follows :]
" Men and Brethren, — It is like, the most part of you are come here
to gaze and wonder upon me, rather than to be edified ; but I hope
there are some here, that are witnessing and sympathizing with me :
but while ye are strangers to God, and ignorant of his word, and
what our Lord has suffered for us, and that he has told us that ' through
many tribulations and afflictions we must enter into the kingdom of
God,' it is no wonder ye count us fools ; for while I was in black
nature myself, I was as mad as any of you all ; but blessing to his holy
name, ' that whereas once I was blind, now I see,' and Therefore ' I abhor
myself in dust and ashes :' and I desire the more to magnify his free
grace, for all that he hath done to me ; it is nothing in myself. There
fore, why should I not be content to follow the footsteps of my blessed
Master that has gone before me from time to eternity, though in this
manner it is unpleasant to natural sense ? — and he is calling for my mite
of a testimony for his despised truth. For it was in the hearing of the
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp 96 — 112.

ARCHIBALD STEWART. 289
gospel by his suffering servants, both here and in Holland, that I was
brought to the love of God, and his only Son Jesus Christ: since
which time he has engaged my heart to seek him in the same way, I
found him, where he was most eminently holden forth, and witnessed
for, and my sins and the sins of the land holden forth to me : and it
is for this that I am accused and condemned of men, — for my
following the gospel preached in the fields, — because I was following
that poor handful that fell at Airsmoss, where Richard Cameron
had been preaching, and was to preach, and because, when the bloody
soldiers came upon us, we offered to defend ourselves ; — whatever other
causes they have to lay to my charge.
" And that ye be not mistaken with me, and the Lord's people, and
his way ; though they allege that we are of bloody principles (as the
indulged ministers give it out that we are of Jesuitical and bloody
principles,) yet the Lord knows, and I declare, that I have desired to
know his will, and walk in it ; and I have been studying that which
all the land are obliged to, which is, to hear and keep up the gospel, —
and defend my own life and the lives of my brethren, who have been
so long hunted, — and to defend the gospel, which has been so long
borne down. So then, however I and that suffering remnant be
mistaken, in that they give out in their declaration, that I said, I
would kill the king or any of the council, it is an untruth and forged
calumny, to reproach the way of God, more like themselves and their
own principles, who have killed so many of the people of God, both
iu the fields, and upon scaffolds, and us among the rest, to please that
bloody tyrant, Charles Stuart's brother, who has been thirsting for the
blood of these three nations ; and to make men believe that we have
been contriving a plot to murder them : though, indeed, if they were
brought to any trial of a just law, according to the word of God, or
the laws\of the land, most of them have done, or consented to more
than might take their lives, both against the people of the Lord, and
his borne down truths, and against the commonwealth and laws of the
land. But I never said, that I would do it; and when I was before
them, — especially in the justiciary court, upon trial of my life, — they
would hardly give me leave to speak for, or explain myself ; more
like men designed to catch advantage, and to cheat me out of my life,
than just judges. I know, they must answer to their great Judge for
what they do.
" And this being the testimony of a dying man, they that fear the
Lord Will believe my declaration before their proclamation, which may
be easily seen to be a plot in them, and not in us, to blind the eyes of
a secure generation, and make strangers approve of their prosecution,
and believe tbey do it justly, and laugh at our calamity, — until they
can win to bring about that bloody popish design against all that will
not follow them in the three nations : — although they now spare some
men, and flatter them to take favours from them, whereby they engage
them to lie by, till they destroy his remnant, that dare not but witness
against them, and the common sins of the land ; — for which I desire to
mourn, and pray the Lord's people to mourn over them, and witness
against them, as they desire to be marked with the mourners, when a
2 o

290 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
holy God shall come to take vengeance on all ranks that have so
forsaken and betrayed his Christ, and set up a man in his place : — which
will be found to be the great idol of jealousy, besides the many other
idols that have drawn away the true and kind love and fear that the
generation owes to God. And because we desire to love and fear
God, and to follow his sweet Christ, we are reproached and staged
with tongues of many, as those that are out of the way, and are of
Jesuitical principles. I declare, I have in some measure been desiring
and intending to know, love, and follow the truth, both in obedience
to his commands, and for the hope of glory, though, I confess, through
much weakness and infirmity.
" I am a presbyterian in my judgment, though I be looked upon as
otherwise, because of my declaring my thoughts freely before men :
and I own and adhere to the Work of Reformation, the Larger and
Shorter Catechisms, the National and Solemn League and Covenant,
the Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to duties, the Causes of
God's Wrath. Also, I own all the testimonies of our worthy sufferers,
that have gone before us : as also, I own the Sanquhar Declaration,
and tbat Excommunication at Torwood. At the writing hereof, I
prayed that the Lord would open their eyes, and let them see their
sins, and grant them repentance, all of them that are of the election of
free grace ; and they that are not, I pray that the Lord would ratify
in heaven what was done on earth by his faithful servant, as it is
according to his will ; which has been all our desire.
" Now, I leave my testimony against the cursed prelates, and all
their hirelings, who have been the instigators and drivers on of the
council and bloody soldiers, to all the tyranny, oppression, and blood,
which they have shed. And I leave my testimony against the woful
indulgences, and all that have been either embracers of them, or any
tbat have been strengtheners of their hands, or their favourers : they
have broken and divided the people of the Lord, more than all the
former persecutions could ever do I leave my testimony against all
lukewarm and unfaithful ministers and professors, that have turned
their back upon Christ and his cause, and have fallen away from their
first love, and the doing of their first works ; for they are pulling
down what they first builded. I leave my testimony against the
oppression, tyranny, and robbery done against the people of God,
either by one or other, and especially by these wretches, Glencairn
and Halyards, whose names shall be recorded for generations to
come, as robbers of the widow and fatherless, ' who have lien in wait
against the dwellings of the righteous, and have spoiled his restiig
place ;' and have turned many a widow and orphan out of their
dwellings. " I leave my testimony against those tyrants that have forfeited
all the rights that tbey now lay claim to, and usurp over the people
of the Lord, and the whole land, and all their unjust laws ; but
especially that accursed supremacy, by which they set up a miserable,
adulterous wretched man in Christ's room, who thinks to wrong our
Lord, and carry his crown : but it will be too heavy for him ; though
all the wicked lords, prelates, malignants, and indulged, be joining

ARCHIBALD STEWART. 291
hand in hand to hold it on, down it shall come, and whosoever wears
that crown. And it is because of his wearing my lovely Lord and
King's crown, and wronging him, t!iat I am contending ; and as he and
they have proclaimed me a rebel and traitor to man, so I disown him
and them, and declare hiol and them traitors and rebels to God and his
Christ, ray desirable and holy Lord and King. But let me entreat
you, that desire mercy, to forsake your wicked ways, and fail in love
with Christ, and seek peace with God through him, who is the only
peace- maker; for there are sad judgments coming on the land ; and
all your peace with these wicked men will not keep you from the
dreadful wrath of God coming on the land, because of alighting of the
gospel, when it was to be had in God's own way ; and the perjury,
covenant-breaking, idolatry, and profaneness, treacherous backsliding,
apostasy, and other abominations, that all ranks of the land are guilty
of ; and because of their receiving and entertaining of this bloody
popish duke, who must be welcomed with a draught of our blood
now, as he was the last time with the blood of our brethren.
" I bless the Lord, I have great satisfaction in my owning this
despised way of God, for which I lay down my life ; and also, that
the Lord has drawn my heart after him, and made me heartily willing
to be at his disposal : and I have sweef peace in what I have done,
and would entreat all to more tenderness, and to watch over all their
ways ; for there are many looking on us, and waiting for our halting
in the way of God : O that the Lord would help you to wait on him,
' until the day break, and the shadows,' and all those clouds, ' fly
away ! ' for this is a heavy day upon the church of God. O ! to be
labouring to lie in the dust, and to hide ourselves, and shut our
mouths, and be silent ; for the Lord hath rubbed shame on all faces,
because of many backslidings, and upsetting in duty, and that both
public and private ; — which, I think, tbe Lord is contending for, this
day. O I dear friends, all ye that desire to keep the way of God, and
be carried faithfully through amidst all these tribulations and astonish
ing dispensations, forsake not your Christian fellowships, wherein so
much of the power and presence of God hath been found, among
those that meet together out of love and zeal for God, to pour out
their hearts before him, and converse one with another. I think, the
forsaking and upsetting of Christian meetings, is as sad a token of
God's leaving the land, as any that I see ; and therefore I not only
exhort you to this duty, but, as a dying man, I charge you, as you
will answer at the great day, to set about that duty with fear, love,
and zeal to God, having his glory before your eyes : and let love to
Christ be the principle and motive to draw you to this, and all other
duties. Let none be stumbled at the way of Christ, for what we are
suffering (if I durst call it suffering) ; for, all tbe steps of the way are
easy to me, through faith in a slain Mediator : for it is those that keep
the word of his patience, that he will keep in the hour of temptation.
O ! labour to keep up these lovely field meetings, wherewith my soul
has been refreshed. And let it be your work to keep patience, whatever
sufferings ye meet with from enemies, or reproaches from pretended

292 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
friends, who, I fear, will be found secret and heart enemies to God.
This I leave to you as my last advice.
" And now I bless God for all tbat he hath done for my soul, and
for this way that he hath taken with me, in carrying me to the land
of praise, where I shall sing that sweet song throughout the ages of
eternity, which shall never have an end. O ! long to be with him ;
for if ye knew what I have got of his love and presence, ye would-
whiles be giving a look to time, and bidding it be gone. Now, even
let it be gone, that I may enjoy my best beloved. Now, I take my
farewell of all friends and relations, and all earthly comforts, and
all created glory ; and welcome sweet Lord Jesus, into thy hands I
commit my spirit. " Sic Sub.— ARCHIBALD STEWART."*
Upon the scaffold, he sung the second Psalm, and read the third
of Malachi ; but they would not suffer him to pray publicly, for
when he began to speak, saying, " O Lord, what wilt thou do with this
generation ? what wilt thou do with bloody Charles Stuart ?" incon
tinent the drums were beaten, and his mouth stopped, that he got no
more said. — Cloud of Witnesses.

VI. JOHN POTTER.
[John Potter, the person alluded to in the previous notice, was a
farmer in the parish of Uphall, in West Lothian. He had not,
for any thing that appeared, ever been in arms, and his persecutors
had nothing to lay to his charge but his hearing Mr. Cargill, and
owning the Sanquhar Declaration. Along with Stewart, however,
he was accused of approving of the Bothwell and Airsmoss
insurrections, the Torwood excommunication, &c. and being in like
manner found guilty, was condemned on the 24-th November, and
suffered on the 1st of December, 1680, The following is his
Testimony.]
" All you spectators and auditors, I desire your attention to a few
words, and I shall be brief. And before I begin, I must tell you, you
must not expect such a testimony from me, as ye have had from some
of them that went before me, I not being a learned man, as some of
them have been ; however, I desire to look to God, who not only can
give me what to speak, but can also bless what I speak ; — so as it may
be for his glory, and the good of them that love him, and wait for
his coming ; which is the desire of my soul. Now, being to step out of
time into eternity, I hope you will not think that I shall say any thing
now, but what my conscience binds me to say.
" In the first place, I must tell you for what I am come here this
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 112—117.

JOHN POTTER. 293
day to lay down my life : it is for owning and adhering to my sworn
principles. I am a presbyterian ; and herein I do rejoice, that I am
to suffer for this cause only ; — for adhering to the word of God, and
our Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, our Cove
nants, National and Solemn League, together with our Solemn
Acknowledgment of Sins, and Engagement to Duties, wherein all
Scotland were once engaged, and thought it their duty and honour to
be so : and this is the reason for which I am sentenced to death by
men ; but God, to whom vengeance doth belong, will avenge himself
for all the wrongs done to his glory, cause, interest, and people. I
was born under the pure light of the gospel, and was taught to own
Christ as King in Zion only, and head of his own church : and this I
own to be my duty : but I am here charged with rebellion, which I
deny, — because I was never of that opinion, that it was rebellion to
hear the gospel, for the word of God binds us to it, as our duty ;
otherwise why should God have told us, that ' we should go from sea
to sea, to seek the word of the Lord, and should not find it ?' And,
the practice of our Lord and his apostles in preaching of the gospel
to the people that heard them, is a sufficient ground to prove it to be
duty to hear the gospel whether in fields or houses, when it cannot
be had elsewhere : and if it be duty to hear the gospel, as it is, then
certainly it is duty to defend the gospel, when preached in purity ;
according to the word of God, and according to the sixth article of
the Solemn League and Covenant, wherein we are bound to assist
and defend all that enter into covenant with us, and to the utmost of
our power, with our lives in our hands, — much more to defend the
gospel, which teaches us the fundamental principles of our holy
religion. " And to take away that vile and malicious aspersion, which they
cast upon us, charging us with an intention to have murdered the
duke of York, and others with him ; I declare, I had never such a
principle as to murder any man ; neither did I ever hear of it, till the
council told me ; which I knew to be a vile and hell-hatched aspersion,
cast upon the way and people of God : but they judge others by
themselves, for that is their principle to murder the gospel of God, as
they also do. Next, I was charged, whether or not I adhered to the
Sanquhar declaration ? I answered, I not only adhere to it, but also
will lay down my life cheerfully and willingly, as I do this day, for
adhering thereto ; yea, if every hair of my head were a life, and every
drop of my blood were a man, I would willingly lay them all down
for him and his cause. I come here to tell you, 1st, That I adhere
to all the written will and word of God, and I adhere to the
Confession of Faith, and our Catechisms, Larger and Shorter, and
to our Covenants, National and Solemn League, and to the Solemn
Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties, and to all the
covenants made betwixt God and us, wherein I stand engaged. 2dly,
I adhere to all the testimonies that have gone before me. 3dly, I
adhere to all that has been done for maintaining and defending the
gospel, against a tyrannizing and bloody enemy, when the actors
thereof had the glory of God before their eyes, as the chief motive

294 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
that drove them thereto, whether at Pentland, Drumclog, Glasgow,
Bothwell, Airsmoss, or any other place in Scotland, where there has
been any rencounter of that kind. 4thly, I adhere to that action of
excommunication at the Torwood, — it being according to the word of
God, and done by a faithful minister of the gospel, and in as legal a
way as the present dispensation and circumstance of time could
permit : and also, the persons excommunicate being guilty of such
crimes, as justly to deserve that act to be passed against them. 5thly,
I adhere to the testimonies of all that have borne testimony against
silent and unfaithful ministers, by their withdrawing from them, which
is a declaring -that they do not own them as faithful ambassadors of
Jesus Christ, because of their unfaithfulness : and I hope, none will
condemn me for saying, that I have not had clearness to join with
them, while they remain so unconcerned with the cause of Christ, and
the oppression of his people. 6thly, I adhere to the way of salvation
agreed upon between the Father and the Son, before the creation of
the world, that through the Son we should be made perfect, which I
hope to obtain, before this body of mine be cold, and in his perfection
I shall be made perfect, and through his suffering I shall be conformed
to him, ' who suffered without the gate, bearing his reproach.' And
I am well pleased with my lot this day. ' O my soul, and all that is
within me, bless his holy name, for all that he hath done for my soul,'
and for his way of bringing me here this day, to lay down my life for
him. I am not afraid of grim death ; I know that God has taken
away the sting of death through the suffering of his Son.
" In the next place, being here as a dying witness for Christ and
his cause, I do therefore leave my testimony against all abominations
done in the land against a holy God, and in contempt of his image ;
particularly, 1. I testify against all that woful and hell-hatched act
of supremacy, wherein they acknowledged the king to be head of the
church, and thereby have invested a mortal creature with Christ's
crown, sword, and sceptre. 2. I bear witness, and testify against
the breaking of the National and Solemn League and Covenant, and
making them to be burnt by the hand of the hangman at the market.
cross of Edinburgh, and elsewhere through Scotland, — so contrary to
their solemn engagements. 3. I witness and bear my testimony
against the reception of prelacy, — so contrary to the word of God, and
our covenants ; for then it was that the covenanters in Scotland should
have withstood both king and council, and all that joined with tbem
in that head, and should have testified against them with their swords
in their hand, until they had resisted unto blood, according to the 6th
article of the Solemn League and Covenant. O ! that all that are
alive. this day, that were men when the covenant was burnt, — were
taking with their sin, and were lying in the dust ; — every one for his
share in that sin, and every one for the land's guiltiness. 4. I
leave my testimony against all the horrid bloodshed that has been in
the land, whether of noblemen, gentlemen, ministers, or any others,
that have suffered in Edinburgh, or any other place, whether on
scaffolds, on gibbets, in the open fields, or on the sea ; particularly
that horrid act of murdering 60 many men after tbey bad taken them

JOHN POTTER. 295
prisoners, and promised them their lives, which was done by Thomas
Dalziel, called general, who took them prisoners, and after promising
to set them at liberty, delivered them up to the bloody council, who
most cruelly murdered them, against, aud without all law and reason,
never speaking of conscience, — for, they had lost all of that — that they
ever had, when they burnt the covenant, and murdered the Marquis of
Argyle, and my lord Warriston, and that eminent minister, Mr.
James Guthrie, who were murdered against the very act of their own
laws. 5. I bear witness and testimony against the cutting off heads
and hands, and setting them up upon the ports of Edinburgh, and
elsewhere through the kingdom of Scotland, as if they had been
thieves or malefactors. 6. I testify and bear witness against all the
imprisonments, finings, and confinings of the people of God, for
adheriug to his word and our covenants. 7. I testify and bear witness
against the pressing of the declaration against our covenants upon the
consciences of the Lord's people. 8. I testify and bear witness
against the imposing and paying of cess and militia-money, both for
oppressing the consciences, and grinding the faces of the poor. 9.
I testify and bear witness against that cruel and hell-hatched act of
sending the highland host, and the rest of that cabal, to oppress and
plunder the people of God. 1 Othly and lastly, I bear witness against
all the oppression, spoiling, robbing, and hunting of the people of
God, and that, against all manner of law and reason. I shall be a
standing witness against them, aye and until they repent. O 1 that
the Lord would pour out his Spirit upon all that have so grievously
turned aside, and make them to lie in the dust, and to take with their
sins ; but I fear a holy God has given them up to themselves, and
sealed tbeir hearts with obduration, and so tbey are become proof
against all dispensations ; but sure,"such as will not bow to God, shall
be broken by the mighty rod of iron that is in his hand to bruise the
nations. I have here left my testimony against the perjury, bloodshed,
and oppression of the people of God, which has been done by him
who is called the king of Britain and Ireland ; and the perjury and
bloodshed acted by noblemen and gentlemen, that have been assisting
and strengthening his hand in bloody and cruel courses ; and therefore
I leave my testimony against them, and my blood upon their heads,
and especially against such as were present in the council when I was
examined, and these perjured lords of the criminal court, where I was
sentenced to die here in this place of execution ; and also, I leave my
blood upon the head of assizers, and all others who said Amen to my
sentence : — whatever they have been, and yet are, except they repent,
my blood shall be charged upon them ! Likewise, I leave my
testimony against all wbo curried arms to guard me to this scaffold,
they shall be guilty of my blood, if mercy and grace prevent it not.
" Likewise, I bear witness, and leave my testimony against the
reception of the duke of York, first and last, that professed papist,
who has been laying out himself to carry us back to Rome, and that
not only by the bloody council, and other perjured noblemen and
gentlemen but also by the city of Edinburgh, that went out of the
port to receive him, as though he bad been a king, with Bhooting of

296 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
guns, sounding of trumpets, beating of drums, and kindling of
bonfires ; (which is contrary to the word of God and our covenant,)
after he had been cast off justly by the other kingdom of England :
I shall be a witness against that action in the great day. And
particularly, I. leave my blood upon that wretch and bloody tyrant,
the duke of York ; for it is to satisfy him, and to quench his
implacable thirst after blood, that I am brought hither this day, Tbe
last time he came to Scotland, he got a sacrifice of the blood of these
five that suffered at Magus-muir, who were indeed highly honoured,
and nothing short of these that went before them ; and now, he must
have this our blood to quench his thirst upon ; but that heart of his
that is so rejoicing at the hearing and seeing of our death, ere long
shall tremble, when my heart shall sing Hallelujah to the Lamb of
God, and join in my note, and pass my sentence with the great Judge
against him, and all the enemies of God, if great repentauc^ and free
grace prevent it not.
" And with respect to that for which I am sentenced to death,
because of many mistakes, even among the godly, through wrong
information — I here as a dying man declare, that I had before me no
design but only the glory of God, and the coming of Christ's kingdom,
and his reigning as King in Zion. And for this I am sentenced, and
for this I lay down my life this day, and I do it willingly and cheer
fully, and not by constraint ; for if I had been left of a holy God,
so far as to quit one hoof of his truth, I might have redeemed my life
as some have done, who were as deeply engaged to stand by tbe truth,
even to the resisting unto blood, as I was, and seemed to be as
deeply concerned as I was. How they have come out of prison I
know not, but God knows, and to him they will, and must give
account thereof, and to him I leave it ; but I think there are few that
come out of prison now, that can say, they have neither touched,
tasted, nor handled the abominations of these times wherein they live :
therefore I leave my testimony and witness against all that have come
out of prison, by taking of the bond, (if it were but to compear before
these bloody enemies of God,) in as far as they were convinced that it
was sin, as some of them were ; otherwise their tongue and pen have
lied ; which I leave to God and their own conscience to determine,
whether or not they have sinned in so doing. Next, I here, as a
dying man, do declare, that if the blotting of paper to them would
save my life, I would not do it at that rate ; for I see they are setting
themselves to ensnare poor things ; and I see neither ministers nor
professors to give their advice in this matter, if it be not to make
them take the bond, as they did to these poor things in tbe church
yard. Also, I leave my testimony, and bear witness against all the
unfaithfulness of ministers and professors. 1st. I bear witness
against the unfaithfulness of these ministers, that were with the public
resolutions, to bring in, or keep in, any of these men that were open
and avowed malignants and enemies to God, — so contrary to our
covenant. 2dly, I bear" testimony against tbat Act at Glasgow,
whereby six hundred ministers and upwards did quit their charge and
turn their back upon tbeir flock ; and since, many of them are turned

JOHN POTTER. 297
ravening wolves, and greedy dogs that cannot bark, according to that
word, Ezek. xiii. 4, 5. ' O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in
the desert, who have not gone up to the gap, neither made up the
hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle, in the day of the
Lord.' Had it not been their duty to have stood by their charge
until they had been driven out of their pulpits ? 3dly, I leave my
testimony against both Indulgences, first and last, and against all that
comply and go on with them in that sinful course, aye and until they
repent, I shall be a standing witness against them. Surely, if they
be found with clean fingers when God comes to inquire after blood, I
am mistaken : but O ! what will they answer, when Christ will say,
' Come here, Sir, give me an account of your talent : what did you
do with your ministry ? laid ye it aside at the command of Charles
Stuart and the bloody council ? and had ye more delight to be a
Doctor or Chamberlain, than to be a minister ?' O I let the
unfaithful minister remember that word in Ezek. xxxiii. 6. ' But if
the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the
people be not warned, and if the sword come and take any person
from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity ; but his blood will
I require at the watchman's hand.' I fear that the blood of many
souls will be required at the hands of the most part of the ministers
of Scotland.
" I bear witness, and leave my testimony against the unfaithfulness
of many ministers, who have left their wonted love and burning zeal,
which they had when they ventured upon the high places of the earth
in preaching the gospel. And now, in the last place, I bear testimony
against all- that have preached, written against, or reproached that poor
party that were occasionally met at Airsmoss, only for the hearing of
the gospel.
" And now, when I am stepping out of time into eternity, I declare
that I adhere to all the doctrines that ever I heard Mr. Richard
Cameron, or Mr. Donald Cargill preach ; and my soul blesseth God
that ever I heard either of them ; for my soul hath been refreshed to
hear the voice and shouting of a King among these field-meetings,
wherein the fountain of living waters has been made to run down
among the people of God, in such a manner that armies could not
have terrified us. O ! I am sure the blood that has been shed in tbe
fields, and on scaffolds in Scotland for the cause and interest of Jesus
Christ, will have a glorious crop, in spite of devils and men ; and I
am sure, the seed sown at Airsmoss will have as glorious a vintage,
as ever any seed in Scotland had.
" And now, 0 ye that are the poor remnant that are to stay behind,
who are the butt of the fury, not only of the open and bloody
enemies, but also of many ministers and professors, who have gone
out of the way themselves, and will not suffer others to walk in it ; I
have this to say to you, be earnest and constant in kything of love to
Christ ; walk with more fear, lest ye offend a holy and jealous God.
O beware that ye quit not your integrity ; there are many waiting for
your baiting, yea, and longing for it. Cast not off the way of Christ
because of suffering. If ye knew what of his love and comforting
2 p

298 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
presence I had, since I was called to witness for him against these
bloody traitors, that are thirsting after the blood of the Lord's people,
•ye would long for such proofs of his love ; seek him early, and ye
shall find him. Be not troubled because of our death, it is not a
death unto the soul, but an inlet of life to it ; for ' to be dead to the
world is to be alive to Christ.' ' Blessed are tbe dead that die in the
Lord, from henceforth, they rest from their labours, and tbeir works
do follow them.' And rejoice, O ye poor of the flock, that wait with
fear and trembling, and with faith and love in exercise ; it is to you
that he will come : he meeteth him that rejoiceth in, and worketh
righteousness. ' Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall be com
forted. Blessed are the meek ; for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are the merciful ; for tbey shall obtain mercy. Blessed are
they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness ; for they shall
be filled. Blessed are the pure in heart ; for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peace-makers ; for they shall be called the children of
God. Blessed are tbey that are reproached for righteousness' sake ;
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against
you falsely for my sake.' O friends, it is only you that have ground to
rejoice ; if ye be helped by him to keep the word of his patience, he
will keep you in the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all
the world, to try them that dwell upon the face of the earth.
" O dear friends and followers of Christ, hold on your way, weary
not, faint not, and you shall receive the crown of life. It is they
that overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of tbeir
testimony, that shall stand, — being clothed in white robes, before the
throne, — for these are they tbat come out of great tribulation. Re
member, that there is a book of remembrance written, and tbe names
of those are written in it, ' that speak often one to another.' O my
friendft let it be your study to keep up private fellowship-meetings,
wherein so much of the power and life of religion is to be found.
Remember, that here I, as a dying sufferer for Christ, leave this
charge to every one of you, that have any love to Christ ; set about
this and other duties with more fervent love and zeal than here
tofore hath been done ; and be much in private prayer ; wrestle with
God upon the account of Jacob's trouble. I will say this, that the
more ye seek for Zion, the more ye will get for yourselves. Let
not the reproaches cast upon the way of God stumble you. And see
tbat when you are reviled, ye revile not again ; but rather with
meekness and love, in the fear of the Lord, study ye to gain others ;
but if they will not hearken when this is done, then be free and
faithful in testifying against them for so doing ; hut especially let your
conversation testify your dislike of these sinful courses. And now,
my dear friends in Christ, I leave you to him, wbo has promised to
be with you in fire and water, and bear the weight of all your
reproaches, and who ' is afflicted in all your afflictions.'
" As for you that are lying in black nature, I exhort you to repent
of your sins, and come out of that woful estate, wherein ye are now
lying, and close with a slain Mediator upon his own terms. O fall in

ISABEL ALISON. 299
ldVe with the way of salvation. O can ye think of tbe way of
redemption, and not stand and wonder at the condescendency of free
grace ? I tell you, ' Except you repent, ye shall all perish !'
" I have a word to speak to you that are cruel and open enemies
to Christ and his cause. Remember, ' the saints shall judge the
world ;' and then we shall not get leave to stand on equal terms with
you ; but we shall be set on thrones, with crowns on our heads, and
harps in our hands, to sing praise to the Lamb : and then we shall
pass our sentence, with the great Judge, upon all the enemies of God,
and you ' shall be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God,'
if ye repent not. I pray that the Lord would open your eyes that
you may see your sins, and turn from them and live, I forgive all
men the wrongs they have done, or can do to me ; but for the wrongs
done to Christ, in robbing him of his right over his church and people,'
I know vengeance belongs to God, and he will repay them ; therefore
I leave them under process, aye and until they repent. And now, I
begin to enjoy him who is invisible ; for it is but little we can see of
him now : but this I am sure of, that I shall be made conform to him
through his sufferings. Therefore, I take my leave of all the world,
and the enjoyments thereof. I leave my wife and child to my cove
nanted God, who gave them to me, and willingly quit and give thenr
up to him, hoping, that ' he will be a husband to the widow, and a
father to the fatherless,' according to his promise. I hope, that the
friends of the Lord will remember the living for the dead's sake.
Farewell, wife and child, parents and relations, and all friends and
acquaintances ! Welcome, heaven, angels, and saints ; welcome God
and Father ; welcome lovely Jesus Christ ; welcome Holy Spirit of
grace, into thy hands I commend my soul and spirit.
Sic Sub— JOHN POTTER."*

VII. ISABEL ALISON.
QThe trial and execution of this and another youiig female, Marion
Harvie, may, as Wodrow has remarked, be well regarded as " a
flaming proof of the iniquity of the period." Isabel Alison belonged
to Perth, and was a young unmarried woman of sober and religious
habits. She had occasionally heard Mr. Cargill and some
others, preach in the fields. And merely for this nonconformity
and for speaking against the severity used upon some pious people
in the neighbourhood, she was seized and carried before a magis
trate. Here, in her simplicity, she confessed having held converse
*ith some who had been declared rebels, and a party of soldiers
were forthwith sent to carry her to Edinburgh. When brought
before the Council, the most captious and ensnaring questions
were put to her, and by means, partly of promises, and partly of
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 117—127

300 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
threats, she was brought to acknowledge acquaintance with Rathillet,
Balfour, and others concerned in the Primate's death. She was
accordingly, with her companion, sisted before the Justiciary,
where having made a similar confession, and having owned the
Sanquhar Declaration, and the Queensferry Paper, and having
disowned the authority of the Judges, — she was found guilty of
treason, and condemned to suffer death. The doom was pro
nounced on the 20th, and with her fellow-prisoner, she was
executed on the 26th of January 1681. Her testimony is con
tained in the following miscellaneous documents.]
1. Her account of the Interrogations by the Privy
Council.
" When I was brought before the Council, they asked me, 'where did
ye live, at St. Johnstoun?' Answer, 'Yes.' 'What was your occupa
tion?' To which I did not answer. The bishop asked, if I
conversed with Mr. Donald Cargill ? I answered, ' Sir, you seem to
be a man whom I have no clearness to speak to.' He desired another
to ask the same question : I answered, ' I have seen him, and I wish
that I had seen him oftener.' They asked, if I owned what he had
done against the civil magistrate ; I answered, I did own it. They
asked, if I could read the Bible ? I answered, Yes. They asked.
if I knew the duty we owe to the civil magistrate ? I answered,
' When the magistrate carrietb the sword for God, according to what
the scripture calls for, we owe him all due reverence ; but when they
overturn the work of God, and set themselves in opposition to him,
it is the duty of His servants to execute His laws and ordinances on
them.' They asked, if I owned the Sanquhar Declaration ? I
answered, I did own it. They asked, if I owned the Paper taken at
the Queensferry on Henry Hall ? I answered, ' You need not question
that.' -They asked, if I knew Mr. Skene? I answered, 'I never
saw him.' They asked, if I conversed with rebels ? I answered,
' I never conversed with rebels.' They asked, if I conversed with
David Hackston ? I answered, ' I did converse with him, and I bless
the Lord that ever I saw him, for I never saw ought in him but a
godly pious youth.' They asked, if the killing of the bishop of St.
Andrews was a pious act ? I answered, 'I never heard him say, that
he killed him ; but if God moved any, and put it upon them to
execute his righteous judgments upon him, I have nothing to say to
that.' They asked, when saw ye John Balfour, that pious youth ?
I answered, ' I have seen him.' They asked, when ? I answered,
' These are frivolous questions, I am not bound to answer them.' They
said, I thought not that, a Testimony. They asked, ' What think ye of
lhat in the Confession of Faith, that magistrates should be owned
though they were heathens ?' I answered, it was another matter, than
when those who seemed to own the truth, have now overturned it,
and made themselves avowed enemies to it.' They asked, ' Who should
be judge of these things ?' I answered, ' The Scriptures of truth,
and the Spirit of God, and not men that have overturned the work
themselves.' They asked, if I knew the two Hendersons that mur-

ISABEL ALISON. 301
dered the lord St. Andrews ? I answered, ' I never knew any lord
St. Andrews.' They said, ' Mr. James Sharp, if ye call him so.' I
said, I never thought it murder ; but if God moved and stirred them
up to execute his righteous judgment upon him, I have nothing to
say to that. They asked, whether or not I would own all that I had
said ? for, said they, ' you will be put to own it in the Grass-market :'
and they bemoaned me, in putting my life in such a hazard in such
a quarrel. I answered, ' I think my life little enough in the quarrel of
owning my Lord and Master's sweet truths ; for he hath freed me
from everlasting wrath, and redeemed me ; and as for my body, it is
at his disposal.' They said, I did not follow the Lord's practice, in
that anent Pilate. I answered, ' Christ owned his kingly office, when
he was questioned on it, and he told them, He was a king, and for
that end he was born ; — and it is for that, that we are called in
question this day, — the owning of his kingly government. The bishop
said, ' We own it.' I answered, ' We have found the sad consequence of
the contrary. The bishop said, he pitied me for the loss of my life.
I told him, he had done me much more hurt than the loss of my life,
or all the lives they had taken ; for it had much more affected me,
that many souls were killed by their doctrine. The bishop said,
' Wherein is our doctrine erroneous ?' I said, that was better debated
already, than a poor lass could debate it. They said, 'Your ministers
do not approve of these things ; and ye have said more than some
of your ministers ; for your ministers have brought you on to these
opinions, and left you there.' I said, they had cast in baits among
the ministers, and harled them aside ; and although ministers aay one
thing to-day, and another to-morrow, we are not obliged to follow
them in that. Then they said, they pitied me ; for, (said they) ' we
find reason and a quick wit in you :' and they desired me to take
it to advisement. I told them, I had been advising on it these seven
years, and I hoped not to change now. They inquired mockingly,
if I lectured any ? I answered, ' Quakers use to do so.' They asked,
if I did own presbyterian principles ? I answered, that I did. They
asked, if I was distempered ? I told them, I was always solid in the
wit that God had given me. Lastly, they asked my name, I told
them, if they had staged me, they might remember my name, for I
had told them already, and would not always be telling them. One
of them said, ' May ye not tell us your name ?' Then another of them
selves told it." *
2. Her Account of the Interrogations by the Criminal
Judges.
" Being called before the criminal lords, they asked me, if I would
aDi'de by what I said, last day ? I answered, ' I am not about to
deny any thing of it.' They said, ye confessed that ye harboured
the killers of the bishop, though ye would not call it murder. I
said, I confessed no such thing. The advocate said, I did. I
answered, I did not ; and I told them, I would take with no
» Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 127-^129.

302 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
untruths. He said, did ye not converse with them ? I said, ' I did
converse with David Hackston, and I bless the Lord for it.' They
said, ' When saw you him last ?' I answered, ' Never since you murdered
him. They desired me to say over what I said the last day. I .
said, would they have me to be my own accuser ? they said, the
advocate was my accuser ? I said, ' Let him say on then.' Then they
went over the things that past betwixt the council and me the other
day and put me to it, yea, or nay. I said, ye have troubled me too
much with answering questions, seeing ye are a judicature which I
have no clearness to answer.' They said, ' Do ye disown ue, and the
king's authority in us ? ' I said, ' I disown you all, because you carry
the sword against God, and not for bim, and have these nineteen or
twenty years made it your work to dethrone him, by swearing year
after year against bim and his work, and assuming that power to a
human creature, which is due to him alone ; and have rent the
members from their head Christ, and one another.' Then they asked,
' Who taught you these principles ?' I said, I was beholden to God
that taught me these principles. They said, ' Are you a quaker ?' I
said, ' Did you hear me say, I was led by a spirit within me ? I bless
the Lord, I profited much by the persecuted gospel ; and your acts
of indemnity after Bothwell cleared me more than any thing I met
with since.' They said, ' How could that be ?' I said, ' By your meddling
with Christ's interests, and parting them as ye pleased. They said,
they did not usurp Christ's prerogatives. I said, ' What then mean
your indulgences, and your setting up of prelacy ? for there has
none preached publicly these twenty years without persecution, but
those that have had their orders from you.' Then they caused bring
Sanquhar Declaration, and the Paper * found on Mr. Richard
Cameron, and the papers taken at the Queensferry, and asked, if I
would adhere to them ? I said, I would, as they were according to
the Scriptures, atid I saw not wherein they did contradict them.
They asked, if ever Mr. Welch or Mr. Riddel taught me these
principles ? I answered, I would be far in the wrong to speak any
thing that might wrong them. Then they bade me take heed what
I was saying, for it was upon life and death that I was questioned.
I asked them, if they would have me to lie ? 'I would not quit one
truth, though it would purchase my life a thousand years, which ve
cannot purchase, nor promise me an hour.' They said, ' When saw ye
the two Hendersons and John Balfour? Seeing ye love ingenuitv,
will ye be ingenuous, and tell us, if ye saw them since the death of
tbe bishop ?' I said, they appeared publicly within tbe land since.
They asked, if I conversed with them within these twelve months ?
At which, I kept silence. They urged me to say either yea, or nay.
I answered, yes. Then they said, ' Your blood be upon your own
head, we shall be free of it.' I answered, ' So said Pilate ; but it was
a question if it was so ; and ye have nothing to say against me,
' This paper being taken from him, at bis death, by tbe enemies who slew
him, no copy thereof, for ought I know, has ever been procured, and hence it
cannot be certainly known what was the nature of it. — Cloud of Witnesses

ISABEL ALISON. 303
but for owning of Christ's truths, and his persecuted members. To
which they answered nothing. Then they desired me to subscribe
what I owned : I refused, and they did it for me." *
3. Account of Her Answers before the Assizers.
" Dear friends, — These are to show you what past betwixt the
black crew and me. They read my indictment, and asked, if I had
ought to say against it ? I said, nothing. They read the papers as
they did formerly, and asked, if I owned them ? I said, I did own
them. Then they called the assizers and swore them. Then I told
them, all authority is of God, Rom. xiii. 1. and when they appeared
against him, I was clear to disown them ; and if tbey were not
against him, I would not have been there : ' I take every one of you
witness against another, at your appearance before God, that your
proceeding against me is only for owning of Christ, his gospel, and
members ; which I could not disown, lest I should come under the
hazard of denying Christ, and so be denied of him.' And when the
assize came, they asked, If I had ought to say against them ? I said,
they were all alike, for there would no honest man take the trade in
hand. They said to the assize, it was against their will to take
our lives : I said, if that had been true, they would not have brought
me so far off, pursuing me for my life. This is the substance of
what past, as I remember." f
4. Account of Mr. Riddel's Examination of
her and Marion Harvie.
" About seven of the clock at night the goodman of the tolbooth
caused call us down, against our will, to be examined by Mr. Riddel,
at the council's order. So we came down, and were brought to the
west side of the house, to an empty room, where they brought him
unto us : the goodman of the tolbooth being present, and the keepers,
and some gentlemen with them, and they caused us sit down. The
goodman of the tolbooth said, ' Mr. Riddel, the council caused me
bring you to confer with these women ; to see if ye can bring them
to repentance.' Then we protested, and said, ' As for repentance, we
know not what fault wc have done :' ' Then' said they, ' you cannot be
the worse to have one of your ministers to confer with.' We told
them, that these ministers being their servants, we looked no more upon
tbem as ministers of Jesus Christ ; and therefore he is no minister to
us. Mr. Riddel asked, If the council would send Mr. Cargill to us,
would we not confer with him ? We said, he was not at their com
mand ; ' but if Mr. Cargill would do as ye and the rest of you have
done, we would do the like with him.' So he offered to pray ; we
said, we were not clear to join with him in prayer. He said,
wherefore ? ' We said, we know the strain of your prayers will be like
your discourse.' He said, ' I shall not mention any of your principles
in my prayer, but only desire the Lord to let you see the evil of
» Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 129—131.
f Cloud of Witnesses, p. 131.

304 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
your doings.' We told him, we desired none of his prayers at all.
They said, would we not be content to hear him ? We said, forced
prayers had no virtue. Then we said, what means he to pray with
us more than he did with our brethren that have gone before us ?.
Mr. Riddel said, Mr. Skene conversed with Mr. Robert Ross. We
said, he did not send for him, but he intruded himself upon him.
The goodman of the tolbooth said, he conversed with Mr. Meldrum,
and we smiled at that, and said, he might talk to him of his perjury,
but for no other thing. So, they urged prayer again. We said, it
would be a mocking of God. They said, why so? We said, ' Because
we cannot join in it.' So Mr. Riddel began to debate with us, and
said, we would not find it in all the Scripture, nor any history, to
disown the civil magistrate. We answered, ' There were never such
magistrates seen as we have.* He instanced Manasseh, who " made
the streets of Jerusalem to run with the blood of the prophets." We
said, It was a question if he came the length in perjury. He
instanced Joash : we answered, ' He was but a child when that
covenant was sworn, and it was not so with those he now pleaded
for.' He then instanced Nero, — how he set the city on fire, and
robbed the churches ; and yet notwithstanding the Apostle exhorteth
submission to the magistrates then in being. We answered, ' It was
in the Lord, and as they were a terror to evil-doers.' He said,
although they were wicked, yet they should not be altogether cast
off. We said, before their excommunication we would not have
been so clear to cast them off. He said, ' There were but only seven
in the excommunication, then why do ye cast off all tbe rest?' We
answered, ' These seven carried the great sway, and the rest came in
under them.' He said, ' How can one man take upon him to draw
out the sword of excommunication, for the like was never heard tell
of in no generation ?' We answered, ' Why not one man, since there
were no more faithful, and the Church hath power to cast out
scandalous persons, be they high, be they low ? He said, ' Who is the
Church ?' We said, If there was a true Church in the world, that little
handful was one, though never so insignificant, of which handful we
own ourselves a part : and though our blood go in the quarrel, yet
we hope, it will be the foundation of a new building, and of a lively
Church. " He said, Thought we all the ministers wrong ? We answered,
' We desire to forbear, and not to add ; for we desire not to speak
of ministers' faults.' And, we desired him to forbear, and let us be
gone ; but he urged his discourse, and fell upon the papers that were
taken at the Queensferry, chiefly on that part of them — ' when God
gives them power, it is a just law to execute justice upon all persons
that are guilty.' And he came to us, and laid by his coat, and said,
' Would ye stab me with a knife in my breast even now ?' And we
smiled, and said, ' We never murdered any :' but, said he, they swore
to do so. We said, Why did he not debate these things with men,
and not with lasses ? for, we told him, we never studied debates.
He said again, Thought we all the ministers wrong? We answered,
They were wrong, and forbade him to put us to it, to speak of

ISABEL ALISON. 305
ministers' faults ; for if he knew what we had to eay of them, ho
would not urge us. So we desired to be gone. And he said, ' If ye
come to calm blood, desire me or any of the ministers to speak
to you, and ye may tell the keepers and ye may have them :' aud
there was a surgeon among them, and the goodman of the tolbooth
said he might draw blood of us, for we were mad. We said, ' Saw
ye any mad action in us ?' This is all we can mind at present." *
5. Her dying Testimony.
" I being sentenced to die in the Grass-market of Edinburgh,
January, 168"1, thought fit to set down under my hand, the causes
wherefore I suffer. I being apprehended at Perth, in my own
chamber, by an order from the council, and brought to Edinburgh
with a strong guard, and there put in prison, and then being
examined first by a committee, and then by the criminal court ; the
manner of my examination was, 1st, If I conversed with David
Hackston and others of our friends ? Which I owned upon good
grounds. 2dly, If I owned the excommunication at Torwood, and
the papers found at the Queensferry, and Sanquhar Declaration, and
a paper found on Mr. Cameron at Airsmoss ? All which I owned.
Likewise I declined their authority,' and told them, that they had
declared war against Christ, and had usurped and taken his prero
gatives, and so carried the sword against him, and not for him : so, I
think, none can own them, unless they disown Christ Jesus. There
fore let enemies and pretended friends say what they will, I could
have my life on no easier terms than the denying of Christ's kingly
office. So I lay down my life for owning and adhering to Jesus
Christ, his being a free King in his own house, for which I bless the
Lord, that ever he called me to that.
Now, in the first place, I adhere to the Holy Scriptures of the Old
and New Testament. And likewise I adhere to the Confession of
Faith, because according to the Scriptures ; the Larger and Shorter
Catechisms ; and our solemn Covenants, both National and Solemn
League, as they were lawfully sworn in this land ; and I adhere to
the Acknowledgment of Sins, and Engagement to Duties ; I adhere
likewise to these fore-mentioned papers, and to the excommunication
at Torwood, they all being according to the Scriptures of truth, and
bo both lawful and necessary. Likewise I adhere to the Rutherglen
Testimony, and to all the testimonies of our worthies, who have
suffered in Edinburgh, and elsewhere.
In the next place, I enter my protestation against all the violation
done to the work of God these twenty years bygone. First, the
burning of the covenant made with God, and the Causes of God's
Wrath, and the thrusting in of prelates into the Lord's house,
contrary to the word of God, and our sworn covenants. I leave my
testimony against popery, which is so much countenanced at this
day ; against the receiving that limb of Antichrist the duke of York.
Likewise, I leave my testimony against all the blood shed both on
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 131—134.
, 2«

306 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
scaffolds and in the fields and seas ; and against all the cruelty used
against all the people of the Lord. And, I leave my testimony
against the paying of tbat wicked cess, for maintaining these profane
wretches, to bear down the work of God. I leave my testimony
against all unlawful bonds. And likewise against the shifting of a
testimony, when clearly called by tbe Lord to give it. I leave my
testimony against profanity of all sorts, and likewise against luke-
warmness and indifferency in the Lord's matters. I leave my
testimony against the unfaithfulness of ministers, first and last ; — their
silence at the first; — when their Master's work was broken down, for
the most part they slipped from their Master's back, without so
.much as giving one word of a testimony against the wrongs done to
him, and now are become a snare to the poor people in going to
hear the curates, and poor things following their example are
ensnared ; — my finding the sad experience of it, brings it the more
into my memory. Yet, notwithstanding their being convinced of
their error in this, many of them carry now, as if they rued that ever
they came forth to the fields to proclaim their Master a free King in
his own house : and now they are fallen in under the shadow of
the sworn enemies, and alas they are become profound to lay snares ;
yea, ' they are a trap upon Mispeh, and a net spread upon Tabor !'
Oh, for the sad defection both of ministers and professors in Scotland !
it is like, our carriage may make many of our carcases to lie in the
wilderness, I leave my testimony against the indulgences, first and
last, and against all that comply therewith, or connive thereat. I
leave my testimony against the censuring of worthy Mr. Cameron,
or any other whom God raised up to declare the whole counsel of
God, and to witness against the evils of this generation. I fear
when God makes inquisition for blood, ministers' hands will not be
found free thereof.
" As for charging my blood on any particular person, I cannot, for
I have never gotten the certainty of what hath brought me to the
stage ; but if any have done it willingly, I leave it to God, and their
own conscience. But I may warrantably charge it upon all the
declared enemies of God within the land.
'' And 1st, I leave it upon the bloody council, tbat sent an order
to take me, for they are guilty of it. 2dly, The sheriff-clerk of
Perth, and those that were with him when he took me, are guilty of
it : the sheriff-clerk of Kinross, and the men that guarded me, are
likewise guilty of my blood : and I leave my blood on Sir George
Mackenzie, and the rest of that bloody court ; and I take the Lord
to witness against them, whether or not it was on easy terms, that
they offered me my life. They said only, they would not trouble me
with their bishops ; but I said, that supremacy was as evil as prelacy.
And tbey said, that I behoved to say, that the king was not an
usurper, and pass from all my former confession, and that it was my
duty to obey authority. I told them, that they were sworn enemies
to God, so that it was impossible to obey God, and them both ; so I
told tl em, I would not retract an hair-breadth. They said, thought
1 ever that he was our lawful king ? I said, yes ; for he entered into

ISABEL ALISON. 307
covenant with God, and with the land : but he hath broken and cast
off that tie, and hath exercised so much, both tyranny and cruelty,
that I had just ground to decline him, and them both : then they
bade my blood be upon my own head ; but I told them, they would
find it on their heads, for it was for my owning of Christ's kingly
office, that they put me to suffer, say the contrary who will. Now,
I bless the Lord I am free from Jesuitical principles. The Scripture
is my rule, and when obedience to men is contrary to obedience to
God, I am clear to disown them.
" I leave my testimony against Mr. Riddel, for his obeying these
wicked men to ensnare us, and to hold out to us, before these accursed
enemies of Christ, that were seeking our lives for our adhering to
the truth,--— that it was all delusion that we held. I many times rued
that I bare so well with him ; and now I hear, that he denies that
which we wrote. But if ye will believe me, wbo am in a little to
appear before God, there was nothing added, but rather wanting:
I wish the Lord may forgive him.* I bless the Lord, what strikes
against myself only, I can veiy heartily forgive ; but what strikes
against God and his truths, — I leave that to God, who is the Judge
of all.
" Now, I would only say this to you, who are seeking to keep
your garments clean, ' be sober, be vigilant, for your adversary the
devil goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.'
And as I would have you be zealous for the truth, and not to quit
one hoof ; so I would have you labour against a spirit of bitterness :
beware of self; and be more ready to mourn for the slips of others,
than to make them the subject of your discourse ; and labour to
make earnest of religion, for I find there is need of more than a good
cause, when it comes to the push. O the everlasting covenant is
sweet to me now ! And I would also say, they that would follow
Christ, need not scare at the cross, for I can set my seal to it, ' his
yoke is easy, and his burden is light.' Yea, many times he hath
made me go very easy through things that I have thought I would
never have win through. He is the only desirable master ; but he
must be followed fully. Rejoice in him, all ye that love him,
' wherefore lift up your heads, and be exceeding glad, for the day of
your redemption draweth nigh.' Let not your hearts faint, nor your
hands grow feeble. Go on in the strength of the Lord, my dear
friends, for, I hope, he will yet have a remnant both of sons and
daughters, that will cleave to him, though they will be very few ;
' even as the berries on the top of the outmost branches.' As for such
* It would appear from this, that tbe preceding document had been written
sometime previous to the above Testimony, and had been submitted to Mr.
Riddel's examination, or at least, that he had been informed of its contents.
That there should have been some slight discrepancies between him and our
martyr, as to what passed in the conversation which they had held, is not
wonderful. There might be inaccuracies on either side, without any breach
of honesty or sincerity. And certainly her situation at the time that the
above statement was written, as soon about to enter upon eternity, formed a '
sufficient guarantee against any imposition on her part being practised
willingly,

308 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
as are grown weary of the cross of Christ, and have drawn to a lee-
shore that God never allowed, it may be, ere all be done, it will turn
like a tottering fence, and a bowing wall to them, and they shall
have little profit of it, and as little credit. But what shall I say to
the commendation of Christ and his cross ! I bless the Lord, (praise
to his holy name,) that hath made my prison a palace to me ; and
what am I that he should have dealt thus with me I I have looked
greedily to such a lot as this, but still thought it was too high for
me, when I saw how vile I was ; but now the Lord hath made that
scripture sweet to me, Isa. vi. 6, 7. ' Then flew one of the
seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, — And he laid it
upon my mouth, and said, lo this hath touched thy lips, and thine
iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.' O how great is his
love to me I that hath brought me forth to testify against the
abominations of the times, and kept me from fainting hitherto,
and hath made me to rejoice in him. Now I bless the Lord that
ever he gave me a life to lay down for him. Now, farewell all
creature comforts ; farewell sweet Bible ; farewell ye real friends in
Christ ; farewell faith and hope ; farewell prayers and all duties ;
farewell sun and moon ; within a little I shall be free from sin, and
all the sorrows that follow thereon. Welcome, everlasting enjoyment
of the Father, Son, and Holy , Ghost, everlasting love, everlasting
joy, everlasting light ! Sic sub— ISABEL ALISON." •
" Edinburgh Tolbooth,)
Jan. 26, 1681." J
6. Her Last Words.
Being come to the scaffold, after singing the lxxxiv. Psalm, and
reading the xvi. of Mark, she cried over the scaffold, and said,
" Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous ; and again I eay, rejoice."
Then she desired to pray at tbat place, and the major came, and
would not let her, but took her away to the ladder foot, and there
she prayed. When she went up the ladder, she cried out, " O be
zealous, sirs, be zealous, be zealous ! O love tbe Lord all ye his
servants ; O love him, sirs, ! for in his favour there is life." And
she said, " O ye his enemies, what will ye do, whither will ye fly in
that day? For now there is a dreadful day coming on all the
enemies of Jesus Christ. Come out from among them, all ye that
are the Lord's own people." Then she said, " Farewell all created
comforts ; farewell sweet Bible, in which I delighted most, and
which has been sweet to me since I came to prison; farewell
christian acquaintances. Now, ' into thy hands I commit my spirit,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost I" Whereupon, the hangman threw her
over. + • Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 134— 13a
t Cloud of Witnesses, p. 138.

MARION HARVIE. 309
VIII. MARION HARVIE.
[[This person, it would appear, was still more humble in station
than the preceding witness to the truth. She was only about 20
years of age, a servant! and belonged to Borrowstounness in
Linlithgowshire. Being apprehended when on her way to
sermon, she was immediately ensnared by the questions put to her.
When sisted before the council, they had nothing to lay to her
charge but what she owned ; viz. her being at field conventicles.
When asked about the Sanquhar Declaration and Queensferry
Paper, she knew nothing about them ; but being read with a
view to ensnare her, Bhe owned them, as being in her opinion
agreeable to the Scriptures. When empann'elled before the
Justiciary, she in addition to this, disowned the king's authority —
said it was lawful to kill the Archbishop, and approved of the
excommunication of the king and his counsellors by Mr. Cargill.
And notwithstanding she refused to sign her declaration, and
protested her innocence of any actual crime, she was, as already
noticed, found guilty of treason, sentenced' on the 21st, and
executed on the 26th of January 1681. The following papers
exhibit her views of the cause for which she suffered.]
1. Account of her Answers before the Privy Council.
" They asked first, ' How long is it since ye saw Mr. Donald
Cargill ?' I said, ' I cannot tell particularly when I saw him.' They
said, ' Did you see him within these three months ?' I said, ' It may be I
have. ' They said, Do ye own his covenant ?'* I said, ' What covenant ?'
Then they read it to me ; and I said, I did own it. They said, do
ye own the Sanquhar declaration ? I answered, yes. They said, ' Do
ye own these to be lawful ? I said, ' Yes ; because they are according
to the Scriptures, and our covenants, which ye swore yourselves,
and my father swore them.' They said, ' Yea ; but the covenant does
not bind you to deny the king's authority.' I said, ' So long as the
king held the truths of God, which he swore, we are obliged to own
him ; but when he brake bis oath, and robbed Christ of his kingly
rights, which do not belong to him, we are bound to disown him,
and you also.' They said, ' Do ye know what ye say ?' I said, ' Yes.'
They said, ' Were ye ever mad ?' I answered, ' I have all the wit that
ever God gave me ; do ye see any mad act in me ?' They said,
' Where was you born ?' I answered, ' In Borrowstounness.' They
asked, * What was your occupation there ?' I told them, ' I served.'
They said, ' Did ye serve the woman that gave Mr. Donald Cargill
quarters ?' I said, ' That is a question which I will not answer.' They
said, ' Who did ground you in these principles ?' I answered, ' Christ by
his word.' They said, ' Did not ministers ground you in these ?' I
answered, ' When the ministers preached the word, the Spirit of God
* This was the Queensferry Paper as it was called, which was found upon
the body of Mr. Henry Hall when killed at that place, and which, as being
composed by him and containing his sentiments, was frequently styled ' Mr.
Cargill's Covenant.'

310 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
backed and confirmed it to me.' Tbey said, ' Did ye ever see Mr.
John Welsh ?' I said, ' Yes ;' my soul hath been refreshed by hearing
him.' They asked, if ever I heard Mr. Archibald Riddel ? I
answered, ' Yes ; and I bless the Lord that ever I heard him ' They
said, ' Did ever they preach to take up arms against, the king ?' I said,
' I have heard them preach to defend the gospel, which we are all
sworn to do.' They asked, if ever I swore to Mr. Donald Cai'gill's
Covenant? I said, ' No; but we are bound to own it.' They said,
' Did ye ever hear Mr. George Johnstoun ?' I said, ' I am not concerned
with him ; I would not hear him, or he is joined in a confederncy
with yourselves.' They said, ' Did ye hear the excommunication at
the Torwood ?' I said, ' No.; I could not win to it.' Tbey asked, ' If I
did approve of it ?' I answered, ' Yes.' They asked, ' If I approved of
the killing the lord St. Andrews ?' I said, ' In bo far as the Lord
raised up instruments to execute his just judgments upon him, I
have nothing to say against it; for he was a perjured wretch, and a
betrayer of the kirk of Scotland.' Then they asked, what age I
was of ? I answered, ' I cannot tell.' They said among themselves,
that I would be about twenty years of age, and began to regret my
case, and said, ' Would I cast away myself so ?' I answered, ' I love ray
life as well as any of you do ; but will not redeem it upon sinful
terms ; for Christ says, he that seeks to save his life, shall lose it.'
They said, a rock, tbe cod and bobbins, were as fit for me to meddle
with, as these things. Then one of tbem asked, when the assize
should sit ? and some other of them answered, on Monday. Then
they asked if I could write ? I answered, ' Yes.' ' Will you subscribe,'
said they, ' what you have said ?' I answered, ' No.' Tbey bade the
clerk set down, that I could write, but refused to subscribe. Then
they asked, if I desired to converse with one of our ministers ? I
said, ' What minister ?' They said, ' Mr. Riddel.' I said, ' What
would ye have me to do with him ?' They said, ' He might con
vince you of that sin.' I said, ' What sin ?' They said, ' The sin of
rebellion.' I smiled, and said, if I were as free of all sin, as tbe sin
of rebellion, I should be an innocent creature. They asked, if they
should bring Mr. Riddel to me ? I said, it was an evidence he was
not right, since they had him so much at their will. And I told
them, I would have none of their ministers. This is all I can
remember, at this present." *
Account of her Answers before the Justiciary Court.
" First, I was brought and set in the pannel, witb the murderers,
and they read over my indictment, and asked me, if I did confess
with these things? I answered, yes. Then they read Sanquhar
Declaration, and asked, if I owned it ? I answered, yes. They
read that paper which they call the New Covenant, and asked, if 1
owned it ? I answered, ' Yes.' Then I protested they had nothing to
say against me, as to matter of fact ; but only because I owned
Christ and his truth, and persecuted gospel, and members, of which
ye have hanged some, others you have beheaded, and quartered quick.
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp 139—140.

MARION HARVIE. 311
To that they replied nothing ; but called the assizers who had no
will to appear, till they were about to tine tbem, and then they came
forward. One of them said, he did not desire to be one of the assize,
but they would have him. He bade them read our confession ; for
he knew not what they had to say against us. They bade him hold
up his hand, and swear that he would be true, and he could not, but
fell a trembling. The advocate bade the assizers look if i. had any
thing to say against them. I said, I knew none of them, but what
were all bloody butchers together. And when the assizers were set
in a place by themselves, I said to them, ' Now beware what ye are
doing, for they have nothing to say against me ; but only for owning
Jesus Christ and his persecuted truths ; for ye will get my blood
upon your heads.' So that man that fell a trembling before, desired
them to read my confession to him, and they read it. And after
that, the advocate had a discourse to them, and said, ' Ye know these
women are guilty of treason.' The assize 6aid, ' They are not guilty
of matters of fact ?' He said, ' But treason is fact ;' and taking himself
again, he said, ' 'Tis true, it is but treason in their judgment : but go
on according to our law, and if ye will not do it, I will proceed.
And when they had read my confession, they had set down, that I
had said, the ministers had taught me thesa principles, I said, ' That
is a lie, and it is like the rest of your lies ; for I said, that it was
Christ by his word, that taught me.' They answered nothing, to that,
but said, would I own the rest of my confession ? I answered, ' Yes.'
The advocate said, ' We do not desire to take their lives ;' for we have
dealt with them many ways, and sent ministers to deal with them,
and we cannot prevail with them.' I said, ' We are not concerned
with you, and your minsters. The advocate said, ' 'Tis not for religion
that we are pursuing you : but for treason.' I answered, ' 'Tis for
religion that ye are pursuing me ; for I am of the same religion
that ye are all sworn to be of: but ye are all gone blind. I am a
true presbyterian in my judgment.' So they put the assize into a
room by themselves, and removed me without the guard into another
room, then they read this delay till Friday at twelve of the clock :
and I charged them before the tribunal of God, as they should
answer there ; for, said I,,' Ye have nothing to say to me, but for my
owning the persecuted gospel.' " *
3. Her dying Testimony
" Christian Friends and Acquaintances  I being to lay down my
life on Wednesday next, January 26th, 1681, I thought fit to let it
be known to the world, wherefore I lay down my life ; and to let it
be seen, that I die not as a fool, or an evil- doer, or as a busy-body
in other men's matters : no, it is for adhering to the truths of Jesus
Christ, and avowing him to be King in Zion, and Head of his
Church ; and the testimony against the ungodly laws of men, and
their robbing Christ of his rights, and usurping his prerogative
royal, which I durst not but testify against ; and I bless his holy
name, that ever he called me to bear witness against the sins of the
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 140— 142.

312 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
times, and the defections of upsetting ministers and professors. 1st,
I adhere to the holy and sweet scriptures of God, which have been
my rule in all I have done, in which my soul has been refreshed.
2dly, I adhere to the Confession of Faith, because agreeable to the
scriptures. 3dly, I adhere to the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
4thly, I adhere to the covenants, National and Solemn League, and
the work of reformation. 5thly, I adhere to all the faithful testi
monies, which have been left by our faithful ministers of Jesus Christ,
either on scaffolds, or fields. 6thly, I adhere to the papers found at
the Queensferry, on Henry Hall. 7thly, I adhere to the declaration
at Sanquhar, and the testimony at Rutherglen, and the papers found
on worthy Mr. Richard Cameron. 8thly, I adhere to the excom- \
munication at the Torwood. 9thly, I adhere to the excommunication
of the bishops, and tbeir underlings; and I die in the faith of it,
that the Lord hath ratified that in heaven, which his faithful servants
have done on earth, as to casting out these traitors to God out of the
church. And now, I desire to bless the Lord for my lot : ' my lot
is fallen to me in pleasant places, and I have a goodly heritage.'
" * I leave my blood upon the traitor that sits upon the throne :
then on James duke of York, who was sitting in the council when I
was examined the first day. And I leave my blood on the bloody
crew that call themselves rulers. And I leave it on James Hender
son in the Northferry, who was the Judas that sold Archibald
Stewart and Mr. Skene, and me, to the bloody soldiers for so
much money. I leave my blood on sergeant Warrock, who took
me, and brought me to prison. I leave my blood on the criminal
lords, as they call themselves, and especially that excommunicated
tyrant, George Mackenzie, the advocate, and the fifteen assizers ; and
on Andrew Cunningham that gave me my doom ; and on tbat
excommunicated traitor Thomas Dalziel, who was porter, that day
when I was first before them, and threatened me with the boots.
" I give my testimony against the burning of the covenants, which
were solemnly sworn by the three nations, with uplifted hands to the
great God of heaven and earth. I leave my testimony against all
the bloodshed and massacres of the Lord's people, either on scaffolds
or in the fields. I protest against banishments and finings, and
cruel murderings, especially the inhuman murder of worthy David
Hackston ; I leave my testimony against the paying of the cess,
employed for the bearing down the preaching of the gospel, and the
taking and killing the poor followers of Jesus Christ. I leave my
testimony against the professors that say, this is not the truth of God
for which I suffer, and call the way of God, delusion. I leave my
testimony against Mr. Archibald Riddel, who became servant to the
bloody lords, and made it his work to make me deny Christ, and
betake myself to the ungodly laws of men, and call the truths of
God, delusions, which I am to seal with my blood : and I rejoice
that ever he counted me worthy so to do. O ! I may say, ' what
am I, or what is my father's house, that he should have called me*
* Understand this paragraph with the caution given, in Note, p. 2S4. — C. W.

MARION HARVIE. 313
out, to seal his truths with my blood ? Which truths, both ministers
and professors have counted it prudence, to disown and deny; for which,
the land will be to mourn and sorely to smart, ere all be done. T
leave my testimony against Mr. John Blair, that said, I had no more
grace than his staff had, and was witness to my sentence, that day I
got it; and his wife, who said, I had no more grace than her old
shoes ; as if grace were not free, and as though Christ had not.
enough to give me. I leave my testimony against both ministers
and professors, that have joined themselves in any of these courses ot
defection with the enemies, and are fast in their camps.
" I leave my testimony against popery, prelacy, quakerism, and
indulgency, and desire to mourn for it, that ever I joined with
them in hearing them, or any of those that connive at them. I leave
my testimony against all Jesuitical principles, although our professors
eay, that I adhere to them ; I deny it, and I take God to be my
witness, that I hate all opinions that are contrary to the sound truths
of God. And since ever God called me to follow his persecuted
gospel, it was still my desire to stick close by him, and the rule he
has set down for poor sinners to walk by. And it was always my
rejoicing to serve him, and to act and do for his truth, and to
vindicate it. And many a sore heart I have had with them, in
vindicating his truths, when they have been denying them, and
casting dirt in the faces of the faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ ;
and I desire all these that are endeavouring to contend for Christ
and his truths, that they would be faithful in their witnessing for him,
and eschew the least appearance of sin. For I, a dying witness of
Christ, obtest you, as you will answer, when you stand before him
in the day of your appearance, that ye be faithful in owning him, in
all his truths, and not yield a hoof to these ungodly, perjured,
bloody and excommunicated traitors, and tyrants ; for there is much
advantage to be had in faithfulness for Christ ; and that I may set to
my seal to the truth of. And I think Christ is taking a narrow view
of his followers at this time ; for there are few that yield a hair
breadth of the truths of God, that readily win to their feet again ;
but go from one degree of defection to another.
" And again, I desire to bless and magnify the Lord, for my lot,
and may say, ' he hath brought me to the wilderness to allure me
there, and speak comfortably to my soul.' It was but little of him
I knew when I came to prison ; but now he has said to me, ' Because
he lives, I shall live also :' and he has told me, ' I am he, that hath
blotted out thine iniquity, for my own name's sake.' Kind has he
been to me, since he brought me out to witness for him. I have
never sought any thing from him, that was for his glory, since I came
to prison, but he granted me my desire. For the most part, I have
found him in every thing, that hath come in my way, ordering it
himself, for his own glory. And now I bless him, that thoughts of
death are not terrible to me. He hath made me as willing to lay
down my life for him, as ever I was willing to live in the world.
And now, ye that are his witnesses, be not afraid to venture on the
cross of Christ. ' For his yoke is easy, and his burden is light.'
2r

3U TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
For many times have I been made to think strange, what makes folk,
cast at the cross of Christ, that hath been so light to me, that I found
no burden in it at all, he bore me aud it both. Now, let not tbe
frowns of men, and their flatteries, put you from your duty. Keep
up your societies, and the assembling of yourselves together : for
there is much profit to be found in it. Many times hath it been
found comfortable to me, to hear of the few in Scotland, in which
Christ was delighting ; and that there was much love to God's glory,
and zeal for his honour amongst them. Now, be humbled, and lie in
the dust, and never give over crying in behalf of the church, which is
so small, that it can scarcely be discerned, — never give over till
he appear ; for I think he is near at hand. O watch, and double
your diligence, and ' hold fast till he come, and let none take your
crown, for he is good to the soul that seeks him.' If I were to live
again, I would let that perjured crew see, tbat I should be more
guilty of that which they call rebellion, in serving my lovely King,
and in acting and doing for him and his glory, if he called me to it :
and it is my grief, that I have not been more faithful for my master
Christ. All his dealings with me have been in love and in mercy.
His corrections have been all in love and free grace. . O free love !
O I I am oft made to wonder, what it was that made him take a
blasphemer to witness for him and his truths. I may say, ' I am a
brand plucked out of the fire :' I am a limb of the devil plucked out
from his fire-side. O ! I am made to wonder and admire at his
condescending love I Now I leave my testimony against Jean
Forrest, for saying, that I am going to the grave with a lie in my
right hand, and charging my blood on my own head. O, my friends,
' come out from among them, and touch not the unclean thing.'
It will never be well, till there be a separation from sin. I bless
the Lord that ever I heard Mr. Cargill, that faithful servant of Jesus
Christ ; I bless the Lord that ever I heard Mr. Richard Cameron,
my soul has been refreshed with the hearing of him, particularly at a
communion in Carrick, on these words in Psalm lxxxv. 8. ' The
Lord will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints ; hut let them
not turn again to folly.' Now I leave my testimony against all the back
sliding ministers, who, when I began to hear the gospel, preached
the same truths, which I am to lay down my life for at this time ;
but now they are joined in a combination against God, and for
the most part, are all at the enemies' will , for when I got my sentence,
tbe bloody traitors promised to bring any of our ministers to us,
when before them ; and so this gives me ground to say, they are
become their servants.
" Now the Lord knows, I have a sore heart to "mention these
things : but when I saw some of them there, and they offering us
any of the rest, it gives me ground to set it down with a sore heart.
Now what shall I say ? I have sinned against him, and I am guilty
of the defections, for which my carcase must lie in the wilderness,
and not see the King come home to his habitation. But O ! I ara
content, and heartily content, that he gives me my soul for a prey ;
and well it is for me, I think myself not behind. O my love ! 0 my

MARION HARVIE. 315
love 1 O my love ! My altogether lovely Christ I — The common
report through the country is ; That I might have had my life on
very easy terms ; but I could have it on no easier terms, than the
denying of my Lord and Master Christ. First, They asked, if I
would retract my former confession, and particularized all the papers
I had owned before, and if I would not call Charles Stuart an
usurper and the devil's vicegerent : I told them, I would not go back
in any thing, ' for ye have nothing,' said I, ' to lay to me but for the
avowing Christ to be King in Zion, and head of his own church.'
And they said, they did not usurp Christ's crown : but I said, they
were blinded and did not see. They said, there was but a few of us
of these principles. I said, they had all the wyte * of it, and it
was most bitter to us, that our ministers had spoken against these
truths. And indeed I think they had not been so cruel to me, were
it not for these ministers. And so, I think, our ministers are not
free of our blood ; for when they spake agaiust us and the way, it
hardened these bloody traitors, and emboldened them to take our
lives. " I leave my testimony against them, for they have caused many
poor things to err from the way of God, and many have made
ministers their rule, and so the blind have led the blind, and both
have fallen into the ditch together. And some think and say, ' O
can we quit so many godly ministers ?' We dare not quit them ;
but I assure you, ye shall get a share of the wrath and stroke,
which God hath prepared for these backsliders and betrayers of their
trust. " Now, farewell, lovely and sweet Scriptures, which were aye my
comfort in the midst of all my difficulties ; farewell faith, farewell
hope, farewell wanderers, who have been comfortable to my soul,
in hearing them commend Christ's ' love. Farewell brethren,
farewell sisters, farewell Christian acquaintances, farewell sun, moon,
and stars. And now welcome my lovely and heartsome Christ
Jesus, into whose hands I commit my spirit throughout all eternity.
I may say, few and evil have the days of the years of my pilgrimage
been, I being about twenty years of age.
" MARION HARVIE.
" From the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, the Woman-house on the east
side ofthe prison, January 11th, 1681." -J-
4. Her Last Words.
This martyr, though both young in years and of the weaker
fex, was so singularly assisted of the Lord in his cause, and had
such discoveries of his special love to her soul, that she was nothing
terrified by her adversaries. When she was brought from the
tolbooth to the council-house, to be carried to her execution, — as she
came out of the tolbooth door, several friends attending her, — she was
observed to say with a surprising cheerfulness and air of heavenly
ravishment, " Behold, I hoar my beloved saying unto me, Arise, my
• i. c. Blame. f Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 142—147.

S16 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
love, my fair one, and come away." And being brought to the
council, bishop Paterson being resolved, — seeing he could not destroy
her soul, — yet to grieve and vex it, said, — " Marion, you said, you would
never hear a curate, now you shall be forced to hear one ;" upon
which, he ordered one of his suffragans, whom he had prepared for
the purpose, to pray.* So soon as he began, she said to her fellow-
prisoner Isabel Alison ; " Come Isabel, let us sing the xxiii. Psalm ;"
which accordingly they did, — Marion repeating the Psalm line by
line, without book, — which drowned the voice of the curate, and ex
tremely confounded the persecutors. Being come to the scaffold, after
singing the lxxxiv. Psalm, and reading the iii. chap, of Malachi, she
said, " I am come here to-day for avowing Christ to be head of his
church, and King in Zion. O seek him, Sirs 1 seek him, and ye shall
find him ; I sought him and found him, I held him, and would not
let him go." Then she briefly narrated the manner how she was
taken, and recapitulated in short the heads of her written testimony,
saying to this effect ; " I going out of Edinburgh to hear the per
secuted gospel in the fields, was taken by the way with soldiers, and
brought into the guard ; afterwards I was brought to the council, and
they questioned me, if I knew Mr. Donald Cargill ? Or if I heard
him preach ? I answered, I bless the Lord I heard him, and my soul
was refreshed with hearing him, for he is a faithful minister of Jesus
Christ. They asked if I adhered to the papers gotten at the Ferry ?
I said, I did own them, and all the rest of Christ's truths. If I
would have denied any of them, my life was in my offer ; but I durst
not do it, no, not for my soul. Ere I wanted an hour of His presence,
* This fact gives us a very characteristic idea, not only of the Bishop
himself, but also of the period when such outrageous insolence and wan
ton cruelty were practised with impunity, and under the colour of justice
and of law. But this was not the only circumstance which was calculated to
disturb and annoy these humble sufferers, in their dying hour. " I am
informed," says Wodrow, " they were executed with some three or four wicked
women, guilty of murdering their own children, and other villanies ; which was
very grievous to them. One of the Episcopal ministers ofthe town, who waited
upon the others to the scaffold, railed bitterly upon the sufferers, and assured
them they were ou the road to damnation, while, without any evidence of peni
tence, he was sending the other wicked wretches straight to heaven." *' How
ever," it is added, " they were not commoved. but sang sume suitable psalms
on the scaffold, and prayed ; and thus died with much composure and joy !"
Indeed, it is impossible to reflect on the conduct of these female martyrs
without a mixture of admiration and pity, — nor upon that of their persecutors,
both lay and clerical, without the strongest feelings of indignation and contempt.
Throughout the whole of their examination and trial, as detailed in the above
documents, their behaviour was marked by a propriety and decorum above their ~
station ; — whilst that of the 'Managers, in some instances, displayed a levity and
coarseness, at once inconsistent with the dignity of a court and tbe rank
of councillors. " The language of these sufferers," says a distinguished
historian, still alive, " is such as might be expected from unlettered females,
but it is such as does not disgrace the common people of Scotland. The
inquisitorial interrogatories of the court discovered, that they had imbibed one
or two opinions of an extravagant and dangerous nature ; but their manner of
avowingthese was sober, and even dignified, compared with the behaviour of
their judges and accusers."

WILLIAM GOUGAR AND OTHERS,, sn
I had rather die ten deaths. I durst not speak against Him, lest I
should have Binned against God. I adhere to the Bible ana Con
fession of Faith, Catechisms and Covenants, which are according to
this Bible.' The most of her discourse was of God's love to her,
and the commendation of free grace ; and she declared, she had
much of the Lord's presence with her in prison, and said, " I bless
the Lord the snare is broken, and we are escaped ;" and when she
came to the ladder foot she prayed. And going up the ladder, she
said, " O my fair one, my lovely one, come away ;" and sitting down
upon the ladder, she said, " I am not come here for murder, for they
have no matter of fact to charge me with, but only my judgment. I
am about twenty years of age ; at fourteen or fifteen I was a hearer
of the curates and indulged, and while I was a hearer of these, I
was a blasphemer and sabbath-breaker, and a chapter of the Bible
was a burden to me ; but since I heard this persecuted gospel, I
durst not blaspheme, nor break the Sabbath, and the Bible became
my delight." With this the major called to the hangman to cast her
over, and the murderer presently choked her.*

IX. WILLIAM GOUGAR AND OTHERS
[These Three persons — William Gougar, Robert Sangster, and
Christopher Millar, were, as they inform us, natives of Stirlingshire ;
to the inhabitants of which, their Joint Testimony^ which follows
is specially addressed.' — Millar, the last of them, was tried on
the 2d of March, in company with another individual, who was
afterwards pardoned. He acknowledged his being in arms at
Bothwell, and declared it to be, in his opinion, lawful to rise
against the king in defence of the Covenant ; and was found guilty
accordingly. — It was not till the 8th of the same month, that
Gougar and Sangster were impannelled. But, as in the previous
instance, they were indicted for treason in the common form, and
their confessions adduced in proof. The first acknowledged his
being at Bothwell- Bridge, and refusing the bond ; and also that
he was at Torwood ; that he owned the Excommunication by
Mr. Cargill, the Sanquhar Declaration and the Queensferry Paper,
and that he thought it lawful to kill the king's servants as being
enemies to Christ. The second, in like manner, owned the
Bothwell rising and the Torwood Excommunication — disowned
» Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 147 — 149.
f There are extant particular testimonies of these three martyrs, but because it
Is doubted, that they may not be genuine, but vitiated by John Gib, or some of
those that were tainted with his errors, therefore they are here omitted. And,
moreover, whereas some are suspicious, that these three martyrs themselves, or
at least the two last, were in some danger from tbe errors of John Gib ; yet, in
regard that it was not upon any such account they suffered, but for testifying
against the ecclesiastical supremacy, tbey ought to be recorded among the rest,
as dying witnesses for Jesus Christ.— CToud of Witnesses.

318 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
the king's authority, and declared it lawful to put him and his
servants to death, as being opposed to God. They were accordingly
brought in guilty, and the whole Thiiee were, in conformity with
their sentence, executed on the 11th of March 1681.]
" The Lord in his holy providence having singled ns out of that shire
to seal his controverted truths with our blood, we could not but leave
a line behind us, (we being Stirlingshire men), to let you know where
fore we are come here this day, to this place of execution ; that it is
for adhering to that which ministers and professors are disowning. And
the Lord seeing it fit to honour us beyond others, now, in this day of
defection and backdrawing from the truth, we tell you, that it is
truth we are to suffer for. Although ye condemn us in it, and say that
we have a hand in our own death, yet we durst not, for our souls, do
otherwise, or else we would have been sure of the broad curse of God
on us and our life both. You may think that it is a novelty of our
head that we are brought hither for ; but if any of you had that love
to the Lord, that you seemed to have once a-day, you would count it
your duty, as well as ours, to contend for the sweet truths of God,
when you see him so wronged, and his rights so. usurped and taken
from him, who was both sweet and kind to poor things at hill-sides,
and especially among you of that shire. O Sirs ! you may take shame
to you, for all that you have done against the honour of God, that have
seen his goings so stately among the meetings of his people ; that will
not contend for lovely Christ. O ! do you not think that a sad day
will come on you, for joining with God's enemies, who have broken
covenant with him, and shed the blood of the saints, and trampled on
the honour of God, and ye will not fear to join with them for all the
blood they have shed, you will still go on with them ; and though you
profess that you have love to the Son of God, and that your zeal for
tbe Lord God of hosts is not abated, yet you will go on with them,
and bond and comply in paying of cess and militia-money to maintain
a party against God and bis work, which once in a day you were
forward to maintain, and would have ventured your life in the
maintaining of it against all the Lord's enemies. You may justly take
shame to yourselves, for your preferring the things of 'time to the sweet
cross of lovely Christ. O Sirs ! what think you will your doom be,
that have done so much against the honour of a holy God ? Indeed, you
may look out for wrath, and that of the saddest sort.
" Now, as dying men we tell you, that there are sad days abiding you,
for what you have done against the honour and glory of God, if ye
get not speedy repentance. Therefore, as you would answer in the
great day, make conscience of what ye do. Remember that you will
count and reckon for all that you have done, and will be reckoned as
guilty of the blood of the saints as the worst enemies amongst them
all. Therefore, as dying men, we charge you to take with guilt, or
else it will be worse for you. O Sirs ! fear the Lord's wrath, and fall
to and mourn for what you have done. O cry mightily for repentance,
or else you will get Judas's reward. For you are the persons that have
betrayed the Son of God, and expelled him out of your coasts. You

WILLIAM GOUGAR AND OTHERS. 819
were thinking that he was like to prove a costly Christ, and therefore
you of that shire would consent to banish him away from among
you. You would not hear of a field preaching for fear of hazard. 0
Sirs ! take it to consideration, and lay it to heart what a hand you have
in banishing Christ and the gospel out of Scotland ; and we are sure
it was not your parts to have done so. No, no, it was not your part
to have given lovely Christ such an affront ; the sweet days that you
have had long since might have made you give royal Jesus better
quarters, though you should go to the gibbet for it, and lose your gear.
For, your doing as you have done is a denying of him before men ! —
Take it as ye will, we must tell you, as in the sight of a living God,
before whom we are now to appear, and get our sentence for all that we
have done, — you are the only shire that has denied lovely Christ
quarters ; for, he sent an offer to you to the Torwood, and ye would not
hear it. Well, it is likely there are many of you that will never get
another ; there are some of you that would not go to hear, but forbade
others to go, and thought it was not duty to go ; and some of you
were at that preaching and made a bad use of it. O remember, Sirs,
you have rejected Christ. We tell you it, as dying men, you will
count for it ere it be long, for our Lord did not send tbe gospel to the
Torwood for nought, but it will accomplish that for which it was sent.
O Sirs, be afraid and tremble, for judgment is at the door, and indeed
your sentence will be sore to abide, it will be more tolerable for open
enemies in the day of judgment than for you. We are afraid, when
we think whatt judgments will be on you shortly, for considering what
pains has been taken on you of that shire, and how tender the Lord
has been of you, in training you up for suffering, and has given you
trials, and you have endured them ; and he has taken them off
again, and given you sorer trials, and he has delivered you out of
these. It had been better for you that you had been at that preaching
though you should have gotten the gallows the very next day, than to
have done what ye did, and that you will find ere it be long.
" O what of his kindness have you met with at such places ! You
dare not say, ' That he hath been a barren wilderness, or a land of
drought ' to you. Testify against him if he was not kind to you, so
long as ye abode by him he abode by you, and he was tender of you
so long as ye kept faithful to him ; but after ye turned into the enemies'
camp, then he turned to be your enemy, and fought against you, and
in all you do God will be seen to be against you. You may thrive in
the world, but it will be a dear thriving to you, you will get the wrath
of God with it. But ye have done with thriving in the worship of
God. Indeed there are many of you that hold your life no more of
God. Remember we tell you of it, who are within a few hours of
eternity. Now, it is like you will not notice what the like of us say,
but will allege that we are dying as fools, and have no Presbyterian
principles, but notions ; but we say the contrary : we say, we are not
fools as to that, however the world may think and look on us as such ¦
we say, we have Presbyterian principles, and are Presbyterians in our
judgments, and will make it appear that we die as Christians, and as
those that own the truths of God, and are standing to what ministers

320 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
once taught us ; although this day, they are turned to the contrary, and
condemning us, and saying, — that we have nothing but notions of our
own heads, that make us do such things, but they will not find it so
in the day of accounts.
" And 1st, you may say, that it is not a Presbyterian principle to
oast off magistrates. We grant with you ; but where are the magis
trates ? Indeed ihey were once placed such ; but they cast out
themselves when they brake the covenant, and set up a cursed
supremacy, insulting over the Lord's inheritance ; and when they have
done that, we think they are no more to be owned as magistrates by
Presbyterians ; but to be cast off and witnessed against ; and when it
comes to that part of the play, do ye not think that it was our part to
contend for truth ? O Sirs ! do ye not believe Jesus Christ to be the
eternal Son of God, and ' that all things were made for him and by
him, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or
powers ?' What is not his ? And that by free gift and donation, by
an eternal decree intimate to us in the ii. Psalm, where, in a more
particular manner, he is declared to be King in Zion, and all the
heathen promised to the enlargement of his kingdom. O Sirs, do ye
not believe that Scotland became his with its own consent, as the
product of that decree, and the fruit of his intercession and purchase ;
and that he allows no authority to be owned and submitted unto in
Scotland, but only so far as they keep the line of subordination to the
Son of God ? Or do you believe, that Scotland should have no other
magistrates, but such as should be of God's choosing, — ' Men of truth,
able men, fearing God, hating covetousness ;' and tbat the land was
bound by covenant to have such, ' under the pains contained in tbe
law, and danger both of soul and body in the day of the Lord's fearful
appearance to judgment?' We believe, many a man's wit in that
day shall be counted foolishness. Then if this be a ground, we are
sure ye must say, That day that Charles Stuart was crowned, perjury
became national ; only professors as to this point were free.
" Do ye think, we would without perjury and treachery to God,
own Charles Stuart's authority any longer, when he held not his
authority as of God ? But it being manifest, that in Middleton's parlia
ment, he disclaimed that title to authority, we think, we were bound to
witness our loyalty to another, and that we were freely absolved from
obedience and fidelity to him then, and could not own his authority
without gross perjury ; — he declaring, he would have no homage upon
account of the covenant, — would ye not count him a distracted man
that would cleave to him upon that account whether he would or not ?
Yea, and whoever does it, we know they will find themselves fools.
Do you believe, that in the day that, that covenant was taken, any
within the nation was not bound to perform and prosecute it, and that
God would punish the destroyers of that covenant ? Do ye think
that tbe Act, explanatory of the supremacy is not a plain renunciation
ofthe word of God, the law of nature, the covenant, and human society,
and setting up devilism and confusion, — without a full, free, and direct
testimony to the contrary ? We are sure that every public breach of
covenant requires public repentance. We think, there can none be

WILLIAM GOUGAR AND OTHERS. 321
absolved without this, for in express terms our Lord says : ' Whoso
ever denies me before men, him will I deny before my Father which
is in heaven.' Now there should not only be a testimony given, but
a walking according to it afterwards. O Sirs, would ye have none to
witness against the abominations of this day ? Indeed you are all
mistaken, for our Lord will not want witnesses to witness for him,
however few and feckless they be ; yet ' He will make the things that
are not, confound the things that are.' O Sirs, think ye it not a sin,
j to join with them that have rejected the living God, and will not have
' him to reign over them ? Do ye not think it duty, to protest against
them that are trampling our Lord's glory under foot ? O Sirs, do not
you think yourselves guilty of breach of covenant, that have connived
at these men, that have their hands reeking in the blood of the saints,
when you are strengthening their bands in tbe doing of it ? We think
you guiltier than theae wretches, — because ye join with them in sin ;
whereas, you should have protested against them in the committing of
such acts. We wot well, if ye read the Bible, ye will count, yourselves
as guilty as they are, and the guiltiest of the two ; for it was your part
to have contended for the truth, and stood in defence thereof, unto the
losing of lives and liberties, and all that you had. The Lord has cast
them off, and yet you will do what in you lies to hold them up, who
shed the blood of those who were once in a day your dear brethren.
It may be, you will say, That Samuel knew that Saul was rejected of
God, and yet he did not cast him off? We answer, He -did what lay
in his power to get him cast off; for he went and anointed David in
his stead, and durst not do it publicly, but secretly for fear of Saul ;
neither did Samuel converse much with Saul after tbat. Next you
say, That David's heart smote him, for taking, and cutting off the lap
of Saul's garment, and said, ' That he would not stir the Lord's
anointed.' Now, we say, he had two reasons that we have not. 1st,
He had that reason, that he was the Lord's anointed. 2dly, It was his
own particular quarrel ; because he was to reign in his stead. So we
say, that Charles Stuart is not the Lord's anointed, neither is it our
particular quarrel, but in defence of the gospel, and in so far as he is
an enemy to God and the way of salvation ; which is sufficient ground
to cast out any person out of the church, and witness against him in
defence of the gospel, unto the losing of life, liberty, and all other
things. And believe us as ye will, we do not think them Christians,
that will not contend for lovely Christ and his sweet truths, in witness
ing against this bloody excommunicated traitor, and disowning them
as rulers, seeing they have disowned ' the Just and Holy One,' and
are trampling on his sweet truths, and would never have them to
rise again ; but would have the stone sealed, that there might be no
more mention made of the honour of God. And you have a deep
hand in this, because ye are not faithful and free in witnessing for his
despised glory : and if ye will not do it, ' Delivery to the church shall
come from another airth,' and you shall be destroyed ; for he will be
up again in spite of all your hearts, and he will make your fears and
theirs both come on you ; for he will make inquisition for all his truths ;
and when he comes, indeed we would not ahide the reproof tbat vou
2 s

322 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
the professors of Stirlingshire will get, for all the gold in Europe ;
there will be no excuse heard then ; your wife and children, or lauds,
will be no excuse ; for he hath told in express terras, that ' Whosoever
will not forsake all, and follow him, cannot be his disciple.' Wife anil
children, houses and lands, must all go for him ; and you must take up
his cross daily, and wander through at his back, — it may be, hard be
stead, with a borrowed bed, and a borrowed fire-side, — and live upon
providence : we wot well, there are some of you that can say to youl
sweet experience, that you never lived better than on God's providence,
although now ye have rejected and betaken yourselves to the world.
Have you done so ? well you may he doing ; but ere long you will
rue it. Remember, we told you it, when we were going into eternity,
that you would meet with much wo and sorrow, for what you have
done against the honour of God, if you repent not.
" 2dly, You say, It is not a Presbyterian principle to own the party
that is jeoparding their lives for the honour of God, and witnessing
for his despised truths, that this day is so abused and nicknamed by
you and others : but we say, it is, and maintain it to be, a Presbyterian
principle, to own that despised party, for they are the party that are
only designing the glory and honour of God, and have no other view
before them but his sweet truths, which are dear to them ; and they
will quit with life and liberty, before they quit with an hoof of truth ;
which has been made out by their valiant sufferings. O but truth has
been sweet and dear to them ! They have not counted their lives dear
unto them on the account of it. They have cheerfully gone to the
scaffold for truth, and have been honourably earned through, and the
Lord's presence seen in their through-bearing ; as we hope, shall be
made out on us, ere it be long : also they study to spend their time and
strength for God. When all other means have failed them, they study
to keep up that mean cf reading, singing, and praying, as the Lord
will assist and help them ; although the indulged aud their consorts have
a great envy at them, and do what they can to get them off the earth ;
for they are the main actors in taking of tbat poor party ; and all is,
because their practices condemn theirs ; — although they take the Scrip
tures for their rule, and study to walk, so as they may get God's
approbation in the day of accounts.
" 3dly, You say, It is not a Presbyterian principle, to own these
papers, that our worthies have set out, or the work that they have
done, which many of them have sealed with their blood : but we say,
that it is a Presbyterian principle; because all that they did was
agreeable to the word of God, and our covenants. For, consider theso
papers when you please, you will find them consonant to the Scrip
tures, and just and lawful for Presbyterians to own ; and say thp
contrary who will, we do not think them Presbyterians, nor yet cove
nanters, that will not own them ; for there is nothing in them, but what
we will with all our hearts seal with our blood as Presbyterians, and
as having these principles.
" 4thly, You say, It is not a Presbyterian principle, to confess all
these things : but we say, it is a Presbyterian principle, to confess and
avouch him and His truths, before this adulterous generation : now

WILLIAM GOUGAR AND OTHERS. S23
when the quarrel is thus stated, we should not put them to prove what
is truth. Stephen made a free confession of his faith, and so have all
our worthies. And now, seeing we own these things, and they being
the controverted truths of the day, and the Lord calling us to own and
maintain them ; we never thought it our part to smother and hide them,
but with courage to avouch them, to the losing of our lives in the
quarrel ; — we seeing our dearest Lord's truths trampled on, and a pack
of you that seemed to be fair before the wind, for owning of truth,
and witnessing for him, — never so much as putting to your hand to
help ; but turning your back on truth, and the way of God. Indeed
we fear, that ye shall never be honoured to witness for God any more ;
it is like, you care not for that honour ; but we tell you, that you will
rue it, when you will not get it mended ; and remember we tell you it
here, as dying witnesses for truth, you will meet with as sad a judg
ment as ever a shire met with ; — if you repent not, your judgment will
be unparalleled for your denying him before men.
" We are come here this day, to witness freely and faithfully
against you, and all others, for their complying with the enemies
against the word of God. And we say, as in the sight of a
living God, you will count for it ere it be long. O ! but we think it
a sweet thing to be honoured this day to contend for truth, and to be
' overcomers by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testi
mony.' Indeed we are called to it, ' to contend for the faith once
delivered to the saints.' And we think, if we had not been free and
faithful, before these bloody wretches, we would have held our life no
more of God ; — if we did not speak for his truths before them, when he
bade us speak. For, he sought a proof of our love to him, and his nick
named despised way, and to poor Zion, whom no man is seeking after ;
and think you that we durst hold our tongue and not speak, when he
bade us ? Indeed, our life was not dear to us, when his truth came in
question. We might have gone away with our life, and the broad
curse of God upon it, to go with us ; if we had denied him at this
time, we would have held our life no more of him, of whom we held
it all our days ; and now that we might cheerfully lay it down at his
command and bidding : for this we knew that devils or men could not stir
a hair of our head, without our Lord's determination; and therefore
we are the less afraid of what they could do.
" And now, as dying men, we charge you not to speak of that poor
party, that this day is so reproached and spoken against by a party of
them that are called ministers and professors. O take shame to you
altogether ; and as you will be answerable, in the day of accounts, we
tell you, not to have a wrong thought of them, for all the reproaches
that can be said against them : for they are a godly people, and have
much of His mind. And if you go on with enemies, and others that
have turned their backs on the way of God, go your ways ; but ' it
were better that a millstone were hanged about your neck, and ye cast
into the midst of tbe sea,' than that ye should speak at such a rate as
ye do. For do you and others reproach as you will, they design
nothing but the honour of God, and have the Scriptures to be their
rule, and to walk as becomes the gospel, and they study a holy carriage :

324 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES
although there be many among them that have an unsuitable carriage,
by reason of whom ' the way of God is evil spoken of :' yet the way of
God is not a hair the worse to be liked. It may be there is a Judas
among the twelve ; and what of that ? We say, the rest are not to be
cast at for all that, seeing -tbey keep the truth. We know there are
many of you that say, that we do not keep by the Scriptures ; but we
declare the contrary ; for with all our heart, we set to our seal and
testimony to the Holy Scriptures, which have been sweet to us ; and
tur testimony to the National and Solemn League and Covenant, and
to the Confession of Faith, as agreeable to the word of God, and to the
Catechisms Larger and Shorter, and to all that our worthies have done
in the defence of the gospel : we join our hearty testimony to all their
appearances in the fields, both first and last.
" And we protest against all the actings of the enemies against the
Lord's people in all their proceedings, both first and last, and every
thing that they have done against our worthies, when they were in
defence of the gospel ; and we abhor and testify against Popery,
Prelacy, Quakerism, Erastianism, Indulgency, and all the connivers
with them, be they who they will ; and against Jesuitish principles, which
you say we hold, which sect we most basely abhor, and give our testi
mony against all such erroneous sects and principles ; we give our
testimony against all you that say we have such principles, and that we
have got new principles and new light ; and we say the contrary,
and declare, that we hold by those principles, which ministers did
teach both you and us to stand to in the defence of, until we had lost
our lives and all in that quarrel. Now, you that say such things of
us, we exhort you to repent, or else you will meet with a sore day of
wrath, for it is not a light thing to speak of sufferers as you do : there
fore we obtest you, in the bowels of Jesus Christ, to be sober in your
speeches against that party, and make a right choice, and fairly side
yourselves, and come out from among the tents of the wicked, and be
separated from among them, and join yourselves to the poor suffering
remnant, and be not at ease now in the day of Zion's trouble. Do not
think that you will enjoy your ceiled houses and your warm firesides
in such a day as this. If you be single for God, he will have you out
from all these things, and denied to them all, for ' wo to him that is at
ease' when Zion is in trouble, and is not concerned in all the afflictions
of Joseph ; you must either now get a wakening, or else you will get
a wakening when the wrath of an angry God comes on the land for
sins. " Indeed, Sirs, we think, that religion has not cost you much heart-
work. We think, you have not been at much pains in seeking God,
for as fair a shew as you seem to have. Indeed when the gospel was
in its purity, and many seeking to preachings, the Lord seemed to be
kind to you, and you seemed to have much love to him, and his
despised way, and you seemed as if you would have ventured your life
in the defence of the gospel ; but when we would have looked through
you at preachings, and going to them, and coming from them, it would
have made some of us a sore heart to see your unconcernedness and
unsuitable carriage, even among you that seemed to be heads of them.

WILLIAM GOUGAR AND OTHERS. 325
And when we would have been in some of your companies,
either coming or going, your talk did always smell of the world, and
so is come of it. O ! repent, and come out from among your lusts
and idols, that you are so wedded to, and take hold of a Mediator,
and seek the Lord with all your heart. O you, town of Stirling, and
the shire, repent, for sentence is past against you for what you have
done, although it be not put in execution yet ; but it will be put in
execution ere long, if you repent not. Though the Lord is seeing it
fit to take us away from the evils which are coming on this land, for
breach of covenant, and a slighted gospel ; we tell you, it may be, you
will find it when we are gone, it is better to endure all torments that
devils and men can inflict on you here, than to endure one drop ofthe
wrath of an angry God, that will be poured out without mixture on all
ranks, that have not the work of the day upon their spirits, be they who
they will, ministers or professors, indulged or not indulged; for if they
be not taken up and concerned with the case of the church of God,
this day, as it is stated, He will come and reckon with them all, and
count them all turners aside, and ' will lead them forth with the
workers of iniquity, when peace shall be on Israel.' Therefore we
would desire you to have a care, and look well about you what you
are doing, and beware of speaking against that party.
" There are some of you that say, they are of bloody principles. You
should beware of speaking these things ; for the contrary is known, that
they are not murderers, nor have any such intentions, as some of
yourselves know, although ye be speaking the contrary ; for you never
heard of their killing any, except it was in defence of the gospel, and
their own defence.
" Likewise you say, that we are cursers and criers for vengeance on
the land. Now, we must not stay to argue this out, we being this
day to lay down our lives, but we think any that has tender love to
the Son of God, and his cause, cannot but be grieved to see ministers
and professors so avowedly betray the truth, that is sweet and dear to
us, yea, dearer than our lives ; and when we think on what ye have
done to the sweet truths of God, we cannot but pray against your
courses : and as for any thing ye can do to us, we heartily forgive
you ; but the wrongs ye have done to a holy God, we cannot get them
borne, for they are weighty to us. If it were our enemies, we would
bear with it, but when it comes from the like of you, we cannot get it
borne. Truly, Sirs, we think ye will embrace Popery ere it be long :
your entertaining of that excommunicated Duke of York, a professed
Papist, says, that you would do more yet. There was not one of you all
in town, or shire, that moved your tongue against him, but, as if you
had been all professed Papists, you let him come in among you, and
kindly entertained him ; we leave our testimony against your so doing.
" But we break off, having no more time, and request you to take
these things to your consideration, and lay sin to heart, and mourn
bitterly before the Lord, for what you have done. We here obtest
you to come off these ways of yours, and make conscience of duty, as
in the sight of a holy God, before whom you must shortly appear.
Slight not time, for it is precious ; wrath is at the door : O ! make haste,

326 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
and lay these things to heart, and study to have a more tender respect
to the honour of God. We desire to leave it on you now, when we
are going into eternity, that you would mind your engagements and
vows to God. And so we hid you farewell, and bid you mind the
poor groaning kirk that we are -to leave behind us, which was dear to
us. Now, we bid farewell to poor desolate Zion, and pray the Lord
may mind her case. Farewell all things in time, and welcome Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost.
" Subscribed at the Iron-house, a) WILLIAM GOUGAR..
little before we went out to the\ CHRISTOPHER MILLAR.
scaffold, March 11, 1681. ) ROBERT SANGSTER."
It is remarkable, that this martyr, William Gougar, had a little
paper in his Bible, which he minded to throw over the scaffold ; but
when he was taken into the council-house with the other two, it
was someway got by the murderers, who having read it, commanded
the executioner to tie him straiter than ordinary, so that he could
scarcely go up the ladder, and afterwards they stopped him from
praying. When he was upon the ladder, he began to speak, and
said, " I am come bere for owning Christ to be Head and .King in
Zion," whereupon they caused to beat the drums, seeking to damp
and astonish him, that they might trample upon his conscience ; and
when they offered him his life, upon condition he would own the
king, he replied, " I will own none but Christ to be King in Zion."
Then they said, " Will ye not retract any thing, Sir ?" He answered,
" No, no ; I own all, I adhere to all." Upon which they immediately
called tbe executioner to throw him over, which he did incontinent,
not allowing him to recommend his spirit to the Lord.*

X. LAURENCE HAY.
[This Martyr was one of three who were executed on the 13th of
July 1681. He was by trade a weaver, and belonged to the shire
of Fife. He was charged with no act of rebellion. But having,
with his two companions, joined a society which had been instituted
for prayer and conference — they were indicted for having signed
and published a paper agreed upon by that society, and entitled,
" A Testimony against the Evils of the Times." In this papei
they disowned tbe king and all the ministers of the Church,
except Mr. Cargill. Being found guilty of treason, they were
condemned accordingly ; and the following Testimony is said to
have been left by the above named individual.]
" Men and Brethren, — Having by serious consideration, joined in
giving a testimony against the enemies of God, and all that have
joined with them in any thing which tended to the overthrow of the
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 149—161.

LAURENCE HAY. 327
work of reformation ; — for which, I am come, in your sight, to. lay
down this life of mine, which I engaged to do in that testimony,
through His strength, if he called me to it, — because it was according
to the word of God, and the covenanted reformation ; and seeing, I
engaged in the strength of the Lord to seal it with my blood, and
now he in His holy and wise providence has put me to seal it ;
although I be the fecklessest and unworthiest of all that society, — I
here in your presence, with all my heart, set to my seal to it with
my blood, as was promised at the end of the paper. And, if all the
hairs of my head were men, having lives, I would think them all
little enough, to seal the cause of my dearest and sweetest Lord
Jesus, who has been sweet and kind to me, in carrying me through
every step of the work, which he put into my hand. O love him,
Sirs ! O but he is worth the loving ! O but he has been kind
to me since I was apprehended ! For, he told me then, that Satan
would cast some in prison, that they might be tried ; and he
bade me ' be faithful to the death,' and he promised me ' a crown
of life ;' and he hath helped me since to fulfil the conditions, and
hath also given me a right to the promise. And this was all my
desire, ' That the trial of my faith might be found precious, to the
praise of his sweet name :' that his cause might not be wronged, nor
his ark get a wrong touch by me. And herein, he hath heard my
desire, according to that scripture, ' He will hear the desires of the
humble, and the expectation of the poor will not be lost.' For, ' he
keeps the covenant with thousands of them that love him, and keep
his commandments :' and his commandments are not grievous, but
' his yoke is easy, and his burden light.' And he has said, ' He
that forsaketh wife, or children, houses or lands, for my name's sake
and the gospel's shall receive in this life an hundred fold, and in the
world to come, life everlasting. And he that loveth father or mother
more than me, is not worthy of me.'
" Therefore, dear friends, give not over to contend for his borne
down truths, that this day are in debate betwixt him and his enemies
in covenanted Scotland, according to that scripture, — ' Contend
earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.' O contend,
contend, and give not over ; for ' he will arise for the oppression of
the poor, and for the sighings of the needy ;' for he will have an
opportunity to be about with all his enemies, and he is weary with
forbearing. Therefore, trust in the Lord, ' trust in him at all times :'
for ' they that trust in him shall not be ashamed ; for they shall
stand in the gate unashamed to speak unto their foes.' O Sirs !
give him much credit ; for he hath disappointed me of my fears, in
that wherein I feared-appearing before men, and helped me to stand
before them ; so tbat I had no terror or amazement, more than they
had been the meanest of creatures ; although I cannot say, that I
have fought the good fight,' as that eminent apostle said ; yet I can
say (praised be God) ' He hath given me the victory through Jesus
Christ my Lord,' over principalities ; and hath confirmed me, that
' neither death nor life, nor any creature, shall separate me from the
love of my sweet Lord Jesus Christ ; who is love-worthy, praise-

328 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
worthy, worthy to be feared and honoured ; who in his absolute
sovereignty, Set apart poor me, to give a testimony for his glorious
and honourable work of reformation, ' who am less than the least of
all saints,' but he is an absolute Lord, and ' shows mercy to whom
he will show mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth ; and he keeps
the souls of the faithful and plentifully rewards the proud doer.'
" Therefore, being called to suffer this day, in this place, for the
following of my duty, and for that in particular, — in giving a testimony
against the dreadful, defections of these times, by the means of these
backsliding ministers, who have left our sweet Lord Jesus, with his
back at the wall, and his poor flock ' scattered upon the mountains,
as sheep having no shepherd.' But, dear friends, comfort yourselves
in this, that in his own time, ' he will search his sheep, aud find them
out ;' although, alas. ! I fear lest they shall be sorer scattered than
yet they are : but wait on him ; ' for he that shall come, will come,
and will not tarry. And, his reward is with him, and his work is
before him. And, the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to
his temple, even the messenger of the covenant.' But, O dear
friends, labour to be ' stedfast and unmoveable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord. And, give all diligence to make your calling
and election sure ; and if you do these things, you shall never fall.
And, commit the keeping of your souls to him in well doing, as unto
a faithful Creator : for, he is able to keep that which is committed
to him, against that day, and present it spotless before the Father ;' —
although, alas ! I was loath to adventure, or to credit in his hand ;
but now he hath discovered to me, that he is the best band that I can
venture on ; and has gained my consent, and has become the surety
for me of a better covenant, ' well ordered in all things and sure.'
" Therefore, considering my engagements to him, I leave my
testimony to the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament,
and the version of the Psalms in metre, and to the work of reforma
tion, Covenants National and Solemn League, the Solemn Acknow
ledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties, the Causes of God's
Wrath, the Confession of Faith, as being conform to the Scriptures,
and the Catechisms Larger and Shorter ; I give my adherence to all
the faithful testimonies given by the worthies, to the maintenance of
the work of reformation, from the year 1660, until this day, either
by their appearances in the fields, or on scaffolds, or in the seas ; I
adhere to the Sanquhar Declaration, the Torwood Excommunication,
and the papers found at the Ferry, and to that joint Testimony given
in the shire of Fife, by that society, whereof I was a member, though
a worthless one, and I adhere to all things contained therein, because
they are according to the Scriptures. And, I give my testimony to
the faithful preaching in the fields, and to the keeping up of societies,
and Christian fellowships, commanded in the word of God ; ' not
forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of
some is, and so much the more as you see the day approaching ;'
especially now when his glory is at stake, which is of more worth
than our souls ; and when men are seeking to get bis work razed, and
the name of Israel blotted out, that it may be no more in remembrance.

LAURENCE HAY. 329
" Likewise, I leave my testimony against all those, who have
joined with the declared enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ, both
ministers and professors ; and against all those, who maintain any
principle contrary to the word of God, especially those who deny
the authority of the Scriptures, and all the work of reformation, and
have razed the fundamentals of true Christianity; some of them the
Lord has given up to strong delusions, to believe lies, and to deny
Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, and to maintain new lights, in
meddling with the decrees of God, which his word never approved ;
— and against every one of their principles. Likewise, I leav^ my
testimony against all who brand us with an implicit faith ; which,
one declared to myself in my hearing in the room below where I was
a prisoner ; whom I questioned, if he durst in conscience say, that I
lived by an implicit faith, or the example of others ? So he said,
that there were some in the room with me that had been murderers
of others who had suffered. And I told him, that the xv. Psalm
reached him a very sad reproof, ' for speaking evil against his neigh
bour :' and also I said, ' We speak what we do know, and testify
what we have heard.' And I declared, that I had seen no such thing
of any that was in the room with me ; but you have wronged
(said I) God and his cause, by shifting his cross, and therefore you
will not stand to wrong your neighbour.
" And as for our being branded, that we hold our principles of
men, and are dying to please men, — I altogether abhor such aspersions,
for I hold my principles of none but of God and his word ; and that
which carries the sway with me, is the controverted truths of Jesus
Christ ; — they are at this day in debate betwixt him and bis enemies ;
especially his kingly office, on which I dare venture life and liberty,
and my salvation also, because the Father hath declared him to be
' King on his holy hill of Zion by an unalterable decree ; and there
to reign till all his enemies be brought under his feet.' Therefore, as
I have left my testimony against all who cast such aspersions on me,
or any other who have suffered in this manner ; I leave my blood
also, to witness against them, who will adventure to do it, whether
enemies or pretended friends. Likewise, I leave my testimony
against the encroachments made upon the rights of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and the privileges of his church, by that usurper Charles
Stuart, and all tbe bloody crew under him. Likewise, I leave my
testimony against that excommunicated traitor the duke of Monmouth,
for his appearance against the work of God and his people, joined
for the defence of the gospel and interest of Jesus Christ, and all
that joined with him. Likewise I leave my testimony against that
avowed Papist, York. Also, I leave my testimony against that
designed parliament to put power in his hand. Also, I leave my
testimony against those abominable wretches that sat in these associ
ations and falsely accused and sentenced me to death, and against
these fifteen assizers who gave me my sentence, and against that
wretch called the clerk, and Andrew Cunningham who gave me my
doom. Likewise, I leave my testimony against all who have joined
with the declared enemies, whether ministers or professors, especially
2 T

330 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
in the shire of Fife, who have delivered up the Testimony to these
abominable wretches ; — particularly Balgrumma and Vederstar. Like
wise, I leave my testimony against Popery, Prelacy, and that woful
Erastian supremacy and indulgencies, first and last, which have been
the ' dagger, the haft whereof hath gone in after the blade,' and
hath wounded the Church in the innermost part of the belly, and the
dart tbat has stricken her through the liver. O ! how sharp are the
wounds of a friend I They go down ' to the innermost parts of the
belly. If it had been an enemy, I would have borne it.' And it
is evidently seen that our Mother-Church hath been, and is this day
wounded in the house of her friends ; — for which, the Lord will sadly
reckon with all such as have done so, if they do not repent and
mourn for it. Likewise I leave my testimony against all them, that
are any way instrumental in bearing down our poor Mother-Church,
either by appearance in arms, or furnishing of others ' for that effect,
by paying of cess or militia-money, or any other way, homologating
the acts, or strengthening the hands of her declared and avowed
enemies. " Now, dear friends, being straitened for want of time, I am
forced to draw to a close ; only, desiring you to be earnest in con
tending for the broken-down work of reformation, that this day is
brought very low : but be not discouraged, although his ark be
tossed this day upon the waters, like the poor ship in the midst of
the sea, and the poor disciples afraid lest they should sink, and the
Master asleep (as it were) upon a pillow ; yet go to him and cry,
' Master, Master, save us, else we perish ;' for he is easy to be
entreated, and he likes well to have his poor people coming to him in
the time of their distress ; for 'he is a present help in the time of
need, a God rich in mercy, and near to all that call upon him in
truth.' But, O dear friends, beware of backdrawing, for he hath
said, ' If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him ;
and he that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back, is not
fit for the kingdom of heaven ; but he that endureth to tbe end,
the same shall be saved.' Be not ashamed of him ; ' for, if any man
be ashamed of him, or his words, of him also will he be ashamed
before the Father and the holy angels.' O dear friends, the more
that ye see a perverse generation crying him down, be ye the more
at the work of crying him up ; for he is well worth the commen
dation of all that can commend him. O dear friends, ' in all things
let him have the pre-eminence, and count all things loss and dung
that ye may win Christ ; and press towards the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus ; looking unto Jesus,
who is the author and finisher of our faith ; who for the joy that
was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is
set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Strive to enter in
at the strait gate ; for many shall seek to enter in, and shall not be
able.' Now friends, beware of sinning, and beware of snares ; for
they are at this day very thick and many ; but our God has promised
that he will not suffer his poor people ' to be tempted above what
they are able, but will with the temptation make a way that they

ANDREW PITILLOCH. 331
may escape.' Sc I bid you all farewell ; desiring you to be kind to
my wife and children when I am gone ; farewell sweet Bible by his
blessing ; farewell sun, moon, and stars ; farewell meat and drink ;
farewell all created comforts and enjoyments, wherewith I have been
abundantly supplied ; farewell my dear wife and children, — the Lord
be better to you than ten husbands, when I am gone ; farewell
mother, brethren, and sisters ; farewell sweet societies, and preached
gospel, whereby I have been begotten by the seed of the word ;
farewell sweet prison and reproaches for sweet Christ and his
cause. And welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; welcome,
everlasting life, and the spirits of just men made perfect. Lord,
into thy hands I commit ray spirit.
"LAURENCE HAY."*
" At the Iron-house, July 13, 1681."

XI. ANDREW PITILLOCH.
Q Andrew Pitilloch was a land-labourer, belonging to the parish of
Largo, in Fifeshire. He was the second of the three, who, as
already noticed, were executed together on the 13th of July 1681.
The third, by name Adam Philip, has left no Testimony. The
ground on which they were condemned has already been specified.
The Paper in question being produced on the trial, tbey acknow
ledged having signed it. Of this Paper Wodrow observes, that,
judging by the citations from it contained in their process, it " was
very wild, and seemed to savour of Gib and his delusions." It
may still farther be stated, that in addition to suffering the ordinary
sentence of death, these three persons had their heads severed
from their bodies and affixed to the Tolbooth of Coupar.]
" Men and brethren, — Wherefore are you come here this day ? will
you tell me, if it be your intention, to be edified by the words of
a poor thing, witnessing for my lovely Lord Jesus Christ ? And if
that be your intention in your coming hither, it is well : Now, when
I am going off time, to bid farewell to you all, O that I could
commend my lovely Lord Jesus and his sweet cross to you. O Sirs,
will you come ' taste and see that God is good.' You will never
do better, than come and see ; for, since tbe Lord honoured me to be
his prisoner, he has let me know nothing but love ; he has made
my prison no prison. O Sirs, ' All his ways are ways of pleasant
ness, and his paths peace.' And his cross is sweet and easy ; although,
worthless I cannot commend it to you. But, O Sirs, scare not at the
sweet cross of royal and sweet Jesus ; but contend for him and his
noble cause, for I can assure you, I had never such a sweet life as I
have had since he brought me to the like of these trials. O sweet
indictment ! O sweet sentence, for my lovely Lord I O sweet
• Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 161—167.

332 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
scaffold, for contending for the cause, covenant and work of reforma
tion ! O Sirs, quit all for holy Jesus, for I can promise you that you
will never die better, than for contending for King Christ. Indeed,
Sirs, ministers and professors, as they call them, say, That we are
dying as fools, and giddy headed professors ; but glory to his holy
and sweet name, that has made it out to my soul that it is otherwise :
and now, that my conscience doth not condemn me, how dare any
mortal creature condemn me ?
O friends ! what is the reason that you will not take him, who is
the ' chief among ten thousands, and is altogether lovely,' and without
compare ? ' There is no spot in him.' O prefer him to your chief joy !
There are many of you who have preferred other things to him. O
fear and tremble for wrath will be upon you very suddenly ! O be
afraid, for our Lord has said, if you will not quit all for him, you
cannot be his disciple. And so you have neither part nor lot in our
sweet Lord; you may read the x. of Matt, from the 16th verse to the
end. O Sirs, go not with the Indulged, nor yet side with them ;
cleave to the Lord with all your heart, and be not put off with any
but himself. O he is sweet to be wilh : O his way is sweet to keep,
but I cannot commend him to you ; his sweetness is without compare.
O take him, and be restless till ye get him to ' your mother's house,
and to the chamber of her that bare you.' Pray much for your Mother-
Church, that ministers and others have wronged : I witness and testify
against them, for tbeir unrighteousness, both first and last.
1st, For leaving their kirks, without a public Testimony against
enemies, at the incoming of Prelacy. 2dly, For their conniving at
one another's sins. 3dly, For their leaving the fields when there was
so much need of preaching to poor things ; when wrath and judgment
were coming on the land, they did not set the trumpet to their mouth,
and give the people a faithful warning. They say, we have cast them
off, but they are mistaken, for they have cast themselves off, by
changing their head ; and the Scriptures have cast them off, and .1
cannot join with them. I would with all my heart have a ministry ;
but I would have it according to the word of God ; — men that will
' preach in season, and out of season,' whether people will hear, or
whether they will forbear ; that will be faithful in preaching against
sin of all sorts, and will hide nothing of the mind of the Lord ; but
they that do play fast and loose in the matters of a holy God, and wilf
not witness against enemies ; I own none of these, but I leave my
testimony against them for their unfaithfulness. They will preach to
poor things to stand for God and his truths and not to yield a hair for
the saving of their lives ; and yet, they yield and comply themselves ;
and when they come before enemies, never a word of a testimony
before them, but pass the sworn covenant and work of reformation in
silence, and for fear of their lives will not hit them on the sore.
Indeed they will wale* their words so, as they may not give their
enemies offence. You condemn us, because we do that, which once a
day you would have accounted it your honour to do ; and say, that
* i. e. Choose or select.

ANDREW PITILLOCH. 333
we are all distracted, and have distracted notions in our heads. And
say you so ? Wilt thou tell me, man, if thou thinkest that a distracted
notion, to confess the covenant and work of reformation ? But you will
say, it is not for that, that I lay down my life, but for the subscribing
of that paper : — and I do think it well worth the sealing with my
blood ; and will you tell me what could we do less ? You ran away
and left the work, and the enemies were carrying all before them ; and
we durst not but leave a testimony against them. My heart was like
to bleed, when I saw enemies carry the day, and robbing the Lord of
his rights, his crown and kingdom, and not so much as one to move
their tongue against them, and say, that is ill done that they have
done. I leave it to God and your own conscience, whether or not it
be duty to contend for truth this day, when it is so much neglected.
I leave my testimony against you and your hearers, and the joiners
with you, aye and until they repent. I bid you repent and come off.
and witness for the Lord ; and if you will not do it, as sure as God is
in heaven, he will be about with you ; escape who will, ye will not
escape ; for it is like he will begin at the sanctuary.
Take warning in time, I leave it on you now, when I am going into
eternity ; for, I am persuaded, this is the way to the kingdom of
heaven ; for the Lord hath confirmed it to my soul, and hath made
my life a sweet life to me. O read Isaiah xii. for it was sweet to me
when I was taken, — and O that I bad as many lives to lay down for
him as there are hairs on my head, I would think them all too little !
O what is my life ? Nothing in comparison of his glory. O wo to
you, idle shepherds, for ye deceive poor things ! ' If it were possible,'
I think, ' ye would deceive the very elect ;' you take God to be your
witness, that ye are in his way yet, and have not quit one hoof; but
your practice condemns you. You may read Malachi ii. 1 — 3.
' And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will
not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name,
I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings :
yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart."
Therefore, ' behold I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon
your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts, and one shall take
you away with it.' Matt. vii. 15, 16. ' Beware of false prophets,
which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves : ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
of thorns, or figs of thistles ?' And that xxxiv. of Ezek. ver. 2. ' Son
of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, and say unto them,
Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds of Israel, that do feed
themselves, — should not the shepherds feed the flocks.' I leave my
testimony against them that say, We hold our principles of men, and
that we die for pleasing men ; but it is not so, for I never thought
that little of my life as to lay it down for the pleasing of any ; for it is
a most base aspersion of some, cast on us, because our practice con
demns theirs, and they can get no other thing to brand us with hut
that. And glory to the Lord, the contrary is seen both by Our
practices, and our through-bearing : and it is made out, that we hold
our principles of none, but of God and his word.

334 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
" I. leave nay testimony against the four men in the Canongate
tolbooth, or any other that join with them, for wronging the holy
and sweet Scriptures. Some brand me with this, that I am of
their judgment ; which thing I exceedingly abhor and detest, as the
mire in the streets : and I count them guilty to death, for wronging
of the Scriptures. If we had judges in the land, that were for
God, they should not live. I leave my testimony against that tyrant
on the throne, and all his underlings ; and, I say, it will never be
right with our land, ' till Haman and his ten sons be hung up before
the sun.' I leave my testimony against them tbat rule as judges ;
and I leave my blood on the assizers, doomster, soldiers, and all of
them, and all that acknowledge or aid them as magistrates, ay and
until tbey repent. I leave my testimony against all enemies of all
sorts ; and against all sorts of compliance in less or more, and
against all that has been done against the work of God these twenty
years bygone ; against the test, and compliance with, or compearing
before God's enemies in less or more. I leave my testimony against
the ministers and professors in Fife, for the wrongs they have done
to my lovely Lord and his sweet cause ; and my head shall be a
standing witness against them, and preach to them from Cupar
tolbooth, aye and until they repent. As for any thing that they have
done to me, I freely forgive them, and pray that the Lord may
forgive them. I leave my testimony against all them that will not
hear Mr. Donald Cargill, and own him as a faithful minister of the
gospel, and none but he is faithful this day. I leave my testimony
to the holy and sweet scriptures, which, many a day I have been
refreshed with ; I bless the Lord, that ever I could read a line of
them. Now, I adhere to the faithful preached gospel, and to all
that our worthies have done, which I need not particularly mention
here. " And you that are the people of the Lord, O he ye busy and
improve your time, and make use of your Bibles, while you have
them, for it is like tbere may be a bonfire made of them yet, as well
as of the Covenant. And covenant with Him and contend for him
to the utmost of your power ; for, I have found more of his sweet
love, in contending for him, than ever I got in prayer, or hearing
the word. O his sweet work ! let it not slip through your fingers.
It is like ye will have sad days of it, when I am gone. Popery is
begun, and it is likely to overspread the whole land, and there is
none to move their tongue against it, although the land be sworn
in solemn oath against it. O Sirs ! ' lift up your voice for the
remnant that is left.' Fast and pray, cry and weep, let not the apple
of your eye cease, the wrath is like to be great, that will overtake
us. O cry, that the days may be shortened, for the elect's sake, lest
no flesh should be saved. 0 look out for sad days, dear friends ;
it may be you will get the saddest stroke that ever a poor land was
trysted with : ye may read through the Scriptures, and ye will find
what judgments followed such sins, — pestilence, sword, and famine, —
which, ye may look for. I leave it on you, that ye be not slack-
handed, for it may come to that, that ' the tender and delicate women

ANDREW PITILLOCH. 335
may eat their own children for straitness, in the siege.' It is to be
feared, that the plagues that are coming on Scotland, for a broken
and burnt covenant, will make their ears to tingle that hear of them ;
but I will not be to see it. The Lord is taking me away from the
evil to come, which was often my desire ; for the sad hearts that
ministers and professors have made me, with their complying and
wronging his glory, made me oft wish to be away ; and now it does
not trouble me to lay down my life in your presence this day.
O it is sweet to be a sufferer for truth I I wonder what doth ail the
generation to scare at him or his sweet cross ; for there is no cause
of rueing or wearying, for all that is come. There is a beauty in
holiness. 0 1 commend him, Sirs ! O bless and praise him that
ever he honoured such a wretch as I am, to be a martyr for his
sweet truth ! O sweet honour he puts on poor things 1 O Sirs, cast
in your lot with the suffering remnant that this day is in the furnace.
Sink and swim with his church. O prefer Jerusalem to your chief
joy ! But O be persuaded to come and taste of his goodness : This
is the way, although the whole world should condemn it. It will
not be the learned clergy, or great heads of wit, that he will honour
with carrying on his work, for they have all denied him. There
are none of the ministers that will witness for him, nor yet any
that the Lord has bestowed great parts on ; their wit leads them
by the cross, and beyond suffering. They will not suffer if petition
ing will do it, or hiring of advocates, or learned speakers ; they can
put in petitions, and say, They never intended the death of any man,
but in the defence of their life ; but never a word of the defence of
the gospel, the work of reformation, or the sworn covenant. Nay,
if they had done that, their life would go. But they were bound by
covenant to own and maintain religion against Popery and Prelacy,
Quakerism, Indulgence, and whatsoever else is contrary to sound
doctrine, with their lives in their hands ; and to quit with all ' for the
faith once delivered to the saints.' And though they never mention
a word of all this, yet they will say, they came clearly off. But I
say, now when I am going into eternity, that God's wrath will be on
such a liberty, and God will count with them for what they have
done against his honour ; for there can none come clearly out from
among their hands, that are once before them, without wronging his
glory. O fear and tremble, Sirs ! you that get the favour of God's
enemies, and yield your conscience to the lusts of men. I leave it
on all persons, now when I am to appear before my Judge, that they
do nothing but what is according to the holy and sweet Scriptures ;
take them to be your rule, and go no farther than they allow you.
They do not bid you petition enemies for your liberty, nor yet hire
advocates. " Now, my advice to you that are taken prisoners, is, that you
seek no favour of God's enemies ; black not paper with them, in
good, cheap, nor dear ; stand for your sweet Lord, with your life in
your hand ; own and avouch him to be ' King and Head of his own
church. Count not your life dear unto you, when it comes in
competition with truth. And now, as for you that are the poor

336 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
seekers of the Lord, O act faith on him, give bim much credit.
Live as brethren, dwell in unity ; let peace and truth be among you ;
but good Lord, let never peace be without truth. Keep up fellow
ship and society meetings ; for my soul hath been often refreshed in
the fellowship of the saints. O stand for your despised Lord, and
his wronged glory.
" Now, I being-straitened for want of time, it being short, I forbear,
and bid you ' be strong in the Lord, and the power of his might.'
Now, farewell my dear friends ; farewell holy and sweet Scriptures ;
farewell sun, moon, and stars ; farewell sweet reproaches and crosses
for my sweet Lord Jesus ; farewell all things in time, reading,
praying, and all duties ; farewell my dear wife, the Lord be to you
better than ten husbands. Glory be to his great name, tbat made
me so sweetly to submit to his will, whatever he trysted me with.
Farewell mother and sisters, and all relations ; farewell all my
Christian acquaintances for a while ; farewell sweet society in Fife,
the Lord's blessing be on you all. And now, welcome Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost ; welcome sweet company of angels, and the spirits
of just men made perfect ; welcome everlasting songs of praise.
Now, into thy hands, holy Father, 1 commit my spirit.
Sic sub.— ANDREW PITILLOCH."*

XII. DONALD CARGILL.
[Tew names are so prominent in the history of the Scottish persecution
as that of Donald Cargill. He was born in tbe neighbourhood of
Aberdeen, in 1610, and was sent to pursue his studies for the
ministry at the University of St. Andrews. Having at length
received license, he was called to the Barony Parish, Glasgow ;
and in this situation remained till the establishment of Prelacy in
1662. About this period he became particularly obnoxious to the
dominant party in tbe state ; and henceforth his life was one of
continual jeopardy and peril. After having frequently escaped, in
the most dangerous circumstances, he was apprehended in January
1669. Upon this occasion, however, he was liberated by the
interest of his friends ; and during the ten years subsequent, was
diligent, as opportunity offered, in preaching the gospel in the
fields. He was at the battle of Bothwell, and received several
wounds ; and having sided with what is generally styled the stricter
party among the Presbyterians, he afterwards united with Richard
Cameron, in preaching against the Indulgence and other contested
points. He is especially famous for having excommunicated the
^King and his principal officers, in the year 1680. In October
that year, a reward of 5000 merks, was offered for his person ; and
in the following summer he was apprehended at St. John's Kirk,
Lanarkshire, by a party of dragoons, under the command of Irvine
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 167— 174*

DONALD CARGILL. 337
of Bonshaw. What followed may be easily conceived. He was
brought before the Council and examined, first on the 15th, and
then again on the 19th of July, 1681.. On the 26th of that month,
he was, with some others, tried by the Justiciary, and being found
guilty, was executed on the following day.]]
v 1. His Testimony.
" This is the most joyful day that ever I saw in my pilgrimage on
earth ; my joy is now begun, which I see shall never be interrupted.
I see both my interest, and His truth, and the sureness of the one,
and the preciousness of the other. It is near thirty years since He
made it sure ; and since that time, (though there has fallen out much
sin, yet) I was never out of an assurance of mine interest, nor long
out of sight of his presence. He has dandled me, and kept me lively,
and never left me behind, though I was oft-times turning back. O
He has showed the wonderful preciousness of his grace, not only in
the first receiving thereof, but in renewed and multiplied pardons ! I
have been a man of great sins, but he has been a God of great
mercies. And now, through his mercies, I have a conscience as
sound and quiet, as if I had never sinned. It is long since I could
have adventured on eternity, through God's mercy and Christ's
merits ; but death remained somewhat terrible, and tbat is now taken
away ; and now death is no more to me, hut to cast myself into my
husband's arms, and to lie down with him. And however it be with
me at the last, though I should be straitened by God, or interrupted by
men, yet all is sure, and shall be well. I have followed holiness, I have
taught truth, and I have been most in the main things ; not that I
thought the things concerning our times little, but that I thought none
could do any thing to purpose in God's great and public matters, till
they were right in their conditions. And O that all had taken this
method, for then there had been fewer apostasies. The religion of
the land, and zeal for the land's engagements, are coming to nothing,
but a supine, loathsome, and hateful formality ; and there cannot be
zeal, liveliness and Tightness, where people meet with persecution, and
want heart-renovation. My soul trembles to think, bow little of
regeneration there is amongst the ministers and professors of Scotland.
O the ministers of Scotland, how have they betrayed Christ's interest,
and beguiled souls ! ' They have not entered in themselves, and them
that were entering in, they hindered.' They have sold the things of
Christ, and liberties of his church, for a short and cursed quiet to
themselves, which is now near an end : and they are more, one and
at peace, with God's enemies, after they have done all their mischiefs,
than they were at first, when they had put hand to them. And I
much fear that though there were not one minister on all the earth,
He would make no more use of them ; but there will be a dreadful
judgment upon themselves, and a long curse upon their posterity.
" As to our professors, my council to them is, that they would
see well to their own regeneration, for the most part of them has that
yet to do ; and yet let never one think, that he is in the right exercise of
true religion, that has not a zeal to God's public glory. There is a
2u

338 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
small remnant in Scotland, that my soul has had its greatest comfort
on earth from. I wish your increase in holiness, number, love,
religion, and righteousness ; and wait you, and cease to contend with
these men that are gone from us, for there is nothing that shall convince
them but judgment. Satisfy your consciences, and go forward ; for
the nearer you are to God, and the further from all others, whether
stated enemies, or lukewarm ministers and professors, it shall be the
better. My preaching has occasioned persecution, but the want of it will,
I fear, occasion worse. However, I have preached the truths of God,
to others, as it is written, ' I believed, and so I preached ;' and I have
not an ill conscience in preaching truth, whatever has followed ; and
this day I am to seal with my blood all the truths that ever I preached :
and what is controverted of that which I have been professing, shall
ere long, be manifested by God's judgments in the consciences of
men. I had a sweet calmness of spirit, and great submission as to my
taking, the providence of God was so eminent in it ; and I could not
but think, that God judged it necessary for his glory, to bring me to
such an end, seeing he loosed me from such a work. My soul would
be exceedingly troubled anent the remnant, were it not that I think
the time will be short. Wherefore hold fast, for this is the way that
is now persecuted.
" As to the causes of my suffering : the main is, ' Not acknowledging
the present authority, as it is established in the supremacy and
explanatory act.' This is the magistracy that I have rejected, that
was invested with Christ's power. And seeing that power taken from
Christ, which is his glory, and made the essential ofthe crown, I thought
this was, as if I had seen one wearing my husband's garments, after
he had killed him. And seeing it is made the essential of the crown,
there is no distinction we can make, that can free the conscience of
the acknowledger, from being a partaker of this sacrilegious robbing of
God, and it is but to cheat our consciences, to acknowledge the civil
power, for it is not civil power only that is made of the essence of the
crown : and seeing they are so express, we ought to be plain ; for
otherwise, it is to deny our testimony, and consent to this robbery."*
2. His Last Words.
After he was come to tbe scaffold, — standing witb his back towards
fhe ladder, he fixed his eyes upon the multitude, and desired their
attention ; and after singing a part of the cxviii. Psalm, from verse
16th to the close, he looked up to the windows on both sides of the
scaffold with a smiling countenance, requesting the people to compose
themselves, and hear a few words that he had to say, "which, (said he)
I shall direct to three sorts of folk, and shall endeavour to be brief.
First, all you that are going on in persecuting the work and people of
God, O beware, for the Lord's sake ! and refrain from such courses, as
you would escape wratli eternally, which will be a torment far beyond
what we are to endure by the hands of cruel and bloody murderers."
Upon this the drums were beaten, at which he smiling said, "Now ye
« Cloud cf Witnesses, pp. 33—35.

DONALD CARGILL. 339
see we have not liberty to speak, or at least to speak what we would ;
but God knoweth our hearts. But, O ye that are called ministers,
and professors of the church of Scotland, -who are wearied in waiting
upon the Lord, and are turned out of his way, and run into a course
of gross defection and backsliding ; truly, for my part, I tremble to
think what will become of you ; for either-you shall be punished with
sore affliction, I mean, in your consciences, because of sin, or else you
shall be tormented eternally without remedy, which shall be shortly,
if mercy prevent it not, which, I pray God, may be the mercy of all
these'to whom he has thoughts of peace. All ye that are the poor
remnant, who fear sinning more than suffering, and are begging for
his returning to Scotland to wear his own crown, and reign as King
in Zion, in spite of all who will oppose him, whether devils or men :
I say to you that are thus waiting, wait on, and ye shall not be
disappointed : for either your eyes shall see it, or else ye shall die in
the faith of it, that he shall return, and ' il you suffer with him, you
shall also reign with him,' which reign shall be glorious and eternal.
I come now to tell you for what I am brought here to die, and to give
you an account of my faith, which I shall do as in the sight of the
living God, before whom I am shortly to stand. First, I declare I
am a Christian, a Protestant, a Presbyterian in my judgment, and
whatever hath been said of me, I die testifying against Popery,
Prelacy, Erastianism, and all manner of defection from the truth of
God, and against all who make not the Scriptures, which are the word
of God, their rule, that so they may commend Christ and his way to
strangers, by a holy and gospel conversation. The cause for which I
am sentenced to die here this day, is my disowning of authority in the
unlawful exercise thereof, when they, instead of ruling for God, are
fighting against him, and encroaching upon his prerogatives, by that
woful supremacy which my soul abhors, and which I have testified
against since I was apprehended ; and now again, I disown all
supremacy over the consciences of men, and liberties of Christ's
church." Whereupon, the drums were again beaten, and he kept
silence a little, and then said, " Of this subject I shall say no more ;
only I think the Lord's quarrel against this land is, because there has
not been so much heart-religion and soul-exercise among either
ministers or professors, as there seemed to be, when the land owned
Christ and his truths. I wish there were more true conversion, and
then there would not be so much backsliding, and, for fear of suffering,
living at ease, when there are so few to contend for Christ and his
cause. " Now, for my own case, I bless the Lord, that for all that hath been
said of me, my conscience doth not condemn me ; I do not say, I am
free of sin, but I am at peace with God through a slain Mediator ; and
I believe that there is no salvation, but only in Christ ; and I abhor
that superstitious way of worshipping of angels and saints, contrary
unto the word of God ; as also I abhor the leaning to self-righteousness,
and Popish penances. I bless the Lord, that these thirty years, and
more, I have been at peace with God, and was never shaken loose of
it ; and now I am as sure of my interest in Christ, and peace with

340 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
God, as all within this Bible, and tbe Spirit of God, can make me ;
and I am no more terrified at death, nor afraid of hell, because of sin,
than if I had never bad sin ; for all my sins are freely pardoned, and
washed thoroughly away, through the precious blood and intercession
of Jesus Christ ; and I am fully persuaded, that this is His way for
which I suffer, and that he will return gloriously to Scotland, but it
will be terrifying to many ; therefore I entreat yon, be not discouraged
at the way of Christ, and tbe cause for which I am to lay down my
life, and step into eternity, where my soul shall be as full of him, as
it can desire to be. And now, this is the sweetest and most glorious
day that ever my eyes did see. , Now I entreat you, study to know
and believe the Scriptures, which are the truths of God, these I have
preached, and do firmly believe them. O ! prepare for judgments,
for they shall be sore and sudden. Enemies are now enraged against
the way and people of God, but ere long they shall be enraged one
against another, to their own confusion." At this the drums were
beaten a third time. And then being taken to the north side of the
scaffold, he stood a little, during the time that one of the rest was
singing. And then being carried to the south side of the scaffold, he
prayed. Thence he was brought to the east side of the scaffold, and
then he said, " I entreat you prepare presently for a stroke, for God
will not sit with all the wrongs done to him, but will suddenly come
and make inquisition for the blood tbat has been shed in Scotland."
Then he was commanded to go up the ladder, and as he set his foot
on the ladder, he said, " The Lord knows I go up this ladder with less
fear and perturbation of mind, than ever I entered the pulpit to
preach." And when he was up, he set himself down, and said, " Now
I am near to the getting of my crown, which shall be sure ; for I
bless the Lord, and desire all of you to bless him, that he hath brought
me here, and makes me triumph over devils, and men, and sin ; they
shall wound me no more. I forgive all men the wrongs they have
done to me, and pray the Lord may forgive all the wrongs tbat any
of the elect has done against him. I pray, that sufferers may be kept
from sin, and helped to know their duty." Then having prayed a little
within himself, he lifted up the napkin, and said, "Farewell all relations
and friends in Christ ; farewell acquaintance, and all earthly enjoy
ments ; farewell reading and preaching, praying and believing,
wanderings, reproaches, and sufferings. Welcome, joy unspeakable,
and full of glory. Welcome, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; into thy
hands I commit my spirit." Then he prayed a little, and the execu
tioner turned him over praying.*
Because this dying testimony and last speech are hut short, which
was occasioned through want of time, and the persecutors' severity,
who took his larger testimony from him the day before he died, (paper
and ink being conveyed to him secretly, by a cord through the win
dow, the night before his death,) it is thought proper to subjoin these
following letters of his (they being all of public concern), to give a
more full discovery of the testimony which he held : and particularly,
• Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 35—38.

DONALD CARGILL. 341
of his witnessing against the errors, about that time, broached by the
infamous John Gib, as the letter written to the prisoners in the
correction house manifests. — Cloud of Witnesses.
3. His Letter to Mr. Skene.
" Dearest Friend, — There i3 now nothing upon earth, that I am so
concerned in (except the Lord's work), as in you and your fellows ;
that you may either be cleanly brought off, or honourably and rightly
carried through. He has begun in part to answer me, though not in
that which I most affected, yet in that which is best. My soul was
refreshed to see any that had so far overcome the fear and torture of
death, and were so far denied to the affections of the flesh, as to give
full liberty to the exoneration of conscience, in the face of these
bloody tyrants, and vile apostates ; and yet these, by our divines,
must be acknowledged as magistrates, which very heathens, endued
with the light of nature, would abominate, and would think it as
inconsistent with reason, to admit to, or continue in magistracy, such
perjured, bloody, dissolute, and flagitious men, as to make a wolf the
keeper and feeder of the flock. But every step of their dealing with
God, with the land, and with yourself and brethren, is a confirmation
of your judgment anent them, and sufficient ground of your detesta
tion and rejection of them ; and it is tbe sin of the land, and of every
person in it, that they have not gone along with you, and these few
in that action ; but since they have not done that, they shall not now
meet with the like honour, if ever they meet with it, till vengeance
be poured out upon them ; and they and their king shall either be
keeped together in wrath, or divided in wrath, that they may be one
another's destruction. But go on, valiant champion, you die not as a
fool, though the apostate, unfaithful and lukewarm ministers and pro
fessors of this generation think and say so ; they shall live traitors, and
most of them die fools; I say, traitors, as some men live upon the reward
of treachery, for their quiet and liberty; if it may be called a liberty, as
it is redeemed with the betraying ofthe interest of Christ, and the blood
of his people. But he himself hath sealed your sufferings, and their thus
saying, condemns God, and his sealing condemns them. But neither
regard their voices, nor fear, for God will neither seal to folly nor
iniquity ; he then not only having sealed your sufferings, but your
remission, go on to finish and perfect your testimony, not only against
them, but against all that subject unto them, side with them, or are
silent at them. And as for these men that will be our rulers, though
they have nothing of worth or virtue in them, I am persuaded of this,
that none can appear before them, and acknowledge them as they have
now invested themselves (standing on a foundation of perjury, which
is an act recissory of their admission to the government) with Christ's
crown on their head, and a sceptre of iniquity and a sword of perse
cution, in their hand, but must deny Christ. And in effect, the whole
land generally hath denied Christ, and desired a murderer. And as
for that unsavoury salt that lately appeared, — acknowledged them,
and was ashamed of this testimony, and in so doing, gave the first
vote to your condemnation, and proclaimed a lawfulness to the rest

342 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
of the assizers and murderers, to follow, in their condemnations ; — God
shall require this with his other doings at his hands ; and I am some
what afraid, if he be not suddenly made the subject of serious
repentance, he shall be made the subject of great vengeance. * But
forgive and forget all these private injuries, and labour to go to
death and eternity, with a heart destitute of private revenges, and
filled with zeal to God's glory; and assign to him the quarrel against
his enemies, to be followed out by himself in his own way, against
the indignities done to God, and against the mocking perfidiousness,
impieties, and lukewarmness, of this generation. And for yourself,
whatever there has been either of sin or duty, remember the one and
forget the other : and betake yourself wholly to the mercy of God,
and the merits of Christ ; ye know in whom ye have believed, and
the acceptableness of your believing, and the more fully you hence
forth believe, the greater shall be His glory, and tbe greater your peace
and safety. Farewell, dearest friend, never to see one another any
more, till at the right hand of Christ. Fear not, and the God of
mercies grant a full gale, and a fair entry into his kingdom, that may
carry sweetly and swiftly over the bar, that you find not the rub
of death. Grace, mercy, and peace be with you.
" Yours in Christ,
«D. CARGILL." f
3. His Letter to John Malcolm and Archibald Allison.
" Dear Friends, — Death in Christ, and for Christ, is never much
to be bemoaned, and less at this time than any other ; when these
that survive have nothing to live among but miseries, persecution,
snares, sorrows, and sinning ; and where the only desirable sight, viz.
Christ reigning in a free and flourishing church, is wanting ; and the
greatly grieving and offensive object to devout souls, viz. devils, and
the worst of the wicked, reigning and raging, is still before our eyes ;
and though we had greater things to leave, and better times to live in,
yet eternity does so far exceed and excel these things in their greatest
perfection, that tbey who see and are sure, (and we see indeed, being
made sure), will never let a tear fall, or a sigh go, at the farewell ;
* It is difficult to discover to whom this passage alludes, unless it was to the
excellent and venerable John Carstairs. And if so, it must surely he regretted
that both Mr. Cargill, and Mr. Skene should have left upon record, with
regard to him, language of such severe and condemnatory import. It is true,
he acknowledged the authority of tbe king and the then civil government, but
in other respects his presbyterian principles and bis zeal for the covenanted
Church of Scotland were just as pure, and fervent, and consistent, as their
own. Besides, he was, a man of highly respectable talents and acquirements
as a theologian, and whose personal piety was altogether above suspicion. For
a short vindication of him, from the aspersions of Mr. Skene, the reader is
referred to Note p. 285.
f Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 38—40. — Between this and the subsequent
article, there is inserted in the Cloud of Witnesses, a short letter by Mr. Cargill,
addressed " To some Friends, before he went abroad," but, as it diji not
seem to the Editor to be at all expressive of his dying Testimony, it was
thought unnecessary to include it iu the present Collection.

DONALD CARGILL. 343
but would rather make a slip to get death, than to shun it, — if both were
not equally detestable to them upon the account of God's command
ments, — whom they neither dare nor are willing to offend, even to
obtain heaven itself. And there are none who are his, but they must
see themselves infinitely advantaged in the exchange ; and accordingly
hasten, if sin, the flesh, and want of assurance, did not withstand :
and there is no doubt, but these must be weak and poor spirits, that
are bewitched or enchanted, either with the fruitions or hopes of the
world. And as earth has nothing to hold a resolute and reconciled
' soul, so heaven wants nothing to draw it ; and to some to live here,
lias been always wearisome, since their peace was made, Christ's
sweetness known, and their own weakness and unusefulness experi
enced ; but now it is become hatefully loathsome, since devils and the
worst of men are become the head, and dreadful by their stupendous
permissions, loosings and lengthenings in their reigning ; and friends
are become uncomfortable, because they will neither Christianly bear
and bide, nor rightly go forward to effectuate their own delivery. But
for you, there is nothing at this time, (if you yourselves be sure with
God, which, I hope, either you are, or will be,) which can make me
bewail your death ; though the cause of it doth both increase my
affection to you and indignation against these enemies. Yet for you,
notwithstanding the unjustness of the sentence, — go not to eternity
with indignation against them upon your own account. Neither let
the goodness of the cause ye suffer for, found your confidence in God,
and your hope of well-being ; for were the action ever so good, and
performed without the least failing, — which is not incident to human
infirmity — it could never be a cause of obtaining mercy, nor yet com
mend us to that grace from which we are to obtain it.* There is
nothing now which is yours, when you are pleading and petitioning
for mercy, that must be remembered, but your sins ; for in effect,
there is nothing else ours. Let your sins then be on your heart, as
your sorrow ; — which we must bewail, before we be parted with them,
as the captive her father, not because she was to leave him, but
because she had been so long with bim. And let these mercies of
God, and merits of Christ, be before your eyes, as your hopes, and
your winning to these as the only rock upon which we can be saved ;
if there be any thing seen or looked to in ourselves but sin, we cannot
expect remission and salvation allenarly through free grace, — in which
expectation only it can be obtained : neither can we earnestly beg,
till we see ourselves destitute of all that procures favour, and full of
all that merits, and hastens vengeance and wrath.
" And besides, it heightens the price of that precious blood, by which
only we can have redemption from sin and wrath ; — it being the only
• The editor cannot but observe! the coincidence between this statement of
Mr. Cargill and the observations made in Note p. 271, — in reference to .%
sentiment contained in the testimony of John Malcora, cne of the persons here
addressed. It is evident from this, that Mr. Cargill had supposed him linble
to give place to such erroneous views of revealed truth, and there can be only
one opinion as to the soundness of the principles, and the propriety of the
advice, which he thus attempts to press upon his attention.

344 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
sufficient in itself, and only acceptable to the Father ; and so it must
be, — being the blessed and gracious device and result of infinite wisdom,
which makes the eternal God to be admired in his graciousness and
holiness, having found out the way of his own payment without our
hurt, and which makes all return to their own desires, and tbere to rest
in an eternal complacency ; for this way returns to God his glory,
to justice its satisfaction, to disquieted consciences of men, frighted
and awakened with the sight of sin and wrath, — ease, peace, and
assurance ; and to the souls of men, — fellowship witb God, and hope
of eternal salvation. Now, the righteousness of Christ being made
sure to us, secures all this for us, and this both is believed and appre
hended by faith, — it being the hand by which we grip this rock, and if
it be true, it cannot but be strong, and we saved. Look well then to
your faith, that it be a faith growing out of regeneration, and the new
creature, and have Christ for its righteousness, hope and rejoicing,
and be sealed by the Spirit of God : and what this sealing is, when it
comes it will abundantly show itself; and there can be no other full
satisfaction to a soul than this. But seek till ye find, and whatever
ye find for the present, let your last act be to lay and leave yourselves
on the righteousness of hie Son, expecting life through his name,
according to the promise of the Father. Dear friends, your work is
great, and time short ; but this is a comfort, and the only comfort in
your present condition, that you have a God infinite in mercy to deal
with, who is ready at all times to forgive, but especially persons in
your case, who have been jeoparding your lives upon the account of
the gospel, whatever failings or infirmities in you, that action hath
been accompanied with ; for it is the action itself which is the duty
of this whole covenanted kingdom, and not the failing, for which you
are brought to suffering. Seek not then the favours of men, by
making your duty your sin ; but confess your failings to God, and
look for his mercy through Jesus Christ, who has said, ' Whosoever
loseth his life for my sake, shall keep it unto eternal life.' And
though it will profit a reprobate notbing to die after this manner, (for
nothing can be profitable without love, which only is, or can be, in a
believer,) yet it should be no disadvantage, but, in a manner, — the best
way of dying ; for, it would take some from his days that he might
have lived, and so prevent many sins that he would have committed,
and so the sin is lessened that is the cause of eternal sufferings.
" And let not this discourage you, or lay you by, that the work is
great, and the time short, though this indeed should mind you of your
sinful neglect, — that were not better provided for such a short and
peremptory summons, — which you should always have expected. It
also shows the greatness of the sin of these enemies, that not only
take away unjustly your bodily life, but also shorten your time of
preparation, and so do their utmost to deprive you of eternal life.
Yet, I say, let not this either- discourage, or lay you by, for God can
perfect great works in a Bhort time, and one of the greatest things that
befall men, shall be effectuate in the twinkling of an eye, which is one
of the shortest. I assure you he put the thief on the cross through
all his desires, convictions, conversion, justification, sanctification, &c.

DONALD CARGILL. 345
in a short time, and left nothing to bemoan, but that there did not
remain time enough to glorify Him on earth, that had done all these
things for him. Go on then, and let your intent be seriousness ; the
greatness of your sorrow, and the height of love, in a manner, make a
compensation for the shortness of time, and go on though ye your
selves have gone a short way ; for where these things are, one hour
will perform more than thousands, where there wore not either such
enforcements or power ; and be persuaded in this, you have Him as
much and more hastening than yourselves ; for you may know His
motion by your own, they being both set forward by Him. And dear
friends, be not terrified at the manner of your death, which to me
seems the easiest of all, where you come to it without pain, and in
perfect judgment, and go through so speedily; before the pain be felt
the glory is come: but pray for a greater measure of His presence,
which only can make a pass through the hardest things, — cheerful and
pleasant. I bid you farewell, expecting, though our parting be sad,
our gathering shall be joyful again. Only your great advantage in
the case you are in, is to credit Him much, for that is His glory, and
engages Him to perform whatever you have credited Him with. No
more, but avow boldly to give a full testimony for His truths, as you
die to be avowed of Him. Grace, mercy, and peace be with you.
" DONALD CARGILL." *
4. His Letter to the Prisoners in the Correction-house.
" Dear Friends, — I think ye cannot but know that I am both
concerned and afflicted with your condition ; and I would have written
sooner, and more, if I had not feared that you might have been
jealous (under your distempers,) that I had been seducing you to
follow me, and not God and truth. It has been my earnest and
frequent prayer to God, (as he himself knows,) to be led into all
truths ; and I judge I have been, in this, graciously answered ; . but I
desire none, if they themselves judge it not to be truth, to adhere to
any thing that I have either preached, written, or done, to any
hazard, much more to the loss of life. But I have been afflicted with
your condition, and could not but be more, if God's great graciousness
in this begun discovery, and your sincerity and singleness,^-gave me
not hope, — that God's purpose is to turn this to the great mercy of his
poor church, and yours, if ye mar it not ; and yet the great sin and
pillar of Satan that is in this snare, makes me tremble. It was God's
mercy to you that gave such convictions, that made you, at least some
of you, once to part with these men ; and it was undoubtedly your
sin that you continued not so, but after convictions, did cast your
selves into new temptations ; for convictions ought to be tenderly
guided, lest the Spirit be grieved from whom they come ; but this
second discovery, though it be with a sharper rebuke, as it makes
God's mercy wonderful, so it shall render your perseverance in that
course, sinful and utterly inexcusable ; for God has broken the snare,
and it will be your great sin, if you go not out with great haste, joy,
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 41 — 45.
2 x

346 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
and thankfulness, when God's wonderful discovery has made such a
way for your delivery ; for God having now shown you the ring
leaders and authors of these opinions to be persons of such abomina
tions, calls you not only to deny credit to them, but also to make a
serious search of their tenets, which will, I know, by his grace, bring
you undoubtedly to see that these things are contrary both to God's
glory and truth, that they so much pretend to.
" And now, dear friends, as I cannot be tender enough of you, who
in your zeal and singleness have been misled ; for though this did bewray
a great simplicity and unwatchfulness, yet it did also hetoken some zeal
and tenderness, tbat being beguiled, it was in things that were veiled
and busked with some pretences to God's glory and public reforma
tion. And, on the other hand, I cannot have great enough abhorrence
of these persons, who, knowing themselves to be of such abominations,
did give out themselves to he of such familiarity with God, and of so
clear illumination, to make their delusions more passing with devout
souls. Let nothing make you think this is malignity, or natural
enmity against the power of godliness, or progress in reformation, that
is venting itself in me ; for, though I cannot win forward as I ought,
yet I have rejoiced to see others go forward. And I am sure, there
lies in this bed within you, a viper and a child. Satan transforming
himself into an angel of light, has put these two together, to make it
passing with some, ahd to be spared of others, who are of tenderness.
But my soul's deshe is, to kill the serpent and keep the child alive ;
and God is calling you loudly to sever the good from the had, that
the wit of Satan's subtility has mixed together, and to deliver your
selves speedily, as a roe from tbe hand of the hunter ; and not only
return, but bitterly mourn for your high provoking of God, in offering
such foul sacrifices to his glory, and sewing your old clouts upon
that new garment ; in your making the enemy more to despise tbat
cause and company, who are enough despised already, and discouraging
those who were following, and going forward with joy in that which
was right, so that now, neither have they heart nor hand for the work,
nor can tbey look out, till God recover them again. There is much
in the whole of those, that may, and does weight and overwhelm some
spirits ; but there is nothing in all their cogitations about it, that they
found comfortable, unless it be, that he is cleared in afflicting us, and
continuing to afflict us, because there were such persons among us.
I speak this but of some of you, and beloved by us, though ignorantly ;
and we wish that this be the last and great stop that was to be removed
before bis coming to revenge himself and reign. I would not say,
but by this also, he shewed his tenderness, of preserving integrity of
doctrine, and sound reformation, and his purpose not to suffer errors
and heresies to prosper. This I told you, when I met with you, that
there were some things ye were owning, whicb were highly approved
of God ; Buch as an inward heart-love and zeal to God's glory,
which I perceived to be in some of you, so far as it can be peT-
ceived, and setting up of that before you, as your end, in pursuing
it always as your work, and a forgetting of all other things in regard
to it, excepting only these things, without which we cannot glorify

DONALD CARGILL. 347
him, (as a workman that intends his work, must mind his tools), even
our own salvation, and the salvation of all others, as if they wero
not things wherein he is greatly glorified, for his glory is in righte-
6usness and mercy, and in, and by these, is the salvation of man
infallibly advanced, and with these it is inseparably connected.
" Next I would advise you, to set apart more, yea, much more of
your time, for humiliation, fasting, and prayer, in such an exigence,
when the judgments of God appear to be so near, and so great, so
that it be done without sin, for God cannot be glorified by sin ; ' For
if my lie hath more abounded to his glory, why am I judged as a
sinner ?' I was against such as deny nature, and others, their right
dues ; for he that allows dues to others, allows tbem to be paid
also: and we must be like prisoners, who are of great debt, and
honest hearts, who know they cannot pay every one their full sums,
yet are resolved to give every one some, and to the greatest most,
and to the rest accordingly. And as there cannot be a total
abstinence from meat, without self-murder, so there cannot be a total
denying others their due, such as the benevolence of husband to
wife, and a total abstaining from work, without a transgression of
God's commandments and laws, which can never be a glorifying of
him, — which the more impartially they are kept, the more he is
glorified. Next, ways are allowed of him, that ye may make your
selves free, so much as in you lies, of all the public defections :
whatever may involve you in these, or contribute to their upholding,
without either an overpowering force, or an indispensable necessity :
for I may buy meat and drink, in necessity, whatever use the seller
may make of the money I give for my meat and drink. Next, he
allows these particulars of reformation, such as change of the names
of days, of weeks, of terms of the year, and such like, warranted by
the word, and example of the Christians in scripture, that have been
neglected before in our reformation ; so that there be not too much
religion placed in these things, and other things more weighty, (which,
undoubtedly, have more moral righteousness in them) made little in
regard of them : but in these good things, Satan will quickly, if it
be not — .already, over-drive you in your progress, and leave you only
to hug a spurious birth. But there are other things that ye main
tained, when I spoke with you (and the viper has more since
appeared) as truths, and part of God's glory, that are utterly contrary
to, and inconsistent with the glory of God. As, first, — laying aside
of public preaching ; some of them saying no less, than they had no
missing of it : so that ye thought, 'ye had reigned as kings without
.us, and would to God ye had reigned.' Your flourishing should
have delighted, though we had not been the instruments and means
thereof. But alas ! this your liberty, that you so much bragged of,
would have lasted but a little while, and was among your other
beguiles ; and was nothing else but Satan stirring you about to
giddiness, and raising of fantastic fumes to tbe tickling of the imagina
tion ; but leaving you altogether without renovation of heart, or
progress in sanctification : so that I cannot compare this your liberty
to any thing else, but to an enchanted fabric, where the poor guests,

348 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
only placed in imagination, imagine themselves to be in a pleasant
place, and at a royal entertainment ; but when God comes, and
delusion vanisheth, they will find themselves cast in some remote
wilderness, and they left full of astonishment and fears.
" I told you, while I was with you, that the devil was sowing
tares among your thin wheat; but I was not long from you,
exercised in thoughts about you, but I saw clearly, there was
sorcery in the business : and now I tell you, I fear sorcerers also. I
know I have spoken this against mine own life, if they get the
power they desire ; but I am in a defiance of them, and I know also
in a defence by him who hath preserved, and I know will preserve
me, till my work be finished. But if your liberty that you talked
of had been true, it would at least have stayed till it had brought
you to other thoughts, other works, and other comforts ; and it
might have been easily discerned not a true liberty, but a temptation
that led you from public preaching, the great ordinance of God's
glory, and men's good ; as the apostle has that word, ' Forbidding us
to preach to the Gentiles.' But especially to leave public ordinances
at this time, when they are the only standards standing, which
shows Satan's victory against Christ's kingdom in Scotland not to be
complete. " Yet, dear friends, when you hear this, let not Satan cast you so
far to the other side, (for it is rare to see the most devout souls
altogether out from under his delusions and temptations,) as to
make you believe, that it is impossible to attain unto any thing of
certitude of truth, liberty, manifestations and communion with God,
if that which seemed to be so firm, be delusions ; but shall Satan
have such power to make men believe lies, and shall not God go
infinitely beyond him, in making men to see and believe truth ?
There were many that thought themselves at the height of assurance,
when under the greatest temptations, as Psal. lxxiii. 13. ' Verily I
have cleansed my hands in vain.' And yet, they have a greater
certainty when they come to see, that tbere is no such unquietness of
spirit under this, aB they found in the former. And seeing it is so,
rest not till ye attain that assurance of your own interest, and of His
main truths, which is both above doubt and defect, that ye may be
able to say, ' Now we believe, and are sure.'
" But in the next place, you will join with none in public worship,
but those who have infallible signs of regeneration. This seems fair,
but it is both false and foul ; false, because of its false foundation, viz.
That the certainty of one's interest in Christ may be known by another ;
whereas the scripture says, ' That none knows it, but he that has it :'
foul also, for this disdain has pride in it, and pride is always foul ;
and though there he a difference amongst men, and that we should
have regard of repentance and brokenness of heart, yet those who
have well sought and seen their own filthiness, will judge themselves
the persons, of any, that should be thrust out of the assemblies of
God's people ; and that not only in regard of what they have been,
but also in regard of what they daily are. Next, ye would have all
to be prayed to eternal wrath, who have departed and made defection

DONALD CARGILL. 349
in this time : alas ! we need not blow them away, the great part is
going fast enough that way ; but this, I am sure, is not to give God
his glory, but to take from him, and limit him in his freedom and
choice, in the greatness of his pardon. It is remarkable, that the
angels in their ' glory to God,' joined also with it, ' good will to
men.' Next, ye have rejected the Psalms, with many other things,
by a paper come from some of you ; and I cannot see upon what
account, except it be, because it is man's work, in turning the Psalms
out of prose into metre. Then, you must reject all the other
Scriptures, because the translation of them is man's work; ye
have not yet learned the original languages, ye must betake your
selves altogether to the spirit, and what a spirit will that be, that is
not to be tried by the Scriptures ! I told some of you, when I last
saw you, that ye were too little led by the Scriptures, and too
much by your own thoughts and suggestions, which indeed opens a
wide door to delusion, and alas ! lays yourselves open to Satan's
temptations. " As for the rest, of your denying all your former covenants and
declarations ; this cannot be from God, — they containing nothing but
lawful and necessary duties ; and suppose they did not contain and
include a complete reformation, yet they did not exclude it ; so that,
still holding them, we might have passed on to more perfection, and
they might be inviolable obligations with us. And next, your
cutting off all that were not of your mind, and delivering them up
to devils, was not justice and religion, — it being done neither in
judgment nor righteousness, upon conviction of their crimes, but in
unbridled rage and fury. But these things I cannot fully speak to,
now : yet there is somewhat that I cannot pass ; but must tell you,
that I fear there shall remain some of the leaven within, that shall
not only spoil an orthodox Protestant, but also a true, tender, and
humble Christian, and give us nothing instead of it, but a blown
bladder : for I am persuaded, if Satan should have the tutory but a
while, he should bring it to this ; for it has been his way with some,
first to make them saint-like, and afterwards to settle them in
atheism ; — like a cunning fisher, running a fish upon an angle, who
at last casts it on dry ground. God is my witness, my soul loves
to see holiness, tenderness, and zeal, in such a generation, where
there is nothing but untenderness, unconcernedness, and lukewarm-
ness ; and by his grace, I shall ever cherish it. I desire you then, in
the bowels of Christ, to retain your zeal ; but see well to this, that
it be for his glory. Indeed, the more that you are zealous, and tbe
further ye go forward, so that the word of God direct your course,
— ye are the more pleasing to God, and shall be the dearer to us.
And persuade yourselves, that though I cannot equal or go before ;
yet it is the sincere desire of my heart to follow such. And my
soul wishes you well, though it may be I cannot here point, nor lead
you the way to well-being ; yet this I must say, that if I could lead
you the way that he has led me, I should let you see eternal life,
without these things that I am desiring you to relinquish. Hold
truth, glorify God, be zealous to have him glorified : but think not to

350 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
desire the condemnation of any man, simply upon that account, that
they dare not come and continue where you are ; or to put a bar
by prayer between them and a return, is a glorifying of God : we
glorify him in this kind, when, as he himself desires, we acquiesce in
his sentence, when it is past, though we wrestle against it, before it
be known to us.
" I cannot bid you go forward in all, but I desire you to go forward
in that which is surer and better. And, dear friends, let not the
world have that to say, that when ye are become right, ye are become
the less zealous ; only take the right object, and let your zeal grow.
O let not your sufferings be stained with such wildness, and think it
not strange that ye have not such liberty in your return, as ye seemed
to have before ; if ye take the right way, and hold on, ye shall find it,
in his time, greater and better, and surer. I shall only add, that there
must be an express owning of his truths, whereof ye have been
persuaded before now, which now are either denied or doubted,
otherwise you will come to nothing of religion, or worse ; this will
either state your sufferings right, or be a mean to obtain a cleanly
liberty from God, in his due time. Grace, mercy, and peace be with
you. Amen.
" DONALD CARGILL." *

XII. WALTER SMITH.
[Mr. Smith was a native of St. Ninians, in Stirlingshire. After the
usual preliminary education, he went to Holland, and studied
divinity under the famous Leusden. Upon his return, he became
' eminent among the suffering presbyterians, was Clerk to the
council of war, and a commanding officer at the battle of Bothwell-
bridge. After this, he became the constant attendant, as he was
the intimate friend, of Mr. Cargill, — in his wanderings over Scotland.
He was along with that venerable person, in the neighbourhood of
Lanark, when taken ; and shared his fate. It does not appear
that he was ever licensed as a preacher, though he had this in
prospect at the time of his apprehension. He seems to have been
highly esteemed, by those who knew him, as a young man of good
learning and genuine piety. Being brought before the council
upon two several occasions, on the 14th and 19th of July, he was
thereafter tried on the 26th, and executed on the 27th of that
month. His testimony and last words, follow.]
1. His Testimony.
" Dear Friends and Acquaintances, — As I desire, while in the body,
to sympathize somewhat with you in lamenting your various cases,
and the case of the church, whereof we are the sons and daughters ;
so I must lay this request upon you, and leave it with you, that ye
• Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 45—52.

WALTER SMITH. 351
take some of your time, and set it apart particularly, to solace your
souls, in blessing and magnifying your God and my God, for the lot
he hath decreed and chosen out for poor unworthy me, from eternity,
in time, and to eternity; in the immediate enjoyment of Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost, one God, incomprehensible and unchangeable
in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth';
and that, because he hath made me a man and a Christian. And
now, I set to my seal to all his truths, revealed in his word ; and
particularly these : 1st, That he is one God, Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost. But alas! who can think of him? who can hear of him,
or write of him aright ? O he is God ! he is God I 2dly, That he
made man perfect ; and though we have destroyed and incapacitated
ourselves to do any thing that is right, while out of Christ, — yet we
are under the obligation of the whole law, which is the perfect rule
of righteousness. 3dly, That my Lord, (yea through free grace, I
can say, my Lord Jesus Christ) came to the world to save sinners :
and though I cannot say that I have been the greatest of sinners, yet
I can say, that he hath covered, pardoned, prevented and hid from ,
the world, sins in me that have been heinous by many aggravations.
4thly, That ' except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of heaven.' My friends, this is the new birth, this is
regeneration, that I am speaking of, to which the great part, even of
professors, I fear, will be found strangers. 5thly, I set to my seal to
the truth of that precious promise, Josh. i. 5. repeated Heb. xiii. 5.
' For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee ;' together
with all the other promises to that purpose : and I am sure he hath
carried me through divers conditions of life, many various and
singular difficulties and damping discouragements. But, omitting
these things whereof the profane persecutors may as much boast (as
to the outward) as any, He hath led me through the several steps of
soul exercise, and the pangs of the new birth, unto himself. This,
this my friends, is the cognizance and distinguishing character of a
saint indeed ; and by this, and this only, ' we pass from death to life.'
" And as I adhere to the Confession of Faith and work of reforma
tion, (as I shall afterwards speak to) — so particularly, I set to my seal
to these truths in the eighteenth chapter thereof, anent the assurance
of grace and salvation. Alas I the ignorance of this generation is
great ! My dear friends, I leave this as my last advice to you, make
use of that book which contains the Confession of Faith, Catechisms,
Sum of Saving Knowledge, Practical Use of Saving Knowledge,
Directory for Worship, the Causes of God's Wrath, &c. And let none
think this work below them ; for, the spiritual enlightening of the
mind, which requires the literal with it, is tbe first work of the
Spirit, after we first begin to come to ourselves, or rather to what
we were in innooency, and ought to be by grace. But as to this, I
do confidently refer you to Shepard's Sound Believer ; which, in my
poor apprehension, is the surest ye can meet with. And, 6thly, I
set to my seal to the covenant of grace, particularly that clause of it,
Isa. lix. 21. ' As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the
Lord, My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put

352 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the
mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith
the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.' And here I leave my
testimony against all atheists, speculative (if there be any such) and
practical ; and all mockers of godliness, all formalists and hypocrites,
Quakers and enthusiasts, who either pretend to the Spirit, neglecting
the word, or lean upon the word, neglecting the teaching of the
Spirit. And what shall I more say, but by what of truth I have in
experience seen, I am bold to believe what I have not seen : His
testimony is a ground sufficient, and there can be no deceit under it.
" And now I am to die a martyr ; and I am as fully persuaded of
my interest in Christ, and that he hath countenanced me in that, for
which I am to lay down my life, as I am of my being. And let the
world and biassed professors say their pleasure, I am here in no
delusion ; I have the free and full exercise of reason and judgment ;
I am free of passion and prejudice, and, excepting that I am yet
in the body, I am free of Satan's fire and fury : I have no bitterness
nor malice at any living ; so that what I am owning and dying for, I
am solidly and firmly persuaded to be truth and duty, according to my
mean capacity. And this is the main point, this day, in controversy,
upon which I was peremptorily questioned, and desired positively to
answer, yea, or nay, under the threatening of tbe boots, viz. Whether
I owned the king's authority as presently established and exercised ?
which, I did positively disown, and denied allegiance to him, as he is
invested with the supremacy — proper to Jesus Christ only. And who
knoweth not, that at first he was constituted and crowned a covenanted
king, and the subjects sworn in allegiance to him, as such, by the
Solemn League and Covenant ? This was the authority wherewith be
was clothed, and the exercise of it was to be for God, religion, and
the good of the subjects ; and is not all this, as to God and his
people, overturned and perverted ? But, secondly, The whole of this
pleaded for authority at present, is established on the ruin of the
land's engagements to God, and to one another. But I say no more
as to this. Consider things seriously, and ponder them deeply ; zeal
for God is much gone : look to it, and labour to recover it ; your
peace shall be in it, as to duty ; though Christ's righteousness, I see,
is the only sure foundation.
" I leave my testimony against malignancy, ungodliness, and pro
fanity, and whatsoever is contrary to sound doctrine, — professed and
owned by the reformed anti-erastian Presbyterian party in Scotland •
whereof I die a member and professor; — being fully satisfied and
content with my lot. And as to my apprehending, we were singularly
delivered by Providence into the adversaries' hand, and, for what I
could learn, were betrayed by none ; nor were any accessory to our
taking, more than we were ourselves : and particularly let none
blame the lady St. Johns-kirk in this. I have no time to give you an
account of the Lord's kindness and tenderness to us, in restraining
the adversaries' fury ; for they began very brisk, by making us lie all
night bound, and expressly refused to suffer us to worship God, or
pray with one another, until we came to Linlithgow. But the Lord

WALTER SMITH. 353
hasteneth to come ; beware of going back, wait for him, be not
anxious about what shall become of you, or the remnant ; He is con
cerned, his intercession is sufficient : get him set up, and kept up in
his own room in your souls, and other things will be the more easily
kept in theirs. Be tender of all who have the root of the matter ;
but beware of compliance with any, whether ministers, or professors,
or adversaries. As to my judgment, insignificant as it is, I am
necessitated to refer you to the draught of a paper, which I drew, at
the desire of some societies in Clydesdale, entitled, ' Some Steps of
Defection,' &c. Beware of a spirit of bitterness, peremptoriness,
and ignorant zeal, which hath been the ruin of some, and will be
the rain of more, if mercy prevent not. I was withdrawn from by
some, — as having given offence to them by my protesting against their
way in particular, wherein, 1 am sure, — as to the manner, — they were
wrong ; and though they had been right, it was not a ground to have
made such a separation from me, much less from those who joined
with me : and if any division be longer kept up upon that account,
they will find it a great iniquity, if rightly considered. I can get no
more written, nor see I great need for it ; for the testimonies of
martyrs are not your rule. Farewell. Sic sub.— WALTER SMITH."*
" From the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, 1
July 27th, 1681." j"
2. His Last Words.
Being come to the scaffold, he accosted the multitude to this
purpose : " All ye beholders, who are come here upon various designs,
I entreat you, be not mistaken anent the cause of my suffering this
day ; for, however ye may be misinformed, yet it is of verity, that we
are brought here upon the matters of our God ; — because we testified
against the supremacy, and would not consent to the setting of
Christ's crown upon the head of him who had by usurpation aspired
thereto, contrary to his former engagements." Upon this they caused
beat the drums, which obliged him a little to silence ; but beckoning
with his hand, he said, " I shall only say something to three particulars :
and first, anent that which some are apt to believe, — that we are
against authority ;- — we detest that, and say, that we own all the
lawful exercise of authority ; and we hope there are none that are
Christians will allow us to own the unlawful exercise, or rather
tyranny of authority." At this the drums were again beat ; and so,
he sung a part of the ciii. Psalm from the beginning, and prayed ;
which done, he turned bis face to the Cross, and said, " I bless the
Lord, I am not surprised, neither terrified with this death or the
manner of it. I confess the thoughts of death have been sometimes
very terrible to me, when I have been reflecting upon my mis-spending ,
of precious time ; yea, sometimes the strength of temptation, and
my own weakness, have made me herein to raze the very foundation
of my interest ; but my God builds faster than he permits the devil
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp 52—55.
2 Y

354 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
and my false heart to cast down. 1 have had some clouds ever since I
came to prison, but blessed he God, these are all removed : for my
God hath said to my soul, ' Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven
thee.' And the faith of this makes me not to fear grim death ; —
though it be called the king of terrors, yet it is not so to me : for,
this that you think a cruel and sudden death, is but an inlet to life,
which shall be eternal ! — Let none be offended at Christ and his way
because of suffering, for I can persuade you, there is more of Christ's
help, and supporting grace and strength, in a suffering lot, than all
that ever I heard of by the hearing of the ear : but now I am made
to find it in my own experience, and I can say, ' He is altogether
lovely.' " But a second thing that I promised to speak to, is, — that I detest
and abhor all Popery, Prelacy, Erastianism, and all other steps of
defection from the truths of God, and turning aside to the right and
left hand. Also, I testify against all errors, as Quakerism, Arminian-
ism, &c. and all that is contrary to sound doctrine, who walk not
according to the Scriptures, and make not the word and Spirit of
God their rule to walk by. I have lived, and now am ready to die,
a Christian, a Protestant, and a Presbyterian in my judgment ; there
fore, let none hereafter say, tbat we walk not by the Scriptures ;
for once Britain and Ireland, and especially Scotland, were deeply
sworn to maintain what now they disown ; therefore beware of
standing in the way of others, seeing ye will not go in yourselves.
Thirdly, I exhort all you that are the poor remnant, to be serious
in getting your interest cleared ; you that are in the dark with
your case, take not flashes for conversion : study a holy conversation :
be at more pains to know the Scriptures, and believe them ; be
serious in prayer ; slight not time ; take Christ on his own terms, and
resolve to meet with trials, and that shortly ; slight not known
duties ; commit not known sins, — whatever suffering ye may meet
witb, for your cleaving to duty. Lippen* to God, and you will not be
disappointed. Construct well of him under all dispensations ; weary
not of suffering ; lie not at ease in a day of Jacob's trouble. I have
one word more to speak to all that are going on in persecuting the
way and friends of Christ, and that is the very words of our Lord,
Remember, ' whatever you do to one of these little ones, you do it
unto me.' I pray the Lord, that he may open the eyes of all the
elect, who are yet strangers to regeneration ; and also convince such
of them as are fallen from their first love. Now, my friends, I have
this to say in my own vindication, that, — however I have been
branded by some, and misconstructed by others,  yet I can say in
the sight of the Lord, before whom I am now to appear, that I am
free of any public scandal ; I say, I am free of drunkenness, I am
free of whoredoms, thefts, or murder ; therefore, let none say, that we
are murderers, or would kill any, but in self-defence, and in defence
of the gospel. I truly forgive all men the wrongs they have done to
me, as I desire to be forgiven of the Lord ; but as for the wrongs
• i. e. trust.

JAMES BOIG 355
done to a holy God, I leave these to him who is the avenger of
blood ; let him do to them as he may be glorified. Now I say no
more, but pray that all who are in his way, may be kept from sinning
under suffering ; and that every one may prepare for a storm, which
I do verily believe is not far off."
Then stooping down, he saluted some friends, and said, " Farewell
all relations and acquaintances ; farewell all ye that are lovers of
Christ and his righteous cause." And beckoning to the multitude, he
said — farewell also. And so he went up the ladder with the greatest
discoveries of alacrity and magnanimity ; and seating himself upon
it, he said, " Now this death of mine I fear not, for my sins are
freely pardoned ; yea, and I will sin no more, for I am made
through my God, to look hell, wrath, devils, and sin, eternally out of
countenance. Therefore, farewell all created enjoyments, pleasures,
and delights ; farewell sinning and suffering ; farewell praying and
believing ; and welcome heaven and singing ; welcome joy in the
Holy Ghost ; welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, — into thy
hands I commit my spirit." When the executioner was about to
untie his cravat, he thrust him away, and untied it himself; and,
calling for his brother, threw it down, saying, " This is the last token
you will get from me." After the napkin was drawn over his face,
he Uncovered it again, and said, " I have one word more to say, and
that is to all that have any love to God and his righteous cause, — that
they will set time apart, and sing a song of praise to the Lord, for
what he has done to my soul ; and my soul says, ' to him be praise.' "
Then, letting down the napkin, he prayed a little within himself, and
the executioner doing his office, threw him over.

XIII. JAMES BOIG.
QThis was the other of Mr. Cargill's intimate friends and followers,
who, like the preceding Witness, was apprehended along with him.
He was the son of Mr. James Boig, merchant in Edinburgh, —
a student of divinity, and a young man of piety and talent.
He was examined on the 14th of July, and concurred with
the rest in owning the Bothwell rising and the Sanquhar Declara
tion, and disowning the king's authority. He was thereafter tried
orr the 26th, and executed on the 27th of the same month.
" Both he and Mr. Smith," says Wodrow, " died under much
comfort, joy, and full assurance." His testimony is conveyed to us
in the following Letter to his brother, — written on the day previous
to his death.]
" Dear Brother, — I have not now time to write that which I would ;
but to satisfy your desire, and the desire of others who are concerned
in tlie cause and work of God, that is now, at this time, trampled

356 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIER
upon :  I have given out * mine indictment to a friend of yours, and
now I shall give you an account of the enemies' prosecution thereof,
against us. Mine indictment did run upon three heads ; 1st, That
I had disowned the king's authority. 2dly, That I said, the rising
in arms at Bothwell-bridge was lawful, and upon the defence .of truth.
3dly, That I owned the Sanquhar Declaration in the whole heads
and articles thereof. — And, having again owned this before the
justiciary and assizers, I held my peace, and spake no more ; because
I saw what was spoken by others was not regarded, either by our
unjust judges or mocking auditors ; all that our speaking did, was
the exposing of us to the mockery of all present. But, the reasons
that were given in thus, for our defence in tbe first head — were, tbat
we could not own the authority, as now presently established, unless
we should also own the supremacy, which the king hath usurped
over the church. By our doing of this, we should rob Christ of tbat
which is his right, and give that to a man which is due to no mortal :
— the reason is, because the supremacy is declared, in their acts of
parliament, to be essential to the crown ; and that which is essential
to anything is the same with the thing itself; so that, in owning
their authority, we are of necessity obliged to justify them in their
usurpation also. But, there is another argument, which to me is
valid, tho' I spoke it not before them ; and it does not a little trouble
me that I should have passed it. Tbe advocate in his discourse to
the assizers, among other things, said, that we were overturning
these acts and laws, which they (tbe assizers) had consented to, and
were owning. Now, I suppose their consent to the present acts and
laws was never formally required of them ; but, that which is taken
for their consent, is their simple silence, when these acts were made
and published, and owning these parliaments as their representatives ;
so that, I may clearly argue from this, that, even in their own sense,
my owning of the present authority now established as lawful, and
the present magistrates as my magistrates, is a giving my consent to
the present acts and laws, and so, consequently, to the robbing of
Christ of that which is his right. As to the second, it being but one
particular fact, deduced from that principle of the lawfulness of self-
defence, and this principle being as positively asserted by all of us, — I
look upon the principle to be as expressly sealed with our blood, as
that particular fact of rising in arms at Bothwell-bridge, is. As to
the third, it being a deed consequential from the first, — I looked upon
them both to stand and fall together ; and he that owneth the first,
must, of necessity, own the last also. And, as to that of declaring
war, — I did always look upon it to he one and the same, though
differently expressed, — with that contained in the paper found at the
Ferry ; and that the main design of it was, to vindicate us before the
world, in our repelling unjust violence, — and clearing us of these
aspersions that were cast upon us, viz. tbe holding as a principle the
lawfulness of private assassinations (which we disown), and murder
ing of all those who are not of the same judgment with us. These
* i, ¦>. sent it out of prison.

WILLIAM THOMSON. 357
are the truths which we are to seal with our blood, to-morrow in the
afternoon, — at the Cross of Edinburgh. As to other particular actions,
we declined to answer positively to them, — as that of the Bishop's
death ; we told them, we could not be judges of other men's actions :
as to the excommunication, — because we declined them, as not com
petent judges to cognosce upon an ecclesiastic matter, — they did not
proceed upon it.
" And now, dear brother, you may see our quarrel clearly stated to
be the same that. Mr. James Guthrie laid down his head for ; beside
whose, mine and my other two friends' heads are to be set. There
were many other things past in private betwixt me and Mr. William
Paterson, sometime my regent, now council-clerk, with some others, —
who strongly assaulted me with their snares ; but now, I hope, I may
say, that ' my soul hath escaped like a bird out of the snare of the
fowler.' And as to your second desire, of knowing how it went
with my soul ; — many and strong have been the assaults of Satan since
I came to prison ; but glory to God, who hath not been wanting to
me in giving me assistance, yea, many times unsought, and is yet
continuing, and I hope, shall do to the end, — to carry me above the
fear of death ; so that, I am in as sweet a calm as if I were going to
he married to one dearly beloved. Alas ! my cold heart is not able
to answer his burning love ; but what is wanting in me, is, and shall
be made up in a Saviour complete and well furnished in all things,
appointed of the Father for this end, — to bring his straying children
to their own home, — whereof, (I think I may venture to say it) I am
one, though feckless. Now, I have no time to enlarge, else I would
give you a more particular account of God's goodness and dealing
witb me ; but let this suffice, — that I am once fairly on the way, and
within the view of Immanuel's land, and in hopes to be received an
inhabitant there, within the space of twenty-six hours at most.
Farewell all earthly comforts, farewell all worldly vanities, farewell all
carnal desires.— Welcome cross, welcome gallows, welcome Christ,
welcome heaven and everlasting happiness, &c. — I have no more spare
time. Grace, mercy, and peace, be with you. Amen.
Sic sub  JAMES BOIG."*
" From Edinburgh Tolbooth,!
July 26th, 1681." J

XIV. WILLIAM THOMSON.
TThis was one of the four individuals who were condemned and
executed, along with Mr. Cargill. He was a farm servant at
Frosk, in the shire of Fife, and was taken at Alloa when coming
from hearing sermon. But, besides these facts, scarcely any thing
else respecting him has been mentioned by Wodrow. He was
indicted in the common form, for being at Bothwell-bridge and
denying tbe king's authority; and being convicted on his own
? Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 58—60.

358 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
confession, he was condemned accordingly, and executed on the
27th of July, 1681. He left the following testimony, to the
cause. for which he suffered.]
" Men and Brethren,— I being a prisoner for Christ's sake, and for
my adhering to truth, being taken at Alloa, coming out of Fife from
hearing the gospel preached by Mr. Donald Cargill, the last
Sabbath of June, this present year ; — and not knowing when I may be
taken and murdered by the stated enemies of our Lord (for they
neither walk after tbe equity of their own law, nor God's law), I have,
for fear of inconveniences, laid hold of this opportunity to set down.
under my hand, or from my mouth, an account of my life and con
versation, and my testimony to the truth of Christ, and against all
the abominations of the times.
" I was, before the year 1679, running away with the rest of this
generation, to God-provoking courses ; and about that time, when I
saw the people of God going to draw together, to adventure their
lives in the Lord's quarrel, the Lord took a dealing with me at that
time, — so that I could neither get night's rest, nor day's rest, till I
resolved to go with them ; — and on the other hand, was afraid lest I
should have been the Achan in the Lord's camp ; but again. I
remembered the Lord's promise, that is held out in the word, —
' Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of
hosts,' Mai. iii. 7. Now, I do witb all my heart bless tbe Lord, for
his wonderful workings with me, since he began with me. I think,
when I look on his dealings since that time till now, I must sav,
Tbat I am a brand plucked out of the fire. O that my heart and
soul could praise him, for all that he hath done for me ! And now 1
am content to die a debtor to free grace, and in Christ's .debt. I was
charged with being guilty of rebellion against tbeir prince : I answered
I was not so, for I was there a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and for his
sake : and told them, I adhered to his covenant, and all things in it.
I am not convicted from the word of God of any crime, as to him
whom they call king ; nor any thing worthy of death committed
against any man, either in thought, word, or deed ; so my blood
shall cry, with the rest of the innocent blood shed in the land, for
vengeance from heaven, on the inhabitants of the earth, great or
small, who are in the least accessory thereto, aye and until they
repent. It is not my doing, but tbeir own that hath procured it ; and
God is just to seek after them for the same : neither is it in any
man's power to forgive that, as being a breach of God's holy law,
without repentance, nor then neither ; for the farthest tbey can come,
is, but to declare unto them from God's word, that that and their
other sins, shall never be charged upon them, — if they have truly
received Christ upon his own terms, and ' walked worthy of the
Lord, unto all well-pleasing.' But now, the thing is clear, the ground
whereon they intend to take away my life is, the disowning Charles
Stuart for my king, because he will have no homage upon the account
of the covenant from me, or any other, and God only requires the
performing of vows, and keeping and fulfilling the covenants, Psal. 1.

WILLIAM THOMSON. 359
So, in this case, I cannot serve two masters, and I resolve to obey
God rather than man.
" Now I, here as a dying man, ready to step into eternity, having
health and strength, and being in my right mind, — declare, I adhere to
the Protestant religion, as that which is God's true religion, and tbe
Christian religion. I adhere to the holy rule of the word of God.
the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, containing the will
of God to man, and anent man ; and that the Scriptures are a full
rule of faith and manners to us. I adhere to the work of reforma
tion in Scotland, to the Covenants National and Solemn League, the
solemn Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties, the
Confession of Faith, — in regard it agrees with the foresaid writings ;
the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, as most seasonable, sound, and
according to the Scriptures, and well worth the reading, considering,
and practising what is therein set forth. I say, I adhere to the
Rutherglen Testimony, to the paper commonly called Mr. Donald
Cargill's Covenant, of the date of June, 1680 ; I adhere to' the
original copies of these papers, as they were corrected and revised
by the authors. And likewise, I adhere to every sound paper, tending
to the good of religion ; as, the Directory for Worship and catechis
ing ; and I adhere unto the doctrine, discipline, worship, and govern
ment, of the church of Scotland. I bear my testimony unto all the
lawful wrestlings of the people of God for truth, and iu the defence
and preservation of their civil, natural, and divine rights and privileges,
contained and held forth in the foresaid papers against all eneroachers
thereupon and betrayers thereof; especially by the sword, as a mean
most lawful and commanded of God, to be made use of, in that
quarrel ; — which is to be carried to preachings, and other assemblies of
the Lord's people, and so much the more, as the enemy discharges it,
as the case now stands.
" In the last place, I give my testimony and protestation against
all wrongs and injuries done to God and his people throughout the
whole world this day : and more particularly, against all that hath
been done in Scotland, since the beginning of the work of reforma
tion, unto this day, in prejudice of God's glory, his work and people :
and especially these crying sins : 1st, The corruption of the worship
of God, profanation of his holy things, mocking, disbelieving, and
belying of God, and carrying as if there were no God ; yea, which is
worse, saying he approves of all that they do. O this heaven-
contemning generation ! 2dly, Against the defrauding, mocking,
murdering and oppressing the people of God, in their bodies, con
sciences and estates, and punishing them as evil-doers ; yea, as the
vilest monsters of cruelty, and that only for following their duty ;
and making them to stink as it were above the ground, and
making their names to rot by calumnies and reproaches, and
doing all they can to drive them to sin ; and then blaming tbem as
the main instruments of all the mischievous villanies and abuses in
the land ; — so that it is come to that with it, ' the man that departs
from iniquity, makes himself a prey.' And, scarcely can these who
design honestly get a night's quarters in any house in the land ; so

360 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
that, the people of God are become ' a scorn to their foes, and a fear
to their friends, and especially reproached of those who are their
nearest neighbours,' as the Psalmist complains. 3dly, I leave my
testimony against all that make peace with the stated enemies of
God, these Christ-despisers, these heaven-contemners, and non-such
fighters against God, — whether by bonds, oaths, or promises ; they
being persons worthy of no credit nor trust, who will not keep faith
nor trust upon any account, but where it may contribute to fulfilling
their lusts, and prosecuting their wicked designs and hell-hatched
enterprises. If they were brought to straits, possibly they might
feign themselves ; but, he is unwise that will give them so much
trust as a dog : as Solomon says, ' when he speaks fair, believe him
not, for there are seven abominations in his heart ;' which I have a
proof of in my taking, by a poor wretch who hath sold soul and
conscience to the lust and arbitrement of a faithless apostate wretch
like himself. And, if ye will not be persuaded to leave off seeking
their peace, and covenanting with them by bonds, oaths, and
promises, — well, see what David the king of Israel says, by the Spirit
of God, when he is making his testament, 2 Sam. xxiii. 6, 7. ' But
the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because
they cannot be taken with hands : but the man that shall touch them
must be fenced with iron, and the staff of a spear ; and they shall be
utterly burnt with fire,' But ye that are much more seeking peace
with enemies than with God, think with yourselves to which of them
are ye most beholden, and which of them have done you most good ;
which of them have most power over you ; which of the two hath
the best quarrel by the end ; which of the two is the most precious
and lovely ; and which of the two will be your judge at the last day.
Well, if you have done well in seeking the peace of enemies, with
the loss of the peace of God ; then, rejoice ye in them and with them,
and let them do so with you : and if otherwise, the Lord, no doubt,
will reward you, as the cause requires, — for what ye have done to
God's work, cause, covenant, and people. 4thly, I leave my testi
mony againt all that contribute of their means, for the downbearing
of God's works and people, and upholding his and their enemies,
— seeing it is so expressly against the Covenant, and they in that case
being called to suffer, and not to sin, (to which practice is annexed a
gracious promise ; — ' He that loseth life, lands, goods, or relations,
for Christ's sake, and the gospel's, shall receive an hundred fold in
this life, and in the world to come life everlasting,') — and against all
that otherwise waste and abuse them to God's dishonour, but only
using this world, as not abusing it : for, all within the nation being
dedicated and given away by covenant to God, and this being often
renewed, calls all men to be tender of the oath of God, and see how
they administer their stewardship ; foi to him they must be account
able. But, alas ! for that account, which many of them have to
make. I leave my testimony against the rendering up the power of
the kirk and state into the hands of malignants. I do really think
ihey have been all dreaming, or wilfully or wickedly sinning against
the light of their own consciences. Well, God hath discovered them

WILLIAM CUTHIL. 361
since, in an ugly manner ; and now they sin more and more : they
hold fast deceit, they refuse to let it go, and will not return. It is
the old professors and ministers, I mean, in a special manner ; but
more particularly the ministers : for when the time was to speak, they
held their peace, and slipped from their Master's back, without so
much as testifying against the horrid sins then committed ; and did
never to this day make up the hedge, and build that which they
brake down : and, as I am informed, a great part have been dreadful
compilers with, and conformers to the sinful courses of this aposta
tizing generation ; — yea open persecutors of their more godly and
faithful brethren, ministers and professors ; and now, they are the
greatest opposers of the work, and persecutors of the godly, both
under hand, and to their faces ; and instead of edifying and binding
up the weak, strive to break all they can, especially when they are
among the enemies' hands. In the last place, I bear my testimony to
the cross of Christ, as the only desirable up-making and rich lot of
the people of God this day in Scotland. O it is the portion of
poor things, who desire to seek God, and design honestly in the
land ! I think, they want a good bargain of it that want it ; and I
think they want nothing that have it, and get leave to carry it heart-
somely, and His presence under it. I would advise you all to take
it on ; I dare say thus much for your encouragement, that it is easy
and sweet. There is no better way to carry the cross right than to
cast all our care upon Christ, and trust him for all things, and use
our single endeavours in the matter, and speak what he bids us, and
obey his voice in all things. Now, I declare I hate all ungodliness.
Now, farewell all things, wherein I have been troubled with a wicked
world, and evil heart of misbelief, — a subtile, powerful, and malicious
devil,-*— and tempted witb a company of men, who have shaken off the
fear of God. Now, welcome, Lord Jesus, into thy hand I commit
my spirit. Sic sub  WILLIAM THOMSON."*

XV. WILLIAM CUTHIL.
[William Cuthil was by profession a seaman, and belonged to the
town of Borrowstounness, in Linlithgowshire. He was condemned
like the others, chiefly if not wholly, on his own confession. He
was apprehended, it seems, by some of the Earl of Mar's men,
armed with a dirk and a pair of pistols. This was enough to
create suspicion against him — and having, when examined, stated
it as his opinion, that the king deserved death for breaking the
covenant, and that those who killed the primate, had the fear of
God before their eyes — he was found guilty, condemned, and
executed, with the four preceding witnesses, on the 27th of July,
1681. It may just be added, that the five individuals who were
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 174— 179.

362 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
thus in one day brought to the scaffold, suffered in the order in
which we have here arranged tbeir Testimonies, and that the heads
of the three first were placed on the Netherbow, and those of
Cuthil and Thomson, on the West Port of Edinburgh.]
* " I here, as one ready to step into eternity, and one of the subjects
of a kingdom covenanted to God, and one of Christ's sufferers, enter
my protestation, and give in my testimony against all that hath been
done against Christ's reigning, and the thriving of his kingdom in
Scotland, since tbe beginning of the work of reformation. And
more particularly, against all the several steps of backsliding : as,
" 1st, The admitting Charles Stuart to the exercise of kingly
power, -f- and crowning him, while they knew he carried heart enmity
against the work and people of God, and while in the mean time
there was so much of his treachery made known to the parliament,
by his commissionating James Graham earl of Montrose to burn and
slay the subjects of this kingdom, that would not side with, or would
withstand him in the prosecuting of his wickedness ; which is recorded
in the Causes of Wrath, and the Remonstrances of the gentlemen,
ministers, and commanders attending the forces in the West, in the
year 1650.
" 2diy, Against the unfaithfulness, connivance and compliance of
ministers, and others, at the wickedness perpetrated in the land
during the time of Cromwell's usurpation ; for, as I am informed, few
testified against him, for trampling all the interests of Jesus Christ
under his feet, in giving a toleration to all sectaries (whereof the
abominable and blasphemous quakers are a witness, whose religion
is nothing but refined paganism at the best, yea, I think it is much
worse) which was to set up their thresholds beside Christ's, and their
altars beside the Lord's, in a land covenanted to God, never to suffer
the like, and lying under the same bonds.
" 3dly, Against the Public Resolutions, for the bringing in
malignants to the places of power and trust ; which have been the
rod in God's hand above the heads and upon the backs of God's
people, ever since they lusted after them ; and now, 1 suppose, they
are convinced (at least some of them) that God hath given them on
the finger-ends for it : but we have not seen them confessing before
God and his people, in public, (for it should be as public as the sin
* This Testimony having a large preamble, wherein he gives his private
opinion concerning some things then in debate, which do not relate to the
causes of his suffering, and which are of no use now — these vain janglings
and unprofitable strifes of words being ceased, — and his opinion about them
not being a testimony for the truth, nor espoused by any of the godly as a head
of suffering or contending for ; the encouragers of this work have thought fit
chat the preamble be past by, and the testimony itself only published.  Cloud
of W tncsses.
+ This ought not to be understood of the manner of his coronation, which
is owned by all Presbyterians to have been most consonant to God's word, and
the national constitution of Scotland, but of his disposition and practice, which
was too evidently contradictory to the sacred engagements he came under. 
Ctt/ud of Witnesses.

WILLIAM CUTHIL. 363
was) that ' they have added this sin to all their other sins, in asking
them a king, whereas the Lord was their King.'
" 4thly, I bear my testimony against that unparalleled practice of
ministers, in quitting their charges ; and that, which doth more
aggravate their guilt, at his command, who had no power to act, nor
right to be obeyed, neither in that, nor yet in civil things ; for then
he had unkinged himself; and their going away without almost ever
a testimony who should have been tbe main men that should have
told the people what to do. Oh and alas, for that practice ! Yet
tbey were put away without being convicted of any crime done against
him ; but is it not against presbyterian principles, that a king should
depose ministers of the gospel, tho' he had a just right, all that time,
to rule the civil state ? For it was without controversy that he had
imprisoned some of Christ's ministers, without being ever summoned,
or treated by any legal procedure, (as Naphtali records,) and usurped
the ecclesiastic officers' seat to depose the rest of them.
"' 5thly, I hold it as one of the causes of God's wrath against the
land, and one of the causes of God's breaking and scattering that
poor handful of men at Pentland, that renewed the covenant at
Lanark, and did not keep his interest out of it ; for it only binds
us to its maintainers, not to its destroyers.
" 6thly, I bear testimony against the procedure of the ministers,
when tbey came to the fields again after Pentland, because they did
not first begin with public and private fasts, and make up the hedge
and gap for the church of God in Scotland : and then only preaching
to cases of conscience, and not catechising the people, nor informing
them in the duty of the day ; but did let them pay curates' stipends,
and other revenues of that nature. But I think, they were engaged
to God under the pain of losing soul and body, in the day of God's
fearful judgment, to tell the people to chase them out of tbe land.
Seeing prelacy was abjured and cast out like an abominable branch,
as it was, — were they not worthy to die the death, that would, against
so much light, defile God's land with that abjured abomination ? But
forsooth, to this day, they must be fed like birds in a cage upon the
fattest in the land, and the spoils of Christ's crown.
" 7thly, I bear my testimony against that course carried on by the
ministers ; their conniving at, countenancing of, and complying witb
these indulged, that have quit Christ, and taken on with another
master. O the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously !
Yea, they were open persecutors of the really godly, thereafter for
their faithfulness, and were about to stop their mouth, and to make
that indulgence the door, by which all the ministers were to enter into
their ministry.
" 8thly, I bear my testimony against their treachery at Bothwell-
bridge, in stopping the drawing up of the Causes of God's Wrath, and
keeping a fast day, and changing their declaration ; and in hindering
the purging of the army : and to mend all, they raised the ugliest
clamour and report among them that minded and spoke honestly and
truly, that could be.
" 9thly, I bear my testimony, against their treachery at Edinburgh

364 # TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
when a proclamation came out to the view of the world, blaspheming
God's true religion, and declaring that all that belonged to God was
due to Charles Stuart, which is the plain sense of the act ; and they
sat in an assembly, and voted for a liberty coming from him to
preach by ; though the very same day that that was proclaimed, two of
their more worthy and faithful brethren were murdered ! ! I think
this people are grown like brute beasts. O how much pomp and
jovialty was that day, in rejoicing over tbe ruins of tbe work of God
and his people, yea, over himself ! There was first a scaffold made
on the east side of the cross, and a green table set down on it, and
two green forms ; and then the cross was covered ; and about twelve
hours of the day, tbe pursuivants, and lyon-heralds, and lyon king at
arms, and eight trumpeters went up to the cross, and fourteen men
on the foresaid scaffold, seven of them with red gowns of velvet,
and seven with black, and then that act was read, and at night the
bells were ringing, and bonfires burning. O I think it was a wonder,
that God made not all the town where such wickedness was acted
against and in despite of him, to sink to the lowest hell.
" lOthly, I leave my testimony against tbem, for running away and
leaving God's flock after Bothwell-bridge, when they had drawn
them to the fields : the Lord be judge this day between them and
his flock, and let their sentence come out from before his presence,
and let his eyes behold those things that are equal. O their skirts
are full of the blood of souls ! They say, the people hath left them,
but it is more evident than that it can be gainsayed, that they have
left the people. Does not the Scripture say, that they who are in
the watchmen's place, should warn the people when they see the
sword come ; and have not the ministers of Scotland had the first
hand in all these courses of backsliding ? Should they be pure with
unclean hands, and the unjust balance (so to say) and the bag of
deceitful weights ? Well, their sins are known to be no more sins of
weakness, but sins of wickedness !
" llthly, I bear my testimony against them, because they did not
join with their brethren in the work of the day, in preaching to the
people in the fields, with Mr. Richard Cameron and Mr. Donald
Cargill. And will ye tell me, although there were never one to
open their mouth in that thing, does not the work of the one confound
them to silence, and the work of the other juBtify and plead for
them ? But there is one thing, I have learned from the practice of all
this people, and God's dealing witb them. They have sought their
own, and one another's credit, more than God's, and he hath
discovered their wickedness in their ugliness.
12thly, I bear my testimony against their obstinacy, in refusing to
return and amend their manners. They hold fast wickedness, and
refuse to let it go, and that against the light of God's word, their
own consciences, their vows and engagements to God, the cries of
bloodshed, the cries of wrong done to God and bis work, and against
these their former preachings and practices : that they will not come
out and rid the ground, so to speak, and seek out the causes of God's
wrath and set days of humiliation apart, and see that they be kept,

WILLIAM CUTHIL. 365
and renew their engagements, and carry themselves like ministers 0f
Jesus Christ afterward. Is this erroneous ? Is not this according to
presbyterian principles? Does not the confession of our faith, say, that
those who offend the church, and their brethren, shall make their
repentance as public as their offences have been ? Is not this the
plain meaning of tbat article, yea the very words almost, of the
Confession of Faith, chap. Xv. art. last ? without which thing be done,
(if any would take my counsel, who am looking to receive the
sentence of death every hour) I would say, meddle not with them,
for they have not only sinned against the church of God and their
brethren, and their own souls, but against God : and have they not
been light and treacherous ? — whereof many instances may be given.
Have they not polluted the sanctuary ? Have they not done violence
to the law ? Have they not been unfaithful ? Are they not walking
very openly amongst God's stated enemies, while the people of God
dare not be seen ? I fear, if they make not haste to come off these
courses, that God's wrath shall overtake them, ere 'it be long. And
lastly, I bear my testimony against them, for their untenderness to
weak consciences, and making use of their gifts and parts to wrest
the word of God, to put out that light which God has given poor
things; of which I among others, have a proof; for one of them
came into the prison and told me, that he had been dealing with
him, who had been pursuing us to death, (the king's advocate) that
he would not take innocent blood upon him ; and out of love and
tenderness to our souls, be came to pay us a visit ; and said, he was
neither a curate nor an indulged man, but a minister of the gospel :
so he said, that we would be well advised what we were doing, foi
the advocate had said, we were shortly to be before the criminal
court. And I asked, what he advised us to do ? and began to tell
him the ground whereupon we were accused, which was this, that
Charles Stuart, having broken and burnt God's covenant, and com
pelled all that he could by his forces to do the like, and slain many
upon that account, I upon this head, declined his authority; and
being hard questioned, confessed, that I thought it lawful to kill him ;
but I did not say by whose hands : and he said, that all that would not
free me from being his subject, and instanced Zedekiah 's case to
prove it : but I was not in case to speak to him, (being confused
with a distracted man who was in with us,) — only I told him, there
was as great a difference betwixt that of Zedekiah, and this in hand,
as east was from the west, and he called us Jannes and Jambres who
withstood the truth, when we would not hear him ; and said, there
was no such thing as any condition holden out in the form and order
of the coronation, that did free us from allegiance to Charles Stuart
upon that account. But what ! do they think, that every one can
reason and debate with them, or else that they are not Christians,
but gainstanders of the truth ! Hatli not God given to every man
his measure of light and grace both ? If they know not this, and
walk not accordingly, they were never worthy to be ministers of the
gospel. He said, that he would send me any of the ministers whom
I pleased to call for ; I said, that I heard tell Mr. Donald Cargill was

366 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
taken, would he send him to me, and I would take it as a great
kindness of his hand; but he said, that he had taken a way by
himself. But what shall I say ! my heart is like to sink, when I think
on them, and the case of the land ! O I think, it is a desperate like
case ! only, I know God can, and I hope he will cure it.
" Next, I bear my testimony against all that pay cess and locality
to uphold Christ's enemies, the bloody soldiers, or any of that cursed
crew ; yea, against all that give them meat or drink, when they come
to their houses, it being so expressly against Christ and the covenant ;
and against all that pay customs or duties, belonging to the crown of
Scotland, unto Charles Stuart, his officers, collectors, or tacksmen ;
seeing all that is employed against Christ, and against all that shall
do it, till they wit well that it be otherwise employed ; and against
all bonders witb them, or to him, or any in his name, or delegated
by him, or clothed with his authority; seeing they are persons
worthy of no credit; whereof I have a proof in my taking. Ye
would do well to believe the wise man, Solomon, who says, ' when
he speaks fair, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in
his heart.'
" Next, I leave my testimony against all that side witb, or
strengthen the hands of the adversaries of the Lord, in less or more,
against clear conviction from the word of God, or sound reason ;
and particularly against this duke — that bold and truculent papist,
who hath defiled tbe Lord's land with his altars and images. And I
protest against this ensuing parliament, for putting power in his
hand to do what he pleaseth ; for, by the word of God, and the laws
of the land, he should die the death. And also, I bear testimony
against those who have sided with, or strengthened the foresaid
enemy, and will not come off again. O if they will not help the
people of God, that they would let them alone, and not help their
adversaries !
" Next, I leave my testimony against the gentry and commonalty,
for letting so much innocent blood be shed, some of which ranks,
I think God hath a turn to put into their hands yet, if they would
espouse his quarrel, and turn to him with all their hearts, and not
suffer the work to go as it does; but indeed they must keep
company with God's stated enemies, and learn the court fashion. I
will tell you one thing, ye have lost the manners of the court of
heaven, by learning the manners of the courts of men. O what
think ye to do ? Or how think ye to be accountable to God ? Will
ye but speak your minds ; who, think ye, hath the best end of tho
controversy ? Will ye let the fear of men and the devil prevail with
you more than the fear of God ? Or what think ye this duke would
do to you, when lie sees his opportunity? Will ye trust bloody
papists ? It may be, ye may be put to suffer on worse accounts yet,
if ye will not own God and his people ; but tbere are but very few
of you now, who are aught but mockers. Will ye turn to the Lord
with all your hearts ? Is it any shame to you to take shame to your
selves, in glorifying God, by confessing your sins, and turning from
them ? But will you tell me now, who think ye can be at one with

WILLIAM CUTHIL. 367
you, while ye are standing out against God ? Will ye read but the
first chapter of Isaiah, and consider it, and the first two chapters of
Jeremiah, the second of Joel, the prophecy of Haggai, Isa. xxii.
Ezek. vii. ? O consider ! and if not, the Lord and you take it between
you. Read and consider, Psal. 1. 5.
" Now, what shall I say to you, who bwn and adhere to God's
cause, against all the enemies ? O that I could let you see the inside
of my heart! Will ye learn Christianity? — seek the Lord, and get him
on your side. I think, it is a good token of a sanctified heart, that
longs more to be in God's company, than other folks, that sees the
worst of evil lies in committing sin. Beware of heart risings and
grudgings one against another ; know, that there is a great difference
between sins of weakness, and sins of wickedness ; ye may not mark
every failing, for if ye do, ye shall not have two to stay together in
Scotland. O but there is much need of the gospel, and these minis
ters will not come out and contend for Christ ! — without which, though
I were at liberty, God knows, I durst not meddle with them, and I
would rather keep a-back from them than other folk ; for I think, there
are many of them either unconcerned, or then, dreadfully misled ; for
how can it be otherwise, not bearing with tender consciences ? — for they
will rather strive to break folk than build them up ; but how can any
that has love to Christ look on them witb good will ; I do verily think,
if ever they turn again, the world shall hear tell of it. It is beyond
all controversy, that they have quit their first works, and their first
love. O will ye learn to be sober and grave. Cleave to your
covenants and engagements : I say, mind your engagements ; look what
becomes of covenant-breakers ! I would say unto you, Take no
courses by the end, till God give you clearness ; but indeed, I know,
that God will reprove many in this generation, because they put away
light from them. Now ye are deprived of all cleanly preaching ; but
will ye observe Christ's answer to the spouse in the Song, when she
says, ' Where makest thou thy flocks to rest at noon ?' He says, ' If
thou knowest not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by
the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds
tents:' beware of 'tuning aside after the flocks of his companions.'
Beware of these ministers of Charles Stuart, these indulged and these
prelatic, these mockers of God, and contemners of the godly, these
Christ deserters, these undervaluers of heaven, these scandalous and
insignificant timeservers, whom God hath blasted, to the conviction
of all the generation that see any thing ; these monsters of men, the
disgrace of the ministry, the just contempt of the generation I God
hath sometimes had a church without a ministry, but he never had
a ministry without a church. Doth not the scripture say, ' That for
many days Israel shall be without a priest, without a teraphim,' &c.
Do we not see in the Revelation, ' The two witnesses slain, and lying
three days and an half !' But O cry to God, ' That he would send
forth labourers to his vineyard ;' for ' verily the harvest is great, but
the labourers are few.' If there be a casting at tbe gospel on the
people's side, then I think they shall be in extreme hazard of losing
their soul, if God's mercy prevent it not : for then they refuse to be

368 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
guided by God : but if * when the hireling sees the wolf come, he run
away, and leave the sheep, because he is an hireling,' then I think the
mercy of God is engaged for the sheep, because ' they have no
shepherd.' It is not tbe first time that Israel has been ' scattered as
sheep having no shepherd,' but it is as sure as the sun shines, none
can keep himself nor guide himself: ' it is not in him that walketh,
to direct bis steps.' And God hath ' sown a joyful light to tbe
upright ;' and he has said, ' him that sitteth in darkness, and hath no
light, let him trust in the Lord, and stay himself upon his God.' But
could the spouse rest in Jerusalem, and her husband not to be found ?
It is beyond debate, that she made all the fields ado before she wanted
him. Can the spouse see another wear her husband's clothes, and be
well satisfied ? yea, one that has robbed, spoiled, and shut him to tbe
doors, with disgrace, contempt and shame, and as one unworthy to
manage the affairs of his own house ; and has defied him to take any
thing back again, and has set up legs and arms, heads and hands, and
quarters of the children, as trophies of victory, over the goodman of
the house, and has triumphed with spite and contempt, and is only
seeking it of the poor widow, the wife and the bairns to be quiet, and
accept of him for a husband and father : so I say, shall the wife and
children of such a Husband and Father be peaceable to see this ? I
trow, there are few earthly folk would do so : but O ! who can show
the difference here, as to searching out it cannot be. The Lord keep
you from dwelling at ease, under one roof, witb such an one ! Beware
of making any treaty of peace with such a robber and murderer as
this ; beware of feeding these his soldiers, or giving them quarters,
when they come to your houses. O but tbe kings of Assyria knew
well enough, that ' the kings of Israel were merciful kings !' If ye
will not use the sword at God's bidding, God will put it (as he hath)
into the hands of his and your enemies, to use it against you. Indeed
I think, ' till Saul's sons be hanged up before the Lord, the plague of
famine shall not be stayed from Israel.'
" Now in the next place, I witness by this testimony, my adherence
to the Scriptures of truth, the Holy Bible, the Old and New Testa
ment, which has been made sweet to me. The fault is not in them
that we understand them not, but in us ; and this we have as our old
father Adam's heirship. I witness my adherence to the Covenants, —
National and Solemn League, — Confession of Faith ; only there is in
it something concerning the magistrate's calling a synod of ministers,
by virtue of his magistratical power, which ought to be cautiously
understood, according to the general assembly's explication. I adhere
to the Catechisms Larger and Shorter, Psalms in metre, Directory for
worship, Form of Church-govemment, the doctrine of the church of
Scotland, as it is held out in the word of God, and laid down in the
foresaid papers. I adhere to all the faithful testimonies for truth in
Scotland of one sort and another, and particularly these three, — the
papers found at the Queensferry of date the 3d of June, — the
Sanquhar Declaration, — the Rutherglen Testimony, and every other
paper tending to the good of religion, — particularly the Causes of Wrath;
and I request all to read and consider them. I leave my testimony

ROBERT GARNOCK. 369
against them that say, That I am a self-murderer, .because I spake
that which God gave me to speak, before his adversaries : and I think
that it is my great mercy, that he hath helped me to be free before
them in matters of truth, relating to the disowning of them, and
utanding to our God's and our own rights. This paper I leave as my
testimony, and formed and deliberate thoughts ; and request all to
bear with faults of weakness, especially when the sword of the adver
sary is above a man's head. Now, farewell world, and all things in it
Welcome Lord Jesus Christ, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
Sic sub.— WILLIAM CUTHIL." *

XVI. ROBERT GARNOCK.
[This man was born in Stirling, of decent and pious parents ; and
being educated in the principles of the Church of Scotland, fre
quently attended on the ministrations of its outed ministers. He
thus became an object of suspicion to the supporters of prelacy, and
being apprehended (though no charge could be brought against him)
was with difficulty liberated by the interference of a friend. He
still, however, persevered in his nonconformity, which he evinced
by refusing to pay cess and by attending on conventicles, and
having been present at one which was dispersed by the military, in
the neighbourhood of Fintry, on the 18th of May, 1679, he was
taken while returning to Stirling tbat night. He was, soon after
sent to Edinburgh with some others, and confined with the prison
ers taken at Bothwell ; and having steadily refused the bond, he was
at length taken out of the Church-yard and put into the iron house
of the tolbooth. There, he was kept till October 1st, 1681, when
he was, for the second time, brought before the council ; and having
disowned their authority, and that of the king and his government,
he was indicted with five others to stand trial on the 7th, and not
withstanding their solemn protestation to the contrary, they were
brought in guilty, sentenced, and with one exception, executed on
the 10th of that month. Here follows his Testimony.]
" Men and brethren, — I, having received a sentence of death from
men, for adhering to the truth, against Popery, Prelacy, Erastian
ism and Indulgences first and last, and all that was contrary to sound
doctrine — am now to leave a line behind me, as the Lord will help
me to write, and to tell you, That however this generation may con
demn me, as having a hand in my own death, I declare that it is not
so ; for I die a Presbyterian in my judgment. For I considering, how
solemnly Scotland was bound to defend truth against all encroach
ments made thereon, with their lives and liberties, and how they of
this nation had so easily broken their vows and engagements ; and
then seeing through the scriptures, how deep covenant-breaking draws,
• Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 179 — 180.
3 a

370 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
and what a great and heinous sin this is in the sight of God, — could
do no less than give in my protestation against all their proceedings, in
their hell-hatched acts, that were so contrary to the word of God, and
our sworn covenants ; and it is for that, that I am come in your
presence this day, to lay down this life of mine ; for which I bless the
Lord that ever he honoured the like of me with a gibbet and a bloody
winding-sheet, for his noble, honourable and sweet cause. O will
ye love him, Sirs ! O he is well worth the loving, and quitting all
for ! O for many lives to seal the sweet cause with I If I had as
many lives as there are hairs in my head, I would think them all too
little to be martyrs for truth. I bless the Lord, I do not suffer
unwillingly, nor by constraint, but heartily and cheerfully. O but the
Lord hath taken great pains on me, to train me up for this great
work ! I bless his holy name, that ever he counted me worthy of
such honour ; his love hath been to me beyond many. I have been
a long time a prisoner, and have been altered of my prison : I was
among, and in the company of the most part who suffered since
Bothwell ; and was in company with many ensnaring persons, tho'
I do not question but they were godly folk ; and yet the Lord kept
me from hearkening to their counsel. Glory, glory be to his holy
and sweet name. 0 but it is many a time a wonder, how I have
done such and such things ! but it is he that hath done it : he hath
done all things well, both in me and for me ; holy is his name ! O
if I could get my royal King Jesus cried up, and all the world down !
O will you fall in love with Christ ! friends, — what ails you at him,
and his sweet cause ? I can assure you, he is no hard master to serve.
O he is lovely ! ' He is white and ruddy, the chief among ten
thousands.' I desire none of you to think, I suffer ' as an evil-doer,
or as a busybody in other men's -matters ;' or, that it is out of blind
zeal, that I am come here this day : no, for it was after serious
consideration that I did it, and after great weights and pressures. It
was great grief of soul to me, to see my Master's truth so wronged,
trampled on and abused by a God-daring generation, and none to
speak for him. And now my Lord is highly honouring me for that ;
glory to his great name for it ; — for, he hath honoured me, and my
neighbours with irons, and the thieves-hole, which were sweet and
refreshful to us ; and then honoured us wonderfully to go in before
these bloody men, and get our sentences.
" Our interrogations are known ; — I have not time to write them.
But I disowned them, for disowning the Covenant, and adhered to
my protestation given in against them : and now am I come to the
Gallowlee, to lay down my life, and to have my head cut off, and
put upon a port ! It is known, how barbarously I have been used by
them, and how honourably such a silly wretch as I am, hath been
carried thro' : glory be to His sweet name for it. Indeed, it was the
bargain betwixt Christ and my soul long since, that thro' his strength
I should be for him, and at his bidding, whatever piece of work he
put into my hand ; and he promised, ' that his grace should be sufficient
for me ;' and ' that bis strength should be seen in my weakness ;' and
that go whither I would, he would go with me, — ' thro' fire and

ROBERT GARNOCK. 371
water,' — the flames would not scorch me, nor the ' waters overflow
me.' O take him, Sirs I for ' he is faithful who hath promised,' and
he will perform. Now, as a dying martyr for Christ, I would leave
it on all of you to make haste, and prepare for strokes, for they are
at hand ; and do not think, that they will not come, because they
are delayed. No, He will come, and that ' as a thief in the night,'
and will surprise many of you, if not all : ' watch and pray, that ye
enter not into temptation.' I would not have you secure, but take
warning in time, before his wrath break forth. He hath waited long
on Scotland's repentance ; it is like, he will not bear much longer.
Do not sleep, as do others, hut rise, make haste, ' get on the whole
armour of God, that ye may be able to stand.' It is dangerous now
to be out of God's gate ; it is not good siding with God's enemies :
it will be dangerous to be found in their camp. I would not be in
their stead for all the gold of Ophir, who have saved their lives with
prejudice to the work and people of God. I would have them take
warning. They say, they have done nothing, but what was lawful
and right; but they commit transgression, and (with the whore)
wipe their mouth, and say, ' they have done no evil.' Indeed they
may put off men so, but they will not get God and their own
consciences put off. They need never go about the bush, for I see
not how any that are faithful, being once brought before them, can
win honestly off; for if ye will but say, ye disown their authority,
then your life must go. For they had as little to lay to my charge
as to any, yet I could not win off with a good conscience, but to the
gallows I must go ; and glory to His great name, who hath honoured
me ; or that ever he gave me a head to be set on a port, for his sweet
name and cause. Now, as for what I own or disown, I being
straitened by reason of the want of time, cannot get it set down
here ; and another thing I see, that martyrs' testimonies are of no
value, and very lightly esteemed.
" I give my testimony to the holy and sweet Scriptures, Covenants,
Confession of Faith, which are according to the Scripture, Catechisms
Larger and Shorter, the Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement
to Duties, and to all that our worthies have done, in defence of the
gospel, at Pentland, Loudon-hill, Bothwell-bridge, and Airs-moss ;
to Rutherglen Testimony, and Sanquhar Declaration, Ferry Papers,
and Torwood Excommunication, the Fife Testimony, D  ie,
K  le, and P  s Protestations, and all that hath been done in
defence of the gospel, wherever it hath been done. And I, as a
dying martyr for the truth, give my testimony against all the
encroachments on our Lord's rights, in less or more, — as Popery,
Prelacy, Erastianism, and Indulgences first and last, and all that side
with them. And I, as a dying witness for Christ, desire friends to the
cause of Christ, to beware of them ; ' For, if it were possible, they
would deceive the very elect. They will neither enter the kingdom
of heaven themselves, nor will they suffer others to go in thereat.'
Beware of their fair speeches, for they and the devil thought to have
made me break with my lovely Lord Jesus Christ, tbat noble bargain
betwixt bim and my soul. O ! but the professors of this generation

872 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
are evil and bitter against the sweet way of the Lord, and his poor
people. " Next, I give my testimony against all the enemies of God, and
all that join with them, in paying cessj locality, militia-money, or
whatever is for the strengthening of their hands. And now, I leave
it again on you, that ye would not brand me with having a hand in
my own death ; for I could not ¦ get my life saved, unless I had
taken upon me all the blood of the people of God, and owned that
as lawful authority which had taken away my dear brethren's lives ;
and said, that it was just and right what they had done. And
indeed, they seek no more of any, if they will but own them in
what they do. They think, they are right enough in taking away
our lives, when they who are called presbyterians own them, and
their tyranny, to be authority. And now, when I am to go away, I
would have you to lay to heart how deeply, owning of them draws,
and how much of the wrath of God ye draw on you, in so doing.
O Sirs I I would have you beware, and look what a weighty business
it is ; and ' obey God rather than man.' I blesB the Lord, I am this
day to step out of time into eternity ; and I am no more troubled
than if I were to take a marriage in the earth, and not so much. I
bless the Lord, I have much peace of conscience in what I have
done. O ! but I think it a very weighty business for me to be
within twelve hours of eternity, and not troubled ! Indeed the Lord
is kind, and hath trained me up for this day, and new I can want
him no longer. I will get my fill of love this night ; for ' I will be
with him in paradise, and get a new song put in my mouth, the song
of Moses and of the Lamb ;' I will be in amongst ' the general
assembly of the first-born,' and enjoy the sweet presence of God and
his Son Jesus Christ, and ' the spirits of just men made perfect :' I
am sure of it !
" O dear friends, I would, as one going to eternity, obtest you, that
you make good earnest in religion, and be restless until you get a
clearness of an interest in Christ ; for it is a dangerous time to live
in the dark. I would have you consider what a weighty business it
iB, to deny the Lord of glory before men. There has strange things
of this nature fallen out, in this our day. O I look to yourselves, I
would entreat you, to be for God, and he will be for you ; confess
him, and he will confess you. As good soldiers, endure hardness ;
wax valiant in suffering. Resist unto blood, for it is the cause of
God, that is at stake. O ! there are none of you lamenting after
God ; ah ! is there none of you that hath love to the Lord, and will
take part with him, against all his enemies ? O ! but it be sad to see
you with such whole hearts, and so little grief among you, for the
robbery that the Lord of glory is getting. I declare, my suffering is
nothing; but, when I see you who are professors, what an unconcerned
people ye are, it makes my soul bleed to see you in such a frame,
when the church is in such a condition. I wish the Lord may help
poor young ones* that are brought up under you with the want of the
gospel. O for the gospel back again to Scotland 1 Oh for one
faithful minister in all the land ! O but the harvest be great, and

ROBERT GARNOCK. 378
the labourers few! As for fliy part, now when I am going into
eternity, I declare, I see not, nor hear of a minister in all Scotland,
who is at the duty the Lord calls for, at ministers' hands, in preaching
against all sorts of sin : ' in season, and out of season, rebuking,
reproving, and exhorting.' As for my part, I cannot join with them
who are not so.
" Now, my Lord is bringing me to conformity with himself, and
honouring me after my worthy pastor, Mr. James Guthrie ; although
I knew nothing when he was alive ; yet the Lord hath honoured me
to protest against popery, and to seal it with my blood ; and be
honoured him to protest against prelacy, and to seal it with his
blood. The Lord hath kept me in prison to this day for that end.
His head is on one port of Edinburgh, and mine must go on another.
Glory, glory to the Lord's holy and sweet name, for what he hath
done for me. O set days apart, and bless his holy and never-enough-
exalted name, for what he hath done for me. O Sirs I his cross hath
been all paved over with love all along, and it is sweeter now than
ever. O will ye be persuaded to fall in love with the cross of royal
Jesus I O take him. Will ye be entreated to come and taste of his
love I O sweet lot this day, for me to go to a gibbet for Christ and
his cause ! I think the thoughts of this do ravish my heart and soul,
and make me to fall out in wondering, that I am within so few hours
of that endless joy, that paradise, among these flowers and trees,
that are on each side of that ' pure river, clear as crystal,' where the
trefi is, that ' bears twelve manner of fruits, and the leaves of the
tree are for the healing of the nations.' O that I could leave this
weight upon you ; yea, with as great weight as it lies on my spirits,
to see how few of you are travelling to that land. O be much above,
aud be here as strangers ; I mean, in respect of conformity to this
world, though hated of it, and studying to live the life that our Lord
hath commanded in his word : and ' suffer affliction with the people
of God, rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.' Now,
I bless the Lord, I am not as many suspect me, thinking to win
heaven by my suffering ; No, no : I know there is no winning of it,
but through the precious blood of the Son of God. Now, ye who
are the true seekers -of God, and so the butt of the world's malice,
O be diligent, and run fast ; time is precious : O make use of it, and
act for God, contend for the truth, stand for God against all his
enemies. Fear not the wrath of men. Love one another. Wrestle
with God, mutually, in societies. ' Confess your faults one to
another ;' pray with one another ; ' Reprove, rebuke, exhort one
another in love.' Slight no commanded duty ; be faithful in your
stations, as ye will be answerable in the great day 1
" Now, having no more time, I bid farewell to you all. Farewell
holy and sweet Scriptures, wherewith I have been refreshed many a
day. I would have you read much of them, and pray over them to
the Lord, that ye may get his blessing with, and the right use of
them. O ! make use of your Bibles, my dear friends, so long as
you have them. Seek not counsel from men. Follow none further
than they bold by truth. Now, I request you have a care ; this

374 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
land is like to come under great errors. Now, farewell sweet
reproaches for my lovely Lord Jesus, tho' once they were not joyous,
but grievous, yet now they are sweet ; I bless the Lord for it. I
heartily forgive all men, for any thing they have said of me : I pray,
that it may not be laid to their charge in the day of accounts. As
for what they have done to God and his cause, I leave that to God
and their own consciences. Farewell all Christian acquaintances
and relations, father and mother, brethren and sisters ; farewell sweet
prison for my royal Lord Jesus Christ ; it is now at an end : fare
well all crosses of one sort and another ; and so farewell every thing
in time, reading, praying, and believing. Welcome eternal life, and
the spirits of just men made perfect ; welcome Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, into thy hands I commit my spirit !
Sic sub.— ROBERT GARNOCK. *

XVII. PATRICK FORMAN.
[Of the history and character of this individual, we have no par
ticular account. He seems to have belonged to the parish and
town of Alloa, but bow or upon what occasion he was appre
hended, we have no means of knowing. He was on the 1st of
October, along with Garnock and other four, sisted before the
council ; where he confessed that a knife had been found upon him
1 with this inscription, " For cutting tyrants' throats ;" and being
asked, if it was, — to kill tbe king, he answered, " if the king be a
tyrant why not cut his throat ?" He then proceeded to disown the
government, and having adhered to these sentiments before the
justiciary, he was forthwith condemned and sentenced along with
the rest, to be executed on the 10th of October, 1681. There
was this additional cruelty exercised against him, that his right
hand was ordered to be struck off before execution. His testimony
is as follows.]
" I thought it fit, being sentenced to die within three days, to
write this testimony, to show you, that I die not as a fool ; and I
declare I am in my right mind, and not prodigal of my life, as some
allege, but I love Hfe as well as any, and would do as much to save
it ; but when my life comes in competition with the truths of Jesus
Christ, I dare not buy it with the denial of the smallest truths (if
any may be called small) but know, that the least of the truths are
of greater moment than the whole world, and the inhabitants thereof.
Now, therefore, do not asperse me when I am gone, with not being
a presbyterian ; for tho' in great weakness, 1 am a presbyterian, both
in profession and practice, tho' my failings be many.
" 1st, I believe there is but one God, Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost; one Redeemer, one way of salvation, — and that it is through
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 189 — 196.

PATRICK FORMAN. 375
Jesus Christ, according to that word, John xxiv. 6. ' Jesus saith
unto them, I am the way, the truth and the life ; no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me.' And likewise, I leave my testimony to
the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments ; and my soul
desires to bless the Lord, that ever they were in our mother tongue.
My soul hath been refreshed in conversing with them, when the
Spirit of the Lord has backed them ; but I knew likewise, tbey are
but a killing letter without the Spirit : yet this I would advise you,
as a dying martyr for Christ, to search the Scriptures, aud seek the
Lord's mind in them ; for there are none noble, but those who search
the Scriptures ; and O that I could recommend them to you, as they
have been sweet and refreshful to me ; yea, they are as a garden of
sweet-smelling flowers ; in them are cures for all diseases, and
remedies for all distempers ; yea, they commend themselves, they
need none of my commendation. Make good use of them, while ye
have them ; for if idolaters get their will, they will, not be long
amongst you ; I pray the Lord may prevent it.
" 2dly, I leave my testimony to tbe Confession of Faith, Larger
and Shorter Catechisms, the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins, and
Engagement to Duties. I bear my testimony to the National
Covenant, and Solemn League and Covenant. Likewise, 1 adhere to
all the faithful testimonies that have been given for the truth, since
the year 1638 ; especially that Sanquhar Declaration, and Rutherglen
Testimony, and the papers found on Henry Hall at the Queensferry,
called the New Covenant ; and to the lawfulness of Torwood
excommunication, and all the testimonies of the martyrs, who are
gone before me, according to truth, both in fields, on scaffolds, and in
the seas ; and likewise I leave my testimony to that poor persecuted
remnant that are yet left as berries on the tops of the utmost
branches, — wandering about, — being desolate, afflicted and tormented,
— groaning under the sad yoke of tyranny. O Lord, deliver them in
thy own way and time ; and encourage them now when there is no
encouragement from men, and their eyes cannot behold their teachers.
And now, my friends, I tell you, being within few hours to step out
of time into eternity, that ye beware of casting aspersions on any of
the Lord's people, for owning their duty, which is — avowing and
declaring Jesus Christ to be King in Zion, head of his people, and
only Lord of your consciences ; and declining all powers which are
contrary to and inconsistent with our Lord's kingly power. And
now I declare, I own magistracy, as it is an ordinance of God ; and
offered my willing subjection unto them ; but when the magistrate
becomes a tyrant by overturning the whole law of God, and the just
laws of the nation, he or they being once covenanted to the contrary,
then, I think it my duty, as I am bound by the Scripture, and our
Covenants, and my own conscience, — to show, in my station, — my dis
like of the wrongs my lovely Lord and Master is getting ; for, as the
Scripture declares, ' there are no powers but of God, and the powers
that be, are ordained of God.' Then consequently, that power cannot
be of God, that murders the people of God ; otherwise ye must say,
that the Lord is the author of evil, which were horrid blasphemy.

376 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
Now therefore, my dear friends, suppose that they will take away
our lives, under the name of treason and rebellion, (as they have
done to our brethren these twenty years) yet it is not so, but for
religion and loyalty to our Lord and Master, and to every ordinance
of man, — as it is consistent with tbe law of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, as ye would be answerable at the day of our appearance,
when we shall stand naked and bare before the Judge of all the
earth, speak not against us, lest ye be reckoned amongst the fighters
against Jesus Christ ; for I declare, I have owned nothing, but that
which is the duty of the whole nation, as well as mine. And I
doubt not but the Lord will reckon with this generation, ere it be
long, for maintaining tbat throne of iniquity these twenty years.
" And now, I declare, as a dying man, that it is but justice that is
come upon this poor nation ; for when the Lord set them free from
that yoke of bondage they were lying under, by that old tyrant
Charles I. — wbo designed to cut off the Lord's people, (which he put
in practice, in murdering the Lord's people in Ireland, by the hands
of the bloody papists, and thought to have done so to England and
Scotland, but the Lord prevented him, and put a stop to his tyranny,
by Buffering men to take away his life, and causing his family to be
banished) — -and brake the yoke off our neck, and became our Lord,
King and head ; — we soon wearied of the Lord, and cast him off,
and said, ' we will have a king to rule over us, like the nations ;' and
ye may judge, whether he has reigned Saul-like or not ? And I
doubt not but he shall be taken away in wrath, because he was given
in the Lord's anger ; and tho' his time has been a groaning time, yet
his end shall be terrible, and the people shall find the smart of it, as
the children of Israel did, when they fell at Gilboa. Friends, look
for sad days, when we are gone ! 0 therefore, I entreat you, as ye
would tender the glory of God, and desire the salvation of your own
souls, — mourn for the wrongs ye have done to the glory of God, in
your owning of that tyrant, who is the malignant's head and god.
And now, I am sure, ye are left without excuse, if ye will not cast
him off; and they who will say, he hath power over civil matters,
must say, God is unjust, and he is the author of evil, which were
horrid blasphemy.
" The matter of my condemnation is, because I will not yield to
their iniquitous laws, and call tyranny — authority, and a constitution
of wickedness, — a constitution of God ; which I dare not, for my soul,
have the least thought of. And now, my friends, I am to die for
protesting against popery, and the inbringing of that papist the Duke,
to defile the Lord's land ; and declining their power, because they
had murdered my brethren these twenty years, and testifying against
all the wrongs my lovely Lord and Master hath got. Therefore, I
j-harge you, to beware of speaking against me, or any of my
brethren ; for my head and my right hand shall be a witness against
you, who shall condemn us ; whatever I have been, I am now highly
honoured to witness for Christ's cause. And now, my dear friends,
I must tell you, that grace is free, and I am a debtor to free grace,
and I am as a brand plucked out of the fire ; yet my Lord hath loved

PATRICK FORMAN. 377
me with an everlasting love. And I bless the Lord, I am in my
right mind, and have hatred against no man's person, but in so far as
they are fighting against my God, and plotting against his holy child
Jesus ; but as it is written, Psal. ii. 9. ' Thou shalt break them with
;i rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potsherd.' ]
leave my testimony against Charles Stuart, for his breach of covenant,
and for his setting forth that hellish act of supremacy, — whereby, he
rescinded the law of God, and the just law of the land, that he
might murder the Lord's people. I likewise leave my blood upon
him, and these bloody counsellors, justiciary and assizers — because
they take away my life, and the lives of my brethren, without a
shadow of law or justice ; for there were none of us guilty of action
or crimes, and the protestation we gave them, shall be a standing
witness against them. Secondly, I leave my testimony against prelacy,
because they have taken upon them the place of Lords, which
is proper to none but Jesus Christ; for we have but one God,
one Lord, one Saviour and Master, &c. and tbey have our blood
upon their heads. I leave my testimony against all the pro
ceedings against the Lord's people, for their murders in the fields,
and in the sea, and on scaffolds. I leave my testimony against the
bringing home of that tyrant, Charles Stuart, after they knew that
he had broken all bonds that could bind men, and was no more to be
believed ; I likewise leave my testimony against the Duke of York,
and against the reception of him, first and last, because they knew
he was a professed papist, and was seeking nothing but the lives of
tbe Lord's people, as his actions declare ; first, he behoved to have
a draught of these five men's blood at Magus Muir, and next, of
Mr. James Skene, John Potter, Archibald Stewart, and the rest of
our brethren since ; O bloody wretch ! he is filling himself drunk
with the blood of the saints ; and when he was declared Viceroy
and High Commissioner, as they cal! him, he behoved to have a
draught of blood to sit down with, viz. of that faithful minister of
Jesus Christ, Mr. Donald Cargill, and the other four ; and then they
sat down to their parliament, for enacting these hell-hatched acts,
placing Charles Stuart and his succession, for their god, and that
they call law and authority, for their Bible. And now, when they
have taken their breath, they must have our blood to slake them.
I leave my testimony against the parliamenters, and my blood upon
them ; I am sure they will find it and my brethren's, lying heavy
upon them. I likewise leave my testimony against bonders, cess
and locality payers, for strengthening the hands of these wicked
ruffians, the troopers and soldiers, who destroy the Lord's people.
Now therefore, dear friends, I warn you, as you would fly from the ,
wrath to come, shake yourselves of these things, if so be there- may
be hope ; it may be if ye be serious, ye will be hid in the day of the
Lord's anger ; take warning, and fly from the wrath that is to come.
" Likewise, T leave my testimony against the unfaithfulness of the
watchmen of Scotland, for they have not fed the flock, but fed
themselves. Therefore I, as a dying man, must tell you, that it will
be a wonder, if ever ye be honoured to be faithful, for your turning
3 B

378 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
your backs on your Master, — when all men are set against him ; and
your seeking to save your lives, — when the Lord is calling you to
suffer, rather than to yield, or quit one hair of the truth. Ye think
nothing to call tyranny, lawful magistracy, and by that ye say, that
all the martyrs, who have suffered under tyranny these twenty years,
bave suffered justly ! If that word be true, — ' there is no power but
of God,' — then certainly Charles Stuart's power must not be of God,
for his unheard of murders, perjuries and adulteries. Now I say,
those who call him a magistrate, they say, that God is the author of
sin, which is horrid blasphemy ; and I think, there are few ministers
in Scotland, who are free of that horrid sin, and are not in some sort
guilty of their brethren's blood ; for ye are an upcast to poor sufferers.
Now therefore, I advise you to repent, for I shall wish you no wrong.
I might say much to that purpose, but I shall forbear, only I desire the
Lord may forgive you, for your lukewarmness, neutrality, indifferency
and sinful silence, where there is none to speak for Jesus Christ. And
now, I advise you tbat are his people, to take warning from me as a
dying man, not to join with them, till their repentance be as visible
as their sin hath been. O seek teachers from the Lord ; for he will
not want ministers, when he hath an errand to send them. Wait on
the Lord, for he doth all things well. Now, my dear friends, who
desire to live godly, look out for tribulation and affliction, and the
scourge of tongues, and tbe envy and malice of devils. The
ministers will reproach you and condemn you, and the worldly-wiso
professors will advise you to run at leisure, and not condemn the
godly for their failings : it is true, I grant the godly may fall and
rise again ; but alas ! their apostasy in denying their Master, and
defending it, will be found very hard and terrible, in the sight of
the Lord.
" Now, I must not tarry, being surprised with shortness of time,
having the king of terrors to grapple witb. Only this I say, (my
dear friends) make haste, get your peace made with God, and in
your stations contend for him ; labour to have nothing before your
eyes, but the glory of God, and ye shall undoubtedly get employment
of him : make it your main work to seek the Lord. And now,
that I am to step out of time into eternity, I bless the Lord for the
way be hath taken with me ; for all that I have met with, hath been
in loving-kindness ; and I can say, that from my experience, he hath
been kind to me in my wanderings and imprisonments ; irons and
stocks, have been made sweet to me ; yea, evil company hath been
made useful to me. Yea, these antiscripturists were made instruc
tive to me ; for I saw these four men (I mean John Gib and his
followers) were once as fairly on the way, by appearance, as any I
knew ; but I see gifts are not graces, and now, I think, they were
hopeless ; and I advise noue that tender the glory of God to meddle
with them ; for they are turned horrid blasphemers, and deniers of
the Scriptures. Beware of them ; for I have no time to give you a
particular account of them.
" Now, my dear friends, farewell, — with whom I have been
refreshed many times : the love of God be with you, and carry you

DAVID FAIRIE. 379
through. Farewell holy Scriptures, wherewith I have been comforted ;
farewell praying ; farewell sweet imprisonment ; farewell sweet
stocks and irons for Christ's sake ; farewell wanderings and sweet
reproaches for my Lord's sake ; farewell sun, moon and stars ; fare
well day and night ; farewell all created comforts I Welcome death ;
welcome gallows, for Christ's sake ; welcome eternity ; welcome
angels ; welcome ophite of just men made perfect ; welcome praises
that shall never have an end. There I shall rest through all the ages
of eternity, in Immanuel's land. Welcome Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
Sic sub.— PATRICK FORMAN."*

XVIII. DAVID FAIRIE.
[This was another of the four persons, who were tried and executed,
in company with Robert Garnock. He was dealt with in precisely
the same way as the two preceding witnesses for the truth. His
confession before the council bears, — " That he disclaimed the king's
authority, — that he calls him a tyrant, — asserts that it is lawful
to kill murderers, and says the king is a murderer, because he has
murdered the people of God." He suffered with the rest, at the
Gallowlee, on the 10th October, 1581. — His testimony follows.]]
" Dear Friends, — I desire to bless the Lord, that I am sentenced to
be a martyr for Christ and his cause, by wicked men, whose actions
prove what they are ; yet glory be to the name of God, that this day,
I do not suffer as an evil-doer, but for the testimony of the truth, in
owning Jesus Christ as head in his church, yea, in the church of
Scotland ; and not only so, but covenanted to be so, as he was with
the children of Israel, in tbe sight of the nations ; which covenant,
made betwixt Jesus Christ and this land, I bless the Lord, that, by
his strength, I have been enabled to own, before all these accusers
of mine, especially the bloody committee, the bloody council, and the
dreadful bloody assizers of the people of God, and givers of their
sentences of death, — all instituted by Charles Stuart, — who was once by
his profession, and by his oath, an owner of that covenant. Now, the
grounds of my sentence are to be seen in my interrogations before the
committee, council, and justiciary so called : at which I was asked, If
I owned my former speeches ? I said, What I had said, I had said:
but in case that any might think, that I had heart malice at him whom
they call king ; I told them, I wished neither him nor them, nor their
souls, any more evil nor I wished my own ; but since he had broken
the covenant with God, and turned out all our ministers, obtruded
prelacy on the church, and overturned the whole work of reformation,
I could not own him as a king, and them as judges, seeing he and his
emissaries were proceeding to bring in Popery into the land ; and I
• Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 196—202.

380 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
disowned them as my judges ; and told them, There was a day coming
wherein they and I would be arraigned before a judge, ere it was
long, and receive righteous judgment, and that I in that day would be
a witness against them for their unrighteous sentences against the
people of God, and their unrighteous proceedings against us, to take
away our lives for owning and adhering to the word of God, and our
sworn covenants. And when I was asked again the same questions,
I answered, What I had said, I had said ; for I had said as much as
would be for the wo and sorrow of all present, except those that
were penitent. Now, let men judge whether or not it becomes any
to own Charles Stuart as king, and them as judges, seeing they have
broken the covenant, and overturned the work of reformation and
shed so much of the people of God's blood ; and not only so, but
also have made a Duke, popish by profession, heir to the crown, to be
the door whereat they may receive Popery into the land. For I think
there are none, but in some measure they allow Popery, that will not
witness against, and withstand him and them in their proceedings,
especially that black test, which that wicked parliament hath put forth,
amongst all their other proceedings, these twenty years, against God,
his work and people ; — whereof the overturning our ministry and
thrusting in of Prelacy, — the unlawful acts of indulgence first and last,
the killing and murdering of the people of God, in fields, and scaffolds,
and seas, in one place and another, — are a witness. O the great
witness, that is, and will be standing against the said Charles Stuart,
and his unlawful council and parliaments, and all their proceedings I
The Lord in the second commandment threatens his wrath against the
children for the fathers' iniquity, unto the third and fourth generations
of them that hate him ; and if the Lord visit not the successors of this
generation aforenamed, with dreadful judgments, I am mistaken ; yea,
and all these that join and comply with them, either ministers or
professors, I mean the indulged, and all these that bond with the
enemies, or give them clats of gear* for their liberation, when they are
brought to prison upon the account of owning tbe truth ; or in any
manner of way to acknowledge them as magistrates ; I say (without
repentance) I see no way that they can miss God's wrath.
" But I think, I need not insist much on these subjects , for all the
warnings they bave gotten (which are many) by ministers and
professors, one way or other, especially on scaffolds, since Mr. James
Guthrie to this day, bave not been effectual ; tbeir actings prove them
to be more hardened in their sin than when they began. Therefore,
I think it seems, tbat the Lord will either give them no more warnings,
or else take them shortly away, or both : indeed he may give them
more warnings, but if ever they do the most part of this generation
any good, I greatly question, I mean those whom I have named ; for
I think, with several others who are gone before me, and are going
off the. stage by death, That there will be dreadful judgments to
follow on this generation, for breach of covenant with God, and open
rebellion against him, by these iniquitous laws of theirs, in taking away
* . 1. c. Sums of money.

DAVID FAIRIE. 381
their lives, liberties, and privileges of the people of God, and not only
so, but in making Charles Stuart head of the church, which becomes
not him nor any mortal ; for Jesus Christ is head of his own
church, and Lord over the consciences of men. And as for me, I
would not have my conscience tied by Charles Stuart's belt, nor any
who are called his subjects, though I were to live an hundred years ;
no, though I could have the whole world for my pains ; for I might
as well tie my conscience to the devil and my own corruptions, as do
it, by yielding submission to his iniquitous laws, by either bond or
cess, or any thing relating thereto. Now I bless the Lord, I hope,
that he who hath led me hitherto, will lead me away from him, and
his, and my own corruptions, and the devil, ere the tenth day of this
month pass over.
" And as for my own particular interest, I bless the Lord, I am in
some measure, as clear of my interest in Christ, as I am that my pen
is writing on this paper ; for I hope, that the Lord will carry me
honourably through, and give me that which he hath promised : aye
when I asked of him faith, be gave me faith, life, light, and a heart to
believe, and love, to him and his glory, interest, cause, covenant, and
work of reformation, and strength to stand, and withstand my enemies
inward and outward, who many a time have assaulted and tempted me,
striving to drive me away to sin. Indeed it is true, I lived most
lewdly, aye, till within a little more than these four years. O if I could
go to the stage, blessing and magnifying the Lord, that it hath pleased
him to bring me from the devil's fireside, as it were, and draw me out
to hear the gospel of Christ ! I bless the Lord, the first field-preaching
that ever I heard, I entered in covenant with him to follow him,
though it should cost me my life ; and at a communion in Irongray in
Galloway, I had the clear manifestation of my interest. O free grace !
0 free love ! O free mercy ! what am I, that he hath been so kind to
me ! O me ! O poor me! and not only so, but also when be discovered
the evils of the woful indulgence, from the supremacy, that he made
it known to me, and also made me to stand and withstand that woful
evil, and to join with that party, by the bond found upon Mr. Richard
Cameron, whom he honoured to witness against it ; and for this I
desire to bless him. O I I think, it is Scotland's mercy this day, that
he hath opened up the eyes of tbe blind, to see these abominations,
especially among the ministers, I mean, the indulged, and those who
plead for them ! O ! Scotland's mercy hath been great, that
notwithstanding their rebellion, and joining with rebels by that
supremacy, tbe Lord opened the eyes of the blind to see these
abominations, and to testify against them : O ! I say this is Scotland's
mercy; though some may think otherwise; for if the Lord had not
opened up that evil to poor things, it had been a token that he would
have gone his way, and not owned his covenanted land any more ; but
it is a token for good yet to the land, that notwithstanding all our
rebellions against him by breach of covenant, he continues yet to
-discover to his people, what is sin and duty. And this also is a token
that the Lord will not leave Scotland, though he may chastise it very
sore ; his taking the blood and lives of his saints, on fields, seas, and

382 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
scaffolds, to witness for his covenants ; for tbe blood of the martyrs is
the Beed of the church. And this is another token for good to the
church, that there is a remnant (though small) that is weeping
and lamenting over the broken case of the church, and over the
unconcernedness of the people of God, or of those who say they are
the people of God, and that there are so few to keep clean garments,
aud to wrestle, and witness against the sins of this generation of
covenant-breakers and usurpers. O Sirs ! is not this a sweet cordial
yet, for all that is come upon us ? O Sirs ! take courage, and plead
with the Lord, and also, through his strength, plead with your whorish
mother, viz. the indulged, and their deeds, which they have done, and
those that plead for them. O plead, and plead in patience;, let not
self rise, let not passion rise and vex you ; ' Be sober, be not soon
angry ;' fear not reproaches ; but beware of giving tbe enemies, or
professed friends, just ground of reproach ; walk in the sight of God
and man both, without offence and reproach ; and then if men will be
offended, let it be for your duty, and not for your sin. But O be
tender of the glory of God : let there be no vain janglings, or foolish
and unlearned questions among you, knowing that they gender strife.
Be tender one of another. Do not reprove every small circumstance,
till ye have God with you in your reproof, and the thing to be a
known sin. Avoid evil company, and rather draw yourselves to
prayer alone, and with company when ye can have the occasion, and
miss no occasion ; for it will be the ready way to cause the Lord
leave you and the land ; and then, ' Woe to you, if he depart from
you.' O invite one another to prayer, especially young folks ; for I
think, if the Lord do good to this generation, it will be to young folk.
O babes and sucklings set to the work ; for the Lord hath promised,
that ' out of the mouths of babes and sucklings he will perfect praise.'
Who knows, if ye be at your duty, but the Lord will yet send
teachers, who will stand in the gap, to hold away wrath ; but till the
Lord send them, stand in the gap yourselves ; and when ye have got
tbem, lay not all the stress upon them, lest the last plague be worse
than the first.
" O keep warfare against corruptions and the devil, in every thing.
O do not make an idol of the godly, though they be really godly,
zealous, judicious, and prudent ; I do not mean the prudence that the
ileniers of Christ and his kingly office mean. Let God be your only
God, and not another. Use all things to the use of edifying, and
strengthening one anothers' hands. Own and maintain your brother's
just cause, when it comes to an hearing, especially in the matters of
God ; and receive one another, ' but not to doubtful disputations.'
Join with, and own the godly who are penitent, though there be faults
and failings, providing they be sensible of their guilt ; ' for the Lord
maketh more of one prodigal, or of one lost sheep that is come home,
or is found, than he doth of ninety-nine, who went not astray.' So
ought ye to do among yourselves : but beware of any sinful union.
Do not grip after ministers till they at least come to take up the work
where Mr. Donald Cargill left it. ' Ye will not find them honest till ye
find them so : for I know, there is none who will venture all for

DAVID FAIRIE. S8S
Christ and his cause, I mean their lives, liberties, and fortunes, till
they be such ; and there are none but such who can be counted
faithful, for he hath said, ' He that loveth father or mother, wife or
children, houses or lands, better than me, is not worthy of me ;' and
that they who do so, ' cannot be my disciples ;' therefore ye must of
necessity look to these things among yourselves, till the Lord send
shepherds who will search for the flock ; and not leave, nor tear the
flock, in delivering them into the hand of their enemies, as we have
the sad experience of it this day. O ! I would not be in the case of
the ministers of Scotland this day, for the world. Consider Luke xvii
10. ' So likewise when you have done all these things, say, we are
unprofitable servants.' Let the law of God be your rule ; and when
you have done all to keep the law ; yet consider, that it cannot merit
any good thing, but ye must lean only to the merits and suffering of
Jesus Christ : but yet the law must be observed and obeyed. It is
true, ' no mere man is able perfectly to keep the commandments of
God ;' but let not this be your snare, for it is the snare of many of
this generation.
" 0 sirs I study the scripture ; walk by the strictness of the law of
God, and the liberty of the gospel of peace ; but do not abuse your
liberty, to cause the way pf God be evil spoken of. I speak as a dying
wan, that which I have learned from the word of God, and the turnings
of dispensations. O ! he hath taught me by his word and gospel, and
the teaching of his Spirit, many things that I cannot express, not one
of a thousand. O ! he hath filled my mouth many a time with argu
ments, till I could go no further. I desire to speak it to the commen
dation of free grace. O if the enemies knew what true grace were,
they would not do as they do : but truly I think, the judgment shall
be terrible that they shall be trysted with. O I it hath been weighty
to me, to think on their destruction and misery, which I have thought
upon many a time to be eternal ; and yet I have thought upon the other
hand, that it was my duty, when God's justice passed the sentence, to
say, Amen, (as it were) and so have desired that tbe Lord would let
his determination be execute upon them. Now, there needs none of
the suffering remnant be discouraged, for God is God, and his word
is his word ; and there is no change of times, nor alteration of dispensa
tions, but the word will clear all, in some places of it, and there is no
sin that can be committed, but there is a reproof in the word of God
to suit it ; nor one objection in the heart, but tbere is an answer for
it from the word : so study the word of God, and implore his presence
in reading of it.
" Make much use of the Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter
Catechism ; mind our Covenants, National and Solemn League. Be
not drawn away with the tyranny and perjury of the time. Know
that God is God, and that he will not sit with the wrongs he hath
gotten by the tyranny and perjury of these men ; I mean him whom
they call supreme magistrate, Charles Stuart, and these under him.
God be thanked, his church is well quit of him, though a gallows be
Bet ap for the church, and all the Jews ; yet, it is like, Haman must
have a swing of his own weight on the gallows he hath prepared, or

384 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
else some disgracefuller death. Mind Rutherglen Testimony, and
Sanquhar Declaration, and the Papers found at the Ferry: do not
think tbat these will fall to the ground. Mind our martyrs' Testimonies,
and every thing consistent with the word of God. Do not think but
God will be about with this generation, for letting so light of such
things, and casting them behind their backs. For I declare, I adhere
to every sound writing, that is according to the word of God, be the
author who will ; I say I declare it as a dying man. Indeed this
generation think no better sport, than to take any person and cast him
into prison, and if they but find, when they have searched them most
barbarously, a paper that there is any religion in, be they man or
woman, lad or lass, presently they impeach them with treason ; yea,
but I am sure of this, that God will not sit with such things, but he
will be about with them be who they will. O ! but it is sad to see
such things ; this land doubtless is ripening for a stroke, and a
judgment will pursue it. O ! who would have thought that Scotland
would have quit with their covenanted God, and have trode upon all
who have the image of God, in any manner to be seen in them. It is
true, ' all things work to the good of them tbat love him :' it is this
that makes a prison, a banishment, a gallows, (where none uses to be
hanged but murderers) sweet indeed. They think it will be for our
disgrace, ignominy and shame, to take us to the Galjowlee to be
execute ; but they are all beguiled, it will be for our honour ; our God
is wise enough for all that. They may think it is the disgrace of the
presbyterians in Scotland, to have our heads hanging, and to be hanged
up before the sun. Nay, but they are all beguiled ; for it will be
recorded from one generation to another, That there was a party of
ministers and people, who sealed the covenant with their blood, and
their heads were set up for a token of the Lord's kindness to the land.
But for my part, I think myself unworthy to be reckoned among such,
yet I hope that it shall be said amongst them in these days, that if there
had not been a party, to suffer in our cities, they would have had
nothing but vile Popery in the land ; and will be rejoicing tbat ever
there was any to suffer for Christ in Scotland. O Scotland ! is there
any land so highly honoured as thou art ? None that is to be seen
or heard of; but yet thou hast been of all nations the most treacherous
and bloody. Was there ever a land so bloodthirsty ?
" I can say no more, but O be earnest with God, and do not leave
off your duty, or otherwise I can see nothing, but that the dreadful
judgment of God shall both pursue you and the land ; indeed if ye
remain at your duty, it may be that ye shall prevail with the Lord,
both for yoxu-selves and for the land. But I must leave you to him,
who is your God, to lead and guide you in all truth and honesty, both
towards God and man. So I leave you to him. Now, farewell thou
vile Scotland ; farewell thou highly honoured Scotland ; farewell ve
friends in Christ, and all friends and acquaintances ; farewell life, and
liberty in this life. Welcome Christ, heaven, and eternal salvation,
for ever and ever. Sic sub. — DAVID FAIRIE."*
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 202  210.

JAMES STEWART. S85

XIX. JAMES STEWART.

[The case of James Stewart may be esteemed remarkable, even in
the period to which it belongs, for the degree of tyranny and severity
which it displays. He was a young man (might almost be termed
a boy, for his years,) of good and serious dispositions, and so far as
appears from any thing brought against him, had never been charge
able with offending even against the laws which were then in force.
He had come, from the west country, where he resided, to visit a
relative who was then in prison. This person, by some means or
other, effected his escape while he was in the room ; upon which he
was immediately carried before the council. Here some ensnaring
questions were put to him, and his answers to them, compelled by
the most shocking threats ; and upon these answers, an indictment
was raised against him. The result may easily be conceived. He
was found guilty — the sentence of death passed on him — and
executed with the other four, on the 10th October, 1681. His
testimony follows.]
" Dear Friends — I being in prison for Christ, and his persecuted
cause, though some may say otherwise, and that upon the account of
my taking ; but I do not care what they say — for I have had, and yet
have great peace in my sufferings — but some will be ready to Bay,
That it was an^imprudent and an unsure action, and so might have
been forborne — and suppose it be so, it is not the head of my suffer
ing, for it was not that upon which I was staged, — for I was presently
staged for the truth, the next day after I was taken, being brought
before a committee ; — though indeed I was not so free as I should have
been. There is a passage, Acts xxi. of Paul's going up to Jerusalem,
which, some say, he might have forborne, but more especially his going
up to the temple, and doing these things which are according to the
law ; he might, I say, have forborne this, and walked consonant to
his former practice, doctrine and writings : but though his going to
the temple was the occasion of his taking, yet not the head of his
suffering; so, I say, though that which I did in relieving my brother,
was the occasion, yet my suffering was stated on another bead. But
I cannot see, how it is as ye say ; for I seeing it my duty, and finding
opportunity, had a clear call for all tbat I did. And besides all that,
we being bound in covenant to defend and maintain one another, we
are bound as well to relieve one another out of prison, when there is
a probability seen. But I need not stand much in making this out, it
being the way that tbe Lord took to bring me to my suffering ; and
I am heartily content with my lot, and desire with my soul to bless
him for it. Though I was dreadfully aspersed when that bond of
liberation was offered to us, (for though some had clearness to take it,
yet I could never have thoughts of taking it in peace ; and I bless the
Lord who kept my hand from it), it was neither strength nor sharp-
sightedness in me that withheld me from yielding to the temptation ;
but the Lord hath shewed himself graciously favourable and kind unto
3 c

386 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
me, now when I am set up like a beacon upon the top ot an hill, and
the eyes of many being upon me, and all are wondering at me, and
calling me distracted, and saying, I am a fool, but (the Lord be
thanked) I have all the senses that ever I had, though distressed, yet I
despair not. Neither am I suffering as a fool; for I know assuredly,
this is the way to obtain the promise. There is nothing in it meri
torious, I confess ; for all my suffering, he may put me into hell ; but
I say, the suffering of reproaches and the scourge of tongues, is a
symptom or mark of his way, when it is for his sake, Matth. v. 1 1.
1 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and speak all manner of
evil against you, and persecute you for my name's sake.' It is for his
name's sake that I am suffering, and this confirms me of it, Matth. x.
22. ' Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake ; but he that
endureth unto the end, shall be saved.'
" Now, it is for Christ's kingly office that I am suffering ; and this
being the main head on which nly suffering is stated, even that great
truth, viz. Jesus Christ is king and head of Zion, I desire and charge
you to beware of misconstructing my sufferings, and saying, that I was
suffering for disowning of authority, and declining of judges ; for it is
not so ; — I being a presbyterian in my judgment, and owning both
magistracy and ministry, according to the word of God, and as he hath
ordained them : but if Charles Stuart's authority be according to the
word of God, I am mistaken. If he be exercising his power, to the
terrifying of evil-doers, and the encouraging tbem that do well, I die
in an error. I say, beware of your judging, for I am a presbyterian
in my judgment, and a member of the church of Scotland, and am to
Beal it with my blood.
" I adhere to that blessed transaction between the Father and the
Son, — that holy device devised from all eternity, — the Father to send his
Son, and the Son to come and satisfy divine justice, and so redeem lost
man. I adhere to all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments,
which are all standing in force until this day, and obligatory upon us,
except the ceremonial law, with a part of the judicial, which is now
abrogated and abolished by our Lord's coming, — he being the end
of the law. I adhere to our glorious work of reformation, Confession
of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Acknowledgment of Sins,
and Engagement to Duties, though they be abused and misconstructed
by many. And I adhere to the Sum of Saving Knowledge, wherein is
held forth the life and marrow of religion. I adhere to all the testi
monies that have been given. Mr. Guthrie, Argyle, and Warriston, —
they gave in their testimony according to the light that the Lord gave
them ; and I do not condemn their testimony, as some say, for at some
times the Lord gives more light than at other times ; so it cannot be
said, that we contradict or disown their testimony, though it hath
pleased the Lord, through continuance of time, to give more light of
the abounding abominations that are still growing and abounding in
this generation ; and so whatever tbey omitted through want of that
light, which it hath pleased the Lord to let us see, makes no contra
diction. I adhere to the Rutherglen and Sanquhar Declarations. I
adhere to the Paper found upon Mr Richard Cameron at Airsmoss,

JAMES STEWART. 397
July 22, 1680. I adhere to the Papeis that were found at ths
Qupensferry upon Henry Hall. I adhere to any writings that are
according to the word of God, for truth is truth, come by whom it
will. Now, as a dying man, I adhere to all these things. I have
received an unjust sentence from men, for owning and adhering to the
same, and for protesting against the inbringing of Popery, to defile the
land. And likewise, upon these accounts, I disown Charles Stuart to
be my king and sovereign : First, because of that hellish Act of
Supremacy, and that Act Rescissory, whereby they have overturned
and wrested all the laws, acts, and constitutions of the land : for in
the foresaid act, he assumeth that unto himself which belongs properly
to our Lord and Master, and says, That he rules over all things both
spiritual and temporal ; send then, when he hath made himself supreme
over all things, he rescinds the laws that are of God, and sets up other
laws to satisfy his own lusts, in murdering, killing and destroying the
Lord's people ; and this is the reason why I disown him : and like
wise his dreadful perjury and blasphemy in his covenant-breaking. I
decline them as judges, for the opening a door there to Popery, which
they have done, by receiving that popish duke in among them, which
I protest and leave my testimony against ; — it being contrary to our
engagements to suffer papists to dwell amongst us, and to have a
professed papist to usurp over us, — it being repugnant to our principles.
I leave my testimony against Prelacy, — it being a limb of that anti
christian whore of Rome. I leave my testimony against all the
abominations of this generation, as blaspheming of the holy name of
the Lord, drunkenness, stealing, whoring, sodomy, and all manner of
uncleanness. I leave my testimony against all indifferency and
lukewarm neutrality in our Lord's matters. I leave my testimony
against the indulgencies first and last, as having a greater hand in
breaking of the church of Scotland, than all the enemies living in it
could have done ; for they sold their Master's truths, and gave away
their pleasant things with their own hands, and so came in under
Charles Stuart, and took him for their head, and have cast off their
rightful head Jesus Christ ; Eph. i. 22. ' And hath put all things
under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church.'
Wo will be unto them, for what they have done to the poor kirk of
Scotland. I leave my testimony against silent and unwatchful minis
ters. Remember, there are many taken away, and it ia to be feared,
in their iniquity ; and do ye think that ye are free of their blood ?
Ye may look what warning ye have given, and if it be faithful ; then
ye may say, that ye are not guilty. But there is not a minister this
day, who dares say, he is at his duty. They refuse to give counsel
when asked at, as I myself can witness ; for when that liberation was
granted, I sent to one of them, and charged him, as I judged him
faithful, to tell me his mind, which he refused ; and said, silence might
serve for an answer, I was not suffering for truth. But I heartily
forgive him, and all men, what they have done to me, as for my own
particular ; but how they have reproached Christ and his way, it is not
mine to forgive them.
" O tbe ministers of Scotland are become light and treacherous

SSB TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
persons, as well as revolters ; they are become ravening wolves ; so I,
cannot see, how they have not unministered themselves. If Abiathar
was turned out of the priest's office for leaving David, and following
Adonijah ; how much more ought the ministers of Scotland, for leaving
of him, who is the true head of the church, and choosing Charles
Stuart for their head ? It is not long since they were preaching that
to be sin, which they are now practising. I have no doubt, but ere
long there shall come out fire from Abimelech, and destroy the men
of Shechem, and fire from them, and devour him. And ere long, Mr.
Donald Cargill, and Mr. Richard Cameron, their names that now stink,
among ministers and professors, shall have a sweet smell ; and those,
that calumniate and asperse them, their names shall go away with a
stink, and fly away with a smoke; but I am sure, that that now
glorified martyr Mr. Donald Cargill's name shall last from generation
to generation ; and he shall have cause to rejoice in his king, head,
and Master, who is Jesus Christ, — when those who condemned him,
shall not know where to flee for shelter, and shall be weary of their
head, king, and master, — who is Charles Stuart ; and what, brethren
(disaffected as they were) did cast upon him as a .gbame, was his
glory and decorement. He was of a high, heroic spirit, and was free
of a base and Simonian carriage. He was a man bated of his
brethren ; but the great Elijah in his time was so. Time and tongue
would fail me to speak his commendation. He was tbe man who
carried the standard, without tbe help of any visible : but he had the
help and assistance of his Master, at whose command he was aye.
wandering here without residence, yet knew of one above, and had full
assurance of his dwelling-place.
" I leave my testimony against uplifting, or causing uplift, cess or
excise, or any thing, for the maintaining that tyrant, or any of his
emissaries ; — it being for nothing, but maintaining these ruffian troopers
and soldiers, who are kept for nothing, but to suppress and bear down
tbe gospel, and banish it out of the land. , I leave my testimony against
all declaration-takers and bonders, especially the taking that bond of
liberation as they call it, of the date of August 5, 1 6S0, as far as they
were convinced it was sin, — a3 some of themselves said it was. I leave
my testimony against that test, and all the rest of their proceedings,
and acts of parliament. I leaye my testimony against jailor-fee
paying ; it being an acknowledgment of their tyranny to be lawful,
which how unjust it is, / have a proof among others ; for that night I
was before York, and the rest, being October 1, 1681, — I being
examined by Sir George M'Kenzie, — York and Mr. William Paterson
coming unto me, when I was silent, and would not answer to some
things they asked at me, — he threatened to take out my tongue with a
pair of pincers, if I would not : and he held him as a witness against
me. And though I told him, that he was a judge the other night, and
— " would ye hold him as a witness against us before your justiciary !"
yet they did it ; which was neither according to law nor reason. —
If there were no more but that. passage, it proves them to he unjust
judges, as there are many worse than that is. I leave my testimony
against the mounting of militia, and uplifting of money for his service.

JAMES STEWART. 389
I leave my testimony against every thing that may strengthen his
hands, or weaken the hands of the people of the Lord.
" Now I desire you, (as a dying man, who am within forty-eight
hours, or little more, of eternity), to disown Charles Stuart to be your
king and sovereign. I charge you so to do, as you would have peace
with God ; for I never knew what true peace was till I did it, and
took Jesus Christ for my king and lawgiver. This is not — that I disown
kings or kingly government, — for I own both ; but when their actions
are such as his are, and a covenanted king as he was, we cannot in
conscience yield to him ; for he hath murdered the Lord's people our
brethren : and when we acknowledge even his civil authority, I cannot
see what way we are clean of their blood, it being by a shadow of law
and authority that he takes away their lives, and so we cannot own
him in that ; and to own him in ecclesiastic matters, I think there
will be none so absurd, as to say, we should do that, he having nothing
to do in church matters : he only received the sceptre in his hand, to
be a hedge about, and to defend her against all opposition ; and now
ye may see how he hath destroyed her, instead of defending her. I
give you it in short, and desire you to ponder and consider.it, and ye
will not find me so mad, as many of you say I am ; for I am not
prodigal of my life, neither have I a hand in my own death ; for I
love my life as well as my neighbours, and it is as dear to me as any
of yours is to you ; but, when it comes in competition with my Lord's
truths, I dare not seek to save my life with prejudice thereunto.
Neither am I wearied of my life, though it is true indeed, there is
nothing here to be coveted, that is not enough to weary one, neither
am I wearied of it ; therefore I charge you, that ye do not" brand me
¦with aspersions when I am gone. I leave my blood on all the assizers,
who after we had given in our protestation against all their proceedings,
both in their council and justiciary, and told them, That it was for no
action that we were suffering, but only on the matters of conscience
and judgment that we were pannelled ; yet notwithstanding our
charging them with our blood, they most unjustly took away our lives.
Do not think this flows from a spirit of malice, spite, bitterness, or
revenge ; for I desire to bless the Lord, I am free from the spirit of
bitterness or revenge : but they take away my life without and against
any just law ; I cannot get it passed. Do not think that I am an
enthusiast, and take on me a bare impulse of the spirit for a call to
suffer on, — or the word as it lies literally, for a call, — for it is not so ; — I
having desired and used some endeavours, (though it has been in great
weakness I confess, yet I dare say, in some respect, my desire to the
Lord about it hath been sincere,) that he would help me to get his
word and my own conscience consulted, and try the word by the spirit,
and the spirit by the word ; — for it is but a dead letter without the
spirit. And likewise my blood is lying, and will be heavy on that
popish Duke. And I will not say but the Lord will permit him to
usurp the crown of Scotland, but the blood that he hath got to welcome
him home to it, and to satisfy his own lust, — will weigh him down from
the throne ; but indeed, I fear, tbat he get his design drawn to a great
length, and get the ark carried away, even to your apprehension, o«t of

390 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS. WORTHIES.
Scotland ; but remember the Philistines carrying away the ark, and
the men of Bethshemesh looking into it, how the Lord smote them :
and so I think, when they have got the kirk banished and destroyed,
and the witnesses all killed, when they will look on the church as
carried clean away, and thereupon shall turn secure, — will not the Lord
be avenged on them, and charge them with all the blood they have so
heinously Bhed ? But indeed we have deserved no less than the
Lord's leaving of this land, and to give them into the hands of our
enemies : but as long as there is no appearance of a better church in
the whole world, ye need not fear that the Lord will enhance Scotland's
right of a church to any other. He suffered the children of Israel
many a time to fall into, and lie under the hands of their enemies; but
he never forsook tbem altogether, until there came a better in their
place. Likewise, my blood is on all these parliamenters and counsellors,
these of the justiciary, as they call it.
" Now, dear friends, I am going to eternity, ere it be long, from
whence I cannot return ; and as a dying man, I give you warning, and
bid you take beed what you are doing. Be tender of the glory of
God, and take no unlawful gate to shun suffering, nor sinful shifts to
come by the cross. But when there is a cross lying in the way, see
that ye seek not to go about it ; and venture upon suffering before
sinning : for he never sent any a warfare upon their own charges. If
any knew the sweetness of a prison, they would not be so afraid to
enter upon suffering ; ye would not join with the Lord's enemies as
ye are doing. O dear friends, take warning now, for it is a question
if ever ye get any more warnings of this kind : for it is a sad juncture
that your lot and mine is fallen into ; but now I am going away home.
O ! the Lord is kind to me, who hath honoured me so highly, and is
also taking me away from the evil that is to come : for, indeed I think,
there are sad days abiding poor Scotland. O sirs ! be busy, and
venture all upon him, and put all in his hand ; and whatever you have
been, let not that scare you ; if you have been a great sinner, I say, let
not that hinder you from coming to him, and closing with him ;
for the greater sinner you be, the more free grace is magnified in
reclaiming you. I may speak this from my own experience ; for I was
as a brand plucked out of the fire : and he hath brought me through
many difficulties, temptations, and snares, and made my soul escape
^s a bird out of the cunning fowler's net, and brought me to a prison
at length, to suffer bonds for him. He made all things sweet to me,
the company sweet to me, even bad company ; he made reproaches
sweet. I have been made to wonder at his kindness and love to me-
ward ; and now he hath brought me this length, without being afraid
what enemies can do to me, and that is a great confirmation to me of
true love, that — perfect love casts out fear. Now, He is faithful, into
whose hands I commit my spirit and soul, and he will keep it against
that day.
" Now when I am going, — farewell all friends and Christian acquain
tances ; farewell sweet and holy Scriptures, wherewith my soul hath
been refreshed ; farewell reading, singing, and praying ; farewell sweet
meditation; farewell sun, moon, and stars; farewell all created

JAMES STEWART. 391
comforts. Welcome death ; welcome sweet gallows, for my sweet
and lovely Lord ; welcome angels • welcome spirits of just men made
perfect ; welcome eternity ; welcome praises ; welcome immediate
vision of the Sun of righteousness. Sic sub.— JAMES STEWART."*

There suffered also at the same time and place, one Alexander
Russell, whose testimony differing nothing in substance from the rest,
and being in some things not very . conveniently expressed, — is not
thought necessary to be published at large ; only these heads in it are
remarkable : — First, He declares, That for the space of fourteen years.
while he heard the curates, he was a person given to all manner of
licentiousness — keeping company with the profane, drinking, swearing,
sabbath-breaking, and reproaching the people of God. 2dly, That at
the first field-preaching ever he heard, — to which he went merely out
of curiosity, — it pleased the Lord to convert him. 3dly, That the
means of his being called out to the help of the Lord's people at
Bothwell, was the death of three of his children within ten days' space,
— which extraordinary providence impressed his heart so, that he
durst not sit God's call, to that work. 4thly, He confessed his having
taken the bond for living orderly (as it was called) and with great
remorse acknowledges his failings, in that he took not opportunity to
confess that sin publicly. All the other heads do coincide with the
testimonies of the other four who suffered with him. — Claud of
Witnesses.

XX. ROBERT GRAY.
^Robert Gray was an Englishman, belonging to Northumberland, and
had been apprehended, (upon what pretext is unknown,) about ten
months previous to his trial and death. He was executed on tbe
19th of May, 1682. On the 13th of that month, he was brought
before a committee of council, and having acknowledged the follow
ing letter to John Anderson, — then prisoner at Dumfries, — as
expressing his sentiments with regard to tbe king and his government,
— was forthwith brought to trial on the 17th, and condemned to be
executed, as above, on the 19tb following, at the Grassmarket of
Edinburgh. The injustice of his sentence appears in this : — not only
that he was guilty of no overt act of treason, but merely, of hold
ing certain opinions, which his judges, or rather persecutors, were
pleased to call treasonable, — but also that he was not a Scots subject,
and therefore, in justice not amenable to Scots law.-)-]
• Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 210—218.
t It may not we think be improper, by way of illustrating this somewhat
singular and interesting case, here to insert, Mr. Gray's Confession, Examination,
and Indictment, as giv«n in Wodvow : —
BIS CONFESSION.
" Edinburgh, May 13th. — I Robert Gray acknowledge, I did write this

392 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
1. His Letter to John Anderson.
" Dear Friend, — I received yours, and am much refreshed to hear
of any in this day, that is holding by the truth, and is helped to
witness against the wrongs done to our Lord and Master, which is the
main thing that we are called to at this time, by which God is
glorified, and which shall bring peace to us at the end of the day. As
in answer to that, — about owning this tyrant in ecclesiastic matters, — I
hope, it is without all doubt and debate, with all the zealous exercised
letter, but am not acquainted with the man to whom it is directed; only I
wrote this, having received one from him. — (Signed) Robeut GaAY."
HIS EXAMINATION.
" Follows your examination before the committee : — Edinburgh, May 13,
1682  Robert Gray being called before the lord chancellor, and committee of
council appointed for public affairs, and interrogate, if he knew John Anderson
prisoner in Dumfries, he declared he did not know him, but had writ a letter
to him, and th ;t letter being produced, he owned the same as he hath testified
by his subscription at the end of it. Being asked, if he thought ofthe king and
government, as is eacprest in that letter, he said he did, and he owned that as his
judgment ; and being asked, if he thought the king a tyrant, he said he had
written so, and owned he had writ this letter to John Anderson, as his duty
to his brother. — George Goroon, Chancel."
HIS INDICTMENT.
" Robert Gray, prisoner in the tolbooth of the Canongate, you are indicted
and accused, that albeit by the laws of this and all other well governed nations, the
crime of treason is punishable by death, and confiscation of all estate, heritable and
moveable, and particularly by the 12th act, pari. 8th, Jam. VI  the declining
of the king's authority and royal power in any case whatsomever, either
spiritual or temporal, — is treason ; bat much more, the calling him a tyrant, and
declaring that his subjects ought not to obey him, and that he ought not to be
owned as king, — is the highest degree of treason and lese-majesty. And by 2d
aet, 2d sess. 1st pari Char. II. Whoever shall contrive any bodily harm against
the king, or endeavour to put any restraint upon his person, or to deprive,
depose, or suspend him, from the style, honour, or kingly name of tfie imperial
crown of this realm, and shall by writing, printing, or any advised speaking,
declare such their treasonable intentions, they shall be adjudged as traitors.
And by 43d act, pari. 2d, Jam. I. and 83d act, pari. 6th, Jam. V. the crime
of leasing-making against the king, and his people, and his parliament, is
punishable by death. And by the 10th act, 10th pari. Jam. VI. to declaim,
or speak, or write, any purpose of reproach or slander of his majesty's person,
state, or government, or to deprave his laws and acts of parliament, is punishable
by death. Yet true it is, that you the said Robert Gray, having shaken off all
fear of God and respect to his majesty's laws, did most treasonably write a
letter upon the 18th of April last, to John Anderson, prisoner, also, for treason,
in the tolbooth of Dumfries, wherein you did declare our present sovereign, the
best and most merciful of kings, to be a tyrant, and that therefore he ought not
to be owned as king. Likewise, you did by that letter, incite his majesty's
subjects not to obey him, and did deprave the late act of parliament made for
taking the test, calling it the black test, and destructive of all the work of
reformation. And you being called before the lord chancellor, and a committee
of council, upon the 13th of May instant, you did, of new, again not only adhere
to the said letter, and all that was in it, but did, of new, commit the foresaid
crimes, by declaring that you owned all these principles, aud that it was a dutv
upon you to write so to your brother, who was in prison.— Of the which
treasonable crimes, you, the said RobertGray are guilty, and actor ;— which being
found by an assize, you ought to be punished with the forfeiture of life, lands
and goods, to the terror of others to commit the like hereafter."

ROBERT GRAY. 39S
Christians in Scotland, that he should not be owned at all in it;  what
ever the timeservers, that will sail with any wind that blows, do, we
are not concerned ; — who are like Esau, who sold his birthright for a
mess of pottage. And as for owning bim in civil things, to me it is
very clear, now as matters are stated, that he should not be owned :
in a word, for his breach of the civil law, his pardoning and setting
free murderers and bougerers, and murdering of poor innocents, and
making his will a law, and placing none in public trust but those that
have taken that black test, utterly to disown the whole work of
reformation ; with which way, I cannot meddle directly or indirectly,
without saying a ' confederacy,' with them.
There might be more said upon this head, if time would permit ; but
I think this, with what our late worthies did — in casting this tyrant
off, and out of the church, — might give full satisfaction not to own
them in any thing, — seeing they have acted for the devil more than
ever ; and it has prospered more in tbeir hands than formerly. Indeed,
if we consult men at this time in the matters of godliness, no wonder
we be in the dark ; but O beware of that, and fly to the holy word of
God. Beware of looking out at any back-door, or halting betwixt
two opinions ; for of a truth there is a halting this day, that will not
be approved of God, in meddling with this malignant party, directly
or indirectly. It is a thousand to one if they see it. As anent
Barscobe, and Major Lermont, they got their sentence on Friday last,
to die on the 28th of this instant, and other two, Hugh Micklewraith
and Robert Fleming, got their sentence on that day too, and should
have died on this Wednesday last ; but they have got a remission to'
the 28th day, and it is reported, that Barscobe and the rest have offered
to take the test, and they have sent up to the tyrant on that account, to
save their lives ; and as for John M'Clurg and R. N. there is no word
yet, what they will do with them- ; I shall give you an account after
wards. My soul is grieved to see the treachery that is used in the
matters of God among the prisoners, and their seeking sinful shifts to
shun the cross of Christ. O dear friends, seek to be kept steadfast,
in the day of trial. Now, I can say no more ; but leave you in His
hand, who has brought you to the trial, and can carry you cleanly
through it. I rest, your fellow prisoner and friend, — Robert Gray."*
2. His Testimony.
Men and brethren, — I have got my sentence of death from men,
who are unjustly taking away my life, merely for adhering to my
principles, and have no matter of fact to prove against me, but only
adhering to the truths of Jesus Christ, and testifying against theii
sinful laws and actions, which my indictment will testify. They take
away my life for declining their authority, and calling Charles Stuart
a tyrant, and speaking against their test, that they have made to
overturn the whole work of reformation, in calling it the Black Test.
Now, many may condemn me, and no doubt do. in my writing that
letter to John Anderson, whom I own as my brother in Christ,
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp 22fl, 221. .
3d

39* TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
suffering upon the same heads in Dumfries prison ;— I do not much
rare what the timeservers say— but I hope, none of the zealous
exercised Christians in the land that are concerned with the wrongs
done to their Lord and Master Jesus Christ, will do it ;— I having a
right call to do what I did, he writing to me, and I giving him an
answer, in which I have great peace, notwithstanding it has brought
me upon the trial, and my God has owned me in it. And let such
as will condemn me, mind that scripture, ' It is God that justifieth,
ivho is he that condemneth?' I bless the Lord, that ever I was
honoured to testify against the wrongs done to my Lord and Master
Jesus Christ, either by word or writing. O wonder! what ami,
that ever he should have chosen the like of me, who have been one of
the vilest of sinners ! If the world had seen me as be saw me, they
would not have chosen me, no, not to have kept company with : but
O wonder, that his condescending love has not only taken me to be t.
servant, but to be one of the children of the family ! and has said to
me, as in John xiv. 19. < Because I live, ye shall live also.' He has
chosen me, and not I him, John i. 15. Isa. xlviii. 10. ' Behold, I
have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen tnee in the
furnace of affliction, for mine own sake, even for mine own sake will
1 do it.' Now, I had his promise before ever I came to a prison, that
he should honour me. As Psal. xci. 14, 15. ' Because he hath set his
love upon me, therefore will I deliver him ; I will set him on high,
because be hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will
answer him ; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and
honour him.' Now, this is the ground upon which I have holden till
now ; I mean, when I covenanted with my God, to take him upon
the terms of his offer. It is a year bygone, being the first week of
May, 1681, since I personally subscribed my name to be the Lord's ;
for before that, I played many times fast and loose with God, for
which I take shame and confusion of face to myself, (which is my due)
but since, I have been kept free of what formerly I was guilty of,
though the assaults of Satan have not been wanting. I durst not look
back, nor yet take my word again ; but desired to act and contend
for my Lord and Master Jesus Christ's rights, and not to quit them
to any, which he helped and owned me in.
" O dear friends, all of you that are contending for Christ's truths,
get once a right in himself, and ye cannot then, nor dare not but
contend for him : but while ye are in the dark about your interest, ye
can uever walk upon sure grounds ; but like a man walking in the
dark, that has hopes of getting to his lodging, but knows not the way :
and the thing that steals many of this generation off their feet, is, Tbey
go to seek the way from others that are also in the dark of it them
selves, and they seek the way from men, and follow the example of
men, because they think they are godly men, and by their practice
they think they have the image of God ; and because of that they
follow them, and take their advice, and do what they do, thinking
they cannot do wrong ; but I am clear of it, that is not the way of
God in this dark day, to seek it from blind guides, and not from the
true guide Jesus Christ, * who is given for a leader and a commander

ROBERT GRAY- 395
to his people,' and ought to be led by none, nor have counsel from
none but himself; for the Spirit of God says, Isa. xxx. 1. 'Wo tn
the rebellious children, saith tbe Lord, that take counsel, but not of roe;
and that cover with a covering, but not of my Spirit, that they may
add sin to sin ; and, walk and go down into Egypt, and have not
asked at my mouth.' O but this is the very thing, that I have seen
at this day, especially since I came to prison. O the treachery against
God, which has been there, which was my only burden and grief, and
made me weary of tbe prison, and desire to be gone ; tbey taking
counsel from men, and placing vile and unworthy men, to agent and
plead for them in Christ's matters, and dare not trust him with it
themselves ; and so it is no wonder, that he leave them, and they go
a black gate. I take the walls of the Canongate tolbooth (which I
was prisoner in nearly ten months) to be witness against the wrongs
done to my Lord and Master Jesus Christ there, both before and
since ; and I take the good maintenance they have had, to witness to
their conscience at the great day of accounts. They had never reason
to complain of wants, or to say, That our Lord was a hard Master ;
and yet they wrong him, most treacherously and cunningly hiding
from the eyes of the world their compliance with their agents ; and
like the whore, wiping their mouth, and saying they have done no
evil, and saying, they have peace. O but my soul trembles to think
of that peace ! to seek peace with the enemies of God, and say, they
have peace in it ! I'll not say, but ye may have peace at present, when
ye got out of prison, because you are going home to your idols and
Delilahs whatever they be, either your wives or children, or lands or
enjoyments ; but I will say this, that if ye have wronged the work of
God for them, they shall be accursed to you, and prove a snare to
you ; and then you shall see what peace you will have. Let such as
have meddled, or are meddling with these perjured men, see that
Scripture, — as anent their peace, Isa. lix. 8. ' They have made them
crooked paths ; whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.' And
I am convinced of it, that those that meddle with them directly or
indirectly, when called to witness for truth, or staged thereupon, and
yield to them in their desires that are sinful, shall break their peace
with God, and shall hinder themselves to get the bargain made with
him ; and if they have made it, it will be very much if the bargain
stand, without drawing a new engagement, and deep mourning for the
wrongs done to him : for our Lord is now taking a narrow look of
Scotland, and seeing who did put the hand to the plough to carry on
the work of reformation, to banish Popery out of Scotland ; and now
he is seeing who is countenancing Popery, and this popish Duke, that
has gotten in his foot in Scotland, — which will be tbe blackest sight
ever poor Scotland saw : but, whoever of the nobles or gentry of the land
is guilty, yet I will assure you, as sure as the Lord is in heaven,
ministers, yea, Presbyterian ministers, are not free of Popery's coming
into the land ; because they have not testified against it, who should
have set the trumpet to their mouth, and have given faithful warning,
and so they would have delivered their own souls and the souls of
others, whereas now, poor things are ensnared ; but their blood will be

396 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
required at ministers' hands ; and ye that are old wily professors, that
have taken the lee-side of the brae, and are advising others to do so,
ye are not free of the innocent blood shed in Scotland, and the loss of
poor souls ; because of your practice of seeming piety and holiness ; so
ye blind their eyes, and what ye do, that are a godly man, in the town
and country parishes, in going to hear the curates, that have taken
that black test, or any other thing, — because ye do it to save your gear,
they follow your practice ; but assure yourselves, the loss of their
souls will be required at your hands, who are ringleaders in an evil
course, be ye who ye will, in prison, or out of prison ; Our Lord is now
near his coming, and is begun to tread upon Scotland'! sea, and will
within a little tread upon the necks of his enemies, and come and
deliver his church, which I die in the faith of : but it will be a costly
delivery. Now, I adhere and give my testimony to that glorious work of
reformation, in reforming this land from Popery. And I adhere to the
National Covenant, and Solemn League and Covenant, Confession of
Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Acknowledgment of Sins and
Engagement to Duties. I adhere, to the testimonies of our worthies
that have gone before, and these of late, that are so much condemned
by the professors of this generation ; but this I will adventure to say,
that those who are condemning them, whom God hath justified, shall
never be honoured to give a testimony to the truths of Christ, and
against his enemies. I adhere, to all the meetings and assemblies of
the people of God, that have been ki Scotland in defence of the
gospel. I adhere, to Pentland, Drumclog, Bothwell, and Airsmoss,
where our worthies fell ; which blood (I die in the faith of it) shall
have a glorious spring : which quarrel the God of heaven, the cove
nanted God of Scotland, will resent. I also adhere to and heartily
join with the Rutherglen Declaration ; and I disown tbe Hamilton
Declaration, because it took in the malignant interest. I adhere, to
the Sanquhar Declaration, and Queensferry Papers, and the excom
munication at the Torwood, as lawful and right, in casting off Charles
Stuart, and the rest of the malignant party : and it shall be seen within
few years, that that party that the Lord stirred up for that use, was in
their duty, and those that lay by, were not. 1 also adhere to and
heartily join with that noble testimony given at Lanark, against that
black parliament that sat last, to overturn the whole work of reforma
tion, and made that black Test, that has defiled the whole land, and
made an open door for Popery to come into the land. I leave my
testimony against all those that have taken it, or against those that hav e
or may take favours from men, tbat have taken that Test especially.
I leave my testimony against prisoners, who being in upon the accoun t
of religion, do tamper any way with these black testers to wrong the
interest of God. Wo, wo, wo, will be to them that give the enemy
such ground to say, we are but fanatics, and will do any thing before
we lose our lives, which I myself heard some of them say, which was
a grief to my soul, and did sting me to the heart. I leave my testi
mony against such professors and preachers, as can sit in such company,
. and hear such talk, and not resent it ; it being an acquiescing in the

ROBERT GRAY. 397
discourse to keep Bilence. I leave my testimony against all giving
bond and caution, or petitioning the stated enemies of our Lord Jesus
Christ. I leave my testimony against all these cess-payers, and doing
any other thing that strengthens the enemies' hands, and against jailors'
fees paying, for by so doing it says, we have done wrong to them ;
which I deny that we have done any, but they have done to us.
I leave my testimony against these ministers that sat in a presbytery
against worthy Mr. Richard Cameron, — that highly honoured martyr
of Jesus Christ, — and thought to have deposed him from his ministry.
I also leave my testimony against that meeting that sat at Sundowal in
Nithsdale, which I was a witness to ; ye will see it more fully spoken
to in that paper of mine which was found at Kelso, which I own, and
desire that it may be put in with this ;* that they may go together,
and my indictment with tbe letter. I am called to set to my seal to
the faithfulness of that worthy man's doctrine, viz. worthy Mr. Richard
Cameron, who was the man the Lord made use of to establish me
in the faith. I bless the Lord that ever I saw him, or was honoured
to be in his company. I bless tbe Lord tbat ever I was in the com
pany of worthy Mr. Donald Cargill. I am likewise here to bear wit
ness to the faithful warning these two worthies gave, in Northumber
land. I likewise leave my testimony against the professors in Nor
thumberland, that ' came not out to help the Lord against the mighty;'
when I myself gave them warning, some of tbem mocked at me : for
which, I will be a witness against them, at the great day of account.
I leave my testimony against the giving bond to assizers or sessions,-]- or
answering their courts. My work, while I am here, is only to witness
against the sins of the times wherein I live, and the wrongs done to
my Lord and Master. I leave my testimony against those four men
that were prisoners in the Canongate tolbooth, — John Gib, and the other
three that held his principles ; I disown, detest and abominate their
principles, though some were pleased to brand me with them since I
came to prison. I heartily forgive them, whatever they have said of
me, as I desire to be forgiven of my Father which is in heaven.
Now, my time here is but short ; and I think it needless to write any
more ; — the testimonies of the Worthies being so little valued by this
generation, that nothing will do it but wrath and judgments, — that
though an angel should come down from heaven, it will avail nothing ;
for nothing I can see but wrath, wrath, wrath ; judgments, judgments,
sad judgments, — coming on this land very suddenly ; but my eyes shall
be closed, and I shall not see it, and well is this for me ; therefore I
am content, and heartily content, seeing I get my soul for a prey.
I have only a short word to say to the remnant of the Lord's people
that is to be left behind, who only were my delight in tbe world : my
bouI trembles to think what was amongst you this day, especially those
of you that were in one mind in contending for the truth of our Lord
Jesus Christ ! Whatever has fallen out among you or any that have
fallen back, seek to reclaim them, that they may be brought in again.
• This cannot be done, no copy of that paper being found. — C. W.
-f By sessions, it is presumed he means quarter sessions.

398 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
Let self be done away, and partiality, — and let the way of God be
taken in time, for it will be but short that ye will have it : And think
(lot that ye will wait for better times and opportunities : wait not for
that, for ye have time and opportunity now, that ye will not have
afterwards ; and if ye get not together presently, you will meet with
something shortly that will make you Myth to be together; and 'let
those that think they are standing, take heed lest they fall.' Now-
those that have gone out from us, by complying with the malignant
party, and pleading for Baal's interest, — I mean Charles Stuart's inter.
est, and taking shelter under their wings, — I have less hope of them than
any. If ye can set up your face to God, and say, that ye never durst
Comply with these tyrants and usurpers, to wrong the interest of ood
for the loss of your life, or gear ; then I will assure you of your soul
for a prey. Though ye have lost all that ye have in the world, your
children shall see brave days, and ye shall have all your wants made
up, when ye shall get Christ himself.
Now, I can stay no longer, nor take up my time any more ; for, my
work is finished, and I have fought the good fight, and finished my
course ! Strong have been the assaults and trials that I have had from
the devil, by all sorts, — both ministers and professors ; but my God hath
helped me io withstand them, — for which, I bless his holy name, and
desire to praise him while I am here. O let all the zealous godly in
Scotland praise him on my behalf, that he chose the like of me, who
have been a vile sinner. Now, I am this day free of the blood of all
men in the world. I desire to forgive all men the wrongs done to me,
as I desire to be forgiven of my Father, whicb is in heaven. But for
those who have wrongfully taken away my life, simply for adhering
to truth, and for no matters of fact, — for my part, I forgive them ; but
my God shall resent it, wish the rest of my dear brethren's blood,
that has been shed ou fields and scaffolds.
Now, farewell all creature-comforts in time ; farewell sweet societies
of the Lord's people, that were my only delight in the world ; farewell
holy and sweet Scriptures, which only were my comfort in all my
straits ; farewell all friends and Christian acquaintances ; farewell
mother, brother, and all relations in the world ; and farewell sun, moon
and stars ! Welcome scaffold, for my sweet Lord Jesus Christ; wel
come gibbet ; and welcome heaven ; welcome immediate presence of
God, and his Son Jesus Christ, who only has redeemed me by his
blood ; welcome angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect,
where we shall never part again ! Now, Father, into thy hands I
commit. >my spirit, that is thine! Now, come Lord Jesus Christ;
come quickly and receive me hence to my resting place, where my
portion is !
ROBERT GRAY."*
His Last Words.
This worthy martyr coming out of the tolbooth, to the place of
execution, was taken, as the custom is, first into the Town-council-
» Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 222—228.

ROBERT GRAY S99
house; where, the town council desired, that he would purge the city
of his blood. And he told them, that judgment would overtake the
city, for the innocent blood shed therein, and bade them assure them
selves of it, for it was without doubt. They said to him, that he had
access to pray, if he would. He told them, that he had committed
himself to God already. Then they said, if he had not freedom, they
were there who would pray for him ; but he looking round, said, he
was none whom he would employ, but he had an advocate with the
Father. Then being brought from thence to his execution-place, — after
a little discourse to the pretended magistrates of the city, some of them
being present, — he sung the lxxxiv. Psalm, and read the xv. chapter of
the gospel according to John, and after the reading thereof, he said to
(he multitude, "Sirs, ye should remember that that is the word of God,
and not of man, and that we are to follow no man further than he
follows the word of God :" and said, if light had not come into Scot
land, they had been more excusable, but now they had no cloak nor
excuse for their sin, and their wrongs done to God ; and because of
despised light, and the despised gospel, there was assuredly great wrath
coming upon them." And then he prayed; and after prayer, went up
the ladder, and looking about to the multitude said, "Sirs, you are feeding
your eyes upon me, but what see you upon me? Surely you see not
the wrath of God upon me : but if ye would look up to the heavens,
ye may see the wrath of an angry God against yourselves." And he
said, " I am brought out of another nation to own that covenant which
ye have broken, and to seal it, and the glorious work of reformation,
with my blood. Which covenant, ye have not only broken, but ye have
given it under your bands, that ye shall never own God any more, nor
have any more of him !" And he blessed the Lord saying, "Glory, glory,
glory be to his name, that ever he gave me a life to lay down for him,
in witnessing against his enemies, and the wrongs done my Lord and
Master Jesus Christ." And said, "the Lord be judge between me and
you, who have taken away my life, — which of us have been in the wrong
to the other ; and assure yourselves there is wrath, sad wrath, hanging
over this city, for the innocent blood shed therein. But as for you, who
are the remnant of the Lord's people, I would say this to you, keep
your ground, and beware of turning aside to one hand or another, and
I will assure you, the Lord will prepare a Zoar for you. Cleave to
truth, and cleave to one another, and as sure as God lives, ye shall yet
see glorious days in Scotland ; for I die in the faith of it, that He is
on his way, returning to the land ; but wo, wo, wo will be to those who
are enemies and strangers to him !" Then praying a little within him
self, — when some bade put him over, and others cried out, spare him a
little I lie cried, "I am ready." Whereupon the executioner threw
him over.

400 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
XXL JAMES ROBERTSON.
£ James Robertson was a travelling merchant, and belonged t>
Stonehouse, in Lanarkshire. In October 1682, being at Kilmar
nock on business, he went to visit an acquaintance* who was then a
prisoner; and while with him, he was without the least offence, appre
hended, and brought before Major Wbite, who at that time com
manded in the district. Upon refusing the inquisitorial oath then
usually administered, he was sent to Edinburgh, — was treated dure
ing his journey with the greatest cruelty and indignity, and when
arrived, was sisted before the council. He answered to their en
snaring questions with much caution and propriety ; but yet an in
dictment was drawn, charging him with holding the opinion — that
the insurgents at Pentland and Bothwell were not rebels ; and for
this and similar matters of sentiment, he was with two other per
sons equally innocent, condemned and executed on the 15th of
December following. — He left behind him the two papers which are
subjoined.]
1. His Examination before the Council.
" Quest. 1. Is tbe king your lawful prince, yea, or not ? Ans. Since
you have made your questions matters of life and death, ye ought to
give time to deliberate upon them : but seeing I am put to it, I answer,
— as he is ' a terror to evil-doers, and a praise to them that do well,' he
is, or is not. Q. 2. Were Pentland and Bothwell acts of traitory ?
A. They being in their own defence, and the defence of the gospel,
they are not acts of traitory or rebellion, — self-defence being always
lawful ; which I prove by tbe Confession of Faith, in that article where
on ye ground yourselves, wliich is, That subjects may resist unjust vio
lence and tyranny. Q. 3. But wherein lies his tyranny ? A. If rob
bing the privileges of the Church be not an act of tyranny, I refer it
to be judged. Q. 4. Is the king a tyrant ? A. I refer it to his obli
gation in the coronation oath, and his present actings and practices,
in robbing the privileges of the gospel, with tbe usurpation of the
church's liberties, and the prerogatives royal of Jesus Christ, the
anointed of the Father, in making himself supreme : and I refer it to
persons at home and nations abroad. Q. 5. Was you at Bothwell-
bridge? A. Ye count it an act of traitory, and also rebellion, which
is criminal : bear witness of it, and so make it evident. Q. 6. They
said, ' purge yourself by oath, and so we offer to set you at liberty.' I
answered, ' I will say no more of it ; for when I told the truth to some
of you, I was not believed.' — One of them said, now I will try if ye be
a man of parts. Q. 7. There was an act of parliament, when the
Confession of Faith was made, declaring, that the king was supreme,
and it was owned by the Presbyterians of that time. A. How could
that be owned, seeing the Confession was owned. — And I called for the
act, but it was not brought. Q. 8. Was the bishop's death murder?
A. When I am a Judge set on the bench, I shall pass sentence there-
* Viz. John Finlay, the person, whose Testimony follow*.

JAMES ROBERTSON. 401
upon. Being questioned further anent it, I said, I have answered
that already ; I will say no more to it. Q. 9. Own you Lanark and
Sanquhar Declarations ? A. I cannot own any thing, till I see and
consider it. Q. 1 0. Keep you your parish kirk ? A. If the minister
have ought to challenge me with, he may do it. Q. 1 1. Now as a test
of your loyalty, will you say, ' God save the King ?' \A. Prayer
ought to be gone about witb composure and deliberation, and I am
not in a composure for it. Q. 12. Would ye not seek a blessing if at
meat ? A. If ye were present ye would see. One of them said, these
principles will condemn you. I answered, If I be absolved of God,
it is the less matter though men condemn me."
2. His Testimony.*
" Dear friends, true lovers of Zion's righteous cause, if I could
speak or write any thing to the commendation of the covenanted God
of the church and kingdom of Scotland, I have surely many things to
do it for, 1st, That he trysted my lot to be in a nation where he hath
set up his pure worship, whereas he might have let my lot be among the
pagan and heathen nations that know nothing of the true God. Or,
2dly, He might have ordered it to be among those that are worship
ping Antichrist, that whore of Rome, that monstrous beast, that
' sitteth upon many waters ;' whose sentence may be read, Rev. xiv. 9.
*And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any
man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his fore
head, or in his hand,' ver. 10. ' The same shall drink of the wine of
tbe wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup
of his indignation ; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone,
in the presence of his holy angels, and in tbe presence of the Lamb ;'
ver. 11. ' And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and
ever : and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and
his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name,' — so tbat,
it is as sure as God is God, and the holy Scriptures are his word, ac
cording to which all men that have heard or seen it, shall be judged,
having the sentence of absolution or condemnation past according
thereto ; Rom. ii. 12. ' For as many as have sinned without law, shall
also perish without law ; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall
be judged by the law ;' — so that, it is clear, that the first will surely
perish, viz. all Infidels, Atheists, and Pagans, that know not the true
God, nor his law. • And as many as have sinned in the law, shall
be judged by the law,' — so that, whatever vain hopes Papists may
* Whether this testimony was actually delivered or not, cannot now be ascer
tained. It is stated by Wodrow, however, that when its author began to speak
on the scaffold, he was immediately interrupted by the ruffling of drums, and on
his complaining of this, the Town Major beat him with his cane in a most bar
barous manner. " This abominable rudeness to a dying man," he adds ' and ths
patience and cheerfulness, of the good man in suffering it, was, 1 know, the occa
sion of deep conviction to some who were present, of the evil of persecution and
prelacy ; and tbere are several yet alive who can date their first serious impres
sions of religion from seeing some of the persecuted party suffer j — us they them
selves have informed me." — Wodrow, Vol. II.
3 E

402 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
have of being saved, living and dying Papists, or wnatever, charity-
loose Protestants have upon that account to give them, they are as far
from being saved in that unconverted condition, as devils which are
eternally cast out of his presence. 3dly, I have him to bless for thi*,
— that my lot is ' not in and among the corrupt Protestant churches
abroad, — Ifutheranisra, and other corruptions and abounding errors,
both in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, sectarian, epis
copal, or erastian ; but in the reformed church of Scotland, where all
these things have been cast over the hedge, as not plants of his plant
ing : and where Christ hath been owned in all his three offices, King,
Priest, and Prophet ; though alas ! he may say of us, in a great measure,
as to the church of Israel of old, ' I have planted her a noble vine, but
how is she become a degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me !' In
that day of planting, we could have sung that song, Isa. xxvi. 1 . — ' We
have a strong city, salvation, will God appoint ber, for walls and bul
warks,' &c. Lam. iv. 11. ' The Lord hath accomplished his fury, he
hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and
it hath devoured the foundations thereof.' Ver. 12. ' The kiugs of the
earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed
that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates
of Jerusalem.' Ver. 13. ' For. the sins of her prophets, and the iniqui
ties of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst
of her:' Ver. 14. 'They have wandered like blind men in the streets,
they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch
their garments,' &c. This may be our regret before God, as it is in
the seventh verse here in this chapter, ' Her Nazarites were purer thau
snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body
than rabies, their polishing was of sapphire.' Ver. 8. ' Their visage is
blacker than a coal, they are not known in the streets ; their skin
cleaveth to their bones ; it is withered, it is become like a stick;' &c.
And O ! how unnatural-like were it for the mother to let her child,
the son of her womb, perish for lack of the breasts ; were she free of
the child's blood, it perishing for want of its natural food ? And O I
how many are this day perishing for want of the lively preached gos
pel ; ver. 3. ' Even the sea monsters draw out the breasts, they give
suck to the young ones ; the daughters of my people are become cruel
like the ostriches in tbe wilderness.' 4thly, I have him to bless for
this, — that I am not this day fighting against him in an open war, an<!
so, bearing arms against him, his work and people, for there is no mon
in me as of myself, than these that are deepliest imbruing tbeir hands
in the blood of the saints. 5thly, I have him to bless for this, that ever
he hath opened my eyes to see the mystery of iniquity that abounds
and hath its seat in the heart, and also in some measure hath given me
a sight of the remedy in the blood of Jesus Christ, with his Spirit
engaging me to himself, letting me see himself to be altogether pre
cious, making me see that it is better to be 'a door-keeper in the house
of God, than to dwell in the tabernacles of sin :' Psal. lxxiii. 24.
' Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to
glory ' Ver. 25. ' Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is
none upon earth that I desire besides thee.' 6thly, I have his holy

JAMES ROBERTSON. 403
name to bless, that ever he made me to know any thing, how small
soever, of his controverted truth, viz. the privileges of his crown
and kingdom, now when by their acts and laws they have taken his
crown and sceptre, and royal robe, and settled the whole government
nf his house upon a man that is but a worm : but this I believe, — his
ilecree will stand, oppose it who will ; Psal. ii. 6. ' Yet haue I set my
Uing upon my holy hill of Zion,' &c. Isa. xlii. 8. ' I am the Lord,
that is my name, my glory will I not give to another, nor my praise
to graven images,' &c. Now, i3 not that his declarative glory, which
that usurper hath taken to himself ? yea, he that ' leadeth captivity
captive,' according to his royal word, will reclaim his own glory; he
it is alone that hath given Christ to be the sure foundation whereon
all the building is fitly framed : ' That stone which the builders reject
ed is made the head of the corner.' Isa. xxviii. 16. ' Thus saith the
Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried
stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation : he that believeth
shall not make haste.' Ver. 17. ' Judgment also will I lay to the
line, and righteousness to the plummet, and the hail shall sweep away
the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place.'
7thly, I bless and magnify the holy name of my God, that hath called
me to be a sufferer for his work and interest, counting it not my
shame but a high privilege, and dignifying of me, when many, famous
in this generation, have been denied of it, (though indeed most of this
generation have brought up an ill report upon the cross, endeavouring
by their practice to render it of none effect ;) but I have this scripture
for my encouragement, 1 Pet. iii. 13 — 17. 'And who is he that
will harm you, if ye be followers pf that which is good?' &c. 8thly,,
I have this great and glorious Prince to praise for this, and O I let
all the true children of Zion laud and praise this praise-worthy God,
that hath not only called me to bear witness to the truth, but hath
helped me not to deny his name, titles and attributes ; for that is the
thing that the enemies and usurpers of my lovely Lord's crown are
seeking, to deny allegiance to him, ' who is given of the Father to be
a leader and commander to the people,' even he, ' on whose shoulders
the government is laid,' committing the ordering of his house to faithful
stewards, to order his affairs according to his own appointment in his
holy word, and hath not left it to the prudence of men how learned
soever. Gamaliel, that learned Pharisee and doctor of the law, erred
in the exposition of the law, — not knowing Christ to be ' the end of the
law for righteousness to every one that believeth.' A.nd seeing, these
great learned Rabbies erred every one in that which was the great and
main end of tbe law, viz. Christ, ' to whom Moses and all the prophets
bear witness ;' how much more shall they err, where it is left to their
own wisdom (having no platform to walk by), as the maintainers of the
prelatic hierarchy would be at. Solomon was as wise as any, yea the
wisest man that ever was, or ever shall be, and lie erred, having the
rule of the law to walk by. Were not all the laws and forms of the
house given by God to Moses, as well for manner of worship, as the
matter thereof ?
" And further, as to that which is so much pleaded for by this gen-

404 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
eration, — his authority in civil matters, — which, as matters now stand,
cannot be given, neither will they have it without the other, (for by
their acts of parliament they have made them equally essential to the
crown : likewise there cannot be an authority without a foundation) —
if any shall say, he hath it from that which he received at his admission
to the government, as he entered upon the terms of the coronation
oath ; to this I answer, he hath rescinded that, in and by the Act
Rescissory in his first parliament; and when he annulled and rescinded
that, from which he had his power and authority, he thereby rescinded
his own authority also: so that from this he hath no just power, having
oftener than once burnt the covenants, which were his coronation oath,
without which he could not enter the government. If it shall be
said, that the foundation of his power is built upon the test, wherein
he is made absolute supreme judge, over all matters and persons, as
well ecclesiastical as civil ; — that is so far from giving him a right, that
it maketh him a complete monster, having one head and two bodies ;
and if that authority should be owned by me, being a free-born mem
ber of the church of Scotland, which is Christ's mystical body, and in
my baptismal oath given away to Him, and having given my oath of
allegiance to him as King and Head of his own house ; shall I own that
authority, without being guilty of lese-majesty against the King of
Zion, and so, of the highest degree of sacrilege ? 2dly, I shall thereby
deny my allegiance to God the Creator, under whom the magistrate
should rule in a direct line ; he ruling by his own arbitrement, which
is contrary to our obligations in covenant ; — we being bound in cove
nant to defend the civil rights and liberties of tbe crown and kingdom,
as we are born subjects thereof. 3dly, That which they have done in
condemning the true sons of the church, and subjects of the kingdom,
to death ; which is open murder under the colour of law ; Now, that
it is so, (those whom they have proceeded against being adherers to
the word of God, which is the only rule of faith and manners, owning
God as God, Christ as Redeemer, the Holy Ghost as Sanctifier, and
they having nothing to charge them with, but their adherence to the
true Christian principles, and they sentenced upon the same heads) —
this must be the deepest murder. 4thly, These being owners of the
true reformed religion, and all the fundamental laws of the church and
kingdom ; and they refusing to judge and sentence according to the
word of God, according to which all sentences of life and death ought
to pass, as also refusing to judge according to tbe laws, as they receiv
ed them at their admission to the government, — which was, not to rule
the law, but it to rule them, and they to rule the people according to
that law, and the people remaining in subjection to the law of God,
and the ancient and fundamental lawB of the land, and the persons of
lawful governors, being made treason ; — this must certainly not only be
a murdering of men, yea, true Christian men, but also a murdering of
justice. And thus the land is defiled with blood. Read the sentence
of such, Numb. xxxv. 33. ' So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye
are ; for blood, — it defileth the land ; and the land cannot be cleansed
of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed
it.' But such as are owning and pleading for this present power, let

JAMES ROBERTSON. 405
tbe end of magistracy be considered, Rom. xiii. 3. « For rulers are
not a terror to good works, but to the evil ; will thou not then be
afraid of the power ? do that which is good, and thou shalt have
praise of the same.' Ver. 6. ' For this cause pay you tribute also ;
for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very
thing.' 1 Pet. ii. 14. 'Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent
by him, for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them
that do well.'
" Now, it is undeniably evident from what is aforesaid, that piety is
suppressed, and iniquity nourished, and the sword in their hand used
against those that do most entirely cleave to the Scripture rule, and
the sworn principles of the church of Scotland, and the ancient funda
mental laws thereof. Prov. xx. 8. ' A king that sitteth on the throne
of judgment, scattereth away all iniquity with his eyes,' &c. Now I
dare herein appeal to the sentence of all single, unbiassed, and judicious
persons, whether or not the present exercise of their power be not
both injustice and tyranny ; for there is no public power in the land,
but, what is founded on perjury, sacrilege and tyranny, and exercised
according thereto. And seeing it is so, ye that are owners of such a
power, ye must needs be upon the matter, owners of all these ; com
pearing before their courtB, and paying them tribute, placing advocates,
and pleading your cause before such unjust judgeB : and more espe
cially such as are prisoners for the truths of the gospel, and so ought
to witness a good confession for His trampled-upon truth, who was
not ashamed to witness a good confession before Pontius Pilate, viz.
that He was a king ; John xviii. 37. ' Pilate therefore said unto him,
Art thou a king ? then Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king.
To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world,
that I should bear witness, unto the truth.'
" Now, ye who are charging me this day, and others of my brethren,
sufferers for truth, to be guilty of self-murder, and so a breach of the
sixth commandment ; (which is very false, for self-preservation must
stoop to truth's preservation) — did our blessed Lord establish an advo
cate to plead for him ? did that valiant champion Stephen do it ? but
was free and positive in asserting his testimony. Or did Paul do it ?
Or can you shew me any such precept or practice from Scripture ?
Yea, consider the nature of witnessing, it proveth the contrary. But
I prove such as do this to be actually guilty of the breach of the second
commandment, which is, that ' Thou shalt not make unto thyself any
graven image,' Exod. xx. 4. For as I have proved before, he is set up
in Christ's room, and exerciseth authority in and by that abominable
arrogated supremacy, and having intermixed things civil and ecclesias
tic, by their acts of parliament, — making them both alike inherent to
the crown, and so cannot be owned in either without sacrilegious idol
atry, and so a breach of this commandment ; as also of the fifth com
mandment, — which concerneth natural and civil parents, which are to
be owned and obeyed only in the Lord, which cannot in the least allow
of any man's being absolutely supreme, even in civil matters, it being
the ordinance of God, and a lawful magistrate the minister of God,
bound to dispense his ordinance, according to the rule in the word.

406 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
and according- to the ancient laws of the kingdom : for in the obeying -
of lawful power, it is obedience to this commandment : so upon the
contrary, the owning and obeying an unlawful power, ( such as theirs)
certainly must be a breach of it. And can any deny that to be an
owning of them, to establish one of the members of their court, to
plead for no other effect, but to bale men out of the true principles
and practices of the true reformed church of Scotland, when the pan
nel is called by his lot, to witness for them and give a confession
thereof, before such an evil and adulterous generation, — these being
Christ's truths questioned ; and truth is himself, ' I am the way, the
truth, and the life.' If any should object, and say, they are small
things; to this I answer, No truth is small. Luke xvi. 10. 'He that
is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much ; and he that
is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much,' &c. And such as are
supplicating the enemies, are guilty here ; for a supplication ought
not, nor can be given in, but to a lawful power, and for a lawful thing.
3dly, Such are guilty, who are coming out of prison upon bond and
caution, binding themselves to compear hefore their judicatories, at such
a particular time, or at demand ; for we ought not to bind ourselves to
compear or answer before a judicatory, but a lawful one, such as theirs
is not ; so that such are actually guilty, but especially such who form
erly joined in declining them.
This generation seems to be a generation in a great measure, given
up to work all manner of wickedness with greediness, considering
what profanity and robbing of God, mocking him and religion, insta
bility, and the giving away his and the church's due: Mai. iii. 7.
' Even from the days of your fathers, ye are gone away from mine
ordinances, and have not kept them : return unto me, and I will return
unto you, saith the Lord of hosts : but ye said, Wherein shall we
return ?' ver. 8. ' Will a man rob God ? Yet ye have robbed me : but
ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee ? In tithes and offerings.' ver.
9. ' Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole
nation,' &c. I am not to take upon me to speak any thing for future
times, but this generation seems to have the marks and evidences of a
generation of his wrath, fitted for judgment and destruction. Take
these Scriptures as an evidence, Micah vi. 16. ' For the statutes of Omri
are kept.' Isa. xxiv. 1 — 6. ' Behold the Lord mak'eth the earth empty,'
&c. Now read Israel's sins here, and compare them witb Scotland's
sins, and see if they be not parallel : and seeing it is so, what can be
expected, but the punishments and plagues shall be parallel also, I can
not shake tbe thoughts of this off my spirit, but that there is a four
fold vengeance to be poured out upon this land. First, The vengeance
of God, for the intrusions on, and usurpations of his sword, crown,
sceptre, and robe royal. 2dly, A temple-vengeance, wbich is not a small
one, for the laying his sanctuary desolate. 3dly, A gospel-vengeance,
viz. for the slighting of the great and rich offer of Christ and salvation
offered in such purity and plenty. 4thly, A covenant-vengeance, for
the great perjury and apostasy in the breach of, and falling from, the
prosecuting the ends of these covenants ; which the Lord highly hon
oured this land with, to bring it into covenant with himself, and. make

JAMES ROBERTSON. 407
it Hephzibah and Beulah unto him, Isa. xxxiv. 5, 6, 7. ' For my sword
shall be bathed in heaven, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon
the people of my curse to judgment,' &c. Jer. xxii. 6 — 9. ' For thus
saith the Lord unto the king's house of Judah, Thou art Gilead unto
me, and the head of Lebanon; yet surely I will make thee a wilderness,
and the cities which are not inhabited,' &c. This land hath not only
departed from God, in and by their own sins, in refusing the rich offer
of the gospel ; and breach of covenant ; but have homologate that
broken and despised idol's sin, that hath overturned the work of refor
mation, by their owning of him now, when he hath taken the whole
privileges of Christ's crbwn and kingdom to himself. And this I am
persuaded of, that if there be a family in the Christian world, that conies
under Amalek's curse, viz. ' With whom he will have war for ever ;'
it is that family, called the Royal Family ; whom, I think, God is about
to sweep off the throne, so tbat. no root thereof shall be left to exercise
in the government, Isa. xl. 23, 24. ' That bringeth the princes to
nothing ; he maketh the judgeB of the earth as vanity,' &c.
Now, as to the articles of my indictment, whereon my sentence of
death is founded, is, First, The owning and maintaining, that it was
lawful to rise in arms at Pentland and Bothwell-bridge : which I did
with great cheerfulness and boldness, they being in their own defence,
and in the defence of the gospel ; and took that article for proof in the
Confession of Faith, that they bave given out to be the confession of
their own faith, professing to build that abominable and ridiculous test
upon ; which shews, that they are ill buijders, the building being so far
off the foundation. But I refer you to the draught of 'a paper, which
I drew as my testimony against that test ; which with the consent and
advice of others, was affixed on the parish kirk door of Stonehouse:
and I am of the mind, that this proof, as it did enrage them, < being
like a wild bull caught in their own net ;' so it did give them no small
damp. A second was, speaking treason (as they call it) and declining their
authority, which consisteth in this. First, when asked, If their king,
or rather their idol, were a tyrant ? I referred it to his obligations in
his coronation oath, to be considered with his present actings and prac
tices, with his usurpations upon the privileges of the church, and prero
gatives royal of Jesus Christ, ' who is the anointed of the Father :' and
the refusing to say, ' God save the king,' which we find was the order
that was used in and among the children of Israel, at the king's anoint
ing to that office ; and used in our own nation at the coronation. Now,
this being only due to a lawful king, ought not to be given but to a
lawful king, and so not to him, being a degenerate tyrant: for if I
should, I. thereby had said Amen to all that he hath done against tbe
church and liberties thereof, and to all his oppression by unlawful exac
tions, and raising of armies, for no other effect, but to deprive us of the
hearing of the gospel, and troubling or molesting the subjects, both in
their consciences and external liberties, and also their bloodshed and
murders made upon the people of God, and free subjects of the king
dom; and so 'bid him God speed,' contrary to that in the second
epistle of John, 10th verse. And seeing it cannot be given to any that

408 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
bave thus used their power to a wrong end, in such a measure and
manner ; so much less, when they have set him up as an idol, in the
room of God Incarnate. And shall I pray, To bless that man in his
person and government, whom God hath cursed? for it cannot be
expected, but tbat he shall be cursed, that thus ventureth upon the
thick bosses of the buckler of God Almighty.
" Now, I shall here give in short, an account of my principles, which
I shall do, as in the sight of an all-seeing God, viz. I am a true Chris
tian, truly anti-popish, anti-prelatic, anti-sectarian, anti-schismatic, anti-
erastian ; a true presbyterian, owning the true protestant religion, now
owned and professed by the poor wrestling and suffering remnant in
Scotland : and whatever men have said, or may say of me, I have
lived, and now I die thus.
" Wherefore, in the first place, I give testimony to the truth, fulness,
and authority of the Scriptures ; and to all the truths contained there
in, and warrantable therefrom. 2dly, I bear my testimony to the way
of salvation through Jesus Christ ; and that by bis satisfaction the
moral law was not abrogated, but fulfilled : and that the moral law is
as binding on the Christian truly interested in him, this day, as it was
that day when it was given to the children of Israel ; only the condem
natory sentence thereof loosed to all such as are believers indeed.
3dly, I bear my testimony to the work of reformation, as it was re
formation, as it was reformed from Popery, Prelacy, Erastianism, and
other errors ; as it is contained in the Confession of Faith, Larger and
Shorter Catechisms, Covenants National and Solemn League, Solemn
Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties, the Sum of Sav
ing Knowledge, Directory for Worship, the Causes of God's Wrath,
drawn up by tbe General Assembly of this church, after the evil in
meddling with that rotten-hearted malignant Charles Stuart, was seen.
4thly, I bear my testimony to the faithful actings of tbe remonstrants
against malignants and tbe malignant interests, which are tbe very
things this day contended for, by the true Presbyterians of the Church
of Scotland. 5thly, I bear my testimony (not to go further back,
seeing it homologates the rest) to that noble testimony given at Lanark,
against that tyrant, and the test enacted by the late parliament ; which
I could not but look upon, in the time of the carrying on of it, and
yet doth, — that the remnant was therein owned of the Lord. 6thly, I
bear my testimony to all the faithful testimonies of the martyrs that
have gone before us, on scaffolds, in the fields, or in the seas. 7thly,
I bear my testimony to all the appearances in arms, for the defence
of the gospel. 8thly, I bear my testimony to the faithful manner of
the delivery of the gospel, that hath been in the open fields, by the
faithful and sent servants of Jesus Christ, exercising according to his
own commission ; preaching days, communion days, and fasts ; partic
ularly one holden at Auchingilloch by three ministers, two of them
now glorified, viz. Mr. Donald Cargill and Mr. Richard Cameron ;
where the land's guilt was freely and faithfully discovered. 9thly and
lastly, I bear my testimony to the fellowship-meetings of the Lord's
people, particular and general, and my soul hath many a time been
refreshed in them.

JAMES ROBERTSON. 409
" Likewise, on the other hand, I leave my testimony against the public
resolutions for taking in that malignant interest ; for which this poor
church is this day smarting, and feeling the weight of that tyrant's
hand, for such eager lusting after a king. 2dly, I leave my testimony
against Hamilton Declaration, which is one and the same thing with
the Resolutions. (1.) For taking in the foresaid interest, contrary to
the land's engagements in covenant. (2.) For corrupting the army.
But my mind of this, with several other things, such a9 the
excommunication, tyrant's interest, cess and locality, is more fully
expressed in a paper, entitled, ' Some few grievances, set down by way
of query;' which was occasioned by a minister preaching near the
place of my residence, and some falsely accusing me for casting at
ministers, and so at ministry : and to show that my hearing was not
from any schismatical design, but of conscience of duty, judging him
deficient and faulty, in not being faithful, — I therefore drew my
grievances to be presented ; and refer to this and the forementioned
paper, as a part of my testimony against the wrongs done to a holy
God in this backsliding age. 3dly, I leave my testimony against
all unfaithfulness in ministers. (1.) For their dark and ambiguous
manner of preaching, in not giving free, full, and faithful warning of the
duty and dangers of our day. (2.) They either altogether leave off
preaching, as if seeming and apparent hazard loosed them from that
command, which is to preach in season and out of season, &c. Or
turning the edge of their doctrine against the most faithful in the land,
and taking the faults and failings of the saints in Scripture, to defend
them in their sinful, defective, conniving and complying courses ; which
is a wresting of the Scripture, for these are set down for our admoni
tion, not to split upon such rocks. And O 1 how many professors are
guilty also iu this matter, they cannot deny it to be a fault, viz. such
and such things ; yet they cannot state their sufferings on them. Now
undeniably, this is a presumptuous sinning, venturing upon it, because
God is merciful ; this is a daring of him to his face. Surely David
was not of this mind of it, Psal. xix. 12. ' Who can understand his
errors, cleanse thou me from secret, faults.' ver. 13. 'Keep back thy
servant also from presumptuous sins, let them not have dominion over
me,' &c. Numb. xv. 30. ' But the soul that doth ought presumptu
ously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacb-
eth the Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from bis people.' 4thly,
I give my testimony against that erastian indulgence, and such as join
with them, because they entered not by the right door, but by the
order of the usurper, whereas Christ is the only door. John x. 1.
But this I will say, that those who will not, and dare not take that
usurper's portion, lest they be defiled thereby, ' their countenance shall
outshine the other, and be fatter and fairer in the day when they are
to be proved before the king,' Dan. i. 15. 5thly, I give my testi
mony against all the hearers of these abominable tested curates
throughout the land ; so in particular against the corner of that
land, viz. Kilmarnock and the country thereabout, where I was
ipprehended, which I was then persuaded of, and yet am, that it
was so ordered, that I might in particular witness against them
3 F

410 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
for their compearing at courts, subscribing bonds, paying fines, which
includeth in it an acknowledgment of a fault, building that which
formerly they did destroy, and destroying that which formerly they
builded, and that according to God's word ; and these who formerly
were leaders in the way of truth, elders and old professors, are now aa
active by example and advice in the present course, and so are a stum
bling-block to others. ' Offences must come, but wo to them by whom
they do come ; better it were, that a millstone were banged about their
necks, and they were cast into the midst of the sea.' O that ye who
have formerly known the way of truth, would study more stability,
and let not your liberty become a stumbling-block to others. 6thly,
I bear my testimony against all profanity and profane persons, against
all Atheism, and Atheists practical and professed ; not only such as
deny the true God by profession, but even such as do it by practice,
belying their profession : against all enthusiasm and enthusiasts,
although these black-mouthed Erastian writers, are pleased to call the
way that is now followed by the poor remnant, such ; yet my endeav
ours have always been to be both cleared in matters of truth and
practice, according to the word and Spirit. But this I think, that the
Lord is about to let this generation stumble, fall, and break their necks
upon their own carnal wisdom, and each of them upon another : But
mind this, ' That the world by wisdom knew not God :' for it seems,
it is the nothings of this age, tbat he will make use of : ' Out of the
mouths of babes and sucklings he will perfect his praise.'
" Now, I would speak in short to three sorts : 1st, You that are
strangers and enemies to this lovely Lord, let your estrangement be
done away ; break off your sins by repentance ; consider the hazard
you are in, even of eternal wrath and scorching hell fire for ever. O
this condescending love of God, that is laid out in this manner ! O ye
that are enemies to his interest and people, mind that justice, even
wrathful justice, is ready to be poured out upon you ! O therefore
come off ! repent and turn in unto this so favourable and merciful a
God : leave off your persecution, come unto him, ' there is mercy with
him that he may be feared ;' and if ye will not return, then his wrath
will be upon you to all eternity. 2dly, Ye tbat have sometimes known
what it was to be in God's favour, and had much love and tenderness
for him, his work and interest, cause and covenant, as it was reformed
in this land, and now are fallen from your first love, O endeavour to
have in mind the love of your espousals, when ye and Christ were
hand-fasted : O consider aright what a great difference there is between
your love, faith, zeal, tenderness now, in regard of what it was.
Therefore take a right look of matters, and weigh them aright in the
balance of the sanctuary, both as to your own particular case, and the
case of his churoh ; and turn to him with speedy and unfeigned repent
ance ; for he that turns aside to crooked ways, ' shall be led forth
with the workers of iniquity.' O therefore turn in time, lest ' repent
ance be hid from your eyes.' O ! as ye love the glory of God, the
good of your own souls, and the advantage of the church, if such an
one as I may be so bold as to invite you, now going out of time into
eternity ; as ye would not be partakers of the plagues that are to come

JAMES ROBERTSON. 411
upon such a generation, come off with speed. 3dly, You that are in
good terms with God, and helped to keep by his way, break not your
peace by turning aside to crooked ways, entertain love, keep and hold
fast your integrity, in this day, when many have broken the bargain
with him now when the language of many is this, ' These are hard
sayings, who can bear them ?' And now, that this is his language to
you ' Will ye also leave me ?' O! let this be the language of every
ingenuous soul, ' To whom shall we go ? for thou hast the words of
eternal life.' Make sure salvation to yourselves, thereby ye shall be
the more fit to follow him in this day, when he is casting forth his red
flag, and marching. Many follow him when the white flag of peace
is flourishing ; but they are ill worthy of the sweet, who will not take
part with him in the bitterest and sharpest sufferings ; for what iB the
¦greatest of sufferings that can come from man, coming upon his
account, in regard of what he suffered for us, even the heavy wrath of
God, which would have pressed us down to the pit through all eternity:
and may not the consideration of this oblige you ? 1 can speak it to
his commendation, that he can make the cross light and easy, for he
will bear it and you both. And seeing everlasting arms are under
neath, have you not ground to expect that he will not let his own arm
be crushed. He can strew the cross with roses. I dare not say
that ever I met with a cross ; for when the strait hath been greatest,
then he kythed his kindness most. O tbe rich manifestations that he
giveth to the soul under the cross ! Yea, it is all paved with love.
Who would not go through a sea of bloody sufferings with him and
for him ? He is ' the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the vallies ; ho
is fair and ruddy, the chief among ten thousand of thousands :' O !
who can describe him? He is the only precious object, 'altogether
lovely.' If he were seen and known, who would not love him ? he is
both lovely and loving. The soul may solace itself in him, under the
greatest of straits. Now, ye that have received him, walk worthy of
him. O ! who knows what is in love? 1 John iv. 17. ' Herein is
our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judg
ment ; because as he is, so are we in this world.' How is that ?
' Though in the world, yet not of the world.' Ver. 18. ' There is no
fear in love ; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath tor
ment : he that feareth is not made perfect in love.' Now, the reason
of our love is, ver. 19. 'We love him because he first loved us.'
Now, dear friends, ye that are helped to keep by bim, think it not
strange though the world hate you, it hated himself : ' He was a man
of sorrows and acquainted with grief. If ye were of the world, the
world would love its own.' Should we not be as pilgrims and stran
gers, travelling, seeking after an heavenly country ? There is a rest
for the people of God, and to whom is this rest appointed but to the
weary passenger !
" Now, I am given out by the enemies and professors, as being
prodigal of life, and leading my two brethren to the death; but
tbey are both false charges : for I have found more straightness and
stedfastness in them, than I can find in myself. As for the other, I
bave so much of humanity, that I love my life ; but cannot redeem

412 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
it with the loss of my integrity, and denial of any of his precious
truths. I durst not make a shift to have any favour of the enemies,
nor to touch, taste, or handle with them, for their dainties are deceitful
meat. And there is one scripture which at my first coming to prison
confirmed me, Philip, iv, 6. '' Be careful for nothing : but in every
thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests
be made known unto God.'
" Now, dear friends, encourage yourselves in the Lord, and stand
fast in one spirit, striving together for the faith of Jesus : Let nothing
damp your courage, zeal, tenderness, and faithfulness, for this so lovely
a Lord; and let brotherly love always continue. Beware of rocks,
both on the right and left hand ; we have beacons set up for both, to
our sad experience, in this poor church : beware of peremptoriness,
passion, and pride ; for there may be, and I fear is, a spiritual pride,
as well as a natural. Carry suitably to those who are without, and to
tbem that are' within. Endeavour to have an union in the Lord ob
tained, and entertained. Mix not tbe fire of true zeal with the wild
sparks of carnal passion ; but let meekness of spirit, with a Christian,
godly and faithful conversation, adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour.
The breakings of the remnant, I may warrantably say, have lien heavier
upon my spirit, than all that I have met with from the enemy. And
if ye will not get together, wrath will be upon yon. O ! for tbat day,
when they shall be made ' one stick in his hand,' when it shall be as
in Isa. xi. 13. ' The envy of Ephraim also shall depart, and the adver
saries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and
Judah shall not vex Ephraim.' Ver. 14. ' But they shall flee upon
the shoulders of the Philistines towards the west, and they shall spoil
them of the east together,' &c. And tbat scripture, ' Suffer not sin
upon thy brother's soul, but in any wise reprove him.' Seek to reclaim
them that are fallen : ' Ye that are spiritual, restore 6uch an one in the
spirit of meekness.' Follow a gospel method, beware of self-seeking,
And let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall,' &c.
I am not here speaking to those that are going on in homologating
these God-provoking, Christ-dishonouring, church-ruining, and landr
desolating courses ; but to the wrestling remnant.
" Now death is not a whit terrible to me, 1 Cor. xv. 55. ' O death,
where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ?' Ver. 56. ' The
sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.' Ver. 57 .
' But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lo r<l
Jesus Christ.' I think this is his language to me, Micah ii. 1 0
' Arise ye and depart, for this is not your rest : because it is pol
luted,' &c. 2 Cor. v. 1. ' For we know, tbat if our earthly house of this
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not
made with hands, eternal in the heavens.'
" Now, as to his way witb his church, it is mysterious ; ' his way
is in the deep, his paths in the mighty waters ;' but the thoughts of this
I cannot put off my spirit, but that he hath thoughts of good and not
of evil ; to give this poor church an expected end. But I am per
suaded of this, that he bath some other work ado, before that be accom
plished, for falling from ber first love, and the great ingratitude for the

JAMES ROBERTSON. 413
great and high privileges formerly enjoyed : But be not discouraged,
nor sinfully anxious, neither about the church nor the remnant, but
wait on God in his own way, and commit all to him, and he shall bring
it to pass : It may come in a way least expected (I have no doubt
about it) that his power, infiniteness, and sovereignty may yet appear,
" Now, I declare I am free of the blood of all men, and though
man had never public scandal to charge me with, yet I am one of the
chief of saved sinners. And in respect of original, actual, and omis-
sional sin, there hath been as much guiltiness in me, as might and
would have weighed down to the pit, the whole world ; but my lovely
Lord bath shewed me warm blinks of his love. O for love to give to
this lovely Lord Jesus, according to that scripture, ' Come and I will
tell you what the Lord hath done for my soul.' Upon the day before
I received my sentence, I met with a great measure, and a full gale of
the Spirit, whereiu my heart was both melted and enlarged, winning
near to him, both alone and with the rest ; but a little thereafter going
to him alone, I found him hiding, and being sensible of it, my heart, in
some measure, panted after him, yet absent ; so going to the word, I
was directed to 1 John v. 14. ' This is the confidence that we have in
him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.'
Ver. 15. ' And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we
know that we have the petitions that we desired of bim :' — which did
in no small measure settle and comfort my spirit ; so meditating a
little, and considering how these two could consist together, was an
swered thus ; ' because they have no changes, therefore they fear not
God.' And since, I bless his holy name, I have had great composure
of spirit.
" Now, according to my blessed Lord's command, I am not prepos
sessed with malice, or a spirit of revenge, but can bless when cursed :
As for these men that are unjustly taking away my life, not only con
trary to the law of God, and the ancient and fundamental laws of the
land, but even contrary to their own law ; for what they are doing
against me as I am in myself, I can freely forgive them and all others ;
but as they do it against the image of God in me, and upon his truth's
account, and so against himself, that is not mine to forgive, but I leave
it to him to whom vengeance belongeth, to deal with them as may
best glorify himself. Now, I rejoice in my lot, for it hath fallen to
me in pleasant places, and I have a goodly inheritance ; I would not
exchange it with the greatest- monarch upon earth. O ! let heaven
and earth praise him, sun and moon praise him ! O all the creation
praise him, angels and glorified saints praise him, and my soul shall
praise him through all the ages of eternity. Now, farewell all things
in time, farewell holy Scriptures, farewell prayer, meditation, faith,
hope ; farewell all true friends. Welcome heaven ; welcome Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit ; welcome angels, and spirits of just men made
perfect ; welcome praises for evermore !
Sic sub  JAMES ROBERTSON."*
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 230—249.

414 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIE!

XXII. JOHN FINLAY.
[This was the second in order, of the three individuals who were ex
ecuted together on the 15th December, 1682. He seems to have
belonged to Kilmarnock or its neighbourhood, and was a prisoner
in that town when visited by his friend Robertson ; on which occa
sion the latter was apprehended. He was tried and condemned for
mere matters of opinion, as the following account of his examination
will evince. " Being interrogated, whether it be lawful to rise
in arms against the king, refuses to answer. Refuses to say God
save the king, but says he loves the king as well as any person —
confesses he was present at Drumclog, but without arms. Being
asked if he conversed with Mr. Cargill within these two years —
refuses to answer, otherwise than that a man is neither by the law
of God nor man bound to have a band in shedding his own blood."
Sucb indeed were the several grounds of condemnation in the
period in question  For the reasons on which he held these opinions,
the reader is referred to the following testimony."]
"Men and brethren, — Showing you that I am condemned unjustly
by a generation of bloody men, who are thirsting after the blood of the
saints of God, and upon no other account, but for my being found in
the way of my duty in the sight of God, (glory to his holy name for
it, though gone about with many failings, much imperfections,) for ad
hering to Christ in all his offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King ; and
for my following him in all his persecuted gospel truths ; — the articles
of my indictment were, 1st, My keeping company with the per
secuted people of God, ministers and others, for which, with my whole
soul, I bless him that ever he honoured me with such company ; and
in token of his countenance he hath kept me in that company. 2dly,
My being in company and converse witb Mr. Donald Cargill;
(for which with my whole soul, I desire to bless and magnify the
riches of his grace, that ever he conferred such company upon such a
sinful wretch) and Mr. King, Mr. Richard Cameron, Mr. Kid, in par
ticular. 3dly, My refusing to call the bishop's death murder, which
I durst not do, it being God's righteous judgment upon him. 4thly,
My not calling Bothwell-bridge rebellion ; it being in defence of them
selves and of the gospel, which is lawful in God's sight ; and therefore
I durst not call it rebellion. 5thly, My giving meat, drink, and com
fort to the persecuted people of God : which I did willingly and with
my whole heart ; and herein I have sweet peace this day ; as in Matt.
x. 43. ' And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little
ones, a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say
unto you, be shall in no wise lose his reward :' which he hath made
out to me abundantly to the full. 6thly, My being commanded
to say, ' God save the king !' which I durst not do for my very soul ;
then- bidding us to do it in the test of our loyalty, to save him in his
person and government, and authority, which is a perfect owning of
him in all that he hath done, in his usurpation upon Christ's preroga-

JOHN FINLAY. ilb
lives, and privileges, they having made him supreme head in all mat
ters and causes, civil and ecclesiastic ; which if I had done, it had been
a flat denying of Christ, and a joining with him and them, I mean
Charles Stuart, in all that they have done in overturning the glorious
work of reformation in these lands, and all the wrongs done to the
gospel and people of God in this day, which would have made me
odious in the sight of God, and before the world ; from which I bless
him, that he hath kept me ; as the scripture saith, ' He that is not
faithful in little, will not be faithful in that which is much.' 7thly,
Being asked, if I would not pray for the king ? I said, Yes. Do it
then, they said. I said, according to the scripture. They said, he will
pray for him as he is a man, but not as he is king, which is high treason
and rebellion. Now, my friends, I being conscious to myself that my
owning him as my king, was a casting off Christ Jesus who is head and
King of Zion, and taking on with him, and so would have incurred the
wrath of God, and homologated all the bloodshed, and all the horrid
bloody abominations they have committed in the land, with avowed
defying of the great God, — O who dare join with such avowed enemies
of our God, and so cast off the society of the saints, and give the
hand of fellowship to such bloody and man-sworn wretches, that is
making it their whole work to root out godliness out of this covenanted
land, that the name of Israel shall no more be made mention of : but
they will be all beguiled, for Christ will reign till all his enemies be
made his footstool.
" 1st, I give my testimony to the sure word of God, which is the
Scriptures of truth. 2dly, I give my testimony to the way of salva
tion through Jesus Christ, and that by his satisfaction. 3dly, I bear
my testimony to the work of reformation, as it was reformed from
Popery, Prelacy, Erastianism, and other errors, as it is contained in
the Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms. 4thly, I
give my testimony to the Covenants National and Solemn League, and
solemn Acknowledgment of Sins, and Engagement to Duties, Sum
of Saving Knowledge, Directory for Worship ; and to the Causes of
God's Wrath, drawn up by the general assembly of the church, after
their meeting with the rotten-hearted malignant Charles Stuart. 5thly,
I bear my testimony to the faithful actings of the remonstrants against
the malignant interest, that is the very thing contended for by the true
Presbyterians of the church of Scotland. 6thly, I give my testimony,
not to go farther back, seeing it homologates the rest, to that notable
testimony given at Lanark, against tbat tyrant, and the test intimated
by the late parliament, on which I could not but look, in the time
of carrying it on and yet do, that the remnant was owned of the
Lord. 7thly, I bear my testimony to all the faithful testimonies of the
martyrs, that have gone before us, whether on scaffolds, or on the fields,
or in the seas. 8thly, I bear my testimony to all appearances in arms,
for defence of the gospel. 9thly, I bear my testimony to the faithful
preaching of the gospel that hath been in the fields by the faithful and
sent messengers of Jesus Christ, according to his own mission, preach
ing days, communion days, and fast days, by Messrs. Cargill, King,
Kid, Cameron, and Douglas. lOthly and lastly, I bear my testimony

416 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
to the fellowship-meetings of the Lord's people, particular and general.
my soul hath been many a time refreshed with his presence in com
pany with them.
" Likewise I bsar my testimony, 1st, Against the public resolution-
ers for taking in the malignant interest, for which this poor church is
smarting, this day, and feeling the weight of the tyrant's hand, for
such eager lusting after the king. 2dly, I bear my testimony against,
Hamilton Declaration, which is one and. the same with the resolutioners,
for taking in the foresaid interest, contrary to the land's engagements
in covenant. 3dly, For corrupting the army, and other things, such as
tbe excommunicated tyrant's interest, cess, and all other impositions of
that nature, for the down-bearing of Christ's interest, doing it against
a holy God. 4thly, I bear my testimony against indulged ministers,
for their not coming in by the door, but by the mission of men, John
x. 1. ' He that entereth not by tbe door into the sheep fold, hut
climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.' They
being entered by the tyrant and not by the door, they are become men-
servants, and not servants to Jesus Christ, and so are become an Erastian
party, which hath wronged our Lord and King more than the bloody
prelatic party hath done these twenty years bygone, by their rending
the church's bowels, and for dividing many a bosom-friend, to the great
hurt of tbe gospel. 5thly, I leave my testimony against all corrupt
ministers, sheltering themselves under their wings, strengthening the
stakes of that plantation, and for their dark and ambiguous preaching,
in not declaring the whole counsel of God. 6thly, I leave my testi
mony against all the enemies and wrongers of my Lord's glorious
privileges and prerogatives, all in general. I leave my testimony against
tbat bloody murderer John Reid, who murdered a woman in the town
of New-milns, and now is carrying arms against Christ and his fol
lowers, — who took me, and confessed to me that he had not an order for
it ; and against that party who carried me to Edinburgh ; and espe
cially Alexander Gemmil, my neighbour, who vexed me more than
all that party, for he said I married folk and baptized children, and
mocked me most dreadfully.
" A line of advice to two or three sorts of folk. To you that are
old professors and covenanters in the west of Scotland, and especially
in Kilmarnock parish, what are ye doing ? Where are ye now, beside
when ye swore the Covenant, and swore against Popery, Prelacy,
and all that faction, side and party ? How are ye prosecuting the ends
of that Covenant now, in the sight of God, and the oath of God, that
je swore with hands lifted up to the Most High, and before heaven
and earth, sun and moon ? O ! my soul trembles to think what bad
example ye are to the young generation, — ye who should bave been as
the he-goats before tbe flock, to train them up in the way of God, and
the way of holiness and righteousness, and now ye are leading them
just the contrary. Should ye not have been more tender of the blood
of the souls ofthe young generation, than to turn your back upon your
profession, and turn in with tbe men of these abominations in all
things ? O fear the wrath of that God who has said, ' Shall any break
the covenant and be delivered ?' Now therefore, I desire, as ye tender

JOHN FINLAY. 417
your own souls, that ye would turn again to your first husband, for it
was better with you than it is now. Next, you that are the young
generation, men and women, what are ye doing ? — are ye following
the footsteps of your fathers in their courses of defection, joining in
hearing these perjured curates, answering at their courts, joining in
their worship with them, in their abominable and soul-destroying
courses, contrary to the word of God, our solemn Covenants, and Con
fession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, the order of the
church of Scotland, in discipline, worship, and government — as they,
ye, and I, are sworn, with hands lifted up to the most high God, whicb
no power on earth is able to loose, or undo, or free from, any man,
or woman, baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
O therefore, take heed how ye think to answer before the great sin-
avenging God, before whom I am to appear within a little space, and
before whom I aud all the world will stand and be judged with righteous
judgment !
" And likewise, seeing that I dare not but show you my mind anent
6ome persons and their carriage in this day of Jacob's trouble, when
Zion is laying waste and plowing like a field : First, I give my testi
mony against these men called elders in my own parish, because of
tbeir complying with every course of defection and abomination that
comes alongst through the country; — .they being thought to be
faithful elders in the time of the presbyterian government, and then
turned elders to the curate Carnagie, and then turned elders to Mr
Wedderburn, that indulged minister, and now are sessioners to this
curate. And seeing this is true, tbat they have shewed themselves to
be men of no principles, and the Spirit of God saying expressly, ' Med
dle not with them that are given to change ;' who can blame me to
disown them ?
" I give my testimony against John Boyd, called bailie of Kilmarnock,
for his bloody courses in many things, and especially in his uplifting
of the cess and bloody fines, and in oppressing the poor in their con
sciences, and laying on dragoons upon them most cruelly, which
he did upon me four times ; I wish God may forgive him for what he
has done in tbat matter.
" Now, according to my blessed Lord's command, I am not pos
sessed with malice, or a spirit of revenge, but bless when cursed.
As for these men that are unjustly taking away my life, not only con*
trary to the law of God and the ancient laws of the laud, but even
contrary to their own law ; now for what they are doing to me, as I
am in myself, I can freely forgive them, and all others ; but, as they
do it against the image of God in me, and upon his truth's account,
and so against himself, that is not mine to forgive, but I leave it to him
to whom vengeance belongs, that he may deal with them as he may
most glorify himself. O I if I could speak or write any thing to the
commendation of the covenanted God of the church of Scotland, I
have surely many things to say, for that he trysted my lot to be in a
nation where he hath set up his pure worship ; whereas he might justly
have let my lot be amongst Pagans, and heathen nations, that knew
nothing of the true God. Or, 2dly, he might have ordered it to be
3 G

418 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
among those that are worshipping Antichrist, that whore, that monstrous
beast, that sits upon many waters ; whose sentence may be read in
Rev. xiv. 9. ' And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud
voice, If any man worship tbe beast and his image, and receive his
mark in his forehead, or in his hand,' Ver. 10. ' The same shall drink
of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture,
into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire
and brimstone, in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence
of the Lamb ;' Ver. 11. ' And the smoke of their torment ascendeth
up for ever and ever : and they have no rest day nor night, who worship
the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his
name.' And so, as sure as God is God, and the holy scriptures are
his word, according to which all men that have heard ov seen, it shall be
judged, having the sentence of absolution or condemnation past accord
ing thereto, Rom. ii. 12. 'For as many as have sinned without law,
shall also perish without law ;' — so it is clear, that the first will surely
perish, viz. all Infidels, and Atheists, and Heathens, and Pagans, that
know not the true God nor his law : ' And as many as have sinned in
the law, shall be judged by the law.' And so whatever vain hopes
the papists may have of being saved, living and dying papists, or
whatever charity loose professors have on that head to give them, they
are as far from being saved as devils, which are eternally cast out of
his presence. 3dly, I have him to bless for this, that my lot is not
among corrupt protestant churches abroad, Lntherans, and other corrup
tions and abounding errors, both in doctrine, discipline, worship, and
government, Sectarian, Episcopal, or Erastian ; — but in the reformed
church of Scotland, where all these things have been cast over the hedge,
as not plants of his planting, where he hath been owned in all bis offices,
Prophet, Priest, and King, though he may say of us, in a great measure,
as to the church of Israel of old, ' I have planted thee a noble vine, but
thou art become a degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me,' &c.
In that day of planting we could have sung that song, Isa. xxvi. 1. —
' We have a strong city, salvation will God appoint for walls and bul
warks.' Lam. iv. 1 1. ' The Lord hath accomplished his fury, he hath
poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath
devoured the foundations thereof.' Ver. 12. ' The kings of the earth,
and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed, that the
adversary and the enemy should have entered the gates of Jerusalem.'
Ver. 13. ' For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests,
they have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.' Ver. 14.
' They have wandered as blind men in tbe streets, they have polluted
themselves with blood, bo that men could not touch their garments.'
This may be our regret before God, as in verse 7. ' Her Nazarites
were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more
ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing waB of sapphire :' verse 8.
' Their visage is blacker than a coal : they are not known in the
streets : their skin cleaveth to their bones, it is witbered, it is become
like a stick,' &c. O how unnatural-like were it for the mother to let
the child, the fruit of her womb, perish for lack of the breasts ; were
she free of the child's blood, it perishing for want of its natural food ?

JOHN FINLAY. 419
And O 1 how many are this day perishing for want of the lively
preached gospel : ' Even the sea monsters draw out the breasts, they
give suck to their young ones ; the daughters of my people are become
cruel like the ostriches in the wilderness,' verse 3. And, 4thly, I
have him to bless for this, that I am not this day fighting against
him in an open stated war, and so bearing arms against him and
his people, for there is no more in me, as to myself, than these
that are imbruing their hands deeply in the blood of the saints.
Sthly, I have him to bless for this, that ever he opened mine eyes
to see the mystery of iniquity that abounds, and hath its seat in the
heart : as also, in some measure, a sight of the remedy in the blood
of Jesus, with his Spirit engaging me to himself, letting me see him
self, altogether precious, making me to see that ' it is better to be a
door-keeper in tbe house of God, than to dwell in the pleasures of sin
for a season ;' Psalm lxxiii. 24. ' Thou shalt guide me with thy
counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.' Verse 25. ' Whom have
I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire
besides thee !' 6thly, I bave his holy name to bless that ever he
honoured me to" know any thing, how small soever, of his persecuted
truths, viz. his crown, kingdom, and privileges, now, when many by their
acts and laws have taken his crown and sceptre and royal robe from him,
and settled the whole government of his house upon a man that is but a
worm ; but I believe his decree will stand, oppose it who will ; Psalm ii.
6. ' Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion,' Isa. xlii. 8. ' I
am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another,
neither my praise to graven images.' Now it is his declarative glory
which that usurper hath taken to himself. Ay, but he that leadeth
captivity captive according to his royal will and word, will reclaim his
own glory : he it is alone tbat hath given him to be the sure founda
tion, whereon all the building is fitly framed ; that stone that the
builders hath rejected is made the head of the corner, Isa. xxviii. 16.
' Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold I lay in Zion for a
foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure
foundation ; he that believeth shall not make haste. Ver. 17. ' Judg
ment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and
the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall over
flow the hiding-place.' 7thly, I bless and magnify the holy name of my
God, that hath called me to be a sufferer for his work and interest, count
ing it not my shame, but a high privilege, and dignifying me, when
many, famous in their generation, have been denied it, when so many
are denying, and by their practice are rendering the cross of Christ of no
effect. O my friends, bless and magnify your God for this, tbat ye
are privileged with these things, and strive to walk worthy of him in
your places, callings, and stations, and relations, as a husband, as a wife,
as a master, as a servant, as a Christian ; study to have a blameless
conversation, as becomes the gospel, as far as ye can, walk void of
offence towards God and man. My dear friends, I have sweet peace
in my lovely Lord ; he has made my prison become a palace unto me,
and he has made me many a time to bless him for my lot, for which
my soul shall praise him through all eternity. Therefore, my dear

420 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
friends, let none of you think it strange, concerning the fiery trial, as
though some strange thing had happened unto me, for it is in his holy
wisdom he hath made my lot sweet ; for he has made out his sweet
promises unto me, one of which is of more worth than all the world,
giving me the witness of his Spirit, bearing witness with my spirit
that I have a right to them all.
" Now farewell all things in time ; farewell holy Scriptures ; fare
well all Christian friends ; farewell prayer and meditation ; farewell
faith ; farewell hope. Welcome heaven ; welcome Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit ; welcome angels, and the souls of just men made perfect ;
welcome praises for evermore I Sic sub.— JOHN FINLAY."*

XXII. WILLIAM COCHRAN.
[[This was the other of the three individuals who were executed
together on the 15th of December, 1682. It appears he belonged
to Cairnduff, in the parish of Evandale. His examination before
the committee was nearly of the same tenor as that of the two
former. He seems to have been very cautious and reserved in his
answers. Yet nevertheless he was brought in guilty. Being asked
to say " God save the king," as a test and indication of his loyalty,
he did not reply. The only additional proof adduced on trial,
was the deposition of two soldiers, who declared that Cochran
and Finlay had on some occasion, (perhaps Drumclog, at which the
latter confessed he had been present,) taken their arms from them.
With his two companions he was executed in the Grassmarket on
the above-mentioned day, and left the following testimony.]
" Loving Friends, — Seeing I am going off time into eternity, I think
it fit now to leave my testimony to the truths of God. And, 1st, I
own the Scriptures, and acknowledge them to be tbe only rule to the
church and people of God at all times, and under all dispensations.
2dly, Jesus Christ to be the only Saviour of his people, and head of
bis church, and sole governor of his house. 3dly, I adhere to the
covenanted work of reformation, Confession of Faith, and the Cove
nants and Catechisms : and I think it my great honour and glory,
that I was born a member of that church, and desire to bear my testi
mony to all the privileges of that church ; and also I desire to bear
witness against all her enemies, especially against supremacy and
prelacy, and all prelatic and Erastian courses, and against all joiners
and compilers whatsoever with such Hke.
" Now I desire every believer in the church of Scotland, to take a
look how matters stand between God and their souls, in such a day as
this ; for it seems to me, that that religion which would have done
your turn at other times, will not do it now ; for his way is now in the
deeps, and ye would need to look where ye stand, when so many are
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 249—258.

WILLIAM COCHRAN. 421
falling ; and see whether ye have made religion your only choice or not :
for except Christ be tbe only pearl of price to you, and his law your
delight, ye cannot hold out ; for it seems to be a great work to be self-
denied, and to part with all things, when they come in competition with
the truths of Christ. Your going to kirks, and answering courts now,
when they are founded upon perjury, and seated upon the ruins of the
church, I cannot see, but it is a direct contradicting of the work of
reformation, which we are sworn to maintain in its purity, in doctrine,
worship, discipline, and government, (for we should not be divided
directly or indirectly) and a joining with the enemies of the truth,
when we should neither touch nor taste with the men of these abomi
nations. O look where ye are, and what will be the end, if mercy
prevent it not ; when once ye are fanged in their snares, ye stand
stoutly to the defence of it, and of these that join with them in
these ensnaring courses. I desire you would look through the causes,
why the Lord contends with this poor land, and leaves them thus to
consume away unto dross, for the whole land is involved in perjury,
for they are all joining together to destroy that which we were bound
and sworn to maintain both in kirk and state.
" Ye know that the land was given away to tbe Lord by covenant,
and we, with all our substance, lives, and fortunes, sworn to defend it
to the utmost of our power. O therefore consider where ye are now,
you may date your perjury from the changing of the government, and
the overturning of the work of reformation, and your being witness to
it, and to the taking and beheading of Argyle and Mr. Guthrie, with
out either resisting or resenting it, which is astonishing to me to
think upon, — for ye were bound to defend the lives of these two men,
though all your lives should have gone for it ; I am put to wonder at
Scotland's blindness. Ye may see your crowning and entering into
covenant with Charles Stuart hath been a thing contrary to the will of
the Lord, for he and all his predecessors have still been known to be
in opposition to the ways of the Lord. It seems that the Lord is still
contending with the land, and will contend, until he consume him and
the land, because the king's sins become the people's sins, when not
witnessed against and withstood. Now we know how he hath insnared
the whole land by his acts, but especially his supremacy over the
church, and intrusion on Christ's prerogatives ; and so many ministers
being in the land, and yet have not witnessed against it, but have either
kept silence, and thereby declared their unfaithfulness to the Lord, and
the souls of them they were set over ; for the ministers ought to preach
' in season and out of season, and set the trumpet to their mouths,' and
give the people warning of every sin, or else tbe Lord will require
their blood at the ministers' hands. I fear the ministers of Scotland
will be found very guilty of this ; they have not given the people
faithful warning against the hearing of the curates and indulged, for
the people's testimonies lay partly in forbearing to hear ; for they were
thrust in by the king's supremacy, and entered not in at the door : and
the indulged have done more hurt to the church, than all the curates
have done ; for they were looked upon to be godly men, and poor
things not considering, but following them blindly, not looking to the

422 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
scripture, and the government of the church, and so have broken and
divided the people.
" And our noblemen and gentlemen, from whom other things were
looked for, have deserted the cause to the stain of their memory to
after generations. The ministers ought to have given the people
warning, and not have been so tender of men when truth was so
wronged : for the people (many of them) were like to have taken warn
ing; but we see that juggling with the Lord first and last hath been
our ruin and wreck, and now we are brought to nothing, and our
worldly wisdom is seen to be foolishness with the Lord. But I per
ceive, within these two or three years, the Lord is beginning to let us
see our former ground again ; and I desire you his poor people to
labour to win at it, and to hold in it, and to be as tender of one another
as ye can, without sinning against the Lord ; for wc will be all found
guilty of the defection in less or more : therefore, I desire you to
humble yourselves before the Lord, and to make conscience of mourn
ing and heart-brokenness and weeping ; for if ye had the sense of it
deeply impressed upon your hearts, as I have had since I was a
prisoner, and the heart-breaks that I have had both from one and
another, but especially from mistaken friends, — ye could not but have
wept with all your heart. But, dear friends, be not discouraged, but
hold on ; for this way that I am now to suffer and lay down my life,
is, and will be found at length to be the way of God. There is
much need of tenderness of, and zeal for God's glory, and of watchful
ness ; for I find there are snares on all hands, and fear some of the
Lord's choice people will be permitted to fall. And, likewise, I desire,
dear friends, that ye would keep a spirit of sympathy with one another ;
I fear your straits be but coming : and I desire, when ye fall upon
debates upon the matters of the Lord, that ye would follow the
methods of the Scriptures, and his Spirit there, and cease from your
bitterness, one of you against another, ' For the wrath of man worketh
not the righteousness of the Lord ;' but be humbled under the sense of
the public sins that have caused us to be smitten with such sharp dis
pensations from the Lord. But I think Scotland's case is like the
case of Jonah, who fled from the presence of the Lord, till he could
get no further, and the Lord pursued him into the whale's belly, till
he was forced to cry unto the Lord. O ! that ye would cry, and
cry aright with broken hearts, and confess to the Lord, and forsake !
Lay it home to each one of yourselves in particular, as David did,
when he transgressed against the Lord, and numbered the people. O
that ye would plead with the Lord, and come in his mercy, and plead
for the young generation, that have not sinned away the gospel, as we
have done, and say to the Lord, What have these silly sheep done ?
O plead hard with the Lord, for I am persuaded he hath a kindness
for Scotland ; he is dealing with the hearts of some of the young gen
eration, and as yet he has heaped up a party contending for his work,
and will keep up some witnessing still ; yea, I think he will still keep
a contending party for his work and truths, until he return again : and
I think tbe hopes of this should encourage your hearts.
" Now, the main article of my indictment, upon which I have

WILLIAM COCHRAN. 423
received my sentence of death from men, was, that I would not say
' God save the king,' which (as they have now stated him an idol in
the Mediator's room) I could not do, without being guilty of saying
Amen, to all that he hath done against the church and people of God,
and true subjects of the kingdom, and the ancient and fundamental laws
thereof ; and doing contrary to that in the second epistle of John,
ver. 10. ' If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine,
receive him not into your house, neither bid him God-speed : for he
that biddeth him God-speed, is partaker of his evil deeds.'* And also,
ye know, that taking of the name of God in our mouths, is a part of
worship, and so a worshipping of their idol ; for before our faces they
said, That he was king over all persons, and over all causes ; which is
putting him in God's room. But they sentenced me, because they
said that I disowned authority, which was a diving into the thoughts
of my heart. Now, in obedience to what my Lord hath commanded,
I can freely forgive, as I desire to be forgiven, any thing that is done
to me, as I am in myself; but what hath been done against me
upon the account of truth, and so striking against God, I am not to
set myself above him, but I leave that to Himself. Now, I have great
satisfaction in my lot, and I rejoice that he hath called me to it, and I
bless him that I have been all along helped to join with his despised
work and people. And now many are pleased to say, That I had not
* The reasons here given by the present witness for refusing to say God save
the king may lead us to observe, once for all, that the sufferers for the cause of
religion and of liberty in the period in question, were not actuated by such nar
row views and unfounded prejudices as the defenders of prelacy and the apolo
gists of persecution would have us to believe. It appears that the same test was
put not only to Cochran, but also to his two companions and fellow-sufferers ;
and besides these to many more, to whose cases it is needless at present to refer.
Now it cannot but strike every impartial reader, tbat if on the one hand it was
superstitious and absurd in the sufferers to refuse pronouncing the words in ques
tion, it was no less absurd and superstitious in their persecutors to insist upon
them doing so. And yet the condescension of the government in this matter is
greatly lauded, and the obstinacy of the sufferers condemned by the writers we
have alluded to ; " and," observes Wodrow, in reference to the present witness,
'¦ it is said with a great deal of triumph that these persons might have had their
lives upon the easy and fair conditions of praying for the king, and this is
mightily magnified as an instance of the lenity of the period. This plain honest
man gives a very distinct answer to this." And after quoting the words as
above, he continues, " these were the sentiments of the poor serious country
people who suffered, and when they had this view that praying for the king
was really an approbation of all now done, it will not appear so narrow a point
on which they stated their sufferings, as at the first it may seem, and the prehi-
tists represent it, especially considering the poor country-people's ignorance and
education. And these bloodthirsty men were so far from endeavouring to
instruct and convince the pannels, that they even essayed to ensnare them, and pro
posed their queries so, as the poor men could scarcely miss concluding that their
saying God save the king was an approbation of what was done in his name.
They required this as a testimony of their loyalty, as we saw iu James Robert
son's case. So that this piece of reproach may very justly be turned over upon
the managers, who had no matter of fact, no act of treason or rebellion, to charge
many of them with, but endeavoured to ensnare them with captious and double-
faced questions, and then took away their lives, upon the poor people's being
unwilling to approve the wickedness of the tiiiae." — Wod. vol. ii.

424 TESTIMONIES OFTHE SCOTS WORTHIES.
been apprehended as a prisoner, if there had not been some of the
suffering people of God frequently about my mother's house ; which is
a commanded duty, much commended by Christ ; ' If any man give a
cup of cold water to a disciple, in the name of a disciple, he shall not
want a disciple's reward.' Therefore seeing it is such, let none offend
at such a work, wbo look upon themselves as members of that body ;
what may follow, leave in the Lord's hand, who doth all things well;
and nothing can harm his people, being found rightly in the way
of their duty. Now, as to those who count the pure way of truth a
wild principle; I count it a greater mercy to be wild from the way of
sinning, than to be tame thereunto ; as, alas ! most of the generation
are. " Now, farewell all true friends in Christ ; farewell holy and sweet
scriptures ; farewell sinning and suffering. Welcome heaven and the
full enjoyment of God through all eternity.
Sic Sub— WILLIAM COCHRAN."*

XXIII.— ALEXANDER HUME OF HUME.
£The execution of this excellent and worthy gentleman is strongly
reprobated by Wodrow as constituting " a flaming instance of the
rigour of the period." He had been apprehended on an accusation
of having held converse with the party, who took the castle of
Hawick, in 1678, and was brought to trial on the 15th of Novem
ber. It being on all hands acknowledged, however, that even this
trivial misdemeanour was not proved, he was acquitted by the
criminal court. But as an excuse for detaining him in prison, he
was required to take the Test, which he refused.-)- And shortly
» Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 258 262.
-f The oath here alluded to was that imposed by the parliament, in 1681.—
Though made professedly with the view of supporting the protestant ascen
dency, by excluding all enemies to it from places of power and trust, it soon
came to be employed as a general test of loyalty, and all who refused to take it
became suspected by the government. It was little wonder that it should have
been refused by all true Presbyterians ; for whilst it implied the renounce
ment of all Popish errors, it acknowledged the king's authority in all matters,
whether civil or ecclesiastical, asserted the unlawfulness of all resistance to his
power, upon any pretence whatever, and denied the obligation of the Solemn
League and Covenant. Now, passing over the flagrant inconsistency of its several
parts, it is obvious that no rational and conscientious Presbyterian could have
hesitated a moment to refuse it, nor was there any other course left for Mr.
rlume tn pursue. Though acknowledging the king's authority in temporal
matters, he could not but feel himself bound to disavow it iu things spiritual ;
mid though perfectly willing, as may be supposed, to swear adherence to tbe pro
testant interests, it was not to be expected tbat he should with the same breath deny
the obligation of the National Covenant, — the great bulwark reared by his fore
fathers, not only against Popery, but also in support of Presbytery. He there
fore preferred death to perjury, and though confessing the temporal authority of
the king, was as thoroughly opposed to his tyranny against the church, as any
of the other sufferers in the period in question. — For some farther particulars
relative to his trial and death, the reader is referred to The Scots Worthies,
New Edition, pp. 559, 560.

ALEXANDER HUME. 425
after, some further pretexts being found against him, a new process
was begun, and he was again indicted, and brought to trial on the
21st of December following ; and though the proofs brought against
him were most inadequate, and none of the witnesses identified his
person, he was brought in guilty, and sentenced to be hanged at the
Cross of Edinburgh, upon the 29th of that month. Here follow
his last words : J
" Men and Brethren, — There is a great confluence of people
here at this time, and I fain hope there are some amongst you that
desire to be edified by the last words of a dying man ; — which shall be
but few, because I do not think or judge myself qualified, to enlarge
upon any thing I have to say, as need requires and some might expect ;
and moreover, the time allowed is but short. And now 1 am come
here to lay down my life, and I bless the Lord that I am not to lay it
down as an evil-doer ; and albeit I be a sinful man, as others are, by
nature, yet through his grace, I hope I am -planted in Jesus Christ, — in
whom I have redemption and remission of sin.s through his blood, and
am separated from the generation of unbelievers. Free love only hath
made the difference, and happily hath ordered it so, that I have been
born within the church, where the blessed device of the gospel hath
been discovered, and the means of salvation made effectual for con
verting and building me up in grace, and begetting in me the hope of
that glory and redemption which I am now going to possess.
" The ground of my sentence is the alleged converse I had with
the party that took the castle of Hawick, in the year 1679 ; — the
probation whereof was not clear, and from which the verdict of the
assize did materially differ, as is evident from the witnesses' subscribed
depositions, and the recorded verdict of the said assize ; — the equity and
justice whereof I leave to God, and all unbiassed persons to judge.
" I need not be ashamed to live, (as through his grace I am not
ashamed to die,) and here I dare say, it has been my study to keep a
conscience. void of offence towards God, and also towards man. The
world represents me as seditious and disloyal, but God is my witness,
and my own conscience, of my innocence in this matter ; I am loyal
and did ever judge obedience unto lawful authority my duty, and the
duty of all Christians ; I was never against the king's just power and
greatness, and this I commend to all that hear me this day ; but all a
Christian doth must be of faith , for what clasheth with the command
of God cannot be our duty, and I wish the Lord may help the king
to do his duty to the people, and the people to do their duty to the
king. " It doth minister no small peace and joy to me this day, that the
Lord hath set his love upon me, one of Adam's unworthy posterity,
and has given me the best experience of his grace working in my
heart, whereby he hath inclined me to look towards himself, and make
choice of him for my soul's everlasting portion. It is the Lord Jesus,
and he alone, who is my rock, and the strength and stay of my soul.
AU my own righteousness I do utterly renounce, as a garment too
short for me, yea, as filthy rags. I die a protestant and presbyterian
3 H

426 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
this day, adhering to the holy Scriptures, and work of reformation
from popery and prelacy, according to the engagements personal or
national lying on me ; and I do leave my testimony against all the
steps of defection therefrom, either in doctrine, worship, or govern
ment, and all the encroachments made upon the kingdom and privi
leges of Jesus Christ, and whatever is against the life and power of

" It was the glory and happiness of our land, that the Lord Jesus
Christ made choice of us, to dwell in the midst of us by his gospel,
and the ordinances thereof, the precious symbols of his presence, by
which we had the advantage of many, if not of all the churches about
us. But oh and alas I how far are we degenerated, and what contempt
of this precious gospel are we become guilty of? We have not received
the love of God in our hearts, nor improved him for growth and
progress in holiness ; in place whereof all manner of impiety and
naughtiness does abound, which I fear will provoke the holy and
jealous God to send many heavy judgments on the whole land, whereby
it may be laid utterly desolate without an inhabitant. 'Tis to be
feared that these things may turn this church into a den of idolatry,
and provoke the Beloved to put a bill of final divorce into our harlot
mother's hand. O ! what cause is there to fear, that this people,
partly through their own ignorance, and partly through the unfaith
fulness and delusion of their pretended teachers, shall return again in
multitudes into the darkness and superstition of popery, from which
the Lord in his mercy delivered our fathers. O ! that the Lord would
give repentance to this generation, that the evil daymight be prevented.
Be exhorted to turn from sin, and make your acquaintance and peace
with God in time, which is not so easy a work as many apprehend ;
and who wants his own challenge for negligence in this matter ? People
love to defer this great concernment until it be too late, unhappily
preferring the pleasures of sin to the favour of God, and all the expec
tations of the saints within or beyond time. Was there ever a gener
ation wherein so many sad prognostics of divine wrath, upon its near
approach, did so much abound amongst men of all ranks and capacities
of whom far other things were expected, and I am sure, solemnly there
unto obliged, no less than those who have suffered at their hands upon
tbat account ? — which cannot but highly aggravate sin, heighten and
hasten judgment beyond ordinary, — which I pray the Lord may pre
vent. He knows I desire not the evil day ; I would exhort the Lord's
people to study much nearness to God, and oneness among themselves,
that being of one mind and one spirit, tbey may stand fast for the faith ol
the gospel, which is in such palpable hazard this day, as all who have
but half an eye may see. I cannot but be sensible of the sharpness
and severity of my sentence, which, after strict inquiry, will be found
to be as hard measure as any have met with before me : which seems
to flow from some other thing than what law and justice could allow.
I wish, I may be the last that maybe thus dealt with. I question not
but if competent time had been given, that application might have
been made unto his majesty, — his clemency would not have been want
ing in this case. Nevertheless, I bless the Lord, I find it in my heart

WILLIAM HARVEY. 427
to forgive all men, even as I desire to be forgiven, aud obtain mercy
in that day ; and if there be any at whose door my blood may more
directly lie than others, I pray the Lord to forgive them ; and now I wish
it may be well with the land when I am gone. My conscience bears
me witness, I ever studied the good of my country ; I hope I shall be
no loser that I have gone so young a man off the stage of this world,
seeing I am to make so blest an exchange, as to receive eternal life,
the crown of glory, the near and immediate fruition of the blessed
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in place of a short, frail, and miserable
life here below. I bless his name he made me willing to take share
witb his persecuted people, for I hope I shall also Bhare with them in
their consolations, when he shall wipe all tears from their eyes, and
they shall suffer no more, but reign with him in his kingdom.
" I am shortly to be clothed upon with my house from above, and that
city that hath foundations ; I shall sin no more. O desirable condi
tion ! when beyond all hazard of offending God any more, I shall
be capable both of serving God, and enjoying him more : I shall
wander and toil no more, having reached that harbour of eternal rest.
" I now contentedly take my leave of the world. Farewell all enjoy
ments, earthly pleasures, and contentments : Farewell friends and
relations, in whom I had much satisfaction : Farewell ray dear wife
and children, dear indeed unto me, though not so dear as Christ, for
whom I now willingly suffer the loss of all things, and yet am no loser !
I leave them on the tender mercies of Christ. Now, welcome blessed
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; welcome innumerable company of
angels, and spirits of just men made perfect: welcome celestial city;
welcome endless joy ! And now, O Father, into thy hands I commend
my spirit, Lord Jesus receive my soul !
ALEXANDER HUME."*

XXIV. WILLIAM HARVEY.
QThis man was a weaver in the town of Lanark. He was brought
before the Justiciary on the 20th of February, 1682, accused of
being at the late Rebellion, and present at publishing the treason
able declaration in Lanark, on the 29th of May, 1679. He was
brought in guilty accordingly. The court, however, delayed tn
pronounce sentence till enjoined by an order of council. He was at
length sentenced to be conducted to Lanark by a party of the guards,
and there to be executed on the 3d of March f following. This
sentence was carried into effect, and the following is the Testimony
which he delivered from the scaffold.]
Dear Friends, — I desire to show you in few words — And first I
* Wodrow's History, pp. 268, 270.
t This article, according to the date here quoted, should have been introduced
at an earlier part of the work, but being omitted at the proper place, it is inserted
here, so as to come in under the year 1682.

428 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
declare, I am a Presbyterian in my judgment, and I adhere to the whole
Scripture Confession of Faith, Catechisms, larger and shorter. Also,
I adhere to the National and Solemn League and Covenant. I adhere to
the government and governors, in so far as they are a terror to evil
doers, and an encouragement to those that do well; likewise I adhere
to all the faithful Testimonies given by the people of God since the
year 1660. Likewise I bear my testimony against popery and prelacy,
profanity and ungodliness, and all abominations, and punishing of the
godly, and letting blasphemy and wickedness go free ; as for instance,
a man who was imprisoned with me in the Canongate-tolbooth for
drinking the devil's good health : and I seal my testimony against
the dreadful test, and all the sinful engagements of them. As for my
dear friends, I warn you all to flee under Christ's banner in this day of
common calamity, for there is no shelter but under his wings, because
he is the only shelter. And oh, what a refreshment is there to be
found under him, and nowhere else ! Therefore, I desire you, my loving
wife, to seek God through Christ, and to own him in his way and
truth, for which I suffer. Now, I recommend you and my child to
the only wise Lord, who hath promised to be a husband to the widow,
and a father to the fatherless. Likewise I forgive all men, as I desire
God to forgive me ; and now I bid farewell to all created comforts.
Sic Sub  WILLIAM HARVEY "*
" After he had prayed fervently upon the scaffold, he went up the
ladder and spoke to the people a little, pressed them to make their
peace with God sure, and serve God, and obey the king so far as the
word alloweth, and no farther. He prayed again on the ladder, and
committed himself to the Lord's mercy, declared his willingness to die,
and his forgiving all who had a share in his death ; and died with a
great deal of composure. In short, he seems to have been made a sac
rifice to the managers' resentment, for the last declaration at Lanark ;
though I cannot find he was concerned in that, but only in proclaiming
the West country Declaration before Bothwell engagement."f

XXV. JOHN NISBET.
[John Nisbet the Younger, (so called to distinguish him from his name
sake of Hardhill,) was a native of Loudon-parish, in Ayrshire. Being
apprehended by Major White, who at the time governed in that
district, he was carried to Kilmarnock, and there, in consequence of
a Justiciary warrant to that effect, was, by him, with the assist
ance of the sheriff-depute, tried, condemned and executed. The
grounds of his condemnation were — as usual, his owning the lawful-
• For this short testimony, the Editor is indebted to one of the Wodrow MSS.,
which was communicated to him by the kindness of a friend, to whom he has to
acknowledge other favours of a similar kind.
f Wodrow, vol. ii. p. 361.

JOHN NISBET. 429
ness of the rising at Bothwell, his hearing Mr. Cargill, and his refus
ing to pray for the king's person and government. But these the
reader will find more fully explained in the following papers, which
constitute his Testimony. He was sentenced to be banged on the
14th of April, 1683, a sentence which was executed accordingly.]
1. His Examination.
" Dear Friends, — The manner of my examination (as I remember)
was this : — Q. When saw ye John Nisbet ?* A. I did not see him
this good while. Q. But when did you see him, and where did you
see him ? A. Although I could, I would not answer, to discover my
neighbours. [Tbe Major said, he would make me tell, or he would
make me sit three hours in hell.] I answered, That was not in his
power. Q. Are ye under an oath that ye will not tell of the rest of
you ? A. I am under no oath but what the Covenant binds us to. Q.
Took ye ever tbe communion ? A. No. Q. Did ye ever preach, or
expound the scriptures ? A. I could never read the Rudiments. Yet
(said they) there were men who did preach, that were not learned. I
told them I knew none but the Quakers, whose principles I disown.
Then said they, say, ' God save the king.' I answered, It was not in
my power to save, or condemn him. Q. Would you not say, ' God
save your beast,' if it were fallen into a hole ? A. No ; because it is a
taking of His name in vain. Q. Was you at Bothwell at the rebellion r
A. Seeing you count it rebellion, it is criminal, — witness of it. Q. Is
the bishop's death murder ? A. I am not a judge to cognosce upon
it. And being asked again my opinion of it, I answered, I had said
all that I could say of it already. Q. Was Bothwell rebellion ? I
answered, It was self-defence, which was lawful. Q. How prove ye
that ? A. By that confession which ye build your test upon. Then
they said jeeringly, I was a grammarian. Q. Own ye a law ? A.
Yes. Q. Own ye the law as it is now established ? A. Since ye
make your questions matters of life and death, ye ought to give time
to consider upon them. Q. Own ye the king in all matters civil and
ecclesiastic, and to be head of the church ? A. I will acknowledge
none to be head of the church but Christ. Q. Who is lawgiver ?
A. Christ. Q. Is the king, the king, or not ? A. He was once a
covenanted kiug. Q. Is he the king now ? A. I refer it to his obliga
tions in his coronation oath, to be considered. Q. Is he your king, or
not ? I told them, I would not answer any more such questions at
this time. This is all that past, for the most part, except a number
of senseless questions. No more at present, but have my love remem
bered to all friends in Christ. -.1 am very well borne through, blessed
be the Lord for it. Sic sub  JOHN NISBET."
2. His Testimony.
" Dear friends, and true lovers of Zion's righteous cause, — if I
* This was John Nisbet of Hardhill, one of tbe most eminent among the
covenanters of his day, for whose Life, see The Scots Worthies, New Ed. p. 475.

430 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
could speak or write any thing to the commendation of the cove
nanted God of the church and kingdom of Scotland, surely I have
many things to do it for. ] st, That he hath trysted my lot to be in
a nation where be hath set up his pure worship, discipline, and govern
ment ; whereas he might justly have ordered it to have been among
those that are worshipping antichrist, that whore of Rome, that mon
strous beast that sitteth upon many waters, whose sentence may be
read, Rev. xiv. 9. ' And the third angel sounded, saying with a loud
voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his
mark in his forehead, or in his hand,' ver. 10. ' The same shall drink
of the wine of the wrath of God, that is poured out without mixture,
into the cup of his indignation ; and he shall be tormented with fire
and brimstone, in the presence of his holy angels, and in the presence
of the Lamb :' ver. 11. ' And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up
for ever and ever : and they have no rest day nor night, who worship
the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.'
2dly, He might have ordered it to have been among the corrupt pro
testant churches abroad, Lutherans, and other corruptions, and abound
ing errors ; but in the reformed church of Scotland, which was ' fair
as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.'
The day was, when we could have sung that song, Isa. xxvi. 1. ' We
have a strong city, salvation will the Lord appoint for walls and bul
warks.' 3dly, I bless the holy name of my God, that I am not this
day carrying arms against Him, his work and interest ; for there is no
more in me, as of myself, than in these that are deeply imbruing their
hands in the blood of the saints. 4thly, I bless and magnify his holy
name, that ever he brought me out of the state of nature, and brought
me into a state of grace and salvation, through the virtue of the
blood of Christ ; and exalted he his holy name, that he hath given me
a sight of my own weakness, and also a sight of the deceitfulness of
my own evil heart, and the mystery of iniquity abounding there ; and
also a sight of the remedy of the blood of Christ, with his Spirit
engaging me to himself, and letting me see himself altogether lovely
and precious ; so that, I may safely say, that ' there is none in heaven,
or in earth that I desire besides Him,' Psalm lxxii. 25. And, 5thly, I
bless and magnify the holy name of my God, who hath given me a
sight of his controverted truths, now when it is come in question,
whether Christ be head of his own house or not, whereas there is no
truth clearer in all the Scripture ; yet it must not be spoken of, if ye
resolve not to suffer for it. 6thly, I bless his name, that ever he
counted me worthy to suffer for him, counting it not my shame, but
an high privilege, and dignifying of me, when many famous in their
generation have been denied of it, and are endeavouring by their
practice, to render the cross of Christ of no effect. 7thly, I
hiess and magnify his holy name, that he hath kept me from deny
ing his name, in his titles and attributes ; for, that is the thing
which the enemy and usurpers of my lovely Lord's crown are
seeking to have me to deny allegiance to him, who is given of the
Father to be a leader and commander of his people ; Isa. xxviii.
16. ' Thus saith the Lord, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation.

JOHN NISBET. 431
a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation, he
that- believeth shall not make haste.' Ver. 17. ' Judgment will I lay to
the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and the hail shall sweep
away the refuge of lies, and waters shall overflow the hiding place.'
But this may be our complaint, Lam. iv. 4. ' The tongue of the suck
ing child cleaveth to the root of his mouth for thirst, the young
children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.' Ver. 3 
' The daughter of my people is become cruel as the OBtriches in the
wilderness.' Mai. ii. 8. ' But ye are departed out of the way, ye have
caused many to stumble at the law : ye have corrupted the covenant
of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts." Ver. 9. ' Therefore have I also
made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye
have not kept my ways, and have been partial in the law.' For
now it is with the land as it is in Ezek. xxiv. 7. ' For her blood is in
the midst of her, she set it upon the top of a rock, she poured it not
upon the ground, to cover it with dust.' Ver. 8. ' That it might
cause fury to come up, to take vengeance : I have set her blood upon
the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.' Ver. 9. ' Therefore
thus saith the Lord, Woe to the bloody city, I will even make the
pile for fire, great.' For the iniquities of a land, many are the judg
ments thereof; therefore we had need to mourn, for we will all be
found guilty of the sins of the land, in less or more. It makes me to
tremble, to think of Scotland's unfaithfulness in all ranks, for as it is with
the people, so with the priests, for all have wandered out of the way, and
followed their idols, especially the sins of the corrupt rulers ; Micah vi.
16. ' For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works ofthe house
of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels, that I should go far from my
sanctuary ; therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.' Lam.
iv. 11. ' The Lord hath accomplished his fury, he hath poured out his
fierce anger, he hath kindled a fire in Zion, it hath devoured the foun
dations thereof.' Ver. 14. ' They have polluted themselves with
blood, so that men could not touch their garments.' Now his glory is
trampled under-foot ; but be hath said, Isa. xlii. 8: ' 1 am the Lord,
that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my
praise to graven images.'
" Now, is it not his declarative glory, which that usurper hath taken
to himself? Yea, but he that leadeth captivity captive, and giveth
gifts unto men, will reclaim his own glory, for ' the government is laid
upon his shoulders,' Isa. ix. 6. Eph. i. 22. ' And He hath put all things
under his feet, and gave him to be the head of all things to his church.'
Now, I being a free-bora member of the church and kingdom of Scot
land, and joining with all the fundamental laws thereof, and they
refusing to judge and sentence me according to that law, — that must
without doubt be murder : and further, they refuse to judge according
to the scriptures, — which is an higher wickedness. O what will come
upon Scotland, for the high abominations committed therein ? Surely,
it cannot but meet with odious judgments. Isa. xxxiv. 5. ' For my
sword shall be bathed in heaven : behold it shall come down upon
Idumea, and upon the people of my curse to judgment.' For I see
nothing appearing in this land hut defection from the way of truth ;

432 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
for there is no public power now in the land, but what is founded
upon perjury, sacrilege, and tyranny ; Ezek. xxii. 6. ' Behold, the
princes of Israel, every one were in thee, to their power, to shed blood.'
And compare Scotland's sins with Israel's sins, in that of Ezekiel, and
see if they be not parallel. And seeing they are so, what can be
expected, but that their punishments and plagues shall be parallel
also ? For there are few mourning for all the abominations done in
the land
" Now, these are charging me with self-murder, (which is a
breach of the sixth command,) which is very false : for self-preserva
tion must stoop to truth's preservation ; and further, I have that much
of humanity, that I love my life, but cannot redeem it with the loss
of my integrity ; but I prove that such as do these things, which they
would have me to do, are actually guilty of a breach of the second
commandment, which is, ' Thou shalt not make unto thyself any
graven image.' For, I cannot say, but it is a worshipping of images,
to yield to them in these things, — now when they have seated them
selves in Christ's room : therefore, I exhort you all, to beware of join
ing with them in their sins, lest ye partake with them in their plagues,
— now when they have made it manifest, that they will have no king
but Charles Stuart ; wherefore, I think it is our duty to cleave to
Christ : we must either quit Christ or Charles. Indeed, there is some
folk pretend to keep both ; but I defy any, if tbey be called to a
public testimony, but they must either quit Christ or Charles : for
they will not have the civil law without the ecclesiastic ; so I cannot
see how they can be owned in either ; for by their acts of parliament
they have made them alike inherent in the crown : and shall that
authority be so owned by me, being a free-born member of the church
of Scotland, — iwhich is Christ's mystical body, — without being guilty of
high rebellion against God ? And further, he having broken all obliga
tions, which was the tenor by which he entered into the government,
and without which be could not have entered into the government, the
covenant being the coronation-oath ; which he hath not only broken,
but made it death to all that speak of them. And further, having
seated himself in the Mediator's chair of state, which is enough to
denude him of authority, even in civil matters. If it shall be said,
The land has given him that supremacy, and so cannot take it from
him again : to this I answer, Every individual person in the land
hath not given him that ; and therefore is free to reject bim upon that
head,- when they are called to it. But O ! the sin of Scotland is
great in departing away from God ; for Scotland hath slidden back
like a backsliding heifer, for they declare their sin like Sodom, they
hide it not ; the show of their countenance witnesses against them.
But, however, it will be well with those that keep their garments
clean ; for ye will find enough ado when it cometh, although ye should
live Christians twenty years ; therefore slight not time when ye have
it ; for if death come upon you, it will not be easy ; but well is that
soul that can say upon good grounds, That Christ is all in all to
it ; but the worldly-mindedness, and slavish fear of this genera
tion, makes their practice declare to -the world, that Christ is not

JOHN NISBET. 433
worthy the suffering for, otherwise they durst not adventure to forsake
him, who is altogether lovely ; for he will bid none go his errands
upon their own charges.
" Now, as to the articles of my indictment, upon which my sentence
of death is passed, they are chiefly these. 1st, My owning as'lawful, my
rising in arms at Bothwell-bridge, which I did with great cheerfulness
and boldness, — it being self-defence, and in defence of the gospel ; for
my own part, the only end I had before me there was, the glory of
God, if I was not deceived ; therefore, I could not think it rebellion,
or unlawful against God, although the laws of men be against it, who
have set themselves in opposition to all the commands of God. 2dly,
It was my disowning the curates to be faithful ministers, which I did
very boldly ; and they said, if I disowned the curates, I disowned all
authority, which may testify, that they have set themselves in Christ's
stead. 3dly. My owning Mr. Donald Cargill, Mr. John Kid, and Mr.
Richard Cameron, to be faithful ministers of Jesus Christ, which I
did, and I bless the Lord that ever I beard them, and I set to my
seal to the faithfulness of these men's doctrine. 4thly, My not
praying for the king in his person and authority, which I durst not do,
it being a perfect owning of him in all that he hath done. Some may
object, and say, that I am against the scriptures in this, because in
several places in the Old Testament, we find, that the kings of Israel
were anointed to that office by the Lord, and obedience to them there
upon enjoined. But this was only done to lawful kings, and so could
not be to ours, he having set up himself in the room1 of God incarnate.
And we may justly say, as the children of Israel said, 1 Sam. xii. 19.
' For we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king ;'
because we follow him in things contrary to the command of God.
And should I pray for that man, to preserve him in his person and
government, who hath thus ventured upon the thick bosses of the
buckler of God Almighty ? If one should object, and say, These are
small things : to this I answer, No truth is small ; Luke xvi. 10.
' He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much ; and
he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much.'
" Now, I shall give an account of my principles, and I shall do it
as in the sight of God. I am a true Christian, truly anti-popish, anti-
prelatic, anti-schismatic, anti-sectarian, anti-Erastian, a true Presby
terian : and whatever many have Baid of me, or may say, thus I have
lived, and so now I die. , Now, 1st, I close with Christ in tbat way
of redemption, which he hath purchased, for the redemption of sin
ners; 1 Tim. i. 15. 'This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of
whom I am the chief.' Ver. 16. ' Howbeit, for this cause I obtained
mercy.' 2dly, I give my testimony to the followers of the holy
scriptures, for they are the rule that men are to walk by, and they
declare the revealed will of God to men, anent man's salvation. 3<lly,
I give my testimony to the work of reformation in tbe church of
Scotland, and I bless the Lord that I was born a member of that
church ; but chiefly against popery, prelacy, and quakerism, and inde
pendency ; and, finally, from under all the errors of the church. 4thly,
3 i

484 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
I give my testimony to the Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter
Catechisms, Sum of Saving Knowledge,. Directoiy for Worship, the
order of the church of Scotland. 5thly, I give my testimony to the
divine worship, discipline and government of the church of Scotland,
both by kirk-sessions, presbyteries, synods, and general assemblies.
6thly, I give my testimony to the Covenants, National and Solemn
League and Covenant. 7thly, I give my testimony to the faithful act
ings of the protestors, called remonstrances, against malignants and
malignant interests, which is the very thing this poor church is con
tending for, this day. 8thly, I give my testimony to all the faithful
testimonies of the people of God, that have been given for that noble
work, whether on scaffolds, or in the fields, or on the seas. 9thly, I give
my testimony to the faithful actings of the last martyr ; although this
generation is calling sin a duty, and duty a sin, because of hazard ; for
if this generation get leave to go on in their pernicious ways, they will
not believe that there is a God in heaven to punish such sinners and
sins as are committed in the land. Mai. iii. 9. ' Ye are cursed with a
curse ; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.'
" Now, 1st, I witness my testimony against the public resolutioners,
for bringing in the malignant party to places of power and trust, for
which this poor land is smarting, and bearing the weight of their hands
to this day. 2dly, I leave my testimony against that act of supremacy,
and the act rescissory by which two they have overturned the whole
work of reformation, both in kirk and state.' 3dly, I leave my testi
mony against the unfaithfulness of ministers, both indulged, and others,
who are sheltering themselves under the wings of those who have
declared themselves enemies to all godliness : and I wonder how they
can say, they are even-down for God, yet never one of them is troubled,
be troubled who will ; for before my face, one of these ministers said
(viz. Mr. Anthony Shaw by name,) he prayed, God save him from the
man that would not pray for the king in his person and government ;
to whom I said, magistrates ought to punish evil-doers : ' indeed so he
doth,' said he. 4thly, I leave my testimony against the wrongers of my
lovely Lord's crown, all in general. 5thly, I leave my testimony against
the iiearers of these perjured curates, throughout the land ; but espe
cially in that corner of tbe land, to wit, Kilmarnock, for their going to
kirks, subscribing of bonds, paying of fines, which includeth in it the
acknowledgment of a fault, which I deny we have done, but they
have done it to us ; and yet never a watchman to testify against it !
6thly, I leave my testimony against paying of the cess, or any other
thing that may strengthen the hands of evil-doers : Isa. lxv. II. « For
ye are they that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish a
drink-offering unto that number.'
" Now I will speak a word to three sorts of folk : 1st, To you that
are strangers, enemies to my lovely Lord, let your estrangedness be
done away, fly to him, ere he break out in fury against you. O con
sider how near you are to tbe destroyer, if ye fly not unto him : and
if you fly in unto him he will abundantly pardon. Therefore, I entreat,
that ye would turn from your evil ways, and leave off your persecution,
and flee to him, for there is mercy -with him that he may he feared :

JOHN NISBET. 434
and if ye will not turn, wrath will be upon you to all eternity. A
second sort, are those that formerly have known God, and now are
fallen from their first love : O consider your former ways, and turn
again to your first husband, lest there be no space to repent ; for all
the ways that ye have taken to get past trouble, will not hide you from
him who is the great sin-revenging God ; and he will bring all your sins,
and your compliance, to Btand witness against you ; therefore delay
not repentance, for ye will find death have enough ado, with itself. A
third sort, are those who desire to walk in his way, and to keep them
selves from the crying wickedness of these times. O stand fast in the
faith ; for there is no other burden laid upon you, but ' hold fast till he
come.' O for that day when ye shall be made one stick in his hand,
and have fervent charity among yourselves ! — and - Let him that stand-
etb, take heed lest he fall,' for ye will find enough ado with it, when
death comes ; therefore let the main thing be your study, and get once
that made sure that cannot be taken from you ; for ye have many
enemies to fight with, if ye get through, for the way to heaven is very
strait : for it is no wonder Satan seek to tempt poor Christians, when
he essayed to tempt our blessed Lord and Master. Let none of you
think it strange, concerning what hath befallen me, for it is in his
holy wisdom he hath carved out my lot, such ; and I have been made
to bless him for my lot. O ! study to wrestle against your own cor
ruptions, which are very heavy to me sometimes, but his love hath
been great in bringing me out of the state of nature, and hath brought
me to see my own weakness, and also hath given me a sight of the
remedy, for which my soul shall be made to praise him throughout all
eternity. "Now, my dear friends in Christ, study to walk blameless in all
manner of conversation, as becometh the gospel ; let your light so
shine before the world, that they may be ashamed that shall accuse
your good conversation in Christ : for now ye need not think, if ye
keep the way of God, but ye will have many enemies, both within
and without, therefore seek strength from him who is able to give
it: ye need not think, that all the stock of grace that a man hath,
will be sufficient when the trial comes, if there be not fresh supply
given in the time of need. 0 ! wrestle with him, that ye may be hid
in the day of his wrath, that seems to be poured out on this genera
tion, for their great treachery and departure from God, — the breach of
his laws, and subjecting to the laws of men ; but my eyes shall be
closed, that I shall not see it, and I am well content, seeing I get my
soul for a prey, — then I shall have no loss.
" Now, as for His way with his church, it is mysterious to me ; but
this I think is a token for good, that he is taking some to witness for his
despised and trampled-upon truths, and he will keep some witnessing
still, until he return again : but indeed I think it seems it is but very
few that will see him return again in this generation. Now, dea'th is
called ' the king of terrors,' but I think it is not so with me ; 1- Cor.
xv. 55. ' O death, where is thy sting ? O grave where is thy victory ?'
2 Cor. v. 1. ' For we know if this earthly tabernacle were dissolved,
we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in

436 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
the heavens : for which we long earnestly, to be absent from the body,
and to be present with the Lord, which is far better.'
" Now, I declare I am free of the blood of all men ; and although
men have no public scandal to charge me with, yet by original and
actual transgression, I am the chief of sinners ; but His love hath been
great, the manifestations of his presence hath been great also ; for
Satan hath not been wanting to assault, but yet glory to His name,
who hath resisted him, and hath not permitted him to get his will.
Now, as my last words, I recommend it to all, to be tender one of
another, without sinning ; and be in earnest with God, for ye will find
death will have enough ado with itself; therefore delay not repentance,
lest he come when ye are not aware. Now, as for these men that are
unjustly taking away my life, only for adhering to the truth, and for
no other end ; — now for what they do to me, as I am of myself, I freely
forgive them and all others, and especially these blinded soldiers, that
do what they do ignorantly (some of them) ; but as they do it to tbe
image of God in me, that is not mine to forgive ; but I leave to him,
' to whom vengeance doth belong,' that he may do with them what
may most glorify himself.
" Now, my work is finished, I have fought the good fight ; I have
finished my course ; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteous
ness ; but let such as will condemn me read that scripture, Rom. viii.
33. ' Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ? it is God
that justifieth, who is he that condemneth ? For my lot is fallen to me
in pleasant places ; I have a goodly heritage ;' for I would not change
my lot for the greatest man's upon earth. Men and angels praise him
for this ; all the creation praise him ; O ! my soul shall praise him,
through all tbe ages of eternity.
" Now, farewell all true friends in Christ ; farewell Christian rela
tions ; farewell sweet and holy scriptures ; farewell prayer and medi
tation ; farewell sinning and suffering. Welcome heaven ; welcome
innumerable company of angels, and the church of the first-born, and
the spirits of just men made perfect ; welcome Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost ; welcome praises for evermore. Now, dear Father, receive
my Spirit, for it is thine, even so come Lord Jesus.
Sic sub  JOHN NISBET."*

XXVIII. JOHN WILSON.
[This was a man of great integrity and worth, with no small share of
learning and talent. He was, by profession a Writer in the town of
Lanark, and having held a commission in the Presbyterian army at
the battle of Bothwell, he was with many others condemned, though
absent, to suffer death as soon as he should be apprehended. At
what time he was taken cannot be ascertained ; but on the. 17th of
April, he was brought before the Council, examined, and remitted to
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 272, 283.

JOHN WILSON. 437
the Justiciary ; — by whom, notwithstanding his acute and able rea
sonings to the contrary, — he was at length found guilty. Previous
to the reading of the sentence, he was urged to receive the Test,
but refused ; and thus adhering to his principles, he was executed
on the 17th of May, 1683. His testimony is contained in the fol
lowing Papers Q
1. His Answers before the Council.
" The chancellor said, We having called James Laurie, produced to
him a letter wrote by you to him, wherein you reprove him for calling
Bothwell, rebellion: he owned, That it had convinced his conscience,
and said, That he was sorry for what he spoke ; and we produced him
a letter supposed to be writ in answer to yours, which he denied ; — tell
us, who wrote that letter? John Wilson answered, I will not tell by
whom, only it was not written by James Laurie. Q. WTbo is the lady
mentioned in the end of the letter? A. I dare not burden my con
science to tell. Q. Do you own authority ? A. What authority ? Q.
What think you of Bothwell ? Was it not unlawful to rise in arms ?
A. I dare not say tbat it is unlawful ; for the confession contained in
your Test says, Article 15. ' That it is a good work to defend the life
of the harmless ;' and however God hath disposed of those people, yet
I suppose the Lord will own those for defending themselves against
those that sought their life, that hearing their neighbours who had been
worshipping God, were in jeopardy of their lives, thought it their duty
to rise for their relief. Q. Was Pentland, rebellion ? A. The oppres
sion of these poor people was such, that the then rulers condemned Sir
James Turner for his cruelty. Upon this, one answered, That he
knew, Sir James went not the length of his commission. Q. Was the
bishop's death, murder ? 'Have me excused, gentlemen, I will not answer
to that.' Being urged farther, he said, It being nothing concerning my
salvation, I do not pry into it. .Upon this they said, Did Bothwell con
cern your salvation ? To which he replied, There are none that engage
themselves in service to God, but it behoves them to be at His call,
and it being for saving the life of the harmless, I durst not sit God's
bidding. Q. Are you a minister? A. No. They here alleged some
of his letters importing so much : and being desired to read the place,
they read somewhat about a call to some ministry, nothing relating
thereto. Q. Will you not condemn the bishop's death, as murder r
A. I dare not, for fear God having justified some of these actors, they
should rise in judgment and condemn me. Q. Is there no other wa\
but to rise in arms against the king? A. I suppose you have read
bishop Honeyman's answer to Naphtali, wherein he says, " A king
may be resisted, in case he should alienate the kingdom to strangers :"
and that being granted, religion being taken away, was as dear to us
as any outward interest. One replied, The bishop got little thanks
for that. Q. Think you it lawful to rise against a state that are not of
your opinion ? Will ye go to Bothwell again ? These questions they
gave him not leave to answer, but ordered him to be taken away,
asking, if he was a Captain at Bothwell ? Which he assented to.

438 TESTIMONIES. OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
2. His further Answers before the Council and Criminal
Court.
Being again examined before the whole Council, his answers, as
detailed by himself, were as follows : — " Q. Was you at Bothwell, and
a captain there ? I answered as formerly. Q. Is Bothwell rebellion
or not ? A. No. It being for the defence of the harmless, who for
hearing a preaching, and defending themselves, were in jeopardy to
be cut off. They replied, The preaching was done. I said as before,
The confession of faith contained in your Test, says, - It is a good work
to defend the life of the harmless.' Q. Then you approve of the Test ;
will you take it ? A. I am not speaking of the Test, but of the confes
sion of faith therein contained. Q. Think you it lawful to rise against
the Magistrate ? A. Will you condemn the reformation from popery
carried on by John Knox ? One said, We are not come here to answer
questions, but to ask. I said, The answering of that to me would
be a full answer by me, to your question. Then said Bishop Paterson,
The reformation was good, but the way of carrying it on was ill. A.
That is a marvellous thing, to think God would approve the actors in
such actions, and yet the method be ill ; and they to have a most solid
peace in these actions, and to have such a mouth to defend it, as all
the wits in their days could not be able to withstand, — as will be clear
to any that read the History of the Reformation. O, said one, he has
read the History of the Reformation : ay, but you will not find it
in Scripture, that the people may resist the prince ; for then they
take the Magistrate's part on them, and therein declare themselves
to be above their prince. A. The people resisted Saul, and would
not let him kill Jonathan, (1 Sam. xiv. 45.) The Bishop said, The
people were in the wrong. A. The scripture never condemns the
deed. Then they again urged that rising in arms is unlawful. I told,
again, that Bishop Honeyman granted there might lawfully be a rising
in arms, if the kingdom were alienated to strangers. The Bishop
said, that would be a distracted act. Then they asked if the Bishop's
death was murder ? I answered, I would neither say it was, nor was
not. Q. Do you own authority ? A. Authority may be taken
several ways ; 1. For the simple command of the prince. 2. For the
more public command of the prince and people. 3. For a power, a
prince may be clothed with, by a people. 4. For a prince's right
to govern. And in the first two senses, since many both of the
prince's edicts, and public acts of parliament, are directly against
presbyterians and presbyterian government,— to own it in these
senses, I should deny myself to be a presbyterian. In the third sense,
since the people have clothed the king with the headship of the Church,
I cannot own that ; because the eleventh article of the Confession of
Faith, contained in the Test, says, 'That office belongs properly to
Christ alone, and it is not lawful for man, or angel, to intrude therein.'
As for the last sense of authority, — his right to govern, I have not seen
through the denial of it. Q. Will you venture your life on these
things ? A. My life is in God's hand. Then they read what they had

JOHN WILSON. 4S»
set down, that I was a Captain at Bothwell, and other things, stated
imperfectly, which they desired me to subscribe, but I refused."
On1 the 4th of May he was brought before the criminal court, when
the advocate accosted him thus : — " Though, sir, you have been a rebel,
and though ye have studied to draw that poor man Laurie to the gallows ;
yet you see how merciful the king is to these men, (viz. four who
/wore the Test,) and there is place left to you for mercy, if you will
not obstinately persist in your opinion." He answered, " I have neither
done any deed, nor given you an account of any opinion, but what 1 •
have justified from the Confession of faith, which you have lately sworn ;
from the ancient reformation, which ye cannot condemn ; and from the ,
concessions of your own Doctor." ''What I (says Perth) will you justify
your taking arms at Bothwell ?" A. Your own Test justifies the defence
of the life of the harmless. The advocate says, All the indulged, yea,
almost all the presbyterians condemn it. " Then," says he, " Will ye
bond* before sentence, for there is no place left for the king's mercy
after sentence ?" A. " I will not ; but remember, that one day,
all sentences will be canvassed before the great Judge of heaven and
earth."f 3. His Reasons for the foregoing Answers.
" When I was on my journey betwixt Edinburgh and Lanark, and
several times before, having considered the bold testimony of Stephen,
Acts vii. 51, 52. ' Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised- in heart,' &c,
and Peter's testimony, Acts v. 30. ' Whom ye slew, and hanged on a
tree :' and his desire that with all boldness they might make mention
of the name of Jesus : and, lastly, that promise, Phil. i. 28. ' In
nothing terrified by your adversaries,' &c. I say, considering these, I
resolve to use the utmost freedom before the Council ; but being come
to this town, and having considered, that the council desired to pick
such quarrels with any in our condition, as might give the least
umbrage to tbe world of the justice of their dealing ; 2. Considering
that by many professed friends *we are judged imprudent ; yea, so far
condemned, that they stick not to say, that we have a hand in our
own death. 3. Their own public proclamations still bearing, That our
design was not religion, but covetousness, — to possess ourselves of the
government. For eviting of these, I resolved to be as cautious as I
could, without prejudice to truth. So that taking my answers for
defensive arms, out of the Test, which they had sworn ; from the con
cessions of their greatest doctors, and from the deed of their predeces
sor council, whereof some present were members, — I thought it had
been a ridiculous thing to make me condemn that which they had
ratified by an oath, their, great doctor had yielded, and their predeces i
sor council had approved. But that I might have God's approbation
in demeaning myself so, and do what I did therein in faitb ; I took
that rule, 1 Pet. iii. 15. ' Be ready always to give a reason of the
• i. e. take the Test.
f Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 284 — 286, corrected and enlarged from Wodrow's
History, Vol. II. p. 299, et seq.

440 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
hope that is in you with meekness and fear.' And as I thought I had
reason to bless God, that had guided my tongue so, that I was not a
whit concerned either with shame or fear, so I came baek to prison
with a heart sorry that I should nave left these two questions of the
Chancellor's unanswered, viz. ' Thought I it my duty to rise in arms
against a state not of my opinion ?' In answer to which question, 1
thought, if ever I had occasion, I would have been punctual in telling
them, the question was wrong stated ; for the. right state of the ques
tion was, ' When a state destroys the true profession of godliness sworn
to by the land, and persecutes the owners thereof.' The second ques
tion ; ' If I would have gone to Bothwell again ?' I thought if such a
question came in my way, I would have told them, ' Tbat I behoved
to be at God's call.' And, likewise I was sorry that I had not been
nimble enough to take opportunity, when the question anent authority
was moved, to have testified against the ecclesiastical headship and
sinful acts against God's church ; I say, my omission, occasioned
through their confused asking, bred me humiliation after I returned
to prison.
" As to my second examination,* as I desired opportunity to testify
against the headship of the church, and other sinful acts, destroying
God's work, so I got opportunity, and so I discharged my conscience :
but yet there was something left to exercise me with ; and that was,
1. When the bishop said, That it were a distracted act for the king'
to alienate the kingdom to strangers, that I said not, It was an act of
more distraction to destroy religion. 2. That in citing the words of
the eleventh article of the confession against the headship, I should
have said simply, It was unlawful to presume to intrude on that
office ; whereas the confession itself calls them blasphemers, and
thereby mincing his word. 3. That when the bishop said, It were a
Turkish way to carry on reformation by the sword, I had not opened
their present practice and violence in pressing men's consciences ; and
had said, since they looked upon conscience as so tender a thing, to
beware of squeezing it so, by oppression. I know, I have an infirmity
in answering off-hand, anent which I hope all God's people will
observe the rule of bearing one another's infirmities : next, I am sure
that the Lord hath not supplied me as to these answers, for my further
exercise. As to the reason why I said, I could not see through the
denial of authority in the last sense, (for though I could not see through
it, yet it being such an abominable stating of themselves, in a continual
opposition unto God and godliness, I scunnered tp own it,) the reason
that moved me to say, that I could not see through it, was, I desire
to tread the paths of our old reformers, who delayed the casting oft
authority, till they had a probable power to back it ; yet, afterwards
considering his breach of covenant to us, and that deeds were done by
that authority, that in any well guided commonwealth, would annul his
right, — I thought I had worded authority ill in the last sense, and that
* Mr. Wilson was at two different times brought before the council, as may
be observed by tbe foregoing papers. In lhe first instance, he was examined
by a committee of Eeven or eight, and on (he second occasion by the whole
council.

JOHN WILSON. 441
it had been more proper, had I said, ' I could not see through the
denying of obedience to such commands as were indifferent, or accord
ing to God's word :' and indeed till God had furnished us with a prob
able power, I could never see through this ; and I am verily of tbat
opinion, that we having - lusted for a king, got him in God's wrath ;
and that since we have entered into covenant with him, God will take
his own way to take him away in his displeasure, and will not let it
be by our hand : though I grant that his breach of paction to us looseth
us, — our paction being still conditional, to own him in defence of reli
gion ; and my earnest desire is, There may be no difference among
presbyterians anent this, for I have a strong opinion, that God will
take that question out of the way shortly.
" As for the Bishop's death, I could not call it murder, because of
Jael, Ehud, and Phineas, their facts ; Jael using that expression, ' Turn
in thither; that tbere was peace between Heber the Kenite and
Jaban ;' — Jael being of tbat family ; and whatever may be alleged
against these extraordinary acts, and that to do such deeds is to take
the Magistrate's power ! I am sure Phineas was a priest, and it was
none of his office to kill any man, and yet his fact is commended !
Next, Knox's preaching too, and abiding with the killers of Car
dinal Beaton ; and Calderwood's History, which was approved by the
Assembly, calling them men of courage and resolution, whom God
stirred up : next, the lord Ruthven and others killing a companion
that abused Queen Mary by his ill- counsel, and yet approved in Knox's
history : therefore if the killers of the Bishop, having a zeal against the
blood-thirstiness of that wretch, and being deeply affected therewith,
and with love to the brethren, (whom he, like a wolf, was seeking to
have devoured, and had devoured,) slew him ; I durst not call it mur
der: but if the actors were touched with any thing of particular preju
dice or other by-ends, I am very confident that scripture, of avenging
the blood of Jezebel upon the house of Jehu, — would not suffer me to
justify it : so, not knowing the actors' hearts therein, I could neither
say yea, nor nay ; but Christians should judge charitably. I forgot
likewise to tell them, that the Bishop of Glasgow's laying down his
gown, upon their making the Act Explanatory, might be an aggravation
of my sin, if I should own the king's headship over the church ; — which
I had really resolved to say, but forgot"*
4. His Reasons for not asking a Reprieve.
" Upon the 7th of May, 1683, being desired to petition, I answered,
I could think upon no petition, nor arguments that could be accepta
ble with them, but such as were either directly or indirectly a receding
from what I had professed. The reason of my petition was moved thus :
1. To seek a longer time till I was better advised anent my answers given
to the council ; to which I answered, — That would say to all the
world, that for as tenacious as we were of our principles, yet we might
seem to call them in question ; an&it might say, that I was pressing
with others to die on these principles, that death put me to a stand
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 286—289.
3k

442 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
anent myself ; and so I should give ground of hardening to enemies.
2. It was moved, that through my confusions since I came to prison,
I should seek a reprival. To this I answered, I durst not slander
Christ's cross, wherein every step to me hath been mercy and truth ;
and my rebellious flesh needed no less (conform to my own acknow
ledgment to God) than what was come to subdue it : and that I could
not well see through that, fearing it would he bad company so near my
death, that I firmly trusted all should work for my well-being; and to
say that, were to contradict my conscience and God's goodness, and make
me contradict my own prayer, viz., ' Let neither flesh nor spirit be
moved and failed, lest enemies rejoice.' 3. That I should petition,
that I might have a longer time, simply to prepare for eternity. To
which I said, I could not do it in faith ; for ever since I came to prison,
God has made me believe, that he who has begun a good work in me,
would also finish it, and that he would perfect that which concerned me,
according to his own word ; and however little a business this may seem
in the eyes of the world, yet to me it imports my going to another
atrth, for the perfecting and finishing of this work begun by God. Then,
if they refused it, they might taunt and say, Whatever confidence he
had at his death, yet it is gotten of a very short space ; and if a
reprival should be given, they might at my sentence say, if I believed
my salvation, I was their debtor for it. And besides all this, I fear
when I might come back to God for preservation, he should send me
to the broken cistern I had been hewing out, Jer. ii. 13. And I
know, if conscience permitted me to do it, that enemies would think, —
either he is lying, in pretending want of preparation, and so, it is the
best time to hold to him, when he has committed sin ; or otherwise,
they would think, I were speaking truth, and so say, — the only best
way is to hold to him when he is tottering.
" When all this is done, they came saying, ' Will you not seek your
life ?' ' Yes,' said I, ' if I might without sin ;' so they desired me to con
sider in my mind, and after consideration to give in a petition. So,
after consideration, finding nothing I could petition upon but that
which would rather raise than abate their anger, and verily thinking my
wife would be as soon in her grave as I, and tbat the Council would
lay her blood at my door, as not willing to seek a reprieve on her
account, I petitioned, merely in respect of her case, being great with
child ; — doing this, lest they should pretend ignorance, and my whole
strain being to justify my sufferings to their consciences, and the eyes
of the unbiassed world ; and for what I did herein, I bless the Lord I
did it in faith, and had solid peace therein ; that their ridiculousness,
in taking away my life, might occasion a stop to the taking away tbat
of others, if possible."*
5. His Conference with Sir W. Paterson.
" Sir William, after some compliments, advised Mr. Wilson to give
in a petition, requiring some time to advise on his principles. ' Think
• Cloud of Witnesses, pp, 289, 290, as corrected and enlarged from Wod
row's History, p. 299, et seq.

JOHN WILSON. 443
you,' says he, ' your principles so sure, and the rising in arms such a
business, and so clear that you dare die therein ?' J. W. As to that
business of defensive arms, I have long ere now convassed it to and
fro. Sir W. What say you to that of our Saviour — All that take the
sword shall perish by the sword ? and his reproving Peter in that
defence, it being a most abominable murder to take away a man's life ?
J. W. I find our Saviour in another place saying, sell your coat to
buy a sword. Sir W. That is meant by the sword oi' the spirit. J. W.
That were a Quakerish tenet to deny all defence. Sir W. But what
say you to my argument of Christ's reproving Peter at his death ?
J. W. That action of Christ's passion was a determined thing ; where*
fore be reproved Peter for desiring him to pity himself, and therefore
he would suffer no defence whatever therein ; and he approves defence
in so far as he says, suffer it this far, thinkest thou not that I could
call so many angels, which to me imports, — if this were not a
thing I must lay my account with, I need not want defence. Sir W.
Think you yourself so well buckled therein, seeing there is so much
difference among divines about it ? J. W. What divines ? Sir W.
Protestant divines. J. W. That cannot be, for all the Protestants in
Europe have wrestled from under the yoke of Popery by the sword ;
and I ara sure, if there had been any Protestant divines had so affirmed,
Bishop Honyman — a man among you of the greatest learning — would
have raked them up, but he is forced to confess them lawful in some
cases ; and though your brother said that was a distracted act, yet I
assure you, to me the act of undoing religion is far more unwise ; and
as I said to your brother, if I should condemn defensive arms, I would
condemn most of the Protestants in Europe, and our worthy reformers,
to whom, under God, we are obliged for so great a gospel light. Sir
W. Though the reformation was good, the carrying it on was treason
able. J. W. If I should Bay or think so, I should look on them all
as damned men, conform to the apostle, ' He that does evil that good
may come of it, his damnation is just.' Sir W. You must not think it
a small matter to lay down your life on trivial things, and neglect your
family, whose care lies on you ; and your not providing for them, makes
you worse than an infidel. J. W. It is not trivials but truths that are
solidly grounded ; and as to the care of my family, since the Lord
called me to suffering, I am commanded to leave them, or be unworthy
of Christ. Sir W. You never make it out to me, but your blood and
your family will lay at your door. J. W. No, Sir William, for mine
is not a naked opinion, but grounded on that Confession of Faith you
have sworn, — my Catechism, — to do all I can to save the life of neigh
bours, and the word of God, — ' do judgment and relieve the oppressed ;'
and since it is so, I dare not act against my conscience. Sir W. Will
you approve of a multitude of men gathering, plundering, and robbing
a country ? J. W. Sir, as for any such commission, I was both grieved
and angry at it, and I wish such had not been among us ; but I hope
that could not be charged upon the generality, since they were known
to be men of conscience ; and as for my own part, I used- such dis
gracefully when I had any power. Mr. M'Gilligen was brought in at
Sir William's desire, but said nothing. Sir William said he was sure

444 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
Mr. Kirkton would not say with me. I said I knew the utmost Mr;
Kirkton would go, was that the enterprise was foolishly carried on,
but would never condemn defensive arms. Sir William asked me if
death was not a terror to me. I said, no doubt once it would be a
terror to all men, but whatever it had been, I had got submission to
the Lord's dispensations. This is the sum of what passed, omitting
some needless commendations of me. Sir W. added, think you all are
damned that are of the Episcopal Church ? J. W. I have learned the
Protestant doctrine better, than to think all are damned that are of the
Popish Church. Sir W. Well then, may you not believe as we do and
be saved ? J. W. No, for me to do but doubtingly, is damnation ; let
alone, to do against my conscience. Sir W. Conscience should be
well-informed. J. W. You see I have grounded it on what you have
sworn, — my Catechism and the word of God. Sir W. Do not think
the quiring of these things is the quitting of Christ, since there is no
quarrel this day about the fundamental points of doctrine. J. W. Yes,
sir, it is, for since I have taken Christ for a King and Prophet, if I
contradict his counsel or command before man, I deny him ; and since
I have evidenced the truth of what I have spoken, I dare not contra
dict my conscience."* 6. His Testimony.
" Now, being called to lay down my life, which I do cheerfully,
I do declare, I adhere to the Confession of Faith ; anent which, for
exoneration of my own conscience, I am under a necessity to leave
this caution, in reference to that clause contained in chap, xxiii. $ 24.
viz. That ' infidelity, or difference in religion, does not make void the
magistrate's just and legal authority.' Though the composers having
an eye to the Pope's scurvy usurpations, to dethrone protestant kings,
and dispose of their kingdoms, under the notion of heretics, did put it
in : yet I could find no further proof for that in the scripture, but
what only respects Christians scattered up and down in a heathenish
empire ; and that it can be no prejudice against deposing a protestant
king, who turns papist or pagan — since among people professing God,
the idolater should die the death — for then it would seem to justle with
Queen Mary's deposition in our ancient reformation :  designing offence
to none hereby, but the satisfying of my own conscience. Also, I
adhere to the work of reformation, former and latter ; and I think our
catechisms well worded, for evading of errors. As also, to the Solemn
Acknowledgment of Sins, in anno 1648, and Engagement to Duties ;
Covenants, National and Solemn League ; and particularly to tbe
government of the church by a parity of ministers, and subordination
of presbyteries, synods, and general assemblies, according to the pres
byterian way, as being the most exactly according to the word of God,
and as tending most to the furtherance of purity and godliness ; and I
profess myself a member thereof, as being reformed from prelacy and
Erastianism. " I leave my testimony against the Indulgence, as making a breach
* Wodrow's History, Vol. II. p. 299, et seg.

JOHN WILSON. 445
of the sweet unity, that should have been among presbyterians, and as
depending on tbe magistrates as to the exercise of their office ; and for
their overweening love of ease, and for being bound up as to the shew
ing of public duties, and reproving of public sins ; and for refusing the
exercise of their office, to these without their parish, of marrying and
baptizing, denying themselves thereby to be ministers of the church
catholic, and declaring plainly thereby, they will follow the injunctions
laid on them by men. Yet I advise all the godly to leave off hatred
towards them, and to cherish any thing that may look like good in
them. I leave my testimony against the paying cess, the payment
whereof is a perfect test of the payer's adhering to the rooting out of
conventicles, as the rendezvouses of rebellion, and acknowledging the
king's grandeur over church and state, as it is presently established by
the laws of this realm ; this being the very narrative and foundation
of that act ; and I have found the indulged averse to condemn it, — the
narrative of their license being somewhat sib thereto. But as to the
other public burdens, Buch as the common revenue of the crown, or
locality, (though 1 speak not this to justify myself, — these not being my
tentations,) I desire a tenderness to be used to all such as have not
clearness therein, in respect that the apostle seems to difference them,
1 Cor. x. 28. - But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice
unto idols, eat not.'
" I leave my testimony against hearing of Curates, especially by
professed presbyterians ; as being contradictory to the covenants, binding
us to the uttermost of our power to the extirpating of prelacy. Our active
power being stopped, our next should be to leave a testimony by suf
fering, and as being contrary to the rule of faith : for what presby
terian can pray for a blessing to that ordinance, where the chief
dispenser is a blasphemer, by swearing the test ; wherein the headship
of the church, Christ's prerogative, is sworn by them to pertain to a
man : and as being expressly contrary to tbat scripture, John x. 5.
' My sheep hear my voice, but a stranger they will not follow, but flee
from him.' And here, I think it not amiss to add the words of Philpot,
that learned and godly martyr, respecting the joiners of the papistical
church, — seeing the reason he gives, holds good here. ' We can do no
greater injury to the true church of Christ, (whereof he is the only head)
nor to seem to have forsaken her, by cleaving to her adversary ; and that
God's jealousy in the day of vengeance will cry for vengeance against
such, unless they cleave inseparably to the gospel of Christ ; and that
there must be no counterfeit illusion with them in this ; and there
must be no presence of the body there, — we being commanded to
glorify God, as well in body as spirit.' These are his words imper
fectly, yet truly, as I remember ; and since the prelatical church ha?
not Christ for her only head, the reasons hold still good.
" I could heartily wish that all the serious godly, would leave off
their joining with the indulgence ; for in respect (to my own view) it
has been attended with a coldrifeness as to public sins, a gluedness to
the world, and an infatuatedness as to approaching judgments ; and,
lastly, being a countenancing of them in their compliance with enemies.
But since I have little hopes thereof, I wish all the seriously godly to

446 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
be tender towards such, whose eyes are not enlightened to behold the
evil of it, and to restrict their witbdrawments to persons of their own
number, who recede from what they profess ; since the end proposed
by that rule (' withdraw from every brother that walketh disorderly')
is ' to make ashamed,' it cannot be supposed to attain its end any
where else ; and to study to do that which may be most edifying to al!
men, ' Let all things be done to edifying.'
" I leave my testimony against that abominable Test, declaration, act
of supremacy, and all other acts overturning the work of God, and
against all the blood shed upon that account.
" And next, I think no man coming before the council can acknow
ledge the king's authority simply, (considering that he is clothed with
one of the royal prerogatives of Jesus Christ, viz. The headship of the
church, wherein to intrude is blasphemy for man or angel,) unless he
be guilty of giving him that usurped title. And this is the ground of
my suffering, mainly, — for affirming Christ's headship over the church,
to be His prerogative alone, which is the occasion of the brunt of the
Ruler's anger. And herein I have a most solid peace ; for, Christ says,
he came to bear witness to that truth, that he was a King : and so I
think that my sufferings are merely a part of Christ's sufferings. And
though, some say, I might have been sparing as to this confession ; I
say, 1 durst not keep up my lips, they themselves having that in the
Confession of Faith, in their Test, which I affirmed, namely, That it
is a blasphemy for man or angel to usurp this title ; — yet is the great
heat of malice stated hereon : but there is no piece of my sufferings
yields me more content. Nor can any Christian come before them
acknowledging authority simply, without being guilty of yielding this,
— it being declared essential to the crown, — as Mr. Donald Cargill well
notes in his testimony. And I think that question of authority being
propounded, — a man has a fair open door to witness against the
encroachments on Christ's rights. I understand somewhat more of the
mystery of this state than I did : and conform to my weatk concep
tions, you may take it up thus : —
" The king, having through straits abroad, been complimented, and
probably supplied by Papists, lies under engagements to introduce
Popery ; and for that effect, takes this method to overturn the hedge
of church government and discipline, and turn out all honest-hearted
ministers, and force people to a compliance with hirelings, to debauch
men's consciences ; and, from one degree to another, to bring in
Popery ; but he being a man so addicted to pleasures, and (sometimes
counteracted by parliaments,) loving ease ; wherefore Papists practise
to put him in mind of his engagements, by aiming at his life. He
finding himself in this strait, and being in straits through his lavishness
to court ladies, — these straits must be supplied by the king of France
and the Pope ; and for requital thereof, the management of the govern
ment must be turned over to his brother, — who must have a cardinal,
and some Jesuits to contrive the mystery of iniquity, and bring this
land to Babylon. In order thereunto, statesmen must be set up, who
are emulators of others, and men that studied to pick quarrels with
others, and then comes a general mittimus from court, to act after such

JOHN WILSON. 447
a method of cruelty : for the Jesuits know, where two contrary parties
act this game, they will be sure, for fear of their places, to consent to
go along to the utmost of cruelty. The next -mystery is to convene
the whole country by circuit courts, as guilty, — some of treason, some
for one transgression, and some for another (the whole country being
generally guilty by their law) and force them to rise in arms ; and
then gather Papists, and take occasion to burn and slay all the country
over. The Lord in his mercy take them in their own net ; but I fear
Popery shall once overspread. And I am really of that opinion, that
God shall root this race of kings, root and branch, away, and make
them Zeba and Zalmunna-like, not only for taking God's house in
possession, but also emitting in their last printed proclamation or
indemnity, that they resolved to root out the seed of the godly, under
the name of Fanatics.
" My advice and humble request to ministers is, to be tender toward
any this day that have zeal, though knowledge be not so great ; and to
be less fearful of outward danger, and more active where persecution
hath been hottest, where they may have any freedom. My advice to all
professors' is, to lay no imposition on ministers' consciences ; and that
for the Lord's sake, they would study to take some in among them,
that have light and judgment to withstand the flood of defection and
Popery that is like to overspread the land. And again, I have another
advice to ministers and professors, that .where any have suffered for
their consciences, they would be sparing to condemn them.
"" I come now to declare my first engagement with God, which was
about ten 'years hence, which was through reading of ' The Fulfilling of
the Scriptures,' and scripture truths therein contained, and the grounds
of out-making thereof, which gave a check to my atheism, — which is
naturally seated in all men's hearts. The next was ' Gray's Sermons
on Prayer ;' and the last, ' Guthrie's Trial of an Interest in Christ :' all
which, God so powerfully laid home to my conscience, that I then
covenanted with God ; and though at that time I could not get the
faith of perseverance, yet I had a respect to all his statutes ; so that,
the Bible was a most sweet book to me ; and I took up my whole
time for near a year thereafter in studying religion, (the most pleasant
time that ever I had in my lifetime,) yea, it was a burden to me to
turn me to my necessary affairs in the world. I found religion sharp
ened me in all my natural parts ; yea, bring me, who was naturally a
most anxious, fretting, grudging, creature, to such a calmness and
serenity in cross providences, that I thought, — though there were neither
hell nor heaven, — religion was a reward to itself. And I was so taken
up with Christ's gracious condescendency, that his name was most pleas
ing ; yet durst I not draw a conclusion of assurance and perseve
rance, — yea, was put to question the work itself, upon account of the
quality of my repentance ; but meeting with Guthrie's Trial of a
Saving Interest in Christ, I found that sensibly swallowed up a law-
work, in love ; but I found this, that there is not a more excellent piece
of the armour of God, than the helmet of salvation, and which Satan
is most busy with a Christian to keep off. I found likewise, as
knowledge and grace grew, that presumption grew ; that is, that with

448 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
what I had gotten, I could walk alone : but that truth, ' Without me
ye can do nothing,' was known to my sad cost. But after all this
sweet time, — yea, I may say, most sweet time, — falling more and more
engaged in worldly affairs. I found an impossibility to me to be instant
in business, and fervent in spirit ; so that some throngs in these, abated
that life which I had ; and accordingly as love grew to outward things,
so decreased that power and life I had attained ; yet so all along, I
find that God has still been holding me by the hand : and I desire,
with submission to other men's judgments, to say, I think a person
falling in love with godliness, — covenanting with God, having a respect
to all his statutes without exception, counting the cost, and seeing the
cost of themselves incalculable, and believing that Christ, who was the
author, will be the finisher of such a work ; I say, I cannot think that
ever God will part with such, who do so covenant with him ; yea, it
has been a comfort to me, when I could see no more of my interest in
him, but that I said, ' Thou art my God.' And as I cannot conceal
the loving-kindness of God, so upon the other hand, without compli
ments, as the words of a dying man, I look upon myself as the most
worthless object that ever free love has paged and waited upon through
the world, — compassed about with so many sins, and clothed with such
a perverse nature ; but it is He with whom I made the bargain that
makes crooked things straight, and rugged places plain.
" Next, I advise all sufferers to beware of proposing to themselves,
to do this and the other thing, for safety of life, which is sinful ; for
if such a false mind be in folk, — ' God will lead them forth with the
workers of iniquity ;' and they will not miss stumbling-blocks to be
laid before them : I say this to them who have sinned, and yet continue
in the furnace ; I fear that be their doom, Jer. xxii. 10. ' They shall
go from their native land, and return no more.' As for you that have
tested, — that which has been a terror to me, may be now a terror to
you ; ' It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have
tasted the heavenly gift, if they fall away,' &c. by putting Christ to
open shame, ' to renew them to repentance.' As for unconcerned
folk, I shall only say this, Think ye nothing of men's choosing death
before life ! I know I have gotten Roman gallantry cast up to me,
since I came to prison ; but for my own part, I could never hear tell,
that it set up the head of it in the world, to face a gallows, since the
word of hell became so rife in the world. But let me tell you this
one thing, That though I have read of some single ones dying for
opinion, (not truth) yet could I never read of a tract of men, such as
has been in Scotland these twenty-two years, laying down their lives
for a naked opinion, so calmly, so solidly and composedly, with so
much peace and serenity. As for my own part, I am a man naturally
most timorous, yet tbe Lord baB made sufferings easy. It might do
you good to inquire into the cause of our sufferings, so owned by God.
It is a bad cause that is defended with swords, and beating of drums
on sufferers. And, besides, the Lord has forced a testimony from the
mouths of several of our dying adversaries, and from the mouths of
executioners and apprehenders. Yea, in this place, some psalms
which were of clear application to themselves they would not suffer

JOHN WILSON. 449
to be sung. And as to professed Presbyterians, — to many of you
for your unconcernedness, I am sure the Lord says, — Ye shall drink
of another sort of a cup, that is brewing for you, — shun it as you will,
by your compliance. As for our really concerned friends, I pray the
Lord to protect you, and multiply his grace towards you. I am con
fident, when you are beneath the rod, ye shall find it an ease to your
own smart, — however great a lift you have taken of others' suffer
ings. " Next, I say to all that come under the rod, let no terrors of men,
nor temptations of Satan anent eternity, come into your mind ; but go
to God with them, acknowledging your unworthiness of his protection
and counsel, and you wirll find him faithful, ' not to suffer you to be
tempted above what you are able.' It is no new thing to be assaulted
with ' terrors without, and within with fears.' The Apostle, a most
experienced Christian, wanted not this. I Bee a Christian to be a most
passive creature in his own salvation ; yet there must be an All of
diligence, otherwise the roaring lion will soon get advantages. And
you must know this, that tbe sufferers have a large allowance ; and
although, His own want not in their sufferings to the faith of adherence
to him, yet ye must not think to sail that way in a bed of roses to
heaven ; but that ye must have fire in your trial ; — I mean adeserting-
God — as to apprehension : yet, wait patiently, and at length he will
incline his ear, and you shall not want experience to say, ' For a, mo
ment lasts his wrath.'
" And now, I leave my dear wife, children, and sisters, upon the
Lord, who gave me such sweet refreshing relations, and desire all the
people of God to be kind to them ; and I bless the Lord he has ena
bled me to quit them to him : and though the Lord has made every
one of them so sweet and so pleasing to me, that I have been forced
to curb my affection with the bridle of religion ; yet herein I bless the
Lord, he has given me heart to go through my cross, with forgetful
ness of all ; yea, to be most unconcerned to the tears and weeping of
my relations.
" And now, I leave all God's people, and others, with this, That his
cross is beautiful ; yea, though I had had occasion of escaping prison
since sentence, yet I durst not without a check of conscience have
done it : and though I did petition, — yet there was (to me) two neces
sary ends therein : first, they designing to make me odious, tbat I
would not seek my life ; and I desiring to make my suffering clear to
tbeir own consciences, to be unjust : and next, if any thing ailed my
wife, 1 might lay her blood at their door. But I would advise all to
beware of them, for there must be frequent consulting with God, and
a reasonable judgment, to discern their snares ; it being their main
design to ensnare. I advise any called to suffering, never to quit
with the faith of adherence, and they shall not want the faith of assur
ance ; for since ever I came to prison, I saw and believed God's design
to me was love : and having emptied me of all promises to sufferers,
and of all my own righteousness, made me close with him, and take
him for all, and believingly to rest on him, and to have recourse to
him, for grace to supply necessity, and give me a believing of (though
3 L

450 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
to me incomprehensible) ' seeing him as he is,' and knowing him even
' as I am known of him.'
" Now I die, commending to all the people of God the duty of
unity, conform to 2 Tim. ii. 22. ' Follow peace with them that call
upon the Lord with a pure heart.' And that, 1 John i. 7. ' If we
have fellowship one with another, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth from all sin,' I do not say this to make up an union or
joining with these I testify against. Sic sub.— JOHN WILSON."*

XXVII. DAVID M'MILLAN.
[[With respect to this individual, history has transmitted no particu
lars. It appears that on the 4th of May, 1683, he was, with some
others, brought before the Justiciary, after having been previously
examined by the Council. He was found guilty of being in arms
at Bothwell, and of judicially owning the lawfulness of joining with
those who were there, and sentenced accordingly. He maintained
his constancy even to the last, for the clerk of court, while reading
the sentence, being stopped, — he was informed that after being read
out, it could not be recalled, and offered tbe Test; but his answer was,
" Go on ;" — and when it was finished, being asked what he thought
of it now, he said, it was very welcome. He died in company with
John Wilson, on the 16th of May, 1683, leaving in writing an
account of his examination, and a Testimony, which are subjoined.!
1. His Answers before the Council and Justiciary.
When he was brought before a Committee of the Council, their
queries and his answers were, " Do you keep the kirk ? He answered
he was taken out of it, not when hiding, but when retired to it for
reading tbe Scriptures. Being asked who took him, and for what ; he
answered, — Cla verhouse, for being at Bothwell. Then he was questioned,
Do you not count Bothwell rebellion ? No, answered be, it was in
defence of the truth. Next he was asked, Do you acknowledge law
ful authority ? He answered, he is not a Christian that does not so.
But, added they, Do you acknowledge the present authority ? Ans.
In so far as he hath kept his engagements according to the' word of
God. Then he was asked, Will you take on to be a soldier, and go
over sea ? for if you abide here you will be hanged. He answered,
Being under your power now, I will not cut out mine own lot."
Before the Justiciary his confession before tbe Council was adduced
against him, upon which he alleged that it contained some things which
he had not spoken, particularly about the Bishop's death. " Well,"
said the Judge who presided, " What say you to that now ?" He
answered, he had no judgment to judge such heads. He adhered to
what he had said as to Bothwell ; and being asked if be had any thing ot
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 291—299.

DAVID M'MILLAN. 451
say to the Assizers, he said, he knew none of them, " but betwixt you and
them and God, be it." He was told there was yet room to renounce
his ill principles that took him to Bothwell, by taking the Test. He
answered, if he took it, it would not be willingly, and his heart would
not come up, and so he thought it best to adhere to his right.*
2. His Testimony.
" I bless the Lord that chose me to join with that persecuted
party, with whom I joined for defence of the truth, and when many
fled on horse, — I and my horse going away with the rest. — I shot him
from me, and went back and joined with the standing foot, and there
was pursued by some riders, to whom I cried for quarter, who said
they should give me quarter, and so felled me down to the ground ;
and thereafter there came an Highland-man, and at about 30 feet dis
tance, shot two balls at me out of a musket, which hit me on the
breast, and fell down on the grass without hurting me, — which was so
great a marvel to me, that I durst not doubt of his providence since i
and then being far from friends, I was through His providence, cured
of my wounds. And when I went home my friends said how will
you live now, (having lost the power of my arms,) but blessed be He
ever since, his providence has never left me without abundance. And
I desire that godly love may continue amongst all the godly, notwith
standing matters of judgment. And I would desire every one to
look first into his own sins as the great cause of this undoing of reli
gion. I desire all seriously to consider what price was paid for the
church. And for my own part, I think it an admiration that ever he
has honoured me with his cross ; and let none think ill of it. And I
bless the Lord I ever heard field-preachings, for thereby God con
vinced me of sin, and stirred up a love to Christ. And when it was
desired I might deny my deed, I durst not for that word, ' Keep the
truth, and the truth shall set you free.' And that of Isaiah, ' For we
have made lies our refuge, and ander falsehood we have hid ourselves,
and the hail should sweep awp.y the refuge of lies,' and that woe to
the rebellious children, who take counsel, but not of God, and cover
with a covering but not of his Spirit.' And I think, of the covenant that
was made with Levi, of peace, because of the fear wherewith he feared
God, ' That the rulers having no fear of God, nor intending peace, have
no interest in that covenant.' And I durst not take man's counsel,
because of that woe to the rebellious children that took counsel, but
not of God. I desire every one to take heed when they stand, lest
they fall ; for if folk begin to consult with flesh and blood and fetch
their steps, they will be fair to slip. And, labour to strengthen the
things that remain, that are ready to die. For my part, I durst not
meddle with petitioning for fear of the sinful snare therein, for they
labour to mark them either in the forehead or hand, that they part
with. And that word comforted me, ' Thou hast a little strength,
and hast not denied my name, and I have opened a door, and no man
can shut it.' I could not argue for the truth as others, but I had
• Wodrow's History, Vol. II. p. 29&

452 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
never a look to go back, and never any wrong thoughts. Some said
Bothwell was an ill contrived business ; but I loathed all such con
structions, of not only enemies, but also pretended friends, — which was a
great grief always as I heard it. I see many that would have said, ' Am
I a dog to do such a thing,' that run with the bulk, but let them mind
that ' If any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him."
You that are Christians should not be idle, when they are undoing
religion at this rate. And yet I think some pretended friends are as
great enemies as the church has. Labour to mourn for broken vows,
promises, slighted offers and opportunities, and a broken covenant.
For when I take a back-look, I wonder at the Lord's long-suffering
patience, considering a despised gospel, and considering his dealing
with other nations. O mourn while he may be in terms of agree
ment with you, and pray that the Lord may return to his covenanted
land, though your carcasses should fall in the wilderness ; and that he
would be pleased to return to the following generation, who has not
had the opportunity we have had. We have enough to account for,
though we have not that posterity's blood on us. I have solid faith,
though the world should turn upside down, it will be well with them that
are at their duty. And I die in the faith that he will return again, for the
Lord is most wise in his dealings ; he can bring things about for his own
glory and the good of his people ; however difficult it may seem now.
But I think, the Lord, for innocent blood, and other acts, shall Bweep
away the most part of the generation. I adhere to the Confession of
Faith, to the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, to the National and
Solemn League and Covenant ; and I leave my testimony against
hearing of Curates, paying cess, and against the indulgence. And
now I bless him who made me see the odiousness of my sin, and naked
ness, and a white raiment from himself for a covering, and made me
accept and close with him on his own terms. My soul shall bless him
through all the ages of eternity.*
DAVID M'MILLAN."

XXVIII. JOHN WHARRY.
[ The case of this and tbe following Witness is somewhat singular for
the injustice and cruelty displayed in it, — even in the persecuting
period to which it belongs. With respect to their personal history,
not even a hint has come down to us. It appears, however, that
about the beginning of June, 1683, they had been journeying
together, (each having a walking staff,) and had sat down to rest them
selves nearlnchbelly-bridge, a few miles to the north-east of Glasgow,
when they were discovered by some soldiers, who were in quest of
a band of country people, by whom a prisoner had been violently
" For this short Testimony, (which he believes has never before been pub
lished) the Editor is indebted to one of the Wodrow manuscripts in the Advo
cates' Library, from which it was copied expressly for this work. The title of
the MS. is, Jac. V. j. 25. NbA9.

JOHN WHARRY. 453
rescued from them, on the previous part of the day. They were
immediately apprehended as having been of the said party — brought
to Glasgow — tried — and without the least evidence as to the
identity of their persons, — on the mere presumption arising from
their being in the neighbourhood, — condemned as guilty of relieving
the prisoner, and executed on the 13th of the said month. John
Wharry's testimony is contained in the following letter, addressed
to his near relatives, shortly before his death.]
" Dear Mother, Brother and Sisters, — I beseech you, in the name
of my sweet and altogether lovely, incomprehensible, matchless, pre
cious, beautiful, and glorious Redeemer, captain and conqueror over
all his enemies, be not discouraged ; for, through his free love cast on
me in black nature, who was born an heir of sin aud wrath, I am now,
by his blessed purchase, made free, by the laying down of his sweet
life for poor sinners, of which I was one of the chiefest in the world,
that I might get life eternal, — which is his own gift bestowed on me :
and now, through his blessed hand of providence, — has made choice of
poor unworthy me to be his prisoner ; who ordereth all things well to
those whom he sets his love on ; and ' those whom he loves, he loves
unto the end.' I do not question his all-sufficiency : dear mother, do not
you question it, but that he is sufficient to make me conqueror over my
inward and outward enemies. O mother, bless the Lord that ever he
gave you a son, and flesh and bones, to be honoured to be a sufferer
for his precious name, truths, and interest, cause, covenant, and con
cerns, according to his own rule in his blessed word, which is contained
in the Old and New Testaments, agreeable to all truths contained
therein. O mother, will ye be entreated for his love's sake, to give
me back again to him in a free-will offering ! O I am persuaded, tbat
it would please my matchless Lord, and then it would fare better with
me, and you both. 0 if ye knew what of the kisses of love and kind
ness I got, since I was brought to carts, stocks, and irons I O unworthy
I, that should be honoured with this ! O mother, I beseech you for his
love's sake, that you do not repine, and thereby provoke the Lord to
anger. O bless him, for making all things pleasant' and delightsome,
-efreshful and comfortable to my soul, and my brother's. I cannot
express what love I have met with, since they apprehended me, and
my brother. O bless him for dealing so with me. I beseech you,
mother, be serious with the Lord, that what he hath begun, he may
also perfect in us to his own glory, and for his own work in the souls
of all that are within the compass of the decree of election of free
grace. I cannot describe him, — he is incomprehensible, and he is with
out compare. O he is beautiful and glorious, strong and almighty, —
powerful to break through difficulties, and to bring through his own
elect : all which is necessary, and nothing less, that his own being cast
in the furnace for the trial of their faith and patience, may be helped
to endure ; for he knows well enough to purge away the dross and
the scum of his own elect. O ! but some souls he plunges over and
over ; to others he limits and permits their winnowing by Satan. O '
but true faith, believing and casting all the weight upon the promises;

454 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
will bring you to the accomplishment ; if ye endure with patience, he i?
the same always to poor sinners, to make them to conquer over all
their inward and outward enemies, to those that have received him in
the precious offers of the gospel, held out to poor sinners freely, and
to poor me : and he hath engaged my heart to fall in love with him,
and to follow the blessed persecuted gospel, through good report and
ill report, upon all hazards whatsoever, through his strength. O ! bless
him, all that is within me, that ever he made me to act faith on his
great and precious promises, and also to trust to the faithful outmaking
of them to his own in particular straits, and also to the church in
general, in his due season, against all oppositions that can come from
a tempting devil, and a wicked, conspiring, and desperate heart, and the
wicked, flattering, deceiving, and bewitching world. O ! but these be
three strong, arch, cunning, and subtle enemies ! I fear, if this ques
tion were asked at professors in the land, If they knew these ? they
would answer, They knew them very well ; though I fear the con
trary ; and it appears much in our day and generation. Woe is to us !
where is this married land gone to, judge ye ? I bless him that he has
made me his prisoner, though I be unworthy ; he has stooped low,
and with his delicates has come to me in my irons and cords,
in that chamber in Glasgow, with his own wine, apples, and flagons.
O ! if ye knew what a life we have here ; if ye knew the want
of him ye would have longed for him, and would not have thought
a prison, cords, stocks, irons, hard to bear, for his comely pre
sence, and refreshing of our souls. O ! glory to his blessed and
everlasting name, whose loving-kindness lasts for aye ! O friends I
give all the praise to precious and lovely Christ. O friends I
wrestle and hold on ; use importunity with him for your bleeding
mother-church ; for it is not time to be slack. O pray for us, that we
may get more and more of his support, that we may be strong in our
Almighty God, who has done great things for his church, and is
beginning to do great things for us in our prison. O ! praise him all
ye people ; it may be nearer to the breaking of the day of our King
Royal, than ye are aware. God has long been silent and conscience
dumb amongst people. O be ye aware, tbat ye have not these two,
when he arises to make war for all the wrongs he has sustained. We
beseech you, in his own name, try whose ye are, what ye are, and in
whose list ye are : know ye not, that true ' faith is the substance of
things not seen, but hoped for' in bim, and will be made forthcoming
to the sensible feeling of his own elect ?
JOHN WHARRY."*

XXIX. JAMES SMITH.
[After what is said in the foregoing article, as referring equally
to both sufferers, it is only necessary to add here — that the scuffle
at relieving the prisoner having been severe, and one of the soldiers
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 267—270.

JAMES SMITH. 455
killed in it, the crime alleged against these two men, was no less
than murder ; but so far from this being brought home to them,
there was not a single witness adduced to prove, that they had even
been in the affray. The sentence, too, which was passed against
them and executed accordingly, was in the last degree ignominious
and severe. After being hanged at tbe Cross of Glasgow, they were
carried in a cart to Inchbelly-bridge, and there hung in chains. " It
is worth recording to the praise of His grace, for whose royal digni
ties they witnessed, that they endured all these hardships with a
great deal of Christian magnanimity — even to the conviction of
enemies." The Testimony of James Smith is also in the form of a
letter, and is as follows.^
" Dear Father and Mother, — I beseech you to forgive me all the
offences I have done to you, for ye know it is natural to children to
offend and grieve their parents. Now this I seek in His name, and for
His sake, and I heartily forgive any provocations that my father has
given me, as I am of myself ; and desire the Lord may take a dealing
with your heart, O my father. Now, my dear father, seek the Lord,
that your soul may live ; and make religion your main work, and let
it not be a bye-business to you, but strive and wrestle to get time spent
rightly in the fear of the Lord, minding always and at all times, that
the eye of a holy and just God is upon you ; and be serious with God,
and deal in earnest with Him, that He would help you to self-denial,
— to be denied to all things beneath the clouds ; and study to get at
mortification, and let your affections follow nothing further than ye
can be mortified to it ; and be submissive to his holy will. Now the
Lord himself persuade you to fall in love with lovely Christ ; and I
desire the Lord may give you unfeigned repentance, and faith in Jesus
Christ, and strength to stand out and resist these ensnaring courses,
viz. locality paying, and the compearing at courts, and hearing of
curates, and the like. Dear father, mother, brethren, and sisters, quit
with me, and give me up to the Lord, who gave me to you. Give
me up freely without any hankering and repining ; for he loveth a
cheerful giver. I dare not say but he has been kind to me ; O
matchless love ! O praise, praise him that ever he honoured the like
of me with cords on my arms, and stocks on my legs ; — irons have
been sweet and easy to me, and no trouble. Now hold up my case
to the Lord, and doubt not of his faithfulness and all-sufficiency, for
he is both able and willing, and he bas said, ' In all your afflictions I
am afflicted ;' and he carries his and their cross both, and he ' sends
none a warfare on their own charges.' John xii. 24. ' Verily verily I
say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it
abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.' And ver.
25. ' He that loveth his life, shall lose it ; and he that hateth his life
in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal.' And I can say upon good
grounds, I am well helped of my lovely Master in all tbat I have been
trysted with. I desire with all my heart and soul to bless and praise
the holy name of my God for his love, and that ever he looked on the
like of me, a poor sinful thing. O praise him, and rejoice with me,

456 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
that it is so well with me. Now, the manner of my taking, was not
Surprising to me : I was not afraid, for I dare not question but
the place, and also the time was come : glory to His name in so order
ing it. No more at present, but have my love remembered to you,
and desire you to take up yourselves with your duty. Now I quit
you all to him ' who is able to save to tbe utmost.' Be much taken
up with the church's condition, and be not at ease in the time of Zion's
trouble. My brethren, my advice to you is, to join yourselves in a
society or fellowship meeting, in the strength of tbe Lord. Now my
lovely Lord, give thy blessing to all thine, and pardon the sins of all
the elect. Sic sub  JAMES SMITH."*

XXX. ANDREW GUILLAN.
[This, according to Wodrow, was the only individual of those
really present at it, who suffered, " precisely on account of the
Archbishop's death ;': and even he was not actually engaged in
compassing that event. He was by trade a weaver, and living in
the neighbourhood of Magus-Muir, — was called out on the occasion,
to hold the horses of those by whom the deed was perpetrated.
He seems to have been a serious, and for his station, a well-
informed man. He was apprehended as a nonconformist, by the
Curate of tbe parish, in which for some time, by way of concealing
himself, he had resided in the capacity of a farm-servant ; and
refusing to drink the king's health, he was first put into prison at
Dalkeith, and afterwards removed to Edinburgh. As yet, nothing
could be alleged against him, till he was artfully drawn into some
thing like a confession of having been present at the Archbishop's
death. He was tried, brought in guilty, and condemned to have
both his hands cut off at the foot of the gallows, hanged at Edin
burgh, his head fixed at Coupar, and his body hung in chains at
Magus Muir : a sentence which was executed on the 20th of July,
1683.f]
" My dear Friends, — Being here to die for my dearest Lord's pre
cious truths, I thought fit to leave this with you, as my last advice.
Seek to do good to all in your day. Let your moderation be known
unto all men. Study to be imploring your God, for there is sudden
wrath pronounced from heaven against all tbat have been doing, or
continue to do evil : for he hath said, Jer. x. 25. ' Pour out tby fury
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 270—271.
f " After his body," says Wodrow, " had bung in chains for some time
some people came and took it down, for which the country about was put to
no small trouble. I find that in May, 1684, the council granted a commission
to the earl of Balcarras, to pass sentence of banishment against the persons who
took it down, as being owners of the Archbishop's murder." Wodrow, vol,
II. p. 304.

ANDREW GUILLAN. 457
upon the heathen, and upon the families that call not upon thy name.'
We had need to know what we shall answer, when we shall come
before him, with whom we have to do ; for he is a holy God, and ' a
consuming fire to the workers of iniquity,' Wherefore, dear friends,
study holiness in all manner of conversation ; make it your earnest
care to have your conversation as becomes the gospel, and then he
will be forthcoming unto you. My friends, I leave you with the
Lord, who hath promised to be the God of his people. He is given
of the Father to be a leader and commander to his people, and he will
lead them. And I entreat every particular person, never to be at rest
till they give away themselves personally in covenant to God, and
promise through his grace, to be for him, and not for another. I leave
you to him, who ' leads Joseph like a flock.' If you would have him
speaking peace to you in your life, and in your end, cleave to the Son
of God and his truths. And remember, if speedy repentance do not
prevent, you will utterly rain your immortal souls. Now, my dear
friends, ye that are desiring singly to stand for God, hold on your
Way, and wait for the Lord, and quit not a hoof of the truth : he will
be an up-making God to you, and he has promised to be a present help
in the time of your need.
" There is a great confluence come here at this time : I would wish
with all my heart they would get good by it. I am come here
to lay down my life. I declare I die not as a murderer, nor as
an evil-doer; although this covenant-breaking, perjured, murdering
generation lay it to my charge, as though I was a murderer, on
account of the justice that was executed on that Judas who sold
the kirk of Scotland for 50,000 merks a year. And we being
bound to extirpate Popery and Prelacy, and that to the utmost of our
power, and we having no other that were appearing for God at that
day, but such as took away his life, therefore I was bound to join
with them, in defending the true religion, and all the land. Every
man was bound in covenant, when lie had sold the church, — .they were
bound, I say, to meet him by the way, when he came down from
London, and have him presently put to the edge of the sword, for
that heinous indignity done to the holy Son of God. But it is, alas I
too apparent that men have never known God rightly, nor considered
that he is a holy God. O terrible backsliding ! they will not believe
that God will call them to an account for what they owed to God :
but assure yourselves, as he is in heaven, he will call every one to an
account, how they have stood to that covenant and work of reforma
tion. I need say no more ; but I would have you consider, that in
breaking the covenant, we have trampled under foot the precious truths
of Jesus Christ.
Now, being straitened of time, I must leave off writing. Where
fore, farewell holy Scriptures, wherewith my soul hath been many a day
refreshed : farewell sweet societies with whom I have been, and whose
company was so refreshful to me ; farewell my mother, brethren,
sisters, and all other relations ; farewell all earthly pleasures ; farewell
sun, moon, and stars. Welcome spirits of just men made perfect ;
3 M

458 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
welcome angels ; welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, — into whose
hands I commit my spirit. Sic sub.— ANDREW GUILLAN."*

The inhuman treatment this martyr met with ought not to be forgot
ten, as a pregnant instance of the hellish rage and fury ofthe persecutors,
and of the Lord's rich grace, who wonderfully countenanced and
strengthened him to endure the tortures inflicted upon him, with an
undaunted braveness of spirit : for besides the tortures he suffered in
prison, they ordered both his hands to be cut off, while be was alive :
and it was observed by onlookers, though (by reason the executioner
was drunk) he received nine strokes in cutting them off, yet he bore
it with invincible patience. And after the right hand was cut off, he
held out the stump in view of the multitude, saying, " As my blessed
Lord sealed my salvation with his blood, so am I honoured this day to
seal his truths with my blood." — C. W.

XXXIII. JOHN COCHRAN.
\_ This was one of Three countrymen, who suffered together on the 30th
of November, 1683. He was by trade a shoemaker, and belonged
to the parish of Lesmahagow. With his two companions he was
indicted in the usual form, for treason, as having been in the rising at
Bothwell. They were brought before the council on the 26th ; and
their confession there emitted was all that was adduced as evidence
at their trial, on the 28th of said month. They were, of course,
condemned, — and two days after, hurried into eternity. " They were
persons," says Wodrow, " from whom the government had nothing
to fear, and their blood was shed (for what I can see) merely out of
love of blood." It appears that John Cochran confessed his having
been both at Drumclog and Bothwell-bridge, armed with a fork,
and that he refused to own or pray for the king, or to give his
opinion of the Archbishop's death. His testimony, in which the
other two concurred, is as follows.]]
" Being brought before the lords of Justiciary, they asked, Where 1
went in to the rebels ? I answered, I went in to the people of God,
whom ye call so, at Drumclog. They asked, If I had arms ? I told
tbem, I had a fork. They asked, If I thought it rebellion ? I said,
No. And they said, What was it then ? I told them, It was in defence
of the gospel. They asked, If I did own the authority ? I told them,
As far as it did agree with the word of God. Then they asked, If I
would pray for the king ? I told them, That prayer should be gone
about in decency and order. Then they asked, If I would say ' God
save the king ?' And 1 refused. Then they said, Was I not bound to
• Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 263— 264^

JOHN COCHRAN. 459
pray for him ? I told them, That I was bound to pray for all that
were within the bounds of election. Then they said, Was the
Bishop's death murder ? I told, I was no judge. Then they asked,
If I was at Bothwell ? I told, I was. They said, Was it rebellion?
I said, No. Then I was taken back to prison again, and the irons
laid on me : but blessed be the Lord, that was no discouragement to
me ; for when the storm blew hardest the smiles of my Lord were at
the sweetest. It is matter of rejoicing unto me, to think how my
Lord hath passed by many a tall cedar, and hath laid his love upon a
poor bramble-bush, like me. And 0 1 that I could bless the
Lord for it, and say, ' Come all ye that fear the Lord, and I will tell
you what he hath done for my soul.' And now I am made to say,
' That the Lord doth all things well, and holy is his name.' And as
for my part, I have good cause to bless the Lord, that ever I was a
hearer of the persecuted gospel ; and however the world think of us,
that our lot is hard in a world, yet remember, that he saith in his holy
word, that ' whosoever will live godly, must suffer persecution ; and
whosoever will not take up his cross, and follow me, is not worthy of
me. And fear not him that can kill the body,' but said he, ' I
will forewarn you whom ye shall fear ; fear him that can kill both soul
and body, and cast both into hell.' And ' If judgment begin at the
house of God, where shall the wicked and ungodly appear in that day,
when he shall take vengeance on them that fear him not, and obey not
the gospel ?' And now, alas ! I am afraid, that even much of tbe
gospel amongst us, will be a witness against us ; for it was the judg
ment of Capernaum, that so many mighty works were done in it, and
yet they believed not : and yet, for all that came upon it, it was said
to be exalted up to heaven ; and then we hear of its being thrust
down to hell : even so, I fear the having so much light will be the
plague of our land : for it was once a praise to all the earth ; but
now a mocking, even among the heathens.
" And now as a dying man, I do heartily declare my adherence
unto all the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments ; and
preaching of that blessed gospel, by a faithful, sent, presbyterian
gospel ministry. As also, I do, with all my soul and heart, agree with,
and assent unto the Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms,
the Sum of Saving Knowledge ; the National and Solemn League and
Covenants, Directory for Worship, the Solemn Acknowledgment of
public Sins and Breaches of the Covenant, and Engagement to all
Duties, together with all and whatsoever is contained within the fore
said book. And likewise I do hereby heartily witness and testify
against popery, prelacy, Erastianism, heresy, and other errors, espe
cially quakerism, and whatsoever is disconform and disagreeable to the
holy Scriptures, and these other sound writings above-mentioned.
And likewise, I witness and testify my abhorrence and detestation of
that abominable and blasphemous Test, which is now so violently pressed
upon the people, tending to the destruction of their souls. Moreover,
I leave my wife and six small children to the care and protection of
Almighty God, who hath promised ' to be a father to the fatherless,
and an husband to the widow,' — and my soul to God who gave it, for

460 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
whose cause I now willingly lay down my life: and now I bid fare
well to all earthly and carnal comforts. Farewell all Christian
acquaintance : and welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, into whose
hands I commit my spirit ! Sic sub._JOHN COCHRAN."*

At the same time also suffered upon the same heads of truth, and
adhering to the same testimony, these two pious martyrs, John
Whitelaw, and Arthur Bruce, who were interrogated upon the same
things before the Council or Lords of Justiciary, and agreed with the
foregoing martyr in every respect, and expressed in their testimonies the
like satisfaction with their lot, and cheerfulness under the cross, and
their adherence to the same principles, and abhorrence of the same
errors. — C. W.

XXXIV. GEORGE MARTIN.
[It appears that this good man who had for some time practised as a
Notary at Dailly in Ayrshire, endured with exemplary patience,
a long tract of sufferings. He was apprehended towards the end
of 1679, and for upwards of four years — remained under great
severities. He was for a great part of that time, day and night, in
irons ; and mostly without fire and other necessaries, — even during
the most inclement weather. Why he was so long detained in
prison, we have no account. It was, however, not till the 18th of
February, 1684, that he waB brought to trial, after having been
previously examined on the 11th of that month. He was found
guilty, of course ; and that on the usual grounds of refusing to pray
for the king, to renounce the covenant, to declare the rising at
Bothwell rebellion, and the bishop's death, murder. He was executed,
in pursuance of his sentence, on the 22d of February following —
leaving behind him the testimony which is subjoined.]
" My dear Friends, — After fouryears' and nearly four months' capti
vity and bondage, for this glorious and honourable cause of Jesus Christ,
— for which I have been kept sometimes in bolts and fetters, night and
day, without fire and other necessaries ; and now at the end of the
foresaid space, being sentenced to die, I thought it fit to signify to
you why I was so sentenced, as the adversaries gave it forth : and it
is thus ; I could not own nor allow of the king's authority, as it is now
established, nor pray for him in a superstitious and idolatrous manner,
nor call tbe late prelate of St. Andrews', and the late king's death
murder, nor Bothwell-bridge rebellion, and abjure the Covenant : all
which I refused, and could do upon no terms.
" As to the first, I could not own nor allow of the present
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 265. 267.

GEORGE MARTIN. 461
government, as it is now established, because it is derogatory to tlie
crown and kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, in robbing him of his
royal prerogatives ; ' in their setting of their threshold by his threshold,
and their posts by bis posts, and the wall between him and them, they
have even defiled his holy name, by their abominations that they have
committed.' Ezek. xliii. 8. And, Ezek. xliv. 6, 7, 8. ' And thou
shalt say to the rebellious house, even to the house of Israel, Thus
saith the Lord God, O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your
abominations, in that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers,
uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to he in my
sanctuary to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the
fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant, because of all
their abominations. And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy
things : but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for
yourselves.' ' Shall even he that hateth right govern ? and' wilt thou
condemn him that is most just ?' Job xxxiv. 17. Who durst do it and
be guiltless ? and moreover, — ' Which say to the seers see not, and to
the prophets, prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth
things, prophesy deceits. Get ye out of the way, turn aside out of the
path, cause the holy One of Israel cease from before us,' Isa. xxx. ] 0,
11. And I cannot, nor dare not pray for him so superstitiously. 1st,
Because it imports a set form of prayer, which is most superstitious,
and that which is their dreadful design. 2dly, It imports idolatry,
like unto the cry of the people made mention of, Acts xix. 34. who
had a cry for the space of two hours, of that idol, ' Great is Diana of
the Ephesians,' which was rejected by some of their own sort, with
some kind of reason, though heathens, and much more ought it here.
3dly, Another reason why I cannot pray after such a manner, is, I
find when prayer is rightly discharged, and seriously gone about, in
the manner, time, and place, as is warranted by the word of God ;
God is thereby worshipped and honoured ; and if irreverently gone
about, he is dishonoured, and his name profaned, and taken in vain,
which is abomination to him, — which he saith, his enemies do, and
for which he will not hold them guiltless. 4thly, I dare not pray so
superstitiously for him, because I find Jeremiah expressly forbidden to
pray for a people, not guilty of all the things that he is guilty of,
though he be guilty of all their sins, and many others also. See for
this, Jer. vii. 16. where it is said, ' Pray not thou for this people,
neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to
me ; for I will not hear thee.' Jer. xi. 14. ' Therefore pray not thou
for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them ; for I will not
hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.' And
Jer. xiv. 11, 12. ' Then said the Lord unto me, Pray not for this
people for their good : when they fast, I will not hear their prayer.'
Psalm xliv. 20, 21. ' If we have forgotten the name of our God, or
stretched out our hands to a strange god ; shall not God search this
out ; for he knoweth the Becrets of the heart.' 1 John v. 16. '. If any
man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask,
and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is
a sin unto death ; I do not say, that he shall pray for it.' I fear some

462 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
sins in this land have too near bordering with that sin. Innumerable
scriptures are to this purpose, but these may suffice at present.
Another thing makes me scruple, because they command no more
prayers to be prayed, ' save unto thee O king,' Dan. vi. 7. And
lastly, I dare not pray it, because all the profane profligate persons have
it always in their mouth, especially when they are drank ; and if 1 do
what they do, I fear I go where they go : but blessed be the Lord, who
has yet prevented me from the paths of these destroyers. Much of
this was spoken when I was before them, and so I shall forbear to
speak any more as to this question.
" The next question is, in order to the prelate's death, Whether it
was murder or not ? Murder I dare not call it, more than Eglon's,
Sisera's, and Balaam's deaths, but the just judgment of God for his
fearful apostasy and backsliding, together with the horrid murders
committed by him upon the saints and servants of God. The third
is, That of the death of the late king ; whether it was murder or not ?
I am not much to meddle with it ; but the many thousands that
were slain in England,— the horrid murder committed by the Irish in
Ireland, and the dreadful slaughter of the protestants in Scotland,
cause great thoughts of heart, that it was a fatal stroke. A fourth
thing, Whether Bothwell bridge was rebellion ? which whether it was
so or not, may appear, if ye consider our former engagements to that
effect. And, fifthly, Anent owning and adhering to the covenants,
— We answered publicly before the court, That in all the scripture it
was warrantable, both to make covenants, and also to keep them, and
that there was never a covenant so broken, but that which was punished
by signal judgments and plagues by the Lord  These were the
answers to the indictment, whereupon the sentence of death passed,
or for not answering to some of these questions ; for whicb I must lay
down my life. And if this be not murder, let Christian nations bear
witness, if ever the like was done in any Christian kingdom heretofore.
" But now being straitened for want of time and other inconveniences,
I cannot say much more to you. Only, I leave it with you as my
last advice, that you would endeavour to keep the way of the Lord
sincerely, and not to meddle with them that are given to such changes,
which alas ! too many plead for, and are given to this day ; and that
ye would not be so formal in many things, concerning godliness, and the
work and worship of God  Formality, it may be feared, will give many
a beguile, when it cannot be mended. As first, I beseech you, be
more observant in keeping the Lord's day, in rising betimes in the morn
ing, and in spending the whole time in worshipping God sincerely:
take heed to your thoughts, words, and actions. And when ye set a
day apart, I mean of humiliation, give God the whole day, and notice
what success ye have had, and how ye have found the work thrive and
prosper among you : and use less disputings even in things seemingly
necessary : and be more in examination and edification both of your
selves and others ; and believe that a well spent Sabbath will be helpful
to spend the week well. And also, labouring to have your conversa
tion aright through the week, will be a noble presage to begin the
Sabbath. And what ye spare of your ordinary diet, bestow it upon
tbe poor and needy. There is this among many, who profess to be reli-

GEORGE MARTIN. ' 463
gious, which is odious, that they take well with it to be called religious,
nnd yet they have little or no scruple to do wrong, and speak wrong
of others, and towards them. I beseech you sin not, — though there
were no eye to see you but God, — either by doing or suffering : you
will never perform religious duties aright, till ye be at this, that ye
dare do wrong in no kind to any. ' Do justly, love mercy, and walk
humbly with your God.' Alas ! it is sad to see and hear judgments
and plagues multiplied, and sin so much increasing. O for more
tenderness one towards another I and of a spirit of meekness and zeal
for God, give yourselves to be ever in prayer one with another, and
for another : wrestle with him in behalf of his church, and rained work
now borne down ; and that be may return to the land, and pity his
people ; and be importunate with him in this, lest the ruin thereof be
found to be under your hand. I fear you may expect judgments to
come suddenly upon this sinful land ; so that ye will think, happy
were they that got away before they came : therefore so many of you
as would in any measure escape the deluge of wrath, that is coming on
this Binful generation, — keep clean hands, and be free of the sinful
abominations committed therein ; and for witnessing against them, we
are to lay down our lives this day.
" And now as a dying man, and a dying Christian, I join with, and
approve of all the Holy Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testa
ment, both of threatenings and promises therein. As also I agree with,
and allow of that excellent book, called tbe Confession of Faith, with
the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Sum of Saving Knowledge,
Directory for Worship ; and particularly, I adhere to, and allow of the
two Covenants, both National and Solemn League and Covenant,
Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties, with all others
contained in the forenamed book. As also I do witness and testify
my dislike of the breaches and burnings of these covenants, and of all
other horrid abominations of that nature. And likewise I abhor and
detest all compliance or joining with the enemies of our Lord Jesus
Christ; and more particularly, of bonding, bargaining, and informing,
or putting them to do hurt, any manner of way, to any of the Lord's
poor afflicted, borne down, wandering and distressed people. And in
like manner I hate and detest all communing with, speaking favourably
of, or eating or drinking with any such, except in case of necessity.
And in like manner, I testify my dislike of that dreadful, blasphemous,
and abominable unparalleled test, and of all pretended magistrates
and ministers, who have taken the same, and of all that meddle
or join with them, or pay fines for hearing the gospel, or transact
or colleague with any such, any mariner of way, upon the foresaid
account. And lastly, I hate too much covetousness in prisoners who
are in a capacity to maintain themselves, and yet are burdensome to
other poor, mean (though charitable) people. And I join heartily with
the testimonies of our dear suffering brethren, who suffered eitherformer-
ly or of late. And likewise, I join my testimony to a faithfully preached
gospel, by faithful, presbyterian, lawfully called and authorized ministers,
and lawful magistrates placed and empowered, as is agreeable and
warranted by tbe word of God, and none other. And notwithstand
ing 1 be branded with not admitting of magistracy and kingly authority,

464 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
I do hereby declare and make it known to the world, that I do allow
of lawful authority, agreeable and conformable to the will and command
of God, the only lawgiver, as much as any man in my station in Scot
land, and account a land happy and blest, in having and enjoying such.
" And now, being honoured to die for adhering to the truth, and to
die this same day, being the 22d of February, 1684,-1 do hereby
forgive all persons all wrongs done to me, and wish them forgiveness,
as I desire to be forgiven of God. And now, I leave all my friends
and Christian relations to the good guiding of Almighty God, and bid
you all farewell in the Lord : farewell all worldly enjoyments, and
created comforts. And welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, into
whose hands I commit my spirit !
Sic sub.— GEORGE MARTIN."*

Together with this martyr suffered John Gilrig, f wright in the
parish of Hownam in Teviotdale, whose indictment was founded upon
the same heads, and his testimony is much of a piece with his. He
dies admiring and praising free grace, adhering to the truths of Jesus,
and firmly trusting in bim for salvation. — C. W.

XXXV. JOHN DICK.
£This distinguished martyr was a Student of divinity, and son to Mr.
David Dick, Writer in Edinburgh. He was apprehended, and
brought before tbe Council, so early as August 1683, and there
after tried, condemned, and sentenced to be executed, on the 28th
of September following. Before the day arrived, however, he, with
a number of other prisoners, made his escape from the Tolbooth-
*N Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 229, 305.
f The person here alluded to, is spoken of by Wodrow under the name of John
Kerr. Whether he is here called Gilrig by mistake, or that he -was accustomed to
assume both, names, we have no meaDS ef ascertaining. The latter supposition seems
to be favoured by the following statement from Wodrow. " I have," says he, " before
me, two original letters signed John Gilrig, from the Iron-house, December 27th,
1683, which savour much of humility, self-diffidence, and meekness, — wherein he
offers many solid grounds of support to sufferers, and presses them to observe provi
dences, and believe well of God. I doubt not but it is the same person here
mentioned, and know no more about him than what is stated (as above) in the Cloud
of Witnesses." And yet it appears that he is spoken of under the name of John
Kerr, as the following quotation from the registers renders evident. " John Eerr
refuses to own the king's authority. He says the king lays things on his subjects
contrary to the word of God, and so he cannot own his authority ; — that Bothwell-
bridge was lawful, as a defence of the truth. As to the bishop's murder, he says, it
is not his part to judge. As to the late king's murder, he refuses to answer. He
owns the covenant, and adheres to the end of it. Refuses to sign."
It appears that besides these two, and along with them, a third individual, by
name James Muir, belonging to Cessford-Boat, was condemned, and most probably
suffered. The grounds of his indictment, and the nature of the evidence adduced
against him were precisely the same with those of the others, and consequently equally
insufficient to infer the last penalty of the law  See Wodrow, Vol. ii. pp. 3G8, 369.

JOHN DICK. 465
prison,* nor was it till the beginning of March, 1684, that he was
retaken. Being, immediately after, remitted to the Justiciary, he
* The account of this curious incident, as given by Wodrow, will, though some
what long, give no small gratification to the reader.
" It was upon the 16th of September, that Mr. John Dick and upwards ot
24 other prisoners, none of whom almost could ever have expected to come out
of prison, but for execution, — found means to cut a window and get out. The
circumstances accompanying their escape, were such as were truly remarkable ;
and the more to be dbserved, tbat not one of them, save Mr. Dick, fell again
into the enemies' hands. There was a sentinel in the street just below the window
at which they got out; whether for the security of the prison, or because the
Earl of Linlithgow, justice-general, and colonel to the red regiment, had his lodg
ings just opposite to the tolbooth, — my informer cannot tell. The window was
cross-barred with iron, and after they had cut one bar, they found tbe space not
large enough to get out at, which cost them the cutting of three other iron bars,
aud this took them so much time and pains, that the matter was talked of
among their friends, not only in the town of Edinburgh, but even at Glasgow,
before they could get it accomplished ; yet it came not to the ears of their enemies,
but which is yet stranger, as my author very well remembers, — it so happened
that the first bar they cut fell from the window, which was on the third story,
upon the street of the town, about nine of the clock at night, and continued
laying there all night and next morning, — till about the same hour, a friend
coming, in to see them was sent down to the street, not so much as to look after
the bar, (for that they did not so much as expect,) as to know if the want of it
was easily perceivable from the street, and he found it just where it fell, aud got
it sent up to them, and they made a shift to fix it again in its place, till they had
ended the rest of their project. They could not but wonder, that the street
being so narrow there, and the Earl of Linlithgow's lodgings just opposite to,
and on a level, with their window, a sentinel at his sentry, within a few paces of
where the bar fell, and the bar being amissing for some hours, and they putting it
again in its place, — they could not (I say) but with admiration remark, that they
were not observed and hindered ; that night, likewise, they had also cut the beam
ofthe floor above them, and made way for some of their fellow-prisoners, in that
room, to get out with them
" When all was ready, and they just coming ost, two friends surprised the
snitinel at the centry foresaid, threatening him with present death if he spoke
one word; and the fellow was not only silent at the time, but spoke nothing
when he was relieved from his post, which gave them full time to shift for
themselves ; and several of them were country people who knew not the town,
and had no friends nor acquaintance with them to direct them how to dispose oi
themselves, yet they all escaped : yea, it was affirmed, that one  Miller,
an Eaglesham man, wandering up and down and seeing a light in a house went
to it, and knocking, a servant opened to him, and he most ingenuously told his
circumstances : this happened to be the Bishop's lodgings, but the maid had the
generosity to hide the man, till next day she told some of her acquaintance, whom
she knew to be favourers of the sufferers, and they came and took care of him.
This passage being fully verified to me, I thought it deserved room here.
" No small noise was made about this escape. The Council could not be got
to gather till the 20th of September, when I find, by the registers, a committee
of their number was appointed to go to prison and call for the magistrates of
Edinburgh and view it, and see what was necessary to be done for its security:
they appoint, likewise, general Dalziel to call a council of war, and examine the
behaviour of captain, lieutenant, sergeants, corporals, and sentinels, that night,
and report. And January 22d, next year, — I find a process before ihe council
against the magistrates and town of Edinburgh. They are libelled for suffering
Mr. John Dick, Adam Philip, George Atkin, prisoners for high treason, and
about two and twenty others, criminal prisoners, — to escape. The town's lawyers.
are heard, and the magistrates assolied as being a casual and fortuitous escape,
and the president is appointed to give them a reprimand and admonition to taka
heed to their prison in time to come." — Wodrow, Vol. II. pp. 289 290.
3n

-106 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
was ordered to be executed on the 5th of that month, agreeably to
his former sentence; He suffered accordingly — leaving behind him
a very minute detail of his Examination, Trial, and Testimony,
which together with his Last Words, have since been printed, and
altogether, form a considerable pamphlet, — from which a few extracts
are subjoined.]
" My first assertion I have to vindicate, is this ; — that I own the Work
of reformation, as the same is contained in the Confession of Faith
and Catechisms, conform to the covenant against popery, prelacy, and
Erastianism, and am resolved, by the Lord's strength, to bide by the
same ; and to this I subjoin the inviolable obligation of the covenant, to
adhere to these principles and practices. * * *
" The second assertion I am to defend is, — that the laws overturning
the presbyterian church and establishing episcopacy, particularly these
three acts — To wit, Ist, Tbe act rescissory, whereby at one dash the
glorious fabric, sometime the glory of these nations, is overturned ;
2dly, The act of supremacy, and act explanatory of the same, whereby
our blessed Lord is set by his chair, and a poor worm set down in his
room ; 3dly, That act called the Test, a hotchpotch of nonsense, lies,
and contradictions ; — that these, and others of their nature, were null,
and asserted principally, because contrary to express Texts of
scripture. * * *
"The third thing I have in task, is to defend these assertions following ;
To wit, — that I own the Hamilton Declaration, and that when we were
invaded or assaulted by any person whatsoever, in the exercise of our
reformed religion and worship — upon that account, we were obliged to
ctand to our own defence : — that I own the lawfulness of field conven
ticles, and our being in arms to defend ourselves in case of being
molested ; — and that I myself was ever ready to own and defend my
brethren in arms when invaded, as said is, and declaring that the
invasions made against the Lord's people at Pentland and Bothwell,
they being then in the exercise of their religion, — were services done to
the devil, and the resistance roade by them in their own defence, was
service done to God. Now, the sum of all these assertions is, that it
is the duty of protestant reformed churches to stand to the defence of
their reformation and religion : — especially with this consideration, that
with their religion, they are also assaulted as to their privileges, — as in
the freedom of parliaments, and many other particulars, — which if time
would allow I could enumerate ; considering especially, that this
church and kingdom are obliged so to do, by a most solemn oath made
to the ever living God, — they, their kings, their princes, and nobles,
and the whole body of the realm ; — and that this oath stands still
inviolate. * * *
" And now, unto his Majesty our king, must I address myself, and
to all under him, from his brother the Duke of York, to all the coun
sellors, sheriffs, justices, magistrates of boroughs, and members of
parliament, since his majesty's restoration. * * *
" Now, as to you all and sundry, I declare in the entry of my
address, as in the sight of Jehovah, whose I am, and before whom
both you and I ere long, must stand naked and bare, to answer for all

JOHN DICK. 467
we have done in the flesh, — that my design in this my address, next
to the glory of God, the good and edification of his people, and conse
quently the advancement of his work, has been your conviction from
the highest to the lowest, if possible. * * *
" And now, to you great Sir, — for to you and all under you, who
instigate you to, and concur with you in these soul-destroying practices,
I am in the strength of Jehovah to remonstrate, — I address myself ; —
and in the first place, must take the liberty to tell you, in the name of
my great Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, that it is not unknown to your
Majesty, nor any of those to whom I address myself, jointly with you,
that not only at your coronation, your Majesty and all under you, from
the highest to the lowest but also before, — these whole nations were, and
yet are, engaged in a most solemn covenant with the ever-living God,
party contractor on the one hand, and your Majesty and all under you
in these nations, from the highest to the lowest, on the other hand ; to
the observance of which covenant, these nations and all in them, shall
for ever be bound and obliged, from the highest to the lowest, while
sun and moon endure ; neither is there any imaginable way of dissolv
ing the same, — especially considering, that therein our obligation being
only to amend our lives, and to worship the Almighty God, conform
to his own appointment, and to oppose ourselves, our lives and
fortunes, to all courses and ways inconsistent with these ends ; — these
beiug moral duties to which we were antecedently bound, as is the
nature also of all the duties we are obliged to by these covenants.
Now, great sir, the case being thus, I hope you will not judge yourself
obliged to such as make this defence for breaking of these covenants,
— that your Majesty was forced thereto, for indeed I look upon it as a
great imputation upon your Majesty, (especially being styled Defender
of the Faith,) to have been in any measure under either necessity or
constraint, to have joined in a duty so absolutely necessary, and if
there was any thing of force, where was the intimation thereof ? Sure
I am, there was nothing thereof publicly to be seen, and yet giving but
not granting it had been so, your Majesty and all under you, were inex
pressibly more obliged to the performance thereof, than were the people
of Israel to the performance of that made with the Gibeonites, as may
be seen above ; nor do I think your Majesty will think yourself
obliged to them, who should for vindication of your breach of these
covenants offer this defence, that your Majesty is under covenant
of a posterior date bound to the pope, and some of his creatures,
to introduce popery, and to mancipate these territories to that
antichristian yoke. If any such thing be, — as the carriage of the
court, this considerable time, too loudly insinuates, sure I am, it
were more for your Majesty's honour-, and the glory of God, and
the good of your nations, to break that covenant than to keep it, it
being a covenant made against the Almighty, which by no imaginable
pretence can be justified. But leaving these things to your majesty's
consideration, and to the consideration of such as may, with you, be
concerned herein, I must make bold to ask again, by what authority
you came to dissolve this contract ? (yea, I may say, and that upon
good grounds, as glorious a contract as ever was made on earth,

468 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
and while adhered to of as glorious effects,) I say I must make
bold to ask by what authority this is broken ? and unless you be
so bold as to ran yourself upon the bosses of the buckler of the
Almighty, in refusing that which the Justice-clerk but faintly granted,
(which the Lord avert,) I mean, unless you deny Jehovah to be
supreme Lord and Master of heaven and earth, and all the kings
and governors in the earth to be his deputies and servants. Now, we
shall take it for granted, that these covenants stand still binding,
and I am sure we have good ground so to do, for any thing we
have either read or heard to the contrary. Then, great sir, must I,
in the next place ask, how it comes to pass, that over the belly of
these covenants Episcopacy and Erastianism (against which as to the
unlawfulness thereof, and their inconsistency with the word of God,
we have so many testimonies standing in record, not only in the
word of God, but in human writings, drawn and founded thereupon,
without the least satisfaction offered by our adversaries,) — come to be
introduced amongst us, who besides the unlawfulness of the things
themselves bave this to say, that we have sworn with hands lifted up
to the Almighty, not only never to join with, but with our lives and
fortunes to oppose either ; — I say how come these not only to be intro
duced, but we by armed force hunted, harassed, plundered, tortured,
and hailed to scaffolds, for no other reason, but our refusing ? Anent
which — the unlawfulness of the things were to us sufficient warrant ;
though we had not been in covenant, but much more being under the
same ; as for my part, I can dream of no reason for introducing these,
— being strangers in the church of Christ, not only in his own blessed
time, and the time of the appstles who survived him, — but also for
three hundred years thereafter. Nor do I ever hear or read that for
any other use they were introduced but for Antichrist, that man of
Bin's exaltation ; — being made use of, — the one for his advancement in
that damnable absolute supremacy of his, in the church, and the other
for the same end, in the state, — and truly if this be the thing, it does
not a little confirm me in the belief of that second covenant you and
your brother have made with the pope, which I mentioned a little
above. * * *
" Now let me obtest you all in the bowels of my blessed Lord Jesus
Christ, if you have any respect to the glory of God, to the eternal
well-being of your own immortal souls, to the well-being of your
posterity, and to the peace and well-being of these nations, of whicb
you are all members (though of different sizes,) in the fear of God,
that you would lay aside your enmity against God, and follow that
advice given in the second Psalm, from the 10th verse to the close.
And that you may be the better helped to this, read and ponder well
that whole Psalm, — not forgetting to pray over your meditations there
upon, and set some time apart for considering the greatness of the
affronts you gave to Jehovah in all these acts and actions we have
been weakly hinting at, — considering therein, your unparalleled despite
done to the Spirit of God, in setting yourselves so palpably against the
Almighty, and setting up your mock laws against and above that
unerring law of his, — I mean his blessed will revealed in his word, as

JOHN DICK. 469
also the weight of the blood you have engaged your shoulders under, in
executing these your abominable wicked laws, — which is nolessthan tho
whole bloodshed, since the blood of righteous Abel to this very hour.
For this consider that passage in the 23d of Matthew, from the 29th
to the 37th verse ; — the more faithful you are, or any of you shall be
helped to be in judging yourselves in this matter, the greater hope in
your case. I pray God that none of you be so fai- left to yourselves, as
offer to shift off this charge, which I am sure you shall never have
ground to do till you have solidly answered all that is written in the
word of God, for binding the same upon you, as also in the above-
mentioned, and amongst the rest, — in this poor and feckless essay of
mine, — which I declare as in the sight of God I have ventured upon,
next to the glory of God, and the good of his people, with an eye to
the everlasting well-being of the souls of one and all of you, even of
my most inveterate enemy, Mr. Paterson, prelate of Edinburgh, as you
call bim. And because neither time will allow, nor is this so properly
my task, — I recommend it to you for your help here, to consult the
writings of our faithful divines, both in Britain and Ireland, where you
may meet with what may afford you better help in this indispensable,
necessary duty ; and whether I come speed or not, I must advise you
also, even to consult in this matter such of your faithful ministers as
are yet amongst us. I think it but reasonable you should essay this in
the time of your health, which not a few of you have ventured upon
at your death, fearing that then it may prove too late, for seldom is
late repentance sure repentance. Now, if you shall be helped of the
Lord to grant me this my suit, which is so much for the glory of God,
the good of your own soul, the good of your posterity, and of the lands
wherein you live, I do nothing doubt but ere all be done you shall find
reason to bless the Lord, and to alter your sentiments not only of me,
but of all who, with roe, have been so tender of your souls as not to
dare to harden you in your sinful courses, by concurring and going
alongst with you in these so horrid abominations, — and shall not only
think but find it verified upon your spirits, that we have been (that
which we are indeed,) the only faithful and loyal subjects in these
dominions, — endeavouring in our stations to render to the Almighty
what is his, and to Caesar what is his, which is true loyalty indeed.
For we dare not join with these that have in their rage against God,
combined with his deputies against him, and if you shall be yet so far
hardened as to refuse this my so useful, and to you, profitable advice,
then must I come, in the third place, to remonstrate the hazard of your
refusal, which cannot fail but to be upon this account the greater, — that
you shall refuse a message as it were sent from the dead unto you,
and so a greater step of God's infinite condescendency unto you.
" Well, then, that in this matter I may be the more particular with
you, — I shall obtest one and all of you, to consider what ye will do in
the day of visitation, I mean in the great and terrible day of tbe Lord,
(for as to particular visitations in time, it may be you have laid your
count by them, and therein done foolishly enough too,) when our
blessed Lord Jesus Christ (against whom ye have been raging these
two and twenty years, and it may be some of you longer,) shall

470 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
set his throne in the clouds, and cause sound the last trumpet, — at tha
hearing whereof, all that ever had a being must answer and compear,
and stand naked before onr great King and head of his own church, (to
whom the Father has committed the judgment,) and answer for what
they have done in the flesh : which, — his coming, — as it shall be the
joyfulest sight tbat ever the people of the Lord did see, — so to all the
wicked it shall be the most dreadful and terrible day that ever their
eyes beheld, and this the rather that they could never be induced to
believe the same in time, so it shall be a dreadful surprisal to them.
* *
" I say again unto you all, What resolve you to do in that great
and terrible day of the Lord ? — when our blessed Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lamb of God, for meekness and pleasantness to his people, but to
all who shall be found enemies in that day, — the Lion of the tribe of
Judah ; and a very terrible Lion shall he be. What are you resolved
to do ? Can it be possible, that men who were created reasonable
creatures, can have fallen upon so desperate a cure as this, I mean as
to have unanimously resolved (upon the first hearing of the trumpet
that day,) to leap quick into hell, and there to hide themselves ? Sure
if this be tbe thing intended, it shall not only be a desperately
mad, but ineffectual resolution also. What ! do you not know that
thence also the Omnipotent arm of Jehovah shall easily bring you out?
Dream not, I say, dream not of any escape ; for the interrogation here
what shall you do, imports a very strong negation of all possible means
of shunning that great appearance : where will you ? — will not every
individual one of you appear before that Lion, however averse you may
be from it ? and I dare not but tell you, that to look upon bis (to you)
terrible countenance shall be more afflicting, more tormenting, more
astonishing, more soul and conscience-wounding, than a thousand
years' torment in hell ! This I can assure you of, and this you shall
never shun by any means imaginable : so, if ye be resolved to refuse my
friendly exhortation and advice, I must here warn you before him
to make ready to answer for all you have done in the flesh, and
though to some of you the slighting of this my advice may be
the last, yet, it shall not be tbe least of the challenges you shall
meet with, that day. Now, I hope I have prevailed with the most
part, if not all of you, to believe, that before thia Lion you must come
and look him in the face also, and before him answer for what you
have done in the flesh, and having told you who is to be your Judge,
for your farther fitting for that rencounter, I shall also tell you by
what law you are to be judged, — even by the written word of God,
wherein is contained our blessed Lord's revealed will, — that self-same
law that you refuse to be supreme ; and when my companion in tribula
tion and fellow-sufferer for Christ Jesus, George Lapsley,* called it the
* In reference to this individual, who, it appears escaped altogether, after get
ting out of prison along with Mr. Dick,— it may be interesting to the reader to
quote the following notices from Wodrow. He appears to have been tried, but
not sentenced, along with Mr. Dick.
" It seems at this diet, the court had not time to come to a sentence against
George Lapsley, and I find no more about him, in the registers. He escaped

JOHN DICK. 4.71
acts of parliament of heaven, pertinently enough, — yet some of your
number in rage against our great Law-maker disdainfully did laugh, —
I say by this self same law are you all and every one of you to be
judged : and however you may be so diabolically bold, as to contemn
it now, you shall not then dare to whisper in the least against it I
Now, having told who is to be Judge, and what tbe law by which
you are to be judged, if you incline to know who are to be witnesses,
we tell you — even your own consciences, with that great book of
remembrance, the comparing of which together shall be as sufficient as
millions of witnesses. Then for your assizers, — know you are to have
the whole generation of the righteous, and amongst the rest, even
these whom you in your rage against the Almighty have slain for the
testimony of our blessed Lord and Master Christ Jesus, — whom you
have not only renounced yourselves (as head of his church,) but also
are raging in madness against all such as will not with you run into
the same excess of riot. The diet of your compearance we have told
you before. * * *
" Now, having ended with our blessed Lord's enemies, I come to
-my last task, in this my testimony, which is to speak a short word by
way of advice and exhortation to all my precious friends ; — under which
with the rest of the prisoners, and was not again catched ; from an attested
account of his sufferings, I give what follows: — He was for some considerable
time, Miller in Linlithgow mill, and, among multitudes of others, had a real
change wrought on him by the gospel preached in the fields ; at Bothwell he
was shot through the leg and made prisoner. When before a committee of the
council, he was very bold in his answers to their interrogatories. Bishop
Paterson attacked him first, and when he asked if he thought Bothwell-bridge,
rebellion ; he answered, ' Sir, you are a perjured prelate, I will answer you no
questions.1 He did not refuse to answer the other lords of the committee, as
appears by the following hints of what passed. Question, Wherefore are you
in prison? Answer, For hearing the gospel. Q. Do you go to church? A.
No. Q. Wherefore? A. Because they are not the sent ministers of Christ,
and because of their perjury. Q. WiU you own the king's authority? A.
According to the word of God and covenants, and no otherwise, which you have
broken and burnt, and for which the Lord will be avenged. Q. Did you
write to Mr. Dick? A. Yes. Q. Who wrote the letter? A. I will give n-e
account. Q. Was the Bishop's death, murder? A. I am not concerned with
his life or death either. Q. Was Hackston's death a murder? A. Yes, and all
them whose lives you have taken these two and twenty years. Q. Was you at
Both well-bridge? A. I will not accuse myself. Q. What thought you of it?
A. 1 thought it duty and not rebellion, and all that were on the contrary party
were in rebellion against God, and that ye shall find. Q. Did you converse
with Mr. Welsh? A. Yes, and I bless God for it. Q. What book is that under
your arm ? (He had been brought in suddenly before the committee, when he
had been reading the Bible in prison, and he had it with him.) A. It is the
Acts of the parliament of heaven, and I charge you, as ye shall answer at the
great day, when you and I shall stand in equal terms, that you judge me accord
ing to what is contained in it. Q,. Is it lawful to resist the king's forces at the
field-meetings ? A. Yes, the law of nature allows self-defence, and the word of
God and our covenants, to stand to the defence of one another.
" It was much after such bold answers that he was not condemned ; and had
not the breaking of prison prevented it, no doubt, sentence would have been
pronounced ; but he escaped and lived a merchant in Edinburgh, many years
alter the Revolution." — Wodrow, Vol. II. pp. 311, 312.

472 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
compellation, I comprehend — all that love our Lord Jesus Christ, and
wait for his coming, — all that have given themselves to him in a cove
nant never to be forgotten, — all that are keeping up the fight against
their corruptions, and struggling in the strength of our Lord against a
body of death, and, in short, all that are sincerely arting heavenward,
whether such are a fai-ther or shorter way advanced in their journey ;
and to these and all such of whatsoever nation, country, tongue,
or language, they be, whether at home or abroad, of whatsoever
persuasion consistent with the foundations of religion ; and particularly
to all under the cross, whether abroad in Hungary, France, Germany,
or any other where, who are in the furnace, — or at home in these
three kingdoms, and to you all and every one who, in the strength of
our blessed Lord, shall be helped to run tbat race with patience, and
finish your Christian course with joy, — I hope I need not use argu
ments to prove, that the day of the Lord which we have been speak
ing of above, which to the wicked and to the enemies of our blessed
Lord shall be so terrible, shall be to you the beginning of days, or
rather the beginning of a day which is never to have an end, and that
this day may be the more joyful to one and all of us, I shall obtest
you all to join with me in the pursuance of these few Christian
exhortations following.
" And first, in general, let there be a cordial endeavour in the
strength of our blessed Master (the more this be employed the better
speed shall we come,) to strive against every sin without exception,
to close with every commanded duty with delight. The more
universal we be in either, the more sincere in our resolutions this way,
the more dependently upon Christ Jesus we go on in this course, and
the more self-denial and denial to all other airths we be blessed of the
Lord witb, — the better speed surely shall we come.
" But, secondly, and more particularly, let us all unanimously concur
in the endeavour after the cordial and sincere performance of these
particular duties following:
" And, first, — I would offer for your exercise that indispensable
necessary duty of repentance, in exercising whereof, I shall offer these
few Christian advices ; first, let us dig deep in this matter, and never
rest till we come to the root, I mean original sin, and after we have
dwelt by meditation upon the sadness thereof, let us, in the next
place, take a view of all our actual transgressions flowing therefrom,
— of our sins as well of omission as commission, — of our younger
as of our riper age — against the law as against the gospel,  these sins
that thence cleave to us in our best performances, — not forgetting
these sins called our own and the sins that do easily beset us, and all
these, and many others, (which you may find out, by perusing great
and reverend Mr. Durham upon the Commands,) not only as to
ourselves every one of us for himself, but all of us for each other, ami
in a special manner be mindful of the public national sins, and that
not only in the land, where you have your residence, but also all the
world over ; in sum, let every thing done to the dishonour of God, by
whomsoever, be the object of your mourning before him. * * *
" The second duty I propose for the object of our sincere endear

JOHN DICK. 473
vours, is, ihe fear and love of God. I bring these in together, the
rather, that they are seldom, if ever, separate, as it is also with all the
other graces of the Spirit, — though some of them may be at some times
both more or less felt by the party himself, and more or less visible to
others; and for our help here, let us dwell much upon the consideration
of that mystery of love vented towards lost mankind, in that transac
tion held by the holy Trinity before the lyorld had a foundation, I say,
let the serious thought of that fountain — love whereby God so loved us,
so laved us, — that God the Father was pleased to want the refreshful
presence of the Son, and God the Son not only to want the most
amiable and desirable company of the Father, but also to take upon
him our nature, and come down and dwell amongst us in the world,
rendering himself, upon our account, liable to all the miseries of this
life, (sin only excepted,) — even to death itself, and all for us : — and
God the Holy Ghost, freely undertaking what was cut out to him for
task by the Father and Son, in reference to the further manifestation
of this mystery of love, — in applying the favour so freely bequeathed on
poor lost mankind, and us amongst the rest : and sure I am, this,
seriously dwelt upon and prayed over, can hardly miss to take effect,
towards the warming of our hearts Godwards, and begetting in our
souls a filial fear of doing any thing to the dishonour of that glorious
God, who so loved us. * * *
" The third thing I offer for the object of our sincere and cordial
endeavours, is, ihe actual exercise of the grace, the noble and fountain-
grace of faith, as also of patience ; these can also hardly be separated,
since he that believes makes no haste. I doubt not to say it, that I hope
there are not a few thousands in Britain and Ireland, who have these
graces in the root and habit, who are too much strangers to the actual
exercise thereof at this present time, and this is so much the sadder
that there has no bit of the short and evil time, I have had in this
world, — cried more loudly for the same. And do ye not think that
our blessed, even our blessed Lord may very truly say to us,
what he said to others before, in our case, — that he cannot do
many mighty works amongst us, because of our unbelief? I doubt
aothing but that there are many Christians in Britain and Ireland,
and other places all the world over, that would willingly have our
great Lord appearing in their behalf ; why is it then that we look so
like a people under a combination to bind his holy hand, (to speak
so with holy reverence,) for though indeed our faith as it is our
act, cannot merit at the hands of our blessed Lord that he should
appear, yet it being a mean of his blessed appointment and a gift of
his own giving, whereby in his holy Providence he disposes his people,
and puts them in capacity to receive his favours, tbe least we are called
to do is to importune the throne of grace, for the exercise thereof;
and for our encouragement herein, let us not only read, but seriously
consider that 11th chapter of the Hebrews, where we shall meet with
a glorious company of believers, and of the special and great blessings
attending their belief ; and with this we have added patience, that by
our impatient thirsting, even after that which may be the object of our
faith, we do not mar the work with our own hands. * * *
3 o

474 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
" In the last place, I come to propose for the object of our sincere
and single endeavour, that we fall effectually about the preparing
of ourselves, to meet our blessed Lord and Master, whether as to his
coming for our delivery in time, or to judgment in that great day. For
my own part, I am under a strong impression of our blessed Lord's
being upon his way, and I am not a little persuaded, that his sword is
already drawn, it is like I may have some differing from me here, — this
I cannot help. There is another impression, I am now, and have been
under for a considerable time, that his coming (considered complexly)
shall be very terrible ; in this I expect I shall have very few godly
differing from me ; I incline the rather to join this twofold preparation
together, that the duties incumbent, in reference to both, are one.
" The duty we would propose to ourselves herein in general, being
to prepare to meet our God, of which these we hinted at before, being
no small part, — we shall for our further clearness here, advise tbe laying
aside of several things that may be impediments in this work. And,
1st, let us lay aside worldly mindedness. 2dly, Carnal fears. 3dly,
Our own sins, and the sins that easily beset us. 4thly, Our mixing
with the people of these abominations, a case very dangerous to be
found in, whichever of the ways our blessed Lord come. 5thly,
Let us lay aside the unchristian fires, Satan has kindled amongst us,
whereby (forgetting that charity and brotherly love, so much inculcated
by our blessed Lord and Master,) we are rendered mutually incapable
of edifying one another, reproving and advising one another-, as of doing
many other Christian duties incumbent. That I be not mistaken
here, the Lord is my witness, I intend not that any should harden
another in a sinful course, or that any should do any thing, whereby
he may become sharer with another iu his sins ; and I know, I have
witnesses not a few in these lands, that can bear me witness, I bave
guarded against this, in no small measure, in the Lord's strength,
myself: and whatever challenges I have either bad from within or from
without on this matter, have been rather for too much keenness, than too
much slackness; for which, in so far as it has been sinful, I refuse
not satisfaction in time and place convenient. I say is it not ead,
that Satan has gotten so much advantage in this matter, that there
are very few in the land, in capacity to be assistant to one another :
and all this, through slighting the method prescribed by our blessed
Lord in his word, in reference to offences, have men forgotten alto
gether, that they are in the body themselves ? Or have these persons
who are clear for separation upon every account, reckoned, what to
answer to our blessed Lord and Master, whose answer to that ques
tion, How oft shall I forgive my brother, till seven, times ?  was, ' I
say not unto you, seven times, but seventy-times seven.' * * *
" Now, let me again obtest you, dearest friends, to make conscience
of these duties, as you have a respect to the glory of God, the good of
his cause, the good of your own souls, the conviction, (and if not
attainable,) the confounding of enemies : and beside, what of advantages
this shall afford you at his coming, with deliverances in time, which
shall neither be few nor small, — you shall undoubtedly find much
consolation therefrom, at his great and last coming. * * * *

JOHN DICK. 475
" And now ifaust we halt here a little, till the elect be gathered
together ; — during which time let us vent our meditation of the differ
ence that will be betwixt the elect and reprobate ; the reprobate saying,
' Oh alas ! for ever, — yonder he is for the dishonour done to whom, we
could never shed a tear;' the elect saying, 'Well's me, yonder he is upon
the account of the dishonour done to whom I have had many a sore
heart, and have shed many a tear.' The reprobate says, < Oh ! he is
yonder whom I could never either love or fear.' Says the elect, ' Blessed
for ever be the sight, yonder he is who helped me both to love and fear
him.' The reprobate says, ' Oh ! for ever, — yonder he is whom I could
never be persuaded either to believe, or patiently to wait for.' Savs the
elect, ' Rejoice, O my soul, for ever, yonder he is that helped me by his
Spirit both to trust in and wait for him.' The reprobate says, ' Oh ! and
alas ! yonder he is, towards the meeting of whom all the exhortations
in time could never move me to make preparation.' Says the1 elect,
' Glory to his name for ever, he is there now, for meeting of whom he
helped me many a day to be trimming my lamp.' Says the reprobate,
' Oh, and undone for ever, yonder he is whom in his members I not
only persecuted but murdered many a time.' Says the elect, ' Endless
blessings on his ever glorious face, for whose sake he helped me to
suffer persecution,' says one, ' and to be hanged on a gibbet, beheaded,
or drowned,' say others, and so forth, of all the rest of the duties, the
elect have been helped to perform, and against the performance
whereof, the reprobate have been hardened, or rather have hardened
themselves. Now, may we suppose the whole elect to be gathered
together, and looking many a greedy look to be at him, then may we
suppose our blessed Lord and Master by his omnipotent arm drawing
them all up to him in the air : O glorious meeting ! a meeting without
a parting, a meeting for joy inexpressible ; then shall they be set down
on tbe right hand to receive their sentence, as the reprobate have done
already in our paper, in the order of God's appointment they shall be
last, as you may see in that 25th chapter of Matthew, out of which we
drew their sentence, and then shall the sentence of the elect be pro
nounced, as follows in the 34th verse of the said 25th chapter of
Matthew: 'Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you, from the foundation of the world.'
" Now my dearest friends, to answering my former suits, — whicb, as
they are both your mercies and duties, so are they attended with such
unspeakable advantages, as we have a little hinted at : I shall desire you
yet to add two more. The first is, that one and all of you may with
me, with our whole souls, sing and say, and say and sing, ' Bless, O
my soul, the Lord thy God, and all that in me is, be stirred up, his
holy name to magnify and bless.' The second is, That all of us, with
one soul, may cordially join in saying, ' Even so, come, blessed Lord
Jesub Christ, come quickly. Amen.' Thus, with his whole soul, says
JOHN DICK."
2. His Last Woeds.
When he went upon the scaffold, he beckoned to the multitude.
beginning at the north side thereof; and so turning himself round, with

476 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
a smiling countenance, and looking not only steadfastly but eagerly,
and stretching forth his hands, he began thus :
" The great confluence that are gathered together here, manifestly
declares to me, that many, if not the great part of this multitude,
expect and look for something more than ordinary, but ye may be
disappointed. I nothing doubt but all of this multitude, at least the
most part, know and have heard that I have had near six months'
respite, more than was allowed me by men ; which time was granted
me in the goodness and mercy of God through my escape, — which
mercy, I mean this time that I have had since my escape, I look upon
it to have been given me for these two ends, and in both these that God
may be glorified. And, first, That having so much more time, I might
have the liberty and privilege more fully to exhibit, and give in, my
judgment. Secondly, That having so much more time, I might the
better make ready, and prepare myself for tbat great work I have now
in hand, — I mean death and eternity ; neither of which is terrifying nor
damping to me, for which and all his other favours and mercies
which he in the abundance of his goodness and riches of his free grace,
bestowed on me, even on me who, while in a natural state, was as
evil and abominable in God's sight as any here at this time, — I desire
to bless, adore, admire, exalt, and praise the Lord, while in time ; for I
know I shall shortly praise him without interruption or intermission.
I say it again, — I bless him for all his mercies and favours conferred upon
me, and not only this among the rest, but above all, next to that great
one, that he made me his own by his purchase, and so became mine ;
and although I have not kept all right as to him, yet he has kept
all right as to me, and betwixt him and me all is right ; for besides
his other mercies and favours he has condescended so much to dignify
and honour me, as to crown all, in me, with martyrdom.
" Now my dear friends in Christ, it is your assistance I crave in
this exercise of praising, let me beseech you to join with me in
singing to the praise of this, ' even my God and the' God of my con
solation and salvation, I say to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, let
us sing praise from the beginning of the 2d Psalm ;" So, having sung
that Psalm through, which he sang with great cheerfulness, some
times pointing with his hands to one airt, and sometimes to another,
(especially, when he sang the 6th, 7th, and 8th verses, his countenance
so shined, that it might easily appear, to judicious and pious spectators,
that he was in an excellent frame, and in a special way to be helped,
to sing praise to the Lord,) so having done with singing, he said, with
a pleasant countenance, " I nothing doubt but amongst this great con
fluence of people, there are many that are nearer and dearer to our
exalted and glorified Lord Jesus Christ, — therefore I shall address
myself to two sorts, and shall speak a short word to each of these, as
providence and time shall allow me ; first I shall speak to friends,
secondly, to enemies.
" As to you that are friends, I mean all such as are resolved to
follow our blessed Lord fully through good report and bad report
(cost what it will,) I say according to the rale that he hath given in
his word. I have three words of good news to tell you, as the words

JOHN DICK. 477
of a dying man. And, first, it shall be well with the righteous,
yea verily, it shall be well with the righteous. Now, in speaking to
this, I would say two things, but do not mistake me, for I am neither
a minister nor a preacher, for I am not going to preach, but only
to give my last advice to those here, — which I shall do in a few
words ; for neither do I desire to weary you, nor to speak much
more, — the body being shortly to be caught up above the clouds, point
ing with his hand up to heaven, 1 mean my soul, which shall be
immediately there. And, 1st, That you my friends may understand me,
— the righteousness of none can make you righteous but that of Christ,
and that imputed to you for righteousness : so, I say, ye must have a
borrowed righteousness, even the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed
to you, and this is the way that ye must be righteous. I say, it shall be
well with the righteous, the Spirit of God hath said it in his word,
and that is better than an angel had spoken it from heaven, for we have
a more sure word of prophecy, 2 Peter, I. ch. and 16th verse. But,
2dly, To be righteous, is not to sit down, nor rest satisfied, with
what ye have attained, but to press forward to the prize, and so to
walk answerably, to what ye have received, and to what ye profess,
— not being satisfied with what ye are or may appear to be, in the
eyes of men ; but study by a holy and onward way, and walking in
the sight of God, and all men, to shew that ye are the persons that
have this righteousness imputed to you, and so labour to have your
light so to shine before men, that ye may glorify your heavenly Father.
Such as are thus righteous, I say, it shall be well with them.
" Then a second word of good news I have to tell you, my friends,
is this, that Jesus Christ is sitting at the helm of affairs, and whatever
he will, he doth it, and there is none that is able to stop him when he
worketh, and whatsoever his pleasure is, cometh to pass. This man
thinketh he is working one piece of work, and a second man thinketh
he is working another piece of work, and a third man thinketh he is
working his piece of work, and it may be all are working contrary one
to another, as they think, and yet for all that, they are all working
and carrying on His work, even when they think they are doing that
which, at least some of them, would have done the quite contrary, so, I
say, in all these, they are all working and carrying on Christ's work.
Now, my friends, I exhort all of you, yea, I obtest you for Christ's
sake, weary not of God, but wait on him and keep his way, I mean,
the way appointed in his word, and trust him with his own work ; for,
all that has been done, or shall ever be done by the actions of men to
the contrary, yet his work is still carried on thereby ; so lippen to God
and ye shall not be disappointed. But a third word of good news that
I have to tell you is this, that notwithstanding all the dark clouds
that have been, and now are, I can assure you, that there are glori
ous days coming to these covenanted lands, and I assure you, yea, I
dare aver it, that they are nearer than you, at least a great part, even of
the godly  do believe — I say it again, sirs, there are glorious days
coming to these lands, and even to poor and filthy Scotland, and I
am certain she is both poor and filthy enough ; — you and she are very
near to one another, therefore, I entreat you, beware of unbelief and

478 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
impatience, and, as you would not keep hack these days, beware of
sin that may procure the rest.
" Now, my friends, I have these few advices to leave with you,
and, first, I require you, to labour to make your foundation sure
and right, I say, before you engage in profession. I entreat you,
as a dying man, — and take it amongst my last words, lay a founda
tion sure, for without this ye will never be able to do or suffer
aright for Christ, when it comes to this with it, either sin or suffer ;
I say, ye will never be able to suffer acceptably, if ye have not
the foundation laid sure. Will ye know why it is, and from whence
it flows, that so many have made shipwreck of God, Christ, and a good
conscience, in a day of trial ? and why so many have broken down
that which once they builded, or, at least, seemed to be builders of,
and are denying that which once they professed, and fighting against
that which once they fought with and for, and so are fled from their
ground? here is the reason, because they stood and built upon a
sandy foundation ; therefore lay tbe foundation sure and right, if ye
will stand it out in a day of trial : and that this may be thereby con
sidered, remember sirs, ye may meet with harder trials than this is,
that I am meeting with, I mean in your eyes, for it is not sharp to
me ; yea, the thoughts and fearful apprehensions of what trials others
may meet with that I have, make me so much the more to be satisfied,
and to rejoice in my lot. But, I say it again, sirs, lay the foundation
right, and ye that will not lay it, nor make it your study to have it
laid right, — I say to you, wait with your perfection, and profess nothing
but what you practise.
" My second advice to you is this, that having laid the foundation
sure and right, ye would be still building and carrying on Christ's
work, until it be perfected; — I mean, till your conversation in all things
be suitable to the gospel, and answerable to that foundation built up,
and rooted in your most holy faith; and in all your building, let faith,
patience, and all other of the graces, be lively in exercise, that so your
building may go right on.
" My third advice to you, my friends, is this, — labour to love one
another. I say, to all the people of God here and elsewhere, love one
another, yea, labour to love one another more and more, and to bear
with one another, and beware of needless and groundless sinful break
ing and divisions, I do not say that ye will join with any in sin, and
combine against God and his Christ in sinful ways and courses, but
labour to bear with one another, and strengthen, edify, exhort, confirm,
and comfort one another, and this is the \tfay to gain one another, and
I am persuaded, that the needless, groundless, and sinful division, and
breakings, that have been in the land, have more wronged the cause,
interest, work, and people of God, than all that devils and men could
have done. And has not the devil had a special hand in the break
ings and divisions of the Lord's people, that thereby he might rout the
same ? therefore, in consideration and commemoration of these things,
study unity and honesty in the Lord.
" My fourth advice is this, labour to be rightly exercised and
affected with, and in the consideration of what has procured the

JOHN DICK. 479
depriving of what sometimes ye possest, especially because thereby
God was offended, Christ wounded, and the Spirit grieved, and God
the Father in Christ affronted by you, in not receiving his Son's offers
in the gospel, and not walking answerable to the mercies received,
and that you enjoy, and, notwithstanding, I would have you think
little of what you have, but rather, and so much the more, that ye did
so ill improve it when ye had it, improve what ye now possess ; I say
it again, improve what mercies and privileges ye have, and labour tu
improve every opportunity, either of doing or getting good, remember
that time is precious, and ye must give an account how ye spend and
improve all other mercies that ye enjoy.
" My fifth advice to you is, — labour to be of a sympathizing spirit,
and be more concerned with the glory of God, and with a suffering
Christ in his members, and do not think you sympathize with him
and yet be unconcerned in them, — I mean Christ's members ; for, asympa-
thizing with them shall be looked upon with and by him as a con-
cernedness with and in him, and what ye do for, or give to one ot
them it shall be rewarded by him, — as if ye had done it to or for him,
if ye be in him, and so walk in this and all other duties suitable to
your being in him. Now, my friends, my last advice to you is this,
labour, O labour, to be at the height of sincerity in all these and other
duties, and so ye shall have peace in your latter end ; and now, my
friends, that ye, and all the people of God, may be helped to this (let
•us pray to God, even my God,) yea, I say without vanity, he is my
God, and so to him let us pray." Not being permitted to speak to the
second sort, viz. tbe enemies, — he after having prayed, read the
ninth chapter of Ezekiel. As he read he now and then looked up to the
windows on both sides, but especially on the north side, where he
espied many faces he knew, — making demonstrations with his hands
and eyes, as he read, to the persons to whom these scriptures seemed
most to be applied ; — and he then sang a part of the thirty-seventh
Psalm, from the 29th verse. In hi3 prayer, there was one passage
much remembered beyond the rest, which was this, " O Lord, since
thou hast honoured me to come here, to lay down my life for thy
cause and interest, I pray tb.ee, even be pleased to go up this ladder with
me, and to lead me through the dark valley of the shadow of death,
that is unknown to all naturally, and I know that thou wilt keep my
soul in the down-coming thereof."
" After that prayer, he calls for a drink of water, which was
immediately brought to him, and he taking it in his hand, with a
more pleasant countenance than he seemed to have before, says,
" Make way, that I may win forward," pointing with his nand to the
ladder. Then turning himself to Captain Graham, he said to him,
" Sir, do me the favour to call in that gentleman," and also, " suffer
him to come up to me, upon the scaffold," which was granted ;
so, desiring such as were not concerned might be put off tbe scaffold,
he with a smiling countenance turned to the people, and bowed to
them all, — as he did when he went first up the scaffold, — and then
to his father, who was also upon the scaffold with him ; and embrac
ing him very cheerfully, he gave him several kisses rounded some

480 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
of his last advices to him, and so parted with him, saying, " .Lord
be with you my dear father." He then turned to his brother, who
was also by him upon the scaffold, and after the same manner
embraced him, and so parted with him in words to the same purpose
as to his father, and with an exhortation, tbat he should amend
his life, and forbear his idle company, but especially his ways
with several others of that nature, — telling him the hazard thereof,
and encouraging him if he would follow his last advices. Then he turned
to two gentlemen, who were also with him, and after the same
manner, embraced, saluted, and parted with them. He then made
another bow to the whole multitude, and so went up the ladder, and
turning his face to the north-east, he cried out, saying, " I am come here
to-day, to lay down my life, which I do willingly and cheerfully, and
am neither surprised nor terrified with death, or the manner of it :
and here I do declare I would not exchange my lot with what the
greatest king, prince, or emperor's enjoyments could afford me, and
what I speak once, I say it again, I lay down my life willingly, and
cheerfully for Christ and his truth, blessing him that ever I had a life to
lay down for bim ; yea, 1 am now no more troubled with or for death,
than if I were to lie down in the finest bed that the earth could afford,
with the most dear and intimate friend that the world could allow me,
and here I do declare, that I do heartily and freely forgive all men,
whatsoever they have done to, or against me, and pray that the Lord
would forgive them. I forgive them that sentenced me to die here, first
and last ; and I forgive all that apprehended me, first and last, or was
any way accessory thereto ; and I forgive all that have brought me here,
and are guarding me here ; and I forgive this poor man, pointing with
his hand behind him to the hangman, who is to be my executioner.
Now, I desire you all, especially you who pretend to be righteous,
study to be sincere in the way of God, and in working out your
salvation ; for, there are many who pretend to be godly, that know little
of the life and power thereof ; therefore, I entreat you, — labour to know
what is the power and life of godliness ; for there are many, if not the
most part, who pretend to be righteous, that know least of it. I say,
— be not satisfied with the shell, but labour for the kernel and marrow
of religion. Now, my friends, remember, I tell you here upon the
ladder, and as a dying man stepping out of time into eternity, tbat not
withstanding all the dark clouds that have been, and now are, yet there
is a thicker and darker coming, and it is not far off, yea, it is at hand.
But, I say, trust in God, trust in God, and he will not disappoint you,
I say, trust in God whatever afflictions befall you, yet trust in God,
and give him credit." At the hearing of these words, the bailie calls
to beat the drums, and so they were beat a little, at which he looked
down to the bailie, and said, " What, sir, do ye beat drums, because 1
desire the people to trust in God?" and so the drums were silenced, 'lhen
he cried out again, " Trust in God, and ye shall be borne through, if once
ye get in him, and keep in him. He then said, " I will sing a part of
the 25th Psalm, from the 16th verse to the close, for it has been manv
a time very sweet to me, and so I will sing it as my last song in time,
I shall be immediately where my heart shall be so tuned, pointing

JOHN DICK. 481
with his hand to his breast, that I shall never be able to stop the
melody and harmony thereof." Then having sung these verses, ha
prayed, in which, among other things, he had this expression, " Lord,
take a course with thine enemies, and those of them whom thou has
a purpose of love to ; Lord bring them in, and let them see the evil of
their ways ; and those that are thine incorrigible enemies make the
wheels of thy chariots go over their backs : and now, Lord, leave me
not, and leave not thine to the evil of the enemies, hasten and return
to thine heritage that is now in reproach, turn to thy church and
people, for thy glorious name's sake. Thou knowest I dare say before
thee and in thy sight, that I preferred thy work and interest to my
very life, which, as I am a rational creature, is as sweet to me as
another man's is ; yet I durst not purchase at any rate, to the preju
dice of thy truth, and so I lay it down freely and willingly." So,
having called his father to hiui, " A word with you, sir ;" and so, having
spoken what he had to say to him, he again took his leave of him,
delivering him a book to be given to another, and so parted with him :
and perceiving his brother, (who was on the ladder with him,) trembling,
he said to him smiling, and clapping him on the cheek, " What, sir, are
you trembling ? for what, sir, are you afraid ?" The executioner hav
ing now put a napkin upon his head, and it being tied, and his
brother offering to pull it over his face, he, (putting away his hand,)
said, " Let it alone, I will draw it down myself;" so, he put his
hands into his pocket, and took out the cover of his Bible, and
putting the same therein he gave it to his brother, charging him,
straitly to give it to his sister. Then he looked round about him,
saying, — farewell all my friends in Christ," — pointing with his hand
to some that he knew, both in windows and on the street. To
one, (fixing his eyes upon him,) he said, " My dear Billie, the Lord be
with you, the Lord be with you ; and having fixed himself upon a step
of the ladder he said, — " I remember a passage of Abraham, who was
commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac, he having, in obedience to the
command, brought his son to offer him up a sacrifice, reared up an
altar, and Isaac said to him, " Here is the altar, and there is the wood,
but where is the sacrifice ;" and then he said, (pointing to the gibbet,)
" here is the altar," and then, pointing to the ladder on which he sat,
" here is the wood," and then (laying his hands on his breast,)
he said, " and, blessed be God, here is a free-will offering, and I will
give it willingly and cheerfully, yea, I can say it here, even upon the
brink of eternity, that these several, years I have preferred the glory of
God, the welfare and prosperity of the work and interest of Christ,
and his people, to my own private and particular interest ; and I .might
have shunned such a death as this, but, God knows, I durst not do it.
" And now, I know, yea, I am firmly persuaded, that my dear
Lord, even my exalted and glorified Lord Jesus Christ, will carry me
safely through this dark valley and shadow of death, and will receive
my soul immediately after I go off this ladder into glory, — where I
shall ever be with him. Then he said again, (crying with a loud
voice,) " now, when I can hardly get speaking for the rope about my
neck, farewell all friends and followers of Christ, and again, I say, fare-
3 p

482 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
well and adieu all earthly enjoyments; — and so (having specified to the
hangman a sign when he would be ready,) he prayed a little within
himself, and when he had done, gave the sign, and at the giving
thereof drew the napkin over his face, and cried out, " Farewell all
friends in Christ, and into thy hands, O Lord, do I commit my soul.'
So he was turned over. And so ends the life of this faithful and no w
glorified martyr for Christ ; and to God the Father, Son, and blessed
Spirit, be eternal praise and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.*

XXXVI. JOHN MAIN.
[This was one of Five men who were tried, condemned, and
executed at Glasgow. He belonged to the parish of Old, or
as it is sometimes called, West Monkland ; but besides "this, we
have scarcely another fact transmitted with regard to him. With
his four companions in suffering, he was, on the 17th of March,
1684, sisted before a Special Commission appointed to conduct such
processes in the West, and after a trial, — which though embracing the
same grounds with those belonging to that period,— was certainly
remarkable for the gross and flagrant injustice which it exhibited,
and the total want of proof to support the indictment, — he was
with the rest of them sentenced to suffer death at the cross of
Glasgow, two days after, viz. on the 19th of said month. This
sentence was executed accordingly, but as is well shown in the
following testimony, perhaps a more unjust one was never passed.]
" It cannot be expected, every thing considered, that ye should have
such a testimony under my hand, as ye have had from the hands of
many that have gone before me: but seeing God in his infinite wisdom
hath seen it fit to bring me upon the stage for truth, I thought myself
bound and obliged in his sight, to testify before the world, my close
adherence to his written word, and what is conform thereto. And
1st, 1 testify my adherence to the Bible, the Old and New Testament,
as tbe only and alone rule of faith and obedience, I know, it stands
not in need of my approbation ; but to let the world know, I die not aa
a fool, I think it my duty to assert my adherence unto it, declaring,
that I take it for my only rule, rejecting the traditions of men as not
canonical. 2. I testify my adherence to the Confession of Faith,
(saying nothing to that fourth article of the 23d chapter, but only that
it is misconstructed, and made use of for another end than ever the
honest and faithful ministers of Jesus Christ had before them, when
they gave their approbation of the same,) and Catechisms Larger and
Shorter, our Covenants National and Solemn League, Acknowledgment
* This article, as already stated, has been extracted from a quarto pamphlet,
published so early as the year 1722. The testimony contained in it was thought
much too long to be inserted as a whole into the present work. The above,
however, seemed to be the most important and useful passages, and will give tbe
reader a pretty correct idea of the general line of argument pursued in it.

JOHN MAIN. 483
of Sins and Engagement to Duties, the Sum and Practical Use of
Saving Knowledge. 3. To the work of reformation, as it was reformed
from popery, prelacy, and malignancy ; even to that work, as it is a
direct opposition to every sin, and a motive to every duty ; and particu
larly to the remonstrances, protestations, and testimonies against the
malignant party and malignant actions, — they being found out to be
inconsistent with, and contrary to the written word of God, and the
sworn principles of the church of Scotland, and being found to be
hurtful to Christian society, not only by the effects of them, but as to
the nature and quality of them, even simply considered in themselves,
besides the bad effects aggravating them in the sight of the truly godly,
and rightly zealous ministers and professors of this church. 4. To-
the faithful preaching of the gospel, upon muirs and mountains, and
high places of the fields, and particularly the preaching down the sins
of the time, and up duty. 5. I leave my testimony to the lifting arms
for personal defence, and for defence of the gospel : for seeing that
other means were failed, and an occasion offering for that, the law botli
of God and nature does warrant and allow the same. I need not go
to quote scripture for the probation of it, since the whole scope of it;
runs in this strain ; and also ye may read several places of scripture,
particularly and expressly allowing, yea, commanding the same, and
many imitable scripture examples, where the people of God lifted
arms against kings, as the people's resisting Saul. I testify to the
lawfulness of that hostile defence at Pentland and Bothwell-bridge,
and several field-meetings, where they were put to it by the violent
and bloody assaults of their enemies. 6. In a word (for I study
brevity, being necessitated) to all the faithful testimonies of the godly,
given on scaffolds, and some other testimonies given in hostile manner,
viz. The testimony given at Rutherglen, May 29th, 1679, and the
declarations published at Lanark, in the years 1680, and 1682. I
disown and testify against the declaration published at Hamilton, in
the year J 679, particularly, because it takes in the interest of Charles
Stuart ; for though he was once a king, he is now a tyrant, by his
cutting the neck of the noble government established in this land, and
overturning the main and fundamental conditions, whereupon he was
constituted ; and it is notour to all in this kingdom, and I believe to
part of our neighbour nations also, that he carries on a course contrary
to the word of God, and light of nature, and destructive to all Christian
and human society ; yea, a course that very heathens would abhor, even
the thing itself, abstract from its aggravations.
" I come now in short, (desiring ye may pardon escapes) to let you
know what I testify against. And 1. (not to go further back) I leave
my testimony against many ministers, for their leaving their Master's
work, at the simple command of usurpers, as if they had been only
the servants of men ; and I declare my disapprobation, yea, my testi
mony against the sinful silence of ministers, after they have left the
vineyard where their Master had placed them to labour, and their not
acknowledging publicly their unfaithfulness ; for which (together with
their other grievous failings) the Lord is this day contending with them.
I know not what plagues are so sad as to be plagued by the hand of

484 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
God, by being laid aside from his work ; I say, their unfaithfulness, in
npt standing in the way of the people, when they were so generally
drawn away to hear curates. Mistake me not, thinking that I look
upon the people as innocent, when I speak of the sins of the ministers ;
for I see it my duty to testify against both, and there will not one of
them excuse another : but remember that the ministers must account
for the people who perish through their default. 2. Against ministers'
tampering with that woful and hell-hatched indulgence, and more
particularly, their accepting thereof. I testify against the actual
accepters of it, and against a woful connivance in the non-accepters of
the same ; and whereas there ought to have been an open testifying
and protecting against it. I shall study to say but little ; but I die in
the faith of it, That God shall 'send a clear discovery of matters, and
these that have betrayed their trust, and have not been as they should
and ought to have been, shall see and be ashamed ; but Lord grant
tbat many may see the evil of their doings in time, and may mourn
for the same, or otherwise it will be sad for them ; but every one shall
see first or last. But remember Esau, ' who found no place for repent
ance, though he sought it carefully with tears.' 3.- Against the
ministers' woful yielding unto and joining with the malignant
party and interest at Bothwell-bridge, and their woful yielding unto
the usurpation made upon the prerogatives royal of our wronged Lord
and Prince Jesus Christ, by their acceptance of liberty granted after
Bothwell-bridge, and taking occasion to preach in houses according
unto the liberty granted, refusing to preach without doors, notwith
standing the great necessity sometimes requiring the same, and many
of them refusing to preach when any of the people stood without doors ;
this was notourly known at tbe time, and I think it be not yet forgot,
and however it may be forgot by us, yet I assure you, it is not forgot
by a holy God. I testify against their sinful silence, and not jeopard
ing their lives for their wronged Lord and provoked Master, especially
at a time when Mr. R. C. and Mr. D. C. went to the fields. I testify
against their condemning of these two worthies in discourse and
preaching, and also in their practice. In short, against every thing in
ministers and professors contrary unto, or inconsistent with the presby
terian principles of the church of Scotland. 4. I leave my testimony
against Popery, Prelacy, and Erastianism, and every thing contrary to
the word of God, and particularly against quakerism, anabaptism,
independency, and all sectarians, and whatsoever is not warranted by
the Holy Scriptures. 5. Against the imposing of that cursed cess ;
not that I call cess-lifting in itself unlawful ; but I call that cess
unlawful, which was imposed by a corrupt convention of estates who
met at Edinburgh, in the year 1673. For some things that are in
themselves lawful, are sometimes so circumstanced, as that they
become unlawful ; as sometimes the end of an action makes the action
unlawful : I may give the cess for an instance of this : for the end of
imposing it (as themselves declare) was mainly to bear down field
meetings, and other innocent associations of the people of God,
disdainfully and wickedly called by them, rendezvouses of rebellion —
which meetings all Scotland was bound to maintain ; but they ought

JOHN MAIN. 485
to have been in the places constituted for worship, and would have been
there, had bonds and engagements been conscientiously minded by all
that were under them. O let. not this perfidious generation think that
they are loosed from the ties of these covenants ; for as sure as God is
in the heavens he will make them know another thing, even that it
was not in their power to rescind these covenants, and by going about
so to do, they have brought much wrath upon themselves and their
posterity after them, if they repent not. But oh I do they not look
like a generation of his wrath? and, not to pass the bounds of charity,
I fear they will be the objects of his wrath ; and it will be a dreadful
day, — see it who will — when the wicked shall be as stubble and tow, and
the wrath and vengeance of God shall seize upon them as fire, and
burn them up, for they will not escape. And 6. Against the payers
of the cess ; for it was a sad thing in a people, tbat should have
opposed all courses of that kind, instead of opposing, to contribute to
the carrying on of that very course, that they ought to have opposed.
O ! that they would consider, and lay it to heart, and set themselves
to redeem time, misspent and abused time ! 7. And against locality
and fines paying, seeing tbat it contributes to the strengthening of the
adversaries' hands ; as for the locality, we may easily see it to be sinful,
since they (the enemies) have imposed it for the maintenance of a
party raised and kept up for no other use (as their daily practice
declares) but to harass, rob, and spoil the poor people of God, for their
close (O that it were closer) adhering to their sworn principles, and to
kill them for not denying these principles. And as for the paying
of fines, it should be considered, that these fines are imposed upon
people for their duty ; and fines imposed by right and justice, ought
always to be for transgression; neither can a fine be imposed by right,
but for a transgression : so that by paying of these fines so imposed,
we must be said either to yield active obedience to an unjust course,
which we ought always to oppose, or we may be said to make ourselves
transgressors, and these duties (in which we ought to venture life and
fortune) to be transgressions. I say, one of these will consequently
follow, if not both : but alas I those things that are grievously sinful
many ways, are become so habitual, that they are never noticed nor
thought any thing of, nor will be, till God come in his power and
great glory, to disclose the secrets of all hearts. 8. I leave my
testimony against the people hearing curates, — basely leaving
the way of truth, and following a course dishonouring to God, and
destructive to themselves. Also, against the joining with the indulged
and unfaithful ministers, vindicating themselves thus, ' That it is good
to hear the word ;' not considering, that these ministers have so far
gone out ofthe way of God, in the free accepting of that indulgence, as
that they ought to be testified against, and when they go on obstinately
in that crooked way, ought to be withdrawn from. It may be, sdme
will say, That this is ignorantly reasoned ; but I fear, if they would
search things narrowly by the Spirit of God, they would find, that
God is not countenancing them in it. And also, that they ought to
have given far other sort of testimony against tbat course, than to have
joined and gone alongst with it, as far as their station would have

486 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
required ; but now the obstinacy of this generation is so great (and
we have many sad evidences of this) that I fear, there will nothing
convince them but the judgments of God, which has made me the
less careful to write any thing although I could, that might, being from
the hand of a dying man, be any way convincing to them.
" But as becomes one laying down his life for his royal and
princely Master, Jesus Christ, — I leave my testimony against joining
with them ; yea, against that which they call simple hearing, and this
I have done to exonerate my conscience in the sight ofa holy and jealous
God ; and do declare, that if mercy in Christ prevent not (which will
not be found but in mercy's gate, which is believing and repentance)
they shall smart under the heavy wrath of God for their complying
with such crooked and God-provoking courses. And I as a man
laying down my life for the interest of my sweet Lord, do warn all
and every one of them, who have joined with these evil courses, to fly
from the wrath to come, which will be on this generation inevitable;
yea, I obtest you to flee from it, as ye tender the glory of God, and
the good of your own souls. O flee from it by speedy repentance, and
lay hold upon the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ to that effect,
and study to have your names scraped out of the black catalogue oi
these soul-destroying despisers of that precious blood and righteousness,
purchased for that end, — to take away the sins of all that will come, and
by faith lay hold upon it, and to reconcile them to a provoked God.
God's wrath is burning against the children of disobedience, and he
has said , ' That such as turn aside to crooked ways, he will lead them
forth with the workers of iniquity ;' and in another place he says, ' If
any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.' 9. I
leave my testimony against the taking of that cursed Test, and the
takers thereof, and I declare it to be a horrid wickedness, a God
disowning, and a God-daring course. 10. Against compearing before
their courts, and I declare it to be a thing inconsistent with a faithful
testimony for truth at this time; it being (1.) An owning of tbat
authority, founded upon that usurped supremacy over the prerogative
royal of our Lord, which thing ought to be so far testified against, as
not to own or answer to any court fenced in the name of Charles
Stuart, because he hath quite forfeited his right to rule as king. (2.)
It is a clear condemning of such as have suffered the loss of means
upon that account, and these who have laid down their lives against
the owning of that authority ; and let none think me foolish in adjoining
my testimony to the testimonies of these, nor in my disowning of that
authority. 1 1 . Against the lifting of militia, and the paying of militia-
money. 12. I testify against the proceedings of that abominable
wretch John Gib, and these testimonies wrote by him in the name of
others, as being a thing prejudicial to the interests of our Lord.
" And now as to the articles of my indictment, they are all of them
such things as cannot be made criminal. As to the first, viz. My
making my escape out ofthe tolbooth, — I was doing it most innocently,
doing hurt to no person, neither did I ever hear that it was criminal.
As to the second, viz. That I had confessed that 1 was at Bothwell-
bridge, I cannot see how that can be made criminal, if I got but the

JOHN MAIN. 48?
lash of their own law, (if it be not abuse of language to call it law)
and no further ; for all that were onlookers that day, could not be said
to be in the action. As to the third, viz. My conversing with Gavin
Wotherspoon* since Bothwell, whom they call a notorious rebel, but
cannot prove him so ; neither can they show me that law founded on
the word of God, which makes conversing with him criminal : and since
they cannot upon sufficient grounds call him a rebel, what they say
and , do without ground, I do not see myself obliged to answer it ; for
that rebellion that the law strikes against, is that which can be proved
rebellion against powers acting for God, and so consequently rebellion
against God. And sure I am, while a man followeth his duty (for it
is merely for following his duty that tbey call him a rebel) he can
never be said to be in rebellion against God. . As to the fourth article,
that I refused to call Bothwell-bridge rebellion, I would see the law
that makes a man's silence, when interrogated, criminal. And also, as
to the thing itself, who knows not, that it was mere defence ? And
who can make it out to be rebellion against powers acting for God ?
For as is before said, this, and no other, is the rebellion that the law
of God, and the law of our nation, strikes against. And the fifth, viz
That I said, the owning of the covenants were lawful. Who knows
not that these covenants were once approved of as lawful, and solemnly
sworn by the whole nation, and the Confession of Faith taken, and
sworn unto as fundamentals of our religion ? And I deny (although
by an act of a pretended parliament, they may pretend to rescind the
same) that it was in their power to rescind or overturn such a consti
tution, until they had made the unsoundness of it appear ; and made
it appear wherein another was better, and till they had been in case
to set up a better in the room thereof. So "that their so doing, was
not a walking according to the will of God, but according to their own
will contrary to the will of God, for the satisfaction of their own base
lusts, and no ways showing themselves to be studying either the glory
of God, or the good of his people ; so that these covenants remain
binding to this day, and, I hope, shall be when they are gone, who so
wickedly set themselves against them. As to the sixth article, That
I would not answer if it was lawful, yea or not, to obey Charles
Stuart ? It is only silence, which no law nor reason can make criminal.
And as to my disowning his authority, as they say, they had only my
silence also, which can never in law take away a man's life. As to
my not asserting that the death of the late king was murder, I find
they would have every one saying and attesting what they say and
assert, whether they know it to be so or not. I leave my testimony,
as a dying man, against all such implicit walking ; and especially I
testify against any laying hold implicitly upon the bare assertions or
dictates of the enemies of God. And as to the prelate's death, I
declare, as a dying man, that I think none can certainly judge that
" This was a very eminent and zealous sufferer, who being forfeited of his
land and possession, for adherence to the truth, suffered many hardships of
persecution : but was brought through without compliance, being stedfast in the
way of the Lord till his death, which was about two years since.

488 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
action, if it was murder, or not murder. And who sees not what
these enemies to God, and his Son Jesus Christ are driving at, when
they would compel men to assert things only for their pleasures, that
no human understanding can judge of, — themselves who were the actors
only excepted. And now it is notour to all persons of any capacity,
and who will but use the light of nature, that there is no manner ol
just sentence past against, or put in execution upon us ; but that we
were murdered only for the satisfaction of men, who are worse than
heathens. " And now this my testimony I seal with my blood, dying in the
faith of the protestant religion, adhering to the presbyterian government
of the church of Scotland, and witnessing against every thing that
tends to the hurt thereof ; exhorting every one who desires to be found
of God in love, to settle and fix here. And let none fear to venture
upon the cross of Christ : for I can say from experience, (glory be to
him for it) that he has borne the cross and me both, or otherwise I
could never have undergone it with so small difficulty. And the great
reason of many fainting under the cross, is their laying so little
weight on Jesus Christ, and so much upon themselves, and upon any
bit of attainment they think themselves to have. O let every one
study that holy art of independency upon all things besides him, and
depend only upon himself. And now, I bid farewell to the poor
remnant of the church of Scotland, and I leave them to God, and his
good hand ; I bid farewell to friends and acquaintances ; I bid farewell
to my mother, and commit her to God, who only can provide for her,
things necessary both for soul and body ; I bid farewell to my two
sisters, and commit them to God, who can be instead of all things to
them, and can soon make up the want of a brother' to them, — which
want I think may be easily borne as the time now goes ; farewell
praying and believing, reading and meditating : I bid farewell to all
temporal things, mercies and crosses. Welcome gallows for the interest
of my sweet Lord ; welcome heaven and everlasting glory ; welcome
spirits of just men made perfect : welcome angels ; welcome Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost, into whose hands I commit my spirit.
Sic Sub— JOHN MAIN."

XXXVII. JOHN RICHMOND.
[This was another ofthe Five persons who were executed at Glasgow,
on the 19th of March, 1684. — His case was peculiarly severe. In
conformity with the lawless mode of procedure then adopted, he
was seized by the military on mere suspicion of his being a
covenanter, while quietly walking along the streets of Glasgow,
and upon his endeavouring to escape, he was pursued, overtaken,
and most cruelly treated — though as yet they knew not even who he
was. He was immediately carried to the Guard-house, his hands
and feet bound together, and left for some hours lying upon the
ground, bleeding of his wounds. Next day, he was committed to

JOHN RICHMOND. 489
prison, where, with the other four, he continued till served with an
Indictment. He was accused of having been at Airsmoss ; but in
proof of this, only one witness alleged that he saw him there ; and
when cross-questioned, that witness acknowledged he was half-a-mile
distant. Yet this, contrary to common sense, as well as law, was held
as evidence ! — verifying the statement of Wodrow, that he and his
companions were condemned " on as slender a probation as ever was
sustained in any case." — He left behind him the following testimony.]
" Now I am brought here this day to lay down my life, for the testimony
of Jesus Christ, and the hope of Israel, which hope I am not ashamed
of; and for owning that Christ is king, and head of his own church,
for which I do this day willingly lay down my life, and not by con
straint ; for if I would have acknowledged a mortal man to be supreme,
I might have redeemed my life, viz. Charles Stewart — to be supreme
over all causes civil and ecclesiastical, which belongs to no mortal man
upon earth, but to our blessed Lord and Saviour, who is given of the
Father, to be Head and King of his own church, which I prove by
his own word, Col. i. and 18th verse ; ' And he is the Head of the
body cf the church ;' Ephes. i. and 22d verse ; ' And he put all things
under his feet, ami gave him to be head of all things to the church ;'
and also the 2d Psalm.
"Now,Isay, itisforthe hope of Israel and as a witness of Jesus Christ,
of whom I am not ashamed, but desire with heart and soul to praise
him, (and my soul shall praise him throughout the ages of eternity,) and
desire to invite all the creation to praise him, for he has taken me as a
brand plucked from the fire, who was an heir of hell and wrath, and
who also confirmed that heirship to myself by my actual transgressions;
but now, my sweet and lovely Lord and Redeemer, through his blood
and sufferings, has redeemed me from the devil, the world, and the
flesh, and has sealed to me by his Spirit bearing witness with my spirit,
and confirming me by his precious word — which word is truth and the
true word of God — that he has redeemed me ; and I shall be clothed
with his righteousness, which is spotless and clean, and will make my
soul as clean as if I had never sinned.
" Now, I shall give you a short bint as the Lord shall assist me, of
my principles; — what I am to adhere to, and also what I am clear to
disown and testify against — as a dying witness of Christ.
" 1st, I sweetly set to my seal to the covenant of free grace, made
betwixt the Father and the Son, before the foundation of the world ;
for the redemption of poor lost mankind ; — I say, of these who are
elected, called, and chosen, sanctified and justified : — for which my soul
blesses the Lord, that ever I heard tell ofthe same, and ofa Redeemer.
2dly, I leave my testimony to the sacred word "of God, viz. the Old
and New Testaments, that they are the true word of God, and
that there is life everlasting to be had in perusing thereof, with the
whole desire ofthe soul through aRedeemer: — and without perusing and
sincerely endeavouring to make it your rule, life, and manners, there
is no life ; for our blessed Lord says, he came not to destroy the law
but to fulfil it. 3dly, I leave my testimony to the work of reforma-.
3d

490 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
tion in all the several steps thereof, as it was reformed from popery,
prelacy, Erastianism, and all other errors, not agreeable to the word
of God. 4thly, I leave my testimony to the Confession of Faith, the
Sum of Saving Knowledge, Directory for Worship, the Catechism
Larger and Shorter. 5thly, I leave my testimony to the Covenants,
National and Solemn League and Covenant — that these lands were
engaged to the Lord, (for which, Scotland may bless the Lord — that he
brought them in covenant with himself ;) I say, to you that desire to own
the same — I mean the poor wrestling remnant — make it your ground
to plead with the Lord, that he may come back to these lands again ; and
also my testimony to the Acknowledgment of Sin, and the Engagement
to Duty, and the Causes of God's Wrath. 6thly, I leave my testimony
to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, faithfully preached by the faithful
ambassadors called and commissioned from himself, in all faithfulness and
boldness — in showing Jacob his transgressions, and Israel his sin — both
before Bothwell, and since ; but few are found faithful since : it may be
said ofthe most part from that time forth, that many went backward and
walked no more with him. Their names may be written in very little
bounds, that were found faithful ; — only these two, I desire to record,
Mr. Donald Cargill, and Mr. Richard Cameron, and I desire to set
to my seal, to the faithfulness of these two men's doctrine, and all
their procedure in the work they were called in, and my soul blesses
the Lord that ever I heard them preach. 7thly, I leave my testimony
to all appearances in arms for the defence of the gospel, both before
Bothwell and since, and also my testimony to the carrying of arms,
for self-defence, and the defence of my brethren. 8thly, I leave my
testimony to the Excommunication at the Torwood, drawn out by Mr.
Donald Cargill. 9thly, I leave my testimony to the testimony given
at Rutherglen, upon the 29th day of May, in the year 1679. lOtbly,
I leave my testimony to the declaration given at Sanquhar in the
year  . 1 Ithly, I leave my testimony to the Testimony given at
Lanark, on the 11th of January, 1682 — by a party who were stirred up
by tbe Lord, to witness faithfully for him against the bloody acts and
laws of men, and especially the dreadful snare, land-deatroying, soul-
ruining thing, called the Test. 12thly, I leave my testimony against
that declaration drawn at Hamilton, by a party of men, wbo loved
;he praise of men and the interest of men, more than the interest of
our Lord and King — who will not give his glory and honour to no
mortal man upon earth ; because it took in the tyrants' interest, and
was carried on by them, over the belly of a poor faithful remnant that
was amongst them; — but if God be God serve him, and if Baal be God
serve him. 13thly, I leave my testimony to the eight articles, called
the New Covenant, drawn by Mr. Donald Cargill, and taken of
worthy Henry Hall, at tbe Queen's Ferry. 14thly, I leave my testi
mony to the fellowship and meetings of the Lord's people, for reading
and singing of Psalms, and praying to the Lord, and wrestling for the
poor church, and other duties incumbent on them in their place and
station, and to all their proceedings for the keeping up the remembrance
of Israel : go on and slack not your hands, seeing it is so warran tably,
by yeur Master's royal word, viz. Mai. iii. and many more ; for

JOHN RICHMOND. 491
my soul blesses the Lord, . tbat ever he counted me worthy in the
fellowship meeting of his people, I say, slack not your hands, for the
Lord has accepted of your endeavours in keeping up the remembrance of
Israel — making way to the poor young infants brought within his
visible church, which the Lord made me sharer of, and is offering of
himself to poor treacherous Scotland, if they will embrace. ISthly, I
heartily with all my heart and soul leave my testimony to all the
faithful testimonies of the faithful Cloud of Witnesses, that have been
martyred for Christ and his truths. Now I desire before I quit the
list of these that I have owned here — through grace to lay down
my life ; — and the list of them is of more value than many lives.
Now I shallgive a short hint as the Lord shall assist of what I disown,
that is done of men against the Majesty of heaven. 1st, I leave my
testimony against popery and prelacy, and Erastian supremacy, and all
that hierarchy. 2dly, I leave my testimony against quakerism, indepen
dency, anabaptism, and all other erroneous sects that are contrary to
the word of God. 3dly, I leave my testimony against that tyrant upon
the throne of Britain, and his present authority, for his breach of the
covenants — the covenants being the coronation oath, that he got the
crown upon ; and for his overturning the whole work of God, in the
land, by taking upon him to be supreme over Christ's Church, and to
rule the law, and not the law to rule him; — and for burning these cove
nants, and for putting the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ out of the
land, and for killing and plundering the Lord's people in fields, on
scaffolds, drowning in the sea, banishing, plundering, oppressing, both
in body and conscience. 4thly, I leave my testimony against all the
upholders of that tyrant, directly by aiding, assisting, or pleading fol
ium or for his interest — for he has openly and avowedly set himself
against King Christ ; and these that plead for him who have taken the
crown off our blessed Lord's head — I say they will be found pleading
against Christ, Psal. 1. 18. ' When thou sawest a thief then thou con-
sentedst with him, and hast been partaker with the adulterers.' 5thly,
I leave my testimony against the oath of supremacy. 6thly, I leave my
testimony against that bond that was taken in the Grayfriars' church
yard. 7thly, I leave my testimony against that bond called the Bond
of Regulation, and against that bond and engagement to keep the Kirk,
as they call it ; which is a binding to keep a place, put in it what they
like, and it were even popery the next day,. and I warn you of it, that
you shall have it ere long, except the Lord wonderfully prevent it, I
say, it is a binding to the kirk and not a following of our Lord Jesus
Christ  for where is the house ye build to me, saith the Lord? 8thly, I
leave my testimony against that bond, pressed by the Highland host on
the west country. 9thly, I leave my testimony against that dreadful
abominable thing called the Test. 1 Othly, I leave my testimony against
all coming out of prison upon bond and caution, being a shifting of the
cross of Christ and making themselves the prisoners of men, and not
the prisoners of Christ, and yielding unto men while we are called to
another thing, as it is said in the vi. ch. of the Rom. 16 ver — ' To whom
ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are.' llthly, I
leave my testimony against all compearances at their courts, because

492 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
they are unjust judges, and have forfeited their right ; and their judg
ment and sentence is contrary to the word of God, and is stated for
the rain of the church of God, and for oppressing the consciences of
men, to sin against God. 12thly, I leave my testimony against all
cess and locality, for the maintaining of the enemies of God, to kill
and murder God's people, and bear down the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ, Isaiah lxv. 1 1. ' But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that
forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and a
drink-offering to that number.' 1 3thly, I leave my testimony against
hearing of curates, because they are the ministers of men, yea I may
say rather of Satan, for the flourishing of his kingdom, for they are
thieves and robbers, and not the true ministers of Christ, for they are
not entered by him, and are set there for the maintaining of damna
ble heresies, viz. they preach another head of the Church, than our
blessed Lord Jesus Christ. 14thly, I leave my testimony against
all indulgences first and last, because they have rent the bowels of
Christ's Church, by exercising their power and liberty, under that
supremacy, yea and exercising the very function of their ministiy by the
directions of men, by receiving their instructions from men, and so are
no more the ministers of God, but the ministers of men ; and there is
this black effect that has followed and been the fruit of their ministry
and preaching, that never one according to my knowledge that was
indulged in their judgment got the length of a scaffold for the cause
of Christ, but did yield and go on with the abominations of the
times. 15thly, I leave my testimony against these ministers who once
appeared fair and went a good length in bearing up the standard and
banner of our blessed Lord, but when the persecution rose somewhat
hot then abiding by Christ, and declaring of his message, became out of
season to them ; — they quit the Lord's commission and precept, by Paul,
to preach tbe word in season, and out of season, and so soon as ever
they saw the wolf coming, they ran and hid themselves, and suffered the
poor sheep of Christ to be scattered, torn and destroyed, both in body
and conscience : this I dare assert, they cannot say with Paul, They are
free from the blood of all men, and have declared the whole counsel
of God.
' Now as I said before, I am to lay down my life this day for the
defence of the gospel at Drumclog, and for the defence of the gospel
at Hamilton, and for hearing of Mr. John King preach upon the Green-
hill end, being the east end of Galston Muir, and for being in com
pany with John Nisbet, and of all the four articles I am not ashamed
this day; these being counted criminal by the enemies of my Lord.
whose gospel standard I desire to defend, with life and fortune. I say,
these being counted criminal — witnesses being led proved the same,
and witnessed me to death. If these had been enemies I could have
bome it, but it was mine acquaintance, mine equal, my guide, and
we took sweet counsel together, and went into the house of God
together, Psal. lv. 12, 13. So it was they that went a good length,
and were also deeply engaged as I was — yea to defend my life, and not
to have witnessed me to death ; for what they have witnessed I am not
ashamed of : but this I leave behind me my testimony against them, .

JOHN RICHMOND. 493
and my blood will be charged home upon them, and without repen
tance prevent it, both upon them and their posterity, and I set down
their names that they may stand on record, and their names be known
to aftercoming generations — their names being these ; John Loudon in
Mill of Newmills, John Paterson in Slacks, John Frame in Tonslen,
James Connel in Bankhead. I set tbem down here, that their names
may be a stench and ill savour to aftercoming generations, as apostate
from the way of God, Demas-like, having forsaken tbe way of God, and
chosen a present world, and now have not holden themselves there, but
have become followers of the people of God to the death, by their en-
gagementand oaths to the enemies — taking that hell-hatched thing called
the Test. Now, as I leave my testimony to the truth of God in part.
so I have left my testimony against some of the prevailing sins of the
time, and as I this day desire with heart and soul to adhere to all the
truths of God, named, and not named, and I also desire with my whole
soul to disown, detest, abhor, and loath all manner of sin, and de
fection, public and private, and I also leave my testimony against and
disown all profanation, and loose living, and vain speeches, that are not
for the use of edifying, and also against lukewarmness and lying-by as at
ease in Sion, when she is in trouble — now when she is tossed upon the
turbulent sea of affliction ; but O ! you that desire to have your portion
and stock in that ship, I desire to leave this word of comfort, ' That
the Master shall awake and rebuke the storm, and make it calm,
that such a calmness has not been yet.' Look Isaiah xliv. from the
beginning to the 9th verse ; — and assure yourselves that his faithfulness
will not fail, nor his promise come to nought, for this day I set to
my seal to the faithfulness of his promises to poor me, and what
concerned my salvation ; and oh ! how much more shall he not own
his own inheritance and his poor church, which is given him of the
Father, to be king thereof; and will he give that, that he hath purchased
by his own blood and sufferings, into the hands of men ? No, ' Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but one jot or one tittle shall not pass, till
all be fulfilled.' Although that men be this day employing their power
and strength for the down-bearing of the Church of God, yet all that
burthen themselves with her shall be dashed in pieces, and the snares
and gins they have laid for the poor people of God — they shall be taken
therein themselves ; and although the whole generality, yea all except
a. poor and contemptible and afflicted remnant be joined hand in hand, to
uphold the tyrannical power of a man — yet they and all that are against
King Christ, shall be brought to ruin, Prov. xi. 21. ' Though hand
join in hand, the wicked shall not pass unpunished.' And, as for that
abominable race and family, I mean the tyrant upon the throne of
Britain, that race and that family shall fall under that command given
from the Lord to Jer. xxii. chap, beginning at the 2.5th verse to the close,
but especially the last verse, — ' Thus saith the Lord, write this man
childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days, for, no man of his
seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any
more in Israel.'
" And now, my dear friends, I mean the poor wrestling remnant, or
any who shall follow the footsteps of them hereafter, scare not at the

494 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
cross of Christ, though that the afflictions and bondage of his poor peo
ple shall be lengthened out, for I say, yet again the Lord shall come,
and shall not tarry, to make good his promise, for the relief of his poor
Church, for the Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some
men count slackness, but is long-suffering, waiting for the outcoming of
his people, and their separating themselves from the people of these abo
minations ; and not only public abominations, but his people must be
separate from every heart-idol, and every private sin — walking as in the
sight of a holy God, in all holy conversation, as the sons and daughters
of the living God : — and also be encouraged to wait upon him, till he
finish his own work ; look that of the vii. of Mic. 8th ver. ' Rejoice
not against me, O my enemy, though 1 fall I shall arise, when I sit in
darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me,' and in tbe 9th verse, ' I will
bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him,
until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me, and he will
bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.' So
the poor church comforts herself under all the indignation and correc
tion she was under, that the Lord would plead her cause, and execute
judgment for her ; and then in the 13th verse, — ' Notwithstanding, the
land shall be desolate for the fruit of their doings, therefore my dear
friends wait upon the Lord, and weary not until he work his own
work, for it is very likely that this land must be laid desolate, before
he comfort his people, and restore his church to her wonted privileges :'
yea, and I say as a dying witness of Christ, that God's judgment shall
be poured out upon Scotland, till it be laid desolate.
" Now I shall say no more upon this head ; my dear friends, hold fast
till he come and be upon your watch-tower, and have oil in your lamps,
tbat your light may be shining and your lamps burning, for the
Bridegroom will come in an hour, when ye are not aware, and
in a way that ye are not looking for. Now I leave my testimony
against those called our Judges, and against those Assizers, both
those tbat sat upon my brethren, and upon myself; — my blood
and my brethren's blood shall be required at tbeir bands ; and my
blood shall be charged upon John Balfour, who took me, for
he declared to me, that he knew me by my garb that I was one of the
persecuted men, and so it was the ground he apprehended me upon —
because I was a sufferer for the name of Christ. Now, as I am of my
self I can freely forgive them and all others for what they have done
to me, and do freely forgive them, but as they have (lone it against
the image of God in me, and in Bpite against his work, cause and
interest, of Jesus Christ, that is not mine to forgive ; I leave that to
himself. And now, dear friends, I have little time — my sentence
being passed upon the 17th day of March, at eight o'clock at night — to
die the 19th day of the same, at two in the afternoon. And now
this day I am to suffer martyrdom, and my head to be struck
off, and to be fixed upon the Tolbooth, for the name of Jesus. Now
scare not at the cross of Christ, for 0 ! if ye knew what I have met
with since I came to prison — what love, what matchless love, from my
sweet and lovely Lord — ye would long to be with him, and ye would
count it nought to go through a sea of blood for him : O 1 I invite you

JAMES JOHNSTON 495
dear friends, to stick by the truths of God, and abide by him  that the
name of Israel may not be rooted out ; but this I desire, to live and to
die in the faith of it — that the blood shed and spilt in Scotland, shall
have a glorious crop and vintage. And now as for the generality of
this generation, or these backslidden and backsliding professors — I
know not wjiat to say of them ; — but this is the language to me of their
way, and I leave it as a dying witness for Christ — that these let, and
ivill let, till they be taken out of the way. Now I leave my wife and
my baby unto him who gave them unto me, I fully quit with them
and leave them to my Lord and Master — who can make us meet above
the clouds. Now, I take my farewell of you and all created comforts,
and I am also willing, and more willing ten thousand times to lay them
down at his call, than ever I was to enjoy them. Now farewell all
friends in Christ, farewell all relations, farewell days and nights, fare
well sun and moon, and stars, farewe.i suffering, farewell irons on feet
and hands, farewell holy and sweet Scripture, which was the savour of
fife unto life, to me. And welcome heaven and eternal life, welcome
the company and souls of just men made perfect, through the blood of
the Lamb I Welcome, welcome, and never enough welcom'd my lovely
Lord, my Father and my Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost, into
whose hands I commit my Spirit, for it is thine.
Sic Sub— JOHN RICHMOND."*

XXXVIII. JAMES JOHNSTON.
£This was another of the Five individuals who were tried, found guilty,
and condemned by the special commission at Glasgow. He
belonged to the parish of Cadder, or, according to a different
account, to that of Old Monkland. Little else is known with
respect to him. He appears from his Testimony to have been
condemned on the usual charges of having been at Bothwell,
refusing to call it rebellion, disowning the King's authority, and
denying tbe Archbishop's death to be murder. With his compan
ions in suffering, he died in much peace and comfort, on the 19th
of March, 1684.]
" I being called by the good providence of God, to lay down my
life for the trampled on interest, have thought it my duty to leave this
short word of Testimony behind me, desiring that all persons forbear
to accuse or reproach me, by saying that I die as a fool ; for I die not
as a fool (for which I bless God), for I should never have ventured
upon the cross, especially upon death itself, if he had not kept me to
it. And I assert, it is a thing provoking to God to reproach any of
his suffering people in such a manner, and let every one remember
that God will avenge the wrongs of his poor people. ' And will not
God avenge the wrongs of his elect, who cry to him day and night?'
Yes he will do it; for they cry unto him day and night. Sometimes
* This Testimony has been copied from a Pamphlet published in 1722, entitled
" The Last Testimony of John Richmond," &c.

496 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
when they sleep their cry goes near before him. Bloodshed, oppres
sion, and cruelty, done to them, cry to him in their behalf, as if it
were the cry of their own mouth.
" Now I leave my testimony for the pure word of God contained
in the Old and New Testaments. Also I feel it my duty to leave
my testimony to the Confession of Faith, the Shorter and Larger
Catechisms, and the Sum of Saving Knowledge. I leave my testimony to
the Solemn League and Covenant, and National Covenant, the
Acknowledgment of Sins, and Engagement to Duties. I leave my
testimony to the work of Reformation, as being a reformation from
popery, and from every thing contraiy to sound doctrine. I leave my
testimony for the faithful preaching of tbe word in houses and in fields.
I leave my testimony to preaching against the sins of the time, the
present course, and particularly the needless evil. I leave my
testimony to Mr. Donald Cargill and Mr. Richard Cameron, and to their
preaching in the fields, when the rest hadforsaken their work. I leave
my testimony to the people of God appearing in arms at Pentland and
Bothwell-bridge. I leave my testimony to the people of God in
Scotland, while disowning the testimonies written by Gib, in name
of others. I leave my testimony to the remonstrance of the protestors,
when testifying against the malignant party, who seek only tbeir own
things, and not the things of God. I leave my testimony to the lifting
of arms as lawful, if called for; it behoves all men to distinguish when
it is lawful, and when not ; and all the distinction I shall give of it, is
only that the close adherence made at Pentland and Bothwell bridge
was both lawful and necessary.
" In the second place, I come to show you what I witness against, at
my death. I leave my testimony against popery, prelacy, and Erasti
anism of every kind, as contrary to the sound doctrine of the word of
God, and the sworn-to testimony of the Church of Scotland. I leave my
testimony against the indulgence first and last, and against ministers who
approved of that liberty at Bothwell-bridge. I leave my testimony
against the divisions which they thus created, by treating with the
malignant party, and joining their interest. I leave my testimony
against the people for hardening them in their unlawful measures, by
joining with and approving them. I leave my testimony against the
people for hearing curates, and joining with the indulged, — declaring the
indulgence to be disapproved by a holy God, and implying apostasy
from God. I testify my adherence to the testimony given publicly
and in an hostile manner, at Rutherglen, Sanquhar, and Lanark. I
testify to the people of God bearing arms in self-defence, and defence
of the gospel at several field-meetings, when they were assaulted by
their enemies. I leave my testimony against the declaration published
at Hamilton, mainly for taking in the interest of Charles Stewart, who
is a declared enemy to God, to his Son, and to the interest and
kingdom of his Son. I leave my testimony against the owning of that
authority (so called) founded upon the supremacy. I know this
matter is dark to some folk, but I know also that for several ends
many folks have brought such matters to be debated, and so have
brought themselves into the dark about many things, and these God
will not own to be sins of ignorance, but sins against the clearest light.

JAMES JOHNSTON. 497
" With regard to the articles of my judgment, they are as follows,
viz. — Being interrogated if I was at Bothwell-bridge, I answered,
only with a good design, which thing was never found criminal by law ;
and as to my witnessing, I got not justice. I declare to the world
that they spoke not according to equity, neither was there any one
sentence passed according to it. They witnessed against truth as will
be made out at the great day of judgment, though it should never
come to light till then. As to the second thing against me, mv
refusing to own the king's authority — What authority should I own
but an authority according to the word of God? Moreover, I
said nothing of it. I disowned Charles Stewart to be lawful king,
but I assert that I owned that authority which was according to the
word of God. Now this is clearly evident that I am murdered for
not giving my assent to the owning of an authority not consistent
with, nor according to the word of God ; notwithstanding all that they
said against me ; for it is only opinion, which in law cannot be
made use of, for taking away a man's life. Moreover, the thing
itself is so far debated that when they themselves essayed to debate
what I assert, they never were able to debate as to the king. I
refused to call the late king's death murder. If 1 had answered any
thing to it I would have been implicated in it, for I know not the
nature of the action. Moreover, who knows not that kings are subject
to the laws, and not the laws subject to the king? As to the fifth point,
that I refused to call Bothwell-bridge rebellion, I was only silent also.
And it is known to all, who will not shut their eyes and ears to the truth,
that it was only the defence of religion, and the glory of God. As to
the sixth, that I asserted the Covenants to be lawful, — it is of verity, and
well known, that these covenants are national laws not yet rescinded,
and such, as I, (for the satisfaction of my conscience,) and not only I, but
the whole nation, are bound to assert. As to the seventh point, that I
refused to say that the late bishop of St. Andrews' death was murder,
I know not how any can judge of that action, nor do I know how
you can make it criminal, — I only being silent, and refusing to assert
either one thing or another. With respect to all the other questions
I remained silent, except the last, viz. that I asserted that it was lawful
for me to defend myself against the king. Now suppose a king fall upon
a person with a set of soldiers to kill bim, would it be the duty of
that person to let himself be murdered ; or may a king do what he
will, without control? I refused these heads of my judgment accord
ing to the law of tbe nation founded upon the word of God, and I am
sure every one will say that I am falsely murdered on account of
them ; and for other grievous sins God will shortly be avenged upon
them. As for any thing that they have done to me, I freely forgive
them, from the highest to the lowest. But as to what is done against
a holy God, I leave it to himself to judge in his own due time. But
ievertbeless, let it be considered that my blood lies at many of their
doors. It lies at the door of all that are conformed to the present
government, and particularly it lies at Charles Stewart's door, and
the prelates and the members of the court called the Justiciary — at
their door. Now, I bid you farewell, sweet cross, for Christ ; farewell
my dear wife and children, farewell relations and acquaintance, farewell
3 R

498 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
praying, reading, and believing, farewell all toil and trouble, and exter
nal exercise ; farewell all created comforts, farewell sun, moon, and
stars, welcome heaven, with all its glorious companions, welcome
Father Son, and Holy Ghost, into whose hands I commit my spirit.
Sic Sub  JAMES JOHNSTON."*

XXXIX. ARCHIBALD STEWART.
[This young man, another of the Five who were executed at Glas
gow, on the 16th of March, 1684, (of whom we have already given
some account,) was scarcely nineteen years of age, when called to
lay down his life for the covenanting interest. It appears he
belonged to Lesmahagoe, a district which yielded, as we have seen,
several victims to the intolerance and tyranny of the period in question.
His Christian magnanimity when on the scaffold was observed by
many. Among other moving expressions, he said, " I die not by con
straint but willingly ; and, this I can say, I am more willing to die for
my lovely Lord Jesus Christ, and his work and truths, than ever I was
to live." " In short, all of them," says Wodrow, " died in a forgiv
ing temper, praying earnestly for pardon to their persecutors,
and yet warning them of their hazard, if they continued in those
courses without repentance. The Five lie buried with other
sufferers, in the High church-yard, Glasgow." — The testimony of
Archibald Stewart is imbodied in the following letter to his Chris
tian friends.]
" My dear and loving friends and acquaintances, — You and I must take
good night of one another for awhile ; but I hope it shall not be long ;
for you know that tbe time that we have on earth lasts but for a
moment ; and we are but as a flower that grows up in the night, and
is cut down in the morning ; like the shadow that flees away, and is no
more seen upon earth again ; even like Jonah's gourd, that grew up in
a night, and perished in a night. Now you and I must part, and take
good night, you of me, and I of you, as willingly, and with as great
satisfaction, contentment, and submission to the will of our God,, as if
we were going to our sweet and comfortable fellowship-meetings,
where our souls many times have been refreshed, with the fresh gales
of the Spirit of our God, which indeed was the life of our meetings ; for
had it not been the love that we bare to God and his ways, he would
never have made our meetings so sweet to us ; so that the longer
we continued, and the oftener we met, the Lord made more of
himself known to us, in giving us new confirmations of his love, and
* This Testimony bas not, so far as the Editor is aware, been published
before. He copied it, with some difficulty, from an Old Manuscript, communi
cated to him by a descendant of one of the Four who died along with Johnston.
He has no doubt of its authenticity and genuineness but he fears, from its muti
lated state that in some instances he may have copied it incorrectly as to language,
though he thinks that, in general, he has expressed the meaning.

ARCHIBALD STEWART. 499
tokens of his kindness. Now, my loving friends, I am going to my
Father's house, to reap the fruit of all these waking nights that you
and I had together, when none knew of it but ourselves and our
heavenly Father ; and I die in the hope, that, we shall come ' to your
Father and my Father, to your God and my God,' John xx. 17. to
your Redeemer and my Redeemer, to reap the fruit of all these meet
ings we had together. O ! but that Will be a joyful harvest-time ; I am
now going to reap the fruit of all my reading, praying, singing, convers
ing, and meditating, and the fruits of all my trouble, toil, and labour.
Instead of bitterness, I will enjoy sweetness, instead of trouble, rest,
instead of sorrow and grief, joy and gladness ; ' For sighing and sor
row shall fly away.' I am going to reap the fruit of my wounds, and
all the reproaches that they have cast upon me ; I am going to reap
the fruit of all my sighs and groans, especially these since I came to
prison, where I have had very many of them. I am going to reap the
fruit of my fetters, irons, and imprisonment, for my lovely Lord and
Master Jesus Christ ; and I am going to reap the fruit of my unjust
indictment and unjust sentence. O ! but the fruits of these foremen-
tioned things will be a weighty crown of glory within a little time
upon my head, tip at my Father's throne, ' when I shall go no more
out, and come no more in, having the name of my God written upon
my forehead, and the song of Moses and the Lamb put in my mouth '
to sing through all the ages of eternity 1
" Now, dear friends, I cannot get him praised, for the riches of his
free grace, freely bestowed on me. O I I cannot get him praised for
bringing my soul out of the pit of destruction, and for reclaiming my
soul from the gates of hell. O my soul and heart, all that is within
me, praise the Lord for his wonderful love to me ! and also, my soul
invites all the works of creation to praise him for what he hath done
to my soul ; for now I can say with David, from my own experience,
' Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath
done for my soul.' And, likewise, I can say with David, Psalm xvi.
6. ' The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places ; yea, I have a
goodly heritage.' And more than all, he hath said to my soul, that
he will quarrel no more with me for sin, for my God hath said to
me, Isa. xliii. 1, 2. ' But now, thus saith the Lord that created thee,
O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not; for I havo
redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When
thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee ; and through the
rivers, they shall not overflow thee ; when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burnt ; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.'
And Matth. ix. 2. ' Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee.'
Now, all is sure and well with me, I am brought near unto God,
through the blood of his Son Jesus Christ ; and I have no more to do,
but to lay down this life of mine that he hath given me, and take up
house and habitation with my lovely Lord and Master Jesus Christ,
who purchased life and salvation to me by the price of his own blood
and sufferings : O I but I have got an easy cast of it ; O I but I am
come well and easy to my purpose, of redemption, peace, and happi
ness. But, O ! I cannot get him glorified ; and I will never get him

500 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
enough glorified, as long as my soul liveth, and I shall live as long as
he liveth, and that is life without end.
" Now my dear and loving friends, it is but little advice that I can
leave to you, how to order your life and conversation ; yet I shall
leave you my last advice, as the Lord shall help me. As God hath
once made you to accept of bim, upon his own terms and way, hold
fast by him, and claim a right to him, from his own promises and
former loving-kindness, wherein he hath manifested himself to you.
And although you be made many times to think, that he hath left
you, when you are cast down, and under desertion, yet claim a right
to him ; though you have destroyed yourself, threap kindness upon
him ; and resolve with Job, that ' though he should slay you, yet will
ye trust in him :' for you must not want your down-castings and
desertions ; for all these things are given you for the trial of your faith.
And yon may know something of this from experience, that we cannot
guide our Lord's presence, when we get it ; — we are so lifted up, that
he must cast us down again ; for our old bottles cannot bear with the
new wine of heaven, none of us can be free of desertion ; for as long as
we live in this earth, we are often under an Egyptian cloud of dark
ness. Spend much of your time in prayer and meditation, for I think,
that in these is the life of religion ; and spend time in Christian con
verse with any of your own judgment; and private prayer, as you and
I did when we were together : and if you can get none, do your own
part, and the Lord will make up all your loss, for he hath engaged to
make up all your wants. Now, double your diligence, and make
ready for the trial, for you will not get it shifted, if ye continue faithful
to the end. I am not saying that the trial will take away your life :
but I am persuaded, you will come through difficulties, if the Lord
see fit to spare you, to see the glorious days that shall be seen in Scot
land again, and to reap of the fruit of it. This will be a high honour,
for they will be a happy people, that will be the remnant of the church.
" Now, dear friends, hold fast, and let no man take your crown;
for it is ready at the end of your race ; run and never halt nor look
back, till you obtain the prize. I have gotten the first start of you a
little ; but, I hope, you will follow me, before it be long, and we shall
meet again, and O ! what a joyful meeting shall it be ? Study denied-
ness to your life, and die daily, that death may not surprise you.
" But I must forbear, my time is so short, that I cannot get all said
here, tbat I have to say ; but what is wanting, himself make it up to
you. Now I take my leave of you for a little time, hoping to meet
again up above in our Father's house. I pray, that God's eternal
blessing may rest upon you ; and wish you even as my own soul.
Farewell in the Lord. Your dear and loving Christian friend, brother,
and soul's wellwisher,
ARCHIBALD STEWART."*
Glasgow Tolbooth, March 15th, 1684.

Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 316 — 319.

JOHN PATON. 501

XL. JOHN PATON.

[The name of Captain Paton of Meadowhead, in Ayrshire, is familiar
to every one who is at all interested in the history of his times. He
was a small proprietor in the parish of Fenwick, and having spent
his youth in the profession of arms, was naturally regarded as a fit
person to hold a Command both at Pentland and Bothwell. Many
anecdotes are told of his prowess, both on these occasions and else
where. He was for long regarded by government as a notorious
rebel ; and being at length taken in April 1684, a reward of Twenty
Pounds Sterling was ordered by the council to the officer who
apprehended him. — He was forthwith indicted for treason, found
guilty on his own confession, and sentenced to be executed on the
23d of April, 1684. He was afterwards reprieved till the 9th of
May, " when he died most cheerfully, forgiving all his persecutors,
whatever they had done to him." His testimony is as follows.]
" Dear friends and spectators, — You are come here to look upon me
a dying man, and you need not expect that I shall say much, for I was
never a great orator or eloquent of tongue, though I may say as much
to the commendation of God in Christ Jesus, as ever any poor sinner
had to say. I have been as great a sinner as ever lived ; strong
corruptions, strong lusts, strong passions, a strong body of death, have
prevailed against me ; yea, I have been chief of sinners. I may say,
on every back-look of my way, (though the world cannot charge me
with any gross transgression this day, for which I bless the Lord,) O !
what omissions and commissions, what formality and hypocrisy, that
even my duties have been my grief and fear, lest thou, a holy God,
had made them my ditties, and mayest do : my misimproved time
may be heavy upon my head, and a cause of desertion ; and especially
my supplicating the council, who have, I think, laid their snares the
closer to take away my life, though contrary to their own professed
law. I desire to mourn for my giving ear to the counsels of flesh and
blood, when I should have been consulting heaven, and to reflect upon
myself, though it lays my blood the closer to their door, and I think,
the blood of my wife and bairns. I think, their supreme magistrate is
not ignorant of many of their actings, but these prelates will not be
found free when our God makes an inquisition for blood. And now
I am come here, desired of some indeed who thirst for my life, though
by others not desired. I bless the Lord, I am not come here as a
thief or a murderer, and I am free of the blood of all men, but hate
bloodshed directly, or indirectly. And now I am a poor sinner, and
could never merit any thing but wrath, and have no righteousness of
my own ; all is Jesus Christ's, and his alone, and I have laid claim to
his righteousness and his sufferings by faith in Jesus Christ. Through
imputation they are mine, for I have accepted of his offer on his own
terms, and sworn away myself to him to be at his disposal, both
privately and publicly, many times ; and now I have put it upon him

502 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
to ratify in heaven all that I have essayed to do on earth, and to do
away all my imperfections and failings, and to stay my heart on him.
I seek mercy for all my sins, and believe to get all my challenges and
sins sunk in the blood and sufferings of Jesus and his righteousness,
and that he shall see of the travail of his soul on me, and the Father's
pleasure shall prosper in his hand. I bless the Lord, that ever he led
me out to behold any part of his power in the gospel, in kirks, or fields,
or any of his actings for his people in their straits. ' The Lord is with
his people while they be with him :' we may set to om- seal to this,
and while they be united ; and O for a day of his power in cementing
this distempered age ! It is sad to see his people falling out by the
way, and of such a fiery spirit, — that look to be at one lodging at night,
especially those who profess to keep by our glorious work of reforma
tion and solemn engagements to God, and to hold off the sins of these
time3. O hold off extremities on both hands, and follow the example
of our blessed Lord and the Cloud of Witnesses in the 11th of the
Hebrews. And let your way be the good old path, the word of God
and best times of the church, for if it be not according to his word, it
is because there is no truth in it.
" Now, as to my interrogations, I was not clear to deny Pentland
or Bothwell. They asked me, How long I was at them ? I said,
Eight days : and the assize had no more to sentence upon, for the
advocate said, he would not pursue for Pentland, by reason of an indem
nity, before the privy council. The council asked me, If I acknow
ledged authority ? I said, All authority according to the word of God.
They charged me with many things, as if I had been a rebel since
the year 1640, and at Montrose's taking at Mauchline Muir. Lord
forgive them, they know not what they do.
" I adhere to the sweet Scriptures of truth of the Old and New
Testament, and preached gospel by a faithful sent ministry, — whereby
He many times communicated himself to the souls of his people, and
to me in particular, both in the kirks, and since on the fields, and in the
private meetings of his people for prayer and supplication to him. I
adhere to our solemn Covenants National and Solemn League, Acknow
ledgment of Sins, and Engagement to Duties, which became National.
I adhere to our Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms,
Causes of Wrath, and to all the Testimonies given by his people
formerly, and of late, either on fields or scaffolds, these years bygone, —
in so far as they are agreeable to his word, and the practice of our
worthy reformers, and holy true zeal, according to his rule. I adhere
to all our glorious work of reformation. Now, I leave my testimony,
as a dying man, against the horrid usurpation of our Lord's prerogative
and crown-right, — I mean that supremacy, established by law in these
lands, which is a manifest usurpation of his crown, for he is given by
the Father to be head ofthe Church, Col. i. 18, 19. ' And he is the
head of the body, the church ; — who is the beginning, the first-born from
the dead ; tbat in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For it
pleased the Father, that in him all fulness should dwell.' And against
all popery, prelacy, and Erastianism, and all that depends upon that
hierarchy, which is a yoke that neither we nor our fathers were able to

JOHN PATON. 503
bear, which the poor remnant is groaning under this day, by that
horrid cruelty rending their consciences by tests and bonds, taking
away their substance and livelihoods by fines and illegal exactions,
plunderings, and quarterings, and compelling them to sin, by hearing,
joining, and complying, with these malicious curates. Matth. xxiii. 13.
' Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ; for ye shut up the
kingdom of heaven against men ; for ye neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.' I leave my testi
mony against the Indulgence, first and last, for I ever looked on it as
a snare, and so I never looked upon them as a part of the hopeful
remnant of the church ; and now it is sad to see how some of them
have joined by their deeds in the persecution of the poor remnant, and
almost all, in tongue persecution.
" Now, I would speak a short word or two, to three sorts of folk,
but I think, if one would rise from the dead, he would not be heard by
this generation, who are mad upon idols and this world. First, Those
who have joined deliberately with the persecutors, in all their robberies
and haling innocent souls to prison, death, and banishment. The
Lord will not hold them guiltless ; they may read what the Spirit of
God hath recorded of them in Jude, 1 1th verse, and downward, and
Obadiah's prophecy. A second sort is, those who seem to be more
sober and knowing, yet through a timorousness and fear, have joined
with them in all their corrupt courses for ease and their own things ;
do not think that these fig-leaves will cover you in tbe cool of tbe day ;
it is a hazard to be mingled with the heathen, lest we learn of them
their way. O, sirs, be zealous and repent ; seek repentance from
Christ, be purchased it with his blood ; and do your first works, if ever
there was any saving work on your souls ; for he will come quickly,
' and who may abide the day of his coming.' O, sire, the noble grace
of repentance grows not in every field ; many could not get it, though
they sought it carefully with tears. O work while it is to-day, the
night draweth on, and it may be very dark. The third sort is, those
who have been most tender ; and, O, who of us can say, that we
have out of love to his glory singly followed him : upon examination
we fear we find it not so, but that we have come far short. We fear
we find not him such as we would, nor he us such as he would. O
we may say, ' From the crown of the head to the sole of the foot
there is no place clean.' None can cast a stone at another ; we
are all wounds, bruises, and defilements. We must put this work
upon him who is the fountain to wash foul souls, who ' breaks not the
bruised reed, nor quenches the smoking flax.' Give him much ado,
for we have much ado for him. O that there was no rest in our bones
because of our sin. It is the Father's pleasure tbat he should see his
seed, and the pleasure of the Lord prosper in his hand. O that he
would make every one of us understand our errors, and seek after the
good old path, followed in the most pure times of our church, and get
in to our Lord Jesus Christ, by faith in his righteousness, by imputa
tion and virtue of his sufferings for sinners, and keep by him. There
is no safety but at his back ; and I beseech you, improve time, it is
precious when rightly improved ; ' For ye know not when the Master

504 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
calleth, at midnight, or at cock crowing.' Dear friends, the work of
the day is great, and calls for more than ordinary. O be oft at the
throne, and give him no rest to make sure your soul's interest. Seek
pardon freely, and then he will come with peace ; seek all the graces
of his Spirit, the grace of love, the grace of holy fear and humility.
O ! but there is much need of this and the promised Spirit.
" Now, I desire to salute you, dear friends in the Lord Jesus Christ,
both prisoned, banished, widow and fatherless, or wandering and cast
out for Christ's sake and the gospel's, even the blessings of Christ's
sufferings be with you all, strengthen, establish, support and settle you,
and the blessing of him who was in the bush, which while it burnt,
was not consumed, and my poor blessing, be with you all. Now, as
to my persecutors, I forgive all of them ; instigators, reproachers, sol
diers, privy council, justiciaries, apprehenders, in what they have done
to me ; but what they have done in despite against the image of God's
name in me, — who am a poor thing without that, it is not mine to
forgive them ; but I wish they would seek forgiveness of him who
hath it to give, and would do no more wickedness.
" Now I leave my poor sympathising wife and six small children
upon the Almighty Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who hath promised
to be 'a Father to the fatherless, and a husband to the widow, and
the orphan's stay ;' be thou all in all unto them, O Lord. Now, the
blessing of God, and my poor blessing, be with them. And my suit
to thee is, that thou wouldst give them thy salvation. And now fare
well wife and children ; farewell all friends and relations ; farewell all
worldly enjoyments ; farewell sweet Scriptures, preaching, praying,
reading, singing, and all other duties. And welcome Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. I desire to commit my soul to tfcee in well-doing.
Lord receive my spirit. Sic sub— JOHN PATON."*

XLL JAMES NISBET.
[This martyr, in common with another of the same name and
family, whose testimony goes before, belonged to the parish of
Loudon in Aryshire. Having come to Glasgow to attend the
funeral of the Five individuals who were executed on the 19th of
March, he was recognized as a covenanter, and apprehended by a
cousin of his own, an officer in the army, " so much," as Wodrow
observes, " does a bitter persecuting spirit break all the bonds of
nature itself, and get over tbe nearest blood relations." He was forth
with examined and sent to prison, and having owned the lawfulness
of the attempt at Drumclog and Bothwell, and refused to renounce
the covenant, or to own the king's authority, he was found guilty of
treason. After being condemned, he was offered his life upon con
dition of his acknowledging the king's supremacy over the church ;
but as might be expected, he unhesitatingly refused. He was
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 319 — 324.

JAMES NISBET. 505
thereafter very harshly treated, and so closley watched, that he with
difficulty got liberty to write his testimony. He was executed at
the Howgate-head of Glasgow, on the 5th of June 1684, and died
in much peace and assurance.]
" Now, I am brought hither this day, to lay down my life for the
testimony of Jesus Christ, and for asserting him to be the Head
and King in his own honse, and for no matter of fact, that they have
against me. Wherefore, dear friends, and all true lovers of Zion's
cause, if I could either speak or write any thing to the praise and
commendation of my lovely Lord and princely Master, Jesus Christ,
King and Head over his own church and people ; although the most
part of the men of this generation is counting it death to call him so,
yet I, as a dying man, live and die in the faith of it, that he shall appear
to their confusion, and for his own glory now trampled upon, and
lying so low ; for he has said in Isa. xlii. 8. ' I am the Lord, that is
my name ; and my glory, I will not give it to another,' &c. Now, I
am to lay down my life, and indeed I do it willingly, and not by
constraint ; and I bless him, that ever he carved out my lot such, as to
be a sufferer for him, who am such a poor unworthy thing : for if 1
would have acknowledged a mortal man to be supreme, I might have
redeemed my life, viz. Charles Stuart to be supreme over all causes
civil and ecclesiastic, as they have now set him up ; — which belongs to
no mortal man upon earth, — and to have prayed for him. And shall I
pray for that man in his person and government, who hath broken
down the work of the Lord, ' and has laid waste the sanctuary of our
Lord,' who was given of tbe Father, as it is said, Eph. i. 22. ' And
hath put all things under his feet, and given him to be head over all
things to the church ;' and in the second psalm. Now, I say, it is for
the hope of Israel, and a witness for the name of Jesus Christ, of
which hope I am not ashamed. Now, I invite all who love his name,
and the welfare of Zion, to praise him, for I may set to my seal to it,
that be is a good Master to all who will come to him ; for I may say,
he hath been good to me, who bas let me see a sight of my sins,
and a sight of the remedy that he has purchased by his blood, and
through his death to me, who was bom an heir of hell and wrath by
nature ; but glory be to his great name, who has made me free from
my sin, and made me as if I had never sinned. O glory and praise be
to himself. But what shall I say? for heart cannot conceive, hand
cannot write, tongue cannot express ! for surely, if I could say any
thing to the praise and commendation of my lovely Lord Jesus Christ,
I have many things for which to do it. 1st, For that, That he has not
let me deny his truths and cause, and his persecuted work ; for
there is nothing in me, as 1 am of myself, but I might have been amongst
those that have displayed a banner against God, and have made
the blood of his people to run in the streets, and have dyed their gai-
ments with their blood. And, 2dly, That he has carved out my lot to
be in a land where he hath set up his pure ordinances, both in doctrine,
worship, discipline and government ; for indeed he might have trysted
it to have been among those that are worshipping antichrist, that whore
3 s

506 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
of Rome, whose sentence may be read, Rev. xix. 12. And if Charles
Stuart has not overturned his work, and corrupted the whole land, by
o verturning the whole fundamental laws, both civil and ecclesiastic, I
leave it to any judicious person, that is not biassed and drawn away, by
that woful Erastian supremacy, which is like to overspread the whole
land. 3dly, That he hath given his word for a rule to walk by, which
word is truth, and the true word of God. He has made me to walk by
it, and it to be my rule ; and by his word. and Spirit bearing witness
with my spirit, making me spotless and clean, and I shall be clothed
with those robes of his righteousness, which are spotless and clean.
" Now I shall only give a short account of my principles, as the
Lord shall assist ; and the Lord help me to get it done in truth and
sincerity ; for there are many eyes looking on me ; the eyes of an all-
seeing God, ' who is of purer eyes than that he can behold iniquity,'
and the eyes of men who are thirsting for my blood. 1st, I adhere,
and sweetly set to my testimony, to the covenant of redemption,
betwixt tbe Father and the Son, made before the foundation ofthe world,
for the redemption of poor lost mankind, I mean, of those who are elected,
called, justified, and sanctified ; for which my soul shall bless the
Lord that ever I heard tell of the same, and that ever I heard tell,
' that he came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.'
2dly, To the sacred Scriptures, that they are the true word of God ;
and that there is life everlasting to be had in them, if ye will apply
your hearts to search diligently, and pursue after them with a sincere
and diligent seeking, with all the soul and heart ; and without sincere
endeavouring to make it your rule, there is no life ; for says our
blessed Lord, ' I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it.' 3dly, To
the work of reformation as it was reformed in all the several steps
thereof, from under popery, prelacy, and Erastianism, and all other
eiTors whatsoever, not agreeable to the Scriptures, the written word of
God. 4thly, To the Confession of Faith, the Sum of Saving Know
ledge, Directory for Worship and Discipline, and to our Catechisms
Larger and Shorter. 5thly, To the Covenants National and Solemn
League, whereby these lands were engaged unto the Lord ; and Scot
land may bless the Lord, that ever he engaged her in a covenant with
himself. I say, to you that desire to own the same, make it your
ground to plead with the Lord, till he come back again to these lands.
6thly, To the preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, as it
was faithfully preached by faithful1 ministers, called and commissioned,
and sent by himself ; and also my testimony to the Acknowledgment
of Sins, and Engagement to Duties, and the Causes of the Lord's
Wrath, against this land this day : but, alas ! it may be said, many
have gone backward, and not forward ; the most part of this genera
tion have refused to walk any more with him, ever since Bothwell,
only these two, viz. Mr. Donald Cargill, and Mr. Richard Cameron,
which I desire to set my seal to the faithfulness of these two men's
doctrines, for my soul has been refreshed by them. And I set to my
seal to all their proceedings and actings in the work they were called
to, and my soul blesseth the Lord, that ever I heard them preach.
7thly, To all the appearings in arms in defence of the gospel, and

JAMES NISBET. 507
self-defence, both before Bothwell, and since. 8thly, To the excom
munication at the Torwood, by Mr. Donald Cargill, as it is just and
lawful, and will stand in force and record, ay, till repentance make it
null, — of which there is little appearance. 9thly, To the Testimony
given at Rutherglen, May 29th, 1679, the Declaration given at Lanark,
June 11th, 1682, by a party whom the Lord raised and stirred up by
his . Spirit, and owned them in that work, to give a public testimony
against that soul-destroying, and land-ruining thing, called the Test,
although many in this generation be pleading for the lawfulness of it,
and disowning the covenant which we are all bound to. O ! my heart
trembles to think, what will come on this generation, for their dreadful
apostasy and departing from the way of the Lord. lOthly, To all
the fellowship meetings of the Lord's people, for reading, praying, and
singing of psalms, and all the other duties proper for, and incumbent
upon them. I mean these that desire to wrestle and hold up the cause
of his ruined work, and his poor suffering remnant. 1 lthly, To the
eight articles, called the Now Covenant, taken at the Queensferry off
worthy Henry Hall.
" Now, as I have left my testimony in short to the truths of God :
so I desire to leave my testimony against the defections of the time,
as the Lord shall help and assist. Therefore, I, as a dying witness,
leave my testimony, 1st, Against popery and prelacy, which is so
much countenanced and set up in Scotland this day, especially by
those who seemed to be most eminent, as it is in Gal. i. 6. 'I marvel
that ye are so soon removed from him tbat called you into the grace
of Christ, unto another gospel,' &c. 2dly, Against quakerism, inde
pendency, and all other errors, which are not according to the word of
God, and our solemn covenants and confession of faith. 3dly, Against
the tyrant upon the throne of Britain and Ireland, for his tyranny,
oppression, and bloodshed, and for overturning the laws, both civil and
ecclesiastic, and not making the law his rule to be ruled by, but he
ruling the law and not the law him ; which is not according to the
word, as it is in 2 Sam.xxiii. 3. ' He that ruleth over men must be just,
ruling in the fear of God,' &c. Even against that tyrant, and all the
upholders, aiders, assisters, and maiutainers, of him. O what will
become of this generation for their apostasy and departing away from
God ? 4thly, Against the oath of supremacy, for the setting up of
persons as supreme, and following and making them their rule, and not
taking the word of God to be their rale. 5thly, Against that bond
taken in tbe Grayfriars' kirk-yard, although there be many that denied
it, until the Lord in his own due time made it appear, when the
trial came to a greater length ; for he has said in his word, that ' there
is nothing done in secret, but he will have it manifested in the light.'
6thly, Against the bond called the bond of regulation, for their bind
ing to walk according to the will of men, and not according to the will
of God. Surely it is not according to the practice of the apostles,
Acts iv. 19. ' But Peter and John answered and said unto them,
Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you men,
than unto God, judge ye.' 7thly, Against the bond pressed by the

508 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
Highland host in the west country. O ! what may be said of this
generation ? It may be said, Ye have gone away backward from my
ordinances, and ye have forsaken me tbe living God, and have hewed
you out broken cisterns that can hold no water. 8thly, Against that
land-ruining and soul-destroying thing called the Test. 9thly, Against
all coming out of prisonnpon bond and caution ; whatever men may
say of it, it is a complying with the avowed enemies, and a binding
themselves to be the prisoners of men, and not the prisoners
of Jesus Christ. lOtbly, Against all compearing at courts and
paying of fines ; for it implies, that we bave done a fault against
them, and also it approves of those as just judges, that are
imposing these things ; but ye may see what they are, — for there is no
sober man will get leave to plead an action there. And can these be
called judges, and owned as judges, who are grassators and land judg
ments ? 1 lthly, Against all cess and locality, which is imposed for
the down-bearing of the gospel, and for maintaining bloody and avowed
enemies to banish Christ and his gospel out of the land, and to hunt,
plunder, rob, spoil, and persecute the poor people of God ; for in tbe
very narrative of the act, it is set down for tbat end, and declared to
the world ; see what is said against it. Isa. lxv. 11. ' But ye are they
tbat forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a
table for that troop, and that furnish the drink-offering unto that num
ber. Therefore I will number you to the sword,' &c. ISthly, Against
hearing of curates, because they are wolves and boars, thrust in upon
the Lord's people to kill and destroy ; and against the indulgence, first
and last ; and against the hearing of them, and joining with them, or
pleading for them ; because they are not entered in by tbe right door,
and teach for doctrines the commandments of men ; therefore they are,
in so far, not the ministers of Jesus Christ, but the ministers of men,
as it is said John x. 1. ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other
way, the same is a thief and a robber.' And against all ministers and
professors, who are now lying at ease, when Zion is in trouble, and
are shifting their duty for fear of hazard, and are sheltering themselves
under the shadow of these avowed enemies, pleading in their favour,
and have broken the poor people of God, and rent the bowels of the
church ; — and especially these who appeared once in the fields, to hold
up a banner for our lovely Lord and Master Jesus Christ, I shall be a
witness against them, if repentance prevent it not.
" Now, ye that are the poor wrestling remnant, weary not of the
cross of Christ, for he is a good Master, and he sends none a warfare
on their own charges, for he will own them in all that he carves out
for them. O double your diligence, and give him no rest till he come
back again, as in Isa. lxii. 7. 'And give him no rest till he establish,
and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.' O 1 what will come
of poor Scotland, for the horrid iniquities and abominations, perjury
and bloodshed, and covenant-breaking ? O ! Scotland's punishment
will be sad ; but my eyes shall be closed, and I shall not see it, and I
am well content, seeing I get my soul for a prey. Now I am afraid God
will not know many of this generation that have gone such a dreadful

JAMES NISBET. 509
length in defection and backsliding. But, O, what shall I say I I leave
it to himself to do as he may most glorify himself, in preserving a seed
and remnant to serve him. Now I die in the faith of it, that he has a
seed whom he will have preserved when he sends forth instruments
with slaughter weapons, that he has a party tbat he will set a mark on,
as it is said, Ezek. ix. 4. ' And the Lord said unto him, Go through
the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark
on the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations
that be done in the midst thereof.' Now, I say, Weary not of the
cross of Christ, although ye should suffer persecution, for he has said,
' In the world ye shall have tribulation, but in me ye shall have peace.'
And, O, but he taketh exact notice what is done to his people. Obad.
ver. 13. ' Thou shouldst not have entered into the gate of my people
in the day of their calamity ; yea, thou shouldst not have looked on
their affliction in the day of their calamity ; nor have laid hands on
their substance in the day of their calamity.' O but that is a sweet
word, 2 Tim. ii. 1 1, 12. ' It is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with
him, we shall also live with him : if we suffer, we shall also reign with
him : if we deny him, he will also deny us.' O, sirs I lose not heaven
for mammon, and your own souls for what ye can suffer here. It is true,
none can merit heaven by their sufferings, but it is as true, tbat he has
said, ' He that will not forsake all, and take up his cross and follow
me, he cannot be my disciple.' Now, I know there will many
brand me with self-murder, because I have got many an offer to go to
Carolina, upon such easy terms. But as to that, I answer, self-preserva
tion must stoop to truth's preservation. There are indeed many of
this generation who pretend to keep their present ease, and to be fol
lowers of Christ ; but I defy any, if they be called to a public testi
mony, but they shall either lose their present possession, or else that
which is of more worth, even their immortal souls and everlasting
salvation. " Now, as to the heads of my indictment whereon they have
sentenced me to die, they are mainly these. 1st, My approving of
Drumclog and Bothwell, and my being at Glasgow, — to be lawful and
in defence of the gospel, and in self-defence, which both the law of God
and nature allow. And, 2dly, For adhering to the National and Solemn
League and Covenant ; and they declared before my face, that both
their king and council had disowned the covenant, and had taken
it away by their acts of parliament ; and said, that they were both
unjust and unlawful : and shall such be owned and adhered to, who
have declared themselves against King Christ, and have broken his
laws, and have seated themselves in the room of Jesus Christ, which
belongs to no mortal man upon earth, and much less to him who is an
usurper and a tyrant, I mean Charles Stuart ? And here I, as a dying
witness, leave my testimony against that monstrous beast, for our
Saviour calls Herod a fox, and says, ' Go tell that fox, I work to-day
and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.' 3dly, and
mainly, my sentence was, That I disowned their authority : for since
they had rejected the covenant, I was the more clear to disown them
to be my judges, or governors over the land ; and they asserted it

510 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
treasonable, because I said, none of .the people of God would say other
wise. And in plain terms, and direct words, I deny them to have any
power to rule either in civil or ecclesiastic matters. Also these
avowed enemies who are thirsting for my blood, charged me with
going up and down tbe country, plundering, and murdering, and so by
their law made liable to punishment, even to the loss of my life ; but
[ declare, who am within a little to appear before the righteous Judge,
that I never intended to wrong any man. And so it is evident they
take away my life upon the account of adhering to truth, and I bless
the Lord, that ever he gave me a life to lay down for him, and that
ever he counted me worthy to lay down my life for his persecuted truth.
O matchless free grace, tbat is making choice of the like of me, and
poor weak things to confound the strong, and the poor foolish things to
confound the wise.
" Now, there are three sorts of folk that I would speak a word to.
The first is, these that have begun in the way of the Lord, and seem
ingly have gone a good length, and when the storm of persecution
arose, for fear of the rough sea of trouble, have drawn back. O mind
tbat word in Heb. x. 38. ' But if any man draw back, my soul shall
have no pleasure in him.' And Rom. viii. 35. ' Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecu
tion, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword,' &c. and many
more places of Scripture. A second sort, are these who are going on
in rebellion against God openly and avowedly ; as ye may see in Psal.
ii. ' Why do the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing ?
he that sitteth in heaven shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in deri
sion, then shall he speak to them in his wrath, and vex them in his
sore displeasure.' O poor Scotland, that was once married to the
Lord, but now has provoked him to depart and leave it, and give
a bill of divorcement, as it were I O Scotland has sinned dreadfully, —
what by covenant-breaking, bloodshed, lying, and swearing. Now a
third sort are' these who desire to keep their garments clean and unde-
filed, with the abounding sins of this generation. Go on in the way
of the Lord, and fear not what man can do, for he has said, ' Fear not
them that kill the body, and after that can do more : but fear him who
after he hath killed the body, hath power to cast into hell,' &c.
I can set to my ¦ seal to it, that Christ is a good Master, and well
worthy tbe suffering for. And now I can freely and heartily forgive
all men what they have done to me, as I desire to be forgiven of my
Father who is in heaven ; but what they have done against a holy
God, and his image in me, that is not mine to forgive them, but I
leave that to him to dispose on as he sees fit, and as he may most glorify
himself. Now I am to take my leave of all created comforts here ;
and I bid farewell to tbe sweet Scriptures ; farewell reading and pray
ing ; farewell sinning and suffering ; farewell sighing and sorrowing,
mourning and weeping ; and farewell all Christian friends, and rela
tions ; farewell brethren, and sisters, and all things in time. And
welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; welcome heaven, and ever
lasting joy and praise, and innumerable company of angels and spirits

ARTHUR TACQUET. 511
of just men made perfect. Now into thy hands I commit my spirit,
for it is thine. Sic sub — JAMES NISBET."

" This martyr was so inhumanly treated, and constantly watched,
that it was with much difficulty he got any thing written, and that
only now and then a line, and hence some few repetitions which
were in the manuscript were left out, which it is hoped will be liable to
no misinterpretation." Qm W_

XLII. ARTHUR TACQUET.
[The case of this martyr was, to a certain degree, peculiar. He was
by profession, a tailor, in the town of Hamilton, and having joined
the insurgents at Bothwell, with difficulty escaped from the disas
trous result of that unfortunate enterprise, and with many others
was proscribed for the share he had taken in it. He was apprehended
about the 18th of July, 1684, on his way from hearing a sermon by
the famous Mr. Renwick. Having refused to tell who it was that
preached on the occasion, and who were present hearing, he was
ordained to be examined by the torture of the boot, and was with
difficulty saved from it by a strong representation on the part of
the surgeon in attendance, as to his inability to bear it without
danger to his life. The thumbkins were then resorted to, and this
species of torture he bore without making any discovery. He was
condemned in terms of the sentence formerly passed against him,
to be executed at the Grassmarket of Edinburgh, on the 30th of
July 1684, and suffered accordingly. " He died," says Wodrow,
" most Christianly, forgiving his enemies, and owning all magistrates
superior and inferior, in as far as they are conform to the word of
God, and the covenants ; and are a terror to them that do evil, and
a praise to them that do well." His testimony follows.]
¦' Being appointed to die in the Grassmarket, I thought it was a
duty lying upon my conscience before the Lord, to leave this short
word of testimony behind me, in testification of my close adherence to
all these controverted truths, as they are all agreeable and conform to
the written word of God. And now I desire to bless his name with
my whole heart and soul for this, that ever he made choice of the like
of me, such a poor, weak, feckless, insignificant thing as I am, in
counting me worthy to suffer for his noble cause and controverted
truths, his name, interest and covenant, now controverted and brought
in debate by this God-daring, Christ-dethroning, and God-contemning,
adulterous and bloody generation, wherein my lot is fallen. And this
I can say, through his grace, I am well satisfied and heartily content
with my lot, that God in his infinite wisdom has seen fit to carve out

512 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
unto me : and through his grace I am well helped to great quietness,
calmness and serenity of mind before the Lord, and a holy submission
to what is his will towards me in this ; that if every hair in my head,
and every drop of my blood were a life, I would willingly lay them
down for my lovely Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Some will
possibly say, that this is an untruth, and so cannot be believed by
tbem, notwithstanding of all this. But whether it be believed or not,
it is true : for I am not dying by constraint and unwillingness ; for
this I dare say in his sight (my conscience bearing me witness) tbat I
am a thousand times more willing to die this day for my lovely Lord
and Master's noble cause, and controverted truths, than ever I was to
live : and the truths of God that are so much controverted, are become
more precious and clearer unto me at death, than ever they were here
tofore in my life ; as David says, Psal. xxiii. 4. ' Though I walk
through the valley and shadow of death, I will fear no evil ; for thou
art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.' This I have
been made really sensible of by my experience in all that I have met
with, — that the cross of Christ has been all paved over with love, that
it has been made to become like unto a bed of roses unto me ; and all
that ever I have met with, first and last, has been made sweet and
easy unto me, and no trouble in the least ; and that he has been a
loving and a kind Lord unto me, and he has been as good as his word.
This I can say to his commendation, and to the commendation of the
cross of Christ, that he has borne always the heavy end of the cross
himself, tbat to me it was no trouble in the least. O praise, praise to
the riches of his free grace, for his matchless and unexpressible love
that I have met with since I was brought to prison, and when I was
sorest put at, and threatened with torture by these cruel and bloody
tyrants, the more of his love and kindness I did meet with. This I
have been made really sensible of, when I was hardest dealt with, as
David says, Psal. xxviii. 6. ' Blessed be the Lord, because he hath
heard the voice of my supplications.' Ver. 7. ' The Lord is my
strength and my shield ; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped ;
therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth ;' for I have been well helped and
owned of the Lord, and that in a very singular manner, that his
presence has made my soul to sing and rejoice, through the greatest of
difficulties and trials tbat ever I was trysted with ; and this is a sweet
promise and noble encouragement for me, in Isa. xii. 10. ' Fear thou
not, for I am with thee ; be not dismayed, for I am thy God : I will
streugthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the
right hand of my righteousness,' Ver. 11. 'Behold, all they that are
incensed against thee, shall be ashamed, and confounded : they shall
be as nothing, and they that strive with thee shall perish.' Ver. 12.
' Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that
contend with thee : and they that war against thee shall be as nothing,
and as a thing of nought.' Ver. 13. ' For I the Lord thy God will
hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not, I will help thee.'
Which has been well made out unto me in all things that I have met
with. For since I was brought to prison I have been well helped of
the Lord, that the fear of hell, death and the grave, and the fear of all

ARTHUR TACQUET 513
things is taken away fully from me, that I am not afraid to venture
upon a gibbet for my lovely Lord and Master's noble cause, and for
his controverted truths ; and this I am really persuaded of, that the
truths of God were never so much controverted as now. But I am
sure of it, that the truths of God, when they are most controverted,
ought to be most zealously owned by his people. I may well
acquiesce and assent unto Psal. lxxiii. 23 — 25. ' Nevertheless I am
continually with thee : thou ha^t holden me by my right hand. Thou
shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that
I desire besides thee.' This I dare say, as in his sight, (my conscience
bearing me witness) that there is nothing in heaven or in earth, so
desirable unto my soul as precious Christ: for I am confident and
persuaded, that this is his language to me, ' Arise and depart, for this
is not your rest, because it is polluted :' As Paul says, 2 Cor. v. 1 .
' For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands,'
&c. And as Paul says, 1 Cor. xv. 50. ' Now this I say, brethren,
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God ; neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption.' I can clearly say by experience, that
through Jesus Christ, whom I desire to take for my King, Priest, and
Prophet, and my only Lord and Lawgiver, I have been made more
than a conqueror over death, hell and the grave, and all things in this
life. " Now, to come to show. you the only head that my sentence of
death is founded upon by men, it is mainly for my being in a-rms at
Bothwell ; which was merely in defence of ourselves, and in defence
of the gospel preached, and standing to the defence of the covenant of
God, which the whole of the land was solemnly sworn and engaged
to, with hands lifted up to the Most High God, and so bound to
stand to the defence thereof; for which I am unjustly sentenced to
death by men, of which sentence I am not ashamed this day, but
counts it my only glory, honour, and dignity, whilst he passed by such
tall cedars, which is a matter of wonder and admiration to me. But
as he has said in his word, ' In nothing be ye terrified by your
adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition ; but to
you of salvation, and that of God ; for it is not only given you to
believe, but also to suffer for his sake ;' so suffering is a gift not given
to every one ; and I desire to bless his name, with my whole heart
and soul, that he has counted such a poor thing as I am worthy of the
gift of suffering.
" Now, this is to let you all know, worthy and dear Christian
friends, that are desiring to keep the way of the Lord, that there was
not one word, of all they interrogate me upon, in the sentence of death
that these bloody tyrants past against me, but only for being in arms at
Bothwell-bridge. And let none think that I am sentenced to death upon
the head, for which I was so cruelly threatened with torture by these
bloody tyrants, which was, for being at the Blackloch, — and because
I would not declare who was the minister, and what persons I knew.
And though men have, by a permissive and limited power, passed a
3 T

514 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
Sentence of death against me, to take away my natural life, this I know,
and am persuaded of, that there is a Judge above, who has passed a
Sentence of life in heaven unto my soul this day, which shall never be
recalled or reversed again, which is my only encouragement ; and this
Ve has promised to as many as believe in him, to ' give them everlast
ing life : these that suffer with him, shall reign with him ; and these
that be dead witb him, shall live with him also :' as Paul says, in
Rom. x. 9. ' If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from tbe
dead, thou shalt be saved.' ver. 10. ' For with the heart'man believeth
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.' For the scripture saith, ' Whosoever believeth in him shall
not be ashamed ;' which is my only comfort, and a noble sweet
encouragement for me. And this he hath promised in his word, tbat
•he shall feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs in
his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those tbat
are with young.' I have found by my experience, that the Lord my
God has sweetly and gently led me through the greatest difficulties
that I have been trysted with since he made choice of me to suffer for
his noble cause. O if ye knew what of his love I have met with, and
what sweet ingredients of the Lord's matchless love has been intermixed
and put in my cup, ye Would not be afraid to venture upon the sweet
cross of Christ, which has been made sweet and easy unto me.*'

XLUI. THOMAS HARKNESS AND OTHERS.
[^Thomas Harkness was one of three individuals who were executed
together on the 15th of August, 1684. Being a resident of Locker-
bane, in Dumfriesshire ; he with his two companions, Andrew Clark-
from the parish of Crawford, and Samuel M'Ewen, from Glencairn,
belonged to a district of Scotland which has yielded many martyrs
to the Scaffold. They were apprehended by Claverhouse and his
party, in the parish of Closeburn, when sleeping in the fields, a few
• Because the heads of truth this martyr gives his testimony to, and the defec
tions be witnessed against, are much the same with the preceding testimonies;
therefore to avoid all impertinent repetition they are omitted. He is both full and
accurate, passing by nothing of the heads of sin and duty, which at that time were
controverted : particularly (which bath not been met with in any of the former)
he gives his hearty testimony to that faithful and called minister of Jesus Christ,
Mr. James Renwick, for his holding up the fallen down banner of our Lord, and
jeoparding his life in the open fields ; although some are pleased to say, that he is
not lawfully called and ordained to the ministry, but that he was admitted by the
Erastian ministers of Holland; such as Cocceians and Labadeans : but it is faith
fully witnessed, that he was admitted without them, and by the purest of the
ministers of the church of Holland, according to the church of Scotland's discipline
ami government, Covenants and Confession of Faith. And he dies with a spirit of
meekness, declaring tbat he forgives Im enemies all the wrongs they had done him,
personally considered ; though witnessing against the indignities which they had
done to Christ, and him as a member of that body whereof Christ is the head.
And whereas he was branded with disowning magistrates, he declares before God
and the world, that he owns and allows of all magistrates, superior or inferior, as
tbey arc conform to the written word of God, and our solemn covenants, and as
Aey are ' a tenor to evil-doers, and "a praise to them that do welL' — C. W.

THOMAS HARKNESS AND OTHERS. 515
days after the rescue of the prisoners, at Enterkin-path, in which
affair they were suspected of having a hand. Great severities were
practised upon them. Being wounded when taken, by the shot of
the soldiers, they were not permitted to have their wounds dressed.
In this state they were conveyed first to Lanark, and then to
Edinburgh. When brought before the counsel, they firmly denied
having been at the rescue of prisoners, above mentioned, but upon
three of the soldiers, deponing that they had seen them, on that oc
casion and that the wounds they had upon them had been then re
ceived, — a statement which must have been obviously false  they
were forthwith remitted to the justiciary court, condemned and ex*
ecuted, on the very day on which they arrived in Edinburgh. The
following short but interesting paper was left behind them, as their
joint Testimony ; and there is added to it a letter addressed by one of
them to a Friend, immediately after receiving sentence.]
1. Their Joint Testimony.
" Dear friends and relations whatsoever, — We think it fit to ac
quaint you, that we bless the Lord, that ever we were ordained to
give such a public testimony, who are so great sinners. Blessed be he
that ever we were born to bear witness for him. And blessed be the
Lord Jesus Christ, that ordained the gospel and the truths of it, which
he sealed with his own blood, and many a worthy Christian gone be
fore us have sealed them. We were questioned for not owning the
king's authority : We answered, That we owned all authority that
is allowed by the written word of God, sealed by Christ's blood.
Now, our dear friends, we entreat you to stand to the truth, and espe
cially all ye tbat are our o-vn relations, and all that love and wait for
the coming of Christ. He will come and will not tarry, and reward
every one according to their deeds in the body.
" We bless the Lord, we are not a whit discouraged, but content to
lay down our lives with cheerfulness, and boldness, and courage ; and
if we had a hundred lives, we would willingly quit with them all for
the truth of Christ. Good news ! Christ is no worse than he promised.
" Now we take our leave of all friends and acquaintances, and de
clare, we are heartily content with our lot, and that he hath brought us
hither to witness for him and his truth. We leave our testimony against
Popery, and all other false doctrine, that is not according to the Scrip
tures of the Old and New Testament, which is the only word of God.
" Dear friends, be valiant for God, for he is as good as his promise,
1 He that overcometb, he will make a pillar in his temple.' Our time
is short, and we have little to spare ; having got our sentence at one
of the clock this afternoon, and are to die at five this day. And so
we say no more ; but farewell all friends and relations. Welcome
heaven and Christ, and the cross for Christ's sake.
« T. HARKNESS, A. CLARK, S, M'EWEN."
2. A Letter from S. M'Ewen to a Friend.
« My dear friend, — I am this day to lay down my life, for adhering
to the truth of God, and I bless his holy name that ever he honoured

516 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
me, a poor country lad, having neither father nor mother to witness for
him. And now I can set to my seal to all the truths in the Bible,
Confession of Faith, Catechisms larger and shorter, National and
Solemn League and Covenants, and all the protestations and declara
tions given by the poor remnant, agreeable to the same word of God.
Though in much weakness, yet I love all that is for his glory, and
desire you not to be discouraged, for I bless the Lord, I am heartily
content with my lot. It was my desire, though most unworthy, to die
a martyr; and I bless the Lord, who has granted me my desire.
Now, this is the most joyful day ever I saw with my eyes. Farewell
all earthly enjoyments, and friends iu our sweet Lord Jesus Christ ;
and farewell Glencairn, my native parish. Welcome my sweet Saviour,
into thy hands I commit my spirit, ' for thou art he, 0 Jehovah, God
of truth, who hast redeemed me.' SAMUEL M'EWEN."

XLIV. JAMES NICHOL.
£This was a very bold and zealous man, by profession a merchant,
and belonging to the town of Peebles. Being in Edinburgh on
business, he attended at the trial of the three preceding witnesses,
on the loth of August, 1684 ; and was deeply affected by the result.
Thus excited he was, in the act of taking his horse, to proceed
home, when they were brought into the Grassmarket for execu
tion. He waited and beheld their sufferings, unto death ; and upon
leaving the bloody scene, exclaimed, in the bitterness of his spirit,
within hearing of those around him — " These kine of Bashan have
pushed these three good men to death, at one push, contrary to
their own base laws, in a most inhuman manner." Upon this he was
immediately seized and carried to prison ; and being, a day or two
after, brought before the Council, and examined, was on the 27th
of said month, remitted to the Justiciary. His own confession was
the only proof of the crimes laid to his charge — namely, that he was
at Bothwell, and acknowledged the Sanquhar Declaration, and that
published at Rutherglen ; and the Assize having found him guilty of
treason, he was forthwith condemned, and on the same day executed,
between two and four o'clock. His Testimony is as follows :*]
* Along with Mr. Nichol, there seems to have been tried, condemned and executed,
a person of the name of William Young belonging to Evandale. The circumstances
of whose case, as thev are somewhat peculiar and interesting we quote from Wod
row as follows: " He was brought in prisoner from Evandale, to Hamilton, and
met with great severity when carried from thence to Edinburgh, from the soldiers,
who took from him his wig ; and he rode most of the way with his bare shaven.
head, and his foot tied beneath the horse's belly. This good man, was distempered,
and much crazed in his judgment, for five years before he was taken, through a
sharp and severe exercise of spirit, he had been under. However, when upon any
serious conversation, or at reading or prayer, his distemper was scarce any way
observable, but when out of these exercises, he was perfectly restless, wrote letters
and threw them out at the windows, and cast them to the keepers, so that all in
the prison observed it. His fellow prisoners cautioned him as much as possibly
they could, when he was called before the Council. When there his answers were
not out of the road ; and when he came back from the Council and Justiciary he
was very sensible of the Lord's goodness to him, and said to his fellows, it had

JAMES NICHOL. 51*7
1. His Interrogations before the Council.
" First, I was interrogated by two in a room privately thus. Q. Was
you at Bothwell-bridge ? A. I am not bound to be my own accuser. I
am not (said one of them) to desire you, but only say, upon your
honest word, that you were not there. A. I am not bound to satisfy
you, but prove what you have to say against me, and especially you,
till I come before my accusers. Well, said he, I am one of them.
Then I answered, I was there. Q. How came you to rise in arms
against the king ? A. Because he has broken the Covenant of the
Lord my God. Q. Was the prelate's death murder ? A. No, it was
not murder. Q. Was Hackstoun's death murder ? A. That it was
indeed. Q. How dare ye own the Covenant, seeing the king gave
orders to burn it by the hands of the hangman ? A. Yes, I dare own
it ; for although ye should escape the hand of men for so doing, yet
ye shall all pay for it ere all be done, and that to purpose : as for me I
would not do it for the whole earth. Then I was interrogated by
Other two, who asked some frivolous questions, which I baffled to silence.
Then I was brought in before the bloody crew. What now, Sir, said
they, do ye own the king's authority ? A. I own all things that the
precious word of God owns in less or more, and all faithful magistrates.
Q. But do you not own king Charles also ? A. I dare not for a world,
because it is perjury, for he has unkinged himself in a high degree, and
tbat in doing all things contrary to the word of God and Confession of
Faith, and Catechisms Larger and Shorter. Q. Know ye to whom ye
are speaking ? A. I know I am before men. But (said one of them)
ye are speaking to the chancellor and members of council, Sir. But,
said I, I have told you already that he has unkinged himself, and so
have ye degraded yourselves from being princes. Q. If the king were
here, what would you say, Sir ? A. I know how I ought to speak to
the king, if he were king ; Sir, is ordinarily said to him : and so to let
you know that I am no Quaker, or erroneous in any thing, but a pure
Presbyterian, and of a gospel apostolic spirit, I call you Sirs, because
ye are noblemen by birth, but not because ye are my judges. Q. Will
ye not say, God bless the king's majesty ? A. I dare not bless them
whom God hath rejected : ' If any man bring another doctrine than
ye have received, bid him not God speed, nor receive him into your
house,' 2 John 10. and Psal. xvi. near the beginning, says David,
' Their drink-offerings will I not offer, nor take up their names in my
lips,' viz. them that hasten after other gods, and therefore I dare not
pray for him. Q. And will ye not pray for him ? A. If he belong to
been given to him in that hour, who was a poor foolish creature, who had much
lost the use of his reason. He was one of them who escaped out of the Cannon-
gate Tolbooth, and would not have been known, if he had not himself told to the
soldiers who were ranging up and down, that he had broken the Tolbooth. He
was most barbarously used when sent back to prison, and his arms were tied, and his
whole body miserably racked. This he bore with great patience. He said that
extreme pain would be intolerable, if eternal, but he was now near the Crown, and
rejoiced in the full assurance of it.
" Next day he was carried before the Justiciary, and sentenced ana straight
executed, with James Nichol. I have been the larger on this man's circumstances,
because much ofthe power of God and rage of man, must be observed about him."
Wodrow, Vol. II. pp. 337—8.

518 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
the election of grace, he hath a part of my prayers : and also if he
were a king that had kept covenant with God, I would give him a
double share, and make mention of his name, but he is an apostate.
(So, my friends, they looked still one to another at every question and
answer). Q. How old are you, Sir ? A. I am fifty-one years. Q.
How dare you own the Covenants, seeing we have burnt them by the
hand of the hangman ? A. Sir, I dare own them upon all perils wbatsoi
ever, to the utmost of my power, all the days of my life. And with that
they smiled, and laughed one to another, and to me, and said, my days
were near an end. I said, I am now in your power, but if ye take
my blood, ye shall take innocent blood upon yourselves ; as in Jer. xxvi.
14, 15. 'As for me, behold, I am in your hand; do with me as
seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if
ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon your*
selves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof.' And as
for me, if ye take my blood, it is as innocent blood as ever ye did take ;
for I <lid never wrong any man to this day. Q. Do ye go to the church ?
A- I went ay to the church, where I could get any faithful minister to
go to : but for your prelate's kirks, and Baal's priests, I never heard any
of them, and I never intend to do, if I were to live an hundred years.
But, said they, ye shall not live long now, Sir. Q. How do you prove
by the Scripture what ye say against the prelates? A. By many
Scriptures ; ' The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them,
and they that exercise authority upon them, are called benefactors ;
but it shall not be so among you ; but he that is greatest among you,
shall be the servant of all :' not like your glutton, Epicurean, belly-god
prelates, who are riding in coaches, in great pomp. But they would
not suffer me to speak more, nor cite more places, but asked several
questions, which I have not good memory of: only this word I said,
concerning the tyrant. He was brought home by Mr. Livingston and
others, and put into a nobler estate than any king in the whole world,
crowned a covenanted king with the eternal God, to be for him, and to
carry on his work and cause, he and his people ; which if he had con
tinued in, he would have been the greatest king in all lands and nations
in the world, and would have been a terror to all the kings in Europe ;
but now be hath made himself base, and a reproach to all the nations,
so have all of you. And another reason why I dare not own him, or
you either, is, because he and you have robbed Christ of his crown,
although it be not in your power to do it. They bade the guard take
me away to the iron house, and put the irons on me, which they did
on both my hands, so that I could write none till I got a mean to put
them off the one hand.
"Then on Tuesday they called me before them again, being the 19th
day of this instant. Q. What say ye the day, do you adhere to all you
said yesterday ? A. I adhere to all and hail upon all perils whatsom-
ever. Q. Do you approve of Bothwell-bridge ? A. Yes I do. Q.
Do you go to the kirk at Peebles ? A. No, and I never intend to go
there, nor any place else which pertains to the perjured prelates. Q.
Do you own the covenants ? A. I adhere to every point of them,
because they are, in short, an obligation to the whole swn of the

JAMES NICHOL. 519
Scripture ; and as the sum of the law is, ' To love the Lord our God
with all our soul, and heart, and mind, and with our whole strength,
and our neighbour as ourselves :' — so it is the whole duty, which the
Lord requires of me and all men. Q. And how do you reject the king,
Beeing the scripture commands you to obey him ? A. Because the
coronation sermon, and the coronation itself, does openly declare, that
the people makes a king, and not the king a people, and that he was
received home, and crowned for no other end, but to maintain that
interest to the utmost of his power ; and no longer to be owned as
king, than he did own that wherefore he was crowned ; so that we
were freely loosed from him, as soon as he played his base pranks, in
taking the malignants by the hand, and murdering a prince and a pro
phet, viz. Argyle, who set the crown upon his head, and Mr. Guthrie,
who was a godly reformer in our land. Next I said, what thought ye
of Mr. Douglas, who preached and gave him all his injunctions at
Scoon ? They said to me, he should have been hanged for his pains :
but I said, God would be about with them all for rejecting the word
of the Lord in these directions. Q. How do ye disown him, seeing
the most part, both of ministers and professors, do pray for him ? A.
Because the general assembly at the West-kirk disowned him altogether,
till he made a declaration of humiliation for his own sins, and his
father's : and the parliament being then sitting at Edinburgh, did
ratify the assembly's act, and disowned him till he should do that,
which accordingly he did, and so we are loosed freely. Q. Do you
own Airsmoss, Sanquhar, Rutherglen, and Lanark declarations ? A.
Yes, 1 do, because they are agreeable to the covenants, and work of
reformation. And many more questions they asked, which I cannot
now particularly remember. But I told them in general, that I was
against Popery, Prelacy, malignancy and profanity, and all that is against
sound doctrine, discipline, worship, and government ; and all errors
whatsomever, whicb are contrary to sound Presbyterian doctrine, be
what they will ; for there is none other right, but erroneous, how fair
a face soever they have, which shall be found not agreeable to the
apostle's doctrine. And then they read something of what I had said,
and questioned, if I would subscribe what I had said. I answered, No.
Q. Can you write? A. Yes, I can write. Then do it, said they. But
I said I would not do it at all. Now, my friends, I say, these are a
part of my interrogations.
" Again, I was brought before the justiciary (as they call themselves)
on the 19th of this instant, and interrogated thus : Q. What now, Sir,
what tbink ye of yourself the day ? A. I praise my God I am the
same I was. Q. What think you of what you said yesterday before the
chancellor and the council ? I hold all and decline nothing ; no not
one ace. Q. Were you at Bothwell-bridge ? A. Yes, that I was. Q.
Had ye arms ? Yes, that I had. One of them said, God help you :
and I said, I wot not if you can pray for yourself. But, said he, 1
wish you better nor you do yourself. But, I said, No ; for ye would
have me disown my great Lord, the King of Zion, and obey men, — yea,
base men, ' whose breath is in their nostrils,' who give out laws and
commandments contrary to his. Q. How dare ye rise in arms against

520 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
the king ? A. It is better to obey God than man, and he is an enemy
to God. Q. Would you rise yet in arms for the covenants against the
king's laws, if ye had the occasion ? A. Yes, that I would, say the
contrary who will, upon all peril. Q. What think you of yourself in
spoiling the country of horse and arms, Sir ? A. Sir, I had not the
worth of a spur whang of any man's, but was mounted with horse and
arms of my own. Q. Where have you been all this time ? A. Some
times here and there, in England and Scotland. Q. Whom have ye
conversed with ? A. I was about my business, being a merchant.
They said, Ye have been about another business ; for ye are found to
be a fugitive and a vagabond. A. I have been a merchant from my
youth. Q. But where had you your chamber in this town ? A. I had
none these several years. Q. Where quarter you in this town ? A. I
have not been much in it these seven or eight years. Q. But where
was you the night and the last night before tbe execution ? , A. I was
not in town, I came but in at the port just when the first was cast over.
Then they looked one to another, and whispered together : but they
would fain have had me wronging my landlords in all the parts of the
country, and in all burghs ; but glory to my Lord, I have wronged
none yet, nor yet hopes to do ; for it was ay my care, and prayer to
God earnestly, that I might wrong no man, and that I had rather suffer
before any were wronged by me, which be has keeped me from to this
day. Then they read what I had said. Q. Will you subscribe what
you have said ? A. No, no. Q Can you write, Sir ? A. Yes, that
I can. Well, said they, write down, that he can, but will not. They
told me five or six times, that my time should not be long ; and
said to me, Will you have a minister ? A. I will have none of your
Baal's priests ; if I could have gotton leave, I should have made them
abominable to them, and also at every question, I would have made
them ashamed."*
2. His Testimony.
" Now, my dear friends, I think all that I have written is confused
because I could hardly get leave to write two lines, but was either put
from it by the keepers, or called from it by one confusion or other,
therefore ye must excuse me ; but although it be not accurately,
written, yet there is no error in it : it is what I lay down my life for,
and adhere to as the testimony of a dying man, who must very shortly
appear before my Lord, and give an account of all that I have done
and written. However, my friends, mistake me not, although it be
confused, and ye find some things twice over, for there is no more
fear on me now, than the quietest time that ever I bad, as to what
man can do to me ; although I be sad as to matters betwixt God and
me, betwixt my glorious Lord and me, as good cause I have, who knew
it as I do ; but I hope, I shall get a glorious outgate, (when his time
comes, which I have always waited upon and not mine,) for which I
bless him this day."
What further this martyr wrote in prison, cannot be published as it
stands, in regard that he being perpetually interrupted by the keepers,
? Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 336—346.

JAMES NICHOL. 521
and having the irons on his hands (as himself testifies), could not get
it written with that composure which he would. Wherefore take
some of the more remarkable heads of it, mostly in his own words, as
follows : 1st,. He declares his cheerfulness to lay down his life for the
cause of Christ, and faith once delivered to the saints. Admiring the
riches of the free grace of God, in Christ's laying down his life for
poor sinners, and blessing them with such a noble, precious, and
excellent blessing, as to be called the sons of God, which the angels
:annot take up, although they have been a long time prying into it ;
and invites others to the same exercise of admiring and praising God's
love, in making, through the blood of Christ, rebels and enemies,
friends and servants. 2dly, He rejoices in his lot of suffering thus : " O
but it is an excellent thing to be called of the Lord, to lay down my
life for him and his glorious interest 1 to me it is more than all the
world : I cannot prize it. It has been my desire these twenty-four
years, to die a martyr for my Lord, and to witness for him, if it be
his will, and not else ; I bless my Lord for it, I have subscribed a
blank, and put it in his hand, to do with me, whatsoever is the deter
minate counsel of his will and decree, and not to call myself." 3dly,
He blesses God, that though he would have got his life for doing what
others, whom he calls better than himself, have done ; yet the Lord
had made it his glory, honour, and crown, to ' hold fast till the Lord
come,' which he hoped would be quickly to himself, and also to the
land. 4thly, He testifies bis assurance of God's love to him, and his
children, whom he heartily and cheerfully gives away to God, as he
had oft devoted them to him in covenant ; he exhorts them, in the
words of a dying father, to be for God, in their generation, to live in
love and unity, leaving them to the protection and provision of his
God, charging them not to be moved for his sufferings, which he
protests he would not exchange for the whole world. 5thly, He
charges them all to beware of wronging themselves by reproaching
him anent the manner of his being apprehended, showing what a hand
of divine providence there was in it, and blessing God for it, and for
the sweet peace he bad in suffering. 6thly, He owns himself to have
been the greatest sinner upon the earth, and hence takes occasion to
magnify the redeeming love of Christ, in calling him effectually, and
keeping him in the right way, and from the national sins and corrup
tions of the age. 7thly, He refers to a list of papers written by him,
declarative of his judgment concerning the duty of the day, as a reason
among others, why he wrote no formal testimony in the prison, save
only tbat he testifies, First, Generally, against all things contrary to
any point of truth in the Old and New Testament, or contradictory
to the covenants and work of reformation ; and more particularly,
against the sinful silence of ministers in Britain and Ireland, at the
command of a bloody,, vile, adulterous, perjured tyrant, and his under
lings ; against the indulgences and indemnities ; against compounding
and conforming either with a perjured tyrannical crew of statesmen,
or with base, vile, filthy prelatists, their blind guides, and Baal's
priests ; against backslidden ministers and professors, (who condemned
a poor young generation for adhering to truth,) for slaying Christ in
3 V

522 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
his members, for pleasing men, and displeasing a never-enough exalted
and glorious Lord. And, finally, disowns all that is contrary to a
gospel and apostolic spirit. 8thly, He proceeds to warn and exhort
all sorts of persons, and more especially the young generation, to
repentance and amendment of life, enforcing his exhortation with the
consideration of judgments, and strokes to come upon the land, upon
which head he is exceeding large, founding his assertions upon the
threatenings pronounced in the word against these sins, whereof he
demonstrates Scotland, England, and Ireland, to have been eminently
guilty. Interposing withal sweet and ravishing considerations of God's
love to him, and his other suffering witnesses, which after large and
pathetic ejaculations of praises to God, for his redeeming love, protest
ing, that he expects salvation not by any merit, but of free grace,
saying, " I have been beginning to pray and praise these thirty-six
years, weakly as I could ; but yet I am just to begin this night, both
to praise and pray : for I lay no more stress upon all that I have said
and done, believed and suffered, than on a straw, — God is my witness ;
so that I must have salvation upon Wednesday at three or four of the
clock, as freely as the thief on the cross." He winds up, in imitation
of David, with these words, " And what can poor silly James Nicol
say more ?" resuming again the consideration of God's wrath against
the land, to stir up all ranks to repentance.
After he had concluded his speech with the usual formality of
bidding farewell to his suffering brethren, and all sublunary things,
embracing and welcoming the heavenly joys, and eternal enjoyment of
<]rod, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, into whose hands he commits
his spirit : he adds by way of postscript :
" Now, dear friends, my testimony being finished, and I being near
the borders of eternity, having forgot that which I see a great necessity
to leave my testimony against ; I think it a most concerning and
necessary duty to leave my testimony against James Russel and Mr.
John Flint, because James Russel, and these in fellowship with him,
have separated themselves from the persecuted suffering remnant of
the church of Scotland, and Mr. John Flint has taken upon him, with
their consent, to officiate the work of a minister, contrary to the word
of God ; he has ran, although not sent of God, nor called, nor ordained
of lawful church members : and now he and they have risen up in
opposition to God, his cause, and persecuted remnant in the church of
Scotland, calling them all perjured, that are suffering unto death,
imprisonment, and banishment, for precious Christ. And, therefore, I
as a dying witness for him, even my Lord Jesus, my only Saviour,
who converted me thirty-six years since, and has these twenty-four
years helped me to pray to him, to enable me to witness against all
error and defection, and has kept me right and straight to this day of
my longed-for desire, do leave my testimony against Mr. John Flint
and James Russel, and all that adhere to them.
Sic sub  J. NICHOL."*
* Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 316 — 350.

JOHN NISBET. 523

XLV. JOHN NISBET.

[John Nisbet of Hardhill, in the parish of Loudon, suffered for the
cause, in the Grassmarket of Edinburgh, Dec. 4, 1685. About
the year 1664, he having received the sacrament of baptism to his
child, from one of the outed ministers, came to be troubled by the
enemies on that account ; and the curate declared out of the pulpit,
his purpose to excommunicate him the next Lord's day, but was
prevented by sudden death. When that handful of the Lord's people
renewed the covenant at Lanark, and appeared in arms at Pentland
hills, he engaged in the covenant with them, and was sore wounded
in the fight, insomuch that he was left for dead: but by God's good
ness he recovered. And all along testified against the abominations
of prelacy, supremacy, arbitrary government, and indulgence, till the
rising in arms at Bothwell, where he did good service, being not only
a zealous Christian, but a couragious soldier. After this the enemies
seized all his goods, expelled his wife and four small children from
house and hold ; offered a large sum of money for himself, but the
Lord preserved him, while he had work for him.
He was a close follower of the gospel, faithfully preached in the fields,
was kept stedfast in the truth from extremes on right or left hand ;
and was assistant in publishing the declarations for truth, emitted
during that time. At length, in November, 1685, being in a poor
man's house in the parish of Fenwick, with other three, after being
sore wounded, he was taken by Lieutenant Nisbet's party, the other
three being shot dead on the spot. The lieutenant, having caused
to tye him, asked, what he thought of himself now ? He answered,
I think as much of Christ and his cause, for which I suffer, as ever ;
but I judge myself at a loss, being in time, and my dear brethren in
eternity, whom you have unjustly murdered. The bloody wretch
swore, that he had reserved him for further judgment. He
answered, if the Lord stand by me, and help me to be faithful to
the death, I care not what piece of suffering I be put to endure.
He was carried first to Kilmarnock, from thence to Ayr next
morning ; and being brought back to Kilmarnock again, was thence
transported to Edinburgh ; where, being brought before the council
by the foregoing lieutenant Nisbet, who demanded his money for
him. They interrogate him to this effect. Q. Was you at that
conventicle? (naming time and place.) A. Yes. Q. How many
men and arms were there ? A. 1 went there to hear- the gospel
preached, and not to take an account of what men and arms were
there. Q. Which way went ye when the preaching was done ?
A. Which way we could best think of to escape your cruelty. Q.
Where keep you your general meetings, and what do ye at them ?
While he was about to answer, one of the counsellors interrupted
him, telling, in his fashion, what was done at such general meetings,
and that there was one of them kept at Edinburgh ; and asked the
migojper, if he was there ? Who answered, No. Then they said to.

524 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
him, we hope you are so much of a Christian, as to pray for the king.
He answered, prayer being an holy ordinance of God, we ought to
pray for kings, as well as others ; but not when every profligate bids
us. Q. Do you own tbe king as sole sovereign ? A. He being
Popish, and that from his youth, and I a Protestant, of the Presby
terian covenanted persuasion, I neither can nor will own him, while
he remains such. Whereupon incontinent, without further process
they passed sentence upon him ; which he received, not only with
Christian submission, but with much thankfulness ; blessing and
praising God, who had counted him worthy to suffer for his' name.
And during the time of his imprisonment he was wonderfully assisted,
and graciously supported of the Lord under his cross ; having both
the assurance of the pardon of all his sins, and his peace with God,
and also a firm persuasion of the justness of the cause and work to
which he adhered, and for which he was put to such sufferings.
Besides the seven wounds which he received when he was appre
hended, he had a merciless weight of irons upon him during the
whole time of his imprisonment.
The following is his last and dying Testimony, which he delivered to
a friend in the iron-bouse, before he was taken out to the scaffold
in the Grassmarket.] His Testimony.
" I have always thought, that to live for Christ, and die for Christ,
is a sufficient testimony for truth ; yet now when I am within a few
hours of eternity, to prevent mistakes, to satisfy my dear friends, and
let them know how it is with me, and to let the world know what I
die witnessing for, and testifying against, I judge it proper to leave a
few lines behind me.
" As for myself, it hath pleased the Lord Jehovah, of his super
abundant goodness, and infinite mercy, powerfully to determine my
heart to close with, and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ, as he is made
offer of in the everlasting gospel, for my King, Priest, and Prophet.
And that conquest captivating of me to his obedience, who was an heir
of wrath, and a mass of sin and sinful corruption, is the fruit of elect
ing love, according as it is manifested in the covenant of free, free, free
grace, will evidently appear from these Scriptures following ; which he,
by the power and concurrence of his Holy Spirit, hath made effectual
to the convincing, converting, strengthening, and enabling of me to be
his, and to be for him through well and through woe, through good
report, and through bad report ; and they are so many sweet cordials to
my soul, when stepping out of time into eternity.
" Psal. ex. 3. ' Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.'
Rom. ix. 11. 'For the children being not yet born ; neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.' Ver. 15. ' For he
saith to Moses, (see Exod. xxxiii. 19.) I will have mercy on whom I
will have mercy ; and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion.' Ver. 16. ' So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him

JOHN NISBET. 525
that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.' 2 Thes. ii. 13. < God
hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification
of the Spirit, and belief of tbe truth.' Prov. viii. 30. ' Then was I by
him, ss one brought up with him : and I was daily his delight, rejoic
ing always before him. Rejoicing in the habitable part of bis
earth, and my delights were with the sons of men. Now therefore,' &c.
to verse 36. Rom. viii. 29. ' For whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover
whom he did predestinate, them he also called ; and whom be
called, them he also justified ; and whom he justified, them he also
glorified.' Ver. 35. * Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ?
shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, of
peril, or sword ?' Ver. 37. ' Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors, through him that loved us.' Eph. i. 13. ' In whom ye also
trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your sal
vation : in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that
Holy Spirit of promise,' ver. 14. ' Which is the earnest of our inheri
tance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto tbe praise
of his glory.' 2 Tim. i. 9. ' Who hath saved us, and called us with an
holy calling : not according to our works, but according to his own
purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the
world began.' Tit. iii. 5. ' Not by works of righteousness which we
have done, but according to his mercy he Baved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.' Ver. 6. ' Which he
shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.' 1 Cor. i. 9.
* God is faithful, by whom ye were called into the fellowship of his
Son Jesus Christ our Lord.' Rom. iii. 24. ' Being justified freely by
his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Whom
he hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood,
to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God.' And chap. iv. 6. ' Even as David
also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth
righteousness without works.' Heb. ix. 14. ' How much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered
himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works
to serve the living God.' 2 Cor. v. 19. ' To wit, that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their tres
passes unto them.' Eph. iii. 17. ' Tbat Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith, that ye being rooted and grounded in love,' &c. Gal.
ii. 16. ' Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law,
but by the faith of Jesus Christ ; even we have believed in Jesus, that
we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of
the law ; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Rom. v. 17. 'For by one man's offence, death reigned by one, much
more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of rights
eousness, shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ.' John vi. 37. ' All
tbat the Father giveth me, shall come to me ; and him that cometh to
me, I will in no wise cast out.' Ver. 39. ' And this is the Father's
will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should

526 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.' Rom. xiv
17. ' For the kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink, but righteous
ness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' Chap. viii. 1. ' There is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.' 1 John v. 13.
' These things have I written unto you that believe on tbe name of the
Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye
may believe on the name of the Son of God.' Eph. iv. 23. ' And be
renewed in the spirit of your mind.' Philip, iii. 9. ' And be found in
him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God
by faith.' Ver. 1 0. ' That I may know him, and the power of his
resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conform
able unto his death.' Rom. vi. 4. ' Therefore we are buried with him
by baptism unto death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead
by the glory of the Father : even so we also should walk in newness
of life.' Prov. iv. 18. ' But the path of the just is as the shining light,
that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.' Philip, i. 6. ' Be
confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in
you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.' Psalm lxxxix. 33.
' Nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from bim,
nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.' Rom. v. ' There
fore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our
Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have access by faith
into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the
glory of God.' 1 Pet. i. 5. ' Who are kept by the power of God,
through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.'
Rom. viii. 17. ' And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint
heirs with Christ : if so be that we suffer with him, that we also may
be glorified together.' Chap. i. 16. ' For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ ; for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every
one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.' Col. i.
29. ' To whom God would make known what is the riches of the
glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the
hope of glory.' Matth. xi. 29. ' Take my yoke upon you, and learn
pf me, for I am meek and lowly in heart ; and ye shall find rest unto
your souls.' Psalm lv. 22. ' Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he
shall sustain thee ; he will never suffer the righteous to be moved.'
2 Cor. x. 4. ' For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but
mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds.' Psalm
lvii. 2. ' I will cry unto God most high ; unto God that performed ail
things for me.' Prov. xxvii. 13. ' He that covereth his sins, shall noi
prosper : but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy.
Psalm lix. 16. ' But I will sing of thy power ; yea, I will sing aloud
of thy mercy in the morning ; for thou hast been my defence ani/
refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength,
will I sing : for God is my defence and the God of my mercy.'
Psalm lxviii. 18. ' Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led cap
tivity captive ; thou hast received gifts for men ; yea, for the rebel-

JOHN NISBET. 527
lious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.' Ver. 19.
' Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the
God of our salvation. Selah.' Ver. 20. ' He that is our God, is
the God of salvation ; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from
death.' 2 Cor. v. 1. ' For we know, that if our earthly house of this
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not
made with bands, eternal in the heavens.' Heb. xii. 23. ' To the
general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in
heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men
made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator,' &c. Psalm xiv. 1, to 9.
John i. 1, to 15. and chap, xviii. throughout. Isa. liii. to the end,
with many more.
" Let none reflect upon me for citing so much ; for the Scripture
hath been to me from my youth the living oracles of his divine and
sacred lips. When I was crying, ' what shall I do to be saved ?'
and when I was saying, ' how shall I know the way of the Lord that
I may walk therein ?' then his word was ' a light to my feet, and a
lamp to my path,' exhorting me as it is in Isa. lv. ' Ho every one
that thirsteth, come ye to the waters : and he that hath no money,
come ye, buy and eat ; yea, come buy wine and milk, without money
and without price. Wherefore do ye spend your money for that
which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not?
hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good ; and let
your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear and come unto
me, hear and your soul shall live : and I will make an everlasting
covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold I have
given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the
people. Behold thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and
nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of the Lord
thy God, and for the holy One of Israel ; for he hath glorified thee.
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while
he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have
mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith
the Lord.' John vi. 35. ' And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of
life ; he that cometh to me shall never hunger ; and he that believeth on
me shall never thirst.' Rev. iii. 20. ' Behold I stand at the door, and
knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in
to him, and sup with him, and he witb me.' Jer. iii. 'Only
acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the
Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under
every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord.
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord, for I am married unto
you : and I will take you, one of a city, and two of a family ; and
I will bring you to Zion.' Ver. 22. ' Return ye backsliding children,
and I will heal your backslidings : behold, we come unto thee, for thou
art the Lord our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the
hills, and from the multitude of mountains ; truly in the Lord our God
is the salvation of Israel.' Hosea xiv. 1. ' O Israel, return unto the

528 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you
words, and turn unto the Lord, say unto him, take away all iniquity,
and receive us graciously, so we will render the calves of our lips.'
Jer. xxxi. 18. - 1 have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus,
Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed
to the yoke: Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the
Lord my God.' John xiv. 6. ' Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,
and the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father but by
me.' Rev. xxii. 17. ' And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And
let him that heareth, say Come. And let him that is athirst, Come.
And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.'
" When I was grappling with sin, Satan and the world, and my own
wicked and deceitful heart, the enemies of my salvation, his words
were as props and pillars to me : so that though I got my wounds, and
was oft sorely beat ; yet at the last I came off victorious, by the help
of him who is God all sufficient to all who, through grace, lay hold on
him for help. It is by him, that I have fought the good fight, that I
have finished my course, and that I have kept the faith ; henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the
righteous Judge shall give me at that day. It is by him shining in his
word, that I know all my manifold sins and transgressions are freely
pardoned, and that I have a just right and title to what is expressed,
1 Cor. i. 30. So that now the guilt and condemning power of sin being
fully pardoned by a judicial act of God's free and sovereign grace,
through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially applied and
witnessed unto by the Holy Spirit, upon, and to my spirit, there is no
room left me to doubt any more of my being freely justified by him,
of my being in union with him, and in a state of grace ; or the pow
er, dominion, and filth of sin, original and actual, being subdued, taken
off, and washed away by the virtue of the spirit of sanctification,
being created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works, and being sancti
fied throughout in soul, body, and spirit, and made meet to be a partaker
of the inheritance of the saints in light by him who loved me, and
gave himself to the death for me, and redeemed me by power and
price. " Now, being in such a case of communion with him, I am pained
till I be freed of the remains of a body of sin and death, till I be freed
of the world and all things therein, and also of this natural life, and be
possessed of himself, and with himself in his eternal inheritance, which
is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away ; a place which
he hath provided for all whom he hath chosen, for all whom he hath
called, for all whom he hath justified, for all whom he hath sanctified :
O to be there, where I shall sin no more, where I shall be tempted
no more, neither feel any more of the withdrawings of his Spirit's
presence, and light of his glorious countenance ; but shall be ever with
him, see him as he is, and serve him for ever and ever.
" Now, my dear friends in Christ, I have always, since the public
resolutioners were for bringing in the malignants and their interest,
thought it my duty to join with the Lord's people, in winessing against
these sinful courses ; and now we see clearly that it has ended in

JOHN NISBET. 529
nothing less than making captains that we may return to Egypt, by the
open doors, that are made wide to bring in Popery, and set up idolatry
in the Lord's covenanted land, to defile it, and thereby to provoke him
to pour down fierce wrath upon it, and the inhabitants thereof. Where
fore it is the unquestionable and indispensable duty of all who have
any love to God, to his Son the Lord Jesus Christ, to the thriving of
his kingdom, to their own soul's salvation, and to the following gener
ation, to act a close, constant, and needy dependance on the Lord
Jehovah's all-sufficiency, for light, for counsel, for direction, for strength
and ability, to make conscience in bearing testimony for him, for his
persecuted truth, work, and interest in these lands, which was sworn
to with uplifted hands to God the searcher of hearts : and O that
herein all could act a faithful part for him who hath done so much for
poor wretched us ! when we were lying, dying, and rotting in our
blood-red sins, when passing by us with his love and life-giving visit,
saying unto us, Live, live. And on the other hand, to witness faithfully,
constantly, and conscientiously against all that the enemies have done,
or are doing, to the overthrow of the glorious work of reformation ;
and banishing Christ out of these lands, by robbing him of his crown-
rights, (for he, and he alone, is head of his own church,) and by burn
ing tbe covenants, which are the marriage bond betwixt him and these
lands ; and by persecuting his gospel-ministers and members, who are
labouring to keep their garments clean, and their hands free of all the
corruptions and compliances in these evil times : and however it be,
that many, both ministers and professors, are turning their backs upon
Christ and his cross, reproaching aud casting dirt upon you and the
testimony of the day ; yet let not this weaken your hands, stumble or
discourage you from going on in the strength of the Lord your God,
to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, and wit
ness a good confession for hiin and his cause, resisting unto blood,
striving against sin : and herein let your souls possess themselves with
patience ; for I assure you, it will not be long to the fourth watch ; and
then he will come with garments dyed in blood, to raise up saviours
upon the mount of Zion, to judge the mount of Esau ; and then the
house of Jacob and Joseph shall be for fire, and the malignants, Prelates
and Papists, shall be stubble, the flame whereof shall be great.
" But my generation work being done with my time, I go to him
who loved me, and washed me from all my sins ; to him who has
counted me worthy to suffer for his name : and O that I had many
lives to lay down for him, and much blood to seal his noble and honour
able cause with, even he who graciously pitied, and hath now given
me tbe full assurance of being a member of his church triumphant, which
is the new Jerusalem,. and the city of the living God !
" I die adhering to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament
as the undoubted word of God, an unerrring rule of faith and manners,
and a firm foundation for principle and practice in the ways of godliness
and true holiness. 2 Tim. iii. 16. ' All Scripture is given by inspira
tion of God : and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness. And the Confession of Faith, Cate
chisms Larger and Shorter, as agreeable thereunto, and safely founded
3 x

530 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
thereupon. 2 Tim. i. 13. ' Hold fast the form of sound words, which
thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. Heb.
vi. 1. ' Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let
us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance
from dead works, and of faith towards God.' The Sum of Saving
Knowledge, the Directory for Church Government, in her doctrine,
worship, and discipline. I own all the attained unto pieces of reforma
tion in the church of Scotland, particularly betwixt the years 1638, and
1649. The Covenants National and Solemn League ; the Acknowledg
ment of Sins and Engagement to Duties. I own the protestation given
by the remonstrators against the Public Resolutions, the Apologetical
Declaration, and all the declarations hitherto emitted at Rutherglen,
Sanquhar, and Lanark ; with all dying speeches and testimonies of
these who have sealed the truth with tbeir blood, so far as they agree
with God's holy word.
" I own all the appearances in arms that have been at Pentland,
Drumclog, Bothwell, Airsmoss, and elsewhere, against God's stated
enemies, and the enemies of the gospel, as it hath been preached by all
Christ's faithful ambassadors in Scotland, since the reformation; and
now by that faithful servant of Christ, Mr. James Renwick ; and the
testimony of the day, as it is stated and carried on by him and his
adherents at home and abroad ; and kingly government, as appointed
and emitted in the word of God, and entering covenant ways, and with
covenant qualifications. But I am persuaded, Scotland's covenanted
God will cut off the name of the Stuarts, because tbey have stated
themselves against religion, reformation, and the thriving of Christ's
kingdom and kingly government in these lands. And although men
idolize them much now, yet ere long there shall none of them be to
tyrannize in covenanted Britian any more.
" On the other hand I die protesting against, and disowning Popery
in all its superstitious bigotry and bloody cruelty ; and Prelacy the
mother of Popery ; and all that depends upon that hierarchy ; and the
unhinging and overthrowing of the glorious work of reformation, by
their woful Act Rescissory : burning the Covenant, turning out gospel-
ministers, filling their rooms with profane, erroneous curates, and setting
up Charles Stuart to be head of the church ; and so robbing Christ of his
royal and incommunicable prerogatives, by their cursed act of supremacy.
" I protest against the putting malignants in places of power and
trust in church, state, and armies ; and all declarations* any where
published tending thereunto ; and against all paying of stent, cess, and
locality, to strengthen the enemies' hands to persecute Christ's people
in fields, prisons, or any other ways ; and robbing, plundering, or spoil
ing them of their goods ; and all raising of the hue and cry after them :
and all sinful oaths, such as the oath of supremacy, the bond of peace,
the test, the oath of conformity, the abjuration oath, and the oath super
inquirendis. " I die testifying against the woful indulgences, the fruits and con
sequences of which bave so much strengthened the enemy, increased
* See the short relation before this testimony.

JOHN NISBET. 531
om- divisions, widened our breaches, deadened the spirits, and
cooled the zeal of the Lord's people, stumbled and offended the weak,
and in a great measure retarded the carrying on of a testimony for truth,
by condemning the things contended for, and reproaching these that
contend for truth.
"Wherefore I leave my testimony against all the accepters thereof,
and all ministers and professors, who are any way guilty of any of the
woful defections, and sinful compliances with the enemies of truth, or
any way guilty of condemning, reproaching, and ridiculing Mr. James
Renwick, and his correspondents, or the testimony which they are
carrying on. And let all such ministers and professors know, that this
their practice at the best is a denying of Christ, and a shifting of his
cross ; therefore let them take warning, and ponder these scriptures.
Matth. x. 32. '- Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him
will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven.' Ver. 33. ' But
whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my
Father who is heaven.' (See Luke xii. 8, 9.) Ver. 37. ' He that
loveth father and mother more than me, is not worthy of me ; and he
that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.' Ver.
38. ' And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not
worthy of me.' Matth. xvi. 24. ' Then said Jesus unto his disciples,
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me.' (See Mark viii. 34.) Mark viii. 35. ' For who
soever will save his life, shall lose it ; but whosoever shall lose his life,
for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.' (See Matth. x.
49. also chap. xvi. 25.) Matth. xvi. 26. ' For what is a man profited if
he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? or what shall a
man give in exchange for his soul ?' (See Mark viii. 36, 37.) Mark viii.
38. ' Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words, of
him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the
glory of his Father, with the holy angels.' Isa. viii. 11. ' For the Lord
spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me, that I should
not walk in the way of this people, saying,' Say ye not, A confe
deracy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy ;
neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.' Sanctify the Lord of hosts
himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And
he shall be, for a sanctuary : but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock
of offence to both the houses of Israel, and for a snare to the inhabi
tants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble and fall,
and be broken, and be snared, and be taken, (as it is expressed ver.
9, 10.) Prov. 1. 10. ' My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou
not. If tbey say, Come with vis, let us lay wait for blood, let us
lurk privily for the innocent without cause. Let us swallow them up
alive as the grave, and whole as those that go down into the pit. We
shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil.
Cast in thy lot among us, let us all have one purse. My son, walk not
thou in the way with them, refrain thy foot from their path. For
their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.' Isa. v. 20.
' Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil ; that put darkness
for light, and light for darkness ; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet

532 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
for bitter.' Ver. 21. ' Wo unto them that are wise in their own eyes,
and prudent in their own sight.' Ver. 23. ' Which justify the wicked for
reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him.'
Ver. 24. ' Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame
consumeth the chaff; so their root shall be rottenness, and their blos
som shall go up as dust, because they have cast away the law of the
Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the holy One of Israel.' Prov.
xvii. 15. ' He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the
just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.' Amos v. 10. ' They
hate him that rebuketh in tbe gate, and they abhor him that speaketh
uprightly.' Gal. ii. 18. ' For if I build again the things which I destroy
ed, I make myself a transgressor.' Psalm 1. 16. ' But unto the wicked,
God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou
shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth?' Ver. 17. 'Seeing thou
hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee.' Ver. 18.
' When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast
been partaker with adulterers.' Ver. 19. ' Thou givest thy mouth to
evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.' Ver. 20. ' Thou sittest and
speakest against thy brother, thou slanderest thy own mother's son. '
Ver. 21. 'These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou
thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself ; but 1 will
reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.' The prophecy
of Obadiah throughout, the first and last chapters of Isaiah to the end,
with many more.
" Now, it is my last request and soul's desire that all who have
made Moses's choice, ' to suffer affliction with the people of God,
rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ;' and are true lovers
of Zion's righteous cause ; that you set much time apart, and mourn,
and afflict your souls, for your original sin, heart-plagues, sins of
persons and families, sins of kings and kingdoms ; and for all the
dreadful apostasies, hateful compliances, and sinful sidings of ministers
and people, with the enemies of God and godliness, and mourn that
tbere is not more faithfulness and zeal for the cause of God amongst
his people. Read Psalm 1. Ezra ix. Neh. ix. Jer. ix. Lam. iii. and
Ezek. ix. to the end.
" My dear friends, forbear your contentions and censuring one of
another ; sympathize with and love one another, for thisis his com
mandment ; keep up your sweet fellowship meetings, and desirable
general meetings, with which my soul has been often refreshed ; and
what is agitated in them, for carrying on of a testimony for truth, and
against defections, let it be managed with scripture light for direction,
and with zeal temperate with knowledge, and with the spirit of meek
ness accompanied with patience and humility. Be always ready to
give a reason of your faitb, and be much denied to the world, to your
selves, and to your natural life ; and when God in his providence calls
you to lay it down for him, do it cheerfully, and embrace the cross of
your sweet Lord Jesus with open arms ; for he will not send any a
warfare on their own charges.
" Take for your rule and encouragement these Scriptures, with
others, that I leave to your own search. Gal. v. 19. ' Now tbe works

JOHN NISBET. 533
of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, unclean-
liness, lasciviousness. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation,
wrath, strife, seditions, heresies. Envying, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, as I have also
told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit
the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. Meekness, temperance;
against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's bave crucified
the flesh, with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let
us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory,
provoking one another, envying one another.' Chap. vi. ver. 7. ' Be
not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap.' Ver. 8. ' For he that soweth to his flesh,
shall of the flesh reap corruption ; but he that soweth to the Spirit,
shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.' Ver. 9. ' And let us not be
weary in well doing ; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.'
Ver. 10. - As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all
men, especially unto them that -are of the household of faith.' Mai. iii.
16. ' Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another, and
the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was
written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought
upon his name.' Ver. 17. ' And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of
hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them
as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.' Ver. 18. ' Then
shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked,
between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.' Isaiah
iii. 10. ' Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him ; for
they shall eat the fruit of their doings.' Ver. 11. 'Wo unto the
wicked, it shall be ill with him ; for the reward of his hands shall be
given him.' Ver. 9. ' The show of their countenance doth witness
against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not:
Wo unto their soul, for tbey bave rewarded evil unto themselves.'
And chap. viii. ver. 20. ' To the law and to the testimony, if they
speak not according to this word, it is because there is no truth in
them.' Mai. iv. 2. ' But unto you that fear my name, shall tbe Son
of righteousness arise with healing in his wings ; and ye shall go forth
and grow up as calves of the stall.' Isa. viii. 17. ' And I will wait
upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I
will look for him.' Phil. i. 27. ' Only let your conversation be as it
becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, oi
else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one
spirit, with one mind, striving for the faith of the gospel.' Ver. 28.
' And in nothing terrified by your adversaries ; which is to them ar
evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
Ver. 29. ' For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to
believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.' Rev. x. 11. ' And he
said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and
nations, and tongues, and kings.' Heb. x. from the 11th verse to the
end; and chap. xii. 11. ' Now no chastening for the present seemeth
to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the

534 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
lieaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.'
Ver. 12. 'Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the
feeble knees.' Ver. 13. ' And make straight paths for your feet, lest
that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be
healed.' Ver. 14. ' Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord.' Ver. 15. ' Looking diligently, lest
any man fail of the grace of God ; lest any root of bitterness springing
up, trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.' Rev. xiv. 1. ' And I
looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an
hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in
their foreheads.' Ver. 2. ' And I heard a voice from heaven, as the
voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunder ; and I heard
the voice of harpers harping with their harps.' Ver. 3. ' And they
sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four
beasts, and the elders, and no man could learn that song, but the
hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the
earth.' Ver. 4. ' These were they which were not defiled with
women, for they are virgins ; these are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth, these were redeemed from among men, being
the first fruits unto God, and unto the Lamb.' Ver. 5. ' And in their
mouth was found no guile ; for they are without fault before the throne
of God.' Jude ver. 3. ' Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write
unto you of the common salvation ; it was needful for me to write
unto you, and exhort you, that ye should earnestly contend for the
faith which was once delivered to the saints.' Eph. vi. 10. ' Finally,
my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.'
Ver. 11. ' Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
stand against the wiles of the devil.' Ver. 12. ' For we wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole
armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all to stand. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt
about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above
all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation.
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.'
" And scare not at his sweet, lovely, and desirable cross ; for
although I have not been able, because of my wounds, (that I received
at my taking) to lift up or lay down my head, but as I was helped,
yet I was never in better case all my life ; he has not given me one
challenge since I came to prison, for any thing less or more ; but on
the contrary, he has so wonderfully shined on me with the sense of his
redeeming, strengthening, assisting, supporting, through-bearing, pardon
ing, and reconciling love, grace and mercy, that my soul doth long to
be freed of bodily infirmities and earthly organs, so that I may flee to
his royal palace, even the heavenly habitation of my God, where I am
sure of a crown put on my head, and a palm put in my hand, and a
new song put in my mouth, even the song of Moses and the Lamb,

JAMES RENWICK. 535
that so I may bless, praise, magnify, and extol him for what he hath
done to me, and for me. Wherefore I bid farewell to all my dear
fellow-sufferers, for the testimony of Jesus, who are wandering in dens
and caves. Farewell my children, study holiness in all your ways, and
praise the Lord for what he hath done for me, and tell all my Christian
friends to praise him on that account. Farewell sweet Bible, and
wanderings and contendings for truth. Welcome death ; welcome the
city of my God, where I shall see him, and be enabled to serve bim
eternally with full freedom ; welcome blessed company, and angels,
and spirits of just men made perfect. But above all, Welcome, welcome,
welcome our glorious and alone God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
into thy hands I commit my spirit, for thou art worthy. Amen.
Sic sub  JOHN NISBET."*

XLVI. JAMES RENWICK.
[This eminent martyr was the last who suffered publicly at this trying
period of the history of the church. And it has been generally
admitted, that the sacrificing of this worthy, was one great mean in
the hand of providence, of bringing to a close the barbarous deeds of
the times, and checking the bloodthirsty dispositions of those who
swayed the sceptre of power. From the very commencement of
his public career, he was persecuted and hunted from place to place,
with all the rigour and hellish fury that malice could suggest — and
it was only from his anxiety to do good to the cause that long
before tbe time he suffered he did not lay down his life, which was
rendered sufficiently miserable by the persecutions of his enemies.
After about four years of one continued series of privations, he was
discovered in Edinburgh, by a tide-waiter who overheard the pious
man at his devotions, and suspecting it to be Renwick gave the alarm,
and had him seized. He was then hurried to prison, and henceforth
tried and executed, in the Grassmarket, 17th February, 1688. The
first of the following testimonies he drew up in the name of " some
persecuted ministers of the gospel," but having been very soon there
after seized, he admitted it his own composition, and as it bore out
his sentiments more fully than could be expected for him, to prepare
after he was imprisoned, he left it as one of his own testimonies.]
1. His Testimony, written before his Imprisonment.
" It was ever reckoned the renown of the church of Scotland, though
now brought very low, and like to be lost as a prey in the dragon's
mouth, that Christ's conquest of that land which the Roman legions
while heathenish could not subdue, among the first-fruits of the
Gentiles. And when overcome, and long over-run by Roman locusts
when antichristian, his glorious outstretched arm did emancipate and
redeem his inheritance from the bondage of Antichrist, unto such a
» Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 381—399.

536 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
pitch of reformation in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government,
that it became a pattern to other churches, and had this prerogative
above them all, that at once and from the beginning, nothing was left
unremoved or unreformed, that ever flowed from the man of sin : and
every part of the reformation was regulated by the measuring line of
the sanctuary, the word of God : and not only established by righteous
and laudable laws ratifying the same, with the sanction of the penal
statutes against the enemies thereof; but confirmed with the strictest
engagements to preserve and promote it, in the national and solemn
league and covenant, whereby Scotland became the inheritance of the
prince of the kings of the earth, by manifold and undoubted rights, by
his Father's grant, by his own purchase, and by our own solemn
surrender and dedication by covenant ; whereof ever since be took
iafeftment, he hath continued his possession, and maintained his title
by the testimonies of his witnesses against all invasions thereupon,
through all the periods of this church, which also hath ever been
reputed the glory of this reformed and covenanted church, that nothing
was ever attempted against any part of ber reformation, but was faith
fully witnessed against by ministers and professors, from time to time :
especially from its first estabhshment, and abolition of popery, no
essay could ever be made to introduce, or procure the toleration of any
of its superstitious fopperies, but the zeal of the Lord's witnesses was
found to flame against it, with a peculiarity of fervour.
" It was never known in Scotland, before this last fatal degeneration,
that ever a favour could be obtained to papists to practise their idola
tries, without a resolute protestation against it ; much less was it ever
heard, that the open profession of it, should not only be allowed with
out control, but applauded in the congratulatory addresses of some
called Protestants and Presbyterians, for a toleration declaredly designed
to introduce it. The addresses of Protestants on such an occasion,
used to run in another strain. There is one dated May 27th, 1561,
presented to the council, ' Showing that honesty craved them, and
conscience moved them to make the secrets of their hearts patent ;
which was, that before ever these tyrants and dumb dogs empire over
them, they were fully determined to hazard life, and whatsoever they
had received of God in temporal things : and that these enemies of
God might assure themselves, that if the council put not order to
them, they should shortly take such order, that they shall neither be
able to do what they list, neither yet live upon the sweet of the brows
of such as are no debtors to them.' Nor were ever wanting in their
warnings and witnessings against the least remissness in zeal against
Papists, or any tendency towards favouring them : as" when tbe mis
chievous Mary, returning from France, set up the mass but in her own
family, the godly at that time gave plain signification that they could
not abide, that the land which God by his power bad purged from
idolatry should in their eyes be polluted again, and that idol be suffered
again to take place in this realm. And a proclamation being then emitted
to protect the queen's domestic servants that were Papists, there was not
wanting a peremptory protestation against it. That if any of her servants
shall commit idolatry, say mass, participate therewith, or take the defence

JAMES RENWICK. 537
thereof, in that case this proclamation should not be extended to tliem,
nor be a safeguard to them in that behalf, no more than if they commit
murder; but that it may be lawful to inflict upon them the pains contained
in God's word against idolaters, wherever they might be apprehended
without favour. Mr. Knox had such an impression of the danger of
such a toleration, that he counted it a joining hands with idolatry.
And declared that one mass was more fearful to him, than if ten
thousand armed enemies were landed of purpose to suppress the whole
religion, for, said he, in our God there is strength to resist and con
found multitudes, if we unfeignedly depend upon him ; but when we
join hands with idolatry, it is no doubt, but both God's amiable
presence, and comfortable defence will leave us, and what shall then
become of us ? Therefore in the reign of king James VI. upon the
discovery of the plots of the popish lords conspiring with the king of
Spain, who yet favoured by the king's indulgence, it was resolutely
declared by Mr. Davidson, that it savoured much of defection in those
days, that such notorious rebels to God, and the country, should be so
treated with ; and that a door should not be opened to God's enemies.
And when a convention in Falkland was consulting to call home these
conspiring traitors, Mr. Andrew Melvin thought it his duty to go
thither uncalled, and when rebuked by the king for his boldness, took
the confidence to charge him and the estates in the name of Christ
and his church, not to favour Christ's enemies whom he hateth, nor go
about to make citizens of these who have traitorously sought to betray
their city and native country, with the overthrow of Christ's kingdom.
And to challenge them with treason against Christ, his church, and
the country, in that purpose they were about. Afterwards when the
covenanted reformation was upon the ascendant, and meeting with
multifarious assaults from all hands, how impartial and uniform tho
witness of the faithful was against the toleration of pernicious errors,
the warnings and testimonies of the general assemblies do evidence
beyond contradiction. And after the invasion of the sectaries, the
testimony of sundry ministers of the gospel in the provinces of Perth
and Fife against their vast toleration is yet in the hands, and recent iii
the hearts of these that desire to retain former principles : besides the
many writings of truth's champions against it, which are yet' on record.
This hath been tbe constant tenor of the testimonies of the witnesses
of Christ, ever before this woful and wretched catastrophe, which casts
an indelible infamy on tbe shameful security, and stupidity of the
present generation  that having received such an excellent testimony,
deposited and transmitted to us through a continued tract of witnessings
and wrestlings of our worthy ancestors, now to let it slip and slide
through our feeble fingers. Whereby as we have forfeited the honour
of being esteemed the offspring of such heroes, (while we not only
suffer and consent to, but congratulate and applaud the introduction
and establishment, at least do embrace and close with that which is
introductive of idolatry and tyranny, popery and the slavery, they built
with so great expense) so we may fear the curse of posterity for
interrupting the propagation of so excellent a testimony to succeeding
generations. When they shall read the flpjttering and fawning
3 Y

538 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
addresses of this age to, and of their so hasty and hungry embrace-
ments of, ensnaring and destructive favours, from an antichristian
tyrant, so palpably designed for, and so properly and natively tending
towards the undermining and overturning of the reformation, they will
disdain and disown such for their fathers, with indignation at their
memory, for such disorderly and dastardly yieldings. ' O ! let it not
be told in Gath, nor published in the streets of Askelon,' that the
ministers are so far degenerate. Alas ! all that hear of them will
hiss at them for this, that as they had been silent and omitted a
seasonable testimony against abjured prelacy, and blasphemous supre
macy, when these were introduced ; so now also even when this
mystery and conspiracy of popery and tyranny twisted together in the
present design of antichrist, had made so great a progress, and was
evidently brought above board : so except what was endeavoured in a
protestation emitted at Sanquhar, May 28tb, 1685, (which here we
homologate) the generality were left to forego this opportunity of a
testimony also, to the reproach of the sometimes renowned church of
Scotland. Yea, the very rabble may arise in judgment against them
in that they testified their detestation of the first erection of the
idolatrous mass ; and some of the soldiery, and such as had no pro
fession of religion, suffered unto death for speaking against popery, and
the design of the king, while the ministers were silent : and some of
the curates, and members of the late parliament, made some stickling
against Papists, while the Presbyterians, from whom might have been
expected greater opposition, were sleeping in a profound submission.
Wherefore, though we be very insignificant nothings, and therefore
both uncapable and unworthy to aim at supplying this vacancy of a
testimony, and dare not aspire unto the presumption of thinking to
fulfil it, with any proportion to the moment and merit of the matter
of this case of confession ; yet considering the weight and worth,
profit and price of those truths, now committed to us to testify and
suffer for; our indisputable duty as ministers and members of this
church ; the indispensable obligation of our holy covenants ; tbe
imminent dangers, imminent on the land, apparently inevitable, if not
prevented by giving and taking timous warning : we cannot, must
not, dare not forbear to offer our mite of a testimony, for the present
precious word of our Lord's patience, and the covenanted reformation
of Scotland, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government ; and
against all the injuries, insolent indignities, and audacious encroach
ments, done unto, and made upon the same, by which God is highly
dishonoured, the throne of his glory affronted, the kingdom of his Son
undermined, and many souls dreadfully involved in the guilt of this
confederacy against him. And so much the more confidence we have,
and necessity we find, to prompt to this undertaking, that both this
duty is abandoned by others, and imposed upon us by reason of the
still continuing and growing persecution incessantly pursuing us, with
out relenting, notwithstanding others are flattered with pretences of
clemency, and tenderness to conscience, which is both encouraging and
engaging to us to maintain this testimony for which we suffer, and
being so sequestered from others, and separate (we say not from the

JAMES RENWICK. 539
benefit, but from the snare and curse of this toleration by the late
proclamations against us, we take the more boldness, and have the
more advantage to speak our minds, that what we say, as it is not by
communication with others, so it cannot endanger any but ourselves.
And for what danger we may be exposed to upon this so honourable
account, we are not careful in this matter : our God is able to deliver
us from tbe burning fiery furnace, and if not, we think it rather a
matter to be ambitious of, than of shame or fear, to be endangered
thereupon. " The present invader of the regal power, in his proclamation of the
20th of February last past, 1687, hath by his sovereign authority,
prerogative royal, and absolute power, which he requires all his sub
jects to obey without reserve, granted a toleration to papists, to
quakers, and to moderate presbyterians, under certain restrictions and
limitations. In which proclamation the moderate presbyterians are
tolerate only to meet in their private houses, and only to hear such
ministers who accept of this indulgence, and none other (whereby all
adhering to old presbyterian principles and protestations against such
a vast toleration are excluded, and such admitted to be heard who
have receded from them) who are thereby obliged to say or do nothing
contrary to the peace of his reign, seditious, or treasonable, under the
highest pains these crimes will import, — and consequently must not
declare that part of the counsel of God, which concerns his antichris
tian enemies, but consent that faithfulness to Christ be reputed a
crime. Nor are they to presume to build meeting-houses, or to use
out-houses or barns, but content themselves with the confinements
whereunto they are restricted in preaching the gospel. In the mean
time, all preachers, assisters, and connivers at field-meetings are to be
persecuted according to the utmost severity of the laws made against
them. Nevertheless, all laws or acts of parliament, customs or con
stitutions, made or executed against any of the popish way, are
suspended, stopped, and disabled, and consequently all the legal
establishments of the protestant religion are unhinged so that they
shall be in all respects as free as any protestants whatsoever, not only
to exercise their religion, but to enjoy all offices, benefices, &c. which
he shall think fit to bestow upon them in all time coming whereby
he may put in any popish priest, in any parish church, when he
pleases. Wherein also he claims a power of vacuating and annulling
heritable rights and by that same power may invade men's heritable
properties, when he is pleased so to exert his absoluteness and of
casting and discharging all former oaths : and in place of all, substitut
ing a new one, wherein he requires all his subjects, or such of them as
he or his council shall please, to swear that they acknowledge him to
be rightful king and supreme governor of the three realms, and over all
persons therein. Not over all causes, for the ecclesiastical supremacy-
is restored to antichrist from whom it was borrowed, and for which
there is no use at present, absolute power may do the turn as well as
this, that they hold it unlawful for subjects on any pretence, or for
any cause whatsoever, even though he should command his popish
Janizaries to massacre all protestants, which is the tender mercy and

540 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES. ,
burning fervent charity of papists, to rise in arms against him, and
that they shall never practice, or assist the practisers of the same. Also,
that they shall never resist his power, nor oppose his authority to his
person, which is the compend of all the former oaths, and further com
prehends an engagement to justify all his personal administrations,
though never so outrageous, as acts of lawful authority ; but upon the .
other hand shall to the utmost of their power, defend and maintain
him, his heirs and successors, in the exercise of their absolute power
and authority, against all deadly. Where they are to engage not only
to own his power, paramount and transcendant to all law divine and
human, and to mancipate their religion and reason with all their
religious and civil liberties, to the lustful rage, and unbridled will of a
tyrant ; but if he should erect the formal and direct worship of devils,
and bring all their necks under the bow-string, they must neither resist
it, nor contradict it, but upon the other hand actively concur with him,
in doing all his will to the greatest excess of riot ; and must become
executioners of their fathers, mothers, wives, and children, if it shall
please him to put forth his absolute power in that exercise : for herein
he claims, and hereby is given a power to command what he will,
and obliging subjects to obey whatsoever he will command, to obey
absolutely, without reserve of conscience, religion, honour, honesty,
or reason : which proclaims him in whose name the proclamation is
emitted, the greatest tyrant that ever lived in tbe world, far surmounting
all the lust, impudence, and insolence of any Roman, Sicilian, Turkish,
Tartarian, or Indian tyrant, that ever trampled upon the liberties of
mankind. " But he found this proclamation was not well approven, because of
the palpable odiousness of this oath ; therefore, to mend the matter, in
a letter to the council (dated March 31st, 1687, the supreme law at
present) he granted to all that should desire on these terms, the benefit
of the said indulgence, without being obliged to take the oath, during
his pleasure only, or so long as the council should find them behave
themselves regularly and peaceably, without giving cause of offence to
him, or any in authority or trust under him. By which none of the
former restrictions are taken away (the oath only excepted) but further
explained, that they shall not only say or do nothing contrary to the
peace of his reign, seditious or treasonable, but that they behave them
selves regularly and peaceably, without giving any cause of offence to
him, which comprehends lesser offences than sedition or treason, even
every thing that will displease a tyrant, and a papist, that is all faith
fulness in seasonable duties or testimonies. But taking to his con
sideration that eome may easily put such interpretations upon his fore
said proclamation as may discover his drift and design ; and lest his
different procedure in this project with England and Scotland should
make his pretences to conscience be suspected of treachery ; therefore he
hath fallen on a more plausible way, and given forth a more smooth
proclamation, of the date the 28th of June the same year, superstructed
upon the former, in which are further explications but not taking off
of former restrictions (except the oath) seeing he further declares, that
by the same sovereign authority, prerogative royal, and absolute power,

JAMES RENWICK. 541
1 e suspends, stops, and disables all penal laws. And to the end that
by the liberty thereby granted, the peace and security of his govern
ment, in the practice thereof, may not be endangered — that his
tyranny may be secured in the peaceable possession of all his encroach
ments upon our religion, laws, and liberties, in the practice of this
toleration — he gives his subjects leave to meet and serve God after their
own way and manner (every way which is their own, and according
to their model, if it be not in Christ's way) in private houses, chapels,
or hired places, so that they take care that nothing be preached or
taught, which may any way tend to alienate the hearts of the people
from him or his government, and consequently no faithful warning
must be given of the sins, duties, or dangers of these times, or testi
mony against the wickedness of this toleration, or the wickedness of
the tolerator, by any that accept it, for these would be interpreted to
have a tendency to alienate from the government. And that their
meetings be held suitably to this commenced confederacy with
antichrist, who here requires of all who take the benefit of the present
truce with him, and binding to the good behaviour and publicly all
persons freely admitted to them, which is for the informing trade, that
Jesuits may have access to observe and delate how the instructions
are kept. And that they signify to some of the next privy counsellors,
sheriffs, &c. what places are set apart for the uses, with the names of
the preachers (whereby they are restricted to the terms of a formal
bargain, and must have their lease and license for every place of
preaching, and no persons are admitted, but such as give up their
names, excluding hereby all that for any measure of faithfulness in
duty are obnoxious to their wicked laws) in the meantime field meet
ings are strictly prohibited, and all laws and acts of parliament are left
in full force and vigour against them ; for which now he says after this
favour, surpassing the hopes, and equalling the very wishes of the most
zealously concerned, there is no shadow of excuse left : which may
hold too true of some, who by this acceptance discover their hopes and
wishes, and zeal to be bent upon peace rather than truth, ease
rather than duty, and their own things rather than the things of Christ ;
but as for us, it some way answers our fears, and corresponds with
our jealousies ; and therefore while others are jealousing under the
shadow of such a bramble, we think it matter of mourning, not because
we are excluded from the benefit of it, but that so many are included
in the guilt of it, and exposed to the curse of it ; and do look upon it
as a seasonable and necessary testimony for the cause of Christ, and
the interest of the protestant religion, and the laws and liberties of the
country, all overturned and subverted by this toleration, to keep our
meetings as in former times in the open fields, whither his tyranny
hath driven us.
But these who are carrying on wicked designs know not what course
to take as most effectual for gaining their ends, and do change their
methods so oft as they change their thoughts about the means most
apparently successful : so he hath again thought fit to give out another
proclamation of the date the fifth day of October, the foresaid year,
declaring not only that all persons, preachers, and hearers that are

542 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
present at any meeting in the open fields (which are their greatest eye
sore, because the rights of the crown and kingdom of Christ are there
pleaded, asserted, and vindicated) but also all dissenting ministers who
shall take upon them to preach in houses, without observing the fore
said directions, as are prescribed by the late proclamation, shall be
also prosecuted with the utmost rigour and severity that their laws
will allow. Which directions are that nothing be preached or taught
among them, which may any way tend to alienate the hearts ofthe people
from this absolute and incontrollable monarch or his government, and
that tbeir meetings be peaceably, openly, and publicly held, and all
persons freely admitted to them ; and that they do signify and make
known to some one or more of his privy counsellors, sheriffs, stewards,
bailies, justices of peace, or magistrates of royal boroughs, what place
or places they set apart for these uses, with the names of the preachers.
And to make all sure, he requireth every one of his foresaid officers, to
whom such intimation shall be made, to send to the clerks of the privy
council, once every month, the names and surnames of the preachers, and
the times and places of their meetings. In all this unexpected clemency
(as he terms it) not satisfying himself with what he hath delivered against
field meetings, in the foresaid proclamations concerning tbem, he giveth
out yet another of the date the 18th of October last, against such meet
ings, calling such assemblies for tbe worship of God rendezvouses of
rehellion, authorizing all officers, civil and military, to apprehend, secure
in firmance the persons of some ministers, and for encouragement,
ensures them the sum of £100 sterling for each of these ministers: a
goodly price, wherewith not only they, but their raasterand message are
prized, and put upon some, who ever since the first of these proclama
tions have been so unhappy as to be innocent of these things laid to
their charge, being out of the kingdom, and so out of capacity to
concur in that duty of carrying and following Christ's standard in the
preached gospel, indispensably required of all his confessors that are in
it. Which as it proclaims the manifest impudence of those lies, where
with the proclamation is stuffed ; so it may provoke all who are
touched with zeal against the indignities done to Christ, and would be
accounted among his faithful witnesses, against the present antichristian
design, to an ambition of exposing themselves to the reproach of such
lying mouths, the greatest honour of the servants of Christ.
" Having now in this delineation of the foresaid proclamations,
already discovered somewhat of the obvious iniquity of the present
design against the covenanted reformation, we shall now proceed to
offer our testimony for the same against the present attempts to ruin
and raze it. And therefore in the first place, testify against the tolera
tion ; and next for the obligation of our covenants, and the necessity
and expediency of keeping our meetings in the fields, the suppression
of which being one of the wicked designs of the toleration, that sus
pends other laws, but leaves all in force and vigour against these.
" But ere we begin with the first of these, that we may clear the
matter, prevent mistakes, and preoccupy objections, we must premit :
1. That lawful magistrates are placed in the commonwealth by God,
the supreme governor of the whole world, to be a terror to evil-doers, and

JAMES RENWICK. 543
a praise to them that do well ; so they rule not for men, but for God,
with whom is no iniquity : but as tyrants and usurpers have no more
interest in this than robbers have in the authorization of rightful pro
prieties ; so where magistrates are lawful, and acting lawfully, they will
find it their duty to be a terror to these evil doers who are now toler
ated, and a praise to them who are now persecuted. 2. We cheer
fully subscribe to that article of our Confession of Faitb, chap. 23. § 4
That infidelity or difference in religion doth not make void the magis
trate's just and legal authority, nor free the people from the due
obedience to him : but we think it no way inconsistent therewith to
say with Naphtali p. 26. prior edit. Let the words be considered, and
we are confident, that no sober man will think the acknowledgment of
just and legal authority, and due obedience, a rational ground to infer
that tyranny is thereby either allowed or privileged. Further, we
grant all that is in the Confession, viz. Dominium non fundari in
gratia ; yet this we assert, that a prince, who not only is of another
religion, but an avowed enemy to, and overturner of the religion
established by law, and intending and endeavouring to introduce a
heretical, false, blasphemous, and idolatrous religion, can claim no just
and legal authority ; but in this case, the people may very lawfully
decline his pretended, usurped authority. For though infidelity or
difference of religion, does not make void authority where it is law
fully invested with consent of the people, and without encroachment
on tbeir religious and legal liberties ; yet it may incapacitate a person,
and lawfully exclude him from authority over a Christian people,
having the reformed religion established by law, and confirmed by
solemn and national covenants, both according to the laws of the land,
which do incapacitate a papist of all authority, supreme or subordinate ;
and by the oath of coronation, which obliges all kings at the reception
of their princely authority, to make their faithful promise to maintain
the true religion of Christ Jesus (by which ever since the framing of
that oath, was meant only the protestant religion) and shall abolish and
gainstand all false religions, &c. And consequently must not so much
as tolerate popery, which no papists can engage, or be admitted to
swear, according to the word of God, which forbids expressly to set a
stranger over us, who is not our brother, Deut. xvii. 15. : Which
.includes as well a stranger of a strange religion, as one of a strange
country. This is not our notion only ; it is asserted by Dr. Guild in
his exposition 2 Sam. v. 1, 2. Observe 5. p. 104. We infer the
general rule of the election of magistrates, as well in regard of his
qualities and form of election, as of the end wherefore he is to he
elected. As for his qualities, 1. He must not be a stranger in birth,
much less in religion, but must be of a conjunction natural and spirit
ual with them whom he governeth, otherwise there can be no sympathy
nor symbolizing between them. 2. He must be able to govern, which is
called here to lead out and in. Next, the form of his election should
be by common and voluntary consent, according to the constitution of
the state, and oath or obligation of right administration, the rule
whereof should be tbe law of God, and positive constitutions of the
- realm, and last, the end should be to feed the people, caring that they

544 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
be spiritually fed with the food of life, and temporally, that they be not
spoiled or bereft of their means of the life corporal ; to be their guider,
protector, father, patron, and to have a regard to all necessities, as the
good pastor hath to his sheep, and the father to his family. And
hefore him, it is affirmed by famous Mr. Knox, whose four propositions
as they are to be read in the account of his life, before his history in
quarto, and prosecuted in his second blast, we shall here insert. 1.
It is not birth only, nor propinquity of blood, that maketh a king law
fully to reign over a people professing Christ Jesus, and his eternal
verity, but in his election, the ordinance which God hath established
in the election of inferior judges must be observed. 2. No manifest
idolater, nor notorious transgressor of God's holy precepts, ought to be
promoted to any public regiment, honour, or dignity in any realm, pro
vince or city, that hath subjected themselves to Christ Jesus and his
blessed evangel. 3. Neither can oath or promise bind any such people
to obey and maintain tyrants against God, and his truth known. 4.
But if rashly they have promoted any manifest wicked person, or yet
ignorantly have chosen such an one, as after declareth himself unworthy
of regiment above tbe people of God (and such be all idolaters and
cruel persecutors) most justly may the same men depose and punish
him, that unadvisedly before tbey did nominate, appoint, and elect.
And besides we are to remember, the practice of these venerable
divines, that penned that excellent Confession, how avowedly they pro
fessed, and prosecuted, and animated, and encouraged, the parliament to
an opposition to the then king, abusing his authority to the detriment
of religion and liberty, and to the obstruction of reformation : and the
declared principle of the general assembly of this church, when they
refused to concur in that unlawful engagement, for restoring of Charles
the I. till security were had by solemn oath under his hand and seal,
that he should for himself and successors give his assent to all acts
and bills, for enjoining presbyterian government, and never make
opposition to it, nor endeavour any change thereof, July ult. 1648.
sess. 21. And when they refused to admit Charles the II. to the
exercise of his power, except he should take the covenant, as it is to
be seen in their seasonable and necessary warning, July 27th, sess. 27th,
1649. And in tbe Act of the West Kirk, August I3th, 1650,
wherein they declare that they will not own him' nor his interest,
otherwise than with a subordination to God, and so far as he owns
and prosecutes the cause of God, and disclaims his and his father's
opposition to the work of God, and to the covenant. By all these it
is evident, that our renowned reformers, were not men of such a prin
ciple, as that people were bound to own, obey, and maintain a tyrant
against God and his truth : and that neither tbe authors of our Con
fession of Faith in England, nor owners thereof in Scotland, did ever
understand tbat article so, as that a malignant enemy to our covenanted
reformation, let be an idolatrous heretical enemy to the Christian
religion, could be capable of bearing rule, or owned to be a ruler over
the Lord's people in Britain and Ireland : and that could ground the
entire loyalty superstructed upon it by the citizens and inhabitants of
Edinburgh and Canongate, that give out themselves to be of the pres-

JAMES RENWICK. 545
byterian persuasion, and professed by them in their address to the
person and government of such an one as the Duke of York. 3. It is
the right and duty of magistrates to use an imperative, coercive, and
cumulative power about church matters, in commandino- ministers to
do their ministerial duties, prescribed unto them, by their only Head
and Master Christ; in restraining idolatry, superstition, error, and
profaneness ; in giving to the ambassadors of Christ their protections,
and add their civil sanction to just and lawful ecclesiastical decrees.
And it is the duty of ministers to grant unto the magistrate all the
foresaid power, and to be thankful to God, and grateful to them, for
tbe benefit of the. right exercise of it : and to pray for them, that we
may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. But
for usurpers to assume to themselves a sovereign authority, prerogative
royal, and absolute power, to reverse their constitutions, tolerate
idolatry, and allow meetings for gospel ordinances only with restric
tions to persons who may preach, places where they may preach, and
matter what they shall preach, cannot be allowed by any, who dare
not have a hand in betraying tbe church, and yielding to all such
encroachments on her liberties : and to pray for the prosperity of
tyrants, that we may be enslaved in our religion and liberty is a wicked
thing. 4. It is indeed the honour of kings, and happiness of people,
to have true, humane, and Christian liberty established in the common
wealth ; that is, liberty of persons from slavery, liberty of privileges
from tyranny, and liberty of conscience from all impositions of men,
consisting in a freedom from the doctrines, traditions, or the command
ments of men, against or beside the word of God, in the free enjoy
ment of gospel ordinances in purity and power, and in the free obser
vance and establishment of all his institutions of doctrine, worship,
discipline, and government, in subordination to the only rule of con
science, the revealed will of its only lawgiver Jesus Christ. When
this is ratified as a right, by the sanction of approven authority, ami
countenanced and encouraged as religion by the confirmation of laws,
approving whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, to be dono
for the house of the God of heaven (which is the full amount of al)
magistrates' authority) then we are obliged to accept of it with al'
thankful acceptation : but such a liberty as overturns our rights, our
privileges, our religinn, and tolerates it only under the notion of a
crime, and indemnifies it under the notion of a fault to be pardoned,
and allows the exercise thereof only in part, so and so modified, cannot
be accepted by any to whom the reproach thereof is a burden, and to
¦vhom the reproaches of Christ are in esteem, in such a day, when
even the hoofs of Christ's interest, buried in bondage, are to be eon-
tended for. What liberty this may be to some consciences, it is none
to the tender, according to the rule of conscience. 5. It is certain a
magistrate ought to restore what right or liberty he hath robbed from
the church, if it be the same liberty restored that was taken away.
Yea, we concede, if a magistrate shall grant a simple permission and
liberty to the ministers of the church, to exercise all the parts of their
office, without any encroachment upon any kind of power seated in
churches judicatories, and having no sinful tendency, ministers may
3 z

546 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
lawfully improve it for the advancement of the kingdom of Jesus
Christ : but this is so far from being the same that was taken away,
that no part of it is restored as it was robbed, but so defaced and
depraved with antichristian and tyrannical modifications, that none tbat
adhere to Scotland's reformation, can receive it, as a part of that
liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free. 6. As it is ministers'
duty, by virtue of their commission and charge from Christ to exercise
all the parts of their office fully and freely, whether magistrates will or
not; so if we might have liberty so to exercise our function, in a
freedom from civil restraints, we would willingly take and improve it.
Yea, as we abhor the continued persecution against us, not so much
for the wrongs we sustain by it, as for the wickedness thereof; so we
detest the extending of it against any for religion or conscience sake,
or the offering violence to any man's conscience, and in a safe sense
could allow that principle, which he would make the world believe to
be his, who now seeks to withdraw all consciences from the true and
only rale of it, that it ought not to be violated, or (as it is said in the
English declaration) ' forced in matters of mere religion ; or that
invincible necessity ought not to be used against any man on the
account of his persuasion.' If his constant encroachments upon our
lives, laws, and liberties, and all our interests as men and Christians,
besides the known bloody tenets of papists did not manifest the impu
dence of this lying pretence, and if it were not notorious that even
since this pretended liberty, many have been banished, imprisoned, and
pursued, merely for conscience sake. And it must be great blindness
not to see, and great boldness willingly to wink at, that double faced
equivocation, in matters of mere religion, or using invincible necessity;
by which he can elude when he pleases all these flattering promises
of tenderness, by excepting at the most necessary and indispensable
duties, if either they be such, wherein any other interest is concerned,
besides mere religion ; or if the troubles sustained thereupon be not
altogether invincible necessities. Hence the plain falsehood and double-
ness of his assertions, as to what is past, may give ground to conclude
his intended perfidy in promises of what is future. But to accept of a
liberty clogged with encroachments upon the liberties of Christ's free
kingdom, or either formally or interpretatively, directly or indirectly, to
give way to a toleration of false idolatries or false ways of worship, is
odious to all that know the rule of conscience. Though conscience is
not to be forced either to religion or irreligion ; and religion is not to
be propagated by force ; yet the open efforts and overt-acts, and pro
pagation of irreligion, atheism, idolatry, blasphemy, &c. ought to be
restrained by force, and every person pretending to conscience, con
strained to give outward respect to the lawgiver and rule of conscience.
And what liberty is either intended, or does natively tend to tolerate
what is dishonourable to God, or destructive to conscience, cannot be
embraced by any who are tender in keeping a conscience void of
offence towards God and man.
" These things premitted : we come in the next place to declare our
testimony against the toleration. And this we shall do, both as it is
simply and complexly considered.

JAMES RENWICK. 547
" First, Considering it simply, we cannot but testify against it.
" 1. In regard that it doth palpably cross and contradict the will of
God, revealed in the scriptures of truth.
" 2. The commissioners of the general assembly did plainly and fully
witness against the toleration that was in the bud, anno 1649. And
the reverend assembly of divines at Westminster, have in the Larger
Catechism, in the exposition of the second commandment, reckoned the
toleration of false religion amongst the sins forbidden therein. And in
the Confession of Faith, cbap. xx. § 4. asserted that such opinions or
practices as are contrary to the light of nature, or the known principles
of Christianity, or destructive to the external peace and order which
Christ hath established in the church, they may be proceeded against,
by the censures of the church, and by the power of the civil magistrate.
And chap, xxiii. § 3. That it is the magistrates' duty to take care,
that the truth of God be kept pure and entire, that all blasphemy and
heresies be suppressed, all corruptions and abuses in worship and dis
cipline, prevented or reformed, and all the ordinances of God duly
settled, administered, and observed.
" 3. In regard that a toleration is utterly repugnant unto, and incon
sistent with, the indispensable oath of God in the national covenant
very expressly condemning it, and more particularly the solemn league
and covenant : it is not the way to maintain (nay cannot consist with
maintaining) reformation, to carry on a uniformity to extirpate heresy,
superstition, schism, profaneness, and whatsoever is contrary to sound
doctrine, and the power of godliness ; to free our souls from the guilt
of other men's sins, to make the Lord one, and his name one ; all which
we are engaged and sworn unto in the presence of Almighty God, the
searcher of all hearts, with a true intent to perform the same, as we
shall answer at the great day, when the secrets of all hearts shall be
disclosed. " 4. In regard of the sad and sinful effects that it produceth, such as
the growth and increase of heresy, superstition, and error, the profaning
the Lord's day, the contempt and casting loose of church discipline, the
subversion of souls, the offence of the godly and faithful : instead of
reformation, deformation ; instead of the power of godliness, vain jang
ling ; instead of love, bitter heart burnings and jealousies ; instead of
union, schism and division ; instead of peace, contention and strife ;
and instead of government and order, anarchy and confusion, as it is
elegantly held forth and evidenced by the ministers of Perth and Fife
in their testimony. The General Assembly of our church, in their
declaration and exhortation to their brethern in England, say, what
is liberty of conscience, but liberty of error, scandal, schism, heresy,
dishonour of God, opposing the truth, hindering reformation, and
seducing others. And the ministers of the county Palatine of
Lancaster in their harmonious testimony against toleration, subscribed
by them March 7th, 1647, do fitly add, that a toleration is the putting
a sword into a mad man's hand, a cup of poison into the hand of a
child, a letting loose of mad men with fire-brands in their hands, an
appointing a city of refuge in men's consciences for the devil to flee, to,
a laying of the stumbling-block before the blind, a proclaiming liberty

548 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
to the wolves to come into Christ's fold to prey upon his lambs, a toler
ation of soul-murder (the greatest murder of all other) and for the es
tablishing whereof, condemned souls in hell would accurse men on earth.
Could it be to provide for tender consciences, to take away all con
science : if evil be suffered, it will not suffer good : if error be not kept
under, it will be superior. In fine, let any read Mr. Durham in his
excellent treatise of scandal, particularly Part III. chap. ii. pp. 146, 147,
and they will see how he holdeth forth the toleration and suffering of
error, to be a thing most hateful in itself, most hurtful in its conse
quences, and most displeasing to Christ : for if error (saith he) be an
evil that thwarteth, both with God's holiness and truth : and
hazardeth so many souls, (for never a plague hath so destroyed
the face of the visible church, nor carried so many souls to hell, as error
hath done) then the suffering of it cannot but be hateful to him who
loveth his church. There is no way whereby the devil reproacheth
ordinances, and the word, more than by this, by turning them to the quite
contrary end, as if he would outshoot the Lord in his own bow, (which
is abominable to mention) and invert his own means, and turn his own
weapons upon him, and suffering of this is a conniving at his design.
There is no way by which the devil may so get in on Christ's ser
vants to seduce them, as by this, as in the epistle to Thyatira is clear.
And can there danger come so nigh Christ, and he be not displeased
with what strengtheneth their snares. This do equal, yea, in some
respect, prefer the devil to him, so far as in us lieth, and so cannot but
provoke his jealousy : for so the devil hath liberty to vent his lies
with truth equally : and there being many lies, though there be but
one truth, he hath by this more doors opened to him than the gospel
hath. This doth make even the truth, ordinances, and religion itself, to
be thought light of : when all these have toleration, it is on the matter
a proclaiming an indifferency to be in these things ; than which, nothing
can more reflect on the jealous God, who in his word putteth such a
difference, and showeth such detestation at indifferency. This bring
eth huge confusions on the church : for, if these errors and cor
rupt teachers prevail, they carry souls after them and destroy them ;
and ought that to be thought light of? If they prevail not, yet they
cross, afflict, and offend them ; and so prove a snare and burden to them
of whom the Lord is tender. Toleration doth either account little of
error, as being no hurtful thing, anjl so there can be no esteem of truth ;
or it doth account little of the destruction of souls ; both which must
be abominable. Error doth not only break God's law, but doth teach
others to do so ; and suffering thereof must be a maintaining of teach
ers to transgression and rebellion against the Lord.
" Next we witness against this present toleration complexly consid
ered. In respect of the granter, considered either as to morals, or
religion, or relation. He is to all considering men, a person of that
character, whose dainties are not to be desired; and that when he
speaketh is not to be believed : for there are seven abominations in his
heart, Prov. xxvi. 25. His plots and practices in his known accession
to the burning of London, 1666 ; in the popish plot, discovered 1678 :
in the murder of the Earl of Essex, do give some specimen of his for-

JAMES RENWICK. 549
mer craft and cruelty, and of what further he may be suspected to in
tend as meritorious to atone for such villanies, to wit, the extirpation
of the Protestant religion ; than which, in the esteem of Papists, nothing
can be more meritorious: and for which he hath deserved to forfeit all
trust with men of knowledge and conscience. He is known of all to
be an excommunicate Papist, and a sworn votary and vassal of Anti
christ, and enrolled in the society of Jesuits ; and, therefore, being in
his principles professedly treacherous, yea, obliged to be both treacher
ous and truculent, by that religion, he cannot be trusted in the least
concerns, let be those of such momentous consequence, without a
stupid abandoning of conscience, reason, and experience. When both
that known principle, that no faith is to be kept to heretics, espoused by
all Papists, does to them justify all their lying dissimulations, equivo
cations and treacheries imaginable ; and that Lateran canon, that enjoins
kings to destroy and extirpate heretics under the pain of excommunication,
does oblige him to be cruel to Protestants, by him esteemed to be such.
Besides that in his relation he cannot be looked upon as a rightful or
righteous magistrate, by any that understands and considers the institu
tion, constitution, characters, and boundaries of that sacred ordinance,
and knows by what dreadful and detestable means he usurped that
place, who can say a confederacy unto, make transaction with, or take
any security from such a granter, that expects the benefit of the Lord's
sanctuary, Isa. viii. 12, 13. If it was the Shechemites' sin and shame
to strengthen naughty Abimelech, and strengthen themselves under
the shadow of his protection, Judges ix. 9. much more must it be to
take protection for religion, as well as peace, from a man of cruelty
and treachery.
"In respect of its design : which he himself expresseth to be to
unite the hearts of his subjects to him in loyalty, and to their neigh
bours in love : which is to incline and induce them by flattery, to law
less loyalty, and a stupid contented slavery, and make them actively
co-operate, in setting up, and settling his tyranny in the undisturbed
possession of all his usurpation : and to incorporate them with Babylon :
for, who are the neighbours he would have them unite with in love,
but the Papists, against whom all the lovers of Christ must profess
irreconcilable enmity. But in the sense and sentiments of all sound
and zealous Protestants, the design of the work and worker is to get
unto himself an acknowledgment of all his blasphemous absoluteness,
and to advance it over all laws, in a way which will be best acquiesced
in by the people, till he be so strengthened in it, that he fears no
control; to get all the acceptors, one way or other, to operate with
him in his popish and bloody ends : to get our penal laws against the
subjects and promoters of Antichrist's kingdom, with the less contra
diction, stopped and disabled, which by this esteemed gracious grant,
and grateful acceptance of it, he hath already effectuated. And now,
by tbe same measures, he is encouraged, to achieve the total rescinding
and repealing of them. In the meantime his drift is very visible, and
palpable to increase differences, divisions and animosities amongst
Protestants ; to hire these Presbyterians, whom he calleth moderate,
to commend his clemency, while he is exercising it in pillaging,

550 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES
plundering, hunting, apprehending, stigmatizing, banishing, and killing
other conscientious nonconformists ; to stop the mouths of Protestants
with this morsel of liberty while he is filling all the places of power
and trust, with men devoted to his way, by taking off the penal laws,
disabling them, and then when all power is in the hands of bloody
Papists, none shall dare to mutter against the setting up of the public
masses. And finally, he designs to infatuate the body of the land,
and lull them asleep, by this intoxicating opium ; or at least to lay
them by from all opposition, till he undermine and overturn the
Protestant religion, and establish popery and slavery, which he intends
either to accomplish by these smooth flatteries, by peace to overturn
truth, and by getting the laws against the popish repealed, to make
way for rescinding these for the Protestant religion; or rendering them
secure, as the Zidonians who dwelt carelessly, to make his bloody
massacring attempts upon the whole body ; and what he intends to do
with the whole, if they come not to the full length of compliance, may
be seen in his outrageous beginnings witb the west of Scotland, the
old butt of his malice, which as sometimes he hath expressed his
desire, so now it seems he designs to make a hunting field. We may
Bee through the tragical history of former ages, what wicked and
hellish design the men of his character have had, in their protestations
and proclamations of pretended favour. It is known how Julian the
apostate, amongst other devices he used to root out Christianity, gave
a toleration to all the different professions that were among Christians,
whereof there were many heretical in those days ; and he commenced
this cursed contrivance, by calling home the orthodox bishops, whom
Constantius banished, tbat the church might be embroiled by a civil
war of contention among themselves, as Sozomen observes, lib. 5.
And in the meantime conniving at, and encouraging the lawless out
rages of barbarous heathens against them, which they thought they
were well enough authorized, in knowing it would please the emperor.
So the massacre of Paris was carried on with the king's marrying his
sister to the king of Navarre, a famous Protestant prince, and with
many public and solemn protestations of favour to the Protestant
church, while in the meantime they were plotting how to massacre
them, whereunto he was instigated by Jezebel his wife, though he was
forward enough himself, his genius leading him that way, and which
was carried on by the duke of Guise, as the main leader of these
murderers, who still cried out, (which was all the law and reason he
used, for instigating these bloody ruffians to tbat hellish outrage,)
' courage, my fellows, this is the king's command ; it is his express
will and pleasure.' And after butchering the famous Coligni, they
went through the streets (at the tolling of the royal bell, which was
the sign of that horrid perpetration) killing all Protestants, without
distinction of age, sex, or quality, so tbat in the space of two hours,
or thereabout, ten thousand were cruelly put to death in that city.
The like villany was committed through the rest of France, and the
carrying on of the present and almost unparalleled persecution there,
with the tyranny and treachery of tbat bigot arbitrarian, after so many
laws aud edicts seemingly securing the Protestants against all fears,

JAMES RENWICK. 551
may let us see what, may be expected of those princes who devote
themselves to the lust and rage of popish orders. We have also a
receut instance of the cruelty and treachery of the fiery duke of Savoy,
against some of the relicts of the old Waldenses in the valley of Pied
mont ; who promised them the enjoyment of their religious and civil
liberties, if they would lay down their arms ; but after he had got
them spoiled of their outward defence, catched many thousands of
them, and killed them in prison with hunger and cold. And as the
duke of York doth affect much the absoluteness of the French monarch,
so we may expect no better of bim who can do, and undo, by virtue
of his declared prerogative, being as absolute over promises as over
laws, than that he shall trace the steps of his falsehood, treachery,
cruelty, Romish zeal ; that so we may have an instance of Babylon's
deceit and rage acted in Britain and Ireland, which may make other
instances not to be remembered. They are blind who do not see, and
stupid who have not the sense of the dreadfulness of these designs of
this tolerator, which he thinks to accomplish by this toleration, unto
which it is very subservient, and which cannot be counteracted, but
very much strengthened by this acceptance of it.
" In respect of the fountain, from whence it flows, and is given
forth, it is a despotical and arbitrarian domination, outvying, and sur
mounting the height of Ottoman tyranny. It proceeds from, and is
refounded on the leviathan of sovereign authority, prerogative royal,
and absolute power, which all are to obey with reserve. A lawless
power, making all laws void, needless and useless, and tyrannical, —
claiming a power to tyrannize when he pleases ; a power destructive
of the people's liberties, under which the people cannot be secured in
the possession of any thing they have in the world ; a power invading
the incommunicable prerogative of the Universal King, who only is
absolute, whose glory is to have his will for the rule of his power, a
power expressly condemned as tyranny in scripture, which, in a word,
cannot be better named, nor represented under a better notion, than
that which the famous and faithful Mr. Melvin calls it, the bloody
gullie of absolute power, as he inveighs against it, in the assembly,
1582. This is the fountain and foundation of this toleration, by which,
indeed, the name and common profession of the Protestant religion
may be for a time suffered precariously, until his pleasure shall be to
command the establishment of Popery, which then he will expect must
be complied with without control. But all avouched adherence to old
Protestant and Presbyterian principles is here interdicted ; so all the
tenure that Protestants have for their religion, is only the arbitrary
word of an absolute dominator, whose principles oblige him to break
it, and his absoluteness to disdain to be a slave to it. Howbeit, it
cannot be denied, that the acceptance of this grant, declaredly proceed
ing from such a power, and professedly requiring the acknowledgment
of it, in the acceptance does imply the recognizance of this powor
that the granter claims in granting it.
" In respect of its conveyance, and that is through the conduit of
the most apparent means of establishing popery, and subverting pro
testantism, by stopping and disabling all these penal laws and statutes

552 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
enacted against Papists, and leaving in force, all laws made against
honest Presbyterians, the most true and faithful Protestants, and
stopping none of the most cruel of them, but emitting more and more
barbarous edicts against them. What mean can be more effectual to
destroy our reformation, than to suspend all laws against any that
shall attempt the utter subversion of it, and ratify all wicked acts
against such as would most avowedly assert, or own the obligation of
all sacred bonds to preserve it ? Hence, as he hath presumed by
absolute power, to suspend all laws, made for the protection of our
religion, so by the same, when he will, he may repeal all laws for its
establishment. And these who approve the one, by such an accept
ance, cannot disallow the other : and so by accepting this lawless and
law subverting liberty, they make themselves guilty of the palpable
breach of the national covenant, where the laws are contained, which
this toleration suspends, and dreadfully accessory to all the sad effects
of this undermining all the legal bulwarks of our religion.
" In respect of the nature and extent of it. It is toleration, which
is always of evil, for that which is good cannot be tolerated, under the
notion of good, but countenanced and encouraged as good. Therefore
it reflects upon our religion, when a toleration is accepted, which
implies such a reproach ; seeing it is not ratified as a right, nor
encouraged as a religion, but tolerated under the notion of an evil to
be suffered. And such a toleration as makes the professors of Christ
partners in the same bargain with Antichrist's vassals, and sets up the
ark in the place, and under the same place with Dagon ; and ihe
devil's threshold by the Lord's threshold ; and whereby a sluice is
opened to let the enemy come in like a flood, none lifting up a standard
against them. Since it is a toleration not only of archbishops, bishops,
and curates, but of all quakers and papists, reaching all idolatry,
blasphemy, heresy ; which to accept, is contrary to scripture, our
Confession^ of Faith, and Catechisms, as was showed above; and clearly
inconsistent with the principles of the Church of Scotland, with the
Covenants, National and Solemn League, where we are bound ' to extir
pate popery, &c. preserve the reformation, defend our liberties, and so
never to accept of a toleration, in its nature and tendency, subversive
of all these precious interests we are sworn to maintain.'
" In respect of its conditions, limitations, and restrictions, by which
all the kinds of power that Christ hath seated in his church, is invaded,
invalidated, and evacuated. As, first, The dogmatic power whereby
ministers are to judge of truth and error, in point of doctrine, according
to the word of God only : this key is extorted out of their hands, for
according to the foresaid proclamations, nothing may be taught by the
moderate Presbyterian ministers, in their tolerated meetings; that can be
interpreted by the court to have any tendency to alienate tbe hearts of
the people, from this incontrollable tyrant or his government. Now,
by virtue of this condition, that they may not doctrinally discover unto
people the- affronted wickedness of this unparalleled prerogative ; they
may not show the iniquity of the laws, nor warn of the evil thereof ;
they may not testify against the introduction of popery, nor these
means that give an inlet unto it ; they may not once mention any

JAMES RENWICK. 558
wicked design, in all this course of a cursed toleration ; they may not
teach the obligations of the covenants, neither witness against the
breaches thereof expressly, nor reprove the public sins of the time,
nor warn of the dangers thereof, nor exhort them against compliances
in particular with any course established by law : for all this may be
interpreted by court expositors, to have a direct tendency to alienate
people's hearts from the man, and his government. Accordingly Mr.
Hardy is apprehended, imprisoned, and proceeded against, for giving
conscional testimony against the taking off' the penal laws and statutes,
which would be thought could not have offended any protestant.
Second, The dictatic power, whereby the courts of Christ are to dis
cern the circumstances of the worship of God, as time, place, &c. for
order, decency, and edification, according to the general rules of the
word : this power is invaded, for now the places of worship are deter
mined in the royal proclamations, which must be made known to some
of the court patrons on whose warrant they are to depend. What
maybe the hidden design of this intimation we know not; we heartily
wish and pray, it may not be to do with them, as Jehu with the priests
of Baal. In the meantime, field meetings for the worship of God,
which have been signally countenanced of the Lord, are severely inter
dicted ; whereby the word of the Lord is bound and bounded ; and by
the accepters' consent to such a model, the bloody laws against preach
ing in the open fields, where people have freest access with convenience
and safety, are justified. The manner of meeting is also restricted to
be in such a way, as the peace and security of the government may not
be endangered ; and they that be peaceably and publicly held : yea, it
is expressly required in the proclamation, Oct. 5th, that all who shall
preach, by virtue of this royal grant, at any time, or in any place, make
intimation of their preaching, as to time and place, to some one or more
of the next privy council lords, which shall be sufficient for them,
during their abode only: whereby they not only are engaged to keep
the peace with antichrist, or his lieutenant, in all their meetings and
not only to give accession to all his clandestine censures, to observe
how they keep their instructions ; but formally must mancipate their
ministry, and the freedom of its exercise, to a dependance upon the
license of his trustees: which is not only a formal bargaining wilh the'
enemies of truth and godliness, but a becoming their servants ; and so
a forfeiting the honour of being esteemed, while they continue so
enslaved, the faithful and free servants of Christ : especially considering
how as to the matter of their preaching also, they involve themselves in
such inconveniences, that either they must forbear some part of the coun
sel of God, and decline the testimony of this day, or else expose them
selves as a prey to the lust of enemies, who hereby have brought them
into a hose net. Third, The critic or corrective power, which the courts
of Christ have to censure delinquents, and absolve the penitents, accord
ing to the word of God, is also invaded and made void ; for not only
doth this toleration rob the ministers tolerated, and the accej >rs, con
sent to be robbed of that power of impartial censuring those scandals that
are tolerated thereby, and all that make themselves guilty of complying
with the same, or have been involved in sinful scandalous compliances
4 A

554 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
with wicked courses formerly, such as taking of sinful oaths, subscrib
ing of sinful bonds, paying of sinful exactions, and other scandalous
breaches of covenant ; nor dare these that are free of them censure or
remove from among them their guilty brethren, and so remove the
clean from the unclean : but also invades and usurps this power, form
ally, in investing tbe tolerator with authority to inhibit, and discharge
some ministers the exercise of their office, whom the standing laws of
this church do authorize, and to allow others whom the word of God
and constitutions of our church, require to be laid aside, and suspended
from that function. Fourth, Finally, the exousiastic power of trying,
sending and authorizing office-bearers in the church, is made useless
and void by this tolerator ; however an allowance is pretended to keep
assemblies, and send out ministers to answer the people's call, neither
are these assemblies lawfully constitute of, nor free for all that bave
right to sit there : nor is their mission of ministers, nor the people's
call, of any significancy or value, except intimation be made to this
exotic power, of their names that are to officiate under this toleration,
and they be found such as please the court patrons, which is the worst
of patronages that ever burdened this church. Hence, if a minister
were never so lawfully ordained, never so blameless in his personal
deportment, never so formally appropriate to a particular flock, he
cannot exercise his function, in any place unless the next privy coun
sellor, sheriff, &c. give their allowance. They will, forsooth, have the
judging whether he be so qualified or not ; and if he have not the new
conditio sine qua non, that only qualification of them that are to be
tolerate, moderation, in the court sense, which is nothing but loathsome
luke-warmness in the things of Christ, and court loyalty to a vassal of
antichrist ; which is disloyalty to Christ ; he can have no liberty to
exercise his office.
" In respect of the manifest and manifold scandal of it, we cannot
but witness against the acceptance thereof, so offensive to the genera
tion of the righteous, so dishonourable to God, disgraceful to the
protestant religion, and prejudicial to the interest thereof. As we
would not be accounted unfaithful to Christ, yea, betrayers of our
native country, and compilers with the design of antichrist, who hath
always mischief in his heart, and intends this as a preparative, for
inducing and enforcing all that are hereby lulled asleep, either to take
on this mark, or bear the mark of his fury hereafter.
" Next, as we must testify against the accepters of this toleration,
who must be interpreted to take it as it is given, with consent to the
sinful impositions witb which it is tendered ; against which there is no
access for a protestation, consistent with the improvement of it, being
granted and accepted on these very terms, that there shall be no pro
testation : for if there be, that will be found ' an alienating of the hearts
of the subjects from the government,' which by that proclamation
would be reflected upon. So in a particular manner we must testify
against the addressers for it, who have formally said a Confederacy, and
congratulated the tolerator for this toleration, and all the mischiefs he
is machinating and effecting thereby ; especially, seeing they have pre
sumptuously taken upon them to send their addresses ' in the name of

JAMES RENWICK. 555
all presbyterian ministers,' we think it concerns all honest men, zealous
Christians, and faithful ministers of that persuasion and denomination,
in honour and conscience, to declare to the world, by some public
testimony, that they are not consenters to that sinful, shameful, and
scandalous conspiracy, with which all will be interpreted consenters,
that are not contradicters, and charged with the guilt of it, that doth
not make the resentment of it notorious. We cannot express with
what horror and sorrow our hearts were filled, to see an address in
the name of all the presbyterian ministers in Scotland, and another
from the inhabitants of the city of Edinburgh and Canongate, who call
themselves of the presbyterian persuasion, we say, we are filled with
wonder, that they should assume to themselves the name of presby
terian ministers, and give out their addresses in the name of all, and
that it was at their desire ; when as the contents of it are clearly con
trary to presbyterian principles, by justifying an antichristian usurper,
in undermining religion and approving the abrogation of .the national
covenant, confirming the laws now disabled, by thanking the tolerator
for opening a door to introduce popery, which we are sworn to extir
pate, by consenting to limitations and restrictions upon the exercise of
their ministry, by accepting of a bounded toleration, wherein idolaters
and heretics have the greatest share, contrary to our Confession of
Faith, therefore we testify against these addressers, 1. Because of the
ground for which they address. What can they allege for this ? It is
either for the liberty granted to the exercise of their ministry, or else
tbe toleration complexly considered. If the former, then suppose they
had got a full and free liberty, it would have been but what was due ;
and to thank a man for giving what is not his own, seemeth to insi
nuate a recognizing a power to him to withhold it : but now their liberty
is loaded and clogged with sinful and scandalous conditions, which is
little ground of thanks. If the latter be said, then they give their con
sent to set up Popery and Quakerism, for these are also tolerated.
Also, it is not to be passed, that there is nothing in all the proclamations
concerning this toleration in the least protested against by the addressers ;
so we cannot see how they can free themselves of congratulating their
clement benefactor, for all the woful evils in the foresaid proclamations
that respect their imaginary favour, 'more valuable to them (as they say)
than all earthly comforts.' 2. Because of the sinful and shameful defi
ciency of the addresses, they speak not a word against the openly
uesigned introduction of popery ; no resentment of the eversion of
civil and religious liberties ; no representation of the wrongs sustained
under the grassation of the two brothers ; no protestation against the
invasion made upon the power that Christ hath seated in the course of
his church, and, consequently, upon his own incommunicable Head
ship : not a word of the covenants ; but they are passed over in silence,
as if they were ashamed of them : they say nothing of the reformation
whereunto we once attained, and were solemnly engaged. 3. Because
of their lawless and illimited loyalty. This is professed by the foresaid
ministers, ' To his excellent, to his gracious, and to his sacred ma
jesty : loyalty not to be questioned, an entire loyalty in doctrine,'
which is in effect disloyalty to Christ, in not observing their instruc-

556 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES
tions received from him, but keeping silent at the wrongs done to hinf,
and not declaring against the invasion of his open enemies : ' a resolved
loyalty in practice,' whereof also the inhabitants of Edinburgh and Ca-
nongate will have him assured. This is no less than betraying religion
and liberty, in lying by from any active testimony and opposition to
tbe open destroyers of both. ' A fervent loyalty in prayers,' which we
shall not now insist upon, being to speak of them afterward. This
loyalty of theirs is not a Christian loyalty, or profession of subjection
for conscience sake to a minister of God for good, who is a terror to
evil doers ; nor a Presbyterian loyalty to a king as it is qualified in
the National and Solemn League and Covenants ; but a stupid Subjec
tion, and absolute allegiance, to a minister of Antichrist, who gives
liberty to all evil men and seducers ; a loyalty to a tyrant in his over
turning religion, laws, and liberties, and protecting and encouraging all
iniquity.' 4. Because of their foulsome flattery : we need not instance
how the ministers in their address say, ' From the deep sense they
have of his majesty's gracious and surprising favour, finding themselves
bound in duty to offer their most humble and hearty thanks to his
sacred majesty, the favour being to them valuable above all
earthly comforts :' and how the inhabitants of the city of Edinburgh
and Canongate express themselves, ' we cannot find suitable
expressions to evidence our most grateful acknowledgments of
your majesty's late gracious declaration. The matter were less, if
they did not speak a lie ; for they say they are allowed the free
and peaceable public exercise of their religion. Peaceable and public
it is, they know not how long ; free it is not, for their ministers are
bounded with sinful restrictions, as is shown above. And again they
add, ' Could we open our hearts, your majesty would undoubtedly see,
what deep sense and true zeal for your service, so surprising and signal
a favour hath imprinted upon our spirit,' &c. This is worse than
flattery. We say we need not adduce particular instances of their
adulation, for their whole strain is a rhapsody of flatteries more becom
ing sycophants and court parasites, than ministers and professors, that
give out themselves to be of the Presbyterian persuasion. 5. If the
addresses were only stuffed with flatteries it were less ; but we cannot
conceal our horror and astonishment at some expressions, which are
equivocations inconsistent with ingenuity : the ministers ' bless the
great God, who hath put this in his royal heart :' which must either be
understood in that sense, where it is said, Rev. xvii. 17. 'God hath
put it in their hearts to give their kingdom unto the beast ; 'which they
durst not express to him whom they address, neither durst they bless
the Lord for it with application to him : and to say this with such a
reserved meaning, were odious to Protestants, and all honest men. Or,
if they be ingenuous, then they bless God for putting it in his heart to
project all this wickedness, discovered in the design, tendency, and
nature of this popish toleration ; which is not far from blasphemy, to
make the Holy One the Author of that which he hath declared his de
testation of in his word. They further express their resolution, ' by
the help of God, so to demean themselves, as his Majesty may find
cause rather to enlarge than to diminish his favours towards them :'

JAMES RENWICK. 557
/vhich upon the matter is either a double equivocation, or else it must
be understood, they resolve to demean themselves so, as that a zealous
Papist shall find cause to enlarge his favours to them, and shall not
find any cause of displeasnre at them. They know what he maketh
criminal against others, to wit, their teaching the obligation of our cove
nants, the lawfulness of defensive arms, their testifying against the en
croachments made upon the kingly power of Christ, and against the
taking off the penal statutes that concern Papists, and the like pieces of
faithfulness : and, consequently, they resolve they shall be as unfaithful
and silent ministers as ever pleased a Papist ; for if they be faithful,
they may be assured, he will find cause to diminish his favours towards
them : now to purpose this by the help of God, comes very near blas
phemy. The citizens of Edinburgh and Canongate, do engage ' to
continue still in their prayers, for blessing his person and government ;'
and show by what argument they plead for it, to wit, that ' by the God
of heaven, kings reign, and princes decree justice.' Which with appli
cation to the person whom they address is absolutely impertinent, other
wise to bring it forth as adulatory equivocation, with a reserve that
they intend only to offer that general proposition in these, without ap
plication to him ; in the meantime, making him believe they assert the
divine approbation of his government : or else it hath the appearance
of blasphemy, to extend that proposition to him, which they cannot do,
except they turn it thus, ' by the Lord tyrants reign, and usurpers decree
justice ;' which to say, according to the Lord's will, as that scripture
must be understood, were a blasphemous indignity to the Holy One,
with whom such a throne of iniquity can have no fellowship, whereof
the possessors are set up, but not by him, and he disowneth them.
Because the ministers in their address, disown these who avouch an
adherence to the covenanted reformation, and avow an opposition to
Antichristian usurpers (which they call promoting disloyal principles
and practices) humbly beseeching the tolerator not to look upon such
as any of their confederacy. They needed not have been so solicitous
upon this head, for all that abide in the principles and practices of the
church of Scotland, would count it a sin and a scandal, laying them
obnoxious to the displeasure of the holy and jealous God, and a shame
ful reproach, exposing them to the contempt of all of whom they might
expect sympathy, to be reckoned of their association, who have thus
betrayed the cause and the country.
2. His Testimony the day before his Suffering.
" My dear friends in Christ, it hath pleased the Lord to deliver me
into the hands of men ; and I think fit to send you this salutation,
which I expect will be the last. When I open my heart upon it,
before God, I dare not desire to have escaped this lot ; for no less
could have been for his glory and the vindication of his cause on my
behalf: and as I am free before him of the profanity, which some,
either naughty, wicked, or strangers to me, have reported, that I have
been sometimes guilty of; so he hath kept me from the womb, free
of the ordinary pollutions of children, as these that have been
acquainted with me through the tract of my life, do know. And now

558 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
my blood shall either more silence reproaches, or more ripen tbem for
judgment : but I hope, it shall make some more sparing to speak of
those who shall come after me ; and so I am the more willing to pay
this cost for their instruction, and my succeeders' ease. Since I came
to prison, the Lord has been wonderfully kind to me, he hath made
his word to give me light, life, joy, courage, and strength ; yea; if
hath dropped with sweet smelling myrrh unto me, particularly these
passages and promises, Gen. xxii. 12. latter part of the verse, ' For
now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy
son, thine only son.' Neh. viii. 10. latter part of the verse, ' Neither
be you sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.' Job iii. 17.
' There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at
rest.' Ver. 18. ' There the prisoners rest together, they hear not the
voice of the oppressor.' Job xxiii. 10. ' But he knoweth the way that
I take : when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.' Ver. 11.
' My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.'
Ver. 12. ' Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his
lips, I have esteemed the words of his mouth, more than my necessary
food.' Ver. 13. ' But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and
what his soul desireth, even that he doth.' Ver. 14. ' For he per-
formeth the thing that is appointed for me : and many such things are
with him.' Psal. cv. 19. ' The word of the Lord tried him.' Luke
xxi. 12. ' But before all these they shall lay their hands on you, and
persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons
being brought before kings for my name's sake.' Ver. 13. 'And it
shall turn to you for a testimony.' Ver. 19. 'In your patience possess
ye your souls.' Heb. xii. 23. ' To tbe general assembly and church
of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge ot
all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.' James i. 12. ' Blessed
is the man that endureth temptation : for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them tbat
love him.' 1 Pet. v. 7. ' Casting all your care upon him, for he careth
for you.' Ver. 8. ' Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary th
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.'
Rev. iii. 8. ' I know thy works: behold I have set before thee an open
door, and no man can shut it ; for thou hast a little strength, and hast
kept my word, and bast not denied my name.' Ver. 10. ' Because
thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from th e
hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them
that dwell upon the earth.' Ver. 11. 'Behold, I come quickly : hold
that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.' Ver. 12.
' Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my Ged,
and he shall go no more out : and I will write upon him the name of
my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jeru
salem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God ; and I will
write upon him my new name.' Rev. xix. 20. ' And the beast was
taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before
him, with which he deceived them that received the mark of the beast,
and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into
a lake of fire burning with brimstone.' Ver. 21. 'And the remnant

JAMES RENWICK. 559
were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword
proceedeth out of his mouth : and all the fowls were filled with their
flesh.' And many other scriptures.
" O what can I say to the Lord's praise ! It was but little that I
knew of him before I came to prison ; I have found sensibly much of
his divine strength, much of the joy of his Spirit, and much assurance
from his word and Spirit concerning my salvation ; my sufferings are
stated upon the matters of my doctrine, for there was found with me
the sum of my last two sermons at Braid's-craigs, which I wrote after
I preached them ; the former whereof was upon Psal. lxvi. 10. 'Be
Btill and know that I am Qod ; I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth,' And the latter upon Heb. x. 38.
' Now the just shall live by faith : but if any man draw back, my soul
shall have no pleasure in him.' And so I was examined upon the
application made therein unto the sins of the time : all which I owned
once and again, as it is to be seen in my indictment: and I being tried,
and an assize set, I adhered to my former confession explicitly; so my
sentence of death was drawn forth, upon these heads :
" First, Because I could not own James VII. to be my lawful
sovereign. " Secondly, Because I taught the unlawfulness of paying the cess,
expressly exacted for the suppressing the faithful and free preaching of
the gospel.
" Thirdly, Because that I taught that it was the people's duty to
carry arms at the preaching of tbe gospel, now when it is persecuted,
for defending themselves, and resisting of unjust violence.
" I think such a testimony is worth many lives, and I praise the
Lord, for his enabling me to be plain and positive in all my confessions:
for therein I found peace, joy, strength, and boldness. I have met
with many assaults in prison, some from the indulged party, and
others from some of the prelatic ; but by the strength of God, I was
enabled to stand, that they could neither bow me, nor break me. I
was also assaulted by some of the popish party, (I suppose they werfe
some of the ecclesiastic creatures,) but they found none of their own
stuff in me. I told them, after sundry debatings, that I had lived, and
should die an enemy to their way. However, some that knew me not,
reproached me with Jesuitism. I was pressed by sundry to seek a
reprieve, and my answer was always, that I adhered to my former
confession, and if they pleased to let that appointed time of my death
stand, let it stand ; and if they pleased to protract it, let them protract
it; for I was ready and willing both to live and die ; howbeit there
came a reprieve for eight days, but I bad no hand in it. They still
urged, would I but say, that I desired time for conference with some
persons anent my principles : I answered, that my time was in th e
Lord's hand, and I was in no hesitation, or doubt about my principles
myself; I would not be so rude as to decline conference with any, so
far as it might not be inconvenient for me in my present circumstances,
but I will seek it with none. I have no more to say on this head, but
my heart doth not smite me for any thing in the matters of my God,
since I came to prison. And I can further Bay to his praise, with

560 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIES.
consciousness of integrity, that I have walked in his way, and kept
his charge though with much weakness, and many infirmifies, whereof
ye have been witnesses.
" Now, my dear friends in precious Christ, I think I need not tell
you, that as I have lived, so I die in the same persuasion with the
true reformed and covenanted, presbyterian church of Scotland ; that I
adhere to the testimony of the day, as it is held forth in our Informa-
tory Vindication, and in the Testimony against the present toleration ;
and that I own, and ' seal with my blood* all the precious truths, even
the controverted truths, that I have taught. So I would exhort every
one of you, to make sure your personal reconciliation with God in
Christ : for I fear many of you have that yet to do ; and when ye
come where I am, to look pale death in the face, ye will not be a little
shaken and terrified, if ye have not laid hold on eternal life. I would
exhort you to much diligence in the use of means, to be careful in
keeping up your societies, to be frequent and fervent in secret prayer,
to read^much the written word of God, and to examine yourselves by
it. Do not weary to maintain, in your places and stations, the present
testimony ; for when Christ goes forth to defeat antichrist, with that
name written on his thigh and on his vesture, King of kings and
Lord of lords, he will make it glorious in the earth : and if ye can
but transmit it to the posterity, ye may count it a great generation-
work. But beware of the ministers, that have accepted of this tolera
tion, and all others that bend that way ; and follow them not, for the
sun hath gone down upon them. Do not fear, that the Lord will cast
off Scotland ; for he will certainly return again, and show himself
glorious in our land. But watch and pray, for he is bringing on a sad
overthrowing stroke, which shall make many say, That they have
easily got through, that have got a scaffold for Christ ; and do not
regard the present sufferings of this world, for ' they are not worthy to
be compared to the glory that shall be revealed.'
" I may say to his praise, that I have found his cross sweet and
lovely unto me, for I have had many joyful hours, and not a fearful
thought since I came to prison ; he has strengthened me to brave
man, and face death, and I am now longing for the joyful hour of
my dissolution ; and there is nothing in the world that I am sorry to
leave but you : but I go to better company, and so I must take my
leave of you all. Farewell beloved sufferers, and followers of the
Lamb ; farewell Christian intimates : farewell Christian and comfortable
mother and sisters : farewell sweet societies ; farewell desirable general '
meetings ; farewell night-wanderings in cold and weariness for Christ ;
farewell sweet Bible, and preaching of the gospel ; farewell sun, moon,
and stars, and all sublunary things ; farewell conflicts with a body of
sin and death. Welcome scaffold for precious Christ; welcome
heavenly Jerusalem ; welcome innumerable company of angels ; wel
come general assembly, and church of the first-born ; welcome crown
of glory, white robes, and songs of Moses and the Lamb ; and above
all, welcome, O thou blessed Trinity, and one God ! O eternal One I
I commit my soul into thy eternal rest.
Sic sub — JAMES RENWICK."

JAMES RENWICK. 561

3. His Letter to his Christian Friends.
" My dear friends in Christ, I see now what hath been the language
of my reprieve, it hath been, that I might be further tempted and tried ;
and I praise the Lord, he hath assisted me to give further proofs of
stedfastness ; I have been often assaulted by some popish priests ; but
the last time they came, I told them, I would debate no more with
such as they were, and that I had lived and would die a protestant,
and testify against the idolatries, heresies, superstitions, and errors of
that antichristian way. But yesterday I was cast into a deep exercise,
and made to dwell under an impression of the dreadfulness of every
thing that might grieve the Spirit of God. I found sin to be more
bitter than death, and one hour's hiding of God's face, more insupporta
ble. And then at night, I was called before a part of the council, and
the chancellor produced the Informatory Vindication, and asked if I
knew it : I answered, I know it. And being interrogated, I confessed
that I had a great hand in writing of it : they pressed me to tell my
assistants : I told them, they were those whom they persecuted ; but
would satisfy them no further. They also urged me upon pain of
torture, to tell, where our societies were? who kept our general
correspondencies ? and where they were kept ? I answered, though
they should torture me, which was contrary to all law, after sentence
of death, I would give them no further notice than the books gave. I
was moreover threatened to tell my haunts and quarters, but I refused
to make known to them any such thing : so I was returned to prison.
Such exercise as I had was very needful for such a trial ; and I would
rather endure what they could do unto me, than have dishonoured
Christ, offended you, and brought you unto trouble. — But I hope,
within less than three days, to be without the reach of all temptations.
Now I have no more to say : farewell again in our blessed Lord Jesus.''
4. His Last Words upon the Scaffold.
Before he went out of the tolbooth, he was at dinner with his
mother and sisters, and some Christian friends, when the dram beat the
first warning to his execution ; which so soon as he heard, he leapt up
in ravishment of heavenly joy, saying, ' Let us be glad and rejoice, for
the marriage of the Lamb is come :' and I can say in some measure,
' The bride, the Lamb's wife, hath made herself ready.' And till
dinner was over, he enlarged upon the parallel of a marriage, and
invited all of them to come to the wedding, meaning his execution.
When he was come to the scaffold, the drums being beat all the while,
none of the distant spectators could hear any thing that he said ; only
some very few, that were close by him did hear it, whereof one has
collected the following account : he delivered himself to this effect :
" Spectators, or (if there be any of you) auditors, I must tell you,
I am come here this day to lay down my life for adhering to the truths
of Christ, for which I am neither afraid nor ashamed to suffer ; nay, I
bless the Lord, that ever he counted me worthy, or enabled me to
suffer any thing for him ; and I desire to praise his grace, that he hath not
only kept me free from the gross pollutions of the time, but also from
4 B

562 TESTIMONIES OF THE SCOTS WORTHIE^.
many ordinary pollutions of children ; and such as I have been stained
with he hath washed me from them in his own blood. I am this day
to lay down fny life for these three things. 1. For disowning the
usurpations and tyranny of James duke of York. 2. For preaching,
that it was unlawful to pay the cess, expressly exacted for bearing
down the gospel. 3. For preaching, that it was lawful for people to
carry arms, for defending themselves in their meetings for the perse
cuted gospel-ordinances. I think a testimony for these is worth many
lives, and if I had ten hundred, I would think it little enough to lay
them all down for the same.
" Dear friends, spectators, and (if any of you be) auditors I must
tell you, that I die a presbyterian protestant. I own the Word of
God as the rule of faith and manners. I own the Confession of Faith,
Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Sum of Saving Knowledge, Directory
for Worship, &c. Covenants, National and Solemn League, acts of
general assemblies, and all the faithful contendings that have been for
the work of reformation. I leave my testimony approving the preach
ing of the gospel in the fields, and the defending of the same by arms.
I adjoin my testimony to all that hath been sealed by blood, shed
either on scaffolds, fields or seas, for the cause of Christ. I leave my
testimony against popery, prelacy, Erastianism, &c. Against all
profanity, and every thing contrary to sound doctrine ; particularly
'against all usurpations made on Christ's right, who is the Prince of
the kings of the earth, who alone must bear the glory of ruling
his own kingdom, the church : and in particular, against the absolute
power usurped by this usurper, that belongs to no mortal, but is the
incommunicable prerogative of Jehovah ; and against this toleration
flowing from that absolute power."
Upon this, he was bid have done. He answered, " I have near
done." Then he said, " Ye that are the people of God, do not weary in
maintaining the testimony of the day, in your stations and places ; and
whatever ye do, make sure an interest in Christ ; for there is a storm
coming that shall try your foundations. Scotland must be rid of
Scotland, before the delivery come. And you that are strangers to
God, break off your sins by repentance, else I will be a witness against
you in the day of the Lord." Here they caused him desist. Upon the
scaffold he sung a part of the ciii. Psalm from the beginning, and read
the xix. chap, of the Revelation. And having thus finished his course,
served his generation, and witnessed a good confession for his Lord
and Master, before many witnesses, by the will of God, he yielded up
his spirit into the hands of God who gave it.

the end

Edward Khull, Prinler.

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