that professed Reformed Protestants should stand in so litle aw 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 His Covenant you would esteem it the more precious and closely follow the Reformation vowed in every Article thereof upon all occasions given you of the Lord And that you abhor detest and refuse any engagement whatsoever that may wrong your Oath in the Covenant directly or indirectly as ye would escape the wrath of God that is coming on such breaking of Covenant but rather choise the greatest extremity of affliction then the least sin of this sort as Moses did who refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter but chused rather to suffer reproach for Christ And be not afraid of suffering for Christ as though it were an evill thing neither scar ye at His cross for the Lord Himself saith My yoke is easy and My burthen light Yea it is lighter to us then to many that stand by Believe Faith maketh all burthens light to the believing Sufferer And now I beseech you believers in Christ abide in Him and bring forth fruit unto Holiness and study tenderness in all manner of conversation and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord And let not this profane and mocking Generation have any thing to reproach you with but that whereof you would not be ashamed that when you suffer ye may not suffer as evill doers that whereas they speak evill of you they may be ashamed that falsly 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 conversation I recommend to you that ye would be much and fervent in the 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 your selves together as the manner of some is I wish they may see the evill of it who neglect it but exhort one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching Earnestness and diligence will hasten the Lord's coming with relief unto you and to the Lords born-down Work and your slackness in this may make the wheels of His chariot to move the more slowly For the effectuall fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much with God It will do more then 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 ye may have acquaintance with Jesus Christ who is clearly set forth therein that ye may know Him in His excellency and come to love and believe in Him whom ye know that ye may be acquainted with His revealed will therein and may know what is truth and cleave fast thereto from a sure persuasion that it hath the warrant of His Word and may be guarded against every error of the wicked and that ye may fully know what is good and what is evill 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 minde live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you JOHN WODROW The Copy of JOHN WODROW His Letter to His Wife dated Decemb 22. 1666. which was the Day on which He suffered 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 Soul faith Amen I had not a will of my own my Heart since that day wherein Yow and I parted My Lord and my God captivated it 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 Fathers Family that ever He condescended to come unto my Fathers 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 Reformation For this my Soul is glad and my Glory rejoyceth for this Honour wherewith He hath honoured me And that though I be condemned to die by men on earth yet am I justifyed of God through the 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 behold for evermore even that most glorious excellency which is in Him All that which is spoken of Him is but litle O my Heart my dear Love come and see I beseech yow I thought I had known something of my dearest Lord before that I had some love from and to Him before But 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 0 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 tnat Scotland did ever enter into a Covenant with the Lord into a sworn Covenant with the hand lifted up to the Lord And I have now sworn and renued this Covenant again for my self 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 And now I give you and my four Children unto the Lord and commit you ro Him as your Covenanted God and Husband my Childrens Covenanted Father I say no more but either study to be indeed a sincere Christian a 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 The Testimony of RALPH SHIELDS An English-man who died in Edinburgh Decemb. 22. 1666. My Friends I Am come here to die and I thank God it
God with more Faithfulness and Stedfastness in the Truth without the least injurious reflexion thereupon or their own adherence thereunto with more Equability and composure of Spirit sweetly tempered with the Sorrow 's of Sin and Joyes of the Holy Ghost in assurance of Pardon and Life Everlasting and with less perturbation of mind and alteration of Carriage or Countenance then these Worthies did Here indeed was the Faith and Patience of the Saints here did the Lord stand by and strengthen them whom others forsook Yea the Lord to the Admiration of all the conviction of many of their adversaries the confirmation Establishment of the Cause the Encouragement of many thousands His own Eternall Glory and their Immortal Commendation did Work in the hearts of all Beholders more ample enduring Epistles of Commendation then the most Eloquent and Pathetick Rhetorician can Writ in their Favours This accompt further I will give yow of the first ten who died together December 7. that they once resolved to speak severally to the People at their death but thereaâ—â—â— considering that for one Common Cause and upon the same alleageances they were all appointed to die one manner of death together at one time and in one place and having the conveniency of being together in the Prison they preferred to leave a word jointly behind them in writ which as it was the cause of one conjunct Testimony and some others severally So the Foreseing Providence of God in this is very observable for had it been otherwise seing they were not at all permitted to speak to the People upon the scaffold there had nothing of their joint Testimony been extant more then is of these who were not suffered to speak at their death in Glasgow of the rest who Suffered in otheâ— places of the West of whom we have heard nothing more particularly but that the same Spirit of Glory and of God resting upon them did work in them all the same Stedfastness Patience Humility Consolation Courage and Confidence These being the last times wherein Sin aboundeth and the love of many is waxed cold I cannot devine what pity shall be shewed to them that are in Misery especially considering the Universall decay of Religion and dark cloud of prejudice and discountenance whereby the Kingdom of Christ is overshaddowed generally the whole world over and even amongst the Reformed Churches Nevertheless there being a Communion of Saints which should be entertained amongst both Persons and Churches whereby these of the same true Religion amongst other things reciprocally give and receave information of their common affaires that if they can or will express no other act of Love they may at least the more sutably Sympathize and mutually pray one for another And the Lord in his Providence giving the opportunity I thought it convenient yea necessary to communicat the following Deduction of the Wrestlings of the Church of Scotland for the Kingdome of Christ hoping that as it beareth the Name so the Wrestling Church of Scotland in due time shall reap the Blessing of NAPHTALI who Gen. 49.21 is called a Hinde let loose and said to give goodly words for who can tell but Her Wrestlings may be swallowed up of Victory and Liberty and Her ancient Covenanted Doctrin Worship and Government may become as Pleasant and Acceptable as it is Profitable not only within herself but also amongst the Churches abroad This Title being only affirmative of Her and not Negative of other Churches as if only She and not also They had Wrestled for the Kingdom of Christ let no man offend thereat For as the Lord Redeemer hath several Offices equally Necessary in themselves and Inseperable by Man and as particular Churches as well as Persons have their peculiar gifts and Excellencies and accordingly their distinct work assigned unto them whereby amongst other things they more or less eminently assert and Propugn this or that particular Truth So in this distribution whereas other Churches have asserted and contended for his Priestly and Propheticall Offices the lot seemeth to have fallen upon Scotland to assert and wrestle more eminently then many others for the Croun and Kingdom of Jesus Christ For the establishment of this did our first famous Reformers strive by the evidence of Holy Scripture as well as for Soundness of Doctrine and Purity of Worship for Preservation and Restauration of this did their Worthy Successors Zealously contend by Petitions Warnings Conferences and Disputations all Invasion Usurpation or the least encroachment upon this diâ— they valiantly resist by Protestations and Declinatures and for a Testimony to this did they patiently Suffer Bonds Imprisonment Confinement Sentences of Death and of late Death it self Neither should any man think this strange as if Presbyterial Government were in itself Unlawful or the Species of Church Government were indifferent and consequently Contending and Suffering therefore Unwarrantable or Needless as Pretenders to different Forms upon the right and left hand would have the World beleeve Hithertil indeed the Church of Scotland hath heen as a Speckled bird and the birds round about have been against her She hath endured the scourge of many tongues as well as the Violence of many hands upon both hands false witnesses have laid to her charge things which she knew not as being amongst other things too Laxe or too Rigide Yea as Unnatural Children have eaten thorow their Mothers bowels so Unkindly Brethren have rewarded her evil for good Standing on the other side and looking upon her and her affliction in the day of her calamity rejoicing over her in the day of her destruction and speaking proudly in the day of her distress yea laying hands on her Substance in the day of her calamity The wrath of man worketh not the Righteousness of God neither doth his invincible Truth need the help of humane Passions if therefore such men do not fear I shall not desire that their own tongues may fall upon themselves and that the Lord may render unto them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours but rather study the revenge of good will by Prayer that He would open their eyes convert their hearts that they may take revenge on themselves Charity which thinketh no evil obleegeth to beleeve till wee see the contrary that Scripture Conscience Covenant and Credite will make those who did once laudably assert constantly propugn and adhere to the Ius Divinum of Presbyterial Government until they publish which none can do as convinceing reasons of Retractation contrary Practice And whatever might be expected of others Religion Reason Candor Gratitude and Policy would seem to require that those who in their distress intreated obtained the succesful Assistance of the Covenanted Interest of Scotland others who owe thereunto whatever they are or have more then just nothing debt or broken fortunes should have been so far from contâ—mptuous throwing away the Covenant as an old Almâ—nack when by it as a
answere for itself if according to the Patience Learning Justice of many thow do not Refute and condemn before thow know it or brandish big words as he who upon a Coronation-day offereth duell to all who question the Kings Right when he knoweth that for Major Vis none dare appear in the contrary But in the passing take a word of the National Covenant the Solemn League and Covenant and Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement unto Duties that at one view thow may'st see Scotlands Engagements and Breaches the Faithfulness of many flood of Sin and Suffering that hath overflowed the Land Here is the Terminus a Quo and ad Quem of our Backsliding whereof though the most skilled Artist cannot pourtray to the life the whole body the form is so monstruous Complexion so strange he may well darkly represent some Lineaments of fingers and toes that the reader may know Ex ungue leonâ—m yet the Author hath nervously asserted the Truth and drawn matters of Fact with such True Collours that he can only be accused for a Picture fairer then the live-face of many Persons Actions To winde up all be not discouraged upon the one hand nor insult upon the other by the Death of many Mighty men of God Co-workers and Eye witnesses of his Work within these few years past and the stripling-stature of many survivers who have not attained unto the dayes of the years of the life of their Fathers and being but of yesterday can know little of the Lords ancient kindness to the Land except what thâ—ir Fathers have told them For as he hath reserved a numerous remnant of Holy Learned and Faithful men a rich cluster wherein there is a blessing and we have reason to bless Him who gave not our Church dry breasts a miscarrying womb so he can make the barren bear seven become a Joyful mother of many Children and as he hath work for them will raise up both Shepherds and Principal men It is true alas there is grown up a most degenerat Off-spring of all Qualities some whereof and not the meanest being as profane as Machiavel who teacheth Rulers to keep promise and Oath no longer then with pretended advantage they can break and that it is a prejudice to be Really Religious but not so honest as He who notwithstanding affirmeth a Necessity of Seeming to be Religious which they are not accompt no man to be a Man who by Whoring Swearing Drinking Spending all or more then they have do not class themselves into their new Profane Orders become as Cartesian in their Religion by Atheistical doubtings disputings about God the Holy Scripturs Heaven Hell c. as others are in their Philosophy But here is an Advantage that by Discovery and distinguishing betwixt the precious and the vile the Lord hath made this Defection contribut more to the Facility as well as Necessity of a future Purgation of the Church then all her Judicatures could ever effectuat without it And further as he hath frustrated many chief Authors and Promotters thereof of their Hopes and Designs and called Nobles Prelats and others to an accompt before they well tasted the expected sweetness or were warm in their Places or Promotions So though Herod Pilat may aggrie against the Innocent yet where men are like Samsons foxes only tied together by the tail of common Corrupt Principles whilst their heads of Self Interest and designs look different wayes what such a Position Conjunction and Aspect prognosticateth let Scripture Reason and Experience be consulted and they will tell Let us not in the meantime mistake Gods Work Wayes Doings nor Intentions neither be envyous at evil doers nor yet be Curious nor Anxious about futuritions much less limit the Holy one to Means Method or Time but bear the Indignation of the Lord because we have sinned till he plead our cause waiting upon him who is a God of Judgment and waiteth that he may be gracious and in patience possess our souls for though we do not he knoweth his own thoughts toward us it may be they are thoughts of peace and not of evil to give an expected end and that when he hath ripen'd Deliverance he will bring us forth to the Light we shall behold his Righteousness It is a crime of the highest nature with our Rulers to complain or supplicat for redress Others are either of deaf ears or feeble hands and cannot help and seeing we can do no more for the Cause and Covenant of God for our Mother-Church the Land Ourselves Our Brethren Posterity let us open our cause to him who tryeth the Righteous O Lord Hear O Lord Forgive O Lord hearken and do Defer not for thine own sake O my God For thy City and thy People are called by thy Name AMEN The Testimony of M R JAMES WOOD Minister of the Gospel and Professor of Theology in the University of S. Andrewes for Presbyterial Government I MR JAMES WOOD being now shortly by appearance to render up my Spirit to the Lord find my self obliged to leave a word behind me for my just Vindication before the World It hath been said of me that I have in word at least reseiled from my wonted Zeal for Presbyterial Government expressing my self concerning it as if it were a matter not to be accounted of that no man should trouble himself in the matter practice thereof It is true being under sicknes I have some times said I was taken up with weightier matters then any external ordinance and what wonder I said so being under such wrestling anâ—nt my interest in Iesus Christ which is a matter of for greater concernment Surely any Christian in this Church that knows me will judge there is a wrong done to me For since the day that the Lord convinced my heart which was by a strong hand that it was the Ordinance of God appointed by Iesus Christ for governing ordering his visible Church I never had the least change of thoughts concerning the necessity of it nor of the necessity of the use of it And now I declare before God the World that I account so of it still And that however there be some more precious ordinances yet that this is so precious that a true Christian is obliged to lay down his life for the profession thereof if the Lord shall see it meet to put him to the tryal And for my self if I were to live I would account it my glory to seal this word of my testimony with my blood Of this my declaration I take God Angels and Men to be my witnesses and have subscribed thiâ— presents with my hand the 2 of March 1664. about 7 hours afternoon before Mr William Tullidaf and Mr John Carstairs my Brother in Law and John Pitcarn writer hereof M R JAMES WOOD. AS the Matter of this Testimony is very considerable especially from so Great a man as Mr Wood was So the occasion
unto that Laodicean luke-warmness more desperate and incurable then coldness and death it self 3. The faithful Ministers being outed and the hedge of Presbyterian Government removed as prophanity and wickedness doth yet more abound so there came out of this smoak Locusts upon our Church even a crue of Curates for Insufficiency Vanity Lies and Prophanity the very Scorn of Reformation Scandal of Religion We need not here adduce particular instances there is none who in the least observe their doctrine and maner of conversation but will easily acknowledge it And the certainty of what we here affirm is so obvious unto all that a particular condescendence would either prove an infinite labour or too much abridge the extent of so sad a truth It s true there are some who being convinced and others who supposing the truth of what is here alleadged do either doubt or deny these things to be the proper effects of Prelacy but rather of the licentiousness of men and such accidents which may be incident to the best constitutions But if it be considered 1. That that thing which inseparably and infallibly attends another may with more then ordinary probability be concluded to depend thereon by a certain influence 2. That that which is no Ordinance of Jesus Christ but the visible product of the Devils malice and mens pride and lust can never be effectual for the establishing of Truth or promoting of Holiness 3. That such who not only discover in themselves the foresaid evils but by open and most notorious Perjury do usurp and invade and hold the Offices they pretend to must of necessity hate the light because their deeds are evil it will be very easily granted that Prelacy Prelates and their dependants to whom all these things are clearly applicable are not only the proper causes and authors of all the Prophanity and Wickedness under which this poor Land now perisheth but most naturally introductive unto all these Superstitions and Abominations wherein the Devill by the same means did and hath involved the Christian World under the Roman Papacy 4. The Prelates and Curates being thus established from the ground and warrant of the Acts mentioned several Proclamations and Edicts for the more effectual execution thereof and pressing conformity thereunto for the suppressing conscientious adherence to or so much as is possible the very remembrance of our former Engagements and Covenants and the holy Ministry and Government therein contained are emitted and published We have already mentioned that at Glasgow and these others to the same purpose which did ensue upon it The first what we here note is that the Prelates conceaving that their persecutions already practized and to be practized might excite the compassion of some to a charitable supply of the afflicted more to express their cruel malice then really to hinder that which at best is not worth the noticing under the pretext of Disâ—rder they procure a discharge of charitable Collections And now let it be here observed once for all that such is the cruelty not only of the malice but of the very Acts procured by the Prelates against conscientious Non-conformists that if they were followed with a sutable compleat execution there should remain no comfort to any abiding stedfast other then that of Arcadius mercy to the children of Traitors that life should be their grief and death their relief There was another Proclamation emitted at the time of the first planting of the Curates that all persons should keep their own Parish Churches and should not repair to any other except in case of vacancy under pain of twenty Shillings Scots totiâ—s quoâ—ies to the effect that such as could not in conscience attend the Curats Conventicles might be also deprived of any mean of edification which the opportunity and neighbourhood of a faithful Ministry might afford Then thereafter there is another Edict published against unwarrantable Preaching Praying or Hearing whereby even such Exercises without which the Communion of Saints can hardly be intertained are restrained discharged in so much that if a faithful outed Minister should repair to any private family or two or three moe then the Domesticks of one House be found together though only imployed in the most Christian edifying Exercises of Praying Lecturing or Godly Conference their meeting is declared an unlawfull Conventicle and all such as are accessory punishable accordingly By a fourth Proclamation men are required to be assistent to and concur with the Curates in the exercise of Discipline as they shall be thereto called though they be not told either by what warrant or in what capacity they are to meddle in the Matters of God for our Adversaries do both disown Elders allow Deacons no rule There is a fifth Proclamation discharging all Conventions meetings whatsoever under the pretence of Religion which are not allowed by Authority certifying all persons accessory that they shall be looked upon and punished by pecuniary and corporall pains as seditions persons at the arbitrement of the Council and especially that the Ministers exercising therein and their resetters or countenancers in any sort shall be liable unto the highest pains due to seditious Persons And lastly there is a sixt commanding all Masters of Families to cause their Servants and all their dependents and all Heritors and Landlords to cause their Tennants and Tax-men to obey all Acts of Parliament or Council enjoyning Conformity and particularly to frequent their Parish Churches and to submit and conform to the Curates their Ministry or else to remove them summarly from their service and eject them out of their Possessions And also that Heritors take bond and security of their intrant Tennants in time coming that they and their Cottars and Servants shall give obedience as said is and lastly that all Magistrates of Burghs cause their Inhabitants give Bond for the like obedience for which effects these Heritors and Magistrates are warranded to charge them under the pain of Rebellion And whosoever shall contraveen this Edict is certified and declared lyable to the same pains due to the Non-conformists themselves for whom he hereby is made answerable This is the last Act Proclamation for Conformity not only in course but even in the utmost of extremity and rigor whereby as many persons having a freedom as to their own practise are further urged contrare to all the rules of charity and moderation to compel others towards whom they may rather desire a Christian Forbearance and Indulgence to be used so the generality of the Land without any exception whatsoever are reached and obliged to all the Complyance with and Conformity to this wicked Apostasy and accursed and abjured Prelacy whereof they are capable and that under such Pains as if generally incur'd and execute should infallibly reduce the Land to utter Desolation and confusion But the Lord heareth and regardeth and Oh that men would also hear the voice of this poor Church that bewaileth her self and spreadeth
Adversary to reproach and blaspheme and did withall not a litle obscure and darken the beauty of severall former Actings about His blessed and glorious Work of Reformation happily begun and far advanced in these Lands wherein He was graciously pleased to Employ and by Employing to Honour me to be an Instrument though the least and unworthiest of many whereof I am not ashamed this day but account it my Glory how ever that Work be now cried down opposed laid in the dust and trod upon And my turning aside to comply with these men was the more aggravated in my person that I had so frequently and seriously made profession of my Aversness 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 2. I do not deny on the other hand but must Testify in the second place to the Glory of His Free-grace that the Lord my God hath often shewed 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 spait tyranny and dominion thereof And hath often drawn out my spirit to the exercise of Repentance and Faith and after 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 3. I am pressed in conscience to leave here at my death my true honest Testimony in the sight of God and Man to and for the Nationall Covenant the Solemn League Covenant the Solemn Acknowledgement of our Sins Engagement to our duties to all the grounds Causes of Fasts and humiliations of the Lords displeasure contending with the Land And to the several Testimonies given to His Interests by Generall Assemblies Commissioners of the Kirk Presbyteries and by other honest and faithful Ministers and Professors 4. I am pressed also to encourage His Doing Suffering Witnessing People and Sympathizing ones with these that suffer that they would continue in the duties of Mourning Praying Witnessing and Symparthizing 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 Instruments for His own Glory Honor 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 5. I exhort all these that have been or are Enemies or unfreinds to the Lord's Name Covenant or Cause Word Work or People in Britain and Ireland to Repent and Amend before these sad judgements 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 6. I dare not conceal from yow that are Friendly to all the Lord's Interests that the Lord to the commendation of His Grace be it humbly spoken hath severall times in the exercise of my Repentance and Faith during my trouble and after groans and tears upon these three notable chapters to wit the 9 of Ezra the 9 of Nehemiah and the 9 of Daniel with other such sutable 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 Mercifull Gracious Powerful and Wonderful Renewing and Reviving again of His fore-mentioned great Interests in these Covenanted Nations And that in such a Way by such Means and Instruments with such Antecedents Concurrents Consequents and Effects as shall wonderfully rejoyce His Mourning Friends and astonish His Contradicting and counter-acting Enemies 7. I do earnestly recommend my poor Wife and Children and 〈◊〉 posterity to the choicest Blessings of God anâ—â—o the Prayers and Favour of all the Lord's Children anâ— Servants in their earnest dealing with God and Men â—n their behalf That they may not be ruined for â—y Cause but for the Lord my God's sake they 〈◊〉 be favoured assisted supplyed and comforted 〈◊〉 so 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 all Time and Eternity 8. I beg the Lord to open the eyes of all the Instruments of my Trouble that are not deadly Irreconcileable Enemies to Himself and His People that they may see the wrong done by them to His 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 Interests in time coming The good Lord give unto them Repentance Remission and Amendement and that is the worst wish I wish them and the best wish I can wish unto them 9. I do earnestly beg the fervent prayers of all His Praying People Servants and Instruments whether absent or present wherever they be in behalf of His Name Cause and Covenant Work and People 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 His Doings and Dealings in Substance and Circumstance toward all His own 10. Whereas I have heard that some of my unfreinds have slandered and defamed my Name as if I had been accessary to his late Majestie 's death and to the making of the Change of the 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 before his Tribunal from any Accession by Counsel or Contrivance or any other way to his late Majestie '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
yoke of PRELACY which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear which is Destructive to all our true Interests Religious and Civill As ye would not involve your selves 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 joyes 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 daâ— of Iacob's trouble that yet the Lord when He hath accomplished the Triall of His own and filled up the cup of His Adversaries He will awake for judgement plead His own Cause avenge the quarrel of His Covenant make inquiry for blood vindicate His People break the arm of the wicked and establish the just For to Him belongeth judgement 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 that He will revive His Work repair the breaches build the old wastes and raise up the desolations Yea the Lord will judge His people repent Himself for His servants when their power is gone and there is none shut up or left And therefore Rejoyce O ye Nations with His People For He will avenge the blood of His servants and will render vengeance to His 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 subscribitur Iohn MeCulloch of Barholm And. Arnot Iohn Gordon of Knockbrex Robert Gordon his Brother Iohn Ross Iohn Schields Iames Hamilton Iohn Parker in Bosby Christopher Strang. Gawin Hamilton Another Testimony which was also left by such of the Former ten Persons as were in the same Chamber with Thomas Paterson Merchant in Glasgow who being in like manner Indited but dying of his Wounds before Sentence did communicate the same to his friends with his Assent thereunto MEn and Brethren being condemned by our Rulers as Traitors lest we should seem to many to suffer as evill doers In the first place we bless and praise the Lord our God who hath made us the unworthiest of all men Worthy to be faithfull 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 the cross of Christ though by men superscribed with Treason our sweet consolation and his own joy our strength 2. We declare in the presence of the same God before whom we are now ready to appear that we did not intend to Rebell against the King and his just Authority Whom as we acknowledg for our Lawful Soveraign so we do earnestly pray in his behalf that God would open his eyes and Convert his heart that he may remember his Vowes made unto God relieve this oppressed Kirk and long reign and flourish in righteousness 3. We declare that perceaving the Holy Covenants of our God broken the Work of the Lord overturned the Gospel and Kingdome of Jesus Christ despised and trampled upon his pure Ordinances corrupted 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 our selves not only Spoiled of our most precious blessings and most dear enjoyments but urged and compelled by cruel Violence and Barbarous Persecution to wicked Apostacy from our Holy Covenants and to Rebellion against our God And all this done by no other hand then the wicked and perjured Prelats And for no other ends whatever they may pretend then the satisfying of their own vile lusts and establishing their so often abjured Antichristian Tyranny over both Souls and Bodies of Men 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 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 sighes and groans of poor wasted Galloway which though very heavy from the hand of man are all to light for Jesus Christ Nor are we willing to reflect upon these grievous and bitter Lawes and Edicts by which they seem to be warranted Only we know that God is Righteous whose Lawes and judgments are Superior and above all the Lawes and Actions of men And to him who will judge righteously We intirly Commit our Cause which is none other then 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 be made our Condemnation yet it is our Righteousness Innocency 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 dignifyed our Offer with this publick 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 Solemne League and Covenant are in Themselves Holy Just and True and perpetually Binding containing no other thing then our Indispensable Obligations 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 his Cause and persecuted People and render vengeance to his Adversaries even the vengeance of his Holy Temple and broken Covenent O be not then moved with our Sufferings with are but Light and Momentany for they Work for us a far more execeding and Eternal weight of Glory and for you also a strong Confirmation and abounding Consolation against the like trial that possibly may befal you O then save your selves from this Wicked and Apostat Generation and be ye stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the Work and Cause of the Lord Waiting for the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ which in his Times he shall shew who 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 AMEN The Testimony of CAPT. ANDREW ARNOT one of the former ten who died Decem. 7. DEar Friends and Spectators I am brought by the good providence of God to this publick place of execution which is no dishonour for points of Treason as is alleadged but God knoweth who knoweth the secrets of hearts whether in Rebellion or not I cam forth He is my witness wil be my Judge And whoever they be that any way have been instrumentall or incensed against me to procure this Sentence against me God forgive them I forgive them I am not now purposed to disput the matter of my being in company with these worthy Christians who are now defeat and broken their blood shed and they despitfully mocked by many I acknowledge and declare that I was with them As to the cause of my being with them whither in Rebellion or not God knoweth and all Israel shall know And for me I say the Cause is the Lords 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 administrated these 30 Years last by past And I adhere to the Presbyterial way of Doctrin Worship Discipline and Government by General Assemblies Synods Presbyteries and Sessions according to the Patern of the holy Scriptures Jesus Christ himself being the head Corner-stone the Confession of faith Cathechismes Shorter and Larger Directory for Worship National Covenant Solemne League Covenant every Paper tending to the good of the true Religion And this I think fit to Testify Declare under my hand not knowing if I shall have any Liberty to speak intend God willing to Seal with my Blood shortly I confess that unexpectedly I am come to this place though some times I have had some small thoughts of it And I do account my self 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 royall 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 Eternall God be multiplied upon yow and your seed and upon all the suffering Friends of Christ this day upon my dear and loving Wife who hath been a faithful sympathizer with me and upon my dear Children The work of God is now at under but Christ shall carry the Day Blessed is he that believeth and seeth not for there shall be a performance Now the Eternall God who brought again the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead the great sheepherd of the flock strengthen and establish you and all the Lord's people So pray ye and so prayeth your Friend ANDREW ARNOT The Testimony of JOHN SHIELDS Yeoman one of the former ten who died at Edinburgh the 7 day of Decemb. 1666. I Am a man unlearned and not accustomed to speak in publick yet being now called to witness and suffer for the Lord in publick I cannot be altogether silent of that which Religion and Reason hath taught me anent the cause of my suffering I bless the Lord I suffer not as an evil doer especially not for any Rebellion against his Majesties lawful Authority I attest him who is the searcher of hearts that was never my intention in the least and it is as litle the nature and intention of what I have done But for renewing of the Covenant with the Lord and following the ends thereof as to the suppressing of abjured Prelats and Intruders upon the Lords flock and the restoring of the Government of the House of God by Presbyteries as He himself hath appointed in his Word with a faithful Godly Called and Sent Ministery And together with pure Ordinances the Power of Godliness For this I am condemned and to suffer this day This I acknowledged freely before our Judges This I still acknowledg 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 if You are inviolably ingaged in it It is not safe to desert it because of the Curse of the perjurer and false swearer There is unspeakable blessedness in the pursuance of it whereof I can bear witness to the Lord by my rich Experience since we began to Do and Suffer at this time for him Whereupon I cheerfully lay doun my Life for this his Cause He it is who Justifieth it what man or Authority under heaven can condemn it Arise O Lord let not man prevaill against Thee plead and Iudg this Cause which is thine own for thine own names sake The Testimony of another of the former ten Persons left subscribed with a Friend I designed no Rebellion against lawful Authority but the suppressing of Prelacy and of Profanity and advancing of Holiness in Gods 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 cannot bark In this Cause I was a free Voluntier 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 6 of December 1666. The Testimony of M R ALEXANDER ROBERTSON Preacher of the Gospel and Probationer for the Ministry who died at Edinburgh Decemb. 14. 1666. FEaring that after the example of others I should not be permitted to speak openly to the People I thought fit beside my adherence to what my brethren who have
gone before me left behind them concerning our common Cause to leave a word in writ for satisfaction of them who survive me That for preservation defence of the true Religion of this Church and for the relief of my poor brethren afflicted persecuted therefore I joyned with others in Armes that I renewed the Covenant 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 himself upon the same common obligations to do what I did account me a Rebell therefore because with the same breath that I did swear and with that same hand that I did subscribe to preserve and defend Religion I did also swear to defend the King and his Authority Our Church was not more glorious in her self terrible to her Adversaries while we enjoyed pure Ordinances of Word and Sacraments and her beautiful Assemblies for Government and Discipline of the Lords own Institution then she became of late deformed by the Usurpation and Tyranny of Prelacy And I do solemnly declare as a dying man who dare not dissemble that as I thought and still averre 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 Lords People therein so I had no worse design then the restoring of the Work of Reformation according to the Covenant and more particularly the extirpation of Prelacy to which his Ma and all the Subjects are as much obliged as I. And let that be removed and the Work of Reformation restored and I darâ— die in saying that his Ma shall not have in all his Dominions more loving loyall peaceable and faithfull Subjects then these who for their non-complyance are loaded with the reproaches of Phanaticisme and Rebellion The sufferings and insupportable oppression of these that could not because of the Command and Oath of God acknowledge comply 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 adistance but as there is just reason to think that if these rigid oppressions had been made known to his Ma his justice and clemency would have provided a remedy and as the half thereof would have made the Prelats their patrons and adherents impatiently 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 Armes to preserve and defend men 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 violently unjustly spoiled of the same as in our case Otherwise we should sin against the generation of the just and condemn as rebellious the most of the through Reformations of the Reformed Churches abroad and of our own at home If this course was lawfull and if it was our duty to joyn therein as I believe and lay down my life in the perswasion that it was and if all the Kingdom was as they are bound by Covenant to assist and defend one another in the â—ommon Cause of Religion and Liberty whatever may be said of these that came not forth to help the Lord against the mighty it cannot but be their dreadful sin who joyned themselves in Armes or took Oaths to oppose suppress and break it seing they have sided themselves against the Lord and his Work and their carriage is a much higher degree of Accession to the blood that is shed then 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 particularly Morâ—on 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 bowells 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 labor of love which they have shewed towards his Name in that they have ministred to the Saints do minister And yet I must needs regret that so many in this City once famous and honoured for harmonious owning of the Cause and Covenant of God and blessed above many other Cities with solemn Assemblies for Worship and Government should have been ensnared into an Oath so contradictory to the Oath of the Covenant 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 Apostacy of this Land is very great by Perjury and breach of Covenant and so much the worse and more aggreageble that it is Authorized and very universal And as I cannot but regret that so many are insnared therein so I must needs warne all to abhorre and beware 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 Perjury and breach of Covenant and so much the rather because this is like to be the Shibboleth and triall of the times As for my self 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 confidence I lay down my life for Him and His Truth committing my soul to Him to be kept in hope of a joyfull Resurrection 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 Merket and price of Truth may appear to many very high yet I reckon it low and all that I have or can do little and too little for Him who gave Himself for me and to me for I account
all things but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ MY LORD for whom I now suffer 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 yow my dear Friends as I pray for you that the God of all grace who hath called us unto His eternall glory by Christ Jesus after ye have suffered a while may make yow perfect stablish strengthen and settle yow so I recommend to you the same truth that you be not soon shaken in mind but that ye hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering And as you have receaved the Lord so walk in Him Warning and obtesting you by all manner of obligations and by the hope and joy of that crown which I wait for that ye keep your selves 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 unlawfull Oaths and Declarations against the Cause and Covenant of God that ye have no complyance with nor give consent unto this Prelacy which ye have abjured And that you be afraid and aware of Popery which by Connivance doth so visibly abound and dayly increase But by fighting 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 ALEXANDER ROBERTSON The Testimony of JOHN NILSON of Corsack who died at Edinburgh Dec. 14. 1666. BEing made a spectacle to the World to Angels and to Men I found it necessary for vindication of the Truth of my self for undeceaving of some 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 Rebell against Man but the Lord God of Gods He knoweth all Israel shall know that it is not for Rebellion against God but for endeavouring to recover the blessed work of Reformation and particularly for endeavouring 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 seing I made my Vow and Promise to the Lord neither I my self nor any humane 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 Defending of our selves by Armes yet know that the Cause was not Ours but the Lord's for we suffered all our grievous Oppressions not for evill-doing but because we could not in conscience acknowledge comply with and obey Prelacy and submit unto the Ministery of Ignorant Light and Profane men who were irregularly and violently thurst upon us Neither did we only or mainly designe our civil Liberties but the Liberty of the Gospel the Extirpation of Prelacy the Restauration of our faithful Pastors the Suppression of Profanity Promoving of Piety the saving of ourselves from unjust violence untill we had presented our Grievances and Desires And in a word the Recovering of the once glorious but now ruined Work of Reformation in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Nationall 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 acknowledged that I had been with the Rebels but let none offend thereat for â— 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 joyn therein and my honor to suffer therefore Otherwise I should have counted my self 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 the same Covenant which they so solemnly sware And as for the Petition it self I knew not that expression was in it Being conscious to my self of so much weakness so many hainous sins which predomine in me of unfruitfulness under the Gospel and unsutable walking thereto I confess my self the vilest of sinners and desire to mourn for the same and pray that 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 alwayes abounding in the Work of the Lord And above all things to detest shun that wicked Declaration against the Covenant the apparant temptation of the time and the very mark of Antichristian Prelacy All that I have is but little 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 I 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 shew 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 triall and filling up of the cup of the Adversaries Or because there was litle or less prayer then should have been amongst these 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 Reformation or to think the worse of Christ and His Cause because of sufferings Nor be discouraged because these few who took their lives in their hands fell before the Adversary For as sufferings are often sweetned 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 own And this Testimony as I am this day to seal with my blood so I subscribe with my hand JOHN NILSON OF CORSACK The Testimony
of GEORGE CRAWFORD Yeoman who died at Edinburgh Decemb. 14. 1666 SEing I am to die after this manner I lay before yow this Testimony 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 opprest by the Prelats and their dependants and upholders and seing no other way was left to be taken took up Armes for their own defence And if this be Rebellion I leave it to the great God the supream Judge to decern For in my weak judgement 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 wayes of the Lord and to make him prosper therein so that he may be surely set in his Kingdom having Him whom no enemy can resist to defend him seeing there was nothing intended by us against his or any others just and lawful Authority But that which was my principall and chief design was giving my poor assistance to the rooting out of Prelats Prelacy and all such as are come into God's vine-yard without the Master's commission these Hirelings who came not in at the true door Iesus Christ but have climbed up some other way as thieves and robbers whose voice the sheep know not All which is too sadly confirmed by the dreadfull 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 and the sad consequences which follow their standing 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 vvay under suffering relieved And I do adhere to the vvay of Church-Government svvorn to in the Covenant vvhich I think and assert to be conform to God's Word vvhich vvith His Spirit directing is the only Patern and judge in all controversies and hovvever our endeavours at this time have not been successful it is of the Lord vvho vvill come in his own time for He can do as well with few as vvith many but it is like the cup of the Adversaries is not full And who knoweth but the Lord God of hosts vvill hiss for the bee of Egypt and the fly of Assyria vvho vvill be more cruel and blood-thirsty then vve vvere to avenge the quarrel of His ovvn People and to make vvay for the establishing of His ovvn Cause I say no more but as I vvas vvilling to hazard my life for this Cause so I am ready to lay it down at my Master's feet seing He calls for it And I pray the Almighty to send His Spirit of Consolation promised by His Son to His ovvn people to strengthen them and bear them through till the appointed time of the Lord 's coming with Deliverance for He will come for His own Cause and for His peoples sake and will not tarry The last Speech and Testimony of M R HEW M C KAILE Preacher of the Gospel and Probationer for the Ministry at his death in Edinburgh Decemb. 22. 1666. BEing by a great surprisal of Providence thus staged before the World in a matter of so universall 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 for the Vindication of my Profession from the aspersions cast thereon by Men and the Edification of these by my death to whom I had devoted my Life in the work of the Ministery 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 hes purchased and ascended up on high to bestovv as a gift upon it as being the very Gospell-Ministery in it's Simplicity and Purity from the Inventions of Men and so the Mean by which other Ordinances are administred and the most fundamental Truths made effectual 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 as it may be both known and read of all men Which is also true of the solemne Engagements of the Nation thereto by the Nationall Covenant and Solemn League and Covenant which I have esteemed in their Rise Renewing pregnant performances of that promise Isaiah 44.5 where it is evident that where Church Reformations come to any maturity they arrive at this degree of saying I am the Lords subscribing with the hand unto the Lord. So was it in the dayes of the Reforming Kings of Iudah and after the Restauration from the Captivity in the dayes of Nehemiah This same promise did the Lord Jesus make Yea Amen to us when he redeemed us from spirituall Babilon which is so much the greater evidence that these were the very Motions of Gods Spirit in our first Reformers that they were expressly designed against the greatest motions of the Spirit of Darkness in Antichrist and his supposts 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 therefore whatever indignity is done unto these Covenants I do esteeme to be no less then 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 his casting out of Devils to Beelzebub and that with this aggravation that these Scribes and Pharisees came never the length of prefessing Christ and submiting themselves to Him and his wayes Buâ— we are condemned to death upon the account of this Covenant for adhereing to the dueties therein sworn to by such as once did as much themselves as we have done and some of them more then some of us Which considerations have moved me to great feares of Gods wrath against the Land according to the curse that we are bound under if we should break that Covenant in the fear of it many times to pour out my soul before the Lord as soon as I heard of a Party up in Armes in behalf of the Covenant all other door being shut whereby the redress of the manifest violations of it might be obtained and these by manifest unheard of violence obtruded upon others to go along with them being bound by that Covenant against detestable Indifferency and Neutrality in this matter to esteem every injury done to any ingaged in
is not for evill doing that I now suffer although I be charged with Rebellion against the Kings Authority yet 1 declare before God and you all that in all this matter I never intended to wrong his Majestie 's just Power and greatness but for conscience sake did respect Authority as the Ordinance of God appointed for the punishment of evill doers and that I wish his Ma all welfare both in this life and the world to 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 God make him a friend to His Cause and the truly Godly who own the same though falsly called Phanaticks or turbulent persons I declare I have such persuasion of the Interest of Religion Reformed 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 rejoyce greatly in it and I desire every good Christian as they tender their own souls 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 troden 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 thorow 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 rejoyce that He hes made use of me to suffer for His Cause And I think it too litle 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 I had some of His 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 murtherer or evill door or Rebel to Authority but for such a cause as this O that it were the happiness of my Nation of England once to subiect themselves unto the sweet yoke of Christs Reformed Government 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 English-man but trifted by providence in the prosecution of my calling to have my residence for a time here in Scotland which I look upon as a singulare 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 by your appearance before Jesus Christ when we shall have to do with none but Him as our Judge that ye be faithfull and stedfast in the Cause of God and 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 contrary and not suffer your selves to fall into a detestable Neutrality and Indifferency in that Cause of God And especially that ye keep your selves free of any Engagements by word or write 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 goodwil and favor by the Godly after I am gone And now I render up my Spirit to Him who gave it me and for whose sake I 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 The Testimony of HUMPREY COLHOUNE At his Death in Edinburgh Decemb 22. 1666. Dear Friends and Spectators I am come here this Day to this Place to die this Death for crimes for which I thank God my Conscience doth not condemn me My crime as is alleaged 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 crying oppressions committed therein This was the end of my appearing 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 bless 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 and forgiveness for all my transgressions both against the first and second 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 sanctified 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 his vvonderfull and incomparable free-grace And this is my joy and exceeding great rejoycing and consolation and all my salvation for vvhich I am Grace's debtor throughout all Eternity I die vvith this my Testimony my adherence to the National Covenant to the Solemn League and Covenant to the Work of Reformation a great length carried on and now overthrown most sinfully by ungodly Men vvho have established their Apostacy by Law which no just Power on earth could ever do Also I adhere to the Presbyterial Government the Confession of Faith Cathechisms Larger and Shorter And to the Solemn Acknovvledgement of the Church of Scotland And Publick Testimonies thereof against the sins of the time This day I rejoyce that He hath counted me vvorthy to lay dovvn my life for Him as one that beareth vvitness 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