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
not lament with Jeremiah Cap. 9 1 2 3 â— Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of the Daughter of my People Oh that I had in the Wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men that I might leave my People and go from them For they be all adulterers an assembly of treacherous men And they bend their tongue like their bowe for lies But they are not valiant fâ—r the Truth upon the Earth for they proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the Lord. And this will the more appear not only if we remember the general nature of Backsliding which is a very comprehensive Sin importing less Love Fear and Trust in the true God and proclaiming more Inconstancy Unfaithfulness and ingratitude towards Him then sometimes is found in very Heathens towards their Idols But also if we consider that our present Defection hath all circumstantial Aggravations in the highest degree For it is not in things only Civil Indifferent or of little moment But in things Religious Necessary Important and which at least in their tendency and consequence reach to the very foundation It is not the effect of common humane and invincible infirmity but most free and voluntary yea wilful and deliberate It is not done by stealth or in a corner but avowedly and openly in the sight of the Sun It is not Private and Personal but Representative and Authorized by Acts and Proclamations of King Parliament and Council It is not smoothly and subtilly but most tyrannically carried on by military violence and cruelty It is not of a few or inconsiderable Persons but very Universal The greatest part of all Ranks and of some Ranks almost the whole being some one way or other involved therein It is not only of these who were alwayes of known and professed disaffection to the Cause and Covenant of God but also of many who sometimes being exceeding zealous themselves and exemplary and forcible upstirrers of others therein are now become the chief Ring-leaders theirof and most bloody Persecuters of those who remain stedfast in the Truth It is not in an Heathenish or Antichristian Land or Church divided and broken with several Sects as some others are but even in Scotland so clearly enlightened for which the Lord had wrought so many wonderful works which was under so many obligations of Oaths and Covenants to the contrary and had been so united in the profession of the Truth It is not from violent force Inevitable necessity or irresistible temptation which is neither possible nor yet would excuse it but when the Lord by breaking the yoke of forrain Usurpation had given King and Countrey the fairest opportunity which they ever had to restore confirm and advance His Work as if He had delivered us that we might work all these Abominations And all this for no other end then the base flattering of the Kings humor and inclination the satiating of Prelaticall Pride and Ambition the indulging of the licentious profanity of some Debauched degenerated Nobles and others who could not endure the yoke of Christ's sound doctrine and impartiall discipline And the suppression of Religion and Righteousness in the subversion of the late work of Reformation Whereby we have charged our selves with all the blood that hath been shed upon either side during the former wars Have laid a stumbling block before all who shall see or hear of it to blaspheme Religion as a fiction to condemn the late Work of Reformation as a false pretence for Rebellion and Self-Interest and to affirm that there is neither truth nor ingenuity in the Professors thereof Pass over the Isles of Chittim and see and send unto Kedar and consider diligently and see if there be such a thing hath a Nation changed their Gods which yet are no Gods But Scotland Ah Scotland hath changed her glory for that which doth not profit Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid And so much the rather because few Lands did ever make Defection after this manner but as upon the one hand the Lord gave them up unto more Backsliding until they abounded more with Atheism and all manner of abominations then some Pagan-Nations who never heard nor made Profession of the Gospel So upon the other hand He alwayes pursued them with sorest plagues not only of subjugation at home scattering and exile abroad dividing of Kingdomes amongst themselves and from their former Rulers and final subversion of whole Empires Kingdomes and Common-wealths But also many times with the Final removal of the Gospel and utter dissolution of all visible National Covenant-relation as might be demonstrated from Holy Scripture and other Histories And indeed if He to whom nothing is strange or impossible though they may seem both to us and whose wayes and thoughts are as far above ours as the Heavens are above the Earth do not in the Soveraignity of His Grace recede from His ordinary method of dealing with such apostatizing People and now when he hath seen our way do not heal us we have alas â—oo too just ground of fear that we shall become such a proverb amongst the Nations that the generation to come of our Children and the stranger that cometh from a far Land when they see the plagues of this Land shall wonder and ask Wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this Land What meaneth the heat of this great anger Oh! that the very first and next following steps of Defection together with the Causes of the Lord's wrath against the Land were remembered and acknowledged and that all who have had any accession to the kindling of this flame and who can wholly Justify himself If any would be sure his own mouth should condemn him would draw water and pour it out before the Lord for quenching thereof and that the first resiclers from our National Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to duties would glorify God by Confession that he might turn from the fierceness of his Anger But alas He hath at once pour'd out upon us the Spirit of Whoredome and of a deep sleep and hath both made us to erre from His way and hard'ned our hearts from his fear And as we should look bekind us to the Rise so before us to the Result of thâ—se things for though every runner may read the Primum mobile of this course the great axletree and wheels upon which all moveth and who are the furious drivers and slavish drawers thereof and we have both seen the several degrees of Motion and advancement and smarted the sad effects of the same yet I am affray'd that there is now another Spirit in Persons and Tendency in affairs then some men apprehend Whether there be a sufficient ground in the Holy Scriptures to think with some that before the last fall of the Roman Antichrist the Popish Religion shall once more overshadow the Christian World is not proper
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
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
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
the Love of Jesus Christ This will be tender of any thing that may have the least reflexion 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 that they may Glorify Him And for the encouragement of yow all in this matter I do declare that ever since the day of my coming into prison God hath keeped my soul free from all Amazement or fear of death that since my inditement and sentence God hath so manifested Himself at several times that he hath lifted up my soul above Prelats Principalities PowerS Death Hell to rejoice be glad in His Salvation and from my soul to account him Worthy for whom in this his Cause I should undergo the greatest shame or Paine And to assured hopes of Eternal Communion with Him in Heaven And that nothing hath more brangled my peace then shifting an open and free testimony before my Examinators to the work that I was ingaged in I do freely pardon all that have accession to my blood and wish that it be not laid to the charg of this sinful Land but that God would grant Repentance to our Rulers that they may obtaine the same reconciliation with Him whereof I myself do partake Truely I beleeve many of them if not instigated by the cruel Prelats 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 Vindicating of them that upon the contrary it will be a witness against them in the Day of the Lord. I heartily submit my self to Death as that which God hath appointed 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 chastisement whereby he hath made me in part and will make me perfectly partaker of his Holiness I glorify Him that called me forth to suffer for His Name and Ordinances and the solemne engagements of the Land to Him and that he hath taken this way to take me away from the evill to come The Lord bless all His Poor Afflicted groaning People that are behind Hereafter I will not talk with flesh and blood nor think on the Worlds consolations Farewel all my Friends whose company hath 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 thow hast made with me an Everlasting Covenant Ordered in all things and Sure And this is all my Salvation and all my desire Bless the Lord O my Soul that hath pardoned all my Iniquities in the Blood of His Son and healed all my Deseases Bless Him O all ye his Angels that excel in strength ye Ministers that do his pleasure Bless the Lord O my Soul Halelujah Edinburgh Tolbooth December 22. 1666. Sic subscribitur HEW M c KAIL. I have heard that some of the Prisoners are willing to save their lives by taking the Declaration That is by abjuring that Work and Cause for which they adventured their Lives Which if they do our blood shall bear witness against them in the great Day of God And God shall so punish some of them in this Life that they shall curse the day that ever they shifted to dy on a scaffold HEW M c KAIL. The Testimony of JOHN WODROW Merchant in Glasgow who died in Edinburgh Decemb. 22. 1666. Dear Friends I Am condemned to die I shall say little concerning men who have judged and condemned me they are to answer to God for it But I bless the 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 constrained but from conscience of my being engaged by Covenant to God and with a full purpose to perform my vows made in that Covenant unto the Lord in the strength of Jesus Christ And that I might endeavour to restore again the precious Ordinances to their former purity 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 down that Antichristian Prelacy and that perjured crue of Prelats 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 joyned 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 justifyed 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 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 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 yeeldeth 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 Conversation to which all ranks of the Land are as well bound as I though many alas 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 mens consciences And this mischief is framed by a Law which doth greatly highten the Sin O! tell it not in Oath and publish it not in Askelon Oh! that this should be heard of amongst Papists and Pagans
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
because 1 Chron. 28 1. there were Princes of Tribs Captains of Thousands Hundreds Stewarts and Officers for Civil affairs And 2 Chron. 19 8 c. there are Church Officers Priests Levits chief of the Fathers there are distinct Matters the Matters of the Lord and the Matters of the King Ver. 11. There are distinct Acts or Sentences for Warning not to trespass is more proper to Ecclesiastical then Civil Persons And there are distinct Moderators or Presidents Amariah is over you for the Mattâ—rs of the Lord and Zebadiah for the Matters of the King Now what should all this mean viz. Distinct causes and Persons set over them to Judge them respectively and what meaneth these distinct Acts Sentences and Penalties if not to hold out the Distinction of Government and of Judicaâ—ories respectively exercing the same Yea â—hat was in the Old Testament we may know by what we read in the New for Matth. 21 ver 23. and 27 ver 1. and 26 v. 3 57 59. Act. 4 v. 5 6 15. and 5 v. 21 27. there are Assemblies Councils which must needs be Ecclesiastical not only because they consisted of Ecclesiastical persons the High Priest Cheef Priests and Elders of the People Cognosced of Ecclesiastical Causes the life Doctrin and Authority of Christ and his Apostles And past Ecclesiastical Sentences about preching in the Name of Christ Act. 4 and 5. But also because the Jewes being subdued the Supreme civil Government was taken out of their hands and little left them but the Ecclesiastical And if at any time in the Old Testament the same persons were members of both Judicatories it was under distinct Notions and considerations as Ecclesiastical in the one and Civil in the Other As now the Ruling Elder under several Considerations and Capacities may be a member of an Ecclesiastical and Civil Iudicatory It is true that the High Priests and some Kings had great hand in both Civil Ecclesiastical affairs but Extraordinary and may be Typicall instances are not an Ordinary and Universal Rule And it may be also that in the New Testament these Councils meddled in Civil Affairs for Matth. 27 ver 1. they take counsel against Iesus to put him to death but that was by Corrupt Abuse of their Power which crept in in the declining State of the Church and when the Civil Government was taken from them by strangers or when wanting a Magistrat they took more upon them then at another time for it was not so from the beginning and was by the like Corrupt and Extravagant Abuse as now the High Commission if it be an Ecclesiastical Courr doth Scourge Stigmatize Fine and Banish or the Prelats now as Members of Parliament Council and Session make themselves Judges of Blood Pleas c. And as this was the Manner Difference of the Jewish Church and State under the Old Testament so under the New Testament there is by Divine Institution a Formal and Specifical Difference between the Government of the Church and Common-wealth For ye will not only find Office-bearers Given unto and Set in the Church Rom. 12 ver 8. 1 Cor. 12 ver 28. Ephes 4 ver 11. Which are as wel Distinct from Office-bearers of the State as from the People for neither Magistrat nor People were ever called Apostles Prophets Evangelists c. especially in the Apostles sense But also RULERS distinct from the Rulers of the Common-wealth who 1 Thess 5 ver 12. are Over the People and Hebr. 13 ver 17. Rule over them Now these Rulers cannot be the Magistrat for in none of the places doth the Apostle Intend or Mention him Besids at that time there was not a Christian Magistrat to Rule the State and how should the Rule of the Church be committed to a Pagan And 1 Tim. 5 ver 17. He that Labours in Word and Doctrin seemeth to have more Honour then He who Ruleth which if either Magistrat or Prelate be the Ruler how they will Relish that the poor preaching Presbyter should be more Honoured then they let any man Iudge Here then are Ecclesiastical Rulers distinct from these of the Common-wealth To these Rulers belongeth the Cognition of Ecclesiastical Offences in Contradistinction to Civil Causes and Iudges Matth. 18. Tell the Church Now the Civil Magistrat cannot be this Church where is He ever so termed Or how will He being himself a Heathen accompt another man so Here then is a Church distinct from the Common-wealth here are Church-Offences distinct from Breaches of Civil or Municipall Lawes here is Church-Delation or Complaint distinct from any complaint to the Magistrat tell the Church and consequently here is a Church-power of Cognition of these Offences distinct from that which resids in the Magistrat else it were in vain to tell the Church and as good or better to tell the Magistrat And here is a Church-Sentence Let him be unto thee as a Heathen which the Magistrat being then Heathen himself would never pronounce against or inflict as a Punishment upon another man To these Church-Rulers also is committed not only the Power of Order or Pastorall Administration of Word and Sacraments but also the Power of Jurisdiction whether Dogmatical Diatacticall Critical or Exusiastical and not to the Civil Magistrat And accordingly Jesus Christ giveth the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven to Peter and not to Cesar Mat. 16.19 Ye will find Church-Assemblies distinct from Parliaments Convention of Estâ—ts Senats c. yea when the Magistrat was an Enemy determining questioned Matters of Faith and Practice Act. 15 The Apostle Paul enjoineth the Church of Corinth and not the Magistrat both to Excommunicat and Absolve the Incestuous man 1 Cor. 5.4.5 and 2 Cor. 2.7.8 The same Apostle leaveth Titus and not the Magistrat to Ordain Elders in Every City Tit. 1. v. 5 and accordingly it is performed by the Presbytery and not by the Magistrat 1 Tim. 4.14 The Apostle Iohn thereateneth by Himself and not by the civil Magistrat to Censure Diotrephes 3. Iohn 10. And as the Power it self and the several Acts thereof are Committed to Church-Officers So to them and not to the Civil Magistrat are all the Directions given for Regulation of the Exercise thereof distinct from the Directions given to the Magistat for Regulation of the affairs of the Common-wealth and so in the case of Offence there must be private rebuke before Publick delation Mat. 18 15 16 17. In the case of Publick Scandal there must be a Rebuking before all 1 Tim. 5 20 In the case of Publick Censure there must be Notoriety of the Fault 1 Cor. 5.1 or sufficient conviction of the Person by Confession or Probation Mat. 18.15 In the case of Excommunication it must be when the Church is gathered together 1 Cor. 5.4 and not after the Prelatical fashion in a corner In the case of Absolution there must be sufficient evidence of Repentance 2 Cor. 2.7 In the case of Ordination of Ministers there must be the
other from the Lord Redeemer Head and King of his Church nor yet are they of the same but different Natures as is said before Again if it were properly Subordinat to the civil Power then the Magistrat himself might Exerce all Ecclesiasticall Acts in the Administration of Word and Sacraments as well as of Jurisdiction for as nor ason can be adduced why He may Institute or Alter Church Government or Officers or Exerce the External Regulation thereof which will not by parity of strength infer his Exercing Acts of Order So every Superior Power including all the Inferior He may as well Exerce all Ecclesiastical Power as civil if the One be Subordinat to the Other And further the Magistrat himself as a Christian is but a Member of the Church and Subject to Church-Government and Discipline though it should not be practised except for most weighty Causes in great necessity and with singular Prudence and all due Respect and Reverence to Civil Authority and the Person therewith vestâ—d and accordingly many Magistrats have been censured Yea in some cases as if the Magistrat should unjustly forbid to Preach Baptise Ordain Deprive Excommunicat c. the Church may Exerce Church Power without and against His consent which She could not do if it were Subordinat to him I know there are many clamours of the Absurdity and Inconsistency of two Collateral and Co-Ordinat Supream Powers and Governments in one Kingdom And indeed that Absurdity and Inconsistency may hold true of two Supream Collaterall and Co-Ordinat Powers ejusdem Generis but not in this case where they are diversi generis Yea of their own Natures they are so far from being hurtful that being rightly mannaged they are singularly helpfull to one another Neither can these two Powers and Governments in a Land import now under the New Testament greater absurdity and Inconsistancy then under the Old when the Jewes had their Ecclesiastical Sanedrin as well as civil Courts for the affairs of the Commoun-wealth Hence also it followeth that as Ecclesiastical Power is not Subject to the civil So in matters Ecclesiastical there should be no Appellation from the Church to the civil Magistrat For though when Church Judicatories without their sphere meddle in civil Causes as such or for Ecclesiastical offences inflict civil Punishments they may be Declined as Judges Incompetent in the one case complaint of an unjust or Heterogeneous Sentence is lawful in the other though the Magistrat before He adde his Ratification may require a Reason of Ecclesiasticall proceedings or in case of an injust Sentence may desire the Church to consider the matter again the Church iâ— bound thus to give a Reason or Consider the matter especially in a degenerat or declining time of the Church when more is permitted to the Faithful Magistrat then otherwise Yet there can be no Appellation from the Church to the Magistrat in Ecclesiastical Causes Sentences Not only because all Appellations are from the Inferior to the Superior in Eodem genere but the Church and State are not such as is cleared before but also because the Church is indued with Compleat Power of Cognoscing Final determining Ecclesiastical affairs without dependance upon the State and these Determinations being Just the Lord hath promised to Ratify Mat. 18 18. And the Magistrat having no Formal Church Power cannot pronounce Ecclesiastical Sentence or make Redress by Himself so the Appellation is in vain Pauls Appealing to Caesar Act. 25 11. will not help this weak cause For He did not appeal in an Ecclesiastical cause from an Ecclesiastical Court to a Court of another Nature but in a matter of alleaged Sedition from Festus an Inferior Magistrat to Caesar the Supream Neither is the Instance of Ieremy stronger then the former Ier. 26 8.9 c for there is no mention of His appealing from the Priests to the Magistrat but of his Apology before the Princes who came to hear the matter and their Voluntary delivering him from the Uniust persecution of the Priests and Prophets who were not competent Judges of Life and Death Neither is the Exception of the Difference betwixt a Heathen and Christian Magistrat more Valid in this matter for besids all that is before said in the old Testament the Government of the Church was Committed to Church-Officers even when the Magistrat was Religious and why not in the New The Government of the Church is not committed to them because the Magistrat is Heathen or upon Temporary but upon other Moral and Immutable grounds therefore should not be taken from them when he becometh Christian It is sure that the Church had power given unto Her to Govern Herself when the Magistrat was Heathen now when and where is that Power Repealed If Church-Govenment belong to the Christian Magistrat then it is either as Magistrat or as Christian if as Magistrat or as Christian then according to the known maxime it belongeth to Every Magistrat and so to the Heathen and to Every Christian both which are false Was the Magistrat no Magistrat or Incompleat when being Heathen he did not meddle with Church Government or did the Church Usurp and Rob the Heathen Magistrat of that Power in the Apostles dayes and 2 or 300 years after Shall the Church by the promise of Nursing Fathers have less Power and Priviledge or be in worse Condition by a Christian then Heathen Magistrat And how vain iâ— the Distinction of Outward Regulation of the Church and Inward for that must be the other terme for the Inward Regulation thereof belongs incontrovertibly to Jesus Christ and if the Magistrat hath the Outward what is left to the Church These things which had they been formally digested would have been more clear and convincing are only thus confusedly and abruptly hiâ—ted nor should I have said so much if besids the Erastian Spirit which more then ever doth now rage some Parliamentary and Council-Expressions and aggreeable practices had not given occasion Whether it be Primitive or not let the Reader Judge but sure I am the Kings Government of the Church and State Charles c. Supream Governor in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Civil The Bishops serving the King in the Church is neither Scriptural nor Safe Dialect Him they may serve and Whether or How Time will tell but well know I whom they do not serâ—e in the Church and indeed it is proper that they who are there only by the Will of Man should only serve Man His Commissioners they are and accordingly Sharp hath deposed some Ministers by Vertue of the Power which he hath from his Majesty and therefore they can expect no greater Assistance Blessing or Reward then he can give But yet there is a greatâ—r to whom they must give an Accompt Having beyond my first intention detained Thee longer then perhaps was Necessary or will be Profitable or Pleasant Thow may'st now speak with the Deduction which is of age able to
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
groaning under or in danger of the yoke of Antichristian Tyranny or to joyn in the same or like Association Covenant To the Glory of GOD the enlargement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the peace tranquillity of Christian Kingdoms and Common-wealths A Solemn Acknowledgement of publick Sins and Breaches of the Covenant AND A Solemn Engagement to all the Duties contained therein namely thâ—se which do in a more speciall way relate unto the dangers of these times ANNO 1648. WE Noblemen Barons Gentlemen Burgesses Ministers of the Gospel and Commons of all sorts within this Kingdom by the good hand of GOD upon us taking in serious consideration the many sad afflictions and deep distresses wherewith we have been exercised for a long time past and that the Land after it hath been sore wasted with the Sword and the Pestilence and threatened with Famine and that shame and contempt hath been poured out from the Lord against many thousands of our Nation who did in a sinful way make War upon the Kingdom of England contrary to the Testimony of his Servants and desires of his People and that the remnant of that Army returning to this Land have spoiled and oppressed many of our Brethren and that the Malignant party is still numerous retaining their former principles wait for an opportunity to raise a new and dangerous War not only unto the rending of the bowells of this Kingdom but unto the dividing of us from England overturning of the work of God in all the three Kingdoms And considering also that a cloud of calamities doth still hang over our heads threaten us with sad things to come We cannot but look upon these things as from the Lord who is righteous in all his wayes feeding us with the bread of tears and making us to drink the waters of affliction untill we be taught to know how evil and bitter a thing it is to depart away from him by breaking the Oath and Covenant which we have made with him and that we may be humbled before him by confessing our sinne and forsaking the evil of our way Therefore being pressed with so great necessities and straits and warranted by the word of God and having the example of Gods people of old who in the time of their troubles and when they were to seek delivery and a right way for themselves that the Lord might be with them to prosper them did humble themselves before him and make a free and particular confession of the sins of their Princes their Rulers their Captains their Priests and their people and did engage themselves to do no more so but to reform their wayes and be stedfast in his Covenant And remembring the practise of our predecessours in the year 1596. Wherein the General Assembly and all the Kirk-judicatories with the concurrence of many of the Nobily Gentry and Burgesses did with many tears acknowledge before God the breach of the National Covenant and engaged themselves to a Reformation even as our predecessors and theirs had before done in the Generall Assembly and convention of Estates in the year 1567. And perceiving that this duty when gone about out of conscience and in sincerity hath alwayes been attended with a reviving out of troubles and with a blessing and successe from Heaven We do humbly and sincerely in his sight who is the searcher of hearts acknowledge the many sins and great transgressions of the Land We have done wickedly our Kings our Princes our Nobles our Judges our Officers our Teachers and our People Albeit the Lord hath long and clearly spoken unto us we have not hearkened to his voice Albeit he hath followed us with tender mercies we have not been allured to wait upon him and walk in his way And though he hath stricken us yet we have not grieved Nay though he hath consumed us we have refused to receive correction We have not remembred to render unto the Lord according to his goodnesse and according to our own vows and promises but have gone away backward by a continued course of backsliding and have broken all the Articles of that solemn League and Covenant which we swore before God Angels and men Albeit there be in the land many of all ranks who be for a Testimony unto the Truth and for a name of joy and praise unto the Lord by living godly studying to keep their garments pure and being stedfast in the Covenant and Cause of God Yet we have reason to acknowledge that most of us have not endeavoured with that reality sincerity and constancy that did become us to preserve the work of Reformation in the Kirk of Scotland Many have satisfied themses with the purity of the Ordinances neglecting the power thereof yea some have turned aside to crooked wayes destructive to both The prophane loose and insolent carriage of many in our Armies who went to the Assistance of our BRETHREN in ENGLAND And the tamperings and unstraight dealing of some of our Commissioners and others of our Nation in London the Isle of Wight other places of that Kingdom have proved great lets to the work of Reformation and setling of Kirk-Government there wherby Errour and Schism in that Land have been encreased and Sectaries hardened in their way We have been so far from endeavouring the extirpation of Prophannesse and what is contrary to the power of godlinesse that prophanity hath been much winked at and Prophane persons much countenanced many times employed until iniquity and ungodlinesse hath gone over the face of the land as a flood Nay sufficient care hath not been had to separate betwixt the precious and the vile by debarring from the Sacrament all ignorant and scandalous persons according to the Ordinances of this Kirk Neither have the Priviledges of the Parliaments and Liberties of the Subject been duly tendered But some amongst our selves have labored to put into the hands of our King an arbitrary and unlimited power destructive to both And many of us have been accessory of late to those means and ways whereby the freedom and priviledges of Parliaments have been encroached upon and the Subjects oppressed in their Consciences persons and Estates Neither hath it been our care to avoid these things which might harden the King in his evill way But upon the contrary he hath not onely been permitted but many of us have been instrumentall to make him exercise his power in many things tending to the prejudice of Religion and of the Covenant and of the Peace and safety of these Kingdoms Which is so farre from the right way of preserving his Majesty's Person and Authority that it cannot but provoke the Lord against him unto the hazard of both Nay under a pretence of relieving and doing for the King whilst he refuses to do what was necessary for the house of God some have ranversed and violated most of all the Articles of the Covenant Our own Consciences within and Gods judgements upon us without do
Albeit we be the Lords people engaged to him in a solemn way yet to this day we have not made it our study that judicatories Armies should consist of and places of power and trust be filled with men of a blamelesse and Christian conversation and of known integrity and approven fidelity affection and Zeal unto the cause of God but not onely those who have been neutrall and indifferent but disaffected and Malignant and others who have been prophane and scandalous have been intrusted By which it hath come to passe that judicatories have been the seats of injustice and iniquity aad many in our Armies by their miscarriages have become our plague unto the great prejudice of the cause of God the great scandall of the Gospel and the great increase of loosenesse prophanity throughout all the Land It were impossible to reckon up all the abominations that are in the Land but the Blaspheming of the name of God swearing by the Creatures prophanation of the Lords Day uncleannesse drunkennesse excesse and rioting vanity of apparrel lying and deceit railing and cursing arbitrary and uncontrolled oppression and grinding of the faces of the poor by Landlords and others in place and power are become ordinary and common sinnes And besides all these things there be many other transgressions whereof the Land wherein we live are guilty All which we desire to acknowledge and to be humbled for that the world may bear witnesse with us that Righteousnesse belongeth unto God and shame confusion of face unto us as appears this day And because it is needfull for these who find mercy not onely to confesse but also to forsake their sinne Therefore that the reality and sincerity of our repentance may appear We do Resolve and solemnly ingage our selves before the Lord carefully to avoid for the time to come all these offences whereof we have now made solemn publick acknowledgement and all the snares and tentations which tend thereunto And to testifie the integrity of our resolution herein and that we may be the better enabled in the power of the Lords strength to perform the same We do again Renue our Solemn League and Covenant Promising hereafter to make conscience of all the duties whereunto we are obliged in all the heads and Articles thereof particularly of these which follow 1. Because Religion is of all things the most excellent and precious The advancing and promoving the power thereof against all ungodlinesse and profanity The securing and preserving the purity thereof against all error heresy and schisme and namely Independency Anabatisme Antinomianisme Arminianisme Socinianisme Familisme Libertinisme Scepticisme and Erastianisme and the carrying on the work of uniformity shall be studied endeavoured by us before all worldly interests whether concerning the King or our selves or any other whatsomever 2 Because many have of late laboured to supplant the liberties of the Kirk we shall maintain and defend the Kirk of Scotland in all her liberties and priviledges against all who shall oppose or undermine the same or encroach thereupon under any pretext whatsomever 3. We shall vindicat and maintain the liberties of the Subjects in all these things which concern their consciences persons and Estates 4. We shall carefully maintain and defend the Union betwixt the Kingdoms and avoid every thing that may weaken the same or involve us in any measure of accession unto the guilt of those who have invaded the Kingdom of England 5. As we have been always Loyall to our King so we shall still endeavour to give unto God that which is Gods and to Caesar the things which are Cesars 6. We shall be so farre from conniving at complying with or contenancing of Malignancy injustice iniquity prophanity and impiety that we shall not onely avoid and discountenance those things and cherish and encourage these persons who are zealous for the Cause of God and walk according to the Gospel But also shall take a more effectuall course then heretofore in our respective Places and Callings for punishing and suppressing these evils and faithfully endeavour that the best and fittest remedies may be applyed for taking away the causes thereof and advancing the knowledge of God and Holinesse and Righteousnesse in the Land And therefore in the last place as we shall earnestly pray unto God that he would give us able men fearing God men of truth and hating covetousnesse to judge and bear charge among his people so we shall according to our Places and Callings Endeavour that Judicatories and all places of power and trust both in Kirk and State may consist of and be filled with such men as are of known good affection to the cause of God and of a blamelesse and Christian conversation And because there be many who heretofore have not made conscience of the oath of God but some through fear others by perswasion and upon base ends and humane interests have entered thereinto who have afterwards discovered themselves to have dealt deceitfully with the Lord in swearing falsly by his name Therefore we who do now renew our Covenant in reference to these duties and all other duties contained therein Do in the sight of him who is the searcher of hearts solemnly Professe that it is not upon any politique advantage or private interest or by-end or because of any terror or perswasion from men or hypocritically and deceitfully that we do again take upon us the oath of God But honestly and sincerely and from the sence of our duty And that therefore denying our selves and our own things and laying aside all self interest and ends We shall above all things seek the honour of God the good of his Cause and the wealth of his people and that forsaking the counsels of flesh and blood and not leaning upon carnall confidences we shall depend upon the Lord walk by the rule of his word and hearken to the voice of his servants In all which professing our own weaknesse We do earnestly pray to God who is the father of mercies through his Son Jesus Christ to be merciful unto us and to enable us by the power of his might that we may do our duty unto the praise of his Grace in the Churches Amen The occasion of this Acknowledgment and Engagement was this THE Commission of the General Assembly 1648. considering the many breaches of the Solemn League and Covenant and particularly by the Engagement in War that Year against England The Slackness of many in following the duties therein And that many being under age when it was first sworn had not been receaved into the same did by their Act October 6. ordain it to be renewed with this Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins breaches and Engagement to duties And to that effect appointed two solemn Fasts to be keeped in all the Congregations of the Land for the Causes contained in the Acknowledgment of Sins And that intimation thereof should be made to the people upon the Sabbath before that the Covenant
together with the former Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to duties should be read publickly to the People upon the day of the Intimation and the last Fast day when the Covenant was to be sworn This resolution of the Commission upon the same grounds was unanimously approven by the Committee of Estats then sitting and by their Act October 14. Ordained to be put in Execution in all things according to the directions of the Commission And accordingly in the moneth of December it was for the second time sworn in all the Congregations of the Kingdome upon the same day except where vacancy or the Ministers being under scandal or process did occasion a delay till another day that the place was supplyed by another Minister with great Solemnity and such mixture of Joy Sorrow as became people entering in Covenant with the Lord And was thereafter Subscribed by all the Swearers After ward the Parliament Conveening in January 1649 by their very first Act except the Election of their President upon the same grounds Resolved to keep a Fast by themselves for the Causes contained in the Acknowlegment and to Renew the Covenant according to the Order of the Commission which was also most solemnly done And last of all the Generall Assembly 1649. by their Act July 7. did unanimously and expresly Ratify the Proceedings of the Commission as to the Acknowledgment of Sins Engagement to dueties the Fasts and Renewing of the Covenant by Swearing and Subscribing thereof Hence as the Covenant it self so the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins Engagement to duties became National Authorised by the Supream Judicatures of Church and State and are still obliging by Oath Oh! that the Lord had kept these things in the Imagination of the thought of our hearts for ever ERRATA WHilst this was upon the Press some Errors which escaped in some sheets were corrected in others so that thou must not stumble though some Copies be more correct then others Besides other literal escapes which will not marr the sense before thou read the Book correct with thy pen thâ—se following Pag. 3. lin 4. for other as read as other p. 4. l. 32. r. witnesses p. 5. l. 3. r. solemn p. 6. l. 12. r strong p. 8. l. 15. r. sufficiently p. 15. l 29. for or r on â—b l. 16. r. opportunity p. 24. l. 14. for of r. or p. 25. l. 4. r. resolution Ib. l. 32. forâ— are r. are a lb. 33. r. worthies p. 30. l. 21. for 27. r. 17. lb. 23. for 10. r. 8. p. 35. l. 8. r. 1560. Ib. l. 30. r. 1571. p. 38. l. 16. r. 1584. p 67. l. 27. for hoth r. both p. 70. l. 12. for he r. the. p. 81. l. 12. r. during p. 88. l. 18. r. slain p. 100. l. 11. de e the. Ib. l. 12. r. generally Ib. 19. for the r. that p. 103 l. 14. for out r. ought p. 120. l. 16. for what r. that p 129. l 12. r. rageth in p. 154. l. 23. for where r. were p. 188 l. 6. r. his p 281. l. 27. r. it is p. 282. l. 13. r. Advocats A True and short DEDUCTION Of the WRESTLINGS of the CHURCH of SCOTLAND For the KINGDOM of JESUS CHRIST From the beginning of the Reformation of Religion unto the Year 1667. AFter all these great glorious things which the Lord in his Love Mercy and Faithfulness hath wrought for this Land and in his Holiness and Righteousness hath declared amongst us these clear and powerfull Manifestations of his blessed Truth which have so brightly shined forth to the Glory Beauty and Praise of this whole Nation After these many sacred and most solemn Engagements whereby in the evidence and power of the same Truth all Ranks and degrees from the King even to the meanest became and are still bound and devoted to the Most High and Holy Our Covenanted God and to our blessed Lord Jesus Christ who alone is King in Zion and of all Saints and whose are all the Kings and Kingdomes of the Earth for the advancement of his Glory and Kingdome and for the owning and maintaining of his glorious Work and precious Truth which is all our Felicity and Joy And after all this horrid Apostacy and Rebellion whereby the same wretched Nation in the same Generation and almost in the same Persons neither from the conviction of any pretended Reason or Conscience nor from any solid persuasion of the very Advantage designed but in the manifest Spirit of Wickedness and violence have forgotten despised and blasphemed the former power and Glory Rebelled against God by breaking the Holy Covenant Rejected our Lord and Saviour Overturned the Work of his own blessed Spirit and Arme Abrogated and rescinded all these righteous Lawes and Ordinances whereby it was established And by most Unjust Arbitrary and Cruel Lawes and Practises have endeavoured the rebuilding and promoving of the Kingdome of Darkness and Antichrist and precipitating of all men either into the same condemnation with themselves or utter ruine and Extermination After we say all these things which the Lord hath thus wrought and permitted in the midst of us neither the Discouragement and Fainting of some nor the Unsuccesfulness of the more honest and Zealous endeavours of others nor yet our Silence hithertil is greatly to be wondered at For whose eyes can behold all these things without Dimnes and affecting of the heart And whose heart can consider them without Astonishment and Horrour if not Stupefaction or Discouragement How little wonder is it that every visage suppose of the fairest Nazarit be blacker then a coale That every eye run down with waters that the souls of many refuse to be comforted neither do nor dare rejoice as other people When not only by their going a whoreing from the Lord their dayly bread is become the bread or Adversity and the waters of Affliction and when their famine of the Word of the Lord is such that though they wander from sea to sea seeking it they cannot find it Bot also the Comforter that should releeve their souls is far from them and either covereth Himself with a cloud that their prayers cannot pass through or then answereth them only by terrible things in Righteousness How can they who by their Vanities have moved the Holy God to Jealousy and thereby have provoked their Rock to fell them stand before their Enemies or chase a thousand put ten thousand to flight alâ—hough that we should plead with our Mother with our Rulers with all other ranks of persons within the Land that they would put away their whoredomes out of their sight their Adulteries from betwen their breasts yet what hope is there that Words shall prevaill where the Power and Glory of the most High is contemned Or that Reason shall be heard where the Counsell of God is rejected Here indeed is matter of Wonder and Praise even the Longsuffering of the Lord which is Salvation and the Mercy and
owned it and stood to it but did account themselves so much the more obliged to their own Preservation and esteemed the same so much the more endeared to them that the seâ—ing forth of the Glory of God in the maintainance of the blessed Gospel and the propagation and continuance thereof seemed so necessarily to depend thereon which endeavours they did also further extend in the bowels and bonds of brotherly affection in Christ Jesus unto the same duty of defence Assistence to all his members And in effect if their Principles and Practices be well considered it will appear that as when God called them to suffering they loved not their lives unto Death that they might witness a good confession so when they attained to any Probability of Acting they thought themselves indispensibly obliged upon their uttermost hazard to defend the Gospel which they had receaved and to suppress all Superstition and Idolatry contrary therto although the motive of Self-defence had not been conjoined And it will also appear that the Necessity of Convocations and Combinations though not only without but even against Authority Yet being in order to such necessary and just Ends did suffiriently warrand them befor God and all men from the breach of any Law or Act then standing against the same wherewith they might have been charged For verification hereof though the whole course of our Reformation be an unquestionable evidence yet let the instance of their first Appearance be observed wherein both the Motives Actors and all other circumstances do more clearly and beyond all cavillation hold out that only the Love and Zeal of God in the same Spirit in which they had so constantly suffered did stir them up from the pure and vive sense of their indispensible duty and certaine Priviledge against all opposition whatsomever to own and set themselves for the Defence of the Gospel and the true Ministers thereof The passage is thus In or about the Year 1555 the Queen by the instigation of the Prelats perceaving the increase of the Protestants and fearing some inward distraction during the wars then with England if Shee should fall upon a more rigorous and general course did cause all the Preachers to be summoned whereupon the body and generality of the whole Protestants resolved to keep the Dyet But the Bishops apprehending the hazard did procure that they should be commanded instantly to the borders Nevertheless God had so provided that upon the same day the West-land Quarter returned from it which consisting of many faithful men so soon as they understood the matter they repaired to the Queen and plainly in the hearing of the Prelates did charge them with the cruel device intended and certified Her ' of their resolution both to oppose it and defend their Brethren to their uttermost and ceased not until that She was moved to discharge the citation Thereafter in the Year 1557. they entered into a Covenant of constant mutual Defence of the Gospel their Ministers and themselves against all their adversaries in these words VVe perceiving how Sathan in his members the Antichrists of our time cruelly do rage seeking to overthrow and destroy the Gospel of Christ and his Congregation ought according to our bounden duty to strive in our Masters Cause even unto the death being certaine of the Victorie in him The which our duty being well considered VVe do promise before the Majesty of God and his Congregation That we by his grace shal with all diligence continually apply our whole power substance and our very lives to maintain set forward and establish the most blessed VVord of God and his Congregation And shall labour according to our power to have faithfull Ministers truly and purely to minister Christs Gospel and Sacraments to his people VVe shal maintain them nourish them and defend them the whole Congregation of Christ and every Member thereof according to our whole powers and waging of our lives against Sathan and all wicked power that doth intend Tyrranny or trouble against the foresaid Congregation Vnto the which holy VVord and Congregation we de joyne us and so do forsake and renounce the Congregation of Sathan with all the superstitious abomination and idolatry thereof And moreover shall declare our selves manifest enemies therto by this our faithful promise before God testified to this Congregation by our Subscription at these Presents At Edinburgh the third Day of December Anno 1557. God called to witness Like as in the Year 1559. being again necessitated to assemble for and stand to the defence of the Gospel and themselves at Perth they renewed and enlarged the same engagement according to the good hand and Spirit of God upon his Servants in these words At Perth the last day of May the Year of God 1559. Yeares the Congregations of the VVest Countrey with the Congregations of Fife Perth Dundie Angus Merns and Monross being conveened in the town of Perth in the Name of Iesus Christ for setting forth of his glory understanding nothing more necessary for the same then to keep a constant amity unity and fellowship together according as they are commanded by God are confederate and become bounden and obliged in the presence of God to concurre assist together in doing all things required of God in his Scripture that may be to his glory And at their whole powers to destroy and put away all things that doth dishonour to his name so that God may be truly and purely worshipped And in case that any trouble be intended aganst the said Congregation or any part or member thereof the whole Congregation shall concurre assist and conveen together to the defence of the same Congregation or person troubled And shall not spare Labours goods Substance Bodies and Lives in maintaining the liberty of the whole Congregation and every member thereof against whatsoever person shall intend the said trouble for cause of Religion or any other cause depending thereupon or lay to their charge under pretence thereof although it happen to be coloured with any other outward cause And again in the Moneth of August the same Year after having sustained and valiantly resisted a second assault both of the wicked Prelats and of their other violent adversaries by a third band Oath they added a further caution to their former engagements to the effect that in so just and holy a cause they might never by force or fraud be thereafter fainted or divided And lastly in April Anno 15â—0 they ingaged themselves in a fourth bond in these words VVe whose names are underwritten have promised and oblidged our selves faithfully in the presence of God and by these presents do promise that we together in Generall and every one of us in special by himself with our bodies goods and friends and all that we can doe shall set forward the Reformation of Religion according to Gods VVord and procure by all means possible that the Truth of Gods VVord my haue free passage within this realme with
Discipline promising by the Great Name of the Lord our God to continue in the Obedience of the Doctrine and Discipline thereof all the dayes of their lives Which Discipline as the foregoing Assertions do clearly discover to have been from the beginning fundamentally Presbyterial so the Model of Presbytery being now compleated and any shaddow of power that the Mock-Bishops had lately usurped being now fully abrogated it is sufficiently clear that both Prelacy is by this Covenant abjured and Presbytery owned and sworn to And really if it be further considered that the Assemblies both 1581. and 1590 while most intent and forward in the erecting of Presbyteries did enjoyn and require the same to be subscribed by all ranks of People in the Land and that these Acts were both seconded and enforced by Ordinances of King and Council it may be justly doubted whether the impudence of the succeeding Prelats in denying of the Obligation or Perjury in breaking of it be greater This is the Great Oath into which as the Lord God did bring us by the Power of his own Spirit and Truth in opposition to that Bloody Bond called the Holy League wherein Antichrist and his followers had at that time conjured themselves against the true Church of God So the Kingdom thereby became the Lords and we his peculiar people as-well by the people's subjecting of themselves and their Alleageance as by the King 's submitting Himself and his Scepter in a due Subordination unto God and our Lord Jesus Christ for the maintenance and defence of his Church and Gospell the Liberties of the Land and Ministration of Justice And this Oath and the Ordinances enjoyning it notwithstanding the many fearful violations thereof that have ensued do yet stand to this day unrepealed and declared against to the unanswerable conviction and condemnation even in their own Courts and Consciences of all it 's wicked Transgressors 6. As the Tulchan Bishops were the effect and product of the Avarice of these Lords that favoured them So the same principle of Avarice and Wickedness did again resist the Work of God when almost brought to Perfection by stirring up certain of the Nobles to re-induce Bishops for the better inhaunsing of their Benefices and the devouring of the Churches patrimony And not only for their better establishment that what they want of Divine Right and Warrant might be supplyed by the accession of the Kings power and Command but also that by their meanes the growing wickedness of these times might abound without restraint or control the Devil inciteth others of the more prophane licentious and violent Courtiers such as the Earle of Arran and his complices to move and instigat the King contrary both to the Word and Oath of God to usurp the Prerogative of Jesus Christ who is alone King in Zion and to invade His Churches Priviledges purchased for Her with His own Blood by assuming to Himself in the first and immediat Instance the cognition of Her Doctrine and Censures Which though the Church did constantly and valiantly oppose both by Petitions and Protestations yet this Wickedness did so impetously proceed that all at once in a Parliament summarily called in the Year 1582. the Prerogative of Our Lord is translated upon the King and his Jurisdiction and Empire exalted over all persons and Causes the Estate of Bishops their power and dignity confirmed the power of the General Assemblies of the Church put in the King's hand We mention not these things with any purpose to debate these questions which have been moved on this Subject Only we are confident that how extensive soever the King's power may be in the case of Reformation which Alas for the most part cometh short of it's reach yet where a Church is Regularly constituted and so acting and by Him sworn to be maintained no King or Prince ought so far to intrude Himself into Her Power and Priviledges unto which he is neither called nor gifted as to assume to Himself a Soveraign immediat power of judging and discerning upon Doctrine and her most spirituall Rights and Censures and thereby in effect not only to constitut Himself a Proper and direct Church-Officer without our Lords appointment but in stead of Papacy so justly abrogated and so solemnly abjured to erect and revive the same in Himself a Secular Person far more absurdly and intollerably We know that other formalities and notions are pretended as these of Treason Sedition and Disorder to palliat and colour this Usurpation but seing nothing spoken or acted by warrant of the Word of God can fall under the definition or pain of these crimes and that all Ministers and Ecclesiastick Courts are known allowed and presumed both to speak and act according to that only warrant and Lastly seing both the warrant is to them committed and the Church is priviledged and permitted to have it 's own proper power and cognition thereanent as it followeth by clear consequence that the things questioned must and ought to be first subjected to her tryal and cognition so none do deny the Magistrat's just right and power over both these things and persons they being once lawfully found to be destitut of the warrant pretended But seing both Scripture and Reason doth testify against this Usurpation as most unlawful in it self and injurious to our Lord Jesus and that all experiences have proven it to be most pernicious to His Church Kingdom therefore many of his faithful Servants have worthily and valiantly resisted it not only to bonds and banishment but even to blood for the Testimony of their Lord Master We return to the purpose of this observation which is to vindicat the honour of the Lord's Work and the memory of his faithful Servants in the discovery of the old malice and subtilty of the great Enemy of the Church of God working in the wicked Prelats their abettors who to the effect they may enjoy their carnall designes and prosecute their wicked lusts without controll endeavour mainly by an absolute surrender of all things powers persons and interests to flatter and exalt the King unto an illimited Soveraignty and pretended Omnipotency thereby both to oblidge and enable him the more to such acts deeds and grants as are requisite for the satisfying of their vain Ambition insatiable Covetousness and wicked lusts Which Flattery and Usurpation being not more agreeable to the vain heart of man then contrary to the Kingdom of our Lord and the Power and Purity of His blessed Gospel what wonder if his faithful Servants who can neither deny His Name nor dissobey His commands by complying with the wicked practices and the blasphemous flattery of these vile Apostats be not only hated of all men but with their Lord and Master become the continual object of the reproaches violence and cruelty of the wicked as enemies and rebells to lawful Authority Now that the World may perceav the wicked intent and design of this Prerogative that it is
them over-ruled in the Year 1640. the King and Prelats vigorously arm again and prepare for a new war But this intended War is composed by a new Pacification and in the mean time the Parliament formerly adjourned until Iune 1640 doth conveen at the time appointed and by their fourth fifth and sixth Acts fully establish Presbyterial Government ratify the Covenant with the Addition and Explanation of the Assembly and all Acts made thereanent abrogat the Estate of Bishops and all Acts whatsoever made in their favours Thereafter in the Treaty ensuing the Pacification it is agreed that the Acts past in the last Parliament with these to be made in the next Session thereof shall be published in the King's Name and have the strength of Laws in all time coming Which Treaty being closed and the last Session of the above-mentioned Parliament sitting in the Moneth of Iune 1641. the King in person being present among them and the Oath of Parliament for maintenance of Religion in purity as then established and of the King's Authority and the Peoples Liberties according to the Covenant and for endeavouring by all just and humble meanes of Union and Peace betwixt the three Kingdomes appointed to be taken by that all succeeding Parliaments being taken by the second Act thereof superscribed by the King and subscribed by the President the foresaid Treaty is amply and perpetually confirmed and the whole Articles thereof are ratifyed and recorded Thus by all the Security that either Sacred Oaths or Acts of Lawful Authorized Assemblies Ordinances of King and Council doubled and re-iterated Pacifications and Treaties Acts of Parliament Enacted Re-enacted the Kings Authority and Consent being often and solemnly interposed both by promise and hand-writ And all that either Religion Truth Faith Honour or Honesty could devise or grant these Wicked Prelats are cast out of this Church and Kingdom Presbyterial Government fully established the pure Worship of God with His pure and powerful Ordinances and Ministry restored and in the maintenance and pursuance of all these great Blessings the whole Land by many Oaths most Solemn tyes engaged unto the Lord for ever By all which Blessings and the restoring of the Lord 's own Ordinances amongst us as the Work of the Gospel and the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus in the Conversion of many thousands were greatly advanced and the Glory of God in the abounding of true Piety and flourishing of Righteousness did eminently shine amongst us as the memory of these times in all such as fear God and love our Lord Jesus Christ doth sweetly testify so all these great things were transacted to the perpetual shame and confusion of all our calumnious Adversaries without any diminution of his Majesty's just Authority and Greatness As the Power and Glory of the Lord was great in this Land so the splendor and fame thereof reaching unto other Nations it pleased the Lord thereby to provoke His People in England at that time grievously groaning under the Tyrannous yoke of Prelacy and justly alarmed by the imminent fears of prevailing Popery to set about and intend the like blessed Reformation It doth not concern us to reflect on the Causes and beginnings of that War betwixt the King and Parliament there nor what were the transactions betwixt the two Kingdoms in order to that Aid and Assistance given by Scotland and how the same was mannaged But this is certain that upon the Representation of the most just and important grounds of the maintenance of Religion and Liberty against the prevailing power of Popery Prelacy and Tyranny in that Kingdom of England and their most instant and earnest desires for our help and Assistance and rhe most rational clear motives of our own Security the hazard and loss whereof had undoubtedly been the consequence of the Prelats Victory there this Kingdom was induced in the Year 1643. to enter into that Sacred Bond of the Solemne League and Covenant never to be forgotten containing no other Articles then every one's Sincere and constant endeavours in their several places callings for the preservation of the Reformed Religion in this Church in Doctrine VVorship Discipline and Government the Reformation of the same in England and Ireland according to the VVord of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches and the nearest Conjunction and Vniformity of all the three in Truth Faith and Love the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Error and Profanity the preservation of the rights and Liberties of the People and of the Kings person and Authority in defence of the true Religion and the Kingdom 's Liberties the Discovery and the punishment of Incendiaries the retaining of the Peace and Vnion of the Kingdomes the mutual assistance and defence of all entering into this League and the performing of all duties we owe to God in the amendment of our lives and in walking exemplarly one before another And all these in order to no other end then the Glory of God the advancement of the Kingdom of Iesus Christ the Honor and Happiness of the King and his Posterity and the true Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdom This is that Covenant which in all the controversies it hath occasioned did never receave a greater confirmation then from the malice and opposition of it's adversaries who in the same Spirit with the same Spite have alwayes persecuted and reproached it with the same Calumnies of Rebellion Sedition and Blood which from the beginning the Devill hath ever been most active to raise and stir up against the Lord Jesus his Gospel Kingdom and Followers But seing such only as are blessed do evite the offence of Truth and all who truely seek Gods Glory or Love the Lord Jesus did and still do heartily approve and embrace this Covenant though it had brought the Sword not only into Britain but with the Truth into all the Earth though it were reproached as unfriend not only to our King but with our Lord Jesus to Caesar and all the Kings of the Earth though it had divided and disturbed not only Realms and States but with the Gospel families and nearest relations and had with Paul moved Sedition throughout the whole World we ought not thereby to be either shaken or offended We know also that all the subtilty and malice of Hell have been set on work and spared no calumny or cavillation by which either it's Words Matter or Manner might be impugned But these are so often and fully answered and without the assistance of any man's Patrociny by the obvious plainness of it's Phrase the Holiness Importance of it's Purpose and the Justice and Necessity of it's way and Manner so clearly confuted that nothing can be added Only seing the Constancy of Truth ought not to cede to the Confidence of prevailing Powers as we have asserted and do hold the subject matter of this League and Covenant to be in it self Holy Just and True so we cannot but disprove
NATIONAL SOLEMN LEAGUE COVENANT to which he declareth his cordial assent wishing no longer to live then he might see Religion this Kingdō flourish in all happiness 2. After a Sermon most pertinently plainly and powerfully preached upon that 2 Kings 11. v. 12 17. wherein amongst other things the binding power force of the Oath of God and the hazards of the breach thereof are fully represented the Action commenceth with the King 's most Solemn Renewing of the National and Solemn League and Covenant which was in this manner The King kneeling and lifting up his right hand before the three Estats of the Kingdom the Commissioners of the General Assembly and the whole People and Congregation by his great Oath in presence of the Almighty God the Searcher of hearts he assureth declareth his allowance of the NATIONAL COVENANT SOLENN LEAGUE COVENANT promising faithfully to prosecute the Ends thereof and to establish the same with the Presbyterial Government and the whole VVork of God in all his Dominions 3. That having thus taken the Covenants the King is presented to the People and their willingness to have him for their King demanded which they accordingly declare 4. That he did also swear and take the Coronation-Oath appointed and recorded Parl. 1. Iac. 6. cap. 8. to which both the Covenants are most consonant Promising by the Eternal Almighty God who liveth and reigneth for ever to observe and keep the same 5. That when he Sword was put in his hand he is desired to receave the same For the Defence of the Faith of Iesus Christ of the true Religion ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL SOLEMN LEAGUE COVENANT for the Ministration of Iustice which he accordingly accepteth 6. After the Crown is set upon his head the Peoples Obligatory Oath is proclaimed whereby they all swear by the Eternal Almighty God who liveth reigneth for ever to be true faithful to the King ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL SOLEMN LEAGUE COVENANT 7. Being installed and set upon the Throne he is exhorted by the Minister to remember That his Throne is the Lord's Throne 1 Chron. 29. ver 23. And being a Covenanted King set thereon he ought under God to rule for God and especially to beware that he made not the Lord's Throne a Throne of Iniquity to frame mischief by a Law even such mischievous Laws as have been enacted by his Predecessors destructive to Religion and grievous to the Lord's People 8. The Nobles of the Land being called one by one and kneeling before the King on the Throne and holding their hands betwixt his hands did Swear by the Eternal and Almighty God who liveth and reigneth for ever to be true and faithful to the King ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT 9. The action is closed by a most solid and weighty exhortation both to King and People to keep the Covenant and beware of the breach of it which is enforced by these fearful threatenings and instances recorded in the Scriptures of Truth against Covenant-breakers particularly these Nehem. 5. ver 13. where Nehemiah did shake his lap saying So God shake out every man from his house from his labour that performeth not this promise even thus be he shaken out and emptied and all the Congregation said Amen Ier. 34. v. 18 19 20 21. And 2 Chron. 24.23 24 25. With this Pathetick application That if they should break the Covenant God would shake off the King's Crown and turn him from the Throne that he would shake the Nobles out of their possessions and empty them of their Glory and would deliver both to the hands of their enemies who seek their life That breach of Covenant and Rebellion against God was an old and continued Sin in the King's house which God had already severely punished if therefore the King should not acknowledge Iesus Christ King of Zion who is above him but break this Covenant God's controversy against the King's Family would be carried on unto the weakning if not the overthrow of it And lastly both the King and Nobles are certifyed that if the King and they who are engaged to support his Crown shall conspire together against the Kingdom of Iesus Christ both the supporters and the supported will fall together This is that great Action wherein almost all the Solemnities are so twisted with that sacred Bond that the World must acknowledge that never King and People under the Sun became so expresly and strictly obliged both unto God one to another amongst themselves as we were and are by these most Sacred Oaths of the Holy Covenants most indissolubly engaged The fourth and last Advantage was that plenary and last Complement of all Securities whatsoever amongst men viz. the Ratification of all these preceeding Treaties Transactions Engagements and Actions concluded and enacted by the King then having attained the Age of 21 Years compleat and the Parliament fully and freely conveened in the Moneth of Iune 1651. whereby the same did pass into a perpetual Law And this Covenant which from the beginning was and is the most firm and Indispensible Oath of God became at length the very Fundamental Law of the Kingdom whereon all the Rights and Priviledges either of King or People are principally bottomed and secured This is the fair side of the Transactions and providences of thesse times and the effects of the Lord 's favourable presence and the consequence of that Zeal which we have mentioned O! that we had sincerely minded and walked agreeably to all these Engagements surely our times should have endured for ever but seing both our own backslidings and the Lord 's withdrawing from us do evidently testify against us let us ascribe Righteousness unto our God that in the remembrance of all these Judgements wherewith he hath punished us less then our inquities deserve we may not only take unto our selves shame and Confusion of face because we have sinned against Him and thereby stop the mouth of all these blasphemies and boastings of the Adversaries of the Lord and His Holy Covenant which our Backslidings have so widely opened but in the thoughts of His faithfulness be encouraged to hope in His Mercy and for the return of our Departed Glory although we have rebelled against Him The Principal Step of our Defection and the only Rise and Cause of all our Sin and Calamity we acknowledge to have been no other then that which is the condemnation of the World that Light indeed came unto us but we loved Darkness better then Light because our deeds were evil For the Lord did cause His Gospel to shine amongst us in as great Power and Purity as ever any Nation enjoyed and by the Advantages of his own Holy Ministry and Government the accession of our many fold Covenants and Engadgements did beautify and secure the same unto us And though that after a long continuance of all these blessings the Lord by
the Ascendent Power of His own Spirit and Glorious Presence did bring the whole Land under these great convictions mentioned in the conclusion of the League and Covenant of our not valueing the inestimable Benefit of the Gospel nor endeauouring to receave Christ in our hearts and walk worthy of Him in our lives the only Duty and end of all our Covenants and Engagements which is in effect God's greatest Delight and Glory in the World and all our Felicity And unto these unfained resolutions there annexed of Repentance and Amendment And lastly though the Lord from Heaven had both plagued us for and purged us from these fearful Apostacies and Defections whereby men of corrupt minds not holding the Head and End of all things even our Lord Jesus Christ were both in the Years 1645. and 1648. soon turned aside from their stedfastness in the Covenant and became Enemies unto God's own Work and Cause and had therefore stirred us up to the Renewing of our Covenant with God in the Year 1648 with and after a most Solemn Acknowledgement both of the Causes and Evills of these Defections and a most serious detestation of and resolution against both Notwithstanding we say of all these things Yet the great Sin and Evil of not valueing receaving and walking worthy of our Lord Jesus and the not directing and improving the great Blessings of His Gospel Ordinances Covenants Victories and all other Benefits and Enjoyments bestowed on us for the promoving of the Pleasure of our Lord and the Establishing of His Kingdom for the Salvation of Sinners did still remain Thence was it that the generall and great Zeall which then appeared was so suddenly contracted to a very few and much remitted in all And that mens corruptions turning former Professions into feigned pretensions and causing many in place of the great and only end proposed to minde Selfish Designes and Worldly advantages the Lord was provoked to give up some to the prosecution of these base desires 〈◊〉 which they had so quickly backsliden And to abandon others to the delusion of an over-credulous Charity which two Evills did so far prevail in all the Transactions of these Times that though the Over-ruling Providence of the Most High did bring forth thereof the Advantages which we have al-ready mentioned yet were Men thereby acted to pursue Treaties over the belly of most signal Warnings and most pregnant Disswasives to the contrary and to conclude Agreements and accept of Securities in the great Matters of God and of His Work so long contended for and far advanced which no rational man not preferring airy words and professions and Ink-subscriptions to plain refusal visible reluctancies manifest resilings open counter-actings and strong and continued prejudices would be satisfyed with in his own private matters of almost the meanest concernment But though the Lord from heaven did at Dumbar testify against both this evil and sinful course and the great Sin and wickedness that had procured it and thereafter by many of His faithful Servants did give express Testimony Warning against the same yet it is stil persisted in And notwithstanding that by a new discovery after all the assurance contained in the Declaration at Dumfermling that could be imagined the Lord did make it evident at Clova that all these condescensions were only the constraints of Policy the Backsliding and Delusion of these times did proceed until that under a pretence of Necessity preferring the Arm of Flesh to the Almighty Power and Favour of the Most High and through the perswasion of a Mock-Repentance only agreable unto that Mock-Treaty whereon it depended we were induced again to break the Lord's Commandement and our own Engagement in joyning with the People of these Abominations to provoke the Lord to be angry until He should consume us utterly without a remnant or escaping and by partaking of their Sins became apt and ready to partake of their judgements which the Lord by the hand of the TREACHEROUS did suddenly inflict upon us for all our treachery And thereby according to His Righteousness and Great Faithfulness as he had brought upon us the blessing so He also brought upon us the curse of His Holy Covenant and the fears of our own Acknowledgement These were our Forsakings Backslidings which provoked the Lord also to forsake us and at length to give us over unto and leave us in the hands of our enemies and to lay on our necks that long and heavy yoke of forraign Usurpation under which from the Year 1651. unto the Year 1660. we did so grevously groan The remembrance of which things doth necessarily oblidge us to the Declaration of these things 1. That as we desire heartily to resume these professions of unfeigned Humiliation for the undervaluing of the Precious Gospel and slighting of our Lord Jesus Christ contained in our Holy Covenant wherein all the Land without exception are and were so deeply concerned so although in the Narration of the procedure of our sinful and Wofull Defection the particular passages of Self-seeking and Over-credulous Delusion may import a narrower restricton Yet the Lord is our witness that the pure motive of His Glory and the Honor and Truth of His Work and Covenant without prejudice to the persons of any far less of such whom we are perswaded the Lord both did and yet doth honor to be instrumental in His Work and faithfull in His Covenant though neither in the former practice or this present perswasion we do agree have induced us to this reflection which we earnestly obtest may be looked upon by all rather as the matter of our mourning then of our censure 2. That whatever love and sincere respect we retain for such of the Faithful who through the Holy and Wise Permission of the Soveraign Lord by the influence of particular temptations or of that general and powerful snare of an Evil Time were carried on to a Sinful Complyance with the Evil Courses thereof Yet we are perswaded that the remitting of that Zeal sincerity and stedfastness whereunto in our Solemn Acknowledgement upon the most powerful motives we had then lately so seriously engaged our selves and the more Politick then Pious management of these Treaties and Transactions wherein the advancement of the Work of God and prosecution of the Ends of the Covenant so highly pretended could not sincerely and zealously be intended by any imaginary security or sinful assistance thereby obtained but especially the relapsing unto that most sinful Conjunction with the People of these Abominations so solemnly and lately repented for and resolved against which in stead of being salved was by the Constrained Politick Dissembled and Formall Repentance then used to the mocking of the God of Truth and scorn of all our Holy Engagements on all hands mostly aggravated and exaggerated these evils we say were the very foundations of this present Apostacy and the grounds of the Lords controversy which hath so long and yet doth so greivously pursue
after Worcester fight and from beyond Sea he did confirm by private letters to persons of unquestionable credit that he was and through the Grace of God would continue the same man that he had declared Himself to be in Scotland nor that it was the conscience of that clause of the Covenant relating to the maintenance of His Person and Authority which during the times of Usurpation did retain the sence and love of his Interest so fresh and deeply rooted in mens hearts Nor that the publick owning publishing and reprinting thereof by the then Parliament in England in March 1660. was the first Public Act that durst or did appear in his favours Nor lastly need we remember that Letter written and directed by the King after his return to the Presbytery of Edinburgh and this whole Church wherein he declares Himself resolued by the Grace of God to protect and preserve the Government of the Church of Scotland as it is setled by Law without violation Seing that though according to it 's then State and posture such a Solemn and Publick Assurance might have been reputed a perpetual Security yet the whole strain of the Letter is such as tendeth only to divide the whole Ministery and to abuse the greater part of them And particularly the altering and suppressing of that most fixed and certain ground of his Engagement even the Word of God and the Holy Covenant for that of Law which is but frail and moveable did even then discover to many that latent Dissimulation and Instability whereby others were either weakly or willingly deluded The thing we observe is that both King and Peoples Obligations were not then greater then the oportunity appeared to be most happy for the accomplishing of the Lord's Work the making of his Name Great One in all these Nations the Nations happy high above all Nations in Name in Praise the establishing of the King and his posterity upon the Throne in Glory prosperity that the owning of adhering unto the Solemn League and Covenant our Magna Charta of Religion and Righteousness had both in the perswasion of all sober men and even in the conviction of the greatest part of our Adversaries infallibly produced and effectuated all these blessings But Oh! how suddenly and strangely was this blessed appearance overclouded the expectation of all the Godly disappointed the joy and peace of all corrupted and marred and this Land reduced unto this present so woful desolation and sore distress which though the groans tears and the Blood of the Persecuted the cry of Violence and Oppression the Desolation and Profanation of Gods Sanctuary the reigning power of Darkness the Pride Rage and Blasphemy of Perjury and all Profanity which hath filled the Land and the dreadful Wrath of the most Holy and Great God which both burneth round about and hangeth over it do sufficiently make manifest yet for our greater upstirring to consider and lay to heart that all these evils are come upon us because our God is not amongst us and what the heat of this great Anger meaneth also for the clearing of the Innocency Testimony of the Lords sufferers we do shortly exhibite the violent course of this precipitant Defection The King being returned and re-established in May 1660. the Antichristian Spirit of Prelacy ever enemy to the Gospel and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus and the Holy Covenant whereby the same are promoted taking occasion from these many troubles and confusions which the opposition and false-heartedness of many in the same Covenant did principally provoke the Lord to inflict upon thir Lands and advantage from the proneness of mens Power to decline unto Tyranny and their corruptions to all licentiousness did first most falsely and atrociously slander the Covenant as the Bond of all Iniquity Rebellion and Confusion which prejudice being enforced which many apparent advantages that then did attend it did so suddenly and strongly spread and root it self in the hearts of our Nobles Rulers and the generality of the Land that without so much as seriously reflecting upon their former so Solemn Engagements Sacred Oaths Publick Professions Vigorous Actings and Appearances for the Cause and Covenant of the Lord with any consideration of Conscience Honesty or Honor which so great and sudden a mutation from their former wayes though they had been as wicked as in effect they are true and righteous did certainly call for in sober and earnest Repentance they with the concurrence of such vile Sycophants and treacherous persons in the Church and Ministry as the worldly wealth and Power of Prelacy had wickedly debauched set themselves in a most determined and resolute Fury whereinto all their former zeal for God is by the malice of Satan suddenly corrupted by the plain force of Power and colour of Authority whereunto they had now attained to deface and overturn the whole Work of God raze it's fundations annul His Covenants repeal all Acts made in their favors incapacitate and persecute all opposers and lastly to efface and dissolve all sense and bond of Conscience by which this fearful course of Apostacy might be in the least checked or controlled We shall not here premise any thing for clearing of the Unlawfulness of the succeeding Acts and Deeds whereby this Apostacy was carried on and for the loosing and freeing of us from all obligation of Obedience thereto or Complyance therewith Any who can but suppose that not only a whole Parliament but also all men are and have often been found liars and compare impartially the things present with the things that are past must necessarily conclude that all these Acts and Deeds of Defection were and are Gross Perjury and Wickedness and that so long as that maxim shal hold that we ought rather to obey God then Man they can never be binding either in Conscience or Reason Seing therefore that the only Rule of these Counter-actings and overturnings was to destroy that which the Lord had so gloriously planted and to loose that whereunto we were and are indissolubly obliged referring our selves to what is already said for vindicating the Lords Work and our Holy Covenants we proceed to lay forth the Sinfulness and Wofulness of this Defection as follows 1. In July 1660. by immediate clandestine warrants without any cause signifyed or citation given the Lord Marquess of Argile and some other Gentlemen who were conceaved to have been instrumental in the former Work of God and that they might be of influence for obstructing of the then designed overthrow thereof were attached and committed close Prisoners 2. In August 1660. the Committee of Estates appointed by the Parliament 1651. being again set down the very first day of their meeting do violently seise upon several faithful Ministers peaceably and quietly assembled together and imployed in the drawing up of a monitory Letter to the King in the most rational and dutiful manner and for the most important and necessary Ends of Gods
Glory and the Kings service that can be imagined as the Letter it self set down at large in the Apologetick Narration doth testify And though this duty and employment was no other then what the meanest subject in the most private capacity might and all were indispensibly obliged to have done yet those Ministers and one Gentleman with them are therefore instantly without hearing committed Prisoners 3. This Committee proceeding to prepare for the succeeding Parliament which was all it's work and design the Parliament siteth down the 1 day of January Where having taken the Oath of Supremacy without respect to it's due limitation contained in the 114. Act. Ia. 6. Parl. 12. 1592. then standing unrepealed and exalting the Kings prerogative upon the alleaged Warrand of the VVord of God and Laws of the Land but in effect directly contrary to both above all Offices Parliaments Laws Leagues Conventions Peace and War and likwise upon meer assertions alleageances in place of declaring upon known and certain grounds which is all that any Parliament can lawfully do directly Innovating the Fundamental Law Constitution of the Kingdom thereby making the Kings Throne the foundation of all the succeeding Perjury and Apostacy They spoil and divest first the Solemn League and Covenant and then the National Covenant Presbyterial Government the whole Work of God of all legal warrand and Authority Declaring all Acts and Practises made and standing in favours thereof to be void and null And by the same great Act rescissory they revive and reinforce all the corruptions and Superstitions of Crossing Kneeling and the like introduced by any Parliament since the Reformation As the Acts of the first Session of the last Parliament do clearly testify Although that these Acts have been and are both in themselves in their effects just cause of great astonishment and mourning to all the Faithful in the Land yet when we remember that height of Wickedness and Profanity that then abounded and the false flattering perjurious Sermons practises by which the Parliament was thereunto instigated but most of all that Act that then passed for an Anniversary Thanksgiving wherein as if we had been delivered to commit all this great Wickedness the Spirit and Work of the Lord are heinously blasphemed and calumniated as the only Author and Cause of all the Blood Bondage Usurpation Rebellion Rapine Violence and other Evils that either the malice and wickedness of men had caused or God in his Righteous Judgement had therefore permitted or inflicted and the Ranversing of our Blessed Reformation Holy Covenants and the Righteous Laws whereby they were established accounted the Restitution of Religion Righteousness and Liberties And the 29 of May as most Auspicious appointed for the yearly solemn commemoration thereof A day the profane Institution whereof cannot be better demonstrated then by it 's more profane observance and celebration ever since practised These things we say being considered do justly adde horror to our astonishment trembling unto our mourning But that their practise might be also consonant to their Acts and Statutes and by cutting off or laying aside it 's most eminent Opposers the return of Prelacy might be more effectually promoted in the same Session of Parliament not only was that Innocent and Faithful one Mr Cutâ—ry singled out and signally honoured by God to bear testimony to the Kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ His Cause and Covenant for no other fault then his faithfulness therein and his Declining the King's usurped Authority in prejudice of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus and the priviledges of His Church clearly warranded by 114 Act Parl. 12. la. 6. then standing unrepeal'd and by a great cloud of faithful Witnesses who in like manner did testify against this Usurpation cruelly slain and put to death But also under the colour of certain Epidemick crimes wherein the Soveraignity of Divine Providence more then any man's malice had involved the whole Land others who had been eminent in the Work of God particularly the Marquess of Argyle were condemned to death and forfeited and several other Faithful Ministers besides these who were at first imprisoned by the Committee of Estates were without any cause signifyed imprisoned confined or otherwise vexed and incapacitated 4. The rise and re-establishment of this Antichristian Prelacy being thus prepared in the interval after this first Session of Parliament the King nominateth and presenteth Bishops and four of them being called to Court are there Re-ordained and Consecrated and that in such a manner as doth clearly infer their disowning and renouncing their former Minstery and their Warrand Mission thereunto In consequence whereof all the Ordinary meetings of Presbyteries and Synods are discharged until they should of new be licenced Authorized thereto by the Bishops now nominated and appointed and to the effect that matters might the better succeed several of our Faithful Ministers upon groundless suspitions and for refusing of the Oath of Supremacy arbitrarly and rigorously imposed without so much as admitting such qualifications as no Christian ought or can deny are some of them Banished and others confined 5. The second Session of this last Parliament sitting in May 1662. by their first Act they restore and re-establish Prelacy in all it 's pretended Rights Dignities and Priviledges but in effect in it's real Usurpations and Corruptions And for the better setling thereof and evident declaring to the World how Erastian and Antichristian this Woful Government is both in it's Rise Designs and Effects as by this Act the Restitution thereof is expresly founded upon the King's Supremacy as being an inherent Right in the Crown for the disposal of the external Government of the Church So it is also declared that whatever the King shall determine with advice of the Bishops and such of the Clergy as he shall nominate in the externall Government of the Church shall be valid and effectual without any other Proviso then that the same be consistent with the Laws of the Realm But the Absolute Complement of all Wickedness and the Hight of Usurpation above all that ever the Papacy it self aspired unto is that which followeth whereby the King and Parliament for clearing all scruples which may occurre from former Acts and Practices do rescind all former Acts by which the sole and only power of Jurisdiction within this Church doth stand in the Church and in the Meetings and Assemblies thereof and all Acts of Parliament and Council which may be interpreted to have given any Church-power Jurisdiction or Government to the Office-bearers of the Church their respective meetings other then that which acknowledgeth a dependence upon and subordination to the Soveraign Power of the King as supream and is to be regulated and authorized in the exercise thereof by the Bishops who are to put order to Ecclesiastick matters and to be accountable to the King for their Administration And the foresaid 114 Act Parl. 12. la. 6. whereby the Priviledges Power
certain Faithfull Ministers persuaded and brought out in the full assurance of most certain Victory and that their Cause was such that upon the Event they could venture their salvation yet the contrary is most certainly known that they came out for the most part most voluntarly and of their own accord thinking it their duty as one of them in his Testimony doth declare to appear for and help the Lord against the mighty And that though they had and still retain a most firm persuasion of the justice of the Lord's Cause and Covenant and a very confident assurance that the Lord will arise and own it to the utter confusion of His adversaries Yet knowing that Times and Seasons are in the Lord's hand and that the time hath already been when such who had indignation and whose heart was against the holy Covenant did prosper and by Arms pollute the Sanctuary of strength and place the Abomination that maketh desolate wherein though the people that did know their God were strong and did exploits yet did they fall by the sword and by flame and by captivity and by spoil many dayes These men did neither limit the Holy One nor ballance their resolution upon the assurance of future Events Yea the fear and apprehension of these many visible signs attending this Action whereby the Lord 's standing controversie and continuing displeasure against the Land for fearfull breach of Covenant and the many horrible sins that have ensued which then more then ever were discovered both in the actuall opposition of many and faint withdrawing of others of whom better things were looked for did justly make them conceave that as the Lord who hath ever glorified His own Name would also now glorify it both in their active and passive Testimony a seal which His Work and Cause hath not hitherto so visibly had And that they were rather thereto called then to be the Lands Deliverers for which all that fear the Lord may think with trembling greater judgments are yet ordained 5. That amongst the many observable providences of God whereby he brought this Action to it's period their turning from Lanerk towards Edinburgh and leaving the West specially these parts where many faithful men were preparing for a Conjunction doth bear the very eminent characters of the Lord's Work and Purpose which he hath since made manifest and was the occasion of the proscribing of several both Ministers and Gentlemen as we shall hereafter mention 6. That as the Louthian-men were very active in appearing against this faithfull company so after the Conflict they were very vigilant and inhumane to take and spoil all such flyers as they rencountred A sin which no doubt by reason of it's greater aggravations the Lord will require with greater severity then that of Edom Obad. 12. c. who rejoyced over the children of Iudah in the day of their destruction and laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity who stood in the cross way to cut off such as did escape and delivered up these that did remain in the day of distress and therefore he is threatened by the Lord that for his violence against his brother shame should cover him and he should be cut off for ever Thus we have seen the indignation of the Lord in the most dreadful and astonishing of all judgements even his suffering and causing the righteous to fall before the wicked in delivering the soul of his turtle dove unto the multitude of the wicked His Name unto reproach and blasphemy His Strength into captivity and His Glory into the enemies hands A providence that may justly move our astonishment to a greater height then that of Iosuah chap 7. v. 9. Oh Lord what wilt thou do unto thy great Name And how terrible are the charge and succeeding Judgements which these things do denounce But the Lord who in wrath remembers mercy maketh both judgement and mercy his peoples song and it is to his enemies alone that a cup without mixture is poured out as the things which follow will declare The Arcbishop of St. Andrews having caused celebrat the report of this Victory with almost as many Guns from the Castle as there were men slain in the fields and as if the 40 had been 40000 Infidels the prisoners are brought in and secured We cannot but here mention the ready and charitable relief which many good people in Edinburgh did then extend to them certainly it is gone up for a Memorial before God and shall have a return But who can express the malice of that Antichristian spirit raging both in the Arch-Prelate and his dependents which misery it self doth not satiate and therefore they do so exclaim against this poor expression of humanity as preposterous and savouring of disaffection that even some of their own Complices did condemn them for it The Councill falling immediately to the examination of the Prisoners they remitt first 10 thereafter 14 to the Iustices to be arraigned or rather condemned as Traitors they having first determined and prescribed the very maner of their execution and about the same time the Commissioner going West with some others impowered for that effect do likewise at Air and Glasgow condemn other sixteen These things we join together because both their Indictments maner of Tryall Doom and Execution were the same except in so far as shall be noted The Indictment and Charge of Treason exhibited against all consisted of two heads and crimes deduced from old and late Acts of Parliament and aggravated by many circumstances viz. rising and gathering in Arms and renewing the Covenant without and against the Kings Authority and consent Every one 's particular accession was libelled from and proven by his own confession before the Council This place might require a large digression for answering the crimes objected and clearing the innocency of the Lord's Witnesses but seing the preceeding Narration doth not only furnish all arguments thereto requisite but warranteth them by Precedents beyond contradiction it shall suffice now to observe 1. That God the Fountain of all Power and Author of all Right as wherever he hath granted to any creature a Being he hath also armed it with a love and power of Self-preservation sutable to it's capacity so much more where unto a Being He hath superadded a Right as in all rationall creatures which cannot be violated but both by Force and Injury hath He granted both the Power and Right of Self-defence which is really one and the same thing with it and in effect nothing else but that divine Impress and rational Instinct whereby the very course of Nature is upholden so inseparable from the Being and Right of the creature that it never ceaseth except where by the Soveraign Will and Law of God the Right is first annulled and the Being may be destroyed Which position being the clear and true foundation of all Rule and Righteousness and even of the Being of all things it may justly be wondered
any other the like Instance which can be adduced or instructed from the parallel of any other Age or Nation Therefore it was altogether Lawful Righteous and Necessary Which answer though the Lords faithful Witnesses did sufficiently insinuat and propone yet both the Constitution of the Court and persons of the Judges before whom they were arraigned were such as the same was rather accounted an aggravation of their Crime and Treason But seeing this was not done without the specious pretexts not only of iniquous Laws but also of Religion and Scripture We shall briefly consider first that Queree often made to them where they had read or how they could instruct that under the Pretence of Religion it is lawful for Subjects to rise in Rebellion against lawfull Authority To which it is answered that this Queree is a clear begging of the question by expresly supposing that the late Rising was only in pretence for Religion but really in Rebellion which ought first to have been proved and is in effect an arrant calumny and falshood 2. That even the Queree it self seems to imply and grant that for Subjects to rise in Arms really for the defence of Religion against the invasions of the Powers under the pretence of Lawful Authority is both lawful and laudable Which being the true case and cause of this late Rising and so clearly warranted both by the Word and Covenant of God and the practise of all Reformed Churches we are content to refer these poor mens Innocency unto the Consciences and secret thoughts of their adversaries Secondly we shall consider these texts of Scripture which were pretended against the Innocents and 1. it was much urged that Rebellion is as the sin of witch-craft To which one of themselves did roundly and clearly answer that the place having been spoken by the Prophet to a King because of his disobedience and contempt of the command of God and not to Subjects would sooner conclude his Accusers then himself to be a Rebell Secondly it answered that Rising up against Authority it self the Ordinance of God and disobeying the Powers therewith vested standing and acting in their right line of Subordination is indeed Rebellion and as the sin of witchcraft but to resist and rise up against persons Abusing sacred Authority and rebelling against God the Supream is rather to adhere to God as our Liege Lord and to vindicate both our selves and his abused Ordinance from man's wickedness and Tyranny The second text objected was that Math. 26.52 where even our Lord himself when violently seised upon by wicked men but who were then in Authority did nevertheless restrain his disciples from his own defence and rescue saying unto Peter Put up again thy sword into his place for all they that take the sword shal perish with the sword To which as it was sufficiently answered without any reply by one of these Impeached whom they accounted distracted though without the least appearance of impertinency who thereto did oppone Luke 22.36 Where our Lord speaking at the same time and to the same purpose saith he that hath no sword let him sell his garment and buy one Yet for further clearing we say 1. That from the place it self in all the Evangelists it is most evident that that command was given and these words spoken by our Lord only for to testify his voluntar submission unto the Fathers will by laying down of his life for fulfilling of the Scripture as is clear from the same 26. of Matth. v. 54. Iohn 18.11 otherwise the context being considered that not only in Luke 22.36 cited He forewarning his disciples of hazards to come adviseth them to provide swords and weapons and in the 26 of Matt. asserts his power to have called 12 legions of Angels to his assistance which clearly implyes the lawfulness thereof this Scripture objected doth more confirm then impugn the Lawfulness of Defensive Arms. 2. Is it possible that men should be so much demented by flattery as to think that it was unlawful for Jesus Christ the Mighty God and Lord over all to have defended himself by the assistance of his Disciples against the horrid Wickedness and Insurrection of the vilest of His creatures had it not been that it was necessary that the Scriptures concerning him should be accomplished 3. Where our Lord saith in the place objected all they that take the sword shal perish with the sword as He thereby only condemneth Unjust and Offensive war so the Saying it self by its later part doth tacitely imply the Lawfulness and Justice of both Defensive and Vindictive Arms the same being otherwise justly founded Though these Texts were only objected yet to help our Adversaries who are known not to be much conversant in the Scripture and to obviate the scruples that may thence arise to others we subjoyn a third text Iohn 18.36 where our Lord saith if my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Iews whence some infer that all Arms even in Defence of Religion are unlawfull and prohibited But it is answered as the intent and scope of our Lord's answer was to clear himself of that calumny objected against Him by the Iews that he made Himself a King in opposition to Caesar so the meaning of it is plain and obvious to wit that our Lord's Kingdom is not of the Nature and for the Ends for which other Kingdoms of this world were instituted but wholly spiritual for declaring the Truth and thereby gaining souls unto glory Whence as our Lord would there infer that he came not to conquer to himself Disciples by outward force and thereby to gain followers by the spoiling of Caesar and other Princes so it is without all shaddow of connexion thence to conclude that a people having receaved the blessing of the Gospel and Kingdom of Iesus Christ should without Resistance suffer themselves to the manifest dishonor of God and the hazard of the eternal damnation of themselves and their posterity to be impiously and sacriledgiously spoiled and deprived thereof when they are in a capacity to defend the same The truth whereof together with the hypocrisy of our Adversaries may soon be discovered if the Question be but stated in the terms of one Forraign independent Prince's invading another meerly upon the account of the Christian Faith and whatever solution or evasion they shall herein make will as exactly quadrat to the case in hand it being almost ridiculous to conceave that the greatest aggravation of Invasions of this Kind to wit that it is made by a Prince upon his own Subjects whose Profession he himself is principally bound to maintain should import any speciality and difference in the cases The last text is that of Math. 5.39 and remanent verses to the end where our Lord saith resist not evill but whosoever shall smite thee c. with the other parallel places specially Rev. 13.10 But it is answered that as these
places do injoyn either patience when the clear call and dispensations of God do inevitably call unto suffering without which patience were no patience but rather stupidity or that bounty and debonairity which our Lord would have his disciples to practise in the remitting and dispensing with the utmost extensions and points of Right for the better reproving and condemning of the animosities and rigid contentions of men for matters of small or no moment and the more effectuall commending the grace and peace of the Gospel So thence to infer that men should give way to all Violence and Sacriledge to the subverting of Religion and Righteousness is after the manner of Sathan to cheat and abuse men by the holy Scriptures of Truth unto wickedness and error and grossly to exceed that signal rule mainly in these places intended to wit that we should be perfect even as our Father which is in heaven is perfect who though he filleth the earth with his goodness and extendeth his bounty unto all causing the sun to rise upon the evill and on the good yet doth he love righteousness and helpeth and delivereth the oppressed and commandeth the zeal of his own glory wherein He himself doth often eminently appear by the hand of His people to take vengeance on His adversaries Let us therefore in the consideration of what is said Rev. 13.10 he that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword both possess our souls in patience under all the former sufferings and hope and rejoice in the faith of the succeeding delivery there subjoyned These are the Defences which these Faithful men did summarily hint at and being often interrupted were scarcely permitted to propone All which being rejected as unworthy to be heard what wonder if what their Advocats did plead in their defence upon the point of Quarter given to some of them in the field was also repelled We are not to dip in matters of this kind but certainly it much discovereth the spirit of malice and violence that now prevaileth that neither the Nature and Import of Quarter which pertaineth nothing to Grace or Pardon whereof these men were declared incapable but is a paction of the Law of Nations whereby the person worsted by quitting of his arms the only and oftentimes the probable means either of his safety or vengeance doth condition for and redeem his immunity as to life Nor yet the honor of the Granters Persons Commissionated by the King for the command of his Forces with the common Priviledges and dignities belonging to such Offices Nor yet the Practice of all Nations about even in the case of Intestine War Nor the rational arguments of humanity and prudence not to reduce men to utter despair in succeeding Insurrections from which no Kingdom is priviledged Nor lastly the Paucity of these few innocents not exceeding 5 or 6 who could have been thereby benefited there being many other taken and not upon Quarter could prevail against that Pedantick distinction inter bellum justum injustum But this being alleadged to have been bellum injustum as indeed it was in the justest sense therefore no faith nor Quarter must be herein observed quia sc adversus Hostes tantum est Bellum at in Perduelles judicium as if from this one should conclude that though in War there may be faith and Quarter yet in Iudgement there ought neither to be Truth nor Performance All defences therefore being repelled these persons accused were all condemned to be hanged to death as Traitors and their Heads and right Hands to be cut off to be disposed on by the Council and their Goods and Estates to be forfaulted to the Kings use And accordingly upon several dayes this Sentence was executed upon thirty five of these faithful men and by Ordinance of Council the heads of many of them were affixed upon the Ports of several Burghs and the right hands of the first ten to the high contempt of God and His holy Covenant and to the provocation of His jealousy on the Tolbooth of Lanerk where the Covenant was by them solemnly renewed and sworn As for the other five they were and are reprived One of them who in all his Tryall to the conviction of all appeared most constant in the Covenant and bold and pertinent in his Testimony upon the colour of a fit of distraction by which he was once vexed and through the intercession of many in his behalf An other of them for his vile and abject fainting to the very reproach of humanity redeeming his life by becoming Hang-man to seven of his fellows when two ordinary Executioners in the Burghs about had plainly refused declaring they would have nothing to do with the blood of such Righteous men and one of them therefore imprisoned The other three partly because of their fainting and condescendence to take the Declaration and partly through the favour and intercession of friends We shall not nor cannot enter upon the particular declaration of that Grace Constancy and Courage by which the Lords faithful Witnesses were sustained and did bear Testimony to the Word of his Truth the holy Covenant and the Cause and Work of God Only this is certain that the Lord did not more desert that vile abject person to the weakness of flesh and blood whereby he was depressed below the very contempt of men then by His Grace and Glory evidently to manifest the power thereof He was eminently present with such as He honoured to be his Witnesses to cause them contemn and triumph over Principalities and Powers hell and death and all their terrours as may be evident from these things following 1. That the Council pitching upon those men without choise for a Test of discrimination did require several of them by taking the Declaration to renounce the Covenant which they constantly refused And so were Martyred not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection 2. That Mr Hew Mackaile a young man of 25 years of age and an Expectant in the Ministery being arraigned and accused through meer spite of the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrewes against whose Iudas-like Apostacy he had preached four years ago for no greater accession then that he had been some few dayes with these that rose with a sword having been most uncircumspectly taken leaying them because of his infirmity and weakness the day before the Conflict did not only most patiently endure cruel Torture whereby he was examined for the discovery of the contrivance of that Rising which all men knew and saw to be Indeliberat but notwithstanding the promise of favour plainly made to him upon condition of ingenuity which he sincerely used being also condemned did utterly reject all insinuations made unto him upon condition of the least Retractation and bitterly mourning for and repenting of his apparent fainting and relinquishing though it really proceeded more from his infirmity then fear or love of life but rejoycing in
his own folly whereby the Lord did bring him to such a manifestation of his Grace and declaration of His Glory he to the admiration of all in his most constant and Christian suffering by his blood sealed the Truth and glorified God 3. That others of them though obscure and illiterate men upon the Scaffold hurried and interrupted in the declaring of their Testimony by the Prelats Orders and the rudeness and inhumanity of these that executed them yet did bear witness to the cause of God and of that grace and assurance whereby the Lord upheld them to the admiration and astonishment of all the beholders 4. That though at Glasgow and Air where eleven of them were executed all mean Countrey-men and some of them of decrepit age and others of them very young not exceeding 18 years their enemies caused beat drums about the Scaffold that they might not be heard a barbarity never practised in Scotland and rarely heard of except in the Duke of Alva's Martyring of the Protestants in the Low-countreyes yet were they so litle thereby amazed that both by words of of Praise and thanksgiving to God that had honoured such plough-men as they termed themselves to be His witnesses and the constancy of their countenance and whole carriage they did bear such testimony to the Holy Covenant as both many were thereby confirmed and their Enemies ashamed 5. That though some of them did appear weak and faint-hearted at first yet so powerfully and abundantly was it given to them in that hour that out of weakness they were made strong and declared that they had seen such glimpses of the Glory of God betwixt the prison and the Scaffold that all fear was clearly discussed And particularly a young Countrey-boy not much above sixteen years of age being condemned at Aix mostly because he did refuse to take the Declaration which they told him was the renouncing of that Covenant which he had taken at Lanerk though both through fear and ignorance of the very grounds of Christianity he fell into great anxiety neither daring to die nor yet to redeem his life at the rate proposed Yet after the Prayers and Conference of some that had access to him at Irwin two dayes before his death on the morning that he suffered he appeared so much changed both from the depth of fear and perplexity unto great resolution and joy and so much enlightened with the knowledge of God in our Lord Jesus Christ and the hope of Salvation through His Name that all that saw him do bear testimony to the Grace and wonderfull Work of God of that joy of heart that carried him to the Scaffold leaping and praising God From all which particulars and from the severall Testimonies and Speaches which these left behind them in writing we must conclude and rejoyce that God out of the dark cloud of such a sad and astonishing providence which lately overspread us hath brought forth so blessed and bright a cloud of Witnesses strengthened and filled with so much grace and glory to bear Testimony unto His Name Covenant and Cause and for the confirmation of all that love and wait for His Salvation We have hitherto ommitted to say any thing to that Oath of Conjuration taken by the Militia of Edinburgh and the concurrence and assistance of many others who did either Actually rise in Arms for the suppressing of God's People and Cause or since the Conflict did stop apprehend and spoil them in the cross way and have been assisting and abetting to their deaths and persecutions either as Guarders of Prisons Courts or Scaffolds or as Iudges Clerks Advocats Assizers or Officers in the Dooms pronounced against them If after all the truth equity and reason that have been represented and the Power and Glory which God hath declared men will not hear and fear nor be converted neither the tongues of men and Angels nor of such as should return from the dead would be of any force or persuasion to prevail with them Is it possible that Edinburgh should think that the pretence of a new invented Oath of alleageance and fidelity to the King and for the defence of his Authority against all Insurrections and Rebellions wherein the Prelates and the Up hold of their wickedness and the Subjecting of all the Godly to their lust and tyranny were and are clearly intended and designed shall warrand them in the great day of the Lord who is terrible unto the Kings of the earth for taking part with Rebels and Apostats against the God of heaven and for opposing and oppressing of such as continuing stedfast in the common Cause and Covenant for which Edinburgh was once very honourable and eminent did only endeavour to liberat themselves from that intolerable Bondage both of Bodies and Consciences more grievous then death under which they groaned doth Edinburgh thus not only condemn the practice of Our Noble Ancestors and Reformers who accounted it neither Insurrection nor Rebellion to set themselves for the defence of the Gospel against the then Powers who did endeavour to oppress it but by this Oath abandon both Religion and Liberty in this so perillous and backsliding a Generation to the lust and tyranny of abused Authority and whatsoever it shall please to impose without control or contradiction Do they thus remember the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant once so powerfully sworn and owned amongst them and the mutuall defence and assistance wherein every one of us is thereby bound to another to the uttermost of our Power against all sorts of persons whatsoever and not to suffer our selves by whatsoever Combination Terror or Perswasion to be divided and withdrawn from that blessed Vnion therein contained While on the contrary they conspire and conjure themselves against such whom they are not only bound to assist but also to relieve of all the persecutions and oppressions which they suffer and sustain only for their adherence to the same holy Covenants Surely these things being duly considered this Oath in stead of qualifying the Declaration in lieu whereof being more general plausible and insnaring it was contrived and imposed will be found a practical application of all the Wickedness and unrighteousness which is therein only speculatively declared and may in the righteous judgement of God by reason not only of the equality but even of the excess hereof to London's sin bring upon Edinburgh London's plagues and judgements We need not here insist to testify against the rest who in any sort concurred or assisted in the opposition and persecution above-mentioned the meanest part of whose accession doth far exceed Paul's keeping the clothes of such as stoned Stephen If we consider that the suffering and not opposing to the utmost of our power the shedding of innocent blood doth involve all under that certain denounciation made by Ieremiah unto the Princes of Iudah and all the People Ier. 26 15. saying Know ye for certain that if ye put me to death
not the Common-wealth let the Covenant Conscience be rooted out then come on us what will these are the only enemies of their usurpations wicked lusts and therefore must be accounted so both to King and Countrey against these are our forces leavyed and maintained and unto this design their numbers must be modelled and our exactions proportioned The arraying of the Countrey and establishing of the Militia conform to our ancient Laws and Liberties may possibly arm the Prelats enemies surely that course would not so violently press Conformity and execute their cruelty nor so largely gratify a few Nobles who by the command of the troops must be made sharers of the spoil and booty and so engaged for these vile Prelates against the poor Countrey O blinded Nobles are not the wealth and peace of the Countrey your riches and stability O abject Scotland how art thou abondoned This being the design rage and jealousy of the tyrannizing Prelats in order thereunto there must be five troops more added to these already leavyed and the Countrey yet more oppressed for the securing and establishing of their wickedness 2 They are endeavouring by all means to have the Declaration against the Covenant generally pressed that either by violent straining they may destroy all conscience thereof or may more fully discover and more effectually reach all the faithful in the Land whom by the test of a refusal they purpose to stage and severely punish as enemies to Authority We shall not offer here to adde any thing against this Declaration If all that the Lord hath done in this Land now by the space of near an 100 years all that his servants have formerly declared and testifyed and now of late have witnessed and sealed with thâ—â—r blood and all the tenor and purpose of this discourse avail not to justify our holy Covenants and condemn this horrid Apostacy and wicked Declaration nothing certainly will be able to perswade and the mighty power of God can only convert Only we have reason to fear that the same spirit of deceat which under the colour of due obedience to lawful Authority ensnared wretched Edinburgh to a combination and conspiracy against the Lord and his Anointed may renew the same practise upon the whole Land for the more easy involving of such in this Apostacy whom possibly the gross and palpable wickedness of the Declaration might deterre And to such we give this warning that as all Powers are subordinat to the most High and appointed and limited by His holy will and commandment for his own glory and the Peoples good and as our Alleagiance was and standeth perpetually and expresly thus qualifyed viz. in defence of Religion and Liberty according to our first and second Covenants and lastly seing all Alleagiance and obedience to any created Power whatsoever though in the construction of charity apparently indefinite yet of it 's own nature is indispensibly thus restricted To renew the same or take any the like Oath of Alleagiance purely and simply purposely omitting the former and due Restriction especially where the Powers are in most manifest and notorious Rebellion against the Lord and opposition to his Cause and Covenant is in effect equivalent to to an express rejecting and dis-owning of the same Limitation and of the Soveraign Prerogative of the Great God and King over all which is thereby reserved as much as in plain terms to affirm that whatever abused Authority shall command or do either as to the overturning of the VVork of God subverting of Religion destroying of Rights Liberties or persecuting of all the Faithful to the utmost extremity we shall not only stupidly endure it but actively concur with assist in all this Tyranny And if this be not more yea double wickdness above all that the Declaration doth import let all men consider O! all ye who desire to behold the good that God will do for His People beware of this High Rebellion against Him 3. As all restraints of either Conscience or Law are now wickedly taken off and only a convenient oppurtunity waited for to re-introduce that dead carcase of Formality the Service-book and the whole bulk of these corrupt Ceremonies and pernicious Superstitions that have been formerly and alwayes found so destructive to the light power of the Gospell are so vain and ridiculous in themselves that nothing but the very spirit of darkness and judiciall delusion from the Lord can induce men to such fopperies so may we certainly expect the re-imposing of this heavy yoke and all the Sin Superstition Persecution and Wrath which necessarily do attend it except we abide stedfast in the Lord's Cause and Covenant instantly intreating and patiently waiting for His Salvation and glorious appearance again in this Land Thus we have represented in part both the Sin Sufferings and Distresses that ly upon the whole Land which though they be most heavy and greivous in themselves yet are they in their Tendency Presage more to be regarded Can any man seriously look upon the hatred and scorn of that Light and Truth wherein once we gloried the spite against the Holy Covenant and all Conscience the Blaphemy and sin against God and the violence and persecution against all such as fear His Name whereby the enemy rageth and their tumult continually increaseth and not be astonished Is there any who believeth that God is and that His Words are Truths and all His Wayes judgements His Threatnings sure and certain His jealousy as a consuming fire His wrath so dreadful and His indignation so terrible that only the same Omnipotency which inflicteth the strokes can sustain poor passive wretches from evanishing at it's smallest rebukes and yet shall sustain them eternally and not tremble because of the provocation of all these Abominations O! that such whom the Love of Christ hath not constrained nor the tears and weeping of a departing Saviour moved might be yet perswaded by the Terror of the Lord that the dread of God might make their hearts soft Surely abounding sin is the greatest Woe and prevailing transgression the greatest cause of mourning but above all sins and transgressions Christ despised in His Gospell and Ordinances and persecuted in His members is the most mournful and fearful Which as it scattered and destroyed the Lord's peculiar People and Nation dear to Him above all Nations and hath overturned and ruined the fairest part of the Christian World either in Barbarity or gross Darkness so is it the great condemnation of the whole World This is the work and wickedness of accursed Prelacy most Perjurious in it's Rise and ever Antichristian in it's Designes and Effects as all who have hearts to understand what we have here declared and eyes to see the present state and condition of matters must and will acknowledge This is thy Sin O Scotland and if mercy prevent it not shall be thy ruine This is the Voice Testimony and Warning of all the sufferings of the Lord's
people who though continually afflicted and persecuted in their bodies though their souls be exceedingly filled with the contempt of the proud yet have not nor dare not deny the Lord His Work nor His holy Covenant whom though the Lord hath caused to turn back from the enemy and given for a spoil to them that hate them yea given them as sheep for meat and made them a reproach a scorn and a derision yet have they nor forgotten the Lord nor dealt falsly in His Covenant O! that men would consider this Grace of God whereby as he conforteth and sustaineth his servants in all their afflictions so he warneth backsliders to return and all to flee from the wrath that is to come and to save themselves from this wicked generation Which Grace as it allayeth to the Faithful the smart so ought it to remove from all the scandal of our Lord's cross and is indeed that strength and presence of the Captain of our salvation who was made perfect by suffering with all His sufferers giving for the present joy and peace and afterwards assured victory Now seing it is the Lord who hath so visibly brought upon us these sore Trialls that such as are approved may be made manifest and so graciously delivereth them from the temptation thereof yea thereby refineth purifyeth and maketh many white that they may be more abundant Partakers both of His Holiness and of His Glory and also eminently beareth witness to the Truth Grace and Power of His great Work His holy Covenant and precious Ordinances and Ministry amongst us clearing them by His own Testimony of all these calumnies wherewith either through the invention of some men's malice or the occasion of other mens weakness and sin they were formerly aspersed we shall shut up this discourse with this one word of exhortation Great hath been the Sin of this Land in not believing and obeying the glorious Gospell in not receaving the Lord Jesus in our hearts and witnessing His Light and Grace and Glory in our lives and conversations but in resting on the outward forms and appearances of the true Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government without labouring after the power of Reformation and beauty of holiness the only grace and blessing of all these enjoyments and in perverting and mannaging the possession and profession of all these things unto selfish ends and worldly advantages O foolish people and unwise have we thus requited the Lord for all these mercies of His Gospell pure Ordinances and Holy Covenants to corrupt and deprave them from that great end of the Glory of His grace and mercy in our salvation unto the base designs of serving and satifying our own lusts to His dishonour And therefore is it that the Lord having often in his mercy corrected and warned us hath now at length given us over unto this horrid Apostacy and Defection whereby as the latent malice and hypocrisy of many and the great fainting and want of zeal in all have been manifestly discovered so the Lord is feeding the wicked with their own delusions and putting the zeal and constancy of all to the Test and in effect ripening this whole Land either for a glorious deliverance from that perverse spirit and generation of Antichrist that hath been long mingled in the midst of us and even from the dayes of our first Reformation hath retained and continued the old enmity against the Lord Jesus and His blessed Gospell and Kingdom or else for a totall and final overthrow in utter darkness and desolation And therefore O Scotland because the Lord loved thy Fathers and delighteth not in thy destruction hath He after all our fearful backsliding and sinful fainting and departing which testify against us neither left Himself nor us without a witness but raised up amongst us His own faithful Servants and our brethren with whom we are all equally and indissolubly engaged in the same righteous Cause and Covenant by the mighty power of His grace from the pure zeal of His Glory enabled them first to venture and then to lay down their lives for the Testimony of His Work and Covenant that we may yet at length consider and understand that these were no more the labour and devices of carnal designs then that corruption and weakness of flesh blood could triumph both over it self death hell the chief of terrors O! that men would therefore lay to heart their bonds Engagements unto the Lord repent of their backslidings and cease from their opposition to His Cause Covenant at least that such whom the Lord hath not abandoned unto that depth of Apostacy whereunto others have made defection would yet be wise instructed repent of their fainting Neutrality in the cause of God their connivance or complyance with the declared enemies thereof beware of that wicked Declaration against the Covenant or any other Oath and Subscription likely to be the snare and temptation of these times which either under the pretext of Peace and Order or of due Obedience unto lawful Authority may be wickedly invented and imposed really for the suppressing of Truth and advancing of this Rebellion against the most High God and the establishing of this Antichristian Prelatick Tyranny We have already fully detected the mask and design of such impostures He who hath given Authority and Power unto Kings and Princes and rendered the same Sacred by His holy Sanction and Command as he hath often punished their Ingratitude and Usurpation against His own Soveraignity so will He not hold that people guiltless who being both His Creatures and sworn Subjects either connive at or comply with such Rebellious Princes in their wickedness Shall both the Law of God and the very Propension of the heart and blood to the love and obedience of Parents cede to the obedience of Kings and Rulers for the good and preservation of the Common-wealth and shall not far more all Alleagiance obedience to the same Kings Rulers cede and give place to our Obedience to the Most High our only Soveraign Lord and the conscience of His holy Oath and Commandments for advancement of his glory the great and only end of all things Fix it therefore in your hearts first to love and fear the Lord our God and then to honour and obey the King and let the sincere and inward love of our Lord Jesus Christ the dear esteem of his precious Gospel and the remembrance of our most sacred and solemn Oaths and Covenants and of that beauty power and glory of His pure Ordinances Ministry and Government which we once enjoyed alwayes dwell in your hearts and ever determine and establish you to resist and disown all wicked Usurpations against the Lord and His Anointed all Invasions against His Crown and Prerogative all Corruptions and Humane Inventions in His pure Worship and Ordinances all perversion of the true Government and comely Order in His house and alâ— violations of these indispensible holy
Engagements whereby this whole Nation is perpetually joyned unto the Lord and also ever animat yow to Do or Suffer for the Lords great Name and these precious important concernments as He requireth lest if ye either faint in your mindes or give up your selves to the delusion of some carnal distinction quiting the founder for the safer part against the explicit Testimony or implicit inclination of your own Consciences which later if sincerely aiming at the glory of God and in nothing repugnant to His holy Word is no otherwise to be regarded in times of temptation then as that promised secret leading of the blind in the way they know not you not only lose your Crown but provoke the Lord to cause all the Churches know by your plagues that He it is who searcheth the reins hearts But unto these few names in Scotland that have appeared zealous for God have not forgotten His Covenant in these declining times all these who favour their Righteous Cause The Lord who liveth was dead and is alive for evermore Amen knoweth your works tribulation poverty but yow are rich and also the blasphemy of them which say they are Christians are not but are the synagogue of Antichrist Fear none of these things which yow do or shall suffer your afflictions are but for Triall and may be Short be Faithful unto the death and ye shall have the Crown of life And as ye love God the Father of our Lord Jesus who gave His only and eternall delight unto the death for us Sinners as ye love our Lord Jesus Christ who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood as ye love the Holy Spirit of Grace who breatheth all this love into our hearts and comforteth and sealeth us unto the day of redemption as ye love the blessed Gospel in the light whereof all this love is revealed and God therein mainly glorified as ye love the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood as ye love for your own souls and for your posterity eternal life as ye love poor Scotland and it's deliverance from the dreadful and imminent wrath of God and as you love the preservation of all Interests either Spiritual Temporal or Eternal Adhere stedfastly to the holy Covenants that Sacred and Firm Bond and Engagement unto all duties of Religion and Righteousness our blessed sealed Charter of all the Lord's blessings and ordinances especially of that great Ordinance of the Ministry and Government of the Lord's house which He himself hath appointed the hedge of all other Ordinances and the great and most effectual mean of the Gospel's establishment and advancement For as it is only the holy zeal of God inspired and animated by the fervent love of our Lord Jesus and the fear of the Lord 's great Name and the regard of His sacred Oath that can make you of quick understanding in these perillous times for the discovering of both duties and dangers and strengthen you with all might either for Doing or Suffering that you may endure unto the end so you may be assured that if the Lord's thoughts toward Scotland be thoughts of peace and not of evil to give us an expected end as we have great ground and perswasion of hope it shall be upon the broken plank of this despised Covenant that this tossed and ship-wrackt Church shall be preserved in midst of all these fluctuations and at length attain to it's desired haven of Peace and Truth Yea though this Apostacy and persecution should prevail to wear out the saints of the most High and the Lord because of the overspreading of abomination should determine and bring upon us utter desolation yet shall this your faithfulness be your Peace joy and Victory Let all therefore that desire to be found faithful look unto Jesus and his joy that with Him enduring the cross and despising the shame we may neither faint nor be weary but in end be partakers of his Victory Throne and Crown Thus we have seen and declared the great Work of God in this Land from the first times of our Reformation unto this day we have also teen our manifold provocations whereby we have often Turned Tempted and Provoked the most High and all these judgements Temptations and Discoveries wherewith by the space of now more then an Hundred years he hath corrected and exercised us and we are at length arrived unto and have considered the present state and posture of our affairs Wherein though 1. the extremity of Apostacy exceeding all that any age can parallel and aggreageable by all the circumstances of most clear and glorious Manifestations most solemn and sacred Engagements most sudden and causeless backsliding and most national daring and violent defection that any Church can be charged with 2. The extremity of Persecution and Violence which considering either the Actors once ring-leaders now Apostats from the same Holy Covenant which they persecut or the Manner by Hostile and Military Force without so much as regarding their own Lawes which they pretend for warrant or the cruelty and excess whereby mens lives are imbittered making them prefer Death to the slaveries and insolencies which they sustain Are not to be instanced in any Christian Church 3. The extremity of Sin and profanity and of the enemies boasting and blasphemy whose mouths are set against the Heavens and all the spite of their tongues and indignation of their hearts against the holy Covenant and tenderness of conscience over which and all their followers they wickedly insult and rejoyce And 4. the extremity of mens fainting and deserting so Good a Cause Which in their hearts they secretly own and approve but dare not avow yea are ready to deny for fear of the Adversaries Though we say these extremities undenyably apparent in our present condition do sadly denounce unto this Land the worst and most woful of all extremities even utter forsaking and desolation and that the End is come yet notwithstanding all these hopeless and desperat appearances it is the Lord who causeth light to shine out of darkness and saith in the evening it shall be light who saith unto dry bones live and calleth his People out of their graves who even calleth things that are not as though they were in whom all the seekers of His face ought to rejoyce and joy in the God of their salvation Therefore although that over and above all these menacing evils the power and pride of the Enemy should yet more prevail even many degrees above all the appearances of Human Hope or Help all Neighbouring Nations should not only give them the leisure and conveniency but with all their might conspire and concurre with our enemies to intend their persecution strengthen their Apostacy yet are the Lord 's Faithful not only partakers of that River the streams whereof make glad the City of God though surrounded with the siege of of Nations Batteries of mountains and
Judge as I desire Salvation and do expect eternall Salvation and 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 Ma. death And I pray the Lord preserve his present Maj. and to pour his best blessings on his Person and Government and the Lord give him good and faithful councellors Turn-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 freinds have no Discredit of Me nor Christians no Stumbling block but rather an Encouragement The last Speech and Testimony of M R JAMES GUTHRIE Minister of the Gospel at Sterlin at his Death at Edinburgh Jun. 1. 1661. which a day or two before his Death he wrot and left with some of his Friends sealed and attested under his own hand MEn and Brethren I fear many of yow become hither to gaze rather then to be edified by the carriage and last words of a dying man But if any have an hear to hear as I hope some of this great confluence 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 constraint 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 my Self 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 left I should reflect upon the Lord's Name and offend the Generation of the Righteous And if some men have not been mistaken or dealt deceatfully in telling me so I might have avoided not only the severity of the Sentence but also had much favor 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 suffered me to bring it in debate in my inward thoughts much less to propone or hearken to any overture of that kind I did judge it better to Suffer then 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 Not that I have any thing wherein to glory in my self I acknowledge that I am a Sinner yea one of the greatest and vilest that hes owned a profession of Religion and one of the most unworthy that hes Preached the Gospel 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 beleeve 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 Sathan 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 beleeved and that He is able to keep than which I have committed unto Him against that day I have Preached Salvation through His Name and as I have preached so do I Beleeve and do commend the Riches of His Free-grace and Faith in His Name unto yow 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 yow may happily judge that I suffer as a Thief or as a Murtherer or as an evil Doer or as an Bussy body in other mens matters It was the lot of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and hath been of many of His Precious Servants and People to suffer by the World as evil Doers 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 do I desire and Pray that I may be to none of yow 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 I bless God they are not matters of Complyance with Sectaries or Designes or Practices against His Majest Person or Government or the Person or Government of His Royal Father My heart I bless God is conscious unto no Disloalty 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 Reproving of Sin The pressing 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 Magistrat as the Proper Competent Iudge in causes Ecclesiastical That in all these things which God so ordering by His gracious Providence are the grounds of my Inditement 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 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 Andrewes Dundee and Edinburgh and the Publick Resolutions for bringing the Malignant Party into the Judicatories and Armies of this Kingdom conceaving the same contrary to the Word of God and to our Solemn Covenants and Engagements and to be an inlet to Defection and to the Ruine 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 and Scandalous and Corrupt Ministers and Elders for these things I have been mistaken by some and hated by others But I bless the Lord as I had the testimony of my own Conscience so I was and am therein approven 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 then the Contradiction or Reproach or Hatred of many others the love of the one I cannot Recompence 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 wayes of the Lord and that the other if the Lord so will may be convinced cease from these things that are not good do not Edify but Destroy One thing I would warn yow all of that God is wroth yea very wroth with Scotland and threatneth to depart and remove His candlestick The causes of his wrath are many and would to God it were not One great cause that Causes of Wrath are despised and rejected of men Consider the case that is recorded Ier. 36. and the consequence of it and tremble and fear I cannot but also say that there is a great addition and increase of wrath 1. By that deludge of Prophanity that overfloweth all the Land and hath 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 2. 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 People have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water Shall be break the Covenant and prosper Shal the throne of iniquity have fellowship with God which frameth mischief by a Law I fear the Lord be about to bring a Sword on these Lands which shall avenge the quarrell of His Covenant 3. Horrible Ingratitude The Lord after 10 years oppression bondage hath broken the yoke of Strangers from off our necks but what do we render unto Him for this goodness Most of the fruit of our delivery is to work wickedness and to strengthen our Selves to do evill 4. A most dreadful Idolatry and 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 Salvation 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 Ministers 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 their duty and desire to be found faithful to their Lord and Master And I pray you to Honor and Reverence and Esteem much of these for their Works sake And I pray them to be encouraged 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 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 hands of evill doers who make themselves transgressors by stustudying 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 else he be that buildeth this Jericho again let him take heed of the curse of Hiel the Bethelite and of that flying roll thereatened Zech. 5. And let all Ministers take heed that they Watch and be Stedfast in the Faith and quit themselves like men and be strong and give faithful and seasonable Warning concerning Sin and Duty Many of the Lords People do sadly complain of the fainting and silence of many Watchmen 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 the 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 discovered and reproved and that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ may not be supplanted nor the souls of His People destroyed without a witness I have but a few words moe to adde 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 ye will not despise the day of salvation All that are Maligners and Reproachers and Persecuters 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 your selves the Butt of the Lord's fury and his flaming indignation if ye 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 mourn for all the abominations that are done in this City and in the Land and take pleasure in the stones and dust of Ziâ—n cast not away your confidence 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 Brittain 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 I do not know the Lord shorten it for the sake of his Chosen In the mean while be ye patient stedfast immoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord in love one to another Beware of Snares which are strawed thick Cleave to the Covenant Work of Reformation Do not decline the
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
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
knew Him rightly His cross it is sweet 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 well 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 that ye receive the Lord Christ as He hath offered Himself therein ye who have not closed with Him And that he who hath closed with Him abide in Him by a lively faith and love bringing forth fruits that you may put credit on your profession and keep off every thing that may shame your glorious and blessed Master before this evill and adulterous generation And I give you all warning and deâ—ort 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 towards 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 recommend them to the counsell and kindness of His people under Him I can forgive the wrong done to me in taking away my life for this Cause and wish God to be merciful to these that have condemned me or have had any hand 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 publick witness for Him and His blessed Truth and Cause for which I shall praise Him in the World to come whether I now go yea I will praise Him on the borders of Death 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 A true Relation of the Sufferings and Death of M R HEW M c KAIL. Preacher of the Gospel M R Hew M c Kail having passed and improven the vertuous means of his Education at the University of Edinburgh and with his Uncle Mr Hew Mc Kail Minister there in whose family he did reside to the satisfaction and good hope of all in the Winter 1661. upon the very turne of this sad Catastrophe offers himself to Tryall being 20 years old before the Presbytery of Edinburgh in order to the work of the Ministery and being by them amply approven and licensed and having preached at several times with the great benefit and applause of all his hearers he did preach his last publick Sermon in Edinburgh in the Great Church thereof upon the Sabbath immediatly preceeding that 8 of September 1662. the day affixed by the then Parliament for the removal of the Ministers of Edinburgh His text was Song 1.7 In this Sermon taking occasion to speak of the great and many persecutions to which the Church of God hath been and is obnoxious and amplifying the Point from the Persons and Powers who have been instrumental therein he said that the Church and People of God had been persecuted both by a Pharaoh upon the Throne a Haman in the State and a Iudas in the Church and falling to inlarge the several wayes and manner of the Persecutions of these men the issue thereof the cases of Haman and Iudas appeared in the conviction of his Adversaries to have such a near resemblance to the state and condition of the then Rulers of State and Church that though he did make no Application yet he was reputed to be guilty thereof Whereupon within a few dayes thereafter there was a Party of Horsemen sent to the Place where he then lived near to Edinburgh for to seise his Person and make him Prisoner But upon almost no more then a moments advertisement he escapes out of his bed and shifting only to another chamber was miraculously preserved from the Search then used though most diligent and accurate For this cause he being necessitated to leave that Place retired home-ward to his Fathers house where having lurked a while and thereafter as occasions call'd him spent the four years that have since interveen'd in several places and with much uncertainty Yet during all this space to the certain knowledge and sweet remembrance of all that conversed with him he was most seriously exercised in the Study of Piety and true Knowledge wherein as he greatly advanced above all his equalls so at length he became most eminent and exemplary While he is thus living and employed at his Fathers house the late Troubles arising in the West fall out and the newes thereof having alarmed him with the rest of that Countrey upon the 18. of Nov. last being the Sabbath for such motives and upon such considerations as he himself doth fully afterward declare he joined himself to those who rose in these parts for the assisting of that poor afflicted Party as in their consciences by their Covenant they thought themselves indispensably obliged When and where he joined with them or what was his part or endeavours amongst them needs not to be remembered Only this is certain that being of a thin body and tender constitution he was so disabled and weakened with the toil and fatigue of continual marching and tempestuous weather particularly at Air where he lay a considerable time as if he had been dead by reason of fainting that he could no longer endure it Whereupon on Tuesday Novemb. 27. he was necessitated to part from them in the morning near to the New Bridge upon Cramond water And in his way towards Libberton Parish about twelve of the clock passing through Bread's Craigs he was taken without resistance having only a small ordinary sword by such of the Countreymen as were then sent out to view the fields in which passage it is very observable that his escape formerly mentioned was not more miraculous then his present taking was fatal for it is without question had he but retained and observed the least of that advertency and caution wherein at other times he was known to be both ready very happy he might without either hazard or trouble have escaped this inconvenience but God who gave him the full experience of his turning all things unto the good of them that love Him did thus by his simplicity and folly prepare the way for His own Glory and His servants joy and Victory Being brought to Edinburgh and first to the Towns Council-house in their search for letters he was immediatly stript and there being none found committed prisoner to the Tolbuith Upon the Wedensday being the 28 of November by order from the Secret Council he was brought before the Earle of Dumfreis Lord Sinclar Sir Robert Manray