Opinion of things or because they would not Condemn these necessitated risings in Arms to be Rebellion and a Sin against God which they were forced to declare by terrible menacings of Death making their Arbitrary Laws to reach the Heart Thoughts and inward Sentiments of the Mind as well as outward Actions Whereupon this became a Criminal Question robbing many of their Lives Was the rising at Bothwell-bridge Rebellion and a Sin against God And this Was the killing of the Bishop of St Andrews horrid Murther Which if any answered negatively or did not answer affirmatively they were cruelly Condemned to Death The Ministry then also were generally insnared with that Bonded Indulgence the pretended benefit of that forementioned Indemnity For when a Proclamation was emitted inveighing bitterly against Field-Meetings and absolutely introducing all such for the future under highest pain but granting Liberty to Preach in Houses upon the Terms of a Cautionany Bond given for their living peaceably Yet excluding all these Ministers who were suspected to have been at the late Rebellion and all those who shall afterwards be admitted by Non-Conform Ministers And certifying that if ever they shall be at any Field-Conventicle the said Indemnity shall not be useful to such Transgressours any manner of way And requiring security that none under the colour of this favour continue to Preach Rebellion Though there seems to be enough in the Proclamation it self to have scared them from this scandalous snare Yet a Meeting of Ministers at Edinburgh made up of Indulged avowed Applauders of the Indulgence or underhand Approvers and favourers of the same and some of them old Publick Resolutioners assuming to themselves the name of a General Assembly voted for the acceptance of it And so formerly transacted and bargained upon base dishonest and dishonourable Terms with the Usurper by consenting and compacting with the People to give that Bond wherein the People upon an humble Petition to the Counsel obtaining their Indulged Minister do bind and oblige that he shall live peaceably And in order thereto to present him before his Majesty's Privy Council when they shall be called so to do And in case of failure in not presenting him to be liable to the Sum of 6000 Merks Whereby they Condemned themselves of former unpeaceableness Many embraced this new Bastard Indulgence that had not the benefit of the former Brat of the same Mother the Supremacy and far more consented to it without a Witness and most of all did some way homolegate it in Preaching under the Sconce of it Declining the many reiterated and urgent Calls of the zealous Lovers of Christ to come out and maintain the Testimony of the Gospel in the open Fields for the honour of their Master and the freedom of their Ministry Whereupon as many poor People were tumbled and jumbled into many confusions so that they were so bewildered and bemisted in doubts and debates that they knew not what to do and were tempted to question the Cause formerly so fervently contended for against all opposition than so simply abandoned by those that seemed sometimes valiant for it when they saw them consulting more their onw ease than the Concerns of their Masters Glory or the necessity of the poor People Hungering for the Gospel so the more zealous and faithful after several Addresses Calls and Invitations to Ministers finding themselves deserted by them judged themselves under a necessity to discountenance many of them whom formerly they followed with pleasure and to resolve upon a persuit and prosecution of Duty of the Day without them and to provide themselves with faithful Ministers who would not shun for all hazards to declare the whole Counsel of God And accordingly the Lord sent them first Mr. Richard Cameron with whom after serious solicitation his Brethren denied their Concurrence and then Mr. Donald Cargill who with a zeal and boldness becoming Christs Ambassadours maintained and prosecuted the Testimony against all the Indignities done to their Master and wrongs to the Cause both by the encroachments of Adversaries and Defections of their declining Brethren And now the Lords Inheritance was again revived But as Christ was then displaying his Beauty to his poor despised and persecuted People the Duke of York came to Scotland who did receive him in great Pomp and Pride Against which the forementioned faithful Witnesses of Christ did find themselves obliged to testifie their just resentment and to protest against his succeeding to the Crown in their Declaration published at Sanquhair Iune 22. 1680. Wherein also they disown Charles Stuart as having any Right Title or Interest in the Crown of Scotland or Government thereof because of his breath of Covenant and Vsurpation on Christs Prerogatives c. And declare a War with him and all the Men of these Practices homologating the Testimony at Rutherglen and disclaiming that Declaration at Hamiltown This Action was generally Condemned by the Body of lurking Ministers both for the matter of it and the unseasonableness of it and its apparent unfeasiblness being done by a handful so inconsiderable for number strength or significancy But tho' it is not the prudence of the management but the justness of the Action that I would have vindicated from Obloquies yet it wanted nothing but success to justifie both in the Conviction of many that made much outcry against it In these dangerous Circumstances their difficulties and discouragements dayly encreased by their Enemies vigilancy their enviers Treachery and their own inadvertency some of their number falling into the hands of them that sought their lives For two of the most eminent and faithful Witnesses of Christ Mr. Donald Cargill and Henry Hall were surprized at Queens Ferrie Mr. Cargill escaped at that time but the other endeavouring to resist the Enemies was Murdered by them And with him they got a draught of a Covenant declaring their present purposes and future Resolutions The Tenor whereof was an Engagement To free the Church of God of the Corruption of Prelacy on the one hand and the Thraldom of Erastianism on the other To persevere in the Doctrin of the Reformed Churches especially that of Scotland and in the Presbyterian Government exercised in Sessions Presbyteries Synods and General Assemblies as a distinct Government from the Civil and distinctly to be exercised not after a Carnal manner by plurality of Votes or Authority of a single Person but according to the word of God making and carrying the sentence To execute Righteous Iudgement impartially according to the Word and degree of Offence upon the Committers of these things especially to wit Blasphemy c. Oppression and Malignancy c. To reject the present Rulers as the only speedy way of relaxation from the Wrath of God lying on the Land Therefore easily solving the Objectious 1. of our Ancestors obliging the Nation to this Race and Line that they did not buy their Liberty with our Thraldom nor could they bind their Children to any thing so much to their
none and could not pretend to any so they were never troubled for that but for their opposition and conspiracy against the common Cause However it went through at that time And that the Covenanted Reformation in a nearer Conjunction betwixt the united Churches might be promoted the Parliament of England called an Assembly of Divines at Westminster And desired the Assembly of Scotland to send thither their Commissioners and they accordingly nominated and elected Mr. Alexander Henderson Mr. Robert Douglas Mr. Samuel Rutherford Mr. Robert Baille Mr. George Gillespie Ministers and Iohn Earl of Capils Iohn Lord Maitland and Sir Archbald Iohnstone of Warristown Ruling Elderâ— to Propone Consult Treat and Conclude in all such things as might conduce to the extirpation of Prelacy c. and for the settling of the so much desired Union of the whole Island in one Form of Church Government one Confession of Faith one common Catechism and one Directory for the Worship of God Forces were also sent to assist the Parliament of England Which were favoured with great success in their Enterprizes till that War was ended by the total overthrow of the King and all his upholders But that Prelatical and Malignant Faction being brought much under in England attempted to try the Fortune of War in Scotland under the Conduct of Montrose Who tho' he prevailed for a time yet at length was defeat at Philliphaugh in the Year 1645. yet certain it is that they had Commission and Warrant from the King as the Assembly that Year Feb. 13. remonstrates it to himself Warning him in the Name of their Master the Lord Iesus Christ that the Guilt which cleaved to his Throne was such as if not timely repented could not but involve himself and his Posterity under the Wrath of the Everliving God for his being Guilty of the shedding of the Blood of many Thousands of his best Subjects c. At the same time also the Assembly did zealously incite the Parliament to a speedy Course of Justice against these Incendiaries and Murderers as the only mean of cleansing the Land from that deluge of Blood then Current and of appeasing the Wrath of God And solemnly and seasonably warned all Ranks to search to understand the Language of that Dispensation wherein many publick Sins and Breaches of Covenant are pointed at and the Covenant it self is there very Encomiastically vindicated We are so far from repenting of it say they that we cannot mention it without great joy for no sooner was the Covenant begun to be taken in England but sensibly the condition of affairs there was changed to the better and our Forces sent into that Kingdom in pursuance of that Covenant have been so manifestly and mercifully assisted from Heaven that we have what to answer the Enemy that reproacheth us concerning that business These following Acts were made thus Feb. 14. 1645. Sess. 18. Vnless Men will blot out of their Hearts the fear of Religion and Cause of God they must now or never appear actively each one stretching himself to yea beyond his power It is no time to dally or to go about the business by halves nor be almost but altogether zealous Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently If we have been forward to assist our Neighbour Kingdoms shall we neglect to defend our own Or shall the Enemies of God be more active against his Cause than his People for it God forbid And among the Enormities and Corruptions of the Ministry in their Callings this is one § 4. 5. Silence in the publick Cause some accounting it a point of Wisdom to speak ambiguously whereof the remedy is § 15. That beside all other scandals silence and ambiguous speaking in the publick Cause be seasonably Censured Gen. Ass. Edin June 13. 1646. Act for Censuring the Complyers with the publick Enemies of this Church and Kingdom Gen. Ass. Edin Jun. 17. 1646. Sess. 4. Where they judge it a great and scandalous Provocation and grievous defection from the publick Cause to comply with these Malignants in any degree even to procure Protections from them or to have invited them to their Houses or to be Guilty of any such Gross degrees of Complyance Censured to be suspended from the Communion and while they acknowledge their Offence And Gen. Ass. Aug. 24. 1647. Sess. 19. Ministers are charged us they have occasion from the Text of Scripture to reprove the Sins and Errors and press the Duties of the Time and in all these to observe the Rules prescribed by the Acts of Assembly wherein if they be negligent they are to be Censured And July ult 1648. Sess. 2. in their Declaration concerning the unlawful Engagement they say Suppose the Ends of that Engagement be good as they are not yet the means and ways of Prosecution are unlawful because there is not an equal avoiding of Rocks on both hands but a joyning with Malignants to suppress Sectaries a joining hands with a black Devil to beat a white Devil And Aug. 3. 1648. All Ministers that do not apply their Doctrine to the Corruptions of the Time which is the Pastoral Gift and that are cold or wanting of Spiritual zeal Dissembling of Publick Sins are appointed to be Censured even to Deprivation for forbearing or passing in silence the Errors and Exorbitances of Sectaries in England or the Defections current at home the Plots and Practices of Malignants the Principles and Tenets of Erastianism And if they be found too sparing General or Ambiguous in their Applications or Reproofs they are to be deposed for being pleasers of Men rather than servers of Christ for giving themselves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in the Cause of God for defrauding the South of People yea for being Guâ—lty of the Blood of Souls in not giving them warning See also their seasonable and necessary Warning Iuly 27. 1649. Thus did these famous Fathers give us a perfect Pattern of purity and strictness in opposition to all degrees of Coâ—formity and Complyance with the Corruptions of the Time In the mean while the Malignants in England being crushed in all their Projects the King renders himself to the Scots in Newcastle By whom because by Covenant they were not obliged to defend him but only in defence of Religion and Liberty which he had been destroying and they defending because in this War he did directly oppose and oppugn these Conditions under which they were only to defend him and therefore they had all along carried towards him as an Enemy as he to them And because by the same Covenant they were obliged to discover and render to condign Punishment all Malignants of whom he was the chief and to assist mutually all entred into that Covenant he was delivered up unto the English and kept under restraint in the Isle of Wight until he was Condemned and Executed Ian 30 164â—â— Which Fact tho' it was protested against both before and after by the Assembly of the Church of Scotland
retreating from the pursuit they judged it most safe in that extremity for some time not to separate Which resolution coming abroad to the Ears of others of their Brethren determined them incontinently to come to their assistance considering their own liableness to the same common danger upon the account of their endeavours of that nature to defend themselves bâ—ing of the same judgment for maintaining of the same Cause to which they were bound by the same Covenants This was the Rise and Occasion of that appearance at Bothwel-Bridge which the Lord did in his Holy Soveraignty confound for former Defections by the means of Division which broke that little Army among themselves before they were broken by the Enemy They continued together in amiable and amicable Peace for the space of 8 or 9 days while they endeavoured to put out and keep out every wicked thing from amongst them and adhered to the Rutherglen Testimony and that short Declaration at Glascow confirming it Representing their present Purposes and Endeavours were only in vindication and defence of the Reformed Religion as they stood obliged thereto by the National and Solemn League and Covenant and the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties declaring against Popery Prelacy Erastianism and all things depending thereupon Intending hereby to comprehend the Defection of the Indulgence to witness against which all unanimously agreed Until the Army encreasing the Defenders and Daubers of that Defection some Ministers and others came in who broke all The occasion of the Breach was first when an Overture was offered to set times apart for Humiliation for the Publick Sins of the Land and accordingly the complying with abjured Erastianism by the acceptance of the ensnaring Indulgence was condescended upon among the rest of the grounds of Fasting and Humiliation The Sticklers for the Indulgence refused the Overture upon Politick Considerations for fear of offending the Indulged Ministers and Gentlemen and provoking them to withdraw their Assistance And next whereas the Cause was stated before according to the Covenants in the Rutherglen Testimony and Glascow Declaration wherein the King's Interest was waved These Dividers drew up another large Paper called the Hamiltown Declaration wherein they assert the Kings Interest according to the Third Article of the Solemn League and Covenant Against which the best affected contended and protested they could not in Conscience put in his interest into the state of the quarrel being now in stated opposition to Christ's Interests and inconsistent with the meaning of the Covenant and the Practices of the Covenanters and their own Testimonies while now he could not be declared for as being in the defence of Religion and Liberty when he had so palpably overturned and ruined the work of Reformation and oppressed such as adhered thereunto and had burnt the Covenant c. Whereby he had loosed the People from all obligation to him from it Yet that contrary Faction prevailed so far as to get it published in the name of all whereby the Cause was perverted and betrayed And so in the Holy All-over-ruling Providence of God that poor handful was signally discountenanced of God deprived of all Conduct divested of all Protection and laid open to the Raging Sword the just punishment of all such tamperings with the Enemies of God and espousing their Interest About 300 were killed in the Fields and 1000 and upwards taken Prisoners stripped and carried to Edinburgh and there sentenced with Banishment and sent away for America and by the way a few excepted perished in Shipwreck and two faithful and painful Ministers and Witnesses of Christ Mr. Iohn Kidd and Mr. Iohn King received the Crown of Martyrdom sealing their Testimony with their Blood and many others after them for the same Cause After this fearful and fatal stroak at Bothwell the Universality of the Children of the Church of Scotland which before espoused her Testimony was partly drawn by Craft and partly by Cruelty from a Conjunction with their Brethren in prosecuting the same either into an open defection to the contrary side or into a detestable indifferency and neutrality in the Cause of God For first of all the Duke of Monmouth procured the emission of a pretended Indemnity attended with a Bond of Peace for its Companion wherein that Insurrection was acknowledged to be Rebellion and ane Obligation never to rise in Arms against the King or any Commissionate by him and to live peaceably c. Which were dreadful Snars fairded over with curious words and cozening names of living peaceably c. This course of defection carried away many at that time And from that time since the taking that Bond of peaceable living there hath been an Universal preferring of Peace to Truth and Ease to Duty And the Generality have been left to swallow all Oaths and Bonds imposed since many Ministers refusing to give their advice when required and requested thereunto and some not being ashamed to perswade the People to take them But then they not only raised more Forces to exhaust the strength and substance of the already wasted Country and laid on and continued from one Term to another that wicked Exaction and cruel Oppression of the Cess for the same declared ends of suppressing and banishing what remained of the Gospel and imposed Localites for maintaining the Souldiers imployed in those Designs for refusing which many Families were Pillaged Plundered and quite Impoverished besides the beating and abusing them But also they went on unweariedly with pressing the Bonds of Peace and dragging them like Dogs to the Prisons that would not subscribe them and for taking up in their Porteous Rolls the Names of all that were suspected to have been at Bothwell Insurrection which they gathered by the Informations of Sycophants and reputed them Convict if being summoned they did not appear and forced others to Swear Super Inquirendis and delate upon Oath whom they did either see or heard that they were in Arms or went to Meetings and such as refused suffered Bonds of Banishment Yea having made it Criminal to reset harbour correspond or converse with those whom they declared Rebels they thereupon imprisoned fined and ruined vast numbers for having seen or spoken with some of them or because they did not discover or apprehend them when they fancied they might for which many Gentlemen and others were Indicted and imprisoned and some Arraigned and Condemned to Death For these Causes the Country was Harrassed and destroyed by four extraordinary Circuit Courts successively going about with their numerous Train whereby many were grievously oppressed and with their Oppressions tempted with many Impositions of Conscience-debauching Oaths and Bonds to compear when called and to keep the Church and to refrain from going to Meetings c. and by these tentations involved in Complyances and Defections And not only were they Condemned to Death for being actually in Arms or any overt Act of Transgressing their wicked Laws but even for their extorted