Restoration there has been no free nor Lawful Parliaments and he thinks by reason albeit the Members thereof were Elected in the ordinary way Yet when the Members Meet there was unlawful Oaths imposed upon them and there upon severals of them left the Parliament and so he understands that it is not a free nor lawful Parliament and thinks that Episcopacy and Erastianisme is established in that and subsequently Parliaments were contrary to the Word of God and that the Supremacy herein established is most horrid Blasphemy I added here to the Chancellor that I hoped his Lordship would not be offended at this seeing he had sworn the same in the Test but they refused to write this in my subscribed Declaration Being Interrogate if he owned the Proclamation and Declaration at Sanquhair and Hamilitoun Declares he does not own the Sanquhair Declaration as being inconsistent with his Principles such as the cutting off of the wicked and having himself read the Hamiltoun Declaration Declares he owns the same and that when they were invaded and assaulted by any Persons whatsoever in their Exercises of Reformed Religion and Worship they were obliged to stand to their own Defence and owns the Lawfullness of Field Conventicles and their being in Arms to Defend themselves in case of being Molested And he himself was ever ready to own and defend his Brethren in Arms when invaded for Religion And declares that the Invasion made against them at Pentland and Bothwell they being in the Exercise of his Religion was Service done to the Devil and Resistance made by them was Service done to GOD. Confesses that before Bothwell Bridge he had riden in Arms with Mr. Welsch through the Countrey and blesses God for it Confesses he was at a Meeting at Lesmehago before Bothwell when Lieutenant DalÈiel with a Party came upon them and was one of these that engaged against that Party Denies he was at Drumclogg But confesses he was at Bothwell and thinks that Mr. John Welsch stayed about half a year in the Countrey thereafter but he was only about eight days in Company with him after Bothwell in this Kingdom Confesses the King is lawful King Born and came Lawfully to the Crowns of these Kingdoms and that he is lawful King of this Kingdom and owns the Kings Authority conform to the Word of GOD that is to say That he is impowered to Govern for GOD's Glory and the good of his People and to be a Terror to evil doers and encourager to well and Declares that the Act of Supremacy as it is explained by the Act of Parliament that the turning out of Presbyterian Interest and overturning the Work of Reformation most unlawful Acts and being expresly contrary to the Word of God can not be Binding upon the Declarent and that Covenants are binding upon the Nations and shall be so while Sun and Moon endures and that that Oath called the Test is a most unlawful and horrid Oath and he is not obliged to take the same He Declares As to killing the Archbishop of St. Andrews he cannot give Judgment anâ—â—nt it it not being an Act of his own but that some of these that were called the Actors whom he knew and particularly one William Dingwal were Godly and Just Men. sic subscribitur John Dick. The last Day of August 1683 There being many Noblemen in the Court which day Mr. John Dick being present was Examined in presence of the Justices then sitting in Judgment and the abovewritten Confession â—mitted by him in presence of the Council being read he acknowledged the same and every particular of the same in presence of the said Justices Sic subscribitur John Dick Maitland James Fowls John Lockhart Alexander Seton Upon September 4 1683 I Mr. John Dick Son to David Dick Writer in Edinburgh being Called before the Lords of Justiciary being then present it was demanded if I had any thing to say for my self I answered Yes my Lord I have somewhat to add to my Lyble they asked what was that then I proceeded as follows I Mr. John Dick Prisoner in Name and by the Appointment of Our Blessed Lord and Master Jesus Christ Declare That the Blood of all the Presbyterians that have been Executed for their Principles is horrid Murder by whatsomever Law they have been judged and that in the Person of every Individual one who have suffered simply on this Account Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ hath been as really crucified as He was by Pilate and the Jews at Jerusalem And this I desire may be holden as a part of my former Declaration and Confession emitted before the Council and Justices This I called for and subscribed blessing the Lord that had given me a hand so to do They refused to add it to my Declaration judging they had too much already I required all that were present Witnesses that I had declared the same and Appealled them all to Christ's Bar at the Great Day to Answer for what they had done and were doing They asked if I would have an Advocat I said My Lords that is ordinarly denied to Persons in my condition they declared I should have as many as I pleased I said I would have none but my Blessed Lord Jesus Christ Blessed be His Holy Name for it He is both with me and in me The Justice Clerk asked if I was a Quaker or a Fifth Monarchry Man I told him I abhorred both yet my Affection was relevant being Blessed of my God with the Grace of Faith And then they read my Indictment and asked at every Article to which I answered affirmatively Then did the Justice Clerk ask if I had any thing to say for my self I said I Blessed the Lord I had they Desired me to proceed Answer I expect my Lords being a Free Born Scots Man I shall have the Priviledge allowed me that the Christians in former days had among the Heathens the Justice Clerk bids me proceed there are two things which I hope your Lordship will grant e're we proceed further first do you not Acknowledge that the Almighty God Jehovah is Supream Lord Governour of Heaven and Earth that all Kings in the Earth are but his Deputs Servants the Justice Clerk sayes yes The Second Do ye not Acknowledge that all the Law in the World among Christians must Strike Sail to the great Law the Law of God to which I got no Answer whereupon I took Witnesses and Protested that it might be Recorded in Heaven then they press'd me to proceed I told him the Advocat offering to follow his own method had drawn out my Declaration my Lords you have been at much pains to seek my Accusation I have been so Ingenuous to Exhibite it to you my self for which I Bless the Lord first Article that I own my self to a Presbyterian and to be bound to continue so conform to a Covenant that can not be Infringed by no Power under Heaven Now my Lords I being under such strong Impressions of those my
Obligations the least I can expect is to know by what Authority this is broken To this I got no Answer they declined further Questioning causing and commanding the Jury to be called and after they had asked if I had any thing to say against them they swore them desiring me that if I had any thing to say to the Jury to proceed I said my Lords its hard to devolve me upon a Jury before I be heard for which I charge you all to make ready to Answer before my Great Master at the Great Day and this Jurie also as to what ye do in this Affair Then they desired me to speak to the Jury for the Advocat was to have the last word then I thinking I should have occasion to have Reasoned with the Advocat anent my Lyble told the Jury That the Principle I held in my Declaration was of such a Nature as I durst not if I had as many Lives as there are Pickles of Sand on the Sea Shoar to redeem them all with the quitting of the least hair-breadth thereof Then I pressed the Obligation of the Covenant expecting the Advocat's Answer They asked if I had done I answered Yes as to this Then the Advocat began his Course wherein he did little more than Repeat my Declaration without offering any thing against any Article therein except against that of Defensive Arms his Defence against which was this that he had read of Defensive Arms betwixt two single Men But for multitudes he knew no Defensive Arms against standing Laws Then did I offer to Reply but they would not suffer me but recommended me to the Jury strictly Tying them that the Condemners should put it to after their Name and Assizers likewise Then I came conveyed to the Outter-House by the Guard where my Father came to me within a little and told me he had been dealing with the Lords for a Delay but had not got it so long as he expected I told him that whatever my good Lord's will was I was satisfied but I'le speak nothing of that my self He says well I knew that and so he leaves mâ— I am called in again within half an Hour and my Sentence intimated to be Hanged at the Grass-Mercat upon the 26th instant I said my Lords without a Hearing either before the Justices or Jurors this Practice was never parallel'd among Heathens and further my Lords and Jurors I declare and that upon good grounds that if upon this Sentence you Hang me you shall not be innocent of Crucifying the Lord afresh in me his poor and insignificant Member They called suffer him to speak no more This is the sâ—me so far as my brittle Memory will allow and I am confident there wants little or nothing of Moment Now for satisfaction both to Friends and Foes I have Judged it my Duty to add what follows My blessed Lord and Master hath determined mine Heart in all this my my Tryal next to his own Glory to have my Eye upon the Edification and Confirmation of his poor Distrest and Opprest People my Companions in Trâ—bulation as also to design as much as possible the Conviction of hâ—s and our profest and avowed Enemies moved me without any previous Deliberation to assert these Principles and â—ractices contained in my Indictment and to add that other assertion which I did before my Sentence before the Justices and Assize I say my blessed Lord having thus determined and moved me for which I bless his Name has not left me in the Dark as to Grounds and Warrants for what in and through such a poor and empty Reed as I am he hath done which Grounds while I offered to the Justices and Assizes for my Vindication I am contrare to all Law Equity and Reason refused that Privilege a Privilege granted even by the Heathens These Grounds I have thought fit to leave under my Hand for the comfort of the Lords People and if not the conviction the Terror of his and ours for his sake Proud insolent Enemies as follows You Remember that before I offered any Defence I Demanded of the Justices that they would grant me the these two Principles to wit First that the Almighty God Jehovah was Supreame Lord and Master over all in Heaven and in Earth and that all Kings and other Rulers in the Earth are his Deputes and Servants this they granted The second is that all Laws in the Earth must strike-Sail and Vail their Caps to the Supream Law the Word of God and be Regulate by it this they refuse to grant which I lookt upon as most Horrid Blasphemy and took Instruments on the Refusal thereof which I know stands Recorded in Heaven to be produced against the Denyers at the Great Day of the Lord I doubt not if that Young Noble Man who Refused me this had been present when Mr. John Paterson Proposed the Question to me if our King was Comptable to any to whom I Answered he was He asked to whom I said to these by whom he was Intrusted He Answered then he could not be Soveraign Intimating that there could be no Soveraign but one whom we Presbyterians hold to be the Almighty God Jehovah to whom alone indeed it is high Treason for any Mortall to say what doest thou It being lawful de jure to ask any Mortall King an Account of his doings as need Requires though de facto in the case of Cruel Tyrany this be Dangerous I say if this Noble Man had heard this he had not so rashly Refused my Assertion But whatever our Rulers do I do and I hope with me all that has the least Smattering of Religion will both grant and firmly in his strength hold both these Principles for to me to grant the former and refuse the Latter implys a Contradiction now laying these for two sure and inviolable Foundations I go on as if I were before the Justices and Jury to deliver my own grounds which my God laid to my Hand and answer any thing of Objections I meet with either before the Secret Council or Justices Now my Lords of Justicary and you Jurers taken these Principles for granted my first Assertion I have to Vindicate is this that I own the work of Reformation as the same is contained in the Confesion of Faith and Catechisms conform to the Covenant against Popery Prelacy and Erastianisme and am Resolved by the Lords Strength to bide by the same and seing that it is Lawful for any Man to Weild his Arms for his best Advantage to this I Subjoin the Involable Obligation of the Covenant to adhere to these Principles and Practices Now my Lords this work of Reformation these Principles and Practices being such as I find Warranted from the practice of Christ and his Apostles and not only I but his Majesty and all under him in theâ—â— Nations being by the Oath of God which shall never be Disolved by any Humane Power the least I can expect of your Lordships is that
where he has his Warrand from the Magistrates medling further in Church Affairs than to see what is ordered by the God of Heaven exactly done to the Glory of the God of Heaven which I look upon as a Power Circa sacra and not in sacris Sure I am all that have any thing of the Exercise of their Reason will say he was bound to me in these But whatever his Sentiments be in these Matters I am confident that our blessed Lord and Master in this Commission to his Ministers to Preach and Baptize gave them Commission also to exercise Discipline and Government since the one cannot consist without the other and that aâ— to the Obedience to this Commission they are lyable to Answer to none even in their visible Estate But our blessed Lord Jesus Christ their and our blessed Lord and Master and Head anent which the Magistrates Power is only Cumulative not Privative For further clearing of this I hope Sir William Paterson will not refuse it that our blessed Lord was Head of that Church whereof Judas was a Member and if so his fancy of Christ's being only the Head of the Invisible Church will be found a meer Chimera For I doubt nothing to averr that under our blessed Lord and Master in his Visible Church there is no other Power granted to any Mortals but to his Ministers of his own Appointment whom he has cloathed with a Ministerial Power conjunctly under him to act in his Affairs as they shall answer to him their only Head and though amongst these his Ministers thus by him impowered there may and ought to be a Superiority of Order for Decency yet amongst them we find no Warrand in all the Word of God for a Superiority of Jurisdiction as is practised among the Prelatical Party who have to this Abomination added that other of the Renouncing of Christ to be their Head and with the same Breath to the astonishment of all that have the least impression of a Deity have sworn the contrary in their Test Now my Lords of Justiciary and you the Assizers here Sworn I hope no Man who hath any thing left of the Exercise of his reason will deny that you were bound in Conscience if you know there is any such thing and in all Law Equity and reason to have given me Satisfaction not only as to what I have hinted at by way of Defence for my self but also to have satisfied me with a Satisfactory Answer to what is standing on record lest by our Country Man Mr. Rutherfoord a very Eminent Light in his time and one much Countenanced of the Lord in his Books called Lex Rex due Right of Presbytery and his Peaceable Plea as also in that Book Entitled Jus divinum ministerij Evangelici Writen by our Faithfull and very Reverend and Dearly Beloved Brethren the Ministers of London and as Eminently worthy and Reverend Mr. George Gillespie his Assertion of Church Government with his Aarons Rod as also in the Apologie writen by the two Reverend and Worthy Divines Mr. Hugh Smith and Mr. Alexander Jamison and in the Apologetical Relation Naphtali Jus Populi and several others in all which you will find these Principles and Practices I have Asserted owned and offered my self in the strength of my Blessed Lord to Defend whether in my Principle or Additionall Declarations and Testimonies fully Solidly and Satisfactorily to all Unbyassed and unprejudicate Persons asserted Proven Vindicated and clearly made out from the word of God which I yet assert to be the Supream Law the Law of Nature and the Law of Nations sound reason and solid Sense and since it is so which all the World must grant and you especially who refuse me Satisfaction hereanent by your either Total silence or if speaking any thing at all against these things what you have said is either Blasphemy or Nonsense I say the whole Unbyassed World would acknowledge and firmly assent you were bound to give satisfaction as to these things especially considering any Answer has been given to any of these has been the burning of some of these Books by the hands of a Hangman in a Fire a very sorry Answer indeed but however of a peice with the rest of your sightings against the Almighty And how durst you for your Souls offer to Fire such Books to solidly diâ—gested by such preciously Worthy and Eminent Authors If it had not been to shew your despite to the Spirit of GOD and shew that you will still go on in Rebellion against Heaven and who knows not that the burners of Books founded on the Word of GOD have more than enough of Inclination to burn that Holy and Blessed Word it self And indeed I think it not strange to see Men posting hard to Rome as you are doing to vent your Inclinations that way since it is not a few Years since many of your sharpest Friars found you to be Men of the same Kidney with the Anti-Christ himself that Whore who sits upon the Head of many Waters whose Judgment lingers not And if any beside a Fire has been offered against any of these it has been by others so cleanly wiped off that these Books stands still in Vigour and so do all my Assertions and Principles for any thing I have seen or heard to the contrary Now I leave it to all the impartial in the World to judge what Affront is here offered to the Almighty in cutting off one of his Creatures To our King in cutting off one of his Subjects Who to this Hour never heard a Challenge for Disloyalty if it were not from such as makes Loyalty Disloyalty Sin Duty which Challenge I very chearfully bear being sufficiently perswaded of the unjustness thereof and to Nature in cutting off of their fellow Creatures and all this without so much as a Hearing of what he had to say for himself or any thing of an Answer to any of those who has sufficiently Vindicated all these Principles and Practices for whith he was upon the Pannal and yet in this matter are these poor Men more guilty in this respect that they refuse the Pannal the benefite of such Defences as he had very good ground to believe should have been offered by the Almighty himself conform to his Promise of giving in that Hour whatsoever should be necessary for any of his in my Case I mean standing before Rulers and great Men to bear Testimony to the Truth I say I being helped of my Blessed LORD to Act Faith on His Promise and finding my Blessed LORD and Master present by his Spirit to have performed the same and I having intimated so much to them as you may see above How durst these dispisers of GOD refuse me the benefite of these Defences if this be not to declare open Hostility against Heaven I know not what is and since it is so as I can with confidence assert it was and the very enemies themselves if they had not been dangerously hardened
off a Serjeant or Lieutenant which a Commanded party of Halbardiers and possibly a few Sythes Discharging them to return till they have killed some of these Horse Sure I am in this case which is nothing impossible our Served Pikes behoved to stand still and so leave the Wings of Shot to advance alone which I think he would not do of choice or otherwise he must come over these Horses Tumbling before him and so indanger his falling in that Embarrass he is at so much pains to Guard his Disciples against and if this Shift of his can not secure him against Men and I am sure there are many Thousands in the Nation Sharper sighted in these Affairs then either he or I how does the Mad Creature Dream he should here secure himself against the Almighty And now having Touched these few particularly because such as I have Observed to be more Mad in Rage against the LORD and against his Anointed than many of their Brethren I insist to pose the rest anent this same Question and in a more General manner anent which e're I proceed I shall give them this Advice not to look upon their Sin as Specifically Different from the other but only in degrees and it may be some I have not Named be as far Benn in their Rage against their Maker as these I have Named I am under a Necessity here to mention â—hat Wretched Creature our Country Man the very Bane of the Country who if he be not as far advanced as any against our Lord he is not to be blamed for it since it is not want of Good-Will but Pith that keeps him back his Name is Sir John Whitefoord of Milton as to you with whom I am to deal more generally if ye be Conscious to your of less Activity in this Rebellion nor your Brethren your work of Repentance will be the more easie which I beg our good God may both facilitate and hasten I come then first to the Members of Parliament that have been under our King the great Agents in all this lamentable Catastrophe whether such as are so by Birth or Election and as to these who have been such by Election even to their Electors And at you I inquire where think you to shelter in the Great Day of the Lord I can not think you are so Mad as to Dream that his Majesties Letter will serve your Turn here I suppose you know your Privileges better that it is due right in conjunction with his Majesty to Enact Laws in this Realm and sure when these Laws against which I in the strength of my blessed Master have set my self came to be enacted you could not but know that these same were not only contrary directly contrary to the Will of God your and our Supream Lord and Master but also contrary to the very many then and still standing Laws notwithstanding these mock ones of yours to the contrary how then durst you in obedience to that Letter do any thing or meddle with any Oath that might import either a Resiling from our greatest Soveraign or a Counteracting of Laws by as good at least if not better Fellows than your I mean our own Predecessors who have had more of the Countenance of God one day than you can with the least shadow of Reason pretend to these twenty two or twenty three Years And for your Electors have you this to produce for your Vindication that you called the Members by you Elected to an Account for their Malversation If you have not this I hope I need not tell you that you must cover under the Short and Narrow Mantle of the Kings Letter with the rest and against you and these Elected by you and these sitting there by Birth shall the relinquishing of these Parliaments on these Terms of both Sorts not only be a standing Testimony but shall also quite Denude you of your poor short and Narrow Mantle can you Dream or think a Letter from our poor Clay King can not only Vindicate you from what just Resentment you may in our blessed Lords time and way meet with from succeeding free Parliaments but also from what our Glorious Lord himself may justly quarrel you with for such gross affronts against the Sacred Majesty of Heaven in these Hellish Acts and Actings I say can ye be so mad as to Dream these things If you be I can assure you in the blessed Name of my Blessed Lord and Master you shall find but a pitiful and empty Dream Next must I come to the Sheriffs Constables Bailies of Burrows and Regalitys with all others under his Majesty and free called Parliaments of whatsomer Rank quality or condition and ask at you where you mind to shelter iâ— that Day for your Executing of these GOD provocking Soul Destroying Church-Consounding Nation Dividing and only Devil pleasing Acts of theirs Thâ—nk ye to Shelter your either under these Acts themselves or the Authority of the the Person enacting the same Know you not that these Acts in their full vigour are against the Almighty and have for their teâ—dency next to his dishonour the confounding of his Church Oppression of his People both as to their Spiritual and Temporal Privileges and the pleasure of Belzebub only and his Agents And think you the Authority of these pitiful Servants and Deputes will shelter you from our great LORD himself whose displeasure in these affairs you could not be ignorant of if it were not wilfully which will never excuse you and if you will not believe me I hope ye will Sir George M'kenzie of Rosehaugh who says the same in his Treatise of Criminals and since I have here met with him I must anent him tell you a very sad Story I being at the Castle-hill of Edinburgh upon a Morning with two Commerads some 17 or 18 years ago he and Sir George Lockart and Sir Andrew Birnie if my Memory serve me standing by us looking upon some Companies of Foot who were Marching down the Long-Gate to Leith Links who were Levied a little after the Reintroduction of the Horrid Prelates I heard him distinctly say the Devil take me if ever I loved the Church that stood in need of such Ruling Elders as these I tell this the rather that the Reader with me may the better pass our Judgment anent this Man who has oftner than once or twice Raked Hell for Inventions to Vent his Love to that Church which he seemed then to loath and his rage against our GOD in that Church which he did at least tacitely then seem to be a favourer of Well may I ask at this Gentleman if he has Ratified this his so frank Resignation to the Devil O is it his struglings in this Matter that Occasions that Horror in his Conscience which some call Hypocondrick Fitts others Excercise If it be a Right Christian Exercise indeed I pray it may be through but his so frequent Relapses gives the more Ground than I desire to fear the
of all our Reformed Churches both at Home and Abroad All these he past and Touches at that Sell your Coat and buy a Sword so soon as he Mentioned this I desired him to beware of the Rock Sir William Paterson in calling the Sword there the Sword of the Spirit whereby he did no less than upon the matter Charge my Blessed Lord and Masteâ— with Commanding Simon of this above I told him my Answer to Sir William was what Were these two Swords the Disciples produced two Swords of the Spirit To which I got no Answer and all that Sir John offered here for my Satisfaction was Mr. Dick do you think these two Swords were enough for all the Disciples To which I Answered for the time they were and the Commission was not concerned in what Swords were there or not but was generall and a Warrand to all Christains to make use of the same in their own innocent self Defence to the Worlds end Then sayes Mr. John Vass Mr Dick you know the word Buy is variously taken in Scripture sometimes Figuratively as in that of Isai Buy Wine and Milk c. I told him I knew that but durst he or any else say it was taken so in the place under Debate Adding could there be any thing more clear or less Figurative then Sell your Coat and as if he had said with the price thereof Buy a Sword Insinuating that after his Departure they should have more need of Swords then Cloaths Mr. Vass was offering somewhat else which I hindered by Charging him to beware of doing Violence to the Spirit of GOD which when I was saying I gave a Moderate chop upon the Table For which I could not pass without Andrew Youngs Check that I was of a too fiery Spirit To which I Answered I knew I had a Natural Infirmity in that but that the Lord had helped me in some Measure to strive against it gave me no small Satisfaction I told them also these Swords our Blessed Lord gave Commission to Buy were either for offence Defence or both of which above to this I got no Answer Only I Remember Sir John Lauder told me somewhat of Passive Obedience and Instanced Tertullian anent it what it was I Totally Disremember But what ever it were I must tell Sir John once for all that suffering simply comes under no Divine Precept and whatever he have else for it I matter the less since I have my Blessed Masters Precept for Active Resistance Innocent self Defence this Serves me and if he tell me I ought rather to suffer than Sin I shall readily grant it and yet in that give no Passive Obedience but suffer for Disobedience But of this enough considering what is upon this head contained in the abovementioned Authors particularly Jus Populi Now thereafter That modest and moderate Gentleman I suppose his Name be Sir John Maitland told me very meekly he was very glad I had been interrupted in opposing my self to the Laws of the Land in which I was a Subject least my case should have been worse I Answered him with as much meekness as my hot spurred Nature was capable of I knew no Laws I had opposed which were not Diametrically opposite to the express Texts of Scripture which I judged neither I nor any other Christian was obliged to own for Laws and that I had been hindered for to Defend my self from the Word of GOD and had gotten it denyed me by the Justice Clerk that the same was the Supream Law I judged a very great Injustice for which they were all to Answer to GOD with whom I knew that was standing on Record The Gentlemen said nothing but Sir John Lauder would have refused this but I told him chaping yet more eagerly upon the Table What Sir Ye refuse me that for which I have no fewer thaâ— Five Hundred Witnesses and which is yet more I am sure it stands Registrate in Heaven Now to return where we left to the Landlords in Landward and Towns to these Convoyers to Prisons and Scaffolds aâ—â— others we have classed with you What are you resolved to do in that great and terrible Day of our Lord Think not to shelter under these Laws for the very Inactors themselves as you have heard shall be as far to seek as to shelter as you nor ever dream that your Lands and Houses for preservation whereof you have sinned against my great Master shall hear you when ye cry upon them to hide you may ye not expect such an Answer from them as this Do you not remember how long not only we but the whole Creation groaned under the burden of your Sins As you Answered our Groans then so shall we Answer you now Consider then Friends in time where you will shelter and what will you do in that day But now to come yet nearer you all in Bullâ— let us make yet another Essay for though I can not say with Paul that I would be content to be Accursed for my Brethren nor yet with Moses Let my Name be Bloted out of the Book of Life Yet I assure you my heart Yearns for my Acceptation of this my Feckless endeavour and for a Blessing from my GOD to it it may be it has been in Mercy to not a few that GOD has put these things into my heart and I may say has had the Patience by his Spirit to Dictate these things to me and if any of you reap Profite thereby I obtest you to return the whole Praise to my Blessed Lord and Master Then to you all in cumulo let me again propose this Question what are you Resolved upon Are you yet undetermined Will ye not follow my simple Honest hearted Advice Or will you not apply your to our Honest Ministers up and down the Nations both Old and Young for Council whose it is more properly to deall in this Affair I say will ye not hear me in these things And do you not for all that is said in the Word of God nor that you have heard of others nor from what you have heard from me your Poor Friend believe that there is a God that there is a Hell that there is a Heaven that there is a day of Judgement coming I would fain hope it is not so with you for in this you should be worse as to your case and condition nor are the very Devils themselves for they believe all these things and Trimble And yet indeed it would be matter of comfort to us to know that some of you were come this length though we hope better things of others Believe Believe Dear Friends what we are telling you from that Unerring Word of GOD our Supream Law least you be forced Untimously so to do which yet will be so much the sadder unto you if you Reject this my Friendly Advice I say again unto you all What resolve you to do in that Great and Terrible Day of the LORD When Our Blessed Lord Jesus
them all up to him in the Air O Glorious Meeting a Meeting without a parting a Meeting for Joy unexpressible then shall they be set down on the Right hand to receive their Sentence as the Reprobate have done already in our Paper in order of GOD's appointment they shall be last as you may see in that 25th Chap. of Matth. out of which we drew their Sentence and then shall the Sentence of the Elect be pronunced as follows in the 34 Verse of the said 25th Chap. of Matth. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Now my Dearest Friends to answering my former Suits which as they are both your Mercies and Duties so are attended with such unspeakable Advantages as we have a little hinted at I shall desire you yet to add two more The first is That one and all of you may with me with our whole Souls sing and say and say and sing Bless O my Soul the Lord thy God and all that in me is be stirred up his Holy Name to magnifie and bless The second is That all of us with one Soul may cordially join in saving Even so come Blessed Lord Jesus Christ come quickly Amen Thus with his whole Soul says JOHN DICK 1st October 1683. Having through Divine Assistance brought my Testimony to this period it may be supposed my Vital Spirits are not a little wearied and sure I am I shall need to use no Argument to perswade any that know me Well that I have never in my Lifetime been so long Serious together as I have been since my Ever Blessed LORD and Master in his Holy Providence brought me under this so Lovely Chain Lovely indeed yet the Sweetest time ever I had in my Life time next to that little time of our Espousalls for which my Soul shall Bless him forever I say since it is so I hope none will Offend if for my Recreation I break here a Jeast or two in Referrence to which I hope the rather I have my Blessed Master's Permission that therein I intend to do Despite to and Spitt in the Faces of a few such as have with most Violence and Hellish Boldness not only done Despite unto the Spirit but also Monstrously Spitten in the Face of my Blessed Lord and Master The Nature of my Jests shall be such as we call in Latin seria mixta jocis and in broad Scots half Jest half Earnest And First by way of Advertisement to all who concern themselves in the Reformed Churches of these Kingdoms that they use their Moyen with these makers of Mugs whether in that place of Scotland called Muir-madzoun or any where else up and down the Nations that in Imitation of the Hâ—llâ—nders who that they might in Rememberance of the Cruelty of that Monster for Blood Thirstiness the Duke of Alva caused Impress his Picture upon the Face of the Brandy Bottles they would upon all the Mugs they shall make after this imprint on the forepart thereof the Picture of this our Duke of Alva I mean York and upon the back part thereof the Picture of that Pitifull thing Claver House and because they must not want a Chaplain upon the Bottom of these Mugs let the Picture of that Monster the Bishop of Edinburgh be Impressed to this effect that all the Carlâ—nes in the Country may have occasion once in the Twenty four Hours to vent their Disrespect to these Abominable Wretches that so with their Names their very Pictures may Stink also and because their Physiognomies may by the Spectators be mistaken I would advise their several Names might be Adjoined to their Pictures least theâ— looking to Yorks Picture might take it for that of a Serpent or to Claver House his Picture for that of a Snake or that Monster the Bishop of Edinburgh his Picture for that of a Meer Swine Wallowing in Filth Yet I will not be Peremptor here for the mistake will not be great in any of these And now having mett with the Bishop that you may see I wrong him not be pleased to take a glance of him in these particulars following And first In a Dialogue betwixt him and that prodigious Drunkard Mr. Trotter one of his Underlings even that Trotter who it would appear having anticipated the Dyet of drinking our Dragie had got himself so full that Morning our blessed Lord set us at liberty that he took Stowre for Smoak and the glancings of his own firie eyes for Light Matches which occasioned his so disorderly deserting of the Pulpit a place he never deserved to set his foot in to the no small Confusion of his Auditors as follows Having met together Occasionally the Bishop says to Trotter How now Mr. Trotter I am informed you are a Scandalous Drunkard Mr. Trotter My Lord do you Believe that Bishop Yes I must believe since all Men says so Trotter I am very sorry for that my Lord for though all Men say you are a Scandalous Adulterer yet I do not believe it Bishop say You so Trotter Yes Bishop Then to be quitts with You neither will I believe the other 2dly You may inform your of the Nature and qualities of that his Snuff-Box which as I am informed is in the Hands of Sir Charles Halker which I am Confident that Generous Gentleman keeps for no other end but to be a Witness against the Madness the abominable Madness of that Mock Prophet one of whose Prophesies we come to offer to your Consideration in the third place as follows He being on the Castlehill of Edinburgh in Company of the Duke of York and others in the latter end of 1680 or beginning of 1681 looking to that great Comet that did then appear and being asked by the Duke What his Thoughts of the Comet were He answers I look upon it as a Torch in the Heavens to light your Royal Highness to the Throne Did this Prodigious Monster know what he was saying when he spake this Did he not know the many standing Laws of this Kingdom were Bars in the way of this which are yet standing and still shall stand I mean these made against Popety and Papists having any Place of Publick Trust in the Nation Does not this Wretch know that thir Laws are standing and must stand being sounded on and agreeable to the Word of GOD and enacted by free Parliaments Does not the Infatuate Wretch know that any Act made to the contrary can never come in the List of Laws in this Nation as being down right contrary to the Word of GOD and enacted by unfree Parliaments Must we weary our telling him this again and again And did not this Monster for arrogant Boldness in daring Heaven know that by the Word of GOD our Supream Law it is enacted That the Idolater shall die the Death Or is he so wretchedly blind as not to know That that Antichrist that Man of sin and all his Limbs of which this Duke
of his is not the smallest are Idolaters What could possess this Infatuate Wretch when delivering this Mock Prophesie Sure nothing but the Devil it is like that same Devil who was a Lying Spirit in the Mouth of Ahab's Prophets of which you may Read in that 22d Chapter of the first Book of the Kings from the 20 Verse to the 23d And now though I be neither a Prophet nor the Son of a Prophet as all who know me knows yet may I not venture to Vent a few of my Guesses in this matter And who knows but I may hit nearer the Truth than this Mock and Madly Unclean Prophet And First what if this Comet was designed a Torch if he will have it so for shewing the Turk the way into Germany whom our Blessed LORD may make use of as a Scourge to these and their Neighbouring Nations and by whom our Glorious LORD may be making inquiry for the Blood lying in the Streets of the great ones Especially that Bloody House of Austria Secondly What if it were lighting in Count Tekâ—li upon the head of his Hungarian Forces to prove the Lawfullness of Defensive Arms being thereto Necessitate by the Violence they met with from that Bloody Emperor and Jesuites both as to their Civils and Spirituals Thirdly What if to give a Light to the Protestants in France Britain Ireland and elsewhere in order to the â—eting of the Mists â—â—st upon thâ—t Scripture Sâ—ll Sâ—â—ord by the Jesuiticall Parties at Home and Abroad Rolled off Or Fourthly What if this great Comet was sent as a Warning of the Fall of Antichrist that Man of Sin and all who have sent their strength to that Whore and who have with him Combined against the LORD and against his Anointed and to Usher in the Destruction of Rome as another not much unlike it did that of Jerusalem I am not a little hopefull that these my Guesses shall hold much better then shall the Mad Heaven Daring Prophesie of that Abominable Letcherous Wretch Bishop Paterson and now in him have we two Old Scots Proverbs made good First The Blind Mare is first in the Mire Secondly Patersons Mare goes foremost My second Jest shall be this I am apprehensive some may be of that Opinion that it shall befall me as it did that Man Who for telling the Truth could not get Quarters any where This Man being wandering towards the Evening meets with another I will not say it was our Chancelor but I think it was one like him who says to him How now Friend what do you Travelling so late The other answers I can get no Lodging Go with me Friend says the other So they came home and are not well set down when the Poor Traveller being Dry calls to his Landlord Gleid Carl end me the Cup by you Upon which he takes his Batton and chases the poor Man o the Door under Cloud of Night And indeed our Chancelor to me was yet more Unchristian and madly wicked what could move the Man's Spleen I cannot guess sure I am whatever I thought yet I call'd him not Gleid Carl. It is like this has raised his Passion that I told him he had sworn in the Test That the Act of Supremacy as explain'd was horrid Blasphemy And was not this Truth as were all the Principles and Practices I there owned And did I not offer from the Word of God to Vindicate this Why am I then by Armed Force halled out of that house to another In this he was worse than the other Gleid Carl who let his Guest go free tho' he would not give him Lodging And there I must be arraign'd before the Justices who to compliment the Chancelor or may be the Duke of York must let the World see that they are as gleid in their Morals as the other in his Naturals and by them forsooth tho offering Vindication from GOD's Word and craving it may be granted that the Almighty is Supream Judge and his Word the Supream Law I am upon the matter denyed both as you may see before and rolled over upon an Assize who outdoing both did shew themselves stone blind in receiving a Pannal off their hands on these Terms But for this as for what has been done in these Lands of this Nature are these horrid Monsters for keenness against Our Blessed Lord in his Members to Answer before Our Ever Blessed Lord conform to my Instrument standing upon Record in Heaven at that great Day of the Lord. I say Some may be under this Impression anent me but I shall tell them where I expect shelter even the LORD for The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous flee thereunto and are safe As also in that Scripture When my Father and Mother forsake me the Lord will take me up This has often been refreshfull to me and so long as I have a BIBLE containing these and many such I hope the Apprehensions of the former shall never much trouble me I remember in the former part of my Testimony I Advised our Judges and Assize to burden themselves with my Blood and the Blood of these others that escaped with me as much as if they had gotten their unparalelled cruel Sentence put in Execution I give here the Reason even because of the Keenness they vented in hunting after us after our escape which I look upon as a fighting against the Holy Providence fretting at his Holy Dispensations and in this their Keenness their Rage ran that height that not having anew of two footed they make use of Four footed Dogs to Sent us out It's like they be yet ignorant of the Reason why these Dogs could not find us therefore I shall lend them even this there was no Blood hanging at our heels and I hope yea and trusts very firmly that turn the Chase when it will which I yet hope shall be sooner than either his Peoples fainting fears or his and our Enemies groundless hopes will allow either to believe I say come that Day when it will I hope the Lord's People shall be at this Advantage in finding of them to be brought to Judgement that the fecklessest Curr in the Country that has the least of the Sent of Blood shall never miss one of them since upon every individual as we told you before is there no less Blood lying than all the Righteous Blood shed from Righteous Abel till this Hour Now most Glorious and Infinitely Blessed LORD GOD even hasten thy coming as for the Comfort af the weary Mourners so for the Terrour and Confusion of these Builders of Babel thine and ours for thy sake cruel and Bloody Enemies Thus very Cordially Prays JOHN DICK A Brief Account of what passed betwixt the Council and Mr. John Dick upon the Fourth Day of March 1684 being the Day before he Suffered MR. John Dick who was Instrumental of and Accessary to your Escaping out of Prison Where have you Haunted and with whom have ye Frequented since that
time My Lords if ye had no other to Enquire at then me ye might have caused take me from the Court of Guard to the Gibbet Do ye own and adhere to all your former Actings I both own and adhere to all that I have done in the Vindication of my Principles and in the Reproving if not the Converting of Christs Enemies either with my Tongue or Pen and am willing to Seal the same with my Dearest Blood Follows an Account of what passed betwixt the Lords of Justiciarâ— and Mr. John Dick when his Sentence was reintimate to him the next Day after he was taken THE Lords hearing of it being Conveened he was brought from the Tolbooth and put in the Pannel before them to whom he gave a Bow and so the Clerk at the Command of the Lords Cryed to the Macer saying Macer Command Silence then they called Mr. John Dick to whom he Answered here I am and so the Clerk Read as follows Mr. John Dick now standing in the Pannel having been apprehended before to wit in August last and having been several times before the Lords of Council and Justiciary was Sentenced and Commanded upon the fifth Day of September 1683 to be Hanged at the Grass Mercat of Edinburgh upon the 26th of of that instant but the said Mr. John Dick having Broken the Toolbooth of thâ—s Brugh upon the 16th of that instant and several others with him and so made his Escape before the time that he should have been Hanged and he being apprehended and now standing in the Pannel these are to Warrand Authorize Command and Charge the Magistrates of this Burgh to Cause Carefuly Conduct him to the said Grass-Mercat of Edinburgh to Morrow between two and four in the Afternoon and there to be Hanged up till he be Dead under the pain of the Act. c. At the hearing of which he gave a Bow to the Lords and said now my Lords the Sentence that your Lordships passed upon me both before and now is both unreasonable and unjust and contrar to the Laws of this Nation however it is very welcome to me upon Christ's Account But I remember two things that I demanded before and now I demand them again The first was That the great Jehovah is Judge of Heaven and Earth and that all the Kings and Princes therein are but his Deputes and Servants this was granted me before The Second was That the Scriptures are the Supream Law and that all the Laws of this Nation and all other Nations are to be regulate thereby and strike and Vail their Capes to this this they refused me before and now I demand it again but he got no Answer So he cryed now my Lords I take the Great GOD to Witness and each of your Consciences to Witness against your and all of you and the rest of this multitude to Witness against you that hears me that ye have again refused me this to grant it to me and tho ye have judged me once before and now again unjustly Yet remember that at one Day GOD will Judge you and Reviving my Blood and the Blood of all my Brethren that has been shed unjustly and they cryed that they would take him away and not suffer him to speak any longer so he rapped upon the Breast of the Pannel and cryed out GOD even my GOD shall Judge you as ye have Judged me and that ye shall find but GOD forgive you and I forgive you if it be agreeable to his Eternal Decree and so he was taken away crying as he went to the Door of the Outter House saying well I am refused of that which none but Heathens could have refused me of but I bliss the LORD for it and many of my Christian Friends knows my Mind of these things and others may know it when I am gone Followes his Words and Carraige in the Laigh Council House that Afternoon he came from the Tolbooth before he went to the Scaffold as was there present after the Reading of the Sentence Mr. Ramsay one of the Ministers of the Old Kirk of Edinburgh offered to Pray to him to whom he Replyed Sir how dare you presume or how dare you have the Confidence to pray in my Presence since ye are Fighting against GOD and Persecuting Christ in his Members ye have not only Abjured the Covenant but is Murdering the Souls of the LORD's people and to Crown all your Abjured ones and Abominations Have he not taken that Abominable Test. Mr. Ramsay Answers Well Sir will ye pray your self then Yes if the Bailie suffer me I will if ye will promise to make no Reflections in Prayer But he Answered that he would make no such promises But said he whatsoever GOD gives me to pray that will I pray And so the Baillie again Refused to suffer him if he would not promise not to have any Reflections in Prayer but he Answered as before But Mr. Ramsay pressed the Baillie to give him Liberty to pray and he began to pray thus O Lord God the Great God and my Covenanted God and the Covenanted God of Scotland For Christs Sake come with Deliverance to thy Church and People and help them Vindicate and make great thy Glory And so the Bailie cryed to take him away The last Words and Carriage of Mr. John Dick who Suffered in the Grass Market of Edinburgh upon the Fifth of March 1684. WHen he went upon the Scaffold he Beckned to the Multitude beginning at North side thereof and so turning himself Round with a Smiling Countenâ—nce and no less Couragious then pleasant Demonstrations without the least of Terrour or being Troubled either with Death near approaching or the manner of he Death he was to Die this in a Princely like Posture he presented himself in the â—ight of all there present And then with his hands Falded together and his Eyes â—fted up to Heaven for a little looking not only stedfastly but Eagerly and so treaching furth his hands he began thus The great Confluence that are gathered together here manifestly declares to me that many if not the great part of this Multitude expects and looks for some thing more than Ordinary but ye may be disappointed I nothing doubt but all of this Multitude at least the most part knows and have heard that I have had near six Months Respite more than was allowed me by Men which time was granted me in the Goodness and Mercy of GOD through my Escape which Mercy I mean this time that I have had since my escape I look upon it to have been given me for these two and in both these that GOD may be Glorified And First That having so much more time I might have the Liberty and Priviledge more fully to exhibite and give in my Judgment At which Bailie Chancellor called to Bear but he stops him saying Beat not and so he proceeded saying Secondly That having so much more time I might the better make ready and prepare my self for that