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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43666	Ravillac redivivus, being a narrative of the late tryal of Mr. James Mitchel, a conventicle-preacher, who was executed the 18th of January last, for an attempt which he made on the sacred person of the Archbishop of St. Andrews to which is annexed, an account of the tryal of that most wicked pharisee Major Thomas Weir, who was executed for adultery, incest and bestiality : in which are many observable passages, especially relating to the present affairs of church and state / in a letter from a Scottish to an English gentleman.	Mitchel, James, d. 1678, defendant.; Hickes, George, 1642-1715.; Weir, Thomas, 1600?-1670, defendant.	1678 (1678)	Wing H1860; ESTC R10945	57,651	80

diabolical prophane and blasphemous and Pharoah-like to say Who is the Lord that they should obey him Exod. 5. 2. Now seeing both the Throne and the Judgement is the Lords then O blessed and happy Magistrate who ruleth and governeth his Subjects keeping in a streight Line of subordination to God's Law and Statutes for in so doing who may say to him what dost thou Prov. and O happy and blessed people thus Governed Deut. 4. 8. And what Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so Righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day But O the Blasphemous perjuries and Wickedness of this Apostate Generation whom no Bands Obligations nor Covenants can bind except these spoken in the 149 Psal 8. But shall they thus break the Covenant and escape and be delivered Ezek. 17. 15 18. As if the Lords hand and power could not reach them to inflict just and due punishment upon them wich commit such things I do detest and abhor that woful Indulgence and Incroachment and Usurpation on the Crown and Prerogatives Royal of our Lord Jesus Christ at least in the givers thereof howbeit I have very much Love Charity and Affection to many who have embraced the same for I do really think that they have been out-witted in that matter and have not wickedly departed from following the Lord yet I hope they shall get their Souls for a prey in the day of the Lord although they may suffer loss in building such Hay and Stuble upon the Rock Christ Jesus when that their work shall be burnt up by the fire of his Jealousie I protest before God Angels and men against all these Acts of Parliament or Council which are against and derogative to the work of God and Reformation and carrying on of the same according as we are ingaged and sworn in these holy bands of the National Covenant and solemn League and Covenant I abhor the shedding of the blood of the Lords people for their adhering to the same and the peoples guarding such in Prison houses and at Scaffolds unto their death whom both by the Oath of God upon them and by the eminent and laudable Laws of the Land and by the Law of Nature they were obliged to have defended to the uttermost of their lives and fortunes It being most well known that such as were put to death had committed no Crime but on the contrary had performed a Duty which they were as much obliged to have performed as these if the guarders had been as faithful to God and man as the Pannels were Likewise I protest against their Banishment Imprisonment or Finings or Confinements and against all the hardships and perplexities of whatsoever kind which they have been put to through the Iniquity of the times So that we may justly with our predecessors say That our Persecutors have devoured us and have Crushed us have emptied us swallowed us up like a Dragon and have filled their bellies with our Delicates and have cast us out 5 Jer. 34. For which cause God gave a charge to prepare Instruments for the overthrow and destruction of such Persecutors v. the 12. Because it was the Vengeance of the Lord and of his Temple so shall our Remnant who outlive these Persecutors say v. 35. The violence done to me and my flesh be upon Babylon and my blood be upon the Inhabitants of Chaldea let wrath from the Lord pursue them for their blood and violence in their persons and Estates and their strength wherein they conside and in their friends and favourites who have consulted and contrived within their wicked Courses I hope the time is drawing nigh and that the joynts of their Loyns is loosing their knees are beginning to smite one against another Dan. 5. 6. and the hand-writing begins to be pourtrayed upon the wall because they have not considered what God did to their Predecessors for their Idolatrous Pride and Wickedness although they knew it yet they are become more insolent in Idolatry and Wickedness and daring against God than ever their Forefathers presumed to be in medling with the Vessels and Materials of Gods house and with the Crown and Kingly Office of Christ Jesus and have appropriate them to their own Idolatrous ends and uses 21. 22. Therefore when the forbished Sword of the Lords Indignation and Justice breaketh forth to devour which it may do before the dark night of these dreadful Dispensations pass over then shall the time-serving Hypocrites of this Generation begin to their untimely Prayers viz. Hills and Mountains fall upon them to hide them from the face of the Righteous Judge for who may abide the day of his coming for Executing of Vengeance on his Adversaries In that day the man shall be accused who keepeth back his Sword from blood and who doth the work of the Lord deceitfully Jer. 48. 10. Yea happy shall he be that taketh this Cursed Malignant and prelatical brood and dasheth them against the Stones yea happy shall he be that rewardeth them as they have served us Psal 137. For this honour have all his Saints the high Praises of God in their mouth and a two edged Sword in their hand to execute Vengeance upon the Heathen Psal 149. Having thus delivered my self in the points that I have mentioned I only add to what I have said that I do only own these things as my own Judgement in these great and Important matters not willing that any thing wherein others may differ from me should be looked upon ●s the principles and perswasion of that party whereto I adhere And I obtest that no man be so Diabolick and Prophane as to charge this upon any of my perswasion it being but my own in which I hope God hath approven me and whom God Justifieth who dare Condemn Now if the Lord in his wife and over-ruling Providence bring me to the end of my Pilgrimage and to my long looked for and desired Happiness let him take his own way and time in bringing me to it And in the mean while O my Soul sing thou this Song Spring up O Well of this Happiness and Salvation of all this eternal Hope and Consolation and whilst thou art burthened with this clog of a clay Tabernacle dig thou deep in it by Faith Patience Hope and Charity and withal the Instruments which God hath given thee dig in it both by precepts and promises dig carefully and dig continually ay and till thou come to the Source and head of the Fountain himself from whence the waters of Life flow forth dig until thou come to the Assembly of the first born when this Song is most suitably sung to the Praise and Glory of the rich Mercy and free Grace of this fountain of Life O my Soul follow in all this digging the Direction of the great Law-giver so shalt thou prosper in all thy taking of pains O happy Nobles and Princes of Israel who were admitted to the sight and to the Song

with many more and that in such an Extraordinary dreadful and terrible manner for my engaging to Prelacy and a Lordly Government over the Church of Christ contrary to which there lie so many ties and obligations on this Land that with the Grace of God I would not adventure to abide the terror of the Lord for all the stipends and preferments in Europe And truly the worst I wish to you or any Prelate in Britain or Ireland or their adherents is that they may have as sound a yokeing with their Consciences as I have had if they be not incorrigible Enemies of Christ Next upon serious search of the word of God and of Antiquity I am the more confirm'd in my Resolution Blondellus Salmatius Gerson Bucer yea the whole current of Primitive Fathers especially Smectymnuus have vindicated Presbytery against the whole World I want not many more solid Reasons to add only I suppose I could never be satisfied in them and therefore I forbear To conclude I do here before God and the whole World profess my disowning of Lordly Prelacy as it is now Established in our Land which I was once most fully engag'd into and my firm and resolute adherence to the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of the Church of Scotland as it was professed in this Nation from the year of our Lord 205. and downward for the space of 230 years and then since the year 1580. till the year 1610. and then from the year 1638. till the year 1661. and from thence downwards by many Godly in these three Lands till this very day is and more particularly to the point that Government of Christs Church by an equality and parity of Pastors and Ministers all of them with one shoulder carrying on the work of the Lord and exercising the Keyes of Order and Jurisdiction Doctrine and Discipline in Communi according to due Order and feeding the flock of God not as being Lords of Gods Heritage but ensamples to the flock yea I do here with all the Lords faithful Servants and Witnesses in these three Lands both in the present and some former Generations and with all the Lords Witnessing and Suffering Servants and people that have heen or now are in this Land or present Generation confess and bear my Witness and Testimony the cause of God and work of Reformation so much as was attained thereof how afflicted and born down now soever and to the confessions of Faith of the Church of Scotland and of the three Kingdoms and to the rational and trinational Covenant and that I do rather choose to suffer affliction with the poor suffering people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season esteeming the reproaches for Christ greater riches than all the pleasures and preferments in the World I desire you with your Brethren to consider those Scriptures and take them home to you Isa 66. 5. Zachary 11. 5. John 16. 2 3. John 9. 1 10. Remember your worthy Bedfellow that is this day I hope in glory shall bear Witness against you Farewell for ever Lordly Prelacy for I had never a joyful hour since I engaged therein and welcome welcome my dear Lord Jesus Christ I embrace thee with the arms of my Soul and thy Cross I profess this confess thee bearing my Testimony to thee and thy persecuted Truth and by thy blood and the word of thy Testimony and not loving my life unto the death I hope to overcome Cambre-Ile August 6. 1677. Sic subscribit Alex. Symer Minister of the Gospel at Cambre Unless you are vers'd in our Historian Buchanan you will wonder why this Learned Antiquarian should assert That the Government of our Church was Presbyterian from the first Plantation of the Gospel in 205. or rather 203. till the arrival of Palladius in the middle of the Fifth Century You must know therefore that all the Authority our Presbyterians have for this assertion is from Buchanan that furious Enemy of Bishops who in the Fifth Book of his History writes that the Church in the aforesaid time was not governed by Bishops but by the Monks or Culdees which were it true as it is false would prove that the Government of the Church in that interval was not Presbyteterian but perfectly Laical seeing it was long after that time that Monks were admitted among the Clergy and permitted to meddle with Church affairs But you may find a larger confutation of this groundless assertion of Buchanan in Archbishop Spotswoods History in the seven first Pages of the First Book But to continue my Narrative of Mr. Mitchel I proceed to acquaint you with other memorable things that happen'd between his Condemnation and Execution which was on Friday the 18. of January last in the Grass-market about Three of the Clock in the Afternoon Some time before the execution the Reverend Mr. Annand Dean of Edinburgh not discourag'd with the unthankful returns one of his Brethren had receiv'd from the Malefactor before out of his tender compassion to his Soul wrote him a very affectionate and pious Letter wherein he endeavour'd to shew him from the Gospel how contrary his Principles and Practices were to the Doctrine of Christianity and exhorted him to Repentance for that Un-christian attempt by which he design'd to take away the Life of one Sacred Person and grievously wounded another c. to all which he return'd this Answer SIR I Received yours and since my time is very short and so very pretious I can only thank you for your Civility and Affection whether real or pretended and I tell you I truly close with all the precepts of the Gospel to Love and Peace and therefore pray I both for Mr. Sharp and you But knowing both Mr. Sharp's Wickedness and my own sincerity and the Lord 's Holy Soveraignty to use his Creatures as he pleases I can only refer the manifestation of my Fact to the day of God's Righteous and Universal Judgement praying heartily that God may have mercy on you and open your eyes to see both the wickedness of all your ways and of your Godless insulting over an unjustly condemn'd dying Man and grant unto you repentance and remission of your sins I am in this your well-wisher James Mitchel The Dean in his Letter urged an excellent argument to convince him that the impulse which was upon him so many years to assassin the Primate could not come from God like the Impulse of Phineas and the Zealots because he fail'd in the attempt which never any person did or could do that was moved by God to do an Heroick Act. But you see the blind Pseudo-Zealot takes no notice of this Argument in his Answer wherein to shew what an implacable enemy he was to the Office as well as the Person of the Archbishop he mentions his Grace not by his Character but by his Name Having been told in the Prison that he would not be permitted to speak to the People before his Execution he transcribed

the Sword and Scepter and set the Crown upon his head and he accordingly received them according to these Sacred Oaths and Promises and swore by the everliving God to use and improve them for the end aforesaid and especially in order to the performing of this Article viz. The extirpation and overthrow of Prelates and Prelacy and now the want of what Authority do they mean or speak of truly I know not except it be the Authority of their aggregation of new Gods of whom they have their gain life and standing viz. Chemosh or Bachus which with drunken Moab delighted to dwell within dark Cells and Ashteroth and Venus whom they worship in the Female kind because of their Adulteries and Whoredoms at also Milchom or Molech which signifies a Tyrannical King or a Devil if they will have it so in whose arms and power they put their young Infants and Posterity to be burnt and destroyed according to his Lust and Pleasure Amos 5. 26. Psal 116. 37. and that Mammon which they delight to worship daily together with their own bellies whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things whose end will be destruction except they repent which there is little probability of Psal 3. 19. to which if we may add their abominable Pride and Blasphemous perjury then their Gods will be equal in number to the Whore their Mother from whom they have their being strength and standing and from the Devil their Father who was a Deceiver Lyar Murderer from the beginning and now seeing the Prelates possess whatsoever their Gods Chemosh c. giveth them to possess then why should not we possess what the Lord our God giveth us to possess viz. His eternal Truths manifested to us in his revealed Will and keep and defend the same from all Innovations Corruptions and Traditions of his or our Adversaries defend our lives Laws and Liberties out of the hands of our Usurping Enemies Jud. 11. 24. for sure I am that God once dispossest the Prelates and Malignants of all these and should they again possess them through our defect God forbid But the like of this work our Murthering Prelates like not who plead like the Whore their Mother for passive Obedience and that all the Lords people who may not comply with your Idolatries should lay down their necks to their bloody Axes with whom too too many of our Hypocritical time-serving and perfidious Professors do agree who would rather abide with Ruben amongst the Sheepfolds than Jeopard either life or fortune in the help of the Lord against the Mighty but do not consider the bitter curse pronounced by the Angel of the Lord against Meros to which he immediately subjoyns a blessing upon Jael the Wife of Hebar the Kenite others excuse themselves thus viz. Vengeance is mine and I will re-pay but so the Throne and Judgement is the Lords and by this they would take away the use and office of Magistracy which erronious principle I detest for God even in the working of Miracles viz. in dividing the Red Sea Exod. 14. 16. he commanded Moses to stretch forth his Rod and Christ when he opened the blind Man's eyes maketh use of clay and of spittle though indeed I mean not of any who were willing to have helped but wanted opportunity yet there are many peevish time-serving Professors who resolve they shall never suffer so long as they have either Soul or Conscience to morgage providing that they may save them from suffering and if it will not do their business it seemeth that before they suffer they resolve to sell out at the ground Now Sir I have neither mis-interpreted Scripture nor mis-applyed it inregard of the Persons here hinted at nor been wrong in the end which ought to be the glory of God and the good of his Church and People Then I think that some Persons might forhear to scourge me so sore with their Tongues while I am not yet condemned by the common enemy and my bearing of some things reported by some behind my back hath occasioned my writing to you at this time O Sir be entreated to pray to the Lord in my behalf that he would be pleased out of his Mercy and Goodness to save me from sinning under suffering in this hour and power of darkness for my Soul is prest in me in the search betwixt sin and duty viz. least I should be too niggard and sparing of life when God calleth for it and upon the other hand least I should be too Prodigal and lavish of it in not using all legal defences in preserving of it and many things of the like Nature I am in a strait O Lord undertake thou for me Sir I hope you will excuse me in sending you these indistinct and irregular lines when you consider my present condition Sir believe I would many times when I am before them think a Scaffold a sweet retirement least they should cheap and deceive me in making me either to stain the declarative Glory of God my own Conscience or his People and Interest in wronging of them either by opening of the Adversaries mouths against them or in letting loose their hand upon them henceforth let the Adversary either say or do what they can yet the Righteous will hold on their way and he who hath clean hands will be stronger and stronger Job 17. 9. But he that saith unto the Wicked Thou art Righteous him shall the People Curse Nations shall abhor him Prov. 24. 24. Farewel in the Lord. POST-SCRIPT IT is acknowledged by all rational Royalists that it is lawful for any private Person to kill an Usurper or Tyrant sine titulo and to kill Irish Robbers and Tories or the like and to kill Boars Wolves and such devouring Beasts because the good of this action doth not redound to the Person himself only but to the whole Common-wealth and the Person acting incurrs the danger himself alone The Second Part of The Cloud of Witnesses pag. 60. Mr. Knoxe has these express words For God saith he had not only given me Knowledge and a Tongue to make known the Impiety of the Idol but had given me credit with many who would have put in execution God's Judgements if I would only have consented thereto But so careful was I of common Tranquility and so loth was I to offend some that in secret conference with zealous Men I travelled rather to slacken that fervency God had kindled in them than to animate or encourage them to put their hands to the Lord's Work wherein I acknowledge my self to have done most wickedly and from the bottom of my heart I do ask my God pardon that I did not what in me lay to have supprest that Idol in the beginning But O! how far are the Men in our time from such convictions whose work it is to put out any spark of Life or Zeal which appeareth in any Person against Idolatry and Idol of our times Now let Men whether Foes or Friends

carp or quarrel never so much yet the purpose and determination of God will not be disappointed in living Witnesses against this mis-believing Generation viz. that he is both al 's powerful and willing to deliver one or more of his People trusting in him yea and that there is no restraint unto the Lord to save by many or by few 1 Sam. 14. 6. If any be obedient to the voice of his Commandments although success doth not always follow thereupon more than it did to Israel Jos 7. 12. against the City of Ai because there was an Achan in the Camp and alas there are many Achans in the Camp of our Israel which cause the Lord's People to fall daily before their enemies and which makes all their endeavours unsuccessful I mean the hidden time-serving Hypocrites and Murmurers who have preferred their backs and bellies to the Interest of God and their hearts still desirous to return to Egypt I say until such Rebels be purged and dye we can have little expectation to prosper in any enterprize or undertaking for they have both betrayed and mis-believed God notwithstanding of all his Miracles which he did of old and which he has done in our days for his people and before their eyes yet they are so far gone back in a course of Apostacy and compliance with the Canaanites of our times and are become so brutishly ignorant of the express Law of God and are such enemies thereto that they do rather concurr with the said Canaanites Judg. 6. 25. to have Gideon put to death for performing his duty conform to the express command of God than either to study thereof themselves or give obedience thereto But if it be objected that Gideon had an express command from God for throwing down of Baal's Altar and for cutting down of the Grove and destroying of the Midianites Answer Indeed he had an express command of God for his encouragement but he had no new command from God save that which was expresly enjoyned upon all the Israelites by vertue of which every one was obliged to have done what he did without any such message from God Deut. 7. 2 3 15. and who are readier with Judas before they incurr danger or loss to send three thousand Men to bring Sampson bound to the Philistines than to have sent him ten of his assistance against the common enemy concerning the truth of which we have gotten many sad experiments But however I hope that what hath been said shall occasion a further cognition of and a more serious search into these forementioned truths than hath been for a long time by-past That albeit I have here singly declared my own motives and reasons for that attempt and shooting wherein I then had and now have peace and hope to find acceptance of God according to the multitude of his Mercies to such as seek and fear him in sincerity yet I will not take on me absolutely and in every respect to justifie or assert that it is my own deliberate and fixed principle let be that it is justified by and is the principle of the Non-conforming Presbyterian Party of the Church of Scotland of which I have the honour and happiness to be one the unworthyest of many Nay if I should say so of them I would be found a Lyar against the Truth for I adventured on it upon my own pure and proper motion without the instigation of any yea without the privacy of that party whom therefore I earnestly desire that none may charge with and if any shall I do with the greatest confidence averr that they deal with them most unjustly I have I say again in the simplicity of my heart with candour and ingenuity becoming a dying Man and a Christian believing that he must be made manifest before the Tribunal of Christ and there receive according to the things done in the body whether they be good or evil given an account of the reasons and motives poussing and pressing me on to it wherein I had quietness of mind in the time and have still to this present hour hoping that as he is Soveraign Lord over all Creatures and may use any of them as Instruments to whatsoever his Pleasure is and that as I say I did take and do still look upon the motion as from himself so he will accept of my sincerity in it and one day both bring forth his own and my Righteousness as the Light FINIS I Suppose some will be desirous to know what hath brought me to this place of suffering to which I have no other Answer than that which Elijah gave when threatned with death by Jezebel 1 Kings 19. 14. I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts because the Children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars and true Worship and slain his Prophets and Ministers And they seek my Life to take it away With all my Heart and Soul I own and adhere to the work of Reformation as it was begun and carried on in this Kingdom according to the Word of God and the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant as it was settled amongst us in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government by general Assemblies Synods Presbyteries Kirk-Sessions and the Peoples Just Power to choose and call their own lawful Pastors and I do declare that I judge Patronage to be a Popish Right and an usurpation in the House of God I do believe and am perswaded that Magistracy is an Ordinance appointed of God as well under the New Testament as it was under the Old and that whosoever resisteth the lawful Magistrate in the exercise of his lawful Power resisteth the Ordinan●● and appointment of God Rom. 13. 3. For he is God's Minister to you for thy good and in doing good thou needs not be afraid of him 1 Pet. 2. 12. We must obey the lawful Magistrate for Conscience sake Deut. 17. 15 16 17. The lawful Magistrate must be a Man qualified according to God's appointment and not according to the Peoples Lust and Pleasure least in the end he should prove to them a Prince of Sodom and a Governour of Gomorrah whom God in his Righteousness should appoint for their Judgement and establish for their correction he must be one of thy Brethren and not the Face of a Stranger he must not make himself strong by multiplying of Horses to the end he may compel the Lord's People to rebel against the Lord's express command Nor Jeroboam like compel the people to any course of Apostacy he must not multiply Wives to himself and much less Whores nor marry an Idolatrous Wife like Jezabel 1 Kings 16. 31. Nor be covetous in multiplying to himself Silver or Gold he must be a diligent Student of the Law of the Lord all the days of his Life that he turn neither to the Right Hand nor to the Left Hand therefrom but must judge the People accordingly otherways neither he nor his Children can expect

to the pains and to the profit which none of the mixed multitude of Murmurers were admitted to because of their unbelief Numb 21. 17. And O Father of Mercy while I am tossed upon the turbulent Seas of manifold troubles grant that thy presence may be with me and that thy Everlasting arms may be underneath me to support me for sure I am Moses thy Servant had good reason to be importunate in this suit Exod. 32. 2. compared with 14. and 15. v. Chap. 34. 9. Seeing no less could furnish him with fresh supplyes in the work he was about O let thy presence be with me and then my Soul shall dig and sing and sing and dig through times of trouble into Eternal Rest where I shall be admitted to behold the Rock Christ out of whom floweth the pure Fountain and River of Life and Happiness which I may drink and not be damnified through the assaults of Satan or the invasions of sin or of a wicked world any more now according to thy promise Mat. 10. 19. Out of thy Fatherly Mercy grant present help supply and direction in this time of trouble seeing it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps Jer. 10. 23. and though it be a hard thing rightly to distinguish betwixt Sin and Duty yet thy Law thy Word and thy Truth which are quick and powerful dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and is a director of the thoughts and thy Law giveth light Psal 119. 105. Psal 32. 8. For thy Testimonies O Lord are sure making wise the simple Psal 19. 7. For thou alone canst make all thy Dispensations prove profitable in order to the purging away of Sin even when they seem to be destructive Esa 27. 9. especially when thou intends them not for destruction but for tryal Deut. 8. 2 16. and for further Humiliation for thou O Lord hast led me for many years through a barren and wearisome Wilderness to the end that thou mayst work thy work of Mortification in me although if it had seemed good unto thee thou couldst have brought me into the Land of Promise and Rest a nearer way Exod. 13. 17. For thou by hardships many a time hides Pride from men and sealest up their instruction that thou may'st deliver his Soul from the Pit and that his life may see the light Job 33. 17. And although thou O Lord shouldst send me the back tract and tenor of my Life to seek my Souls comforts and incouragements from thence yet I have no cause to complain of hard dealing from thy hand seeing it is thy ordinary way with some of thy people Psal 42. 6. O God my Soul is cast down within me therefore will I remember thee from the Land of Jordan and from the Hill Hermon c. Yea the last time he brought me to the Banqueting-house and made love his Banner over me amongst the cold High-land Hills beside Kipper Nov. 1673. he remembred his former kindnesses towards me but withal he spoke it in mine Ear that there was a tempestuous storm to meet me in the Face which I behooved to go through with the strength of that Provision 1 Kings 19. 7. And now O my Soul seeing it is his ordinary way and method with thee to send a shower and a sunblink and again a sunblink and shower therefore keep thou silent to God and murmure not fret not be not disquieted be still and be content seeing all my Persecutors can do either by fraud or force can neither alter the Nature or kind of my sufferings on add so much as a degree thereto neither lengthen out the time of them for a moment Matthew 10. 29. Exodus 12. 41. All Pharoahs Power could not keep Israel one Night longer in Egypt therefore it is my duty to study with Paul Philippians 4. 11 12. Whatsoever State I am in therewith to be content and say Should the Earth be forsaken and the Rock be removed out of its place for me Job 18. 4. should God alter the course of his Providence for me in which there is such an efficacy as to carry all things to the proper and appointed end what an irresistable power and that I may be found in him not as having my own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith Phil. 3. 9. 10. and to resign up unto God my will and affections to be disposed as he pleaseth and to say with fear humility and reverence O Father not my Will but thine be done and whether I live or dye I may be the Lords that through his Mercy and Grace I may attain to his approbation viz. Well done good and faithful Servant who hath hitherto sent his Angel and shut the Lyons Mouth that they have not hurt me Dan. 6. 22. and who hath so shut the eyes of my Persecutors with a Sodomitish blindness that hitherto they could not find out the way how to break in upon me and I hope he will in due time bring me out of the fiery Furnace and shall not through his Grace suffer the smell thereof to be found upon me and if not yet I never held it to be my duty to worship this rotten and stinking Idol of Jealousie which these Nations have set up who have killed both the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and have persecuted us Thes 1. 15. For thou O Lord hast not abhorred nor despised my afflictions when I was afflicted neither hast thou hid thy Face from me but when I cryed unto thee thou heardest me Ps 22. 24. Now O Lord God thou hast made the Heaven and the Earth by thy great Power and stretched out Arm Jer. 32. 17. Bring thou me at length to a happy arrival within the Gates of the New Jerusalem where no unclean thing can come that my praise may be of thee in the great Congregation And although as Job saith 10. 17. That thou O Lord hast delivered me to the ungodly and hast turned me over into the hands of the wicked yet by this I know that thou O Lord favourest me because mine Enemies do not triumph over me when I stand in Judgement thou O Lord didst not condemn and if it pleaseth thee thou will not leave me in their hands Ps 41. 11. Ps 37. 33. But canst bring up my Life from the Pit of Corruption Jonah 2. 6. And seeing I have not preferred nor sought after mine own things but thy Honour and Glory the Good Liberty and Safety of thy Church and People although I may be now mis-constructed by many yet at length I hope thou Lord will make my Light break forth as the Morning and my Righteousness as the Noon-day and that Shame and Darkness shall cover all who are Adversaries to my Righteous cause For thou Lord art the Shield of my help and the Sword of my excellency and my Enemies shall be found Lyars Amen yea and Amen James Mitchel

would yet assert the cause of Pentland hills in spite of the Curates for so they call the Orthodox Ministers and their Masters the Prelates and in spite of the Prelates and their Master the King and in spite of the King and his Master the Devil But to proceed at these Field-Meetings they administred the Solemn League and Covenant to the People and made them swear never to hear the Orthodox Ministers more and in a most Popish manner gave them the Sacrament thereupon They also kept Classical Meetings where they ordain'd Ignorant and Factious striplings and by an unparallel'd Act of Schism took the Confidence to re-ordain one Mr. John Cuningham who was formerly ordain'd Presbyter by the late Lord Bishop of Galloway and likewise presum'd to receive the Hypocritical Confessions and Repentance of such as they had perswaded or suborn'd to confess the great sin of joyning in Worship with our Church They admitted ruling Elders in several Precincts and with incomparable Impudence proceeded to Institute and induct Preachers of their Tribe both into vacant and full Churches according to Mr. Mitchel's Judgement who asserts in his Apology that every Parish ought to choose its Preacher and that Patronage is but a Popish Rite They also confiding in their numbers proceeded in manifest contempt of Authority to erect Preaching-Houses particularly in Carrict and Galloway where Persons of no mean Quality and Interest harbour'd and caressed those great Apostles of the Cause Welsh and Arnott who ride about these dis-affected Shires in great State and Security with Guards consisting of forty fifty or greater numbers of Horse From these Insolencies they proceeded to invade the Houses and menace the Persons of some Orthodox Ministers whom Mr. Welsh declared either in a Conventicle or Presbytery somewhere in Carrict that it was a lawful to kill as for the Israelites to kill the Canaanites if they complained to the Men for so he called the Magistrates in Power These out-rages so frighted the Orthodox Clergy that many Ministers forsook their charges and some of our Bishops who lived in those distracted corners were forc'd for their security to repair to this Town Thus all things seemed to run into confusion and if excellent methods had not been used to prevent the sequel of such dangerous beginnings the faction by this time had grown into a formed party and disputed the Cause with an Army in the Field The first thing the Privy Council did was to issue out Proclamations for the execution of the Laws against these Conventicles and to use all means possible for seizing the Persons of Welsh and Arnott and other seditious Preachers but the former were rendred ineffectual the Heritable Sheriff and Bayliffs and other Officers of the seditious districts refusing to act and the latter could not be brought to effect because the Preachers are always so strongly guarded in publick and in private shelter themselves with such superstitious adorers of their holy persons as none of the proposed rewards can tempt to betray Disorders thus continuing the Council acquainted His Majesty with the dangers they threatned and humbly mov'd him to send speedy Orders that a considerable number of his Irish Troops should march to the maritime Borders next adjacent to Galloway and the Western Shires to be ready for Transportation if occasion requir'd His Majesty who was long since acquainted with the Spirit and Principles of our Remonstrator-Presbyterians in compliance with the wholesome advice of his Privy Council immediately ordered that a well-appointed Party of about 3000. Horse and Foot should be sent under the conduct of the Loyal and Valiant Viscount of Granard our Countrey-man to quarter upon the Maritime Borders and to march at the command of the Privy Council here This particular care of His Majesty and the approach of the Forces did very much surprize the Fanatical party who were made to believe by the malcontents that the Duke had no interest at Court nor was capable to procure any extrinsical assistance although they should rebel The Irish Forces being arriv'd upon the Coasts the Council were resolv'd to try what fair and gentle means would do and thereupon directed Letters to the Heritors whom you call Landlords of Aire and Ren●rew to know if they would undertake by their own power to reduce these disorders having the King's Authority for that effect The Heritors met in a full Assembly and after two days consultation return'd Answer by three Noble Lords whom the Council had sent to attend them that they could not undertake by their own Power to keep the Countrey free from Conventicles or any disorders that might ensue thereupon You must know that our Landlords have far more Authority over their Tenants than yours insomuch that in the most disaffected places there are no Conventicles where the Heritors and Superiors use their private Authority to keep the people constant to the Church All the World here knows that there is not a more Fanatical shire in this Kingdom than Murray and yet by the single Authority and Interest of that most Loyal and deserving person the Earl of Murray it is kept in as perfect Order and Obedience as if there were no Conventicles in the World But as for the aforesaid shires the Council expected no such answer from them because they of all others have had most indulgence as having Non-conformist Ministers legally setled in very many Churches among them which one would think if that party had any Reason Modesty or Conscience might have kept them from troubling the publick Peace Therefore the Council having received such an unreasonable answer from the Heritors of these more indulged shires concluded what returns they might expect from others and therefore began now to think it was high time to reduce them to their duty by force Whereupon knowing that the body of this Kingdom was Loyal they resolved rather to reduce the Fanaticks by our own intrinsical power than to call in His Majesties Irish Forces unless there should be absolute need Wherefore to the Kings standing Forces they added the Militia of the most Loyal County of Angus and admitted the Auxiliary Forces which several Loyal Lords that have Interest and Authority in the Highlands did proffer to raise out of their Vassals and Dependents for His Majesties special Service in this critical exigence of Affairs And by His Majesties special Approbation and Command they were all united into one Army under the Conduct of the most Valiant and Loyal Earl of Lin Lithgaw who towards the latter end of last Jan. marched into the Western shires And that all things might be transacted in a fair legal and orderly manner there is also sent along with the Army a Committee of the Privy Council consisting of Eleven Right Honourable persons who are invested with sufficient power Civil and Criminal to punish all sorts of Offenders and are now steddily pursuing those great ends for which they were sent thither There 's a strict Correspondence betwixt them and