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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

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

several Copies of his intended Speech whereof one was found in his Pocket and taken from him before he was carried out to Execution It is long and the former part containing nothing but Libellous reflections on the Privy Council the Justiciary Lords and the King's Advocate I shall content my self to send you a transcript of the latter I Acknowledge my particular and private sins have been such as have merited a worse Death unto me but I dye in the hope of the merits of Jesus Christ to be freed from those Eternal punishments due to me for sin Yet I am confident that God doth not plead with me in this place for my private and particular sins but that I am brought here that the Work of God might be made manifest and for the Tryal of Faith John 9. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 7. and that I may be a witness for his despised Truth and interest in this Land who am called to seal the same with my Blood And I wish heartily that this my poor Life may put an end to the persecution of the true Members of Christ in this Kingdom so much actuate by these perfidious Prelates and in opposition to whom and in testimony of the Cause of Christ I at this time willingly lay down my Life and bless my God that he hath thought me so much worthy to do the same for his Glory and Interest Finally concerning a Christian Duty in a singular extraordinary case and my particular Judgement concerning both Church and State it is evidently declar'd and manifested more fully elsewhere So farewel all Earthly enjoyments and welcome Father Son and Holy Spirit into whose hands I commend my spirit As to that particular Christian duty in an extraordinary case and his Judgement concerning Church and State manifested elsewhere he means a larger blasphemous Libel which he left behind him wherein he endeavours to justifie his fact It is very long but yet I beseech you to read it over and if you have not read Naphthali nor Jus Populi vindicatum which is a Reply to the Answer which the Bishop of Orkney whom this miscreant wounded made to Naphthali I am confident you must be surpriz'd with horrour and astonishmment to see such Un-christian Doctrines come from a Christian Pen. Yet the Primitive Churches never receiv'd the Apostolick Epistles with greater veneration than the Members of our Field-Congregations receive such discourses as this nor can any Church-man respect any ancient Ecclesiastical Writer half so much as they adore Naphthali which is written in the Defence of the Rebellion in 1666. and wherein this horrid mans attempt upon the Primate is commended for an Heroical Act and that cursed Book with Lex Rex Jus populi vindicatum and Mr. Rutherfords Letters are the Fathers and Counsels of our Fife and Western Whigs I have here subjoyned the Account of my self principles and foresaid practises as they were set down in a Letter to a Friend and another Declaration both written by me when first Conveened before the Lords Justices in the year 1674. The Coppy of my Letter Edinburgh Tolbuith February the 16th 1674. SIR ME who may justly call my self the least of all Saints and the chiefest of all Sinners hath Christ his Son our Lord called to be a Witness for his destroyed Truth and trampled on Interest by this Wicked Blasphemous and God-contemning Generation and against all their other perfidious Wickednesses Sir I say the confidence I have in your real Friendship and love to Christ his Truth People Interest and Cause hath incouraged me to write to you hoping that you will not misconstruct nor take advantage of my Infirmities and Weakness you have heard of my Indictment which I take up in these two particulars First as they term it Rebellion and Treason anent which I answered to my Lord Chancellor that it was no Rebellion but a Duty which every one was bound to have performed in joyning with that party And in the year 1656. Mr. Robert Lightonne being the Primate of the Colledge of Edinburgh before our Laureation tendered to us the national Covenant and solemn League and Covenant which upon mature Deliberation I found nothing in them but a short compend of the Moral Law only obliging us to our Duty towards God and Men in their several Stations and I finding that our then banished Kings Interest lay wholly included therein viz. Both the Oath of Coronation Allegiance c. And they being the then tessera of all Loyalty And My Lord it was well known that then many were taking the Tender and forswearing Charles Stewarts Parliament and House of Lords I then subscribed them both The doing of which My Lord Chancellor would have stood me at no less rate if all 's well known then this my present adhering and prosecuting the ends thereof doth now And when I was questioned what then I called Rebellion I answered That it is Ezra 7. 26. And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and of the King c. But being questioned by the Commissioner before the Council there anent I answered as I said to My Lord Chancellor before in the year 1656. Mr. Robert Lightonne being then Primate of the Colledge of Edinburgh before our Laureation he tendered to us the national Covenant and solemn League and Covenant where he stopped me saying I wade you are come here to give a Testimony and then being demanded what I called Rebellion if it was not Rebellion to oppose His Majesties Forces in the face to which I answered My Lord Commissioner if it please your Grace I humbly conceive that they should have been with us meaning that it was the Duty of those Forces to have joyned with us according to the national Covenant at which answer I perceived him to storm But says he I hear that you have been over Seas with whom did you Converse there Answer with my Merchant My Lord. But saith he with whom in particular with one John Michel a Cousin of mine saith he I have heard tell of him he is a Factor in Rotterdam to which I conceded But saith he did you not Converse with Mr. Levingston and such as he To which I answered My Lord Commissioner I Conversed with our banisht Ministers to which he replyed banisht Ministers banisht Traytors he will speak Treason at the very Bar. Then he answered himself saying but they would call the shooting at the Bishop an Heroick Act To which I answered That I never told them of any such thing Question But where did you see James Wallace last Answ Towards the borders of Germany some year ago Quest But what ailed you at my Lord St. Andrews here pointing at him with his finger Answ My Lord Commissioner the grievous oppression and horrid Bloodshed of my Brethren and the eager pursuit after my own Blood as it appeareth this day to your Grace and to all His Majesties Honourable Council after which he commanded to take me away that they might see what

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

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

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

though for the honour of our Nature and Religion I wish no such stories were extant in the World Nay confident I am that when you have consider'd it in all the circumstances that attend it you will say that he who is the subject thereof was one of the most prodigious sinners that ever was extant of humane race For there 's nothing in History comparable to him nor I hope will ever be and had not our blessed Saviour told us that Men may be so wicked as to sin beyond forgiveness I could scarce have believ'd that any Man much less a Christian could have committed uncleanness in all specieses with Women Devils and Beasts But such a Monster was this Pharisee of whom I am going to give you an account which is partly taken out of the publick Register of our criminal Court and where that cannot relieve me from common fame the notoreity of the things related or the Authority of Persons of known Integrity and great Reputation in the World He was born and bred in the Western parts of this Kingdom which as it appears from the preceeding Narrative hath ever been the most Fanatical part of our Country and most disaffected to the King and the Church There he was early prepossessed with the principles of Schism and Rebellion which he shew'd upon all occasions particularly in the beginning of the late Rebellion wherein he was a forward stickler and by his extraordinary zeal for the Cause raised himself to a greater command in some Troop or Company than Men of his mean Original use to arrive unto here About the Year 1649. he had the great trust of the Guards of this City committed unto him under the quality of Major and from that time to the day of his Infamous Death was always called by the Name of Major Weir He behav'd himself in this Office with great cruelty and insolence towards the Loyal party being very active in discovering and apprehending the Cavaliers and bringing them to be arraign'd and try'd for their Lives He used to insult and triumph over them in their miseries and persecute them with all manner of Sarcasms and Reproaches when they were led out like Victims to publick Execution as many yet alive can testifie to the World In particular the barbarous Villain treated the Heroick Marquess of Montrosse with all imaginable insolence and inhumanity when he lay in Prison making his very calamities an Argument that God as well as Man had forsaken him and calling him Dog Atheist Traytor Apostate Excommunicate Wretch and many more such intollerable Names This cruel manner after which he used to outrage the poor Royalists pass'd among the people for extraordinary zeal and made them consider him as a singular Worthy whom God had raised up to support the Cause He studyed the Art of Dissimulation and Hypocrisie always affecting a formal gravity and demureness in his looks and deportment and employing a vast and tenacious memory which God had given him in getting without Book such words and phrases of the Holy Scriptures as might serve best in all companies to make him pass for an Holy and gifted Man He had acquir'd a particular gracefulness in whining and sighing above any of the sacred Clan and had learn'd to deliver himself upon all serious occasions in a far more ravishing accent than any of their Ministers could attain unto By these and other Hypocritical Arts he had got such a name for sanctity and devotion that happy was the Man with whom he would converse and blessed was the Family in which he would vouchsafe to pray For he pretended to pray only in the Families of such as were Saints of the highest Form insomuch that the Brethren and Sisters of these Precincts would shrive who should have him to exercise in their Houses and of those that liv'd at a greater distance some would come forty or fifty miles to have the happiness to hear him pray He had indeed but by what assistance will be seen hereafter a wonderful fluency in extemporary Prayer and what through Enthusiastical phrases and what through Extasies and raptures into which he would appear transported he made the amazed people presume he was acted by the Spirit of God Besides praying he used to exhort and bless the Families in which he prayed but he never undertook to Preach in them for fear of invading the Ministerial Province which certainly would have offended the Kirk After this manner and in this mighty reputation he lived till the Year 1670. which was the 70th year of his Age. When like the Tyrant Tiberius after so many Murthers and sorts of unnatural Lusts he was no longer able to endure the remorse of his awakened conscience but to ease the inquietudes of his guilty mind was forced to accuse himself which he first of all did among those of his own party and desired them to bring him to publick Justice to expiate for his abominable crimes But they considering what a confounding scandal and dishonour the Hypocrisie of such an eminent Professor would reflect upon the whole Sect did with all possible care and industry strive to conceal the Major's condition which they did for several months till one of their own Ministers whom they esteem'd more forward than wise revealed the secret to the Lord Abbotshall then Provost of Edinburgh who judging humane Nature uncapable of such horrid crimes as the Minister told him the Major had confessed concluded he was fallen into a phrenzy or high degree of melancholy and therefore courteously sent some Physicians of his own perswasion and acquaintance to visit him and Physick him for his distempered Brain But the Physicians returning to the Provost assured him that the Major was in good health and that he was free of Hypocondriack Distempers and had as sound intellectuals as ever he had had and that they believed his Distemper was only an exulcerated Conscience which could not be eas'd till he was brought to condign punishment as with cryings and roarings he desir'd to be Afterwards the Provost for his further satisfaction sent some Conventicle-Ministers to enquire into his condition and make a report thereof who finding it impossible to disguise the matter which now was Town-talk told his Lordship that the Major was not affected with melancholy but that the terrours of God which were upon his Soul urg'd him to confess and accuse himself The Provost thereupon began to conclude that he had good grounds to take publick notice of this affair and therefore without further enquiry sent the guards of the City to seize upon the Major and his Sister who was involv'd in his confessions and carry them both to the publick Goal There they were visited by Persons of all Sorts and Qualities Clergy-men Lay-men Physicians Lawyers Conforming and Non-conforming Ministers who all flocked thither to see this Monster and discourse with him about his horrible crimes They had not been long in Prison before they were brought to Tryal which was on the