_Containing the Testimony through the continued tract of the present
deformation from the year 1660 to this day._
Now comes the last catastrophe of the deformation of the church of
Scotland, which now renders her to all nations as infamously despicable,
as her reformation formerly made her admired and envied; which in a
retrograde motion hath gradually been growing these 27 years, going back
through all the steps by which the reformation ascended, till now she is
returned to the very border of that Babylon, from whence she took her
departure, and reduced through defection, and division, and persecutious
to a confused chaos of almost irreparable dissolution, and unavoidable
desolation. Through all which steps notwithstanding, to this day,
Scotland hath never wanted a witness for Christ, against all the various
steps of the enemy's advancings, and of professed friends declinings:
though the testimony hath had some singularities, some way
discriminating it from that of former periods; in that it hath been more
difficult by reason of more desperate and dreadful assaults of more
enraged enemies, more expert and experienced in the accursed art of
overturning than any formerly; in that it hath been attended with more
disadvantages, by reason of the enemies greater prevalency, and friends
deficency, and greater want of significant asserters, than any formerly;
in that it hath been intangled in more multifarious intricacies of
questions, and debates, and divisions among the assertors themselves,
making it more dark, and yet in the end contributing to clear it more
than any formerly; in that it hath been intended and extended to a
greater measure, both as to matter and manner of contendings against the
adversaries, and stated upon nicer points; more enixly prosecuted and
tenaciously maintained, and sealed with more sufferings, than any
formerly; in that it hath had more opposition and contradiction, and
less countenance from professed friends to the reformation, either at
home or abroad, than any formerly. And yet it hath had all these several
speciallties together, which were peculiar to the former testimonies, in
their respective periods: being both active and passive, both against
enemies and friends; and _in cumulis_ stated against atheism, popery,
prelacy, and erastian supremacy, which were the successive heads of the
former testimonies, and also now extended in a particular manner against
tyranny. And not only against the substance and circumstance, abstract
and concret root and branch, head and tail of them, and all complying
with them, conforming to them, or deduced from them, any manner of way,
directly or indirectly, formally or interpretatively. This is that
extensive and very comprehensive testimony of the present period, as it
is now stated and sealed with the blood of many: which in all its parts,
points and pendicles is most directly relative, and dilucidly reducible,
to a complex witness for the declarative glory of Christ's kingship and
headship over all, as he is Mediator, which is the greatest concern that
creatures have to contend for, either as men or as Christians. The
matter of this testimony, I shall give a short manuduction to the
progress and result of its management.
During the exile of the royal brothers, it is undeniably known that they
were, by their mothers caresses and the jesuits allurements, seduced to
abjure the reformed religion (which was easy to induce persons to, that
never had the sense of any religion) and to be reconciled to the church
of Rome: and that, not only they wrote to the pope many promises of
promoting his projects, if ever they should recover the power into their
hands again, and often frequented the mass themselves; but also, by
their example and the influence of their future hopes, prevailed with
many of their dependents and attendants abroad, to do the like. Yet it
is unquestionably known, that in the mean time of his exile, he renewed
and confirmed, by private letters to presbyterians, his many reiterated
engagements to adhere to the covenant, and declared that he was and
would continue the same man, that he had declared himself to be in
Scotland, (wherein doubtless, as he was an expert artist, he
equivocated, and meant in his heart he would continue as treacherous as
ever) which helped to keep a loyal impression of his interest in the
hearts of too many, and an expectation of some good of him, of which
they were ashamed afterwards. And immediately before his return, it is
known what promises are contained in that declaration from Breda (from
whence he came also the second time, with greater treachery than at the
first) to all protestants that would live peaceably under his
government; beginning now to weigh out his perfidy, and perjury, and
breach of covenant, in offering to tolerate that in an indulgence, which
he swore to maintain as a duty. But in all this he purposed nothing, but
to ingere and ingratiate himself into the peoples over credulous
affections, that they might not obstruct his return, which a jealousy of
his intended tyranny would have awakened them to withstand. And so
having seated himself, and strengthened his power against the
attemptings of any, whom his conscience might suggest an apprehension
that they ought to resist him, he thought himself discharged from all
obligations of covenants, oaths, or promises, for which his faith had
been pledged. And from the first hour of his arrival, he did in a manner
set himself to affront and defy the authority of God, and to be revenged
upon his kingdoms for inviting him so unanimously to sway their sceptre;
in polluting and infecting the people with all debaucheries and
monstrous villanies; and commencing his incestous whoredoms that very
first night he came to his palace, wherein he continued to his dying day
outvying all for vileness. Yet he went on deluding our church with his
dissimulations, and would not discover all his wickedness hatched in his
heart at first, till his designs should be riper; but directed a letter
to the presbytery of Edinburgh, declaring he was resolved to protect and
preserve the government of the church of Scotland, as it is settled by
law without violation: wherein it was observed he altered the stile, and
spake never a word of the covenant, our _Magna Charta_ of religion and
righteousness, our greatest security for all interests intrusted to him,
but only of law; by which, as his practice expounded it afterwards, he
meant the prelatical church, as it was settled by the law of his father,
since which time he reckoned there was no law but rebellion. This was a
piece and prelude of our base defection, and degeneration into blind
blockish, and brutish stupidity; that after he had discovered so much
perfidy, we not only at first tempted him to perjury, in admitting him
to the crown, upon his mock-engagement in the covenant, whereby God was
mocked, his Spirit was grieved, his covenant prostituted, the church
cheated, and the state betrayed; but after the Lord had broken his yoke
from off our necks, by sending him to exile ten years, where he was
discovered to be imbibing all that venom and tyrannical violence, which
he afterward vented in revenge upon the nation; and after we had long
smarted for our first transaction with him; yet notwithstanding of all
this, we believed him again, and Issachar-like couched under his burdens
and were so far from withstanding, that we did not so much as witness
against the re-admission and restoration of the head and tail of
malignants, but let them come in peaceably to the throne, without any
security to the covenanted cause, or for our civil or religious
interests, and by meal, at their own ease, leisure and pleasure, to
overturn all the work of God, and reintroduce the old antichristian
yoke of absurd prelacy, and blasphemous sacreligious, supremacy, and
absolute arbitrary tyranny with all their abominations: which he, and
with him the generality of our nobility, gentry, clergy, and commonality
by him corrupted, without regard to faith, or fear of God or man, did
promote and propogate, the nation was involved in the greatest revolt
from, and rebellion against God, that ever could be recorded in any age
or generation; nay attended with greater and grosser aggravations, than
ever any could be capable of before us, who have had the greatest
privileges that ever any church had, since the national church of the
Jews, the greatest light, the greatest effects of matchless magnified
love, the greatest convictions of sin, the greatest resolutions and
solemn engagements against it, and the greatest reformation from it,
that ever any had to abuse and affront. O heavens be astonished at this,
and horribly afraid! for Scotland hath changed her glory, and the crown
hath fallen from off her head, by an unparalelled apostasy, a free and
voluntary, wilful and deliberate apostasy, an avowed and declared and
authorized apostasy, tyrannically carried on by military violence and
cruelty, a most universal and every way unprecedented apostasy! I must a
little change my method, in deducing the narration of this catastrophe,
and subdistinguish this unhappy period into several steps; shewing how
the enemies opposition to Christ advanced, and the testimony of his
witnesses did gradually ascend, to the pitch it is now arrived at.
I. These enemies of God, having once got footing again, with the favour
and the fawnings of the foolish nation, went on fervently to further and
promote their wicked design: and meeting with no opposition at first,
did encourage themselves to begin boldly. Wherefore, hearing of some
ministers peaceably assembled, to draw up a monitory letter to the king,
minding him of his covenant engagements and promises (which was though
weak, yet the first witness and warning against that heaven-daring
wickedness then begun) they cruelly incarcerate them. Having hereby much
daunted the ministry from their duty in that day, for fear of the like
unusual and outrageous usage. The parliament convenes January 1, 1661,
without so much as a protestation for religion and liberty given in to
them. And there, in the first place, they frame and take the oath of
supremacy, exauctorating Christ, and investing his usurping enemy with
the spoils of his robbed prerogative, acknowledging the king 'only
supreme governor over all persons and in all causes, and that his power
and jurisdiction must not be declined.' Whereby under all persons and
all causes, all church officers, in their most properly ecclesiastic
affairs and concerns of Christ, are comprehended: And if the king shall
take upon him to judge their doctrine, worship, discipline, or
government, he must not be declined as an incompetent judge. Which did
at once enervate all the testimony of the 4th period above declared, and
laid the foundation for all this Babel they have built since, and of all
this war that hath been waged against the Son of God, and did introduce
all this tyranny and absolute power, which hath been since carried to
its complement, and made the king's throne the foundation of all the
succeeding perjury and apostacy. Yet, though then our synods and
presbyteries were not discharged, but might have had access in some
concurrence to witness against this horrid invasion upon Christ's
prerogative and the church's privilege, no joint testimony was given
against it, except that some were found witnessing against it in their
singular capacity by themselves. As faithful Mr. James Guthrie, for
declining this usurped authority in prejudice of the kingdom of our Lord
Jesus, suffered death, and got the martyr's crown upon his head: And
some others, for refuting that oath arbitrarily imposed, were banished
or confined, when they had gained this bulwark of Christ's kingdom; then
they waxed more insolent, and set up their ensigns for signs, and broke
down the carved work of reformation with axes and hammers. In this
parliament, 1661, they past an _act rescissory_ whereby they annulled and
declared void the national covenant, the solemn league and covenant,
presbyterial government, and all laws made in favour of the work of
reformation since the year 1643. O horrid wickedness! both in its nature
so atrocious, to condemn and rescind what God did so signally seal as
his own work, to the conviction of the world, and for which he will
rescind the rescinders, and overturn these overturners of his work, and
make the curse of that broken covenant bind them to the punishment, whom
its bond could not oblige to the duty covenanted; and in its design and
end so base and detestable, for nothing but to flatter the king in
making way for prelacy, tyranny, and popery, and to indulge the
licentiousness of some debauched nobles, who could not endure the yoke
of Christ's government, and to suppress religion and righteousness under
the ruins of that reformation. But O holy and astonishing justice, thus
to recompence our way upon our own head! to suffer this work and cause
to be ruined under our unhappy hands, who suffered this destroyer to
come in before it was so effectually secured, as it should not have been
in the power of his hand (whatever had been in his heart, swelled with
enmity against Christ) to have razed and ruined that work as now most
wickedly he did, and drew in so many into the guilt of the same deed,
that almost the whole land not only consented unto it but applauded it;
by approving and countenancing another wicked act framed at the same
time, by that same perfidious parliament for an anniversary
thanksgiving, commemorating every 29th of May, that blasphemy against
the Spirit and work of God, and celebrating that unhappy restoration of
the rescinder of the reformation; which had not only the concurrence of
the universality of the nation, but (alas for shame that it should be
told in Gath, &c!) even of some ministers who afterwards accepted of
the indulgence (one of which, a pillar among them, was seen scandalously
dancing about the bonefires.) And others, who should have alarmed the
whole nation _quasi pro aris & focis_, to rise for religion and liberty,
to resist such wickedness, did wink at it. O how righteous is the Lord
now in turning our harps into mourning! Though alas! we will not suffer
ourselves to this day, to see the shining righteousness of this
retribution: And though we be scourged with scorpions, and brayed in a
mortar, our madness, our folly in these irreligious frolics, is not yet
acknowledged, let be lamented. Yet albeit, neither in this day when then
the covenant was not only broken, but cassed and declared of no
obligation, nor afterward when it was burnt (for which Turks and Pagans
would have been ashamed and afraid at such a terrible sight, and for
which the Lord's anger is burning against these bold burners, and
against them who suffered it, and did not witness against it) was there
any public testimony by protestation or remonstrance, or any public
witness? though the Lord had some then, and some who came out afterward
with the trumpet at their mouth, whole heart then sorrowed at the sight;
and some suffered for the sense they shewed of that anniversary
abomination, for not keeping which they lost both church and liberty. It
is true the ordinary meetings of presbyteries and synods were about that
time discharged, to make way for the exercise of the new power conferred
on the four prelates who were at court, re-ordained and consecrated
thereby renouncing their former title to the ministry. But this could
not give a discharge from a necessary testimony, then called for from
faithful watchmen. However the reformation being thus rescinded and
razed, and the house of the Lord pulled down, then they begin to build
their Babel. In the parliament 1662, by their first act they restore and
re-establish prelacy, upon such a foundation as they might by the same
law bring in popery, which was then designed; and so settled its
harbinger diocesan and erastian prelacy, by fuller enlargement of the
supremacy. The very act begins thus: 'For as much as the ordering and
disposal of the external government of the church, doth properly belong
to his majesty as an inherent right of the crown, by virtue of his royal
prerogative, and supremacy in causes ecclesiastic--whatever shall be
determined by his majesty, with advice of the archbishops, and such of
the clergy as he shall nominate, in the external government of the
church (the same consisting with the standing laws of the kingdom) shall
be valid and effectual. And in the same act all laws are rescinded, by
which the sole power and jurisdiction within the church doth stand in
the church assemblies, and all which may be interpreted, to have given
any church power, jurisdiction, or government to the office-bearers of
the church, other than that which acknowledgeth a dependence upon, and
subordination to the sovereign power of the king as supreme.' By which,
prelates are redintegrated to all their privileges and pre-eminencies,
that they possessed 1637. And all their church power (robbed from the
officers of Christ) is made to be derived from, to depend upon, and to
be subordinate to the crown prerogative of the king: whereby the king is
made the only fountain of church power, and that exclusive even of
Christ, of whom there is no mentioned exception: And his vassals the
bishops, as his clerks in ecclesiastics, are accountable to him for all
their administrations; a greater usurpation upon the kingdom of Christ,
than ever the papacy itself aspired unto. Yet, albeit here was another
display of a banner of defiance against Christ, in altering the church
government of Christ's institution into the human invention of lordly
prelacy, in assuming a power by prerogative to dispose then of the
external government of the church, and in giving his creatures patents
for this effect, to be his administrators for that usurped government;
there was no public, ministerial, at least united testimony against this
neither. Therefore the Lord punished this sinful and shameful silence of
ministers, in his holy justice, though by men's horrid wickedness; when
by another wicked act of the council at Glasgow, above 300 ministers
were put from their charges; and afterwards, for their non-conformity in
not countenancing their diocesan meeting, and not keeping the
anniversary day, May 29, the rest were violently thrust from their
labours in the Lord's vineyard, and banished from their parishes, and
adjudged unto a nice and strange confinement, twenty miles from their
own parishes, six miles from a cathedral church, as they called it, and
three miles from a burgh; whereby they were reduced into many
inconveniencies. Yet in this fatal convulsion of the church, generally
all were struck with blindness and baseness, that a paper proclamation
made them all run from their posts, and obey the king's orders for their
ejection. Thus were they given up, because of their forbearing to sound
an alarm, charging the people of God, in point of loyalty to Christ, and
under the pain of the curse of the covenant, to awake and aquit
themselves like men, and not to suffer the enemy to rob them of that
treasure of reformation, which they were put in possession of, by the
tears, prayers, and blood of such as went before them; instead of those
prudential fumblings and firstlings then and since so much followed.
Wherefore the Lord in his holy righteousness, left that enemy (against
whom they should have cried and contended, and to whose eye they should
have held the curse of the covenant, as having held it first to their
own, in case of unfaithful silence in not holding it to his) to call
them out of the house of the Lord, and dissolve their assemblies, and
deprive them of their privileges, because of their not being so valiant
for the truth, as that a full and faithful testimony against that
encroachment might be found upon record. Nevertheless some were found
faithful in that hour and power of darkness, who kept the word of the
Lord's patience, and who were therefore kept in and from that temptation
(which carried many away into sad and shameful defections) though not
from suffering hard things from the hands of men; and only these who
felt most of their violence, found grace helping them to acquit
themselves suitably to that day's testimony, being thereby prevented
from an active yielding to their impositions, when they were made
passively to suffer force. However that season of a public testimony was
lost, and as to the most part never recovered to this day. The prelates
being settled, and re-admitted to voice in parliament, they procure an
act, dogmatically condemning several material parts and points of our
covenanted reformation, to wit, these positions, 'That it was lawful for
subjects, for reformation or necessary self-defence, to enter into
leagues, or take up arms against the king: And particularly declaring,
that the national covenant, as explained in the year 1638, and the
solemn league and covenant, were and are in themselves unlawful oaths,
and were taken by and imposed upon the subjects of this kingdom against
the fundamental laws and liberties thereof, that all such gatherings and
petitions that were used in the beginning of the late troubles, were
unlawful and seditious: And whereas then people were led unto these
things, by having disseminated among them such principles as these, That
it was lawful to come with petitions and representations of grievances
to the king, that it was lawful for people to restrict their allegiance
under such and such limitations, and suspend it until he should give
security for religion, &c. It was therefore enacted, that all such
positions and practices founded thereupon, were treasonable.--And
further did enact, that no person, by writing, praying, preaching, or
malicious or advised speaking, express or publish any words or
sentences, to stir up the people to the dislike of the king's
prerogative and supremacy, or of the government of the church by
bishops, or justify any of the deeds, actings, or things declared
against by that act.' Yet notwithstanding of all this subversion of
religion and liberty, and restraint of asserting these truths here
trampled upon either before men by testimony, or before God in mourning
over these indignities done unto him, in everting these and all the
parts of reformation, even when it came to Daniel's case of confession,
preaching and praying truths interdicted by law; few had their eyes open
(let be their windows in an open avouching them) to see the duty of the
day calling for a testimony. Though afterwards, the Lord spirited some
to assert and demonstrate the glory of these truths and duties to the
world. As that judicious author of the Apologetical Relation, whose
labours need no eulogium to commend them. But this is not all: for these
men, having now as they thought subverted the work of God, they provided
also against the fears of its revival: making acts, declaring, 'that if
the outed ministers dare to continue to preach, and presume to exercise
their ministry, they should be punished as seditious persons; requiring
of all a due acknowledgement of, and hearty compliance with, the king's
government, ecclesiastical and civil; and that whosoever shall
ordinarily and wilfully withdraw and absent from the ordinary meetings
for divine worship in their own churches on the Lord's day, shall incur
the penalties there insert.' Thus the sometimes chaste virgin, whose
name was Beulah to the Lord, the reformed church of Scotland, did now
suffer a violent and villainous rape, from a vermin of vile schismatical
apostates, obtruded and imposed upon her, instead of her able, painful,
faithful, and successful pastors, that the Lord had set over her, and
now by their faintness and the enemy's force, robbed from her, and none
now allowed by law to administer the ordinances, but either apostate
curates, who by their perjury and apostacy forfaulted their ministry, or
other hirelings and prelates journeymen, who run without a mission,
except from them who had none to give according to Christ's institution,
the seal of whose ministry could never yet be shewn in the conversion of
any sinner to Christ: but if the tree may be known by its fruits, we may
know whose ministers they are; _ut ex ungue leonem_, by their
conversions of reformation into deformation, of the work and cause of
God into the similitude of the Roman beast, of ministers into hirelings,
of their proselytes into ten times worse children of the devil than they
were before, of the power of godliness into formality, of preaching
Christ into orations of morality, of the purity of Christ's ordinances
into the vanity of men's inventions, of the beautiful government of the
house of God for edification, to a lordly pre-eminence and domination
over consciences; in a word, of church and state constitutions for
religion and liberty, all upside dwon into wickedness and slavery: These
are the conversions of prelacy. But now this astonishing blow to the
gospel of the kingdom, introducing such a swarm of locusts into the
church, and in forcing a compliance of the people with this defection,
and that so violently and rigorously, as even simple withdrawing was so
severely punished by severe edicts of fining, and other arbitrary
punishments at first; what did it produce? did it awaken all Christ's
ambassadors, now to appear for Christ, in this clear and claimant case
of confessing him, and the freedom and purity of his ordinances? Alas!
the backwardness and bentness to backsliding, in a superseding from the
duties of that day, did make it evident, that now the Lord had in a
great measure forsaken them, because they had forsaken him. The standard
of the gospel was then fallen, and few to take it up. The generality of
ministers and professors both went and conformed so far as to hear the
curates, contrary to many points of the reformation formerly attained,
contrary to their covenant engagements, and contrary to their own
principles and practice at that same time; scrupling and refusing to
keep the bishops visitations, and to countenance their discipline and
power of jurisdiction, because it was required as a testification of
their acknowledgment of, and compliance with the present government, and
yet not scrupling to countenance their doctrine and usurped power of
order required also by the same law, as the same test of the same
compliance and submission. Its strange that some yet do plead for
persisting in that same compliance, after all the bitter consequents of
it. Other ministers lay altogether by in their retired recesses, waiting
to see what things would turn to: others were hopeless, turned farmers
and doctors: others more wily, staid at home, and preached quietly in in
ladies chambers. But the faithful thought that this tyrannical ejection
did not nor could not unminister them, so as they might not preach the
gospel wherever they were, as ambassadors of Christ; but rather found
themselves under an indispensible necessity to preach the gospel and
witness for the freedom of their ministry, and make full proof of it, in
preaching in season and out of season: and thereupon as occasion offered
preached to all such as were willing to hear; but at first only in
private houses, and that for the most part at such times, when sermons
in public surceased (a superplus of caution.) But afterwards, finding so
great difficulties and persecutions for their house meetings, where they
were so easily entrapped, were constrained at last to keep their
meetings in the fields, without shelter from cold, wind, snow, or rain.
Where testifying both practically and particularly against these
usurpations on their Master's prerogatives, and witnessing for their
ministerial freedom, contrary to all law-interdictions, without any
licences or indulgences from the usurper, but holding their ministry
from Jesus Christ alone, both as to the office and exercise thereof;
they had so much of their Master's countenance, and success in their
labours, that they valued neither hazards nor hardships, neither the
contempt of pretended friends, not the laws nor threatnings of enemies,
adjudging the penalty of death itself to preachers at field conventicles
as they called them. Now having thus overturned the church-government,
by introducing prelacy, to advance an absolute supremacy; the effects
whereof were either the corruption, or persecution of all the ministry,
encouragement of profanity and wickedness, the encrease and advancement
of popery, superstition, and error, cruel impositions on the conscience,
and oppressions for conscience sake, by the practices of cruel
supra-Spanish inquisitions, and all manner of outcries of outragious
violence and villany: the king proceeds in his design, to pervert and
evert the well modelled and moderated constitution of the state
government also, by introducing and advancing an arbitrary tyranny; the
effects whereof were, an absolute mancipation of lives and liberties and
estates unto his lust and pleasure, the utter subversion of laws, and
absolute impoverishing of the people. For effectuating which, he first
procures a lasting imposition of intollerable subsidies and taxations,
to impoverish that he might the more easily enslave the nation; next a
further recognizance of his prerogative, in a subjection of persons,
fortunes, and whole strength of the kingdom to his absolute arbitrement,
'in a levy of militia of 20,000 footmen, and 2000 horsemen sufficiently
armed with 40 days provision, to be ready upon the king's call to march
to any part of his dominions, for opposing whatsoever invasion, or
insurrection, or for any other service.' The first sproutings of tyranny
were cherished, by the cheerful and stupid submission generally yielded
to these exorbitancies; under which they who suffered most were inwardly
malecontents, but there was no opposition to them by word or action, but
on the contrary, generally people did not so much as scruple sending
out, or going out as militiamen: never adverting unto what this
concurrence was designed, and demanded, and given for; nor what an
accession it was, in the nature and influence of the mean itself, and
in the sense and intention of the requirers, unto a confederacy for a
compliance with, and a confirmation and strengthening of arbitrary
tyranny. After the fundamental constitutions of both church and state
are thus razed and rooted up, to confirm this absolute power, he
contrived to frame all inferior magistrates according to his mould: And
for this end appointed, that all persons in any public trust or office
whatsoever should subscribe a declaration, renouncing and abjuring the
covenants; whereby perjury was made the chief and indispensible
qualification, and _conditio sine qua non_, of all that were capable of
exercising any power or place in church or state. But finding this not
yet sufficient security for this unsettled settlement; because he well
understood, the people stood no ways obliged to acknowledge him but only
according to the solemn covenants, being the fundamental conditions
whereupon their allegiance was founded (as amongst all people, the
articles mutually consented betwixt them and these whom they set over
them, are the constituent fundamentals of government) and well knowing,
that he and his associates, by violating these conditions, had loosed
the people from all subjection to him, or any deriving power from him,
whereby the people might justly plead, that since he had kept no
condition they were not now obliged to him, he therefore contrived a new
oath of allegiance to be imposed upon all in public trust both in church
and state; wherein they are made to oblige themselves to that boundless
breaker of all bonds sacred and civil, and his successors also, without
any reciprocal obligation from him to them, or any reserved restriction,
limitation, or qualification, as all human authority by God's ordinance
must be bounded. Whereby the swearers have by oath homologated the
overturning of the very basis of the government, making free people
slaves to the subverters thereof, betraying their native brethren and
posterity to the lust of tyranny, and have in effect as really as if in
plain terms affirmed, that whatsoever tyranny shall command or do,
either as to the overturning of the work of God, subverting of religion,
destroying of liberty, or persecuting all the godly to the utmost
extremity, they shall not only stupidly endure it, but actively concur
with it, and assist in all this tyranny. Alas there was no public
testimony against this trick, to bring people under the yoke of tyranny;
except by some who suffered for conscientious refusing it, while many
others did take it, thinking to salve the matter by their pitiful
quibbling senses, of giving Cesar his due. Whereas this Cesar, for whom
these loyal alledgers plead, is not an ordinary Cesar, but such a Cesar,
as Nero, or Caligula, that if he got his due, it would be in another
kind. Strange! can presbyterians swear that allegiance, which is
substituted in the place of the broken and burnt covenant? Or could they
swear it to such a person, who having broken and buried the covenant,
that he who had sworn it might have another right and allegiance than
that of the covenant, had then remitted to us all allegiance founded
upon the covenant? However, having now prepared and furnished himself
with tools so qualified for his purpose, in church and state, he
prosecutes his persecution with such fervour and fury, rage and revenge,
impositions and oppressions, and with armed formed force, against the
faithful following their duty in a peaceable manner, without the least
shadow of contempt even of his abused authority, that at length in the
year 1666, a small party were compelled to go to defensive arms. Which,
whatever was the desire of the court (as it is known how desirous they
have been of an insurrection, when they thought themselves sure to
suppress it, that they might have a vent for their cruelty; and how one
of the brothers hath been heard say, that if he might have his wish, he
would have them all turn rebels and go to arms.) Yet it was no
predetermined design of that poor handful. For Sir James Turner,
pursuing his cruel orders in Galloway, sent some soldiers to apprehend a
poor old man; whom his neighbours compassionating, intreated the
soldiers to loose him as he lay bound, but were answered with drawn
swords and necessitated to their own defence: In which they relieve the
man, and disarm the soldiers, and further attacked some others
oppressing that country, disarming ten or twelve more, and killing one
that made resistance. Whereupon, the country being alarmed, and fearing
from sad experience Sir James would certainly avenge this affront upon
the whole country, without distinction of free and unfree, they gather
about 54 horsemen, march to Dumfries, take Sir James Turner prisoner,
and disarm the soldiers, without any more violence. Being thus by
providence engaged without any hope of retreat, and getting some
concurrence of their brethren in the same condition, they came to
Lanark, where they renew the covenant, and thence to Pentland hills;
where, by the holy disposal of God, they were routed, many killed, and
130 taken prisoners, who were treated so treacherously and truculently,
as Turks would have blushed to have seen the like. Hence now on the one
hand, we may see the righteousness of God in leaving that enemy to him,
whom we embraced, to make such avowed discoveries of himself, without a
blush to the world, and to scourge us with scorpions that we nourished
and put in his hands: And also, how justly at that time he left us into
such a damp, that like asses we couched under all burdens, and few came
out to the help of the Lord against the mighty, drawing on them Meroz's
curse, and the blood of their butchered brethren; after we had sat, and
seen, and suffered all things civil and sacred to be destroyed in our
fight, without resentment. And though the Lord, who called out these
worthy patriots who fell at Pentland to such an appearance for his
interests, did take a testimony of their hands with acceptance by
sufferings, and singularly countenanced them in sealing it with their
blood; yet he would not give success nor his presence to the enterprise,
but left them in a sort of infatuation, without counsel and conduct, to
be a prey to devourers, that by a sad inadvertency they took in the
tyrant's interest into the state of the quarrel. Which should have
warned his people for the future to have stated the quarrel otherwise.
II. By this time, and much more after, the king gave as many proofs and
demonstrations of his being true to antichrist, in minding all the
promises and treaties with him, as he had of his being false to Christ,
in all his covenanted engagements with his people. For in this same year
1666, he, with his dear and royal brother the duke of York, contrived,
countenanced, and abetted, the burning of London, evident by their
employing their guards to hinder the people from saving their own, and
to dismiss the incendiaries, the papists, that were taken in the fact.
The committee, appointed to cognosce upon that business, traced it so
far, that they durst go no further, unless they would arraign the duke,
and charge the king, and yet before this, it was enacted as criminal for
any to say the king was a papist. But having gained so much of his
design in Scotland, where he had established prelacy, advanced tyranny
to the height of absoluteness, and his supremacy almost beyond the reach
of any additional supply, yea above the pope's own claim, and had now
brought his only opposites, the few faithful witnesses of Christ, to a
low pass; he went on by craft as well as cruelty, to advance his own in
promoting antichrist's interest. And therefore, having gotten the
supremacy devolved upon him by law (for which also he had the pope's
dispensation, to take it to himself for the time, under promise to
restore and surrender it to him, as soon as he could obtain his end by
it, as the other brother succeeding hath now done) he would now exert
that usurped power, and work by insnaring policy to effectuate the end
which he could not do by other means. Therefore, seeing he was not able
to suppress the meetings of the Lord's people for gospel ordinances, in
house and fields, but that the more he laboured by violent courses, the
greater and more frequent they grew; he fell upon a more crafty device,
not only to overthrow the gospel and suppress the meetings, but to break
the faithful, and to divide, between the mad-cap and the moderate
fanatics (as they phrased it) that he might the more easily destroy
both, to confirm the usurpation, and to settle people in a sinful
silence, and stupid submission to all the incroachments made on Christ's
prerogatives, and more effectually to overturn what remained of the work
of God. And, knowing that nothing could more fortify the supremacy than
minister's homologating and acknowledging it; therefore he offered the
first indulgence in the year 1669, signifying in a letter, dated that
year June 7, his gracious pleasure was, 'to appoint so many of the outed
ministers, as have lived peaceably and orderly, to return to preach and
exercise other functions of the ministry, in the parish churches where
they formerly served (provided they were vacant) and to allow patrons to
present to other vacant churches, such others of them as the council
should approve: That all who are so indulged, be enjoined to keep
presbyteries, and the refusers to be confined within the bounds of their
parishes: And that they be enjoined not to admit any of their neighbour
parishes unto their communions, nor baptize their children, nor marry
any of them, without the allowance of the minister of the parish, and if
they countenance the people deserting their own parishes, they are to be
silenced for shorter or longer time, or altogether turned out, as the
council shall see cause; and upon complaint made and verified, of any
seditious discourse or expressions in the pulpit, uttered by any of the
ministers, they are immediately to be turned out, and further punished
according to law: And seeing by these orders, all pretences for
conventicles were taken away, if any should be found hereafter to preach
without authority, or keep conventicles, his pleasure is, to proceed
with all severity against them, as seditious persons and contemners of
authority.' To salve this in point of law, (because it was against
former laws of their own) and to make the king's letter the supreme law
afterwards, and a valid ground in law, whereupon the council might
proceed, and enact, and execute what the king pleased in matters
ecclesiastic; he therefore caused frame a formal statutory act of
supremacy, of this tenor, 'That his majesty hath the supreme authority
and supremacy over all persons and in all causes ecclesiastic, within
his dominions, and that by virtue thereof, the ordering and disposal of
the external government of the church, doth properly belong to him and
his successors, as an inherent right to the crown: And that he may
settle, enact, and emit such constitutions, acts, and orders, concerning
the administrating thereof, and persons employed in the same, and
concerning all ecclesiastical meetings and matters, to be proposed and
determined therein, as he in his royal wisdom, shall think fit: which
acts, orders, and constitutions, are to be observed and obeyed by all
his majesty's subjects, any law, act, or custom to the contrary
notwithstanding.' Whereupon, accordingly the council, in their act July
27, 1669, do nominate several ministers, and 'appoint them to preach,
and exercise the other functions of the ministry, at their respective
churches there specified, with consent of the patrons.' The same day
also they conclude and enact the forementioned restrictions, conform to
the king's letter above rehearsed, and ordain them to be intimate to
every person, who is by authority foresaid allowed the exercise of the
ministry. These indulged ministers, having that indulgence given only
upon these terms, that they should accept these injunctions, and having
received it upon these terms also (as an essential part of the bargain
and condition, on which the indulgence was granted and accepted, as many
following proclamations did expressly declare) do appoint Mr. Hutcheson,
one of the number, 'to declare so much; in acknowledging his majesty's
favour and clemency, in granting that liberty, after so long a
restraint; and however they had received their ministry from Jesus
Christ, with full prescriptions from him for regulating them therein,
yet nothing could be more refreshing on earth to them, than to have free
liberty for the exercise of their ministry, under the protection of
lawful authority; and so they purposed to behave themselves in the
discharge of their ministry, with that wisdom that became faithful
ministers, and to demean themselves towards lawful authority,
notwithstanding of their known judgment in church affairs, as well
becometh loyal subjects; and their prayer to God should be, that the
Lord should bless his majesty in his person and government, and the
council in the public administration, and especially in the pursuance of
his majesty's mind in his letter, wherein his singular moderation
eminently appears.'--Afterwards they issued out proclamations,
reinforcing the punctual observation of the forementioned injunctions,
and delivered them into the indulged. In the mean time, though cruel
acts and edicts were made against the meetings of the Lord's people, in
houses and the fields, after all these Midianitish wiles to suppress
them, such was the presence of the Lord in these meetings, and so
powerful was his countenance and concurrence with the labours of a few,
who laid up themselves to hold up the standard of Christ; that the
number of converts multiplied daily, to the praise of free grace, and to
the great encouragement of the few hands that wrestled in that work,
through all human discouragement. Therefore, the king and council was
put to a new shift, which they supposed would prove more effectual: To
wit, because there was a great number of nonconformed ministers not yet
indulged, who either did or might hereafter hold conventicles, therefore
to remeed or prevent this in time coming, they appoint and ordain them
to such places where indulged ministers were settled, there to be
confined with allowance to preach as the indulged should employ them;
thinking by this means to incapacitate many to hold meetings there or
elsewhere: And to these also they give injunctions and restrictions to
regulate them in the exercise of their ministry. And to the end that all
the outed ministers might be brought under restraint, and the word of
God be kept under bonds, by another act of council they command, that
all other ministers (not disposed of as is said) were either to repair
to the parish churches where they were, or to some other parishes where
they may be ordinary hearers, and to declare and condescend upon the
parishes where they intend to have their residence. After this they
assumed a power, to dispose of these their curates as they pleased, and
transport them from place to place; whereof the only ground was a simple
act of council, the instructions always going along with them, as the
constant companion of the indulgence. By all which it is apparent;
whatever these ministers alledge, in vindication of it to cover its
deformity, in their balms to take away its stink, and in their surveys
to gather plaisters to scurf over its scurviness, viz. that it was but
the removal of the civil restraint, and that they entered into their
places by the call of the people (a mere mock pretence for a prelimited
imposition, whereby that ordinance of Christ was basely prostituted and
abused) and that their testimony and protestation was a salvo for their
conscience (a mere Utopian fancy, that the indulgers with whom they
bargained never heard of, otherwise, as they did with some who were
faithful in testifying against their encroachments, they would soon have
given them a bill of ease). It cannot be denied, that that doleful
indulgence, both in its rise, contrivance, conveyance, grant, and
acceptance, end and effects, was a grievous encroachment upon the
princely prerogative of Jesus Christ the only head of the church;
whereby the usurper's supremacy was homologated, bowed to, complied
with, strengthened and established, the cause and kingdom of Christ
betrayed, his church's privileges surrendered, his enemies hardened, his
friends stumbled, and the remnant rent and ruined; in that it was
granted and deduced from the king's supremacy, and conveyed by the
council; in that, according to his pleasure, he gave and they received a
licence and warrant, to such as he nominated and elected, and judged fit
and qualified for it, and fixed them in what particular parish he
pleased to assign, under the notion of a confinement, in that he imposed
and they submitted to restrictions in the exercise of their ministry, in
these particular parishes, inhibiting to preach elsewhere in the church;
and with these restrictions, he gave and they received instructions to
regulate and direct them in their functions: all which was done without
advice or consent of the church: and thereupon they have frequently been
called and conveened before the council, to give account of their
ministerial exercise, and some of them sentenced, silenced, and deposed
for alledged disobedience. This was a manifest treason against Christ,
which involved many in the actual guilt of it that day, and many others
who gaped after it, and could not obtain it, and far more at that time
and since in the guilt of misprision of treason, in passing this also
without a witness. Thus, in holy judgment, because of our indulging and
conniving at the usurper of Christ's throne, he left a great part of the
ministers to take that wretched indulgence; and another part, instead of
remonstrating the wickedness of that deed, have been left to palliate,
and plaister, and patronize it, in keeping up the credit of the king and
council's curates, wherein they have shewed more zeal, than ever
against that wicked indulgence. Yet the Lord had some witnesses, who
pretty early did give significations of their resentment of this
dishonour done to Christ, as Mr. William Weir, who having got the legal
call of the people, and discharging his duty honestly, was turned out;
and Mr. John Burnet, who wrote a testimony directed to the council,
shewing why he could not submit to that indulgence, inserted at large in
the history of the indulgence; where also we have the testimony of other
ten ministers, who drew up their reasons of non-compliance with such a
snare; and Mr. Alexander Blair, who, upon occasion of a citation before
the council for not observing the 29th of May, having with others made
his appearance, and got new copies of instructions presented to them,
being moved with zeal and remembering whose ambassador he was, told the
council plainly, that he could receive no instructions from them in the
exercise of his ministry, otherwise he should not be Christ's ambassador
but theirs, and herewith lets their instructions drop out of his hand,
knowing of no other salvo or manner of testifying for the truth in the
case; for which he was imprisoned, and died under confinement. But
afterwards, the Lord raised up some more explicit witnesses against that
defection. All this trouble was before the year 1673. About which time,
finding this device of indulgences proved so steadable for his service
in Scotland, he was induced to try it also in England; which he did
almost with the same or like success, and producing the same effects of
defection, security, and unfaithfulness. The occasion was upon his wars
with the Dutch; which gave another demonstrative discovery of his
treachery and popish perfidy, in breaking league with them, and entering
into one with the French, to destroy religion and liberty in Britain:
'Wherein the king of France assures him an absolute authority over his
parliaments, and to re-establish the catholic religion in his kingdoms
of England, Scotland and Ireland; to compass which it was necessary
first to abate the pride and power of the Dutch, and to reduce them to
the sole province of Holland, by which means the king of England should
have Zealand for a retreat in case of need, and that the rest of the Low
Countries should remain to the king of France, if he could render
himself master of it. But to return to Scotland.' While by the
forementioned device, he thought he had utterly suppressed the gospel in
house and field meetings, he was so far disappointed, that these very
means and machines by which he thought to bury it, did chiefly
contribute to its revival. For, when by persecution many ministers had
been chased away by illegal law sentences, many had been drawn away from
their duty, and others were now sentenced with confinements and
restraints, if they should not chuse and fix their residence where they
could not keep their quiet and conscience both; they were forced to
wander and disperse through the country, and the people being tired of
the cold and dead curates, and wanting long the ministry of their old
pastors, so longed and hungered after the word, that they behoved to
have it at any rate cost what it would; which made them entertain the
dispersed ministers more earnestly, and encouraged them more to their
duty. By whose endeavours, through the mighty power and presence of God,
and the light of his countenance now shining through the cloud, after so
fatal and fearful a darkness that had overclouded the land for a while,
with such a resplendent brightness, that it darkened the prelatic
locusts, and made them hiss and gnash their tongues for pain, and
dazzled the eyes of all onlookers; the word of God grew exceedingly, and
went through at least the southern borders of the kingdom like
lightning, or like the sun in its meridian beauty; discovering so the
wonders of God's law, the mysteries of his gospel, and the secrets of
his covenant, and the sins and duties of that day, that a numerous issue
was begotten to Christ, and his conquest was glorious, captivating poor
slaves of satan, and bringing them from his power unto God, and from
darkness to light. O! who can remember the glory of that day, without a
melting heart, in reflecting upon what we have lost, and let go, and
sinned away, by our misimprovements. O that in that our day we had
heartened to his voice, and had known the things that belonged to our
peace! A day of such power, that it made the people, even the bulk and
body of the people, willing to come out and venture, upon the greatest
of hardships and the greatest of hazards, in pursuing after the gospel,
through mosses and muirs, and inaccessible mountains, summer and winter,
through excess of heat and extremity of cold, many days and
night-journeys; even when they could not have a probable expectation of
escaping the sword of the wilderness, and the barbarous fury of bloody
Burrio's raging for their prey, sent out with orders to take and kill
them, it being now made criminal by law, especially to the preachers and
convocaters of those meetings. But this was a day of such power, that
nothing could daunt them from their duty, that had tasted once the
sweetness of the Lord's presence at these persecuted meetings. Then had
we such humiliation-days for personal and public defections, such
communion-days even in the open fields, and such sabbath-solemnities,
that the places where they were kept might have been called Bethel, or
Peniel, or Bochim, and all of them Jehovah-Shammah; wherein many were
truly converted, more convinced, and generally all reformed from their
former immoralities: that even robbers, thieves, and profane men, were
some of them brought to a saving subjection to Christ, and generally
under such a restraint, that all the severities of heading and hanging,
&c. in a great many years, could not make such a civil reformation, as a
few days of the gospel, in these formerly the devils territories, now
Christ's quarters, where his kingly standard was displayed. I have not
language to lay out in the inexpressible glory of that day: but I will
make bold to say two things of it, first, I doubt if ever there was
greater days of the Son of man upon the earth since the apostolic times,
than we enjoyed for the space of seven years at that time: and next, I
doubt, if upon the back of such a lightsome day there was ever a blacker
night of darkness, defection, division, and confusion, and a more
universal impudent apostasy, than we have seen since. The world is at a
great loss, that a more exact and complete account demonstrating both
these, is not published, which I am sure would be a fertile theme to any
faithful pen. But this not being my scope at present, but only to deduce
the steps of the contendings of Christ's friends and his enemies, I must
follow the thread of my narration. Now when Christ is gaining ground by
the preached gospel in plenty, in purity, and power, the usurper's
supremacy was like to stagger, and prelacy came under universal
contempt, in so much that several country curates would have had but
scarce half a dozen of hearers, and some none at all. And this was a
general observe that never failed, that no sooner did any poor soul come
to get a serious sense of religion, and was brought under any real
exercise of spirit about their souls concerns, but as soon they did fall
out with prelacy and left the curates. Hence to secure what he had
possessed himself of by law, and to prevent a dangerous paroxism which
he thought would ensue upon these commotions, the king returned to
exerce his innate tyranny, and to emit terrible orders, and more
terrible executioners, and bloody emissaries, against all field
meetings: which, after long patience, the people at length could not
endure; but being first chased to the fields, where they would have been
content to have the gospel with all the inconveniences of it, and also
expelled from the fields, being resolute to maintain the gospel, they
resolved to defend it and themselves by arms. To which, unavoidable
necessity in unsupportable extremity did constrain them, as the only
remaining remedy. It is known, for several years they met without any
arms, where frequently they were disturbed and dispersed with soldiers,
some killed, others wounded, which they patiently endured without
resistance: At length the ministers that were most in hazard, having a
price set upon their heads to be brought in dead or alive, with some
attending them in their wanderings, understanding they were thus
appointed for death, judged it their duty to provide for the necessary
defence of their lives from the violence of their armed assaulters. And
as meetings increased, diverse others came under the same hazards, which
enforced them to endeavour the same remedy, without the least intention
of prejudice to any. Thus the number of sufferers increasing, as they
joined in the ordinances at these persecuted meetings, found themselves
in some probable capacity to defend themselves, and these much endeared
and precious gospel privileges, and to preserve the memory of the Lord's
great work in the land, which to transmit to posterity was their great
design. And they had no small encouragement to endeavour it, by the
satisfying sweetness and comfort they found in these ordinances, being
persuaded of the justness of their cause, and of the groundlessness of
their adversaries quarrel against them: And hereunto also they were
incited and prompted, by the palpableness of the enemy's purposes to
destroy the remainder of the gospel, by extirpating the remnant that
professed it. Wherefore in these circumstances, being redacted to that
strait, either to be deprived of the gospel, or to defend themselves in
their meetings for it; and thinking their turning their backs upon it
for hazard was a cowardly deserting duty, and palpable breach of
covenant-engagements, abandoning their greatest interest, they thought
it expedient, yea necessary, to carry defensive arms with them. And as
for that discouragement, from the difficulty and danger of it, because
of their fewness and meanness, it did not deter or daunt them from the
endeavour of their duty; when they considered the Lord in former times
was wont to own a very small party of their ancestors, who in extremity
jeoparded their lives in defence of reformation against very potent and
powerful enemies: These now owning the same cause, judged themselves
obliged to run the same hazard, in the same circumstances, and to follow
the same method, and durst not leave it unessayed, leaving the event to
God: considering also, that not only the law of nature and nations doth
allow self defence from unjust violence, but also the indissoluble
obligation of their covenants, to maintain and defend the true religion,
and one another in promoving the same, made it indispensible to use that
endeavour, the defect of which, through their former supineness gave no
small encouragement to the enemies: They considered also what would be
the consequence of that war, declared against all the faithful of the
land with a displayed banner, prosecuted with fire and sword, and all
acts of horrid hostility published in printed proclamations, and written
in characters of blood by barbarous soldiers, so that none could enjoy
gospel ordinances dispensed in purity, but upon the hazard of their
lives: and therefore, to prevent and frustrate these effects, they
endeavoured to put themselves in a posture. And hereunto they were
encouraged, by the constant experience of the Lord's countenancing their
endeavours in that posture, which always proved successful for several
years, their enemies either turning their backs without disturbance,
when they observed them resolve defence, or in their assaultings
repulsed: So that there was never a meeting which stood to their
defence, got any considerable harm thereby. Thus the Lord was with us
while we were with him, but when we forsook him, then he forsook us, and
left us in the hands of our enemies. However, while meetings for gospel
ordinances did continue, the wicked rulers did not cease from time to
time to encrease their numerous bands of barbarous soldiers for
suppressing the gospel in these field meetings. And for their
maintenance, they imposed new wicked and arbitrary cesses and taxations,
professedly required for suppressing religion and liberty, banishing the
gospel out of the land, and preserving and promoting his absoluteness
over all matters and persons sacred and civil: Which, under that
temptation of great suffering threatened to refusers, and under the
disadvantage of the silence and unfaithfulness of many ministers, who
either did not condemn it, or pleaded for the peaceable payment of it,
many did comply with it then, and far more since. Yet at that time there
were far more recusants, in some places, (especially in the western
shires) than compliers; and there were many of the ministers that did
faithfully declare to the people the sin of it; not only from the
illegality of its imposition, by a convention of overawed and
prelimitated states; but from the nature of that imposed compliance,
that it was a sinful transaction with Christ's declared enemies, a
strengthening the hands of the wicked, an obedience to a wicked law, a
consenting to Christ's expulsion out of the land, and not only that, but
(far worse than the sin of the Gadarenes) a formal concurrence to assist
his expellers, by maintaining their force, a hiring our oppressors to
destroy religion and liberty; and from the fountain of it, an arbitrary
power domineering over us, and oppressing and overpressing the kingdoms
with intolerable exactions, that to pay it, it was to entail slavery on
their posterity; and from the declared end of it, expressed in the very
narrative of the act, viz. to levy and maintain forces for suppressing
and dispersing meetings of the Lord's people, and to show unanimous
affection for maintaining the king's supremacy as now established by
law; which designs he resolved, and would be capacitate by the granters
to effectuate by such a grant, which in effect, to all tender
consciences had an evident tendency to the exauctorating the Lord
Christ, to maintain soldiers to suppress his work, and murder his
followers, yet all this time ministers and professors were unite, and
with one soul and shoulder followed the work of the Lord, till the
indulged, being dissatisfied with the meetings in the fields, whose
glory was like to overcloud and obscure their beds of ease, and
especially being offended at the freedom and faithfulness of some, who
set the trumpet to their mouth, and shewed Jacob his sins, and Israel
his transgressions, impartially without a cloak or cover, they began to
make a faction among the ministers, and to devise how to quench the
fervour of their zeal who were faithful for God. But the more they
sought to extinguish it, the more it broke out and blazed into a flame.
For several of Christ's ambassadors, touched and affected with the
affronts done to their princely master by the supremacy and the
indulgence its bastard brood and brat, began after long silence to
discover its iniquity, and to acquaint the people how the usurper had
invaded the Mediator's chair, in taking upon him to depose, suspend,
silence, plant, and transplant his ministers, where and when and how he
pleased, and to give forth warrants and licences for admitting them,
with canons and instructions for regulating them in the exercise of
their ministry, and to arraign and censure them at his courts for
delinquencies in their ministry; pursuing all to the death who are
faithful to Christ, and maintain their loyalty to his laws, and will not
prostitute their consciences to his lusts, and bow down to the idol of
his supremacy, but will own the kingly authority of Christ. Yet others,
and the greater number of dissenting ministers, were not only deficient
herein, but defended them, joined with them, and (pretending prudence
and prevention of schism) in effect homologated that deed and the
practice of these priests. Ezek. xxii. 16. teaching and advising the
people to hear them, both by precept and going along with them in that
erastian course: and not only so, but condemned and censured such who
preached against the sinfulness thereof, especially in the first place,
worthy Mr. Welwood, who was among the first witnesses against that
defection, and Mr. Kid, Mr. King, Mr. Cameron, Mr. Donald Gargil, &c.
who sealed their testimony afterwards with their blood; yet then even by
their brethren were loaden with the reproachful nicknames of
schismatics, blind zealots, Jesuits, &c. But it was always observed, as
long as ministers were faithful in following the Lord in the way of
their duty, professors were fervent, and under all their conflicts with
persecutors, the courage and zeal of the lovers of Christ was blazing,
and never out-braved by all the enemies boastings to undertake brisk
exploits: which from time to time they were now and then essaying, till
defection destroyed, and division diverted their zeal against the
enemies of God, who before were always the object against which they
whetted the edge of their just indignation. Especially the insulting
insolency and insolent villany of that public incendiary, the
arch-prelate Sharp, was judged intolerable by ingenuous spirits; because
he had treacherously betrayed the church and nation, and being employed
as their delegate to oppose the threatened introduction of prelacy, he
had like a perjured apostate and perfidious traitor advanced himself
into the place of primate of Scotland, and being a member of council he
became a chief instrument of all the persecution, and main instigator to
all the bloody violence and cruelty that was exerced against the people
of God; by whose means, the letter sent down to stop the shedding of
more blood after Pentland was kept up, until several of these martyrs
were murdered. Therefore in July 1668, Mr. James Mitchel thought it his
duty to save himself, deliver his brethren, and free the land of the
violence of that beast of prey, and attempted to cut him off: which
failing, he then escaped, but afterwards was apprehended; and being
moved by the council's oath, and act of assurance promising his life, he
made confession of the fact: yet afterwards for the same he was
arraigned before the justiciary, and the confession he made was brought
in against him, and witnessed by the perjured chancellor Rothes, and
other lords, contrary to their oath and act produced in open court, to
their indelible infamy: whereupon he was tortured, condemned, and
executed. But justice would not suffer this murder to pass long
unrevenged, nor that truculent traitor, James Sharp the arch-prelate,
who was the occasion and cause of it, and of many more both before and
after, to escape remarkable punishment; the severity whereof did
sufficiently compense its delay, after ten years respite, wherein he
ceased not more and more to pursue, persecute, and make havock of the
righteous for their duty, until at length he received the just demerit
of his perfidy, perjury, apostacy, sorceries, villanies, and murders,
sharp arrows of the mighty and coals of juniper. For upon the 3d of May
1679, several worthy gentlemen, with some other men of courage and zeal
for the cause of God and the good of the country, executed righteous
judgment upon him in Magus Moor near St. Andrews. And that same month,
on the anniversary day, May 29, the testimony at Rutherglen was
published against that abomination of celebrating an anniversary day,
kept every year for giving thanks for the setting up an usurped power,
destroying the interest of Christ in the land.--And against all sinful
and unlawful acts, emitted and executed, published and prosecuted
against our covenanted reformation. Where also they burnt the act of
supremacy, the declaration, the act recissory, &c. in way of retaliation
for the burning of the covenants. On the Sabbath following June 1. a
field meeting for the worship of God near to Loudoun-hill was assaulted
by Graham of Claverhouse, and with him three troops of horse and
dragoons, who had that morning taken an honest minister and about
fourteen country men out of their beds, and carried them along with them
as prisoners to the meeting in a barbarous manner. But by the good hand
of God upon the defendents, they were repulsed at Drumclog and put to
flight, the prisoners relieved, about thirty of the soldiers killed on
the place, and three of the meeting, and several wounded on both sides.
Thereafter the people retreating from the pursuit, consulted what was
expedient in that juncture, whether to disperse themselves as formerly,
or to keep together for their necessary defence. The result was, that
considering the craft and cruelty of those they had to deal with, the
sad consequence of falling into their hands now more incensed than ever,
the evil effects that likely would ensue upon their separation, which
would give them access to make havock of all; they judged it most safe
in that extremity for some time not to separate. Which resolution,
coming abroad to the ears of others of their brethren, determined them
incontinently to come to their assistance, considering the necessity,
and their own liableness to the same common danger, upon the account of
their endeavours of that nature elsewhere to defend themselves, being of
the same judgment for maintaining of the same cause, to which they were
bound by the same covenants, and groaning under the same burdens; they
judged therefore that if they now with-held their assistance in such a
strait, they could not be innocent of their brethren's blood, nor found
faithful in their covenant: to which they were encouraged with the
countenance and success the Lord had given to that meeting, in that
defensive resistance. This was the rise and occasion of that appearance
at Bothwel-bridge, which the Lord did in his holy sovereignty confound,
for former defections by the means of division, which broke that little
army among themselves, before they were broken by the enemy. They
continued together in amiable and amicable peace for the space of eight
or nine days, while they endeavoured to put out and keep out every
wicked thing from amongst them, and adhered to the Rutherglen testimony,
and that short declaration at Glasgow confirming it; representing their
'present purposes and endeavours, where, only in vindication and defence
of the reformed religion--as they stood obliged thereto by the national
and solemn league and covenant, and the solemn acknowledgment of sins
and engagement to duties; declaring against popery, prelacy,
erastianism, and all things depending thereupon.' Intending hereby to
comprehend the defection of the indulgence, to witness against which all
unanimously agreed: until the army increasing, the defenders and daubers
of that defection, some ministers and others, came in who broke all, and
upon whom the blood of that appearance may be charged. The occasion of
the breach was, first, when in the sense of the obligation of that
command, when the host goeth forth against thine enemies, keep thee from
every wicked thing, an overture was offered to set times apart for
humiliation for the public sins of the land, according to the practice
of the godly in all ages, before engaging their enemies, and the
laudable precedents of our ancestors; that so the causes of God's wrath
against the nation might be enquired into and confessed, and the Lord's
blessing, counsel, and conduct to and upon present endeavours, might be
implored. And accordingly the complying with abjured erastianism, by the
acceptance of the ensnared indulgence, offered by and received from the
usurping rulers, was condescended upon among the rest of the grounds of
fasting and humiliation, so seasonably and necessarily called for at
that time. The sticklers for the indulgence refused the overture, upon
politic considerations, for fear of offending the indulged ministers and
gentlemen, and provoking them to withdraw their assistance. This was the
great cause of the division, that produced such unhappy and destructive
effects. And next, whereas the cause was stated before according to the
covenants, in the Rutherglen-testimony and Glasgow-declaration, wherein
the king's interest was waved; these dividers drew up another large
paper (called the Hamilton-declaration) wherein they assert the king's
interest, according to the third article of the solemn league and
covenant. Against which the best affected contended, and protested they
could not in conscience put in his interest in the state of the quarrel,
being now in stated opposition to Christ's interests, and inconsistent
with the meaning of the covenant, and the practices of the covenanters,
and their own testimonies; while now he could not be declared for as
being in the defence of religion and liberty, when he had so palpably
overturned and ruined the work of reformation, and oppressed such as
adhered thereunto, and had burnt the covenant, &c. Whereby he had loosed
the people from all obligation to him from it. Yet that contrary faction
prevailed, so far as to get it published in the name of all: whereby the
cause was perverted and betrayed, and the former testimonies rendered
irrite, and the interest of the public enemy espoused. Finally, the same
day that the enemy approached in sight, and a considerable advantage was
offered to do execution against them, these loyal gentlemen hindered and
retarded all action, till a parly was beat, and an address dispatched to
the duke of Monmouth, who then commanded his father's army. By which
nothing was gained, but free liberty given to the enemies to plant their
cannon, and advance without interruption. After which, in the holy all
over-ruling providence of God, that poor handful was signally
discountenanced of God, deprived of all conduct, divested of all
protection, and laid open to the raging sword, the just punishment of
all such tamperings with the enemies of God, and espousing their
interest, and omitting humiliation for their own and the land's sins.
About 300 were killed in the fields, and 1000, and upwards were taken
prisoners, stripped, and carried to Edinburgh, where they were kept for
a long time in the Greyfriar's church-yard, without shelter from cold
and rain. And at length had the temptation of an insnaring bond of
peace: Wherein they were to acknowledge that insurrection to be
rebellion, and oblige themselves never to rise in arms against the king,
nor any commissionate by him, and to live peaceably, &c. Which, through
fear of threatened death, and the unfaithfulness of some, and the
impudence of other ministers that persuaded them to take it, prevailed
with many: Yet others resolutely resisted, judging it to imply a
condemning of their duty, an abandoning of their covenant engagements,
wherein they were obliged to duties inconsistent with such bonds, and a
voluntary binding up their hands from all oppositions to the declared
war against Christ, which is the native sense of the peace they require,
which can never be entertained long with men so treacherous. And
therefore, upon reasons of principle and conscience they refused that
pretended indemnity, offered in these terms. Nevertheless the most part
took it: and yet were sentenced with banishment, and sent away for
America as well as they who refused it; and by the way, (a few
excepted,) perished in shipwreck: whose blood yet cries both against the
imposers, and the persuaders to that bond.