minister at Edinburgh, the apostle of Scotland, and she lived with
him from his youth till his death. By her I have heard he had three
sons: the first was called Dr. Welch, a doctor of medicine, who
was killed in the low countries, and of him I never heard more.
Another son he had most lamentably lost at sea, for when the ship
in which he was embarked was sunk, he swam to a rock in the sea,
but starved there for want of necessary food and refreshment, and
when sometime afterward his body was found upon the rock, they
found him dead in a praying posture upon his bended knees, with
his hands stretched out, and this was all the satisfaction his
friends and the world had upon his lamentable death, so bitter
to his friends. Another he had who was heir to his father’s
grace and blessings, and this was Mr. Josias Welch, minister at
Temple-Patrick in the north of Ireland, commonly called the Cock
of the Conscience by the people of that country, because of his
extraordinary wakening and rousing gift: he was one of that blest
society of ministers, which wrought that unparalleled work in the
north of Ireland, about the year 1636, but was himself a man most
sadly exercised with doubts about his own salvation all his time,
and would ordinarily say, That ministers was much to be pitied,
who was called to comfort weak saints and had no comfort himself.
He died in his youth, and left for his successor, Mr. John Welch
minister at Iron-Gray in Galloway, the place of his grandfather’s
nativity. What business this made in Scotland, in the time of the
late Episcopal persecution, for the space of twenty years, is known
to all Scotland. He maintained his dangerous post of preaching
the gospel upon the mountains of Scotland, notwithstanding of the
threatnings of the state, the hatred of the bishops, the price set
upon his head, and all the fierce industry of his cruel enemies.
It is well known that bloody Claverhouse upon secret information
from his spies, that Mr. John Welch was to be found at some lurking
place at forty miles distance, would make all that long journey
in one winter’s night, that he might catch him, but when he came
he always missed his prey. I never heard of a man that endured
more toil, adventured upon more hazards, escaped so much hazard,
not in the world. He used to tell his friends who counselled him
to be more cautious, and not to hazard himself so much, That he
firmly believed dangerous undertakings would be his security, and
when ever he should give over that course and retire himself, his
ministry should come to an end; which accordingly came to pass, for
when after Bothwell bridge, he retired to London, the Lord called
him by death, and there he was honourably buried, not far from the
king’s palace.
But to return to our old Mr. Welch; as the duty wherein he abounded
and excelled most was prayer, so his greatest attainments fell that
way. He used to say, He wondered how a Christian could lie in bed
all night, and not rise to pray, and many times he watched. One
night he rose from his wife, and went into the next room, where
he stayed so long at secret prayer, that his wife fearing he
might catch cold, was constrained to rise and follow him, and as
she hearkened, she heard him speak as by interrupted sentences,
Lord wilt thou not grant me Scotland, and after a pause, Enough,
Lord, enough, and so she returned to her bed, and he following
her, not knowing she had heard him, but when he was by her, she
asked him what he meant by saying, Enough, Lord, enough. He shewed
himself dissatisfied with her curiosity, but told her, he had been
wrestling with the Lord for Scotland, and found there was a sad
time at hand, but that the Lord would be gracious to a remnant.
This was about the time when bishops first overspread the land,
and corrupted the church. This was more wonderful I am to relate,
I heard once an honest minister, who was a parishioner of Mr.
Welch many a day, say, ‘That one night as he watched in his garden
very late, and some friends waiting upon him in his house and
wearying because of his long stay, one of them chanced to open a
window toward the place where he walked, and saw clearly a strange
light surrounding him, and heard him speak strange words about his
spiritual joy,’ I do neither add nor alter, I am the more induced
to believe this that I have heard from as good a hand as any in
Scotland, that a very godly man, though not a minister, after he
had spent a whole night in a country house, in the muir, declared
confidently, he saw such an extraordinary light as this himself,
which was to him both matter of wonder and astonishment. But though
Mr. Welch had upon the account of his holiness, abilities, and
success, acquired among his subdued people, a very great respect,
yet was he never in such admiration, as after the great plague
which raged in Scotland in his time.
And one cause was this: The magistrates of Ayr, forasmuch as this
town alone was free, and the country about infected, thought
fit to guard the ports with sentinels, and watchmen; and one
day two travelling merchants, each with a pack of cloth upon a
horse, came to the town desiring entrance that they might sell
their goods producing a pass from the magistrates of the town
whence they came which was at that time sound and free; yet not
withstanding all this the sentinels stopt them till the magistrates
were called; and when they came, they would do nothing without
their minister’s advice: so Mr. Welch was called, and his opinion
asked; he demurred, and putting off his hat with his eyes toward
heaven for a pretty space, though he uttered no audible words,
yet continued in a praying gesture: and after a little space told
the magistrates they would do well to discharge these travellers
their town, affirming with great asseveration, the plague was in
their packs, so the magistrates commanded them to be gone, and
they went to Cumnock, a town some twenty miles distant, and there
sold their goods, which kindled such an infection in that place,
that the living were hardly able to bury their dead. This made the
people begin to think Mr. Welch as an oracle. Yet as he walked
with God, and kept close with him, so he forgot not man, for he
used frequently to dine abroad with such of his friends, as he
thought were persons with whom he might maintain the communion of
the saints; and once in the year he used always to invite all his
familiars in the town to a treat in his house, where there was a
banquet of holiness and sobriety.
And now the scene of his life begins for to alter; but before his
blessed sufferings, he had this strange warning.
One night he rose from his wife, and went into garden, as his
custom was, but stayed longer than ordinary, which troubled his
wife, who, when he returned, expostulated with him very hard, for
his staying so long to wrong his health; he bid her be quiet, for
it should be well with them. But he knew well, he should never
preach more at Ayr; and accordingly before the next Sabbath, he was
carried prisoner to Blackness castle. After that, he, with many
others were brought before the council of Scotland, at Edinburgh,
to answer for their rebellion and contempt, in holding a general
assembly, not authorised by the king. And because they declined the
secret council, as judges competent in causes purely spiritual,
such as the nature and constitution of a general assembly is,
they were first remitted to the prison at Blackness, and other
places. And thereafter, six of the most considerable of them,
were brought under night from Blackness to Linlithgow before the
criminal judges, to answer an accusation of high treason, at the
instance of Sir Thomas Hamilton, king’s advocate, for declining,
as he alledged, the king’s lawful authority, in refusing to admit
the council judges competent in the cause of the nature of church
judicatories; and after their accusation, and answer was read, by
the verdict of a jury of very considerable gentlemen, condemned as
guilty of high treason, the punishment continued till the king’s
pleasure should be known, and thereafter their punishment was made
banishment, that the cruel sentence might someway seem to soften
their severe punishment as the king had contrived it.
But before he left Scotland, some remarkable passages in his
behaviour are to be remembered. And first when the dispute about
church-government began to warm; as he was walking upon the street
of Edinburgh, betwixt two honest citizens, he told them, they had
in their town two great ministers, who were no great friends to
Christ’s cause, presently in controversy, but it should be seen,
the world should never hear of their repentance. The two men were
Mr. Patrick Galloway, and Mr. John Hall; and accordingly it came to
pass, for Mr. Patrick Galloway died easing himself upon his stool;
and Mr. John Hall, being at that time in Leith, and his servant
woman having left him alone in his house while she went to the
market, he was found dead all alone at her return.
He was sometime prisoner in Edinburgh castle before he went into
exile, where one night sitting at supper with the lord Ochiltry,
who was an uncle to Mr. Welch’s wife, as his manner was, he
entertained the company with godly and edifying discourse, which
was well received by all the company save only one debauched popish
young gentleman, who sometimes laughed, and sometimes mocked and
made faces; whereupon Mr. Welch brake out into a sad abrupt charge
upon all the company to be silent, and observe the work of the Lord
upon that prophane mocker, which they should presently behold;
upon which immediately the prophane wretch sunk down and died
beneath the table, but never returned to life again, to the great
astonishment of all the company.
Another wonderful story they tell of him at the same time; the lord
Ochiltry the captain, being both sons to the good lord Ochiltry,
and Mr. Welch’s uncle in law, was indeed very civil to Mr. Welch,
but being for a long time, through the multitude of affairs, kept
from visiting Mr. Welch in his chamber, as he was one day walking
in the court, and espying Mr. Welch at his chamber window asked
him kindly how he did, and if in any thing he could serve him.
Mr. Welch answered him, He would earnestly entreat his lordship,
being at that time to go to court, to petition king James in his
name, that he might have liberty to preach the gospel; which my
lord promised to do. Mr. Welch answered, my lord, both because you
are my kinsman, and other reasons, I would earnestly entreat, and
obtest you not to promise except you faithfully perform. My lord
answered, He would faithfully perform his promise; and so went for
London. But though at his first arrival he was really purposed to
present the petition to the king, but when he found the king in
such a rage against the godly ministers, that he durst not at that
time present it, so he thought fit to delay it, and thereafter
fully forgot it.
The first time that Mr. Welch saw his face after his return from
court, he asked him what he had done with his petition. My lord
answered he, had presented it to the king, but that the king was
in so great a rage against the ministers at that time, he believed
it had been forgotten, for he had gotten no answer. Nay said Mr.
Welch to him, My lord you should not lye to God, and to me, for I
know you never delivered it, though I warned you to take heed not
to undertake it, except you would perform it; but because you have
dealt so unfaithfully, remember God shall take from you both estate
and honours, and give them to your neighbour in your own time:
which accordingly came to pass, both his estate and honours were in
his own time transmitted to James Stewart son to captain James,
who was indeed a cadet, but not the lineal heir of the family.
While he was detained prisoner in Edinburgh castle, his wife used
for the most part to stay in his company, but upon a time fell into
a longing to see her family in Ayr, to which with some difficulty
he yielded; but when she was to take her journey, he strictly
charged her not to take the ordinary way to her own house, when
she came to Ayr, nor to pass by the bridge through the town, but
to pass the river above the bridge, and so get the way to her own
house, and not to come into the town, for, said he, before you
come thither, you shall find the plague broken out in Ayr, which
accordingly came to pass.
The plague was at that time very terrible, and he being necessarily
separate from his people, it was to him the more grievous; but when
the people of Ayr came to him to bemoan themselves, his answer was,
that Hugh Kennedy, a godly gentleman in their town, should pray
for them, and God should hear him. This counsel they accepted, and
the gentleman convening a number of the honest citizens, prayed
fervently for the town, as he was a mighty wrestler with God, and
accordingly after that the plague decreased.
Now the time is come he must leave Scotland, and never to see it
again, so upon the seventh of November 1606 in the morning, he
with his neighbours took ship at Leith, and though it was but two
o’clock in the morning, many were waiting on with their afflicted
families, to bid them farewell. After prayer, they sung the xxiii
psalm, and so set sail for the south of France, and landed in the
river of Bourdeaux. Within fourteen weeks after his arrival, such
was the Lord’s blessing upon his diligence, he was able to preach
in French, and accordingly was speedily called to the ministry,
first in one village, then in another; one of them was Nerac, and
thereafter settled in Saint Jean d’ Angely, a considerable walled
town, and there he continued the rest of the time he sojourned in
France, which was about sixteen years. When he began to preach, it
was observed by some of his hearers, that while he continued in the
doctrinal part of his sermon, he spoke very correct French, but
when he came to his application and when his affections kindled,
his fervour made him sometimes neglect the accuracy of the French
construction: but there were godly young men who admonished him of
this, which he took in very good part, so for preventing mistakes
of that kind, he desired the young gentlemen, when they perceived
him beginning to decline, to give him a sign, and the sign was,
that they were both to stand up upon their feet, and thereafter
he was more exact in his expression through his whole sermon; so
desirous was he, not only to deliver good matter, but to recommend
it in the neat expression.
There were many times persons of great quality in his auditory,
before whom he was just as bold as ever he had been in a Scots
village; which moved Mr. Boyd of Trochrig once to ask him, (after
he had preached before the university of Samure with such boldness
and authority, as if he had been before the meanest congregation)
how he could be so confident among strangers, and persons of such
quality! to which he answered, That he was so filled with the dread
of God, he had no apprehension from man at all; and this answer,
said Mr. Boyd, did not remove my admiration, but rather increased
it.
There was in his house amongst many others, who tabled with him for
good education, a young gentleman of great quality, and suitable
expectations, and this was the heir of the lord Ochiltry, who was
captain of the castle of Edinburgh. This young nobleman, after he
had gained very much upon Mr. Welch’s affections, fell sick of
a grievous sickness, and after he had been long wasted with it,
closed his eyes, and expired as dying men used to do, so to the
apprehension and sense of all spectators, he was no more but a
carcase, and was therefore taken out of his bed, and laid upon a
pallat on the floor, that his body might be the more conveniently
dressed, as dead bodies used to be. This was to Mr. Welch a very
great grief, and therefore he stayed with the young man’s dead
body full three hours, lamenting over him with great tenderness.
After twelve hours, the friends brought in a coffin, whereunto
they desired the corps to be put, as the custom is: but Mr. Welch
desired, that for the satisfaction of his affections, they would
forbear the youth for a time, which they granted, and returned not
till twenty four hours, after his death, were expired; then they
returned, with great importunity the corps might be coffined, that
it might be speedily buried, the weather being extremely hot; yet
he persisted in his request, earnestly begging them to excuse him
for once more; so they left the youth upon his pallat for full
thirty six hours: but even after all that, though he was urged, not
only with great earnestness, but displeasure, they were constrained
to forbear for twelve hours yet more; and after forty eight hours
were past, Mr. Welch was still where he was, and then his friends
perceived that he believed the young man was not really dead, but
under some apoplectic fit, and therefore proponed to him for his
satisfaction, that trial should be made upon his body by doctors
and chirurgeons, if possibly any spark of life might be found in
him, and with this he was content: so the physicians are set on
work, who pinched him with pincers in the fleshy parts of his body,
and twisted a bow string about his head with great force, but no
sign of life appearing in him, so the physicians pronounced him
stark dead, and then there was no more delay to be desired; yet Mr.
Welch begged of them once more, that they would but step into the
next room for an hour or two, and leave him with the dead youth,
and this they granted: Then Mr. Welch fell down before the pallat,
and cried to the Lord with all his might, for the last time and
sometimes looked upon the dead body, continuing in wrestling with
the Lord till at length the dead youth opened his eyes, and cried
out to Mr. Welch whom he distinctly knew, O Sir, I am all whole,
but my head and legs: and these were the places they had sore hurt,
with their pinching.
When Mr. Welch perceived this, he called upon his friends, and
shewed them the dead young man restored to life again, to their
great astonishment. And this young nobleman, though he lost the
estate of Ochiltry, lived to acquire a great estate in Ireland, and
was lord Castlestewart, and a man of such excellent parts, that he
was courted by the earl of Stafford to be a counsellor in Ireland,
which he refused to be, and then he engaged, and continued for all
his life, not only in honour and power, but in the profession and
practice of godliness, to the great comfort of the country where
he lived. This story the nobleman communicated to his friends in
Ireland, and from them I had it.
While Mr. Welch was minister in one of these French villages, upon
an evening a certain popish friar travelling through the country,
because he could not find lodging in the whole village, addressed
himself to Mr. Welch’s house for one night. The servants acquainted
their master and he was content to receive this guest. The family
had supped before he came, and so the servants convoyed the friar
to his chamber, and after they had made his supper, they left him
to his rest. There was but a timber partition betwixt him and
Mr. Welch, and after the friar had slept his first sleep, he was
surprized with the hearing of a silent, but constant whispering
noise, at which he wondered very much, and was not a little
troubled with it.
The next morning he walked in the fields, where he chanced to meet
with a country man, who saluting him because of his habit, asked
him where he lodged that night? The friar answered he had lodged
with the hugenot minister. Then the country man asked him what
entertainment he had? The friar answered, Very bad; for, said he,
I always held there were devils haunting these ministers houses,
and I am persuaded there was one with me this night, for I heard a
continual whisper all the night over, which I believe was no other
thing, than the minister and the devil conversing together. The
country man told him, he was much mistaken, and that it was nothing
else, but the minister at his night prayer. O, said the friar, does
the minister pray any? Yes, more than any man in France, answered
the country man, and if you please to stay another night with him
you may be satisfied. The friar got home to Mr. Welch’s house, and
pretending indisposition, entreated another night’s lodging, which
was granted him.
Before dinner, Mr. Welch come from his chamber, and made his family
exercise, according to his custom. And first he sung a psalm, then
read a portion of scripture, and discoursed upon it, thereafter
he prayed with great fervour, as his custom was, to all which the
friar was an astonished witness. After the exercise they went to
dinner, where the friar was very civilly entertained, Mr. Welch,
forbearing all questions and dispute with him for the time; when
the evening came, Mr. Welch made his exercise as he had done in
the morning, which occasioned yet more wondering in the friar, and
after supper to bed they all went; but the friar longed much to
know what the night whisper was, and in that he was soon satisfied,
for after Mr. Welch’s first sleep, the noise began, and then the
friar resolved to be sure what it was, so he crept silently to
Mr. Welch’s chamber-door, and there he heard not only the sound,
but the words distinctly, and communications betwixt man and God,
and such as he knew not had been in the world. Upon the next
morning, as soon as Mr. Welch was ready, the friar went to him,
and told him, that he had been bred in ignorance, and lived in
darkness all his time, but now he was resolved to adventure his
soul with Mr. Welch, and thereupon declared himself Protestant:
Mr. Welch welcomed him and encouraged him, and he continued a
constant protestant to his dying day. This story I had from a godly
minister, who was bred in Mr. Welch’s house, when in France.
When Lewis XIII. king of France, made war upon the Protestants
there, because of their religion, the city of St. Jean d’ Angely,
was by him and his royal army besieged, and brought into extreme
danger, Mr. Welch was minister in the town, and mightily
encouraged the citizens to hold out, assuring them, God should
deliver them. In the time of the siege a cannon ball pierced
the bed where he was lying, upon which he got up, but would not
leave the room, till he had by solemn prayer acknowledged his
deliverance. During the siege, the townsmen made stout defence,
until one of the king’s gunners planted a great gun so conveniently
upon a rising ground, that therewith he could command the whole
wall, upon which the townsmen made their greatest defence. Upon
this they were constrained to forsake the whole wall in great
terror, and though they had several guns planted upon the wall,
no man durst undertake to manage them. This being told Mr. Welch
with great affrightment, he notwithstanding encouraged them still
to hold out, and running to the wall himself, found the cannonier,
who was a Burgundian, near the wall, him he entreated to mount the
wall, promising to assist him in person, so to the wall they got.
The cannonier told Mr. Welch, that either they behoved to dismount
the gun upon the rising ground, or else they were surely lost; Mr.
Welch desired him to aim well, and he should serve him, and God
would help him; so the gunner falls a scouring his piece, and Mr.
Welch runs to the powder to fetch him a charge; but as soon as he
was returning, the king’s gunner fired his piece, which carried
both the powder and ladle out of Mr. Welch’s hands, which yet did
not discourage him, for having left the ladle, he filled his hat
with powder, wherewith the gunner loaded his piece, and dismounted
the king’s gun at the first shot, so the citizens returned to their
post of defence.
This discouraged the king so, that he sent to the citizens to offer
them fair conditions, which were, That they should enjoy the
liberty of their religion, their civil privileges, and their walls
should not be demolished: only the king desired for his honours
that he might enter the city with his servants in a friendly
manner. This the city thought fit to grant, and the king with a few
more entered the city for a short time.
But within a short time thereafter the war was renewed, and then
Mr. Welch told the inhabitants of the city, that now their cup was
full, and they should no more escape; which accordingly came to
pass, for the king took the town, and as soon as ever it fell into
his hand, he commanded Vitry, the captain of his guard, to enter
the town, and preserve his minister from all danger; and then were
horses and waggons provided for Mr. Welch, to remove him and his
family for Rochel, where he remained till he obtained liberty to
come to England, and his friends made hard suit, that he might be
permitted to return to Scotland; because the physicians declared
there was no other way to preserve his life, but by the freedom he
might have in his native air. But to this king James would never
yield, protesting he should never be able to establish his beloved
bishops in Scotland, if Mr. Welch were permitted to return thither;
so he languished at London a considerable time, his disease was
judged by some to have a tendency to a sort of leprosy; physicians
say he had been poisoned; a langour he had, together with a great
weakness in his knees, caused by his continual kneeling at prayer:
by which it came to pass, that though he was able to move his
knees, and to walk, yet he was wholly insensible in them, and the
flesh became hard like a sort of horn. But when in the time of
his weakness, he was desired to remit somewhat of his excessive
painfulness, his answer was, He had his life of God, and therefore
it should be spent for him.