fays, All the indulged, yea, almoft all Prefbyterians condemn it. Then fays he, Will ye bond before fentence. for there is po place left for the king's mercy after fentence. A. I will pot: But remember, that one day, all fentences will be canvaffed before the great Judge of heaven and earth.

Fallows fome Reafins of his Anfwers, and reflections made there upon by himself.

WHEN I was on my journey betwixt Edinburgh and Lanerk, and feveral times before, having considered the bold teftimony of Stephen, Acts vii 5 52. Ye stiff necked and uncircumcifed in heart, etc" And Peter's teftimony, Acts v. 10. Whom ye flew, and hanged on a tree:" And his defire, that with all boldness they might make mention of the name of Jefus: And lastly, that promife, Phil. i 28. “In nothing terrified by your adverfaries, etc." I fay, confidering thefe, I refolved to use the utmost of freedom with the council; but being come to this town, and having confidered, that the council defired to pick fuch, quarrels with any in our condition, as might give the leaft umbrage to the world of the justice of their dealing. 2. Confidering that by many profeft friends we were judged imprudent; yea, fo far condemned, that they stick not to fay, That we have a hand in our own death. 3. Their own public proclamations ftill bearing, That our defign was not religion, but covetoufnefs, to poffels our feves of the government. For eviting of thefe, I refolved to be as cautious as I could, without prejudice to truth. So that taking my answers for defenfive arms out of the test, which they had fworn, from the conceflions of their greatest doctors, and from the deed of their predeceffor council, whereof some prefent were members. I thought it had been a ridiculous thing to make me condemn that which they had ratified by an oath, their great doctor had yielded, and their predeceffor council had approven. But that I might have God's approbation in demeaning my felf fo, and do what I did therein in faith; I took that rule, Pet. iii. 15. Be ready! always to give a "reafon of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear And as I thought I had reason to blefs God, that had guided my tongue fo, that I was not a whit concerned either with fhame or fear, fo I came back to prifon with a heart forry that I fhould have left thefe two queftions of the chancellor's unan fwered, viz. Thought Iit duty to rife in arms against aftate "not in my opinion ?" In anfwer to which question, f thought, if ever I had occafion, I would have been punctual in telling them, The queftion was wrong stated; for the right fate of the question was, "When a ftat destroys the truy

profeffion of godliness fworn to by the land, and perfecutes the owners thereof. The 2d queftion; If I would have gone to Bothwel again :" I thought if fuch a question came in my way, I would have told them, That I behoved to be at God's call and likewise, I was forry that I had not been nimble enough to have taken opportunity, when the question anent authority was moved, to have teftified against the ecclefiaftical headship and finful acts againft God's church; I fay, my omiffion, occafioned through their confused asking, bred me humiliation after I returned to prison.

As to my fecond examination, as I defire opportunity to testify against the headship of the church, and other finful acts deftroying God's work, fo I got opportunity, and fo I dif charged my confcience: But yet there was fomething left to exercise me with; and that was, 1. When the Bishop faid, That it were a distracted act for the king to alienate the kingdom to strangers, that I said not, It was an act of more distraction to deftroy religion. a. That, in citing the words of the 11th article of the confeffion against the headship, I fhould have faid fimply, It was unlawful to prefume to intrude on that office ; whereas the confeffion itself calls them blafphemers, and thereby minching his word. 3. When the Bishop faid, It were a Turkish way to carry on reformation by the fword, I had not opened their prefent practice and violence in preffing mens confciences; and have faid, fince they looked upon conscience as fo tender a thing, to beware of fqueezing it fo by oppreffion. I know I have an infirmity in anfwering off hand, anent which I hope all God's people will obferve the rule of bearing one another's infirmities: Next, I am fure that the Lord hath not supplied me as to these answers for my further exercise. As to the reason why I faid, I could not fee through the denial of authority in the laft fenfe (for though I could not fee through it, yet it being fuch an abominable ftating of themfelves, in a continual oppofition unto God and godliness, I fcunnered to own it) the reafon that moved me to say that I could not fee through it, was, I defire to tread the paths of our old Reformers, who delayed the cafting off authority, till they had a probable power to back it; yet afterwards confidering his breach of covenant to us, and thefe deeds done by that autho rity; that in any well guided common-wealth, would annul his right; I thought I had worded authority bad in the latt fenfe, and that it had been more proper, I had faid "I could not fee through the denying of obedience to fuch commands 66 as indifferent or according to God's word:" And indeed, till God had furnished us with a probable power, I could never fee through this; aud i am verily of that opinion, that we

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having lufted for a king, got him in God's wrath; and that fince we have entred into covenant with him, God will take his own way to take him away in his difpleasure, and will not let it be by our hand: though I grant that his breach of pactis on to us loofeth us, our paction being still conditional, to own him in defence of religion; and my earnest defire is, There may be no difference among Prefbyterians anent this, for I have a ftrong opinion, that God will take that queftion out of the way fhordy.

As for the Bishop's death, I could not call it murder; be caufe of Jael, Ehud, and Phineas, their facts; Jael using that expreffion, Turn in thither; and there was peace betwixt He ber the Kenite and Jabin; Jael being of that family, and whatever may be alledged against these as extraordinary acts, and that to do fuch deeds, is to take the Magiftrates power; I am fure Phineas was a prieft, and it was none of his office to kill any man, and yet his fact is commended. Next, Knox his preaching, to and biding with the killers of Cardinal Beton; and Calderwood's history, which was approven by the affem bly, calling them men of courage and refolution, whom God ftirred up: Next the Lord Ruthven and others killing a com→ panion, that abused Queen Mary by his ill counfel, and yet approven in Knox's history: Therefore if the killers of the Bishop (having a zeal against the blood-thirftiness of that wretch, and being deeply affected therewith, and with love to the brethren, whom he like a wolf, was feeing to have devoured, and had devoured) flew him, I durft not call it murder ; But if the actors were touched with any thing of particular prejudice or other by-ends, I am very confident that Scripture of avenging the blood of Jezebel upon the houfe of Jehu, would not fuffer me to juftify it; So not knowing the actors hearts therein, I could neither fay yea, nor nay; but Christians should judge charitably. I forgot likewife to tell them, that the Bifhop of Glafgow's laying down his gown, upon making the act explanatory, might be an aggravation of my fin, if I fhould ovn the king's headship over the church, which I had really refolved to say, but forgot.

1

Follows the Reasons why he refused at first to fupplicate the Council for a reprive, being importuned by his relations te

do it.

U

PON the 8th of May, 1683. being defired to petition, I aniwered I could think upon no petion, nor arguments that could be acceptable with them, but fuch as were either directly or indirectly a receding from what I profeffed:

The reafon my petition was moved thus; to feek a longer time, till I were better advised anent my anfwers, given to the council. To which I answered, That would fay to all the world, that for as tenacious as we were of our principles. yet we might feem to call them in question; and it might say, That I was preffing on others to die on thefe principles. That death put me on a ftand myself; and fo I fhould give ground of hardening to enemies. 2. It was moved, that through my confufions, fince I came to prifon, I fhould feek a reprival. To this I answered, I durst not stand Chrift's cross, wherein every ftep to me had been mercy and truth; and my rebellious flefh needed no less (conform to my own acknowledgment to God) nor what was come to fubdue it; and that I could not well fee through that. tearing it would be bad company fo near my death; that I firmly trufted all should work for my well; and to fay that, were to contradict my confcience and God's goodnefs, and to make me contradict my own prayer, viz. “ Let neis "ther fleth nor fpirit be moved and failed, let enemies rejoice. 3. That Ifhould petition, that I might have a longer time, fimply to prepare for eternity. To which faid I could not do it in faith; for ever fince I came to prison, God has made me believe, that he who has begun a good work in me, would alfo finish it and that he would perfect that which concerned me according to his own words, that however little a business this may feem in the eyes of the world, yet to me it imports my going to another airt, for perfecting and finishing of this, work begun by God: Then if they refufed it, they might taunt, and fay, Whatever confidence he had at his death, yet it is gotten of a very fhort space; and if a reprival fhould be given, they might at my fentence fay, I was their debtor for

it

:

And befides all this, I fear, when I come back to God for preservation, he should fend me to the broken ciftern I had been hewing out, Jer. ii, 13. And I know, if conscience, would permit me to do it, Enemies would think either he is lying, in pretending want of preparation, and fo is the best time to hold to him, when he has committed fin; or otherwife they would think, I were fpeaking truth, and fo fay, The only best way is to hold him, when he is tottering.

4

[Notwithstanding all these reasons against petitioning he regretes it, that his relations induc'd him to fupplicate twice, Firft, on account of his wife's cafe, who was then great with child, and in danger of death through grief: Next on his own ac count, whereupon hè obtain'd a reprival: during which time he had a conference with Sir William Paterfon, which being on the fame heads with his answers before the council, for brevity fake, are omitted.]

His laft Speech and Teftimony.

NOW, being called to lay down my life, which I declare I

do it cheerfully; I do declare, I adhere to the Confeffion of Faith, anent which, for exoneration of my own confcience; am under a neceffity to leave this caution in reference to that claufe contained in the 23d chap Sect. 4. viz. That infideli ty, or difference in religion does not make void the Magistrate's juft and legal power and authority, etc, that the compofers having an eye to the Pope's fcurvy ufurpations, to dethrone proteftant kings, and, difpofe of their kingdoms under the notion of heretics, did put it in : yea, I could find no further proof for that in the Scripture, but what only refpects Christians fcattered up and down in a heathenifh empire; and that it can be no prejudice against depofing a proteftant king, turning Papift or Pagan; fince among people profeffing God, the ido later fhould die the death; for, then it would feem to juftle with queen Mary's depofition in our ancient reformation; defigning offence to none hereby, but the fanctifying my own.confcience. Alfo I adhere to the work of reformation former and latter: And I think our Catechifms well worded, for evading of er rors: As alfo the folemn acknowledgment of fins, in Anno 1648, and engagement to duties. covenants, national and fo lemn league, and particularly to the government of the church by a party of Minifters, and fubordination of prefbyteries, fy nods and general affemblies, according to the Prefbyterian way, as being moft exactly according to the word of God, and as tending moft to the furtherance of purity and godliness; and I profefs myself a member thereof, as being reformed from Prelacy and Eraftianism, etc. As

I leave my teftimony against the indulgence, as making a breach of the fweet unity, that should have been among Pref byterians, and as depending on the magiftrate, as to the exer cife of their office; and for their over-weening love of cafe ; and for being bound up as to the fhewing of public duties, and reproving of public fins, and for refufing the exercife of their office (to thefe without their parish) of marrying and baptizing, denying themselves thereby to be Minifters of the church catholic, and declaring plainly, thereby, they will, follow the injunctions laid on them by men. Yet I advife all the godly to leave off hatred towards them, and to cherish any thing that may look like good in them. I leave my teftimony againft the paying cefs, the payment whereof is a perfect, eft of the payer's adhering to the rooting out of conventicles, as the ren