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and embrace the cross of Chrift, and undergo the hatred of the world he is full in enumerating the heads of truth to which he adheres and national fins against which he bears witnefs; fo that he paffes fcarce any point of truth touched in the former teftimonies, though they are not fo orderly difpofed as in fome others: He forewarns all the hazard of approaching judgments, encourages the godly with a profpect of Chrift's return to the land, and invites them to take hold of him, and wrestle with him for his return g withal deploring the cafe of the Church, con account of fuch wrestlers and mourners; and with a folemn -farewel to earthly relations, friends, acquaintances and enjoyments, with a welcome of heavenly ones, he concludes his cdying testimony in the whole he gives evidences of one near and dear to Chrift, and supported and strengthned by him.

Together with the forefaid Martyr, William Keagow in Kiskeagow received his indictment, fpecifying the fame caufes, viz being at Bothwel under the command of Robert Hamilton, brother to the laird of Preston, iffuing our treasonable proclamations, and declarations, which he owned as his duty in defence of the gospel, and covenanted work of reformation, and refufing to call the death of the archbishop of St. Andrews murder, and not being free to pay cefs to the king, etc." But whe her he left any teftimony or not, it has not come to the hand of the publisher.

Upon the 14 day of November 1984. fuffered John Watt in the parish of Kilbride and John Semple in the Parith of Glaffart Whofe teftimonies (if they be extant) came not to the hands of the Publishers of this collection, only 'tis certain from their. indictments that they died for their adherence to the fame truths. At the Gallowlee, which was in the evening while they were finging to ti fection of cxix. Pfalm, particularly these words in the 84. ver. How many are thy fervants days? when wilt thou execute juft judgment on thefe wicked men that do me when wilt • perfecute?" The foldiers made fuch a ellifh noife, and turn ed back fo upon the people that were fpectators of the action, that the people verily conceived they hould have Been trode down and miffacred in the pot, which occafioned all to flee, fo that none of their Chriftian friends durft stay to do the leaft duty to them, in dreffing their dead bodies, but they were left to infolent foldiers' difpofal.

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Cory of a Letter written by JOHN SEMPLE, in Craigthorn, while in prifon. Directed to his mother and Sifter, who were then in prifon.

Loving Mother and Sifter,

His is to let you know, That that day which I was brought

to the Tolbooth of Cannongate, and we were put into the irons, and the fhackles put upon our arms, and to-mor row about eleven o'clok, I was brought before the council, and they fhewed me the paper which was found upon the croffes and kirk doors, and they afked, If I knew it? I answered, What know I what is in that paper? The duke having it in his hand, the reft of the counfel bade him read it to me, he read fome lines of it, and then faid to the reft, it would take a long time to read. They offered to give it to me to read, and promised me time to confider it, if I would give my judgment of it. A. I will not have it neither will I be judge of papers. Queft. Own ye the king's authority, as it is now established! Anfw I own all authority, as is agreeable to the word of God. QWill yc own this paper or not? A. What know I what is in that paper. Then they faid, to be fhort with you, Own ye the covenants and Prefbyterian principles? A I own the covenants and Prefbyterian principles with my whole heart, Then faid they, So, that is a frank and free fellow. Then they caufed to take me away for a while, and I was brought before them again. And then they faid, "Come and declare

the truth, and give your oath what ye know concerning the contrivers and publifhers of thefe papers." A I am not bound to wrong my neighbours, neither will I give an oath. After fome queftions and answers, the Chancellor, faid, He fhould make me do it: for he faid, He would make me as fmall as fnuff I anfwered, Sometimes perfecutors have caused the faints to blafpheme. The Bishop's brother faid, I was a liar, for the Scripture fays no fuch thing. I faid, That it fays the fame thing, and I told him where it was. Then they caused take me away and then a little after they brought me before them again the third time, and preffed upon me again to declare, I utterly refufed. Then they caufed the executioner to take me a little aback and made me fit down with my back to the bar, and threw on the thumkins upon my thumbs, until I fell into fwoon; and when I overcame again, they were staning about, looking upon me, and bidding me rife, and then I rofe. Then fome of them laid, What will you fay now to the

Chancellora I faid, I will fay nothing to him. Then they took me to the Town Tolbooth, to the iron-house.

Now I defire, that I could bless the Lord for this, That he keeped me, for in the time of the torture, I fpake not a word good nor bad, but got it borne, until I fell into a found. Al their countenances dafhes me nothing; for I did not fear their faces, nor the faces of hundreds, who were gazing upon me, from about eleven o'clock, till feven o' clock in the afternoon. And I thought, That that was a fign of God's prefence: but.. the fhining of his countenance was not with my fpirit. But I was helped to believe and hold faft For I knew not but that day or to morrow might have been my last day.

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The next morning I was brought before one of them into a chamber; He faid, How are you advifed to day? I faid, As I was. What is the reason that ye will not tell the truth to the Chancellor : fot it is a fin not to do it. A Doeg told the truth when he told Saul, that he faw David come to Ahimelech and that Ahimelech gave him bread, and did enquire of God for him; and yet the Scripture calls it lying, Pfal. lii 3. And therefore there is a fintul pernicious fpeaking of the truth, which is a great fin, and accounted as a lie. I faid to him alfo, That I knowing the terror of the Lord, I though that the terror of men was the lighter to be borne, and that I would fay no more than I had faid, though they fhould torture all the fingers and toes that I had, till they fhould be cut off: But as the Lord thould give me ftrength, I would ftand.

Ater this he never opened his mouth more, but humbred and rofe up, and went his way, and the keeper brought me back to the iron-houfe, where I remain. One thing is come to my mind which he faid more; That it was for rebellion against the king that they were purfuing for. I answered, fo did the perfecutors of the son of God fay, " That it was for rebellion, for "They called him an enemy to Cefar" Moreover they threatned me with the boots; now what the Lord will permit them to do, I know not: but there is hard things determined against me; and I am very weak, for flesh and blood is but weak; therefore forget not my cafe, I am well contented with my lot bleffed be the Lord, only I am afraid of my own weakneffes, left I wrong the truth.

No more at prefent, but wifheth that the Lord's prefence may be with you, my dear Mother and Sifter. Give my love to my dear brother and fifters. I am in good health, bleffed be God; my thumbs, they are not very fore, only they are fome. thing feelefs; I and others thought they should scarcely have ever ferved me, at least for a long time. JOHN SEMPLE.

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The laft Teftimony of JAMES GRAHAM Taylor in Corfmichael, in the Stewarty of Galloway, who Juffered at the Gallowlee, betwixt Leith and Edinbugh, December 9: 1684.

Meu and Brethren,

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Am come here this day to lay down my life for the caufer of Christ, and I blefs the Lord, that ever he gave me a life to lay down for fuch a noble cause, and now I with this.. day that every hair of my head, and every drop of my blood were a life, I would willingly lay them down for him, for it is all too little I can do for him. O it is a wonder, that ever he fhould have chofen men, or the like of me, to witnefs or die for him in fuch a cafe! he hath no need of me, or any of the loft: fons of Adam, but he hath testified in his word, that he will...; make the poor things of the earth, to confound the proud. And now I bless the Lord, that I die not as a murderer, or a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a bufy body in others mens matters. The heads whereupon I am indicted, are, becaufe I refuted to difown that paper which is moft agreeable to the word of God, and to our fworn covenants and reformation; and because I. would not fwear to that which I durft not for my foul do. Now, I giving a short account what I am indicted for, I fhall likewife give an hint of what I adhere to..

Firft, adhere to the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament, Confeffion of faith, Catechifmis larger and fhorter, and to the whole work of reformation, as it was once established in our land, although now, alas! defaced and denied by the most part of this generation. 2dly, to the covenants na-・ țional and folemn league, to which we are fworn with hands uplifted to the most high God, and bound to maintain it. 5dly, To the fum of faving knowledge, the acknowledgment of fins and engagement to duties 4thly, To the preached gofpel, as it was faithfully preached in our land, by the fent meffengers of Jefus Chrift, fpecially by effis. J-Kd.-J-K.—D—C. and R-C-n who took their lives in their hands, and went forth upon all hazards, when the rest of their brethren turned their back upon the caulethly, To Mr James Renwic, as a faithful, fent feryant of Jefus Chritt, who has lifted up the ftandard, where Meffrs DC and R left it, who fealed the caufe with their blood. 6thly, to all the appearances in arms in defence of the gospel and our fworn covenants, aud the whole work of reformation, 7thly. Tothe, excommuni a, . tion at the forwood. by Mr D-C. 8thly, To the Sanqu

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hair declaration, as a thing moft agreeable to the word. 9thly, To the declaration at Rutherglen. 10thly, To the paper that was taken off worthy H-H. at the Queen's ferry. Ithly, To the burning of that hell-hatched thing, called the test, at Lanerk 12thly, To the fellowships of the Lord's people, for reading, finging and praying; according to the Scripture in Mal iii 16. and Heb. x. 25. and feveral other Scriptures which warrant this. 13thly, To all the teftimonies of the faithful witneffes of Jefus Chrift, from the appearance in arms at Pentland-hill to this day. 14thly, To that paper upon which I was indicted, in fo far as it is agreeable to the word of God, and our fworn covenants, and work of reformation.

And now, on the other hand, I fhall defire to let you fee what I fhall witnefs and teftify againft, fo far as I am enabled by his holy spirit. First, I leave my teftimony against all breach of covenant, which is a fin that hath overfpread the whole land. 2dly, Against the accepters of the indulgence, first and laft, because they have fled from their first engagements, which engagement was to be faithful Minifters to the Church of Chrift, which they have broken and rent. 3dly, Against the hearers of Curates, because they have broken our fworn covenants and work of reformation. 4thly, Against Popery, Prelacy, Qua kerifm, and all herefy, and whatfoever is contrary to the word of God. 5thly, Against paying of the cefs and locality, and against paying of fines, because it is bearing up of thefe foulmurderers, and an acknowledgment that we have done a fault in following our duty. othly, Againft Charles Stewart, in regard he hath broken the covenant, that he was once sworn to, and put forth his hand against the people of God. 7thly, Against that perjured and abominable thing called the teft, and the oath of allegiance, which is an oath against our covenant. 8thly, Against Gib and all his followers, and all their pernicious ways. 9thly, Against the overthrowing of our work of refor mation, which we had from our Lord and Matter, and his faithful fervants, to be comforts to our fouls; now, the time being fhort,' fhall fay no more; but farewel mother, brethren and fitters; farewel all Christian friends and acquaintances in the Lord Farewel holy Scriptures, which hath been my comfort mány a day. Farewel meat and drink, fun, moon and stars. Welcome eternity Welcome heaven. Welcome holy angels. Welcome God in Chrift, into thy hands I commit my fpirit.

Sic fubfcribitur

JAMES GRAHAM.

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