or feas, for the cause of Chrift. I leave my teftimony against Popery, Prelacy, Eraftianifm, etc. Against all profanity, and every thing contrary to found doctrine; particularly against all ufurpations made upon Chrift's right, who is the PRINCE OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH, who alone must bear the glory of ruling his own kingdom, the Church: And in Particular, against the abfolute power ufurped by this ufurper, that belongs to no mortal, but is the incommunicablé prerogative of JEHOVAH; and againft this toleration flowing from that abfolute power.

Upon this he was bid have done; he answered, I have neat done. Then he faid, Ye that are the people of God, do not weary in maintaining the teftimony of the day, in your ftation and places: and whatever je do, make sure an interest in Christ for there is a ftorm coming that shall try your foundations. Scotland must be rid of Scotland, before the delivery come. And you that are ftrangers to God, break off your fins by repentance, elfe P will be a witness against you in the day of the Lord. Here they caufed him defift. Upon the fcaffold he fung a part of the ciii. Pfàlm from the beginning, and read the ix. chap. of the Revelation. And having thus finished his courfe, ferved his generation, and witneffed a good confeffion for his Lord and Mafter, before many witnesses, by the will of God, he yielded up his spirit into the hands of God who gave it...........

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He was the laft that fealed the Teftimony of this fuffering Period in a public way upon a scaffold. »

APPENDIX.

Containing fome Particulars relating to the foregoing Teftibmonies, and other fufferings of that Time.

Short Relation concerning the Reverend Mr. RICHARD CAMERON, Minifter of the Gospel, who was killed in a Rencounter at Airsmoss, July 228, 1680. 134

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Ecaufe in the foregoing Speeches, there is frequent mention made of the Reverend Mr Richard Cameron, and teftimony given to the faithfulness of his ministry: It will not be (perhaps) ungrateful to fome to infert the following relation of fome remarkable things anent his call to the Miniftry, which was rehearsed by himself a little before his death, where he told fome Chriftian friends, that after his having gone through the ordinary course of university learning, he was a School-mafter and Precentor to a Curate at Faulkland, for fome time, and at fome occafions used to attend the Sermons of the indulged Minifters, as he had opportunity. At length it pleafed the Lord to incline him to go out to the field-meetings, which when the Curates understood, they set upon him partly by flatteries, partly by menacing threats, and at lenghth by more direct perfecution, to caufe him forbear attending these meetings; but fuch was the powerful and wonderful working of the Lord by his Spirit upon him, that he intirely deferted thefe prelatic Cu rates, having got a lively difcovery of the fin and hazard of that abominable Prelacy, but beginning more narrowly to search into the state of things that he might know what was his proper and neceffary duty, the Lord was pleafed to discover to him the finfulness of the indulgence, as flowing from that Ecclefiaftical fupremacy, ufurped by the king; and being zealously affected for the honour of Chrift wronged, by that Eraftian acknowledgment of the Magiftrate's ufurped power over the Church, he longed for an opportunity to give a teftimony againft it; and accordingly being in the family of Sir William Scot of Harden, who attended the indulged meetings he took opportunity (notwithstanding many strong temptations from

Satan to the contrary) to witnefs in his ftation against the indulgence; particularly one Sabbath, after he was called to attend the Lady to Church, he returned from the entry, refufing to go that day, and spent the day in his chamber, where he met with much of the Lord's prefence (as he teftified) and very evi dent difcoveries of the nature of these temptations and fuggeftions of Satan, which had like to have prevailed with him before. And upon the Monday, giving a reafon to the faid Sir William Scot and his Lady, why he went not to Church with them, he took occafion to be plain, and exprefs in testifying against the finfulness of the indulgence, in its complex nature, and origi nal rife and fpring from whence it flowed; and thereupon leav ing that fervice, being no further acceptable to them; because of his faithfulness he came to the fouth, and having met with the Reverend Mr John Weleh, he ftayed in his company a confiderable time, who finding him a man qualified for the Ministry, preffed upon him to receive a licence to preach, which he refused for fome time, chiefly upon this reason, That he having fuch clear difcoveries of the finfulnefs of the indulgence, could not but testify against it explicitely; fo foon as he should have opportunity to preach in public; and confidering, that none of the outed Minifters, who had been of ftanding and experience in the Ministry, had yet exprefly declared the finfulnefs thereof in public, he was afraid, that his being fingular in it, confidering his youth, and his being but new entered upon the work of the Ministry, might perhaps make his doctrine the lefs useful and weighty to the people: But the force of his objection being removed, by Mr. Welch's ferious folicitations he was prevailed with to accept a licence from fome of the outed Minifters, who had not complied with the indulgence, and were as yet preaching the gofpel in the fields. And having preached occafionally with Mr. Welch, and others, in several places of the western fhires, and finding the people warmed and affected with his doctrine, by the good hand of God bleffing the word; he adventured fome times, as the Lord affifted him, to be exprefs and clear in declaring the finfulness of the indulgence, and of joining with the accepters thereof; whereupon the Minifters, who had licensed him to preach, conceiving its prejudice not to be so explicite anent that step of compliance, began to profecute him with cenfure for his freedom in preaching against it, and called three feveral meetings upon that ac count, one at Dunfcore in Nithfdale, another at Dindough Galloway, and a third at Edinburgh.

After his return from Holland, where he received ordinati on to the exercise of the miniftry, he went to fome of thefe puted Ministers, inviting and preffing them much to come out and preach in the fields, as they had done before the overthrow at Bothwel; but the perfecution being then very hot against all fuch as had not accepted the indulgence and indemnity, they refused to adventure upon that hazard: Wherefore, notwithftanding fuch fad difcouragements from the profeffed friends, and violent perfecution by the declared enemies of the reformation, he adventured upon all hazard to preach publicly in the fields, in order to discharge the difpenfation of the gofpel, which the Lord had entrusted him with: And he continued fo doing, till he fealed that cause and teftimony with his blood; being, after fome valiant refiftance in his own defence, killed by a party of foldiers, under the command of Earls Hall, and his head and hand cut off by one Robert Murray, were brought and laid before the council, who ordered them to be placed upon the Nether-bow port of Edin burgh.

There was found upon him when he was killed, fubfcribed by bim, his brother MICHAEL CAMERON, ARCHBALD STEWART, JOHN POTTER, and about thirty others, the following bond of mutual defence, which justly deferveth to be infert here in its proper room, being most agreeable to the true fate of the teftimony which thefe renowned Martyrs Jealed with their blood.

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WE under-fubfcribers bind and oblige ourfelves to be faith

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ful to God and true to one another, and to all others, who fhall join with us, in adhering to Rutherglen Teftimony and dilclaiming the Hamilton declaration, chiefly, because it takes in the King's intereft, which we are loofed from by reafon of his perfidy, and covenant-breaking, both to the most high God, and the people over whom he was fet, under the terms of his propagating the main ends of the covenants, to wit, The reformation of religion; and inftead of that, ufurping to himfell the royal prerogatives of Jefus Chrift, and incroaching upon the liberties of the church, and fo ftating himself, both in oppofition to Jefus Chrift the Mediator, and the free government of his houle.

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And alfo in difowning and protefting against the reception of the Duke of York, a profeft Papift, and whatever else hath been done in this land (given to the Lord) in prejudice to our covenanted, and univerfally-fworn to reformation. And although as the Lord, who fearcheth the heart, knows we be for government and governors, both civil and ecclefiaftis, such as the word of God, and our covenants allow; yet by this we difown the prefent magiftrates, who openly and avowedly are doing what in them lyes, for deftroying utterly our work of reformation, from Popery, Prelacy. Eraftianifm, and other herefies and errors; and by this we declare also, That we are more to own Minifters indulged, and fuch as drive a finful union with them; nor are we to join any more in this public cause with Minifters or Profeffors of any rank, that are guilty of the defections of this time, until they give fatisfaction proportioned to the scandal and offence they have given.

not any

RICHARD CAMERON.

MICHAEL CAMERON

ARCHBALD STEWART

JOHN POTTER SI

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