out of zeal against the Sectarians the Executioners of that extraordinary Act of Justice yet it was more for the Manner than for the matter and more for the Motives and Ends of it than for the Grounds of it that they opposed themselves to it and resented it For they acknowledged and remonstrated to himself the Truth of all these things upon which that Sentence and Execution of Justice was founded And when the unlawful Engagement was on foot to Rescue him they opposed it with all their might Shewing in their Answers to the Estates that Year 1648 and Declarations and Remonstrances the sinfulness and destructiveness of that Engagement that it was a breach of the Commandments of God and of all the Articles of the Covenant Declaring with all Iuly ult they would never consent to the King's Restitution to the exercise of his Power till security should be had By Solemn Oath under his Hand and Seal that he shall for himself and Successors give his assent to all Acts and Bills for enjoyning Presbyterial Government and never make opposition to it nor endeavour any change thereof July ult 1648. Sess. 21. By which it appears they were not so stupidly loyal as some would make them Yet there was too much of this Plague of the Kings-evil even among good Men For after the Death of Charles the First in the Year 1649. they began to think of joyning once more with the Malignants and taking into their Bosoms these Serpents which had formerly stung them to Death There was indeed at that time a Party faithful for God who considering the many Breaches of the Solemn League and Covenant and particularly by the late Engagement against England did so Travel that they procured the Covenant to be renewed with the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties which was universally Subscribed and sworn through all the Land wherein also they regret this tampering with Malignants Whereupon they subdued their Adversaries at Sterling and in the North they did also give Warning concerning the Young King that notwithstanding of the Lords Hand against his Father yet he hearkens to the Councils of those who were Authors of these Miseries to his Father by which it hath coâ—e to pass that he hath hitherto refused to grant the just and necessary desires of the Church and Kingdom for securing of Religion and Liberty And it is much to be feared that these wicked Counsellors may so far prevail upon him as to engage him in a War for overturning the Work of God and bearing down all those in the three Kingdoms that adhere thereto Which if he shall do cannot but bring great Wrath from the Lord upon himself and Thâ—one and must be the cause of many new and great Miseries and Calamities to these Lands And whereas many would have admitted his Majesty to the Exercise of his Royal Power upon any Terms whatsoever the Assembly declares That in the League and Covenant the duty of defending and preserving the King is subordinate to the duty of preserving Religion and Liberty And therefore he standing in opposition to the publick desires of the People for their security it were a manifest breach of Covenant and a preferring the Kings Interest to the Interest of Iesus Christ to bring him to the Exercise of his Power And therefore if his Majesty or any having or pretending Power and Commission from him shall invade this Kingdom upon pretext of establishing him in the Exercise of his Royal Power as it will be an high Provocation against God to be accessary or assisting thereto so it will be a necessary Duty to resist and oppose the same July 27. 1649. Sess. 27. And when the bringing home of the King came to be voted in the Assembly there was one faithful Witness Mr. Adam Kae Minister in Gallaway protested against it But notwithstanding of these Convictions Warning yea and Discoveries of the Kings Malignancy They sent Commissioners and concluded a Treaty with him at Breda During which Treaty the Commissions which he had sent to Montrose and his Complices were brought to the Committee of Estates discovering what sort of King they were treating with Whereupon the Estates concluded to break off the Treaty and recal their Commissioners To which intent they sent an Express with Letters to Breda which falling into the hands of Libbertone was by him without the knowledge of the other Commissioners delivered unto the King Who then sound it his interest to dissemble And so sending for the Commissioners he made â— flattering Speech to them shewing that now after serious deliberation he was resolved to comply with all their Proposals Whereupon the Commissioners dispatch the Post back with Letters full of praise and joy for the satisfaction they had received The Estates being over-swayed more with respect to their own Credit which they thought should be impeached if they should retract their own Plenipotentiary Instructions to conclude the Treaty upon the Kings assent to their Conditions than to their reclamant Consciences they resolved to bring home the King Yet they thought to mend the matter by binding him with all Cords and putting him to all most explicite Engagements before he should receive the Imperial Crown Well upon these Terms home he comes And before he set his Foot on British Ground he takes the Covenant And the Commission of the General Assembly precluded his Admittance to the Crown if he should refuse the then required satisfaction before his Coronation by their Act at the West-Kirk Aug. 13. 1650. Which is this The Commission of the General Assembly considering that there may be just Ground of stumbling from the Kings Majesties refusing to subscribe and excite the Declaration offered to him by the Committee of Estates and the Commission of the General Assembly concerning his former Carriage and Resolutions for the future in Reference to the Cause of God and the Enemies and Friends thereof doth therefore declare That this Kirk and Kingdom doth not own or espouse any Malignant Party or Quarrel or Interest but that they fight meerly upon their former Grounds and Principles and in the defence of the Cause of God and of the Kingdom as they have done these twelve Years past And therefore as they disclaim all the Sin and Guilt of the King and of his House so they will not own him not his Interest otherwise than with a Subordination to God and so far as he owns and Prosecutes the Cause of God and disclaims his and his Fathers Opposition to the Work of God and to the Covenant and likewise all the Enemies thereofâ— And that they will with convenient speed take into Consideration the Papers lately sent unto them by Oliver Cromwell and vindicate themselves from all the falshoods contained therein especially in these things wherein the quarrel betwixt us and that Party is mis-stated as if we owned the late Kings Proceedings and were resolved to Prosecute and Maintain His Present Majesties Interest before and without
THE HISTORY OF SCOTCH-PRESBYTERY BEING AN EPITOME OF The Hind let Loose By Mr. SHIELDS With a Preface by a Presbyter of the Church of Scotland Juven Vitia ultima fictos Contemnunt scauros Castigata remordent LONDON Printed for I. Hindmarsh at the Golden-Ball in Cornhill MDCXCII The PREFACE THE following Treatise being but a short Compend of a larger Book appears at this time to give the World a just Account of the Principles Practices and Behaviour of the Scotch â—resbyterians it was written some Years ago by â—ne of that Fraternity It is sad to consider how â—uch the Spirits of Men are soured and imbitâ—ered by Faction and Interest it shuts their Eyes â—gainst the clearest light The Dictates of Humaâ—ity and the Genius of the Christian Religion â—eeten our Passions but when we are enflamed â—y the Interests of a Party we forget the exâ—ress Laws of God and if they look us broad in 〈◊〉 Face when we offer violence to our Conviâ—ions we bow and bend them by metaphysical â—ricks and Evasions to serve our Design contraâ—y to their original Bias and Sanctity and this â—as never so visible as in that turbulent and fiery â—â—ct that frequently disturbed and now at last â—ath almost over-â—un the Church of Scotland in 〈◊〉 they have Ruined and Oppressed a Learned â—rave and Orthodox Clergy especially in the â—outhern Shires They have a Systeme of Opiniâ—ns peculiar to themselves which they call Their â—rinciples for though a thing in it self is just and â—easonable yet if it be not agreeable to Their â—rinciples that 's to say the Opinions that are â—ore immediately properly and originally Calâ—ulated to serve the Designs of their Society they â—eject it with Indignation and Disdain they pity â—ll Mankind that have not the same Thoughts that â—hey have and they continue by the Authority of their Guides under the slavery of implicite Faith â—ore than any other Sett of Men in the World The Christian Religion above all things designâ—d to alienate our Thoughts and Affections from â—he Pageantry and Vain-glories of the World â—nd to moderate our Passions that they might not â—rove troublesome to Society nor extravagant in â—heir Violence nor precipitate in their Actings â—he Spirit of Faction opposes the Gospel in these great Ends for it covets nothing so much as outward Glory and Empire and it prosecutes these Desires with restless and implacable Ardours and â—ll under the Visor of Religion When our perverse Inclinations which God commanded to be â—ortified are made more head-strong by the â—otions we have of Religion then our Appetites â—ecome as wild as they are unreasonable We find this clearly exemplified in the Phariâ—ees of old Our Saviour came that he might deâ—troy the Works of the Devil and enliven the World by a reasonable Religion to turn Men from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the living God to inspire Mankind with the Principles of the best and wisest Philosophy most useful in all the Changes and Vicissitudes of this Life and that which did certainly prepare them for a better he taught his Disciples to be most assiduous in those Duties of Religion that made no Noise abroad and fell not easily under the Observation of Men that advanced solid and substantial Piety to love God and our Neighbour to approve our selves unto him that seeth in secret to despise the Censures and Applause of a perverse Generation and to live upon the invisible Supports of a good Conscience to exercise Patience and Fortitude and Magnanimity because by our Religion we were engaged to Combat with the World and with all its cross Accidents under the Banner of a crucified Saviour Yet when we read the History of the New Testament we find that the most zealous Sect of the Pharisees opposed this blessed Design of our Saviour in all its principal Branches They took great care to be seen by the People in all their odd and extraordinary Performances they were mighty forward to propagate their own Traditions the private Doctrines of their Schools were much dearer to them than the Commandments of God Mark 7. 3. As for Simplicity of Intention Innocence and the Love of God they thought such Vertues not so convenient for them who were in the Government and thought it necessary to have the People blindly to obey their Dictates That Religion that penetrates to the Center of our Spirits and changes the whole Bias of our Souls crosses the Desires of our degenerate Nature and leads every Thought captive to the Obedience of Christ and is supported by the Faith of distant and invisible Rewards they thought such a Religion yielded no nourishment for Vain-glory and therefore they despised it and ordered the matter â—o that amidst all their long Prayers disfigured Faces and theatrical Fasts they might leave their insatiable Passions of Pride Vain-glory Covetousness Malice and Revenge untouched and unsubdued Hence it is that they were very careful in little things Mat. 23 24 whatâ—ever drew after it the applause of the People who always admired the most empty and the most transient things Their Batâ—ologies were mistaken for Zeal and Devotion and their outward Austerities for true Mortificâ—tion They did all things to be seen of Men Mat. 23. 5. and if the Law of God did expresly contradict their beloved Scheme the Law it self must needs bow to their Principle There is nothing in Humane Nature that we feel more tenderly nor is there any thing more deeply engraven on our Souls than the Gratitude we owe to our Parents when their Infirmities and Disasters require our Assistance yet by their Doâ—â—rine of the Corban they evacuated this Fundamental Piety Justice Compassion and Natural Affection were in their Eyes but mean and despicable things they only understood the abstruse Mysteries of Religion and nothing provoked their indignation so much as to be thought ignorant wherefore they so huffingly tell the poor Man restored to his sight by our Saviour dost thou teach us Ioh. 9. 34. tho by the most evident Arguments he had just before exposed both their shameful Ignorance and Vanity and when St. Paul himself was tinctur'd with this leaven his brisk and generous Spirit was sadly employed in persecuting the Church There is nothing more opposite to the pure and undefiled Religion than Pharisaical Pride and Hypocrisy nor no kind of Pharisees persecute with greater Violence and Spite than that sullen and demure Tribe that affect Domination and Tyranny by a counterfeit and disguised Humility The sad Effects of such an insolent Humor are too sadly felt by the Clergy of Scotland The Presbyterian Courts and Judicatories are as void of the common Forms of Justice as of Tenderness and Humanity the late Erection of it being in its Frame more properly Calculated to advance Tyranny and tho their Agents propagate many Stories to lessen and extenuate and sometimes to excuse their unaccountable Proceedings yet as long as they confess the shameful rabbling of the Clergy they acknowledge
more Barbarity and Cruelty more Reproach to our Nation than can easily be named Certainly it cannot be imagined that the Episcopal Clergy left their Houses their Livings and some of them their Relations and their Countrey for no other Design than to tell Stories of the Presbyterian Persecution any Man that believes this needs not refuse the most monstrous Improbabilities Men are not so fond of Crosses and Afflictions the Bias of Humane Nature is on the other side they generally prefer the Law of Self-preservation to the Law of Self-denial and the Doctrine of the Cross has but few to follow it if they can avoid it There is no Weapon so proper against the Assaults of a restless and ungovernable Party as Christian Patience This is the Time of our Sufferings God in his Anger hath let loose our Enemies to chastise us and when we are duly humbled he will again mercifully visit us and employ us in the Attendance and Service of the Sanctuary If we have preached unto others Fortitude and Christian Magnanimity under the saâ—â— dest Calamities from the Pulplâ— why should noâ— we do it by our Courage and Constancy Thâ— Providence of God that superintends the meaâ—â—est Creatures will not desert them that are maâ—â— after his own Image It was to let us feel thâ— Mutability of all Earthly Conditions that we are surrounded thus with Difficulties on the Right and on the Left Hand When I read the Heâ—roick Flights of a Pagan Soul and how little the Glory of the Roman Empire appeared to him that sat upon the Throne in the midst of Guards Divertisements and Flatterers I cannot but acknowledge how shameful it is for the Disciples 〈◊〉 Christianity to be so soon and so easily shakeâ— with Changes and Disasters If the Contemplaâ—tion of Philosophy and Natural Religion raise his Spirit so far above ordinary Thoughts whaâ— may not be expected from us who have beeâ— taught the most infallible Proofs the Doctrine 〈◊〉 Immortality and the Glories of the World 〈◊〉 come Seneca tells us that a good Man wrestling with Disasters and not yielding to 〈◊〉 Meannesses of Vice is a Spectacle worthy oâ— Iupiter himself The Ears of God are always open 〈◊〉 the Prayers of the Oppressed their Petitionâ— proceed from Feeling more than from Artâ—Form or Custom Let us look into the Errorâ— of our Lives and judge our selves â—â—st 〈◊〉 shoulâ— be judged more severely by our God whom wâ— have offended Let us wash out our Blemisheâ— by true Contrition and return unto our Father who does not willingly grieve the Children 〈◊〉 Men but for great and wise Ends suffers for â— while the Rod of the Wicked to lâ—e on the Loâ—â— of the Righteous that his Children may be preâ—pared for that Glory which is to be revealed The Graces that are most essential to the Chriâ—stian Religion cannot be exercised but under thâ— Cross All things work together for good to theâ— that love God We are told by our Saviour thaâ— an House built upon a Rock stands 〈◊〉 against aâ— the Violence of Rains Storms and Tempests The Party with whom good Men struggle at preâ—sent in Scotland have neither Unity amongst themâ—selves nor any true Christian Princiâ—â—â— to builâ— upon And When I say thus I do â—ot comprâ—â—hend all that may go under the name of Presbyâ—terians but such as give up themselves withoâ—â— Reserve to follow their pernicious Tenâ—rs aâ—â— such as have all their Paces for God judges 〈◊〉 according to our new and factious Discriminâ—â—tions It is not by our Names but by our Nâ—â—ture that we are separated at the Day of Judâ—â—ment and therefore let no man mistaâ—e me â— if I thought this or the other Denomination thâ—â— Church or Society could secure a Man from hazard I mean no such thing But it 's undeniable that the Faction that lately pulled down the Beauty and Order of our Church spend their Zeal in lesser things of very bad or of no Consequence at all and their new and upstart Government eats out the Life and Primiâ—ive Innocence of Religion and promotes Pride and Singularity and those other Vices that are most opposite to the pure and spiritual Tendency of the Gospel They are the Men I intend the Ring leaders of that waspish Gang who by their Principles are obliged to trample upon all â—arthly Powers unless they truckle under the Edicts of Presbytery and recommend no other Doctrines with Affection and Zeal but such Opinions as enslave the Consciences of Men to their Tyranny and Government and many of the poor People are so infatuated that they calmly bow under the heaviest Burdens if they are laid on by their Spiritual Task-masters It is very sad to consider the present Decays of true Christianity What 's become of that unâ—ffecteâ— Simplicity that Truth and Purity Heavenly mindedness and Charity that adorns the Profession of the Gospel What 's become of that â—teady and regular Devotion that taught Men frequently to lift up holy Hands without Wrath or â—oubting unto Heaven by which they were made to love God above all things and their â—rethren for God's sake to relieve their Necesâ—ities to assist them in their Troubles to rejoyce with them that do rejoyce and to weep with them â—hat weep nay to endeavour the Good of all Mankind as far as is possible If Men were affeâ—tionately zealous to propagate this Religion â—hen it would appear like it self in all its beautiâ—ul Colours pure peaceable gentle and easie to be â—â—treateâ— full of Mercy and good Fruits without â—artiality and without Hypocrisie Jam. 3. 17. But â—here Envying and Strife is there is Consusion â—nd every evil Work Shall they who proudly â—â—all themselves the special Ambassfdors of Christ â—â—ve so much in Animosities and Contentions and â—ot tremble before the Searcher of all Hearts â—ho sees into the first Motives and Springs of all â—ur Actions If the Purity of Religion be inâ—â—nded why so much Noise and Clamour so maâ—y Arts and mean Tricks so many insidious Acâ—â—sations so many bold and impudent Lies so â—any pragmatick and restless Methods to overâ—â—row their Antagonists Can the Gospel of Peace 〈◊〉 propagated by the Stratagems of War Or â—â—ve they such mean Opinions of their Opposites that they will suffer their People to be deluded with Giddiness and Enthusiasm and themselvâ—s so tamely beat off the Stage 'T is true many of our Ministers are now made uncapable to serve the Publick yet by their sacred Character they are still obliged to serve the People and to recover the Souls for whom Christ died from the Enchantment and Enthusiasm of Seducers I hope they will defend the Gospel without fear upon all Occasions in Season and out of Season It is not a Question of Discipline or Ecclesiastical Government only though that be of great Consequence in it self that is now debated But the Question is Whether such Methods must be followed as expose Christian Religion Whether the People shall be taught from the Pulpit
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-Church 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 viz. That it was but the removal of the Civil Restraint and that they entred into their places by the Call of the People a meer 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 Consciences a meer Utopian fancy that the Indulgers with whom they bargained never heard of otherwise as they did with some who were faithful in notifying 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 Prerâ—gative of Jesus Christ the only Head of the Church whereby the Usurpers Supremacy was Homologated bowed to complyed with strengthened the Cause and Kingdom of Christ betrayed his Churches Privileges Surrendred his Enemies hardened his Friends stumbled and the Remnant rent and ruined And yet a great part of the Ministers took that Indulgence and another part did instead of Remonstrating the Wickedness of that deed Palliate and Plaister and Patronize it in keeping up the Credit of the King and Councils Curâ—tes Yet the Lord had some Witnesses who pretty early did give significations of their Resentment of this dishonour done to Christ as Mr. William Wâ—er who having got the Legal Call of the People and discharging his Duty honestly was turned out And Mr. Iohn 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 Indulgence where also we have the Testimony of other Ten Ministers who drew up their Reasons of Non-complyance with such a Snare And Mr. Alex Blaire who upon occasion of Citation before the Council for not observing the 29 th of May told the Council That he could receive no Instructions from them in the Exercise of his Ministry otherwise he should not be Christ's Ambassador but theirs But afterwards the Lord raised up some more explicit Witnesses against that defection While the King thought he had by that Device utterly suppressed the Gospel in House and Field-Meetings he was so far disappointed that these very Means and Machins 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 banished away and by their ensnaring Indulgences many had been drawn away from their Duty and others were now Sentenced with Confinements and Restraints if they should not choose and fix their Residence where they could not keep their Christ and Conscience both they were forced to wander and disperse through the Country by whose Endeavours the Word of God grew exceedingly and went at least through the Southern Borders of the Kingdom like Lightning O! who can remember the Glory of that day without a melting Heart A day of such Power that it made the People willing to come out and venture upon the greatest of hardships and the greatest of hazards in pursuing after the Gospel 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 these Meetings I will make bold to say I doubt if ever there were greater days of the Son of Man upon the Earth since the Apostolick times than we enjoyed for the space of Seven Years at that time Now when Christ is gaining ground by the Preached Gospel in Plenty Purity and Power the Usurpers Supremacy was like to stagger and Prelacy came under contempt 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 exert 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 Inconveniencies 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 Souldiers some killed others wounded which they patiently endured withou 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 wandrings 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 encreased divers others came under the same hazard which enforced them to endeavour the same Remedy without the least intention of of prejudice to any Thus the number of Sufferers increasing as they joyned in the Ordinances at these persecuted Meetings found themselves in some probable capacity to defend themselves and these much endeared Gospel-Priviledges and to preserve the Memory of the Lord 's great Work in the Land which to transmit to Posterity was their great design 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 it being an indissoluble obligation in their Covenants to maintain and defend the true Religion and one another in promoting the same And hereunto they were encouraged by the constant experience of the Lord 's countenancing their Endeavours in that posture which always
prejudice They could only bind to that Government which they esteemed the best for common good which reason ceasing we are free to chuse another if we find it more conducible for that end 2 Of the Covenant binding to defend the King That that Obligation is only in his maintenance of the true Covenanted Religion which Homage they cannot now require upon the account of the Covenant which they have renounced and disclaimed and upon no other ground we are bound to them the Crown not being an Inheritance that passeth from Father to Son without the consent of Tenants 3 Of the hope of returning from these Courses That suppose they should dissemble a repentance yet the Land cannot be cleansed from their Guiltness but by executing Gods Righteous Iudgments upon them Vpon these accounts they reject that King and those associate with him in the Government and declare them henceforth no lawful Rulers as they had declared them to be no lawful Subjects they having destroyed the established Religion taken away Christs Church Government c. And declare they shall God giving power set up Government and Governours according to the word of God and the qualifications required Exod. 18. v. 20. And shall not commit the Government to any single Person or lineal succession And moreover that these Men set over them shall be engaged to govern Principally by that Civil and judicial Law not that which is any way typical given by God to his People of Israel especially in matters of Life and Death and other things so far as they reach and are consistent with Christian Liberty exempting Divorce and Poligamy And seeing that the greatest part of Ministers not only were defective in Preaching against the Acts of the Rulers for overthrowing Religion c. they declare they neither can nor will hear them They are for a standing Gospel-Ministry rightly chosen and rightly ordained and that noâ— shall take upon them the Preaching of the Word c. unless called and ordained thereunto And whereas separation might be imputed to them they refell both the Malice and the Ignorance of the Calumny For if there be a Separation it must be where the change is and that was not to be found in them who were not separating from the Communion of the true Church not setting up a new Ministry but cleaving to the same Ministers and Ordinances that formerly they followed when others have fled to new ways and a new Authority which is like the new piece in the Old Garment And that they shall defend themselves in their Civil Natural and Divine Rights and Liberties And if any assault them they shall took on it as a declaring a War and take all advantages that one Enemy does of another but trouble and injure none but those that injure them This is the Compend of that Paper which the Enemies seized and published while it was only in a rude Draught and not polished digested nor consulted by the rest of the Community That poor Party continued together in a posture of defence without the Concurrence or countenance of their Covenanted Brethren until the 22 th of Iuly 1680. Upon the which day they were attacqued at Airsemoss by a strong party of about 120 Horse well armed while they were but 23 Horse and 40 foot at most And so fighting valiantly were at length routed Several of Sions precious Mourners and faithful Witnesses of Christ were killed and among the rest that faithful Minister of Christ Mr. Richard Cameron sealed and fulfilled his Testimony with his Blood And with others the valiant and much Honoured Gentleman David Hackston of Rathillet was after many received Wounds apprehended brought in to Edinburgh and there resolutely adhering to the Testimony and disowning the Authority of King and Council and all their Tyrannical Judicatories head and tail and for being accessory to executing judgment upon the Arch-bishop of St. Andrews was tortured alive with the cutting off of his hands and then Hanged and before he was Dead Ripped up his Heart taken our carried about upon the point of a Knife and thrown into a Fâ—re and afterwards his Body Quartered Then not only such as were with that little handful at Airsemoss were Cruelly Murdered but others against whom they could charge no matter of Fact were questioned if they owned the Kings Authority which if any did not answer affirmatively and positively he was to look for nothing but exquisite Torments and Death And if any declared their judgment that they could not in Conscience own such Authority as was then exercised or if they declined to give their thoughts of it as judging thoughts to be under no humane Jurisdiction or if they answered with such innocent Specifications as these that they owned all Authority in the Lord or for the Lord or according to the word of God or all just and lawful Authority these underwent and suffered the Capital Punishment of Treason And yet both declining and declaring their extorted Answers about this they were Condemned as unsufferable Maintainers of Principles inconsistent with Government But chiefly they laboured to Murder the Soul defile the Conscience and only consult to cast a Man down from his excellency which is his integrity either by Hectoring or Flattering from the Testimony which they endeavoured by proposing many offers with many threatnings in subtile Terms And pretending a great deal of tenderness protesting they would be as tender of their Blood as of their own Soul and purging themselves as Pilate did and charging it upon their own Head They would be very easie in their Accomodations where they found the poor Man beginning to faint and hearken to their overtures wherein they would grant him his life yeilding to him as cunning Anglers do with Fishes And to perswade him to some length in complying they would offer Conference sometimes or reasoning upon the Point to satisfie and inform his Conscience as they pretended but really to catch him with their busked Hook If they had any hope of prevailing they would change a Mans Prison and take him out from among the more strict and fervent in the Cause that might sharpen and strengthen his Zeal and put him among the more cool and remiss Sometimes they would stage several together whereof they knew some would Comply to tantalize the rest with the sight of the others Liberty and make them bite the more eagerly at their Bait to catch the Conscience But when they had done all they could Christ had many Witnesses who did retain the Crown of their Testimony in the smallest points till they obtained the Crown of Martyrdom But here as in Egypt the more they were afflicted the more they grew So that many were reclaimed from their Courses of Complyance and others were daily more and more confirmed in the ways of the Lord and so strengthned that they chose rather to endure all Torture and embrace Death in its most terrible aspect than to give the Tyrant and his Complices any acknowledgment