of that Parliament approving and ratifying the foresaid Proclamation c. This was their Testimony against Popery in the Season thereof Which tho' it was not so much Condemned as any former Declarations yet neither in this had they the Concurrence of any Ministers or Professours who as they had been silent and omitted a seasonable Testimony against Prelacy and the Supremacy when these were introduced so now also they were left to let slip this opportunity of a Testimony against Popery to the reproach of the declining and far degenerate Church of Scotland Yea to their shame the very Rabble of ignorant People may be brought as a Witness against the Body of Presbyterian Ministers in Scotland in that they testified their detestation of the first Erection of the Idolatrous Mass and some of the Souldiery and such as had no Profession of Religion suffered unto Death for speaking against Popery and the designs of the King while the Ministers were silent And some of the Curats and Members of the late Parliament 1686. made some stickling against the taking away of the Penal Statutes against Papists while Presbyterians from whom might have been expected greater opposition were sleeping in a profound Submission I cannot without confusion of Spirit touch these obvious and dolorous Reflections and yet in Candour cannot forbear them However the Persecution against the Wanderers went on there were more Butchered and Slaughtered in the Fields than in all the former Tyrants Reign there have been more Banished to Forreign Plantations in this Mans time than in the others and there have been more cruel Acts of Parliament enacted in this Tyrants time than the former made all his Reign For not only was there an Act making it Treason to refuse the Oath of Abjuration confirming all their procedure hereupon before but an Act making it Criminal to own the Covenant and another Act making it Criminal for any to be present at a Field-Meeting which was only so to Preachers before But a relenting abatement of severity was pretended against other Dissenters At length what could not be obtained by Law at the late Parliament for taking off the Statutes against Papists was effectuated by Prerogative in a Proclamation dated Feb. 12 1687. But this was so gross and grievously griping in its restrictions as to Persons as to the place as to the matter allowed the Presbyterians in Preaching that it was disdained of all and therefore he behoved to busk it better and mend the matter in a Letter to the Council bearing date March 31. 1687. Of this Tenor Whereas we did recommend to you to take care that any of the Presbyterians should not be allowed to Preach but such only as should have your allowance for the same and that they at the receiving the Indulgence should take the Oath contained in the Proclamation these are therefore to let you know that thereby we meant such of them as did not solemnly take the Test. But if nevertheless the Presbyterian Preachers do scruple to take the said Oath or any other Oath what soever and that you shall find it reasonable or fit to grant them or any of them our said Indulgence so as they desire it upon these terms It is now our Will and Pleasure to grant them the said Indulgence during our Pleasure only or so long as you shall find they behave themselves regularly and peaceably without giving any cause of offence to us or any in Authority or Trust under us in our Government But at length to take of all difformity and disparity of the Proclamation for the Toleration in Scotland and the Declaration for Liberty of Conscience in England he added a third eke to the Liberty in another Proclamation dated Iune 28 1687. And this is the Royal Charter for â—â—curity of the Protestant Religion in lieu of all the Laws Constitutions and Oaths wherewith it was formerly confirmed This is the only Patent which the Royal Dalilees the Moderate Presbyterians have now received to ensure their enjoyment of it durante beneplacito But as for the poor Wanderers while others are rejoycing under the Bramble-shadow of it they think it a cause of weeping and matter of mourning not because they do not share of the benefit of it but because they are afraid to share of the Curse of it For which Cause they do look upon it as a seasonable Testimony for the Cause of Christ and the Interest of the Protestant Religion and the Laws and Liberties of the Country all overturned and subverted by this Toleration to keep their Meetings as in former times thinking it sinful scandalous and inconvenient to seem to homologate this Toleration the wickedness whereof they are convinced of from these Reasons besides those for which they rejected the former Indulgencies Indemnities and Tolerations and those which regard the Granter as to his Principles and Religion For considering the Fountain whence it flows they cannot defile themselves with it it being refounded on Absolute Power proclaiming by sound of Trumpet a Power Paramount to all Law a Power to tolerate or restrain the Protestant Religion according to his Royal Will or Pleasure Now the acceptance of this Grant would imply the recognizance of this power that the Granter claims in Granting it Which utterly dissolves all Government and all security for Religion and Liberty Considering also the Channel in which it is conveyed they cannot comply with it Because it comes through such a Conveyance as Casses annulls stops suspends and disables all Penal Laws against Papists and thereby eveâ—ts all the Securities and legal Bulwarks that Protestants can have for the establishment of their Religion yea in effect leaves no Laws in force against any that shall attempt the utter subversion of it but ratifies and leaves in full rigour all wicked Laws and Acts of Parliament against such as would most avowedly assert it Hence as he hath formerly by Absolute Power suspended all Laws made for the Protection of our Religion so he may when he will dispense with all the Laws made for its establishment and those who approve the one by such an Acceptance cannot disallow the other but must recognosce a Power in the King to subvert all Laws Rights and Liberties Considering the Ends of its contrivance they dare not have any accession to accomplish such wicked Projects to which this Acceptance would be so natively subservient Which Project was discovered in the English Declaration viz. That he heartily wishes that all the People of these Dominions were Members of the Catholick Church Considering the Effects already produced thereby they cannot but abhor it Seeing the Papists are thereby encouraged all places filled with Priests and Jesuits yea the executive Power of the Government put into the hands of the Romanists And on the other hand a Tâ—stimony against Antichrist is abandoned and laid aside as unseasonable the edge of Zeal for the Interest of Christ is blunted they that should stand in the Gap and upon the
in your Liberty Religion and Properties all our Life And we shall lay down such Methods as shall not be in the Power of any to alter hereafter And in the mean time we desire you to pray for our Person and Government To which may be added that kind Complement of the Chancellours Gentlemen My Master hath commanded me to tell you that I am to serve you in all things within the compass of my Power These Gentlemen needed not to have been sollicitous that those who avouch an Adherence to the Covenanted Reformation and avow an opposition to Antichristian Usurpers which they call promoting Disloyal Principles and Practices might not be looked upon as of their Confederacy For all that abide in the Principles and Practices of the Church of Scotland which they have deserted would count it a Sin and Scandal to be reckoned of their Association who have thus betrayed the Cause and the Country These mutual Complements between the professed Servants of Christ and the Vassals of Antichrist if they be Cordial would seem to import that they are in a fair way of compounding their differences and to accomodate their oppositions at length But if they be only adulatory and flattering Complements importing only a Conjunction of Tails like Samsons Foxes with a Disjunction of Heads and Hearts tending towards distinct and opposite interests then as they would suit far better the Dissimulations of Politicians than the Simplicity of Gospel-Ministers and do put upon them the Brand of being Men-pleasers rather than Servants of Christ so for their Dissemblings with Dissemblers who know their Complements to be and take them for such they may look to be paid home in good Measure heaped up and running over when such Methods shall be laid down as shall not be in the Power of any to alter when such designs shall be obtained by this Liberty and these Addresses that the afterbought Wit of the Addressers shall not be able to disappoint However the Address is such as makes the thing addressed for to be odious and the Addressers to forfeit the respects and merit the indignation of all that are Friends to the Protestant and Presbyterian Cause as may appear from these obvious Reflections 1. It was needful indeed they should have assumed the Name of Presbyterians and call it the humble Address of Presbyterians Ministers For otherwise it would never have been known to come from Men of the Presbyterian Perswasion seeing the Contents of this Address are so clearly contrary to their known Principles It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to congratulate an Antichristian Usurper for undermining Religion and overturning Laws and Liberties It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to justifie the abrogation of the National-Covenant in giving thanks for a Liberty whereby all the Laws are â—assed and disabled therein confirmed It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to thank the King for opening a door to bring in Popery which they are engaged to exâ—irpate in the Solemn League and Covenant It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to allow or accept of such a vast Toleration for Idolaters and Hereticks as is evident above It is contrary to Presbyterian Principles to consent to any Restrictions Limitations and Conditions binding them up in the Exercise of the Ministerial function whereby this Liberty is loaded and clogged So that they cannot enjoy it without great hazard of Sin and incurring the Guilt of the Blood of Souls for not declaring the whole Council of God which Addressers cannot declare if they Preserve an enâ—ire Loyalty in their Doctrin as here they promise 2. There is nothing sounds here like the Old Presbyterian strain neither was there ever an Address of this stile seen before from Presbyterian Hands It would have looked far more Presbyterian like in stead of this Address to have sent a Protestation against the new openly designed introduction of Popery and subversion of all Laws and Liberties which they are Covenanted to maintain or at least to have given an Address in the usual Language of Presbyterians who used always to speak of the Covenants and Work of Reformation But here never a word of these but of Loyalty to his Excellent to his Gracious and to his Sacred Majesty of Loyalty not to be questioned an Entire Loyalty in Doctrin a resolved Loyalty in Practice and a fervent Loyalty in Prayers And all that they are Sollicitous about is not lest the Prerogatives of their Master be encroached upon and the Liberties of the Church be supplanted and Religion wronged but lest their Loyalty be questionâ—d and they be otherwise represented And all that they beseech for is not that the Cause of Christ be not wronged nor Antichristian Idolatry introduced by this Liberty but that these who promove any disloyal Principles and Practices may be looked upon as none of theirs wherein all their encouragement is that they perswade themselves from his Majestys Iustice and Goodness that he will not give Credit to any other information until he take due cognition thereof Here is a Lawless unrestricted Loyalty to a Tyrant claiming an Absolute Power to be obeyed without reserve not only professed but solicitously sought to be the Principle of Presbyterians whereas it is rather the Principle of Atheistical Hobbs exploded with indignation by all Rational Men. This is not the Presbyterian Loyalty to the King in the defence of Christ his Evangel Liberties of the Country Ministration of Iustice and punishment of iniquity according to the National-Covenant and in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms according to the Solemn-League and Covenant But an Erastian Loyalty to a Tyrant in his overturning Religion Laws and Liberties This Loyalty in Doctrin will be found Disloyalty to Christ in a sinful and shameful silence at the wrongs done to him and not declaring against the Invasions of his open Enemies This Loyalty in Practice is a plain betraying of Religion and Liberty in lying by from all opposition to the open Destroyer of both And this Loyalty in Prayers for all Blessings ever to attend his Person and Government will be neither conformed to Presbyterian Prayers in reference to Popish Tyrants nor consistent with the Zeal of Christians nor founded upon any Scripture Promises to pray for Blessings to a Papists Tyranny which cannot be of Faith and therefore must be Sin 3. This Address is so stuffed with sheaking Flatteries that it would more become Sycophants and Court-Parasites than Ministers of the Gospel and were more suitable to that Popish Prelatical and Malignant Faction to congratulate and rejoyce in their professed Patron and Head and fill the Gazetts with their Adulatory Addresses which heretofore used to be deservedly inveighed against by all Dissenters than for Presbyterians to take a Copy from them and espouse the Practice which they had condemned before and which was never commended in any good Government nor never known in these British Nations before Oliver's Usurpation Flattery being always counted
acknowledging of the Sin of his House and former ways and satisfaction to Gods People in both Kingdoms A. Ker. And that same day The Committee of Estates having seen and considered a Declaration of the Commission of the General Assembly anent the stating the Quarrel wherein the Army is to fight do approve the same and heartily concur therein Tho. Henderson Whereupon thereafter he encites that Declaration at Drumfermling Wherein Professing and appearing in the full perswasion and Love of the Truth he repenteth as having to do with and in the sight of God his Fathers opposition to the Covenant and Work of God and his own Reluctances against the same hoping for Mercy through the Blood of Iesus Christ and obtesting the Prayers of the Faithful to God for his stedfastness and then Protesting his Truth and Sincerity in entring into the Oath of God resolving to prosecute the Ends of the Covenant to his utmost and to have with it the same common Friends and Enemies exhorting all to lay down their Enmity against the Cause of God and not to prefer Mans Interest to Gods which will prove an Idol of Iealousie to Provoke the Lord and he himself accounteth to be but selfish Flatteries Then at his Coronation the Action commenceth with his most solemn renewing of the National and Solemn League and Covenant Thereafter in the Year 1651. followed the Ratification of all these preceding Treaties Transactions and Engagements concluded and enacted by the King and the Parliament whereby the same did Pass into a Perpetual Law And this Covenant which from the beginning was and is the most sure and indispensible Oath of God became at length the very Fundamental Law of the Kingdom whereon all the Rights or Priviledges either of King or People are principally bottomed and secured After this it came to pass that zeal for the cause rightly stated was suddenly contracted to a few whereby a plain defection was violently carried on by the Publick Resolutioners who relapsing into that most Sinful Conjunction with the Malignants did bring them into places of Power and Trust in Judicatories and Armies in a more Politick than Pious way requiring of them a constrained and dissembled Repentance which Reflection did cause the first Division of that kind and most permanent of any that ever was in the Church of Scotland by reason of the surcease of General Assemblies stopped and hindered by the Yoke of the Sectarian Usurpers And it has been the spring and source of all our Reflections since Upon this our Land was invaded by Oliver Cromwell who defeated our Army at Dunbar Next an Army being raised according to these unhallowed Resolutions was totally routed at Worcester And the King forced to hide himself in the Oak and thence to transport himself beyond Sea where he continued in Exile till the Year 1660. Yet there was still a faithful Remnant of Ministers and Professors zealous for the Cause keeping their Integrity who in their Remonstrances and Testimonies witnessed against both their Malignant Enemies and their backsliding Brethren the Resolutioners And also against the Sectarians their Invaders whose vast Toleration and Liberty of Conscience which they brought in to invade our Religion as they invaded our Land and infect it with their Multifarious Errors was particularly by the Synod of Fife and other Brethren in the Ministry that joyned themselves to them testified against and demonstrated to be wicked and intollerable But in the mean time the Sectarian Army here prevailed till after the Usurper Cromwell his Death Monk then General with a Combination of Malignants and publick Resolutioners did bring home the King to England from his Banishment Now comes the last Catastrophe of the Deformation of the Church of Scotland which in a retrograde motion hath gradually been growing these 27 Years going back through all the steps by which the Reformation ascended till now she is reduced to the very Border of that Babilon from whence she took her departure Through all which steps notwithstanding to this day Scotland hath never wanted a Witness for Christ against all the various steps of the Enemies advancings and of professed Friends declinings Though the Testimony hath had some Singularities in that it hath been attended with more disadvantages by reason of the Enemies greater prevalency and Friends deficiency and greater want of significant Assertors than any formerly in that it hath been intangled in more multifarious Intricacies of questions and debates and Divisions among the Assertors themselves In that it hath been intended and extended to a greater measure both as to matter and manner of contendings against the Adversaries and stated upon nicer points more earnestly Prosecuted and tenaciously maintain'd than any formerly to that it hath had more opposition and contradiction and less Countenance from professed Friends to the Reformation either at home or abroad than any formerly And yet it hath been both Active and Passive both against Enemies and Friends and in Cumulo stated against Atheism Popery Prelacy and Erastian Supremacy and extended in a particular manner against Tyranny And not only against the substance and essence of these in the Abstract but against Substance and Circumstance Abstract and Concrete Root and Branch Head and Tail of them and all complying with them conforming to them or countenancing of them or any thing conductive for them or deduced from them any manner of way directly or indirectly formally or interpretatively This is that extensive and very comprehensive Testimony which in all its parts points and particles is most directly relative and dilucidly reducible to a complex Witness for the Declarative Glory of Christs Kingship and Headship over All as he is God and as he is Mediator The management of this Testimony was thus King Charles the Second upon his Return directed a Letter to the Presbytery of Edinburgh declaring he was resolved to protect and preserve the Government of the Church of Scotland as it is settled by Law without Violation Wherein it was observed he spake never 8 word of the Covenant our Magna Charta of Religion and Righteousness but only of Law by which he meant the Prelatical Church as it was settled by the Law of his Father since which time he reckoned there was no Law but Rebellion This was a piece and prelude of our base Defection that we were so far from withstanding that we did not so much as witness against the Readmission and Restauration of the Head and Tail of Malignants but let them come in peaceably to the Throne without any Security to the Covenanted Cause and by piece-meal at their own ease leisure and pleasure to overturn all the Work of God and reintroduce the Old Antichristian Yoke of abjured Prelacy and Blasphemous Sacrilegious Supremacy and absolute Arbitrary Tyranny with all their abominations Which he and with him the Generality of our Nobility Gentry Clergy and Commonality did promote and propagate untill the Nation was involved in the greatest Revolt from and
proved successful for several Years their Enemies either turning their backs without disturbance when they observed them resolve Defence or in their Assaultings repulsed so that there was never a Meeting which stood to their Defence got any considerable harm thereby Thus the Lord was with us while we were with him but when we forsook him he forsook us and left us in the hands of our Enemies However while Meetings for Gospel-Ordinances did continue the Wicked Rulers did not cease from time to time to encrease their numerous Bands of Barbarous Souldiers for suppressing the Gospel in these Field-meetings But all this is nothing to what followed when thinking these Blood-Hounds were too favourable they brought down from the wild Highlands a Host of Salvages upon the Western Shires more terrible than Turks or Tartars Men who feared not God nor regarded Man to wast and destroy a plentiful Country which they resolved before they left it to make as bare as their own This Hellish Crew was adduced to work a Reformation like the French Conversions to press a Bond of Conformity wherein every one Subscribed was bound for himself and all under him Wife Children Servants Tenants to frequent their Parish Churches and never to go to these Meetings nor reset nor entertain any that went but to Inform against Pursue and Deliver up all vagrant Preachers as they called them to Tryal and Judgment Then for the maintenance of the Souldiers there were imposed new wicked and arbitrary Cesses and Taxations professedly required for suppressing Religion and Liberty banishing the Gospel out of the Land and preserving and promoting the King's Absoluteness over all Matters and Persons Sacred and Civil which under that tentation of great Sufferings threatned to Refusers and under the disadvantage of the silence and unfaithfulness of many Ministers who either did not condemn it or pleaded for the peaceable payment of it many did comply with it then and far more since Yet at that time there were far more Recusants in some places especially in the Western shires than Complyers And there were many of the Ministers that did faithfully declare to the People the Sin of it not only from the illegality of its Imposition by a Convention of over-awed and prelimited States but from the nature of that imposed Compliance that it was a sinful Transaction with Christ's declared Enemies a strengthning the hands of the wicked an obedience to a wicked Law a consenting to Christ's expulsion out of the Land and not only that but far worse than the Sin of the Gadarens a formal Concurrence to assist his Expellers by maintaining their force a hiring our Oppressors to destroy Religion and Liberty and from the declared end of it expressed in the very Narrative of the Act viz. To Levy and Maintain Forces for suppressing and dispersing Meetings of the Lord's People and to shew unanimous affections for maintaining the King's Supremacy as now Established by Law Yet all this time Ministers and Professors were unite and with one Soul and Shoulder followed the work of the Lord 'till the Indulged being dissatisfied with the Meetings in the Fields whose Glory was like to over-cloud and obscure their Beds of ease and especially being offended at the freedom and faithfulness of some who set the Trumpet to their Mouth and shewed Iacob his Sins and Israel his Transgressions impartially without Cloak or Cover they began to make a Faction among the Ministers and to devise how to quench the fervour of their Zeal who were faithful for God But the more they sought to extinguish it the more it brake out and blazed into a flame For several of Christ's Ambassadours touched and affected with the affronts done to their Princely Master by the Supremacy and the Indulgence of its Bastard-Brood and Brat began after long silence to discover its iniquity and to acquaint the People how the Usurper had invaded the Mediator's Chair in taking upon him to Depose Suspend Silence Plant and Transplant his Ministers where and when and how he pleased c. Yet others and the greater number of Dissenting Ministers were not only deficient herein but defended them joyned with them and pretending Prudence and prevention of Schism in effect homologated that deed and the Practice of these Priests Ezek 22. 26. teaching and advising the People to hear them both by Precept and going along with them in their Erastian Course And not only so but Condemned and Censured such who Preached against the sinfulness thereof especially in the first place worthy Mr. Walwood who was among the first Witnesses against that Defection and Mr. Kid Mr. King Mr. Cameron Mr. Donald Cargil c. who Sealed their Testimony afterwards by their blood yet then even by their Brethren were loaden with the reproachful Nick-names of Schismaticks Blind Zealots Jesuites c. But it was always observed as long as Ministers were faithful in following the Lord in the way of their Duty Professors were fervent and under all their Conflicts with Persecutors the Courage and Zeal of the Lovers of Christ was blazing and never outbraved by all the Enemies boastings to undertake brisk Exploits which from time to time they were now and then essaying 'till defection destroyed and division diverted their Zeal against the Enemies of God who before were always the Object against which they whetted the edge of their jusâ— indignation Especially the Arch-Prelate Sharp was judged intollerable by ingenuous Spirits Therefore in Iuly 1668. Mr Iames Mitchel thought it his duty to save himself deliver his Brethren and attempted to cut him off which failing he then escaped but afterwards was Apprehended Tortured Condemned and Executed But Justice would not suffer the Arch-Prelate to escape Remarkable Punishment the severity whereof did sufficiently compensate sate its delay after Ten Years respite For upon the 3 d of May 167 several worthy Gentlemen with some other Men of Courage and Zeal for the Cause of God executed Righteous Judgment upon him in Magus Moore near St. Andrews And that same Month on the Anniversary Day May 29th the Testimony at Rutherglen was Published against that Abomination Celebrating an Anniversary-Day kept every year for giving thanks for the setting up an Vsurped Power destroying the interest of Christ in the Land and against all sinful and unlawful Acts emitted and executed published and prosecuted against our Covenanted Reformation Where also they burnâ— the Acts of Supremacy the Declaration the Act Recissory c. in way of retalition for the burning of the Covenants On the Sabbath following Iune 1. A Field-Meeting near to Lowden-Hill was assaulted by Claverhouse and with him three Troops of Horse and Dragoons who had that Morning taken an honest Minster and about 14 Countrymen out of their Beds and carried them along with them but they were repulsed at Drumclogg and put to flight the Prisoners relieved about 30 of the Souldiers killed on the place and three of the Meeting and several wounded on both sides Thereafter the People
Yea not so much as to say God save the King which was offered at the price of their Life but they would not accept Deliverance on these Terms Now remained Mr. Donald Cargil deprived of his faithful Collegue destitute of his Brethrens Concurrence who prosecuted the Testimony against the Universal Apostasie of the Church and Nation Tyranny of Enemies Backsliding of Friends and all the wrongs done to his Master on all hands And considering in the Zeal of God and Sense of his holy Jealousie provoked and threatning Wrath against the Land for the Sins especially of Rulers that notwithstanding of all their Testimonies given against them by publick Preachings Protestations and Declarations remonstrating their Tyranny and disowning their Authority yet not only did they persist in their Sins and Scandals but were owned also by Professours not only as Magistrates but as Members of the Christian and Protestant Church and that however both the Defensive Arms of Men had been used against them and the Christian Arms of Prayers and the Ministerial Weapon of Preaching yet that of Ecclesiastical Censure had not been Authoritatively exerted against them Therefore that no Weapon which Christ allows his Servants under his Standard to manage against his Enemies might be wanting tho' he could not obtain the Concurrence of his Brethren to strengthen the Solemnity and Formality of the Action yet he did not judge that Defect in this broken Case of the Church could disable his Authority nor demur the Duty but that he might and ought to proceed to Excommunication And accordingly in Sept. 1680. at the Torwood he Excommunicated some of the most scandalous and principal Promoters and Abettors of this Conspiracy against Christ as formally as the present Case could admit After Sermon upon Ezek 21. 25 26 27. And thou profane wicked Prince of Israel whose Day is come c. The Persons Excommunicated and the Sentence against them was given forth as follows I being a Minister of Iesus Christ and having Authority and Power from him do in his Name and by his Spirit Excommunicate cast out of the Church and deliver up to Satan Charles the Second King c. The Sentence was founded on these Grounds For 〈◊〉 great Perjury in breaking and burning the Covenant for his rescinding all Laws for establishing the Reformation end enacting Laws contrary thereunto For commanding of Arms to destroy the Lords People For his granting Remissions and Pardons for Murderers which is in the power of no King to do c. Next by the same Authority and in the same Name he Excommunicated James Duke of York for his Idolatry and setting up in Scotland to defile the Land and enticing and encouraging others to do 〈◊〉 With several other rotten Malignant Enemies But about this time when some in zeal for the Cause were endeavouring to keep up the Testimony of the day in an abstraction from Complying Ministers others were left to fall into fearful extravagancies and delirious and damnable Delusions being overdriven with ignorant and blind Zeal into untroden Paths which led them into a Labyrinth of Darkness When as they were stumbled at many Ministers their unfaithfulness so they came to be offended at Mr Cargill his Faithfulness who spared neither left-hand Declensions nor-right hand Extreams and left him and all the Ministers not only disowning all Communion with those that were not of their way but Execrating and Cursing them and kept themselves in desart places from all Company where they persisted prodigiously in Fastings and singing Psalms pretending to wonderful Raptures and Enthusiasms And in fine Iohn Gib with 4 more of them came to that height of Blasphemy that they burnt the Bible and Confession of Faith These were the Sweet Singers as they were called led away into these Delusions by that Impostor and Sorcerer Iohn Gib of which destructive way the approached Remnant adhering to the foresaid Testimony had always an Abhorrence of Wherefore that ignorant and impudent Calumny of their Consortship with Gibs Followers is only the vent of viperous Envy For they were the first that discovered them and reclaimed them and were always so far from partaking with them that to this day these that have come off from that way and have offered the Confession of their Scandal do still complain of their over-rigid Severity in not admitting them to their select Fellowships Shortly after this Mr. Donald Cargill finished his Testimony being apprehended with other two faithful and zealous Witnesses of Christ Mr. William Smith and Mr. Iames Beeg who with two more were altogether at Edinburgh 27 Iuly 1681. Crowned with the Glory of Martyrdom Then came the Day of the Remnants vexation the Persecution vaxing on the one hand and a violent Spirit of defection carrying down the most part of Ministers and Professours before it driving them to Courses of sinful and scandalous Conformings with the Times Corruptions Compearings before their Courts Complyings with their Commands paying of their Cesses and other Exactions taking of their Oaths and Bonds and countenancing their Prelatical Church-Services which they were ashamed to do before And thereupon on the other hand the Divisions and Confusions were augmented and poor People that desired to cleave to the Testimony were more and more offended and troubled at the Ministers who either left the Land or lurked in their own retirements But the remaining Contenders fell upon the expedient of corresponding in General Meetings to consult inform and confirm one another about common Duties in common Dangers Laying down this General Conclusion for a foundation of Order to be observed among them in incident doubtful Cases and emergent Controversies that nothing relative to the publick and which concerns the whole of their Community be done by any of them without harmonious consent sought after and rationally waited for and sufficient deliberation about the best means and manner In the mean time the Duke of York as Commissioner from his Brother held a Parliament in which he is declared legal and lineal Successour and a Test is framed for a Pest to Consciences which turned out of all Places of Trust any that had any remaining measure of common Honesty And to all the Cruel Acts then and before made against the People of God there was one superadded regulating the Execution of all the rest whereby at one dash all Civil and Criminal Justice was overthrown That the Right of Iurisdiction both in Civil and Criminal Matters is so inherent in the Crown that his Majesty may judge all Causes by himself or any other he thinks fit to Commissionate Here was a Law for Commissionating Souldiers to take away the Lives of Innocents as was frequently exemplified afterwards Against which encroachments on Religion and Liberty the faithful thought themselves obliged to emit a Testimony And therefore published a Declaration at Lanerk Ian. 12. 1682. Confirming the proceeding at Sanquhair and adding reasons of their Revolt from the Government of Charles the Second For his arrogantly arrogated