*munication with such bishops, that had ang

♦ fellowship with those that sought to destroy,

even

such as were departed from the faith.” I confess the bloody bishops of Rome gave large precedents of such actions; but I suppose thou art not ambitious to be ranked among them, or to be an imitator of them in that respect. How far thou art justifiable, in *thy concurring with, or advising the perse

cution of the Presbyterian dissenters, it is not 4. my business to determine; but I am confident thou art willing it should be judged, that thy so doing against them, is not merely for their conscience, but because their principles do naturally, or necessarily, imply an innovation in the state, and thy personal ruin: believing not only military resistance just, to protect ⚫ themselves against authority, but also an offen⚫ sive endeavour to turn out their superiors, and ⚫ establish themselves in their overthrow, both lawful and laudable, as their practice hath ⚫ sufficiently demonstrated. But shouldst thou

be found a positive persecutor of such against. whom nothing of that kind, neither from: principle nor practices can be alledged, but only the simple exercise of their consciences, would not that give plentiful occasion for such as desire to represent thy other actions with the worst aspect, to show, whatever thou pretendest of the state's security, yet. ✦thou art a persecutor of pure conscience;

since thou showest thyself such against those, against whom, the former reasons do not hold? And surely it would seem that the more our peaceable principles take place among other dissenters, thy interest will be more secure: which is a consideration not unworthy of thy notice, as deserving thy favourable aspect towards us. Perhaps the ⚫ violence of several of the preachers, as some magistrates here, from whom our sufferings originally do flow, may at first view seem acceptable to thee, as faithful friends as well to the public as to thy interest; and no

doubt they judge with themselves, that they ingratiate themselves with thee, in so doing : ⚫ yet didst thou know them as well as some of < us do, thou mightst think it no great ab. surdity to conclude, as well from their practices as principles, that they would be no less 'ready to give thee this same treatment, had they but opportunity of doing it; and rejoice more in it, as a great service both to God and the kirk of Scotland: however that is * now out of their reach, they make what use

of the law they can, both to execute their ❝ malice on us, and flatter thee, at this juncture.

In short, we have more than reason to believe, that if thou oppose thyself to this our address, it will not be granted; and if ⚫ thou show thyself moderate and flexible, it ◄ will not be denied; as no mean persons have.

hinted unto us: so as the one will be an evi

dence of thy moderation, the other will be a

teftimony of thy inclinations to persecute. I

wish then, for thy sake as well as ours, that

this occurrence rather commend thee than discommend thee: and thou mayst assure 'thyself, that the utmost rigour that can be * used to us shall never be able to make us depart from that living precious truth, that God in his mercy hath revealed unto us, and by us is embraced; nor yet fright us from the pub lic profession of it, yea, though we should be 'pursued to death itself; which, by the grace

of God, we hope chearfully to undergo for the same; and we doubt not, but God would out of our ashes, raise witnesses who should outlive all the violence and cruelty of man. And albeit thou thyself shouldst be most inexorable and violent towards us, thou mayst assure thyself, not to receive any evil from us therefore; who, by the grace of God, have learned to suffer patiently; and with our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, to pray for ◄ and love our enemies: yet as thy so doing to an innocent and inoffensive people, would be 4 an irreparable loss to thy reputation; so to

the God of truth, whom we serve with our spirits, in the gospel of his Son, and to whom vengeance belongs, we leave it, who will cer tainly in his own time and way, revenge our quarrel; whose dreadful judgments should be more terrible to thee, and much more justly to be feared, than the violent assaults or secret assassinations of thy other antagonists. That. thou mayst prevent both the one and the other, by a Christian moderation, suitable to the office thou layst claim to, is the desire of, Thy soul's well wisher,

From the Chapel Prison of

Aberdeen, the 26th of the

First month, 1677.

It

may

R. BARCLAY."

be observed that ROBERT BARCLAY, in this letter speaks of the imprisonment as having been of a year's duration; which cannot be true, of the term of his own confinement. He must therefore refer to his fellow-prisoners, who had been generally taken up in the first