caufes; if then we fay the latter, namely, that they were not fo very inconfiderable things as fome conceived; wherein could the moment and weight of them confift; but in this, That they were in owning of the authority, as it was contained in the laws? And what elfe was the fcope of the most openly impious oaths tetts and bonds but this? Ard befides, when any yielded this much. they were ftill urget further, till they had debauched them out of all confcience and integrity, as much as themfelves.

The rest of the queftions put to them, and mide caufes of their indict nent; were all but so many branches from this root and rivulets from this fpring The chief was a a bour defentive arms which their low had declared rebellion'; which all the martyrs without the leaft jar or discord, dif ftedfattly maintain. as being a thing fo very confonant, not only to the pofitive commands of God in his word, bur alfo to the very law of nature ftamp'd on the hearf, and to the laws and practices of all kingdoms; and undertaken upon 1) neceffary grounds as the defence of the gofpel, and lives of the innocent in confequence of their covenant engagemen which however, there wicked perfecutors had declared void and bull and the adhering to them capital vet all fuch as had any love for God and zeal for his caufe, believed to be perpetually obligatory upon them and the nation, and there fore adhered to them with a itedfattnefs, and courage invia cible, against the most bloody oppofition. And 'tis obferva ble, that whatever any of the martyrs had not fɔ much light in, as others, or differed from others anent, or was lent when interrogate upon it yet they all agreed perfectly and were clear abundantly in owning, and bold, harmonious and couragious in afferting the lawfulness and avouching the o bligatory force of the covenants. Nitional covenants, the means that God had conftantly from the beginning of the reformation made ufe of and bleffed, to cement and ffrengthen his people in Scotland, and their adherence to the truth; by means of thefe, his church was a strong city, and incorporation, profecuting all the fame common caufe of religi on and liberty, fo that by common bond the injury offered to any one of her members, was taken as done to all; and befide the exprefs commands of the word, this was a bleffed tye and engagement, to every one in their place and ftation, to ftand up for the purity of the doctrine. fimplicity of the worship beauty and order, of the govern nent ind difcipline of Chrift's houfe, and his royal fupremacy over the fame. the fame And, hence malignant and difaffected perfons perceiving that there was nothing fo conducive to the advancement and prefer vation of préfèivation

pational reformations, as thefe mutual bonds and facred covenants, fet themfelves chiefly to deftroy these, and in an ignominious manner burnt them, declar'd them treasonable and feditious, made the owning of them criminal, and perfecuted fuch as adhered to them and on the other hand, God was pleased mightily to animate his fuffering faints, both with light and zeal, in the defence of them against all the efforts of hellish violence.

Wherefore when this alone was not like to effectuate their defigns, these perfecutors betook themselves to another ftratagem, and fell upon more mild but more fuccefsful meafures, of giving out indemnities and indulgencies, fo reftricted and limited, as the accepters fhould be gained to a peaceable compliance with, and fubmiffion to their impious laws, and taken off from their zeal, in maintaining the work of reformation, and divided from their covenanted brethren; by this means, they weakened the remnant that had not complied with prelacy, fet them at variance one against another, allured the one to fit quietly ftill, till they had made an end of their brethren; and in fhort, rent and almoft quite ruined the poor Prefbyterian church of Scotland; and hence, as the fuffering remnant, which was by far the fmaller part, were much oppofed and reproached by thefe Minifters and Profeffors, who accepted or made ufe of thefe pretended favours, fo it became a neceffary head of teftimony to witness against the indulgence and acceptance thereof, or finful connivance, thereat. The particular difpofition of this affair is not confiftent with the narrow limits of a preface, Wherefore the reader, may fee for his fatisfaction therein, "The hiftory "of the indulgence, Informatory Vindication, Hind let "loofe. etc."

Afterwards when the perfecution became fore and violent against the remnant that refufed thefe deceitful baits, and ftood to their covenanted religion and liberty, and that both by the open violence of the enemies, and talfe flanders and calumnies of pretended friends, they were obliged to emit feveral declarations of their principles, and to defend themselves from these unjust flanders and calumnies: which declarations fo foon as the perfecutors got into their hands, thinking they had got a good handle therein, for taking away the lives of all fuch as fhould adhere to them, in regard that therein they had more explicitely and fully caft of the authority, of the Tyrant Charles II and specified the reafons, why they could not own his authority they never failed on all occafions, to make that a part of their examinations, " Own ye the Sanof quhair declaration, the papers found at Queens ferry ?” etc.

And many were indicted upon their adherence to thefe de clarations, and other papers. I conceive it is not neceffary to fwell this preface with a particular defence of thele declarations, that being fo well done by themselves in the informatory vindication, which the reader may have recourfe to; and as for the paper found upon Mr. Hall of Haugh head, when he was murdered at Queens-ferry, the Reader, fhall fee it, with a fhort relation concerning that worthy Gentleman's death, in the appendix to this book.

Another question commonly put to futterers was, Whether they owned the excommunication at the Torwood? Wich they did with much freedom as a neceffary duty and lawfully performed, fo far as that broken ftate of the church would permit and upon moft weighty and fufficient grounds. The form and order of which excommunication is alfo added by way of Appendix to this book.

But their finest topick, wherein they infulted and glorified moft, was the death of James Sharp, Arch-bishop of St. Andrews. which they reckoned a cruel murder, and there fore hoped, that if the fufferers fhould approve of the fame, they would have a colour to deftroy them, as being men of affacination and bloody principles, deferving to be extermin ate out of any well-governed common-wealth: and therefore it was ftill one of their questions, "Was the Bishop's death murder? To which question fome answered directly that it was a just and lawful execution of God's law upon him, for his perjurious treachery, and bloody cruelty; others were filent, or refufed to answer any thing diredly to the point, as conceiving that it being no deed of theirs they were not obliged by any law, divine or human, to give their judgment thereupon, especially when they could not exactly know the circumstances of the matter of fact, and faw that the question was propofed with a defign to infnare them, or take away their life Yet was their very filence or refufal to give their opinion, made a caufe of their indictment, and ground of their fentence, and fome were put to torture to make them give their sentiments anent it. If any would be further satisfied on this head, let him fee Hind let Loose, Head VI Page 633-A

But however thefe murderers of the fervants and people of God, made ufe of fuch questions as these to entangle them, yet ftill the grand ftate of the quarrel was "Whether Chrift "alone, or king Charles fhould be owned as head and law"giver to the church?" and whether the divine form of government and difcipline, which Chrift had institute, fhould continue in her ? or if an ufurper fhould have leave to mouli

it as he pleased, and comform it to the pompous drefs of the Romith Whore?

And hence it is alfo evident that the ftate of the fufferings before the engagement at Bothwel, was really one e and the fame with that which was after it as to the main, tho' things came to be cleaner after it, concerning the civil authorit when by that and many other intrances it was made evident, that the pretended rulers were fetting themselves directly to ruin the whole interests of the subjects, as well civil as facred, and that it was in vain to be any longer in fufpence, waiting for a fatisfactory redress of grievances, or opportunity to seprefent the fame i

So that the charge of rebellion, laïd against them not only by our Epifcopal paffive Obedience men, but also by the indulged and fuch as tread their steps, is a most groundless imputation; for King Charles had violate all the conditions of government, and manifeftly degenerate into a tyrant, long before they rejected his authorey, and had re used all claim to the subjects allegiance, upon the account of the contract which he entred into at his coronation, and had no other pretence to authority but hereditary right, and force, with the content of fuch profligate noblemen and gentlemen as fat in thefe packed and pretended parliaments, which could never, in law or reafon, oblige the honeft and faithrul fubjects of the kingdom to comply with thefe tyrannical courfes, and fubnit to him, who had as really forfeited his right to be King of Britain, as did his brother afterwards by his 'abdication..

But it is no new thing, for the followers of Chrift to meet with this charge of rebellion, if a Jezebel wants a Naboth's vineyard, and he stands up for his property, the will not want fons of Belial to bear witnefs, Fhat he blafphened God and the King, Do the adverfaries of Judah and Benjanin intend to flop the building of Jerufalem, they'll not want a-Rebu n the chancellor, and Shinthai the fcribe to write, That this "city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and pro"vinces, and that they have moved fedition within the fame ("of old time." Would Haman have a the Jews destroyed, because Mordecai will not honour him this is the charges he lays against them, as moft likely to have effectuate his purple That their laws are diverse from all people,' neither keep they the King's law: Have the prefidents a purpofe to be rid of Daniel this is the engine. "that Daniel,

1

who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king! nor the decree that thou hast "figned," Is a Tertullus to employ his eloquence againft

Paul, here's the artifice, "We have found this man a pefti lent fellow, and a mover of fedition among the Jews." Were the Romans defirous to have the Chriftians exterminated out of the empire, what fhift took they? Why, truly this was it," The Chriftians are rebellious and feditious

they wont fwear by the life of Cefar, nor adore his image!" and therefor Chriftiani ad Leones' If we look through the whole Ecclefiaftic history we shall scarce find a perfecution raifed, but this is an article of the charge. But 'tis no para dox "the fervant is no greater than his Lord," even Chrift himself was accused and condemned as an enemy to Cefar, and a mover of fedition. But I thall not enter into this ar gument; the fu ferers for Chrift in Scotland have been frequently vindicated from the charge of rebellion, by more learned pens, and yet ftill we have a generation of abfurd men, who will not fail to renew it ; nor can the strength of argument filence them, while they have brow enough to return railing in the room of reafon,

The Reader having thus briefly feen the causes, upon which they laid down their lives; it were neceffary to pro ceed to a fhort delineation, both of the cruelty of the perfe cutors inflicting and of the courage, patience and chearfulnefs of the Martyrs, fuffering thefe ferverities; but as for the former, what tongue can exprefs, what pen can describe the barbarous cruelty, and hellith rage of the fons of wickednefs? One might write a volume upon their cruelties, and after all fall short of drawing them to the life, or giving any full idea of them, theywere fo extremely inhumane and bu tish. At first they began with Noblemen, Gentlemen and Minifters, who had been eminent for the caufe of God; beheading fome, and placing their heads on the ports of Edinburgh, in token of the highest contempt, ban thing othe s,, rejecting all from their charges, but fuch as would fubje t Prelacy, and the blafphemous fupremacy; and vitiating all the fprings and feminaries of learning: Next, they fell to compel the common people to hear Curates, by vast and exorbitant fines, extorted by troops of Soldiers, plundering quartering, beating, wounding, binding men like beat's g chafing them away from their houfes, compelling them, tho fick, to go to church, consuming and wafting their provifion with dogs, and promifcuously abufing, as well thofe that conformed, as them that refused; and if any teftified their refentment at thefe vermine of ignorant and feandalous curates, or refused to give them their titles, they were impi foned, fcourged, ftigmatized, and banished to Barbadoes or Qiner foreign parts, Any that were hearing their own Mi