ct guilty, and infifled that the things alledged againfl
him
Chap. 10. CHURCH ^/SCOTLAND.
him ihould be proved. The Lords poftpon'd the affair
till the 23th.
Mean while, March the 12th, the Council made an ^ ^<^'
Porterfield o^ ^arreltotm (page 255, 330.) got his con-
finement changed from Dumbarton to Paijley, with li-
berty to walk abroad.
Vol. L Z z But
The HISTORY of the Chap. lo.
But though the ftate had indemnified Mr. Forejier,
yet the Prelates and their underhngs renewed their at-
tacks upon him. And accordingly the diocefan fynod
of Vunkeld pafs'd a fentence of depofition againft him on
the 29th o{ Aprils which was confirm'd by the Billiop
on the 4th of May. The curious reader will find his ju-
dicious remarks on this fentence, and on the BiHiops
ratification, in my author's appendix, N^ 66, to which
I mult refer him.
But it feems necefiary, jufl: to mention fome of tlie
//"?;■« proceedings of the houfe of Commons in England, who
England, difcovered, at this time, a laudable zeal againft Popery
Rspin, and arhiirary poisser. The Englijh parliament fat down
Vol. ir. ^j^ j.|jg ^^ q£ Ja'dnary ; and the lords prefented an ad-
^' drcfs, praying the King to ifiiie out his royal proclama-
tion, requiring all Papijh and reputed Papijls to remove
put of London and TVeJiminJter during the feffion of par-
liament. Next day, both houfes joined, in an addrefs,
for a general fall, to implore God's bleffing againft the
efforts of Popery, ^c. The Commons likewife pro-
ceeded againft the remaining members of the Cabal,
viz. Buckingham, Lauderdale and Arlington. It is fufii-
cienr, for my purpofe, to obferve, that they unani-
moufly voted, that an addrefs ftiould be prelented to
his Majefty, to remove the Duke of Lauderdale from
all his employments, and from his Majefty's prefence
and Councils for ever, being a per [on obnoxious and dan-
gerous to the government. Thefe and fuch like addrelTes
were very difagreeable to his Majefty, who coukl not be
pleafed to fee every part of his conduct fo ftriftly exa-
nruned : Befides, he was obliged, for want of the finews
of war, to make peace with the Dutch, which he com-
municated to the parhament on the nth of February.
However, the Commons ftill proceeded on their grie-
vances ; but the King, to defeat their defigns, came to
the houfe, and prorogued them to the lOth of Novem-
ber following, before any bill was ready for the royal
afient.
Parlia- But, notwithftanding all their proceedings, Lauderdale
went dif- ftill continued in favour ; and not regarding the vote of
foh-ed^ the Commons of England, he went to court after the laft
proro-
Chap. 10. CHURCH of SCOTLAND.
prorogation of the parliament of Scctland, and the' Duke
Hamilton followed him, and fpoke freely to his Majefty
concerning him ; yet the King ftill carefs'd Lauderdale^
infomuch, that on the 19th o{ May a proclamation was
iflued for diffolving the parliament. The reafon given
was, the peace lately concluded with the Dutch. But
the truth is, Lauderdale plainly perceived that he durfr
not venture upon any more Scots parliaments, neither
was there any for feveral years.
About the end of May\ he got the Privy-Co'.incil mo- Council
dell'd to his mind. Tweedale, ^feeujherry., Tejler^ j}ufYi. ir.odslkd.
fries., Roxbur^h^ and fome others were turned out j and
Kinghorn^ Mar, PFigtouff, Colli-^igtoun^ Craigy., Rofs and
others, put in their places. Duke Hamilton himfelf was
kept in, but as he was never much in favour, he very
feldom attended. Befides, the King, out of his great
regard for the Commons in England., fent a very long
letter to the Council in Scotland., which is recorded in
the rcgifters, approving of all Lauderdale'^ proceedings,
lb that he ffitl carried all before him.
The new modell'd Council fat down on the 4th of The meet-
June. But an incident happened that day, which made i»g c/wo-
no fmall noife. As men were not fafe, to give in any "^^^•
petitions to the Council, fo a confiderable number of
ivomen refolved to appear for the perfecuted caufe. Ac-
cordingly, when the Counfellors came up, they found
the parliament-clofe almoft fiU'd with women. The
Archbifhop ftuck clofe by the Chancellor, being in no ^^^^? j'« ■'^
fmall pannick at thxs, female-ajfembly. Some of the wo-^''"'^'"'''^'
men called him Judas., and others Traitor •, and one of
them laid her hand on his neck, and faid, Ere all was done.,
that neck behoved to pay for it. ' But no other violence cj-i,^-^. >^^.-.
was offered. Mrs. Living ftone., the widow of the reve- tion.
rend Mr. John Livingjione ffor the m.oft of them were
Minifters widows) prefented their petition to the Chan-
cellor, fetting forth the fad condition of the country, in
being deprived of their faithful Minifters, and praying
that thefe might again have their liberty, without mo-
leftation, to exercife their miniftry. The Earl received
the petition with civility, read it diredly, and heard wiiac
fhe had further to offer. He talk'd a little with fome
Z z 2 ' of
^SS TbeHlSrORY of the Chap. lo.
1674. of the reft, and jefted with them ; and feem'd to be
'— V— -> pleafed with the fright that Sharp was put into. But
Fofed cri- when the Counfellors got within doors, and found the
minal. petition figned, it was voted criminal : And about a do-
zen of the fubfcribers were called in, one by one, and
declared that no man had any hand in what they did ; but
that they were mov'd vvith the fenfe of their perilliing
condition, for want of the gofpel ; having none to preach
to them, but ignorant and profane men, whom they
could not hear. Then they were all put into a room
by themfelves, and the Provoft was fent to difmifs the
reft. But they were refolved not to withdraw, till their
friends were fent out, and declared they would all take
the fame lot. Upon which the Council were pleafed
to fend the reft out. And fo this tumult was ended,
which made fo much noife.
Women ! Next Council day, the fubfcribers were all call'd, and,
trofecuted. upon their not appearing, were denounced^ except Mrs.
Margaret Johrijicun^ a daughter of the excellent Lord
Warijion^ Mrs. Ckland^ and LUias Campbel, who were
apprehended and caft into prifon. And about the end
of the year Mrs. Elizabeth Rutherford, Mrs. Margaret-
Johnfioun, Lady Merfingtoiin, and feveral other women
concerned in this affair, were by the Council, baniftied
the town of Edinburgh, and the liberties thereof.
youn^r men before I come to^ relate the proceedings of the new
licenced Counc'il, it will be proper to give the reader a fhort
and or. view cf the condu6l of the prefhyterian Minifters about
darned. ^.j^jg time. The indulged and not indulged met frequently
among themfelves, and licenfed feveral promifmg young
men, and fent them to preach in thofe parts of the
country, where they were moft wanted, and excited
vacant congregations to call them ; and, upon the peo-
ples call, ordain'd them with all the folemnity the times
would admit of.
Overtures. In this month of June, the prefl)yterian Minifters, in
every corner of the Church, fent delegates to Edinburgh,
A p^^p^, to concert upon proper rules and -f overtures, to be
./i/j. tranfmitted to the feveral meetings of Minifters, up and
down the country. Accordingly they met, and among
other things, agreed, that the feveral meetings take care
to
Chap. 10. CHURCH 0/ SCOTLAND. '^sT
to fend preachers, where the neceflities and defires of the 1 674.
people required them, and to warn them faithfully of 's^St*^
the evils and dangers, of the time, i£c. that it be pro-
vided, that no offers from the ftate relating to Church-
affairs, be rejected or accepted by any particular Mini-
fter, without the previous knowledge of the feveral fo-
cieties ; and that Minillers, in this, as in other things,
fubjeib themfelves communi prejbyteroriim confilio ; that
neither Minillers nor probationers fettle with a people,
without confent of the rrjeeting in the bounds, (^c.
Together with thefe overtures, the materials of an Materials
addrcfs to the government, were tranfmitted to the fe- °f^» '^^'
veral affociations of Minillers, in which they juftly '''■^**
complai n'd of their hardfliips, of the change of the govern-
ment of the Church, of their not being allowed to ac-
knowledge the Magiftrates y^prmwrj, according to the
fcriptures, unlefs they allow him to have that fupremacy
which does not belong to him ; and fo be found guilty
of encroaching on the fovereign authority of Jefus Chrift,
the only King and head of his Church -, — that a great
number of valuable young men are kept ufelefs •, that
little or no care is taken to flop the 'growth of Popery j
and therefore prayed that their Lordfhips would take
thefe things under their moft ferious confideration.
The above overtures and materials for an addrefs Jre gene-
were fent round the country, and were generally con- ^'"''^ ^*
fented to, with fome amendments and additions. The^'^^ *"'
prefhyterian Minifters from Paifly gave in their fentiments
about the end of September^ when proper notice fhall be
taken of them.
"We have obferved, that from the aft of indemnity Con^oenti-
above- m.entiened, people took encouragement to fre- '^jf^ ^'
quent Ccnventicks -, fo that about this time, thefe pretty ''""•'^'^'^•
much abounded through the kingdom, which greatly
difgufted the Prelates^ and therefore they ufed their ut-
moft endeavours to fupprefs them, efpecially t\\& field-
meetings. And as Lauderdale laid tlie blame of thefe
upon Duke Hamilton and his party, fo feveral letters
came from, the court, in order to bear them down.
Accordingly, at the firft meeting of the new QowncA, The King s
on the 4th of June^ a letter from his Majcily to this l'"^>'-
purpofe
57;^ H I S T O R Y of the Chap. lo.
purpofe was read, wherein the Council was required to
ufd their utmofl endeavours, for trying and apprehend-
ing the Preachers at Fteld- conventicles, invaders of pul-
pits, and the ring-leading heritors at fuch meetings ;
and to ufe the Handing forces and militia for that end,
leaving the punifhment of other tranlgreffors to the or-
dinary Magiilratc according to law.
A ccmait- Upon this, the Council appointed a committee, to
lee ap' t.ike thefe things under their confideration, and, at the
fainted, fame time, ordered the Chancellor to fend out parties
to apprehend all Conventicle-preachers ; particularly,
Mafters John IVelJJj, Gabriel Semple, Ro. Rofs, Satnuel
Aniot, Gabriel Cunningham^ Archibald Riddel, John Mof-
man, John Blackader, William WiJJjeart, David Hume,
John Dickfon, John Rae, Henry Forjyth, 'Thomas Hogg,
Robert Law, George Johnjloun, Thomas Forejier, Frazer
of Brae, John Law, Robert Gillefpie. And any of the
guards who fhall apprehend Mr. WeJJh or Mr. Semple,
were promifed 400 /. fterling, and a thoufand marks
for each of the reft -, nay, the foldiers and their afiiftants
were indemnified of any flaughter committed in appre-
hending any one of thefe perfons, in cafe of refiftance.
^e moji The eminent, faithful and laborious Mr. IVelJh had,
remarka- at the defire of many, made a progrefs thro' the fhire
hie Con. of pijg^ where he preached frequently, fometimes in
"jentic es. ^^^.^j^j. Churchcs, and fometimes in the fields. Other
Minifters alfo preached in vacant Churches. Sharp was
an eye-witnefs to a numerous congregation at Wolmet
chapel. And Mr. IVilliam Weir preach'd to a crouded
aflembly in Magdalen chapel in Edinburgh \ other Mi-
nifters likewife p each'd there, tor which the town was
fined in 100/. fterling; but the meetings moft taken
notice of, were thofe by Mafters Johnjloun and Kirktoun
in the Church of Cramond.
Mr. Inglis Accordingly, on the nth of June the Council paft a
of Cra- decree, or judgment, againft the heritors of Cramond.
mond jin- ^j-^^ jyjj.^ John Inglis of Cramond, appearing and confef-
fing, he had been fix times at the faid Kirk, when Con-
venticles were held there, was fined in the fourth part of
his valued rent, amountir.g to 1036 pounds Scots, and
appointed to lie in prifon, till it v/as paid, and longer,
during
ed.
Chap. lo. CHURCHY/SCOTLAND. 359
during the Council's pleafure j however, he was fet at 1674.
hberty when he paid his fine. The fame day Lord Vx-^vs,/
Balmerino and Sir John Toung of Leny^ denying that Balmeri-
they had been at any of thefe Conventicles, and tdcing ""» ^,^
the oath of allegiance, were difmifs'd -, as was likewife
Mr. Charles Oliphant of Langtoim-law, upon declaring,
that he went to one of thefe, merely out of curiofity ;
and promifing not to go any more, and taking the oath ^
of allegiance. Thus the reader may fee with what brifk-
nefs the new Council went to work. But ftill further to
fupprefs thefe, which they called unlawful and feditious
meetings, they iffued two proclamations on the i8th
of June, the firil was to oblige heritors for their tenants.
In this all mafters of families were ordered to difmifs
from their fervice, all who repaired to Conventicles,
and all heritors, i^c. were ordered to require their te-
nants to fubfcribe the following bond.
" I. N. N. bind and oblige me, that I, my wife, or
** any of my children in family with me, my cottars
" or fervants, fliall not keep, or be prefent at any-Con-
" venticles, either in houfes or in the fields, as the
" fame are defined by the 5th aft of the 2d fefiion of
" his Majefty's fecond parliament, under the pains
" therein contained ; being for f ilk >houfe- Conventicle t ^^'=^'
'■'- twenty five pouflds Scots, for each tenant labouring
" land; twelve pounds for each cottar; and for each + r^^^
" fcrvant man a fourth part of his f years fee ; and the 'w.?^'?^.
" hufband the half of tliefe fines for fuch of their wives
*' and children, as fiiall be at any Houfe-conventicle ;
" and the double of the refpeftive fines for each of the
" laid perfons, that ftiall be at any Field-conventicle,
*' And for the more fecurity, I am content, and confent
'' thefe prefents be infert and regifirate in the books of
" Privy Council, books of Council and felTion, or other
" judges books competent that letters and executorials
" may pafs thereupon, in form as effeirs, and confti-
" tute my Procurators, ^c.
In cafe tenants refufed, they were to be put to the
horn, and their efcheat or forfeiture to be given to their
mafters* Befides, heritors were ordered to oblige their
tenants, for the future, in their IcafeSj or in feparatc
bonds.
ri'^ H I S T O R Y 0/ the Chap. ic.
bonds, to engage to abftain from Conventicles. And
an unlimited power was given to Magiftrates to charge
all they fiifpefted, to give fecnrity for their good,
behaviour. 1 fhall leave the reader to make his own
refledions on thefe unprecedented and unreafonable im-
pofitions.
Proclama- The Other proclamation ifllied this day, was for ap-
tio'^forap- prchcnding rebels and others; that is, the holders of and
rebel'} '"^ repairers to Conventicles ; for here it was declared, that
whoever fliould feize convocators to Conventicles, or
any who have been at them, fo as they may be con-
vifted, Ibould have their fines ; and in cafe of contu-
macy, their efcheats : And whoever fhould apprehend
any Minifter at Conventicles, fhould have looo merles,
and 2 coo for Mailers IVelJh, Semple^ and Arnot.
QentUmtn On the 25th of June, they pafs'd a decree or fen-
fined> tence, againft keepers of Conventicles in Fife, and
the following perfons were fined, viz.
I.
Sir John Kirkaldy of Grange — — 550
Laird of Reddie — — — 850
Scot of Pitlochie — — — — 1000
Pitcairn of Pitlour — — 1050
Pit cairn of Latejioun — — — 200
Charles Cowan of Corjloun — — ■ 333
Robert Colvil in Balvaird — — 1 00
Robert Schaw in Aiichmouty — — . ' 49
James Hamilton of Inner divot — — 1 50
—' Maxwel Provoi^ o^ Auchtermouty — 250
Mr. George Heriot oi Ramorney — — 983
Making in all 555^
And becaufe the Laird of Reddie harboured Mr. H^elfj,
he was fined in 2000 merks ; and Pitlochie, tor his al-
ledgcd impertinent behaviour before the Council, in 500
merks more ♦, and all of them were ordered to lie in prifon
till they paid their fines. There were forty or fifty more
fumrnoned to appear at this time, but not anfwering
the fummons^ they were ordered to be denounced, or.
declared
Chap. lo. C H U R C H ^/ S C O T L A N D. 361
declared rebels. The fame day another decreet was 1674^
pafs'd againft the keepers of Conventicles in feveral '>>'"V>«<
places ; at fome of whom Mr. John Pringle of Wood^
head being prefent, was fined in the fourth part of his
yearly valued rent, and afterwards fet at liberty upon
paying 277 pounds Scots. But fundry of the meaner
people were denounced for not appearing when fum-
moned.
On the 30th of ^line^ the Council received a letter ^^''^'*
from the King dated at Windfor the 23d, wherein his-^r'^-^^
Majefty lets them know, what he had been informed of, "'
relating to the abounding of Conventicles., the invading
of pulpits, xki^ -petition of the women., the refifting of his
forces ("for which laft there was no ground) and that,
for putting an end to all thefe feditious diforders, he had
ordered divers troops of his proteftant fubjeds in Ire-
land., to be in readinefs at the fea-fide in Uljler, to re-
ceive his further commands ; and had alfo ordered
troops to march to Berwick., if there fhould be occafion.
—And in the mean time he required them to ufe their
utmoft rigour, in finding out and bringing to punifh-
ment the ringleaders of the aforefaid feditious and info-
lent praftices, i^c.
On the 2d of Jul)\ the Council returned a very Councils
complaifant anfwer to the above royal letter ; and, at ^'*'"''*-
the fame time, wrote to Lauderdale., giving him an ac-
count of all their proceedings, and fent up the following
overture or propofal : That fince they found it difficult,
to get proof againft the keepers and frequenters of Con^
venticles •, his Majefty's Advocate Ihould have authority
to order fuch perfons as fhall be informed againft to
have been at Field-conventicles., to be fummoned before
the Council, to give their oaths thereupon, with certifi-
cation that they fhall be holden as confeft, — or reputed
guilty if they refufe j and that an aft of Council be made,
warranting the Advocate to refer the Itbel., or charge to
the oath of the defendant, and to reflridt the fame to
arbitrary puniihment.
Before an anfwer came from court, the Council on Decreet «-
the 9th of July., paffed another decreet againft above 50 £f^'i^ . .
perfons in Fife for being atConventicles, nonf of whom ^i^,^
Vol. I. A a a appeared
o
cfejrfi2!.
61 "The VilSTOKY of the Chap. 10.
1674. appeared but the lady Cohil, who, upon producing a
^-"'V'^.^ certificate from the Minifter of the parifb, and promi-
fing not to frequent Conventicles, was difmifs'd. All
the others were denounced. Two days after this the
town of Glafgow was fined in a hundred pounds fterJing,
for a Conventicle kept by Mr. Andrew Mortcun and Mr.
Daniel Cargill. Much about the fame time Mr. Robert
Lmi\ who had, for fome time, been a prifoner at Glaf-
rozi\ was ordered to be brought to Edinburgh for keep-
ing of Conventicles, and warrants were iillied for ap-
prehending Maftcrs Jchn Kingy Jofepb IVallacs and
Andrezv Barton.
'Their fur- On the itth of July, the Council received a return
therpro- fJ-Q^-,-^ j-j-^g King approving of their overture, and re-
quiring them to make an atl in the terms of it, which
was immediately done. The fame day — Livingjion
of Greenyards, and Farquha/-'fon of Ckilbrae were de-
nounced, for being at a Conventicle at •Tcr'ujood ; and
Robert Ged of Bathridge, j.nd Sir John Kirkaldv youn-
ger of Glaim, were fevf;rcly fined. Hie following
worthy perfons were at the fame time declared rebels,
and outlawed, ,for no other cauie than preaching
the golpel, where they could have opportunity, viz.
Mafters Alexajtder Lemtjx, David JVtUiaivfon, Alexander
Moncrief, John Rae, David Hume, Edward Jamifon,
James Frazer of Brae, JVilliam JJ'ljhear!, Thomas Hogg,
Robert Locklpart, Jo]m Welwood, George Johnjloun, Ro-
bert Gillefpie, Jamet: Kirktoun, John lFeir,-^-^M''K!lligen
in Rofs, Nalhanael Martin in Bucha'n, Andrew Donald-
fon in Dalgety, John Chryjiifon in Cowpar, JVilliam
Jiow, Thomas M^Gill, Thomas Urquhart, Thomas Hogg,
JVilliam Erskine, James Donald/on, Pat. Gillefpie, John
Gray, James JVedderburn in Cowpar, John JVardlaw m
Dumfermling, Thomas Douglafs, George Campbel, Brands-
Irvine, James JVallacc, Andre'f Anderfon, John Mmmi-
man, George Hamilton, Andrew Mortoun, Daniel C ar-
gil!, Alexander Partotm, James JVilfon and Robert Max-
wells elder and younger. I would have the reader to
obferve here, that the managers were fo incorrecfb, that
in this lift of Minifters out-lawed, fome of them vvere
dead, otders were indulged bv the Council, and fome
had
Chap, lo. CHURCH (/SCOTLAND.
"ad Tiever offended, fince the King's indemnity. But as
One obferves, thefe were the witnelfes now driven to the
wildernefs.
On the 2 I ft of July Mr. James Drummond^ who had
been a prifoner for lome time in Edinburgh jail for
preaching in families, was fet at liberty. But on the
23d the Council fined thefe four gentlemen for harbour-
ing the above mentioned Mr. IVdjIjy viz. Harry Pit-
cairn of Larejicun^ 1 200 pounds Scots ; Pitcai-rn of
Pitlour, 2000 Merks ; Geo. Scot oi Pitlochie, and C/'^r,
Cowan of Corjleun^ 1000 pounds each. At the fame time
the Magiftrates of Perth were appointed to apprehend
Mr. Alex. Mcncrief, an ejedled Minillcr, and Arcb.
Douglajs of Cliftonhall, and James Maxwell., Provo-i: of
Auchterrnuchty^ were fined tor being at Conventicles, the
firft in 381 pounds, and the other in 252.
On the 28th of the fame month, the Council difcharged
Meflrs. Robert and John haws 2,xAJohn King., prifoners
in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh., from keeping Conven-
ticles, under the penalty of being treated as feditious.
perfons, and obliged each of them torgive a bond, and
furety for 5000 me:ks, to appear v/licn called ; and
the fame day recommended to the Bifliops, to enquire
what Chaplains and Schoolmafters officiated in their re-
fpedive diocefes without their licence. And,
At the fame fcderunt, a great many letters were wrote Str.teof
to the Royal Burghs tiirough the kingdom, enjoining t>e rcyal
them rigoroufly to execute the laws againft Conventicles \ '■"'"'S,^-^'
afTuring them, that, in cafe of failure, they would exad
the fines from them, without any abatement. And in '^^'"■'''^' p.
order to fliew the fpirit of the managers at this time, ^'"'
the reader is to obferve, that " the burghs in Scotland
have, by law, a privilege of meeting once a year in a
body, to confider of trade, and of by-laws relating to it.
At a Convention held this year, a petition was agreed
on and lent to the king, complaining of fome late ad;s
that hindered trade ; for the repeal of which, there was
great need for a feffion of padiament : they therefore
prayed, that when the king fent down aCommiffioner to
hold afefiion, he might be inftrucled in ord^r to that re-
peal. This being a lawful afiembly, vv^asjudged legal by the
A a a 2 lawyers,
364 ^'he HISTORY of the Chap. 10.
1674. lawyers, efpecially, fays Bifhop Burnet^ as they did not
\yW'\j petition for a parliament, but only for inftrudtions to
the fefllon. However, it was condemned as feditioiis,
and the promoters of it were fined and impnfoned."
•Kino's let- The fame 28th of July a letter from the King, dated
*L>thi^^the ^^ Windfor the i6th, was read in council, declaring,
^i/L/j ^/ That he had wrote to the^ Archbifliop of St. Andrews.,
Duniblain that it was his royal pleafure, that the Bifliop of Dum-
..■4d Bre- llain be tranflated to the Ips \ that the Bifliop of Bre^
c in, ^c. ^jy^^ j^g appointed to preach at the College Kirk of Edin-
hiirgh J and that the Bilhiop of Edinburgh remove Mr.
Turner., Mr. Robertfon., and Mr. Cant from the exercifc
of the miniftry in Edinburgh^ or any place in his diocefe,
without licence ; and that Mr. Hamilton be removed
from Leith ; and therefore his Majefly required the
Council to oblige the Bifhop of Dumblain to repair to
the JJles., within two weeks •, and that within ten days
Mr. Turner remove from Edinburgh to Glafgow ; Mr.
Robertfon to Auchterkfs., in the diocefe of Aberdeen •, Mr.
Cant to Libber ton ; and Mr. Hamilton to Cramond, till
further orders.
'Hia/oif of The reader will judge whether this was not the full
^'- exercifj of the royal fupremacy. Birtiops and Minifters
were removed and confined, without any procefs or
trial! Rut that he may have the occafion of this
proceeding, I fiiall briefly relate it as follows.
torn- In the months of May and June., not only fome of
faints cf the inferior clergy, but of the Bi/hcps themfelves, began
^Tf'"^'-'^ to complain openly, that the chuich was not governed
■^''''^ ' ■ in an ecclefiaftical way, but in a moft arbitrary manner \
and that Sharp aded as a Pope., managing all church
affairs, v/ithoutconfuking with i\\t other Bijhops. And that
though there was a law for a national Synod., (p. 161.) yt't,
through his influence, none had been called. Sharp and
his friends alledged, that thefe complaints were ground*-'
lefs, and were only fomented by the country-party., as it
was called, in oppofition to Lauderdale' s, adminiftration.
But, be that as it will, their complaints and the motion
for a 7iational fynod., were confented to by Mr. Lawry,
Bifhop of Brechin., and Mr. Ramfay., Birtiop of Dtim-
llain. But the former was prevailed with to come into
Skarp\ I
Chap. 10. CHURCH %/
above mentioned in the King's letter, were the moft
adtive ; for though their Diocefan, the Bifhop of Edin-
l>urgb, was moft averfe from a national Synod, yet
they and fome others agreed to prefent a petition to
him, praying his lordlhip to do his utmoft to get his
Majefty to call fuch a Synod, for confidering the dif-
orders in the Church. When this petition was prefented
I know not. However, this fadly frightened Sharps and
therefore he wrote a whining letter to the Archbifhop
oi Canterbury^ fetting forth. That theCHURCH was in Sharp'j
DANGER -, a remarkable word ! and begging he would conduct.
ufe his intereft with his Majeity to prevent any fuch
thing as was defired. Sharp likewife laid the matter Co««$
Clerk tp the fynod, and to Mr. Bavid Clunie their bur- ^'"'^^'W-
C c c 2 far.
380 57?^ H I S T O R Y of the Chap. 10.
1675. ^^^. Some paid, others refufed. The fame day, the
X/^i'^sJ Council wrote to the King, complaining of Pohjuarf^
giving in a bill of fufpenfion to the Lord Collington, as
above, and that they had impriioned him on that ac-
count. On the 5th of O^ohcr they received his Ma-
jefty's anfvver, approving of their condu6t, and requiring
them to declare him incapable of all publick truil, and
to ftnd him a clofe prifoncr to St'irling-c^ftle.
On the 4th of No'cember the reverend Mr. Thomas
Rofs, in the fhire of that name, v;as apprehended for
Ccnz-entides, and imprifoned in Tain^ and alterwardsfen t
to the Bafs^ where he continued, for fome time, with
Others of his brethren.
There is little more occurs during the reft of this year «,
only in December the Council gave a Commifrion, much
of the fame nature with the {orm.er, to the tv/o Arch-
piSMOPs, the Earls of Seaforth and Dinidonald^ concerr-.
jng CciTverjicks, which were the great eye-fore of the
Prelates. On the 16th of D^f^wZ-^;' the Council, finding
that Mr. Janies Mitcbel had endeavoured to make his
efcape, ordered him to be fecured in a clofer place in
the Tolbooth.
I fliall only obferve, that as many in the fhire of Ber-
wick appeared againft the arbitrary proceedings of thefe
times, fo the fines levied by the Earl of Hume in that
fhire during this year for nonconformity amounted to
l^d^^l. 1 3 J. A^d. Scots^ and in the parifh of Gordon
3328/. '^ s. Scots \ from which the reader may eafily
form a judgment of the vaffc opprefTion of the people
by the lines impofed for nonconfcnniiy and Cowjenti*
cles.
CHAP.
Chap. TO. CHURCH c/ SCOTLAND. 381
CHAP. XI.
Of Mr. MitchelV torture^ the ■proceedings of the Coun-
cil, the circumjlances of the indulged, the profecutions
for Conventicles, the occafions of the Highland-hofl,
and other occurrences to the end of the year 1677. 1676
NOtwithdanding the letters of interccmmumng, and
the fevere penal laws in force •, and though the
foldiers in the garifons were diligent in harrafllng, rob-
bing, wounding and imprifoning whom they reckoned
haunters of Conventicles •, yet thefe meetings could not
be fupprefs'd. The Minillers would preach, and the
people would hear, being in nothing terrified by their ad-
verftp.ries. The Lord's Supper was likewife adminiftered Lor^s
in leveral places. Mr. John Law^ after the revolution ^"Z^"" °'^-
one of the Minifters at Edinburgh, difpens'd that ordi- '"•"'^^^'■'''*
nance in the night-time to a numerous meeting at Kip-
pe)U being alTifted by Mr. Hugh Smith and Mr. Matthew
Crawford. Mv. Alexander Jamifon., Mr. Hugh Smith cLdmi-
nifrer'd the fame ordinance at the houfe of the Hagg's
near Glafgciv., and at another time Mr. Sf7iith admini-
ftered to his own parifhioners at Eaftwood., afTiiled by
Mafters Will. Thomfon, John Ray and Matt. Crawford.
Thefe were fealing times to many. Mr. Jamifon died
fome time this year. He had been profeffor of philo-
fophy at St. Andrews., and had a patent for the profef-
forfhip of divinity, but did not accept of it, though all
knew he v/as well qualified, being a perfon of great
piety and learning. Thefe things much gall'd the Bi-
fidops. Wherefore they {tr. the managers to work, in
order to put a ftop to thefe proceedings. But I fhall
relate the tranfactions in order.
About the beginning of the year 1676, Duke Ha- -Ogiates
inilton was at London, where the King was pleafed to befween
hear fome of his complaints againft Lauderdale, in pre- Hamilton
fence of the Duke of Tork, the Earl of Athol (now ""^^^l^^'
made a Marquis) and others. The former urged the
miferable
382 r/^^ H I S T O R Y
of the mod arrogant cheats, Hars and rogues he had «/ ^^^ ^^r,
known. The prifoner replied, *' My Lord, if there were
" fewer of thofe perfons you have been fpeaking of in
" the nation, I Ihould not now be {landing this night
" at the bar.'* After fome further difcourle he was
committed to prifon.
On the 2 2d, he was again brought before them in
the lower Council-houfe, when a paper was produced, al-
ledged to be fubfcribed by him ; and being ihterrogated
as above, he faid. My Lord, I acknowledge no fuch
thing. The prefes, faid, Sir, you fee what is on the
table {the boots) I will fee, if that will make you do it.
Mr. Mitchel anfwered, " My Lord, I confefs, that, by
torture, you may caufe me to blafpheme God, as Saul
did compel the faints •, you may compel me to fpeak
amifs of your Lordfhips, to call myfelf a thief, a
murderer, ^c. and then f pannel me upon it ; but f arrdpt.
if you fhall, my Lord, put me to it, I here proteft
before God and your Lordfhips, that nothing extorted
from me by torture, fhall be made ufe of againfl me
in judgment, nor have any force in lav/ againfl me or
any other perfon. But to be plain with you, my
Lords, I am fo much of a chriftian, that whatever
your Lordftiips fhall legally prove againft me, if it
be a truth, I fhall not deny it ; but on the contrary,
I am fo much of a man, and a Scots man, that I ne-
ver held myfelf obliged, by the law of God, nature
or the nation, to be my own accufer." So that flill
perfifting in refufing to own the fubfcription of the paper
they had produced, he was again fent to prifon.
Oq.
384 ne HlSr ORY cf ihe Ghap. lO.
1676. On the 24th of January^ the Juftices came in their
^'VNJ robes to the inner parliament houle ; the prifoner was
brought before them \ and the executioner and the boots
were prefented. He was again interrogated as above,
but perfifting in his refufal, he was tied in an elbow
chair, and the hoot brought. The executioner a(l<:'d
which of the legs he fhould take ; the Lords faid, any
of them. The executioner taking the left leg, Mr.
Miichel faid, fmce the judges have not determined, take
the beji of the two; for I freely beftow it in the caufe,
and fo he put his right leg in the engine. Upon this
the Advocate defired leave to fpeak a few words, but
continued his difcourfe for a conCiderabie time. And
Mr. Mitchel having anfwered the moft material things,
upwards of thirty queftions were propofed to him, par-
ticularly*t:oncerning the affair of Pentland, to fee if they
could find him in a contradiftion. But perceiving. their
defign, and the wedge pinching the boot, and paining
him moft fenfibly, he fpoke as follows. " My Lords,
•' (not knowing that I fhall efcape this torture with
*' my life) I befeech you to remember what Solo-
*' mon faith, he who Jheweth no mercy Jh all have judg-ment
*• ivithout mercy. And if there be any here prefent, as
*' I hope there are few or none, whofe difpofition is fa
*' eager in purfuing after innocent blood, that nothing
" elfe than a full draught will fatisfy them •, I fay, let
" fuch remember what is fpoken Rev. xix. 5, 6. Thou
•' art righteous, i^c. And now my Lords, I do freely
*' andfrommy heart, forgive you, who are judges fitting
*' on the bench, and the men who are appointed to be
*' about this horrid work, and alfo thofe who are viti-
*' ating their eyes beholding the fame. And I do en-
" treat that God may never lay it to the charge of any
*' of you, as I beg that God may be pleafed for his fon
*' Chrift's fake to blot out my fins and iniquities, and
*' never lay them to my charge here nor hereafter.
The queftions being all over, the executioner took
down his leg from a cheft, where it lay all the while in
the boot^ and thrufting in his Oielves began his ftrokes,
at each of which they afk'd if he had any more to fay,
he anfwered, No more, my Lords. There were nine ftroj^es
given
Chap. 10. CHURCHY/SCOTLAND. 38^
given on the wedge, at the lad of which he fainted 1676.
through the extremity of pain •, fo that the executioner ^s.*^'-'^-/
cried out. My Lords^ he is gone, he is gone. Then they
commanded to leave off the torture, and, rifing from
their feats, went away ; after which he was returned to
the prifon in the chair m which he was tied during the
torture. We fhall hear more of him afterwards.
It is true Mr. Mitchel had made a confeffion upon ■^^^^^'^^
the promife of his hfe •, but the managers having re-
voked their promife, becaufe he would not adhere to his
confeffion before the Lords of jufliciary, and to be his
own accufer ; the reader muft determine how far he was
to blame now, in not owning his confeffion judicially,
as they had judicially revoked the condition, upon v/hich
the confeffion was made. And to put a man to torture,
for finding out things, for which they had not the leaft
proof, feems to be unprecedented and cruel ; and to
bring him to a further trial, after torture, appears to be
unjull. But thefe things I muft leave to the derm.ination
of others.
On the loth of Fehriiary\ feveral perfons were fined Perfoni
for being at Conventicles, as Durham di Largo 1200 1, fi'^^^'
Scois, for harbouring Mr. John IFel/Ij, and 2500/. for
being at two Conventicles, where he preach'd. This
was either the fecond or third time, that this Gentleman
was fined. Ed. Gillefpie was fired in 200/. R. Richard fori
100 /. Colonel Ker and Lady fVhitflaid 500 merks each ;
Meffi-s. Stuart., Stirling., Hamilton 1 00 /, Scots a piece ;
ail for being at a Houie-conventicle at Edinburgh. And
that they might be punifhed twice for the fame fault,
the Magiftrates were like wife allowed to fine them for
their relief. Such was the juftice of thefe times !
Some prifoners in the Tolbccth of Stirling met with St-vcrity a
an uncommon piece of fcverity, about this time, r^hovx^' 'J''"'*^
the end of 1674, about fifteen iren were impiifcned ^{-'^^^^"^^"S'
Stirling for being at a Conventicle -, eight of them, by
fome interefi, got out after 15 months confinement : the
other feven laid their deplorable cafe before the Council.
Charles Campl el was upwards of fixty years of age, John
■Adam near feventy, and fome of the reft were under
great bcdily 4iidilpcritiGn. But fcch were the tender
Vol. I. D d d mercies
215^ H I S T O R Y #/ the Chap. lo.
mercies of thefe Counfellors, that they made a prefent
of them to one Captain Mditiand, an officer in the fer-
vice of France. An order came, for this end, to the Ma-
gift rates oi Stirling, figned by the Earl oi Linlithgow, and
the Lords Haltoun and Collingtcim. Accordingly, when
every thing was got ready, about midnight, on the 1 8th
of February, the poor men were broiight forth, wichout
having the kaft previous notice, and delivered to about
• fifty foot foldiers, who carried them off fettered and tied,
to one another. One John Pater fon was let out fome
days before, being, in all appearance, in a dying con-
dition. But fuch is the fupport of a good coafcience and
a good eaufe -, that they all went off with chearfulnefs,
leaving their wives and children behind them.
About this time. Lord Cardrofs fent up a petition tc^ "^
the King. But his Majefty wrote ta the Council a letter
dated the 24th of February, requiring them not to fet
him at liberty, till he had made full payment of the fine
impofcd upon him. In the fame ktter. Sir Patrick Hume
of Polivart, and Lieutenant General Drmnmond were
ordered to be fet at hberry, only the former was to re-
main incapable of all publick truft, till further orders.
Order i fur Qn the firft di March the ArchbiOiop of St. Andrew!^
^h^^'\ the Bifhops of Edinburgh and Aberdeen were appointed
^**^' ■ to enquire, if all the mafters of univerfities and colleges
had taken the oaths of allegian-ce dtndifupremacy, accord-
ing to law. Orders were hkewife given for making a
ftrift enquiry, whether all Magiftrates of Burghs and
orlier inferior officers hud fign'd the dedaration, and to
profecute fuch as had not.
Proctama- The fame day, a very fevere proclamation was agreed
tions a- j-Q againft Conventicles, by which, the decay of religion
^onventi- ^'^'"^ mcreafe of profanenefs is afcribed to the feparation
dcs. from publick worfiiip, and the frequency of Conventicles.
But tlie truth is thi decay of religion, i^c. was entirely
owing to the b.vd practices of the incumbent clergy, and
the want of difcipline in the eftablifhed Church, as fe-
veral of themfelves have acknowledered. Whereas the
preaching of the eje5led Minifters in private houfes, and
in the open fields, had a fingular tendency to ruj:)prcrs
vice, and turn manv to rightcounefsj and was remarka-
• blT
Chap. lo. CHURCH 0/ SCOTLAND.
biy blefs'd of God for thefe valuable ends ; but every-
thing that was evil muft now be attributed to Conven-
ticles. By the faid proclamation, Papijts^ according to
the cuflomof the times, were blended with Prejhyterians ;
and Magiftrates were ordered to profecute them, and
apprehend intercommuned perfons and fugitives : But
the Papijls were very eafy -, for they knew that they
had little to apprehend from the threatnings of this time. *
But what follows was ftili harder ; all preachers "Joho
dorCt attend publick worjliip^ that is, hear the incumbents
at their own paridi Churches, before the ill: of June^
were to be punifhed for nonconformity. If this was not
perfecution for confcience fake, the reader mull judge
what is. All who harboured the inter ccmmuned were
made liable to the fame pains with //v;;?, and a reward
of 500 merks was ordered to be prefently paid to any,
who fhould difcoverfuch. All inferior Judges and Ma-
giftrates were threatned, if they did not execute the laws.
The fine of 500 merks was impofed upon each Burgh,
where a Conventicle was kept, belides their bond to the
Council, It was further declared, that the heritors fnall
be fined, in a years rent of the houfe, where any fuch
meeting fliould be held ; and, to encourage informers^
a part of this fine was promifed to thent. In fhort, if
any Chaplain, Schoolmatfer, or Pedagogue was enter-
tain'd without a licence from the Bifhop of the diocefe,
a Nobleman was to pay 3000 merks, a Gentleman 1 200,
and a Burgefs 600,
Great were the hardfhips of the protejlant nonconfor- ^■°'"'"'ft"i
mifis in England at this time •, but nothing could exceed p'./,^',]^
the perfecuting fpirit, the managers m Scotland difco- -.he'ra.'^
vered. The foldiers were the daily executioners of the
laws. And now and then the, Council fent fpecial com-
•mifllons to particular perfons for fupprefling Coni-cnticks.
Accordingly on the faid i^o'i March ^ feveral committees
were appointed. One was ordered to (it at Edinburgh^
another at Glafgow^ another at Stirling and in Fife, and
one for Aberdeenfhire^ Murray and liofs. I fhall have
occafion to relate the proceedings of that at Glafgow
in its proper place j only at this time a very ftrict fcarch
was made for Conventicles and eje^led Minilf ers in Glaf-
D d d 2 " gow
r/:^^ H I S T O R Y of the Chap. lo:
goiv and other Burghs, and the town of Perth was
fined.
Froclama- The clamour made by the episcopal Clergy in the be-
tion about ginning of the year, againft the indulged prefbyterian Mi-
*£d ivrr-' '^^'^^^^-'> ^^^ breaking their confinement, and the inftruc-
ftei-s^ tions given them by the Council (p. 325.) produced a
new proclamation dated this ift of March, wherein par-
I ticular notire was taken ot the firft four rules •, but the two
lad, relating to their attending on the diocefan meetings,
and paying the dues to the Clerk and Burfer of the dio-
cefan fynod were omitted. The proclamation concludes
thus: " And whereas it is informed, that the faid ouied
*' Minifters indulged^ as aforefaid, at leail many of
" them, have violated and contravened the forefaid or-
*' ders and inftrudlions (upon ivhich terms they were
" permitted and indulged to preach and exercife the
" other functions of the Miniftry) whereby many dif-
" orders are occafioned. The faid Lords do therefore,
" of nev/ again, require and command all thefe indulged
*' Minifters to keep and obferve the forefaid orders and
*' inilructions in time coming, and fpecially for keeping
*• v/ithin the bounds of their own parilhes, and celebrat-
*' ing the communion upon one and the fame Lord*s
" Day, as they will be anfwerable at their peril. And
" ordain thefe prefents to be printed, and copies thereof
^ " fent to the feveral Minifters." And the fame day, as
my author found from the Regifters, the Council,
*' difcharged the No/iconforniiji Minifters to admit any
*' of the Minifters, not licenfed by law, to their com-
" munions or pulpits, and if they difobey, appointed
" the Bifhops of the diocefe to depofe them."
Rcmin-h. From this additional order, aud the claufe within the
parenthefis (upon zi^hich i:rms they were permitted and
indulged to preach and exercife the other funftions of
^ the miniftry) one would be apt to imagine that this
proclamation was intended to divide the Prefbyterian
Minifters among ihemfelves. And it is certain that the
indulgence proved the occafton of much divifion. They
who could not comply with the indulgence, on account
of the ei'aflianifin that run through the whole of it, con •
demned thofe that complied, as renouncing prefbyterian.
, prin-
Chap. to. CHURCHY/SCOTLAND. 389
principles •, becaule it was faid, that the obfervatlon of 1676.
thofe inilruftions was the terms^ upon which they were y^/"*^
indulged-, and therefore when they accepted of the ?V ^\'^°^^"'
dulgence upon fuch terms, they conjented to receive their p. ^5. *
miniftry and the free exercife of it, on thefe conditions ;
fo that, whether they pundtually obferved them after-
wards or not, the bargain was cftablifhed. And though
at firft, thefe initruclions, when given, were not exprefly
fo called, yet the manner of propofal was fuch, as all
who would not willingly be enfnared, might have been
convinced, thaty2', and no otherwife, they were intend-
ed, and, upon the matter, could bear no other confiirLic-
tion. On the other hand, they who had clearnefs to
accept of the indulgence, though they could not obferve
the rules and inftruftions given, argued, that they did
not look upon thefe as the condiiions of their acceptance^
but as the impofitions of the Magiftrate ; as the reader
will fee from a petition of the Reverend Mr. Thoiuas
Wylie, occafioned by the above mentioned proclama-
tion, of v/hich 1 fhall give the following abreviat.
*' Moji Honourable,
" I would moft willingly have forborn this addrefs, if
not conftrained thereto by your Lordfhips late adl. —
The aft September the third, 1672, irt its complex
contrivance, with the other two of the fame date, were
not a little grievous to many, and to me : yet,— Jook-
ing upon thefe rules in the fecond aft, as enjoined
■f fub pcena, I refolved (having an invitation from the f under a
people) thankfully to accept of the permiffion, — and pnalty. ^<
to anfwer, when challenged, for every breach of the
rules, which I ever looked upon as orders, and not
as terms, or confiderations, upon which we were per-
mitted to preach : neither can I look upon them, or
any thing in the firft contrivance as fuch ; for terms
upon which, &c. import a compaft between the giver
and receiver •, but in this matter, I knew of no fuch
thing, — Your Lordfhips only enjoined them with —
certification, as thofe concerned will be anfwer able : fo
that— there is nothing in all thefe afts, fo much as
intimaing, that your Lordlhips intended any confent
" or
The HIST ORY of the Chap. lo.'
or obligation, by way of condition^ from the receivers
of your oifer •, but — contented yourfelves with the
intimation of your pleafure with certification. — Your
Lordfhips offer being free, the acceptance arbitrary,
the rules not enjoined as conditions, but commands
fub pivna^ and the refolution of minilters, as to them,
being either to give a latisfying reafon, or fuffer
with a good confcience for neglecting them — I and
others have been in readinefs, hitherto, to anfwer
every one convincingly, who, cither out of malice,
were apt to reproach, or, out of fcruple, to ftumble
at the lead ufe making o'i the allowance, as if we
thereby had involved ourfelves in complying with,
and approbation o'i prelacy^ eraHianifm^ the ftipremacy
in its full extent, Cffc. v/hich things to approve, were
contrary to the known piinciples of Prejhyterians.
But now it being your Lordfhips pleafure, to impofe
thefe rules upon us, as terms upon which we are per-
mitted and indulged., ^c. 1 confefs, — though — I do
not deny to the King's Majefly his jufi power about
matters ecclefiaftical, allowed him by the Word of
God, and praclifed by the godly reforming Kings of
Judah •, yet I dare not, becaufe of the awe of God
upon me, do any thing, as my own proper fa6l and
deed, that will involve me in fuch approbation and
compliances, contrary to my confcience ; fuch as tfie
acceptance of the rules under the notion of terms upon
which, i^c. or the oblervance of them impofed as
orders, would do." Upon this he prayed for the
free and full exercife of his miniftry, without any flrait-
ning impofitions.
He alfo drew up another paper, containing fhort and
folid reafons, why Prejbyterian Miniflers could not, in
tHeir pra'ftice, fall in with the rules commanded by the
council i but as I have already given an cxtraft of the
grievances of fevcral Prefiytsrian Minifters as to the in-
dulgence., and particularly the reafons of Mr. John Bur-
net., p. 326, i^c. 343,
Chap. II. CHURCH c/SCOTLAND. 395
King, and for the Fanatics. Accordingly, a new no- 1676.
mination of the Council came down ; and all who would l/VNJ
not fubmit to Halkwi and the Primate^ were left out, as
Duke Hamilton, who had fpoke much in defence of
Jervifwood, the Lord Privy- feal, the Earl of Kincar-
dine the Earl of Dwidonald, and others. Kincardin and
a few more went to court, and laid the affair before the
King, but without any effe6l.
For, on the 20th of Juh\ a new ccmmifTion of Committe
Council v/as lent down, wherein the ArchbilLop 01 St. f'J^ P"^l"^
Andmvs was appointed to preiide in the abfence of the '
Chancellor. And the fame day the two Archbidiops,
the Lord Privy- feal, the Earls of Argyle, Mar^ Murray^
Linlithgow e &c. or any three of them, were appointed
their Committee Jcr public ^ffairs^ and received commif-
fion and authority to meet, when and where they pleafcd,
and to take trial of Ccnvefiticlcs^ inVi^Jions of pulpit s^ &c.
with power to fummon, apprehend, bring under bond,
and give what orders, they thought proper, to the Forces,
Sheriffs, and other Magifti-ates, and to confider the con-
dition of prifoners, and to do all things neceffary for his
Majefty's fervice, and make report to the Coiini^l.
And now Prelacy was at the height, when the tv/o Remcrh,
Archbifhops, with any third creature, had, in a manner,
the whole management put into their hands. What a
low pafs religion and liberty were in, v/hen the Primate
and other two, in his chamber, might give what orders
they had a mind, muft be left with the reader.
TThe fame day the Council had before them feveral Stai.-fty
who had been imprifoned by the Committee at Glaf-f'^'^'
gow {■^, 391.) and fined them as follows, 'viz. James
Hamilton of Aikenhead one thoufand pounds Scots., Mr.
Hugh Corbet of Hargray., Mr. Ninian Hill of Lambhill,
and Gabriel Hamilton of Wejiburn^ one thoufand Merks
each ; Patrick Hamilton of NeiJf.and, three hundred
pounds -, Alath. dimming., two hundred pounds. What
came of the others formerly mentioned, is not known :
but as Alex. IVardrop of Dcmarnock gave his oath, and
confeffed his being at one Conventicle, he was fined
only in fifty merks j and they v/ere all ordered to remain
E e e ?< in
rheHlSrORY of the Chap. ii.
in prifon till they paid their fees, which they quickly
did.
Parcvers to i^he Committee of Council ordered all Sheriffs, t?f.
'facers ^^ iummon before them all, who fhould be informed
againft by the conformable Clergy, and to fine and im- "
prifon them, and give an account of their diligence to
the Council, Thefe Under-officers fummoned multi-
tudes •, but people finding they muft give their oaxhyfuper
inquirendis^ did not appear, and were therefore declared
fugitives, and afterwards intsrcoynmuned. This obliged
many to wander from place to place. However, God
remarkably appeared for them, raifed up friends to fup-
ply their ncceflities, and fupport them in their diftreffes.
But this difperfing of Minifters and people tended greatly
to the fpreading of the gofpel. They who formerly
preached to a few, in private houfes, now preached to
multitudes in the fields, with great fuccefs, tho' at the
iitmoft hazard. And as the vitious lives of moft of
the prelatical Clergy hardened many in their wickednefsi,
fo the faithfulnefs, integrity and holy zeal of thefe con-
fejfors, were convincing proofs, that there was a reality
m religion, efpecially confidering the remarkable judg-
ments, that now and then fell upon their mercilefs per-
fecutors.
fhe King Sucli wss the perfccuting fpirit, that raged at this
ivritesto {jj-j-^e^ fj^^t it tcachcd to places out of his Majefty's do-
*''' '^ ^^' minions \ for, by the influence of Sharp, the King was
prevailed with to write to the States General oi xht United
Provinces, to remove James Wallace, MefTrs. Robert
M^ Ward 3.nd John Broivn, out of their provinces (p. 115,
147.) It is likely this James Wallace was the Colonel of
that name, who was engaged at Pentland. But the States
being convinced of the unreafonablenefs of this demand,
efpecially as MefTrs, M'-JVard and Brown had complied
with the fentence palled upon them in the years 1661
and 1662, would not comply with it •, and gave notice
to Lord Benningen their EmbafTador in England, to com-
municate their refolution in the moft prudent way he
could. The curious reader may fee a tranflation of the
refolution of the States, dated the 3 ill of July in War^
droWy vol. i, p. 434> 435»
♦ Though
Chap. II. CHURCH J
on the third of /bigujl^ the Council intercommuned Mr, P'-o^^^^i- ^
James Kirktciin^ Alexander Lennox^ John Rae, David ^citrlil'^^
Hume^ Edward Jamifon^ Robert Lockhart^ John Wal- Aug. {,
ivood, John IVeir^ Andrew Donald/on, fometime in Dal-
gety, Thomas M'Gili^ James Wederhurn in Cowpar^ TIjo-
mas Douglas, Fran. Irvine, Alexander Bar tram, and Alex-
ander Wtlfon, and renewed their commiflion for fuppref-
fing Conventicles in the northern fhires, with a particu-
lar eye to BaMff. They likewife paft fentence againft
a vail many, in their abfence, above forty or fifty in
in Fife, and about thirty or forty more in Chiirnfide and
the country adjacent.
The fame day, Mr. Alexander Forejler was, by the
Council, ordered to the Bafs, and Mr. William Erjkine
and the Laird of Bedland, both in Stirling Caftle, to
Dumbarton. At the fame meeting Mr. Robert Steedman,
Minifter at Carridden, Mr. Geo-rge Haliburton, Miniftcr
at Dalgety, and Mr. James Duncan, in the family of
Balhoujie, were denounced for keeping Conventicles, as
were Alexander Gordon of Knockbreck, Henry M'-Cullocb
of Bernholm, — Hay of Arrowland, the old Lady Men-
reth, Robert M'-Clellan of Bannagachan, Patrick Prance of
Drumblair, all in Galloway •, Thomas Blackwell and others
in Glafgow were denounced for al 'edged harbouring af
interccm}7iuned pevfons. And Mr. Douglas of Cavers was
fummoned to appear for keeping Mr. James OJburn, as
his Chaplain, without the BilTiOp's licence -, but not ap-
pearing, they were both denounced and outlawed.
Whether this was the Reverend Mr. Ojlurn who was,
after the revolution, ProfelTor of Divinity in the Marfjal
College of Aberdeen, I know not ; but I am allured by
his fon, the prefent Reverend Principal of that Univer-
fity, that he was a very great fufferer in this period ;
but that, fuch was his modelly, he declined fpeak-
ing on that fubjeft -, fo that the particulars are not
known.
The fame day, Aitguji the tlf rd, Mr. Ktr of Kevj-
land (p. 314.) was fent along with 7^? r.y^3C'5i?^, piifoner,
to Sterling Cajlle, where he corjtinu d fome time. TVom
* ti;ejce
39« ri'^ H I S T O R Y of the Chap, i r,
1676. thence he was fent back to Dumbarton^ and lay there till
ii.^-V'Ni*' Ohoher^ ^^77- The reader may now fee how much
biiiiners was tranfadted in one day -, but as the perfons
were moltly abfent, the procefies could not be tedious,
fmce the Committtee for public affairs had prepared
every thing for voting.
Mr. An- On the fixth of September^ Robert Andrew in Culrofs,
drew was fined in fifty pounds Sterling for keeping Con-
fi""^' 'Denticles.
j^l.^ On the I ith of O^ober, the Council being informed
M'Gllli- that Mr. John M'-Gilligen (p. 378, 379.) was appre-
gen'i ftif- hended in Murray^ ordered him to be brought to the
ferings. pj-ifon of Edinburgh. The fufferiiigs of this valuable
perfon, fince the eftablifhment of Prelacy^ were many*
The manner of his being apprehended was remarkable.
Being called to baptize a child of his dear brother Mr.
Hugh Anderfon^ he ftaid at his houfe all night. And
that night, at three different times, he dream'd, that
there were three men come to the houfe to apprehend
him. Though he wa3 no obferver of dreams, yet the
repetition of the fame thing, made him thoughtful. He
committed his cafe to God, and had fcarce got up and
was drefs'd, when three of Seaforth's fervants came and
fiezed him, and carried him to Fortrofe, where he was
fome time in prifon, and in a fpeech to the Provoft,
bore an excellent teftimony againfl Prelacy.
From thence he was fent to Nairn., from that to Edijt-
hurgh^ and from that to the Bafs -, where, for fome time,
he was not allowed a fervant tp make his bed-, be-
ing forced to do all thefe fervile offices for himfelf.
But he has left it on record, that the upper fprings flowed
liberaUy and fweetly, when the nether fprings were imbit-
tered to him. And though, through the interefl of Lord
M^Cleod, he had afterwards fome more liberty, yet here
he contraded that gravel, that put an end to all his
Ibrrovvs.
On the 1 2 th of O^ober Mr. William Bell and Robert
Dick were both fent to the Bafs^ for a Field-conventicle
near P entland-hills .
On the 6th of November., the Council being informed
tliat Mr. Patrick Hamilton j brother to the Laird of Hal-
craig.
Chap. II. CHURCH (?/ SCOTLAND.
craig^ had preached in a private houfe at Edinburgh^
fined Mrs. Mary Hepburn Lady Salt cotes in 200
Scots, and her daughter Mrs. Mary Liddingtoun in 200 ^^'""•*'y
merks for being prefent •, and fent Mary Haldane and '^J ^'J
Bejjie Muir to priibn, till they fhould find bail, for a
thoufand merks each, to remove from the town of
Edinburgh and fix miles round it. At the {amc federunt,
they relcafed Mr. j^ndreiv Kennedy of Clcwhurn, upon a
bond of ten thoufand merks, to appear when call'd,
though nothing criminal could be proved againft him.
And fuch was the zeal of the managers, that on the Dunlop of
30th of ISIovember, the Council fined James Dunlop o^ ^o\x^i\\.
HcuJIjiUm the fhire oi Renfrew^ inthefum of a thouiand
merks for neglefling his duty in fuppreffing Conventicles,
and declared him incapable of a^fling any more as Bailie- f J pre-
depute of the f regality of Glafgow. No mifmanage- "^^^ endw
ment could be laid to his charge, further than that he ^f '^^'"^
only he could not keep pace with the Prelates in perfecut- preroTa-
ing thofe who heard the gofpel. However, he was af- tix-es.
terwards reftored to his office, but being unacceptable to
the Archbiihop and others, he did not long continue in it.
On the yth of December Mr. John Law, late Mini- Mr. Law
fter at Camp/ie, being called and not appearing, v/as '^"^'^'^»ced,
ordered to be denounced. He v/as charged for keeping
Conventicles, invading pulpits, ana being concerned in
the ordaining perfons for the miniftry. Two days after
this, the town of Edinburgh was fined in fifty pounds
fterling, for a Cow:enticle lately held there.
I fhall now end the tranfactions of this year, with an
account of fome, who fuffered ; but the particular datts
I know not.
For feveral years, the reverend Mr. Andrevj Donald- Mr. Do,
fon (p. 1 89.) late Minifcer at Dalgety, continued to "^^^^°"'^
preach in a Gentleman's houfe in that country, till,-^"-^^'"'^'*^
through the inftigation of the Prelates, he was inter-
communed on the 3d of Auguft this year. He v/as
now old and infirm, Hev did not chufe to preach in
the time of publick worfhip, only fom.etimes on the ^
fabbath evening to his own family, and a few others,
who came to hear him. For this caufe a party of fol--
diers came one night, and carried him out of his bed,.
40O r;^ H I S T O R Y /r/ the Chap, i r.
1676. to the prifon of Unlithgow^ where he continued more
(•'V'NJ than a year. The commander of the party, by whom
he was thus apprehended, died under great horror of
confcience, for the part he aded in his matter. In the
months of April or May 1679, he gave the Earl oi Ar-
gyle warning of his after fufferings and death, ,as that
noble peer told feveral in the caftle of Edinburgh, a few
days before his martyrdom. Mr. Donald/on continued
under trouble till the year 1687.
j; .^, Gilbert M'-Lazirnith of Dinmurchie^ a Gentleman of a
raith. moderate eftate in the fliire of Air, was this year inter-
communed, merely for not appearing. In the year 1680
he was forfeited with many others in abfence, and the
^ ^/cl &^^ of his eftate and -f moveables was made over to the
tci. ''" •^'^''^ °^ Gkncairn. His wife and children were very
rudely treated, being expell'd their houfe with nothing
but their cloaths on their back, and a child in the cra-
dle. All this and much more was proved before the
committee of parliament after the Revolution.
In the year 1677, things grew ftill worfe and worfe:
As feveral Miniiiers v/ere obliged laft year to retire,
fuch as Mafters WeljJo, Gabriel Semple, Samuel Arnot
and John Scot of Hawick, fo they were very ufeful in
Cumber-land and Northumberland, reclaiming finners, and
inftrufting many, who fcarcely had the gofpel ever
preach'd among them before. Some went alfo to the
north of Ireland, where they were of great fervice.
f 'j[J— "-^ In the beginning of this year, a great number of
fers. prepyterian Minifters indulged and not indulged aftembled
at Edinburgh. Mr. Ralph Rogers was chofen modera-
^HZrt' tor. Some, fuch as the reverend Mr. M'Ward, look'd
htcs. upon this as an erajlian meeting, fince feveral of the in-
p. 20, 21. dulged were members of it, and fince the motion made
by the reverend Mr. Blackadder was treated in a manner
with contempt -, for when he propofed, that they fhould
firft fet fome days apart for fafting and humiliation on
account of their defedlions, fome cried out divijive, di-
infive, and others, come let us unite.
P. Wal- jyjj.^ JVelwood, Mr. Cameron, and a third were called,
f'les of before this meeting for preaching feparation from the
Wcl- adually indulged -, but they declined them, as a lawfully
wood. conftitute
Chap. II, CHURCH ^/SCOTLAND. 401
conftitute and qualified judicatory. But, be thefe things 1677.
as they will, thefe Minifters, thus affembled, did not v^^-^
take upon them the authority of a general alTembly j
but gave it as their opinion, that the fentences inflifted
on the Protejiors 1661 (p. 86, 87.) fhould be reverfed,
and that the indulged and not indulged fliould preach with
one another without dillindlion, and that the;W/^/^fi fhould
not confine themfelves only to their own pulpits. They
had likewife a good deal of debate concerning indefinite
ordination ; whether, efpecially in the perfecuted fiate of the
Churchy Minifters might not be ordained, without any
profped of a fettlement among a particular congrega-
tion ; but they came to no refolution.
Conventicles iUIl abounded, notwithftanding the fan-
guinary laws in force. Mr. IVelJh^ Sec. returned to the
fouth and weft in the fpring. The Sacrament of the
Lord's Supper was adminiftered in the fields, near the
water of Girvan in the ftiire of Jir, where thoufands
were prefent, and great fuccefs attended the preaching
of the gofpel on that occafion.
As a price was fet upon Mr. IVelJloh head, fo he ftill
travelled about with fome of his friends, armed in their
own defence. The conformable Clergy magnified thefe
meetings, as if the whole of the Prejbyterians were in
arms; and xhtBiJhops gave out that an infurrection was
intended, when fuch a thing was the tartheft from any
of their thoughts. But I fliall lay before the reader the
various occurrences in order.
On the 6th of January^ a. letter came from the King D. HaMi/-
to the Council, making void all the commifiions, about '*""'
the militia, formerly granted to the Duke of Hamiltcn,
which no doubt they carefully intimated to him.
On the 28th, Mr, James Frazer of Brcie was appre- ^'^^- Fra-
hended, about ten at night, when engaged in family ^^""/^ , .
worfhip, and carried direclly to prifon. He had his^'^
fliare of fufferings during the preceeding years, was one ,
of thofe who had been inter communed about two years
before : but none, whom he valued, ever lliunned his
company for that.
He was, next day, brought before a committee of Examined
Council, but, as he himfelf relates it, was charged with ^'M^ «
Vol. I. F f f • no"'"'"'*^''-
402 ^he HIST ORY 0f the Chap. ii.
1677. no crime, but only examined, and verbally accufed as a
\y\^ feditious perfon, who did rend the Church of Chrift.
That the reader may have a fpecimen of their enfnaring
proceedings, I fliall mention a few of their queilions,
with his anfwers.
^. Did you ever preach in the fields ? Jnf. Your
Lordihip knows, that ihai, according to your law, is
criminal j and 1 am not obliged to be my own accufer.
It is enough that my throat be cut, though I do it not
with my own hands. If you have a mind to ftage me
on that, bri-ng my accufers, and then proceed, as your
Lordihip thinks fit. Bijhop. Though thefe fhifts be
taken from others, yet they muft not. Sir, be taken fo
from a man of parts. Dundonald. Sir, you would gain
the goodwill of the committee, by being ingenuous and
free. 1 afllire you, none ot us have any ill will at you, or
intend to take any advantage of you, or of any of your j
part)\ from any thing you fay. Anf. I thank ygur 1
Lordlliip. Haltoun. Did you ever preach 2X Linlithgow f '^
Anf, It may be 1 have, Bijhop. Yes, Sir, you have,
and in the fields- there too, and that to great Conventi-
cles. Anj. 1 defire that may be proved. He was like-
wife interrogate as to his principles concerning govern-
ment, and frankly owned his averfion to prelacy \ but,
fays he, " as to my loyalty^ I would not care much, though
t concern- " Y^u all faw what was in my heart f anent it." In
ing. fhort, nothing was proved againlt him.
After his examination, he was remitted to prifon.
His pockets were fearched for letters, ^c. and all com-
pany difcharged. But he remarks, that " the Lord was a
" light round about him, and him they could not fhuc
" out." Next morning, he was wakened by one of the
. jaylors, and ordered to make re.idy to go immediately^
toxhtBaJs; for fo the Council had appointed* Accord-
ingly, he and Mr. James Mitchsly who had endured the
torture, were condudled thither by a party of tweh
horfe and thirty foot. He remained there two years anc
a half. But after the affair of Bothwel, the King grantee
an hidenmity, and ordered that all prifoners for noncon-*
fonnity, who had not been in that rifing, might be fe|
at liberty. Accordingly, in July 1679, ^^ ^^^ othei
Miniilers were brought from the Bafs to the prifon o^
Edinburgl
Chap, II. CHURCH 0/ SCOTLAND. 403
Edinburgh, and in twenty four hours time, upon find- 1677*
ing bail for 8000/. fterling, to appear when call'd, '^-*^v'sy
were fet at liberty. Sir Hugh Campbel of Calder was
bail for Mr. Frazer in the fiim of 5000 merks Scots ;
neverthelefs he continued in a wandering condition till
November 168 1, when we fhall meet With him again.
On the I ft of February Mr. Hogg fp. 87, 271.) and Mr. Hog.
Mr. M'Gilligen (p. 271.) were ordered by the Council
to be brought from the north. The former was com-
mitted to the common jail at Edinburgh, and the latter
fent to the Bafs.
On the 8th Mr. Andrew Forejler, having been lately Mr. Fo-
apprehended in Fife, was brought before the Council, reiter.
and ordered to be kept clofe prifoner in Edinburgh.
There had been a meeting of about fifty or fixty of the
ejeSfed Minifters on the 20th of May 1676. Mr. Fo-
rejler was Clerk to the meeting, and when he was taken,
their minutes were found about him, and upon his refu-
fing to relate the particular circumftances of it, he was
imprifoned as above.
The fame day, Scot of Pithchie was fent to the Bafs, '^If-
and Thomas Blackwell, IVilliam Stirling and Robert Fork Blackweil.
were ordered to be brought in prifoners to Edinburgh.
An information was given to the government after the
revolution, that Mr. Blackwell was committed to prifon
1677 for Conventicles, when under a moft violent fit of
the gravel. But one night, the door being open and the
jailor drunk, he and William Stirling a fellow prifoner got
out, for which the Magiftrates of Glafgow were fined in
1 0000 merks, but the moft of it was remitted after the
indemnity 1679. Mr. Blackwell was purfued by thofe,
who were bail for the jailor, and again committed to
prifon, where he continued for a long time much af-
flidled with the gravel, and was obliged to tranfaft for
7000 merks to his purfuers, the greateft part of which
he paid, though IVilliam Stirling was not at all pur-
fued.
This year, the excellent Lord Cardrofs (p. 373, 375, ^<^''J Car.
386.) fuffered further hardfhips. However, on the 8th '^'■°^^*
of February he was permitted to go out of prifon till the
18th on account of his Lady's illnefs.
F f f 2 On
404 ne HISTORY of the Chap, irj
1677. On the 13th, the Council gave a commifTion to Lord
^•V"^^ Maxwel a Papifi^ to apprehend prejhyterian Minifters
Apnfjh ^^^ Others, and to levy five thoufand merks of fines
tloyed"^' ^'^^^^y impofed on the parifh oi Dun/core for a riot. Such
was their zeal againft popery !
On the 2 2d Robert Blae and IVilliam Grey of Culrofsy
were fevcrely fined for Conventicles.
Seaforth ^"^ ^'"'^ 1^ ^^ March, the Council wrote to the Earl
repr'mand- of SeafoTih, fevcrely reprimanding him, for granting a
ed. warrant to the fheriff of Nairriy to give feme liberty to
Mr, M'-GUligen -, for they had been informed, that that
fheriff had kept him as a Chaplain, and fuffered him to
preach and keep Conventicles. The fame day, they^ al-
lowed Lord Cardrofs, to go about his affairs upon a
bond of 100 /. fterling, for every offence committed by
him or his lady, which we fhall find was afterwards ri-
goroufly executed.
Further Great care was taken, at this time, to have the youth
i77If"^^ educated to their mind. Accordingly, on the 6th of March,
Council, the Council made an act, difcharging all ftudents from
being admitted to academical degrees, unlefs they took
the oath of allegiance and declaration \ and fignitying,
that the mafters fhould be deprived, if they conferr'd any
degrees upon other terms. The fame day letters were
ordered to be fent to the flieriffs, bailies of regalities,
^c. to encourage them, in profecuting thofe who went
to Conventicles, by informing them, that they were to
have the fines of all below heritors, for their own ufe.
They likewife appointed the Earls of Linlithgow and Win-
toun, the Lords Elphingfion and Belhaven, the Treafurcr-
depute, the Advocate and Lord Cc///>/_^/d7«;7, or any three
of them, to be the committee for publick affairs,
jV/r. Ha- The Bifhops being, it fcems, difpleafed, that many
milton v:tT\i from Edinburgh to Dalmenie, to hear Mr. Alexan-
tranjute . ^,^ Hamilton the indulged Minitfer of that place, the
Council on the 7th of March removed him thence to
Dalferf. The compliances of fomc of the indulged
gave offence to many, being judged inconfiftent with
prefiyterian principles.
Councils On the 4th of Jpril, the Council, in a letter to Lau-
proceedings ^(^dalc, .comp/laincd of the increafe of Conventicles, be-
2 caufe
Chap. II. CHURCH J all fham (p. 414.) and that they had concerted meafures
among themfelves^ on the day before thefe gentlemen
were to meet, they came to the following refolution :
Pxojea of " Edinburgh^ November the ift. Upon fome infof-
the High- " mations of Ibme srrowino; diforders and infolencies in
land tioji. a ^^^ weftern fhires, it was thought fit a Proclamation
" be drawn in cafe of an infurrection -, and the neareft
'* Highlanders fhould be ordered to meet at Stirling up-
*' on advertifement by proclamation ; and letters are to
*' be writ to noblemen and gentlemen, to have their
" vaffals and tenants ready and at a call. It was fur-
*' ther thouQ;ht fit that arms and ammunition fhould be
" fent to Stirling. The forces at Glcfgow are ordered .
*' to Falkirk, and new men are to be prefently levied
*' to complete them, and the foldiers ordered for the
*' ///^/??/<3Wj, countermanded." Though they might be
informed of a defigned infurre6lion, yet there was no
ground for it. But now the Highlanders mujl hz
inade Reformers ! A contrivance worthy of Bifhops!
Refolu- On the fecond of November, the heritors of Air and
uot!s of Renfrew met at Irivine, as they were ordered, and, after
int T/h- ^ goo^ ^^^1 of reafoning upon the Council's letter, they
wine. unanimoufly came to three refolutions. " i. That it
*' was not in their power to fupprefs Conventicles.
" 2. That it is their humble opinion, from former ex-
" perience, that a toleration of Prejbyterians is the only
*' proper expedient to fettle and preferve the peace, and
*' caufe the forefaid meetings to ceafe. 3. That it is their
" humble motion, that the extent thereof be no lefs
" than what his Majefty had gracioufly vouchfafed to
*' his kingdoms of England and Ireland.*' Thefe refo-
lutions they communicated to the three noblemen, by
whom they were affembled. But their Lordfhips,
knowing how unacceptable it would be to the Council,
declined receiving it, and the gentlemen would make no
alteration. And therefore the three Lords, on the eighth
of November, fent a letter to the Council, fignifying, that
the gentlemen had declared, that it was not in their
power to quiet the diforders.
Though
(^hap. It. Ct-IURCH ^/SCOTLAND. 417
Though the leading men in the Council appeared \(>']y.
diflktisficd vvidi this refuial, yet it is probable, it was < — v-*— '
what they wanted, that they might have a handle to ^^^'•■^^'^^•-
prolecute their cruel intentions agamft the wefb country. ,^^^^^^"^4"'^
Accordingly, they now refolved to execute their projeft, 'Highland--
formerly agreed to, oiraifing fuch a num-ber of the favage %''•
Highlanders^ a people accuitomed to rapine and fpoil, as
might overun and depopulate the wellern fliires, tho'
in a time of profound peace. It does not appear, that
they had, as yet, any orders for this from court, and
therefore they were obliged to wait, for fome time, till
the King's letter cam-e down to impower them to a6t.
Mean while, they were not idle in preparing things for
the execution of their defign.
Accordingly, on t^it 15th of Novemhe}\ the Council
ordered the guards to mufter on Larhsr-muir on the ' *
20th, and the Commiflioners of the militia to meet at
Edinburgh on the 19th, under the f.vereft penalties.
On the 26th, four companies of foldiers were ordered
to be quartered about Edinburgh. Next day, they efta-
bliOied a poll betwixt Edinburgh and Portpatrick^ for
correfponding with Ireland \ tor the King, being in-
formed of the danger of an infarre(f!:icn, for which there'
was not the leall: ground, not only offered them the afiift-
ance of the Englijh forces, but likewife com.m.anded the
Vifcount o^Granard to march the Irijh forces to the coaft,
to be in readinefs to come over to Scotland upon a call.
But the HighhuKi-hcjt anfwered the end of the managers
without the alTiftance of foreigners. The fame day, they
wrote to the abfent Councellors to be prefent next coun-
cil day. Accordingly, on the fixth of Decefnber, they
met and wrote to the Earls of Htuitly^ Pertly, and Airlyy
to have their men in readinefs to march.
The fame day, Mr. Jmnes Mitchell formerly men-
tioned, was brought from the Bafs to the' Tolbooth of
Edinburgh.
On the I 7th, the Council ordered Dr. Jarms Lefslie^ Dr. Lef-
Principal of the Marfial-CoHegs at Aberdeen, to be ap- Hie.
prehended, and fent to Edinburgh. He had wrote to
the Bifliop of London, refie6ling on the Council and the
I")uke of Lauderdnk , and his letters, fome way or ano-
Vol I. H h h th^r,
42.3 tTi;^ H I S T O R Y of the Chap. 1 1.
1677, ther, came into their hands •, and therefore he was de-
•w prived Oi his place, ordered to beg his Grace pardon, and
then fet at liberty.
On the 20th, the Council met, and received the
King's letter for raifing the Highland Host, of
"which f cannot but infert the followins: extra6t :
o
" CHARLES R.
Kmg\s lei- " 13 IG H T trufty and well beloved, ^c. We have
ter con- <■(. j^ \)e.tn vcrv much concerned, at the accounts we
termngt.e tj j^^^^ j^^^ ^^^ onlv out of Scotland^ but from feveral
jkires, kz. *' Other hands, of the great and infufferable info-
" lencies lately committed by the Fanaticks, efpecially
" in the lliires of Air^ Renfrew, Stewaity of Kirkcud-
" hrighty and other adjacent places, and alfo in 'Teviot-
" dale^ and even in Fife^ where numerous Conveniicles,
" which, by a6t of Parliament, are declared rendez-
" louzes of rebellion, have been kept. With foiemn com-
" munions of many hundreds of people, and fedidous
*' and treafonable do6trine, preached againft our perfon
*' and all under us, inciting the fubjefts to open rebel-
^' lion, and to rife in arms againft us and our autho-
" rity and laws, unlawful oaths impofed, the churches
" and pulpits of the regular Clergy ufurped, by force
"' invaded, and their perfons ftill threatened with affaf-
*'* fmation and murder ; and, what they have not for-
" merly attempted, preaching-houfes have been lately
*' buiit, and unlawful meetings of pretended Synods
*' and Prefbyteries kept, thereby defigning to profecute
" their rebellious intentions, and to perpetuate the
" fchifm.
" Thefe infolencies being fo recent, have moved us
" to provide fit and timeous remedies ; and thererore
" we have appointed fome of our EnglifJj forces to
^' march to the North, near the Scots border, and a part
** of our army in Ireland to lie at Belfdft, near the fea-
" coaft towards Scotland.
" We have been, with much fatisfa6lion, informed,j
" that you have required the noblemen and others,
*' who have intereft and confiderable vaffals — in th<
*' Highlands and places — adjacent, to be in readinefs,
with
Chap. II. CHURCH e/'SCOTLAND. 419
** with what forces they can bring out, to rendezvous
*' at Stirling^ and from thence to march with our ftand-
*' ing forces, upon the firft advertifemcnt, for the pro-
*' fecution of our fervice. And feeing we are fully
*' refolved to maintain — and defend the government of
" the church in that our kingdom, £!5 it is 'aoiu ejla-
" blijhed by lazv^ therefore we do hereby require
" and autliorife you, to command all thefe forces before
" mentioned — to march to thefe (hires and places — (o
" infcfted with rebellious practices, and there to take
*' effectual courfes fpr reducing them to due obedience
*' to us and our laws, by taking free quarter from the
" difaffected, and by difarming of all, you fliall find
" neceffary, and fecuring all horfes above fuch a value,
" as ye fhall think fit, by caufing the Heritors and
*' Liferenters to engage and give bond for their te-
*' nants and others, who live upon and pofTefs their
" lands, that they fliall keep no Conventicles; that they
" fhall live orderly and obedient to the laws •, and by
" caufing the tenants and mafters of families give
" the like bends \ by caufing every parifli, and the He-
" ritors of it, give furety, that no Conventicles fhall
" be kept, within any part of the parifh, property
*' or commonty, nor harbour or commune with the
" rebels, or perfons intercommuned^ and for keeping the
" perfons, families, and goods of the regular Miniilcrs
" harmlefs •, and that under fuch penalties, as ye fhall
" think fit, by caufing all Heritors, Tenants, Lifc-
" renters and others, take the oath of allegiance to
" us, by ufing and profecuting all other means and
" methods — for — putting, at lad, an end to thefe info-
" Icncies and diforders ; and, in cafe of refiflrance, that
" in cur name you give warrant to refifl them by fores
" of arms.
" And for the more effectual profecution of thefe our
*' commands, that you punifn the difobedicnt, or thole
*' you judge difaffefted, by fining, confining, imprilbn-
" ment or banifhment. And further, that ye place
" fufficient garifons in all places, where ye fhall, ironi
" time to time, find it neceflTary. And if at any
" time hereafter, ye fliall judge, that thefe forces ye
H h h 2 *' have
T'^^^ H I S T O R Y of the Chap, r i.
have prepared are not fufficient for this undertaking,
we do impower and authorife you, to call to your af-
fiflance thole of our forces now lying in the North
" of England and the North of Ireland^ one or both, as
" ye fliali find caufe. '
*' And, laftly, we do aut'iorife and require you, to
*' call together cur militia of that our antient king-
*' dom, — and to command and charge all Heritors,
" Freeholders and others, and, if need be, all betwixt
" fixty and fixteen, to come and attend our heft, under
'* the pain of treafbn, according to the antient laws of that
" our kingdom ; and that ye — emit fuch proclam-ations,
*' as ye fnall find neceli'ary for this cur fervice, from time
" to time. — And fo we bid you heartily farewel. Given
" 2LtlFhitehdi^ December iith, 1677.*'
Comnrf' In confcquence of this letter from his Maiefty, the
/ton for Managers agreed to raife an army, known in Scotlandby
7t'-^?-^ ''■'^ the name of the Highland Host. Acrordino-ly on
Undcvs. f^"^- 26th of December, a CommifTioi pafTed the feals at
Edinburgh for raifing the Highlanders and others, and
forming them in troops and companies. By virtue of
this commifiion, they were to be at Stirlinghy the 24th
of January next •, in their march they were to take quar-
ter for their money, and force quarter for their money,
if the fame fliould be refufsd. Nay, by this commilTion,
they had authority to take free quarter^ as the Council
or their Committee fhould appoint, and if need be, to
fcize on horfcs for carrying, their fick men, ammunition
or provifions. In a word, they were indemnified againft
all puriiiits civil and criminal on account of killing,
wounding, apprehending or impriibning fuch, as fliculd
oppofe them,
Rcviarh. One v/ould imagine, that the whole nation was upon
the point of being invaded, v/hen fuch mighty prcpara- j
tions were making. But all this was for the fupprcffing of
Conventicles^ and diftrefllng thofe, who had given no pro-
vocation, farther than that they could not abandon their
religious principles and {\\hm\t to abjured prelacy. And
therefore an army of Ihzhlanders muft force it down
their throats. Perhaps fomc of the Mana2;crs might
exped, that the oppreHions of the llighland. army now
ro
Chap. 12. CHURCH c/SCOTLAND. 421
to be raifed, would force the people to take arms -, and 1677.
fo a fine handle would be given, to make a facrifice of ^;-*'V>-^
f hem to the refentments of the PreLiies and the Dukt of
Tork. But the people generally adhered to their prin-
ciples, and, at the fame time patiently, endured their
fuffcrings.
O'"
CHAP. XII.
Of the trial arid execution of Air. James Mitchel, the
proceedings of the Council and the Committee., the bond
of contormity •, together with the ravages of the High-
land hofl^ during the months of January and Fe-
bruary, 1678.
THE firft two months of the year 1678 prefent 1678.
us with a feries of opprelTion , as unprefidentcd as 1.-— ,,^.-.«,
barbarous.
Several Noblemen and Gentlemen, fcrefeeing the tcr- ^^ •?//"-
rible effe6ls of the meafures now purfuing, rcfolv'd to go '^'■'■^'Z'"g
to court, and give the King a faithful account of the '"^l.-J, tj,e
circumftances of /^r-
ccmmuned (he fhould rather have faid, by reafon of the it-
legal and arbitrary proceedings of the Managers) Sharp
pretended he was in great danger of his life, and the ra-
ther, becaufe the perfon, who made the attempt upon
him, was let live ftiil ; and therefore Sharp would
HAVE HIS LIFE ; and Duke Lauderdale gave way to
p 4:4. it." Sir Archibald Primrofe^ lately turned out of the
Regifters place, was made Juflice-General. He fancied,
fays Burnet^ that orders had been given to raze the aft
that the Council had made (p. '2,53-) fo he turned to
the books, and found the a6l ftill on record. He took
a copy of it, and fent it to Mr. Mitchells, Council, and
a day or two before the trial, v/ent to Lauderdale^ who,
together with Sharps Lord Rothes^ and Lord Haltcun^
were fummoned as the prifoner's witnelTes, Primrofe
told Lauderdale, that many thought a promife of life
had been given •, the latter fliffly denied it -, and the for-
mer faid, that he heard there was an ad of Council
made about it, and v/ifihed, that that might be looked
into. Lauderdale faid, he was fure it was not podible,
and he would not give himfelf the trouble to look over
the books of Council.
His trial. His trial began on the feventh of January. The great
proof brought againfl: him, was his confefllon the loth
of February, 1 6y/\.. Many and long were the reafonings
upon the points in the indictment ; and Sir George
Lcckhart argued, in behalf of the prifoner, with great
judgment and learning, to the admiration of the audi-
ence, fhewing, that no extrajudicial confefTion could be
allowed in court, and that his confefiion was extorted
from
Chap. 12. CHURCH "
430 "The HISTORY of the Chap. 1 2.
1678. chiefly intended againft them, deputed nine of their
IXV^O number to go to Edinburgh, and reprefent to the Coun-
the gentle- q]^ (-h^t; moderate meafures would more efFedually put
^j^^ "-^ a ftop to all alledged diforders, efpecially as they could
not obferve the leaft appearance of difloyalty among the
people, notwirhllanding their being addided to Conven-
ticles : but Lauderdale would neither allow them accefs,
nor hearken to any thing, unlefs the gentlemen would
prefently fign the bond, and oblige themfelves for all the
reft of the Heritors. They could not do this, and fo re-
turned as they came •, nay, they could not obtain fo
much as a delay of the orders for the forces to march,
until the gentlemen of the fhire were met to confider
the terms propofed •, fo bent were the managers, at the
inftigation of the Prelates, to execute their cruel de-
figns with the utmoft rigour.
The tonvn Tliough the general rendezvous of tlie forces was ap-
©/"Glaf- pointed to be at Stirling the 24th o^ January, and the
uhedf Committee of Council to meet at Glafgow the 26th, yet
upon the ninth, fecret orders were given to the half of
the regular forces, a fquadron of horfe and four com-
panies of foot, to march weft. And accordingly, they
entered Glafgow on the 13th, being the Lord's-day, in
time of public worfhip, and immediately made a ftri6t
fearch for arm s , fugitive and intercommuned perfons. The
Bifliop di Argyle, and fome others, had reprefented, that
that day the ejeEled Minifters were to adminijler the
Lord^s Supper, and that an infurreftion was to follow.
Whereas, the real ground of this fright, if it may be fo
called, was, that the Prejbyteriam in and about Glafgow,
had kept the Tuefday before, as a day of private fafting
and humiliation, in this time of calamity and diftrefs.
However, the ftory took, and the foldiers were quar
tered at Glafgow, to prevent an infurreflion, that wa'
never intended, nor thought of. John Anderfon of Do
hill (p. 406.) was feized, but was foon kt at liberty, up-i
on giving fecurity to- appear when called. Thefe fol-
diers were harbingers to the Highlanders, and behaved
with the utmoft infolence, but were greatly exceeded by
their fucceflbrs.
Chap.i2. CHURCH <7/SC0TLAND. 431
On the 15th, a train of artillery was ordered weft, 1678.
and a thoufand merks iffued from the treafury to defray v-^^/— «j
the expences, though they had neither towns to befiege ^''^^'^^^^n
nor armies to encounter. '^ ^'^-^ '
On the 18th, theCommitteeof Council was appointed Committee
to attend the army. Their names were, the Marquis of of Coun-
Athcl^ the Earls of Mar^ Murray^ Gkncairn, Wigtoun^ "^^
Strathmore^ Linlithgow^ Airly, Caithnefs^ Perth, and Lord
Rofs -, eleven in all ; of which, nine were Officers in the
army, and had brought down the Highlanders, and fo
were the more likely to manage things to purpofe. The
fame day, thefe Noblemicn, or any five of them, re-
ceived full power to ilTuci out proclamations and orders
to purfue and punilh delinquents, to apprehend and fe-
cure fufpe(5led perfons, and to order fuch bonds to be fub-
fcribed, as they fhould think it. In a word, they were
invefted with the authority of the Privy-council, as their
commifiion more fully bears.
The Commiffioners, at the fame time, received full ^'^^'^/''*
and extenfive inftruclions too tedious to be inferted-^''"'^'''"^*
here. I fhall only obferve, that by virtue of thefe in-
ftrudions, they were to manage the army, and give
orders to the country, to Sheriffs and other Magiftrates -,
nay, they, or any three of them, were vefted with d. ju-
diciary power, and conftituted a -f- criminal court. But ■{ format-
then the Managers, to fave themfelvcs, ordered this *^,''J °f
Committee to free from quartering, all the lands ofJ^^|"
Counfellors, and fuch as have fubfcribed the bond, and
obey the orders of the Committee.
On the 2ift of January, the Council met at £^/«- Dv^^ Ha-
burgh, when a letter was read from the Duke of Ha- milson **-
\milton, wherein his Grace excufed himfelf from attend- ^'','^'^'^^'"'
ing their Committee, by reafon of his indifpofition.
They, at the fame time, fent their orders to the Gentle-
men of the fhire of Lanerk to meet at Hamilton, when
[required by the Committee, and receive their orders.
Things being thus far fettled, and the Marquis of ^'fnl ren-
\AthoU the Earls of Mar, Murray, Caithness, Perth, '^^^'^^^'
\Strathracre and Airly, having alTembled what men they {:^^„
could raife from the Highlands, marched to Stirling,
iwhere they were joined by the Lord Linlithgow with
the
432 77^^ HISTORY c///^^ Chap. 12*
1678. the regular forces on the 24th o^ January. Thefe, with
W^v^w the Angus mihtia, and fome Gentlemen from Ferthjhire^
marched next day from Stirling^ and were all ator about
Glafgow by the 2 6ch.
Iheir Their numbers were as follow : About a thoufand
numbers, foot of regular forces ; the Angus militia and Perth/hire
Gentlemen, two thoufand two hundred -, Highlanders,
about fix thoufand ; Horfe Guards, a hundred and fixty ♦,
befides five other troops of horfe, together with the fe-
veral retinues of the Lords of the Committee and others,
with a vaft number of ftragglers, who came only for booty
and plunder ^ fo that, by a m.oderate computation, they
may be reckoned to have been ten thoufand in all.
Their fur- They had a large quantity of amm.uniiion, four field-
lufure. pieces, vail numbers of fpades, fliovels and mattocks,
as if they had been to attack flrong fortifications. They
had like wife good flore of iron fhacldes, as if they had
been to carry back a parcel of Daves, and thumb-locks^ as
they called them, for the examination and trial of fuch,
as they fhould fee required it. The Mufqueteers had
their daggers fo made, as, if need were, to faflen on
the muzzles of their pieces for mauling horfe, like our
bayonets, not then brought to perfection.
Such a formidable company could not but fill all the
country with confternation, in a time of peace •, nay, the
very Gentlemen and Officers in the army itfelf, who
were of any temper and reafon, were furprized upon
their entring into a country entirely peaceable, which had
been reprefented, and they had expefted it, to be all up
in arms. j
Commifiee At Glafgow^ the Committee of Council met, and
of the opened their inftruftions, and immediately (ct about dif-
Ccunal. aj-niing the peaceable country, and prefTing \}^Q.hond\\
and on the 28 th of January the Sheriffs oi Roxkirg/j^
Orders to Stirling/hire, Lanerk., Renfrew, JVigtoun, Dumfries, anc
Sheriffs. j.}^g Stewartry of Kirkudbright, were before them, anc
received inftruclions and orders, — to affemble all the
Heritors, Liferenters, i^c. in their refpeftive fhires, fot
fubfcribing a bond, which had been figned by the Lordi
of the Committee ; of which a copy was given them-
tp oblige the leaders of the horiemen of the militia
2 ' ^ troov
Chap. 12. CHURCH 0/ SCOTLAND.
— troops to deliver up all the milida-arms,fwords,piftols,
holfters, and all the Heritors, and others in whofe hands
they were, to do the fame ; to difarrh all other
perfons, except Privy- Councellors, Officers and Soldiers
in the King's pay, together with Noblemen and Gende-
men of quality, who were permitted to v/ear their
fwords o}il)\ — to give the Committee a lift of thefe per-
fons of quality. In fhort, the Sheriffs were ordered to
difarm their Ihires upon oath^ and report their diligence
by the feventh of February next. I Ihan't here give the
reader a copy of this bond as it is almoil verbatim the fame,
with that fent by the Managers of the Ihire of Fife^
(p 428^429.) _ JJdluonal
They who took the hond^ being to receive protec- cLuJe.
tlon, v/ere obliged to fubfcnbe this additional claufe :
*' And I do further hereby oblige me, that I fliall not
" own any perfon's, lands or goods, but fuch as do pro-
*' perly belong to myfelf, under colour of the protefti-
*' on given to me •, and that under fuch pains and pe-
" nalties, as the Council or Committee of Council fhall
*' impofe, in cafe I contravene."
There v/ere, about this time, many papers writagainfl jie-fcns
this bond, and particularly thefe following things, among agc.mp
others, were urged, i. That the Council had no power ^^'"-^ ^'^^^'
to prefs it, or any other, v/ithout the authority of King
and Parliament \ whereas they had no authoriry for this,
but the King's letter. 2. None of prefoyterian prin-
ciples could take this bond, becaufe it obliged- him to
walk according to the law eftablilhing Epifcopacy, and
to take that to be a rule, which he iudged unlavv'ful ; and
fo to a6l contrary to the dictates of his confcicnce, which
is not to be forced. 3. The bo?id obliged him, who Hgn-
ed it, to give no relief to, or have any .convrrfation
with ciited vagrant Minifters, though fometimes they
might be great objefts of charity and compafnon. And
if we are not to fhut our bowels of pity againft Turks
and Pagans, when in mifery, how can we fufter them
to be fliut againft Chriftians ? Are we not taught to do
good to all, efpecially the houfmld of faith '^ whereas,
when our relations are, what is called, vagrant Mi*
nifters, this bond obliges us to be unnatural. 4. The
bond obliged to take and apprehend thofe it Ipeaks
K k k cf
434 5^6^ H I S T O R Y of the Chap, r^;
1678. of. But how unfuitable is it for Gentlemen, and moft
L/S'^NJ of the King's free Heges, to turn Macers or Mef-
fengers at Arms ? and who can be forced to that, iinlefs
he pleafe ? We are only obliged to take traitors, or fucK
as are guilty oilefe-mojefty. 5. None can bind for more
than himfelf, and confequently, whoever took this bond^
bound himlelf to an impoflibility ♦, for how can a
Nobleman or Gentleman bind himlelf to that, which all
the King's forces could not do I If the Council or their
Committee had required men to oblige themfelves to en-
deavtur the conformity of others, there had been fom^
colour of reafon ;, but to bind men to be liable^ for othir
mens tranfgrejfions^ was without all prefident -, and the
law of God, in the llriclefl relation that can be, ex-
prcfly fays, that the Ibn fhali not die or fuffer for the fa-
ther's tranfgreffion, much lefs the father for the fori'Sy
and leail of all, the mafier for the tenant'' s.
Thefe are a few of the reafons that were urged
againft this bond: The reader will remember, that when
the Council found it expedient, not to infift upon pref-
fing a bend much like thaty we are now treating of, they
giive this for a reafon. That the law itfelf is the flrongefi
bund that can be exa^ed of any man (p. 410.) How un-
lleady muft their Councils have been, that, in about four
months time, they Ihould prefs this bond fo univerfally,
and force it upon people by the dreadful motive of a
iranding army and a Highland-hojl!
Janatick ^^ ^^^ 29th of January^ the Committee for public af-
MMjuti. fairs were ordered, by the Council, to remove fome fsi-
yiatlck Minifters from the Tolbocth of Edinburgh and the
Canongate^ to the Bafs. My author takes notice, that
this was the tirft timie, that he met with the epithet 0:
Fanatick Minifters in the regiilcrs.
iT. f/Caf- 1 he fame day, the Committee commanded the Earl of
i'^' Caffils^ as Bailie principal of Carrick^ to receive from al.
peilbns, in whofe hands the militia-arms were, all the
faid arms, and to order all Heritors, i^c. to bring with
them their tenants, cottagers and fervants, with their
arms of all forts, to be delivered upon oath, to fuch as
the Major-general fliould appoint, in the prefence of
his Lordlhip or his deputies, declaring, that all tliat re-
fuf«d
Chap. 12. CHURCHY/SCOTLAND. 495
fufed fhould have Soldiers quartered upon them, and to 167S.
give an account of his diligence to the Committee at ^^'v-'**^
jiir on the feventh of February following, which was
done accordingly.
Mean while, on the fecond of February^ the Highland- High-
Ijoji marched weft, and by the feventh were difperfed all ^'"^ers
over Cuninghatd and Kyle. Every where they behaved, '■'^^'''•''
as if they had been in an enemies country. It is re-
markable, that they were let loofe upon the lliire of ///r,
before the Committee went among them, or any oQIt
of the bond was made to them.
On the feventh of February^ the Committee fat down CoKKinee
at Air ; and among the iirft things they did, they ordered /?,' Joivn
the Earl of Caffils to pull down the meeting-houfes in "^ ^'^"^-
Carrick. According to their orders, the Earl had de-
livered up all his arms, except his fword, and there-
tore defired, that he might have the afliftance of fome
Soldiers, in cafe of refiftance : but this was refufed.
Neither would they reftore him any of his amis ; which
made him hefitate a httle upon their unreafonable de-
mands, till one of his friends, a member of the Com-
mittee, whifpered him in the ear, that there was but
an hairbreadth between him and prifon ; and tlierefore
he no longer declined their orders. Hov/ever, f^me
c-ountry people, having notice of v»^hat palled, out of
regard to his Lordfhip, faved him the trouble, and pul-
led the meeting-houfes down before he came.
The fame day, they received the report of the Sheriffs Report of
appointed to be given in. The return from the Sheriff of ^^^^
Dumfries and JSidfdale was voted fatisfactory. But Mr. "■^'
Ezekiel Montgomeiy^ Sheriff-deputy of Renfrni\ report-
ing, that only two of the moft infignificant Gentlemen,
and three Burgeffes had taken the bond^ the Committee
was difpleafed. But the report from the fhire of La-
mrk was moft difpieafing •, for it feems that of two
thoufand nine hundred Heritors and Feuars, only nins
of fmall intereft of the former, and ten of the latter had
figned the bond. The Duke of Hamilton, the Lords
Blantyre and Carmichaei peremptorily refufed it ; and
when, by force or fraud, fome complied^ their compliance
jGoft them many bitter refieclions.
K k k a la
o/i'e-
436 Tbe HIST ORY of the Chap. 12.
1678. In the more remote fhires, fome of the Sheriffs, pre-
U'^''XJ tending they had not received a copy of the bond, de-
^yenes ^ clincd a rcpott, and begged a new day for prefcnting
cancerni'iiy ^^^ -^^'^'^ ^ fccond time, and rersewing their enquiry for
arms. ^ arms. This was granted ; but then they were required
to demand of every perfon upon oath, " Whether he
^' had any arms ? or difpofed of any fince the firft of
" January lall ? if gifted or fold ? to whom ? or if hid ?
''• and where." Thcfe queries were extended to all the
ffiires •, nay, the Officers of the Highlanders were, in fome
places, entrufted with this matter ; fo that, by this
means, the whole country was rendered incapable of de-
fending itfelf, in cafe of any emergency.
Earl cf Mean while, the Committee of Air publiihed an aft
^.^" I. on the ninth of February^ commanding all the Heritors
{/'V' • and ethers to appear before them at different times, vi'z,
on the 1 8th, 19th, 20th and 21ft, in order to take the
bond. And accordingly Notice was given by the She-
riffs Officers ; and all the parifhioners of 'Dundonald^txz
fummoned to meet at the church of the Kirktoun, and
bring with them all their Cottagers, Servants, and arms
of all forts. The Earl of Cajfils^ by virtue of an order
from this Committee, ordered their ac^ to be publifhed
in the parilhes, within the bounds of his bailiary or ju-
rifdidion. But notwithffanding his complying with
every thing, on the loth of February fifteen hundred
men were fent upon free quarters into the jurifdidfion of
Carrick^ ten or twelve days before the Gentlemen were
to appear before the Com.mittee -, and mod of them
v/ere quartered upon the Earl ofC^/j'selfate, where they
committed many infolenctes and cruelties. But there
was no help for thefe things.
Proclama- However, the reports made from feveral fhires con-
iion. vincing the Council, that it would be no eafy matter
to make the bond take, they went another way to work.
Accordingly, on the nth of February, they publifhed
a proclamation, difcharging all Heritors, Liferenters and
Mafiers, to receive tenants or fervants, without certi-
ficates, that they had taken the bond •, fo that this bond
became an univerfal tefi. The bond was annexed to the
procJamadon, and was figned at Edinburgh by the Coun-
fellors
Chap. 12. CHURCH ^/SCOTLAND.
fellors that fame day, and ordered to be figned by the
Lords of Seffion at their firfi meeting. The fame
nth o{ February the Committee at Jir publifhed a pro-
clam.ation much to the fame effed:, difcharging all per-
fons from harbouring fuch tenants or cottagers, who re-
fufcd the bond^ under the penalty of fix hundred pounds
Sects for each tenant.
On the 14th of February^ the Council made an a6t Asiforfe-
for (ecuring the public peace ^ as they termed it. " — That '^"2lkk^'
'• fince every private fjbject may force fuch, from ^^^^^^
" whom they fear any harm, to J ecu re them by ha'UJ-
'=•'• horrovcs \ and that it hath been the uncontroverted and
*' i'rgal pradicc of his Majefty's Privy-council, to oblige
" fuch, v/hofe peaceablenefs they juftly fufpefted, to fe-
*' cure the peace for themfelves, their wives, bairns, men,
" tenants and fervants — under iuch penalties, as they
" find fuitable to their contempt, guilt or occa'ion,
" upon which fuch fureties are fought \ therefore the
" Lords of the Privy-council, confidering that his Ma-
" jefty hath declared his juft fufpicion of thofe, who re-
" fufe or delay to take the faid bond^ and being them-
" felves juftly fufpicious of their principles and pradices,
" who refufe the fame, do ordain, that ail fuch perfons
" be obliged to enacl themfelves in the books of fecrec
*' council, that they, their wives, bairns, l^c. fhall keep
" his Majefty's peace ; and particularly, that they fnall
" not go to Field-Conventicles^ nor harbour or com-
^' mune vv-ith rebels or perfons inter communed ; and that
*' they fhall keep the perfons, families and goods of
" their regular Minifters harmleis, and that under the
^' double of every man's valued yearly rent (if he have
" any) and of fuch other penalties as fliall be thought
*' convenient — if they have no valued rent," tffr.
It is plain, the Managers were grievoufly vexed at Remark'^
the general refufing of the bond, not by the meaner fort
only, but even by Noblemen, Gentlemen, and feveral
of the moft eminent Lawyers, the Earls of Crawford^
Callender and Roxburgh, the Vifcount of Kilfyth, the
Lords Balmerinoch, Mehil and Newark, all ftuck at it.
Bifhop Burnet fays, " That this put Lauderdale in fuch P- 4^S-
^' a frenzy, that, at the Council-table, he made bare his
*' a.rms
i
43S
1678.
Ihid,
Farther
Inftruc-
tions to
the Coiii-
fnittu.
rheniSrOKY of the Chap. 12:
arms above his elbow, and fv/ord by Jehovah, he
would make them enter into thofe bonds.''* There-
fore, to force a general compliance, they fell upon
this new and unprefidented method of Lawborrows.
The import of which in Scotland is, that when two
neighbours are at variance, the one procures, from the
Council, or any other regular Court, letters, charging
the other to find caution or fecurity, that the com-
plainer, his wife, children, ^c. fhall be harmlels
from the perfon complained upon, or from his chil-
dren, y-if. but before fuch letters can be granted,
the complainer mufl give his oath, that he dreads bo-
dily harm, trouble or moleftation from him, againll
whom he complains. This was much like binding men
to their good behaviour -, and it is not unreafonable
with refped to private perfons •, but that the King and
Government fhould require this of fubjects, and of the
meaneft of them, who refufe an unreafonable bofid, is
moH unaccountable, as it evidently difcovers a jealoufy
between the King and his people, and declares him to
be in dr^ad of them. I fliall not trouble the reader
with remarks on the preamble of this a6l, in which the
Pre/byterians are charged with fchifm and rebellion.
The faid Hiftorian fays, that " thefe things feemed done
on defign to force a rebellion^ which, they thought,
would foon be quafhed, and would give a good colour
for keeping up an army ; and that Lauderdale\ party
depended lo much on this, that in their hopes they be-
gan to divide, among themfelves, the confifcated eftates;
fo tliat on Vale77tine's Day, inftead of drawing miftreffes,
they drew eftates. And great joy appeared in their
looks upon a falfe alarm, that was brought them, of an
infurreftion : And they were much dejesfted, when they
knew it v/as falfe." Some thought it very furprizing, that
fuch a feries of oppreffion, injuftice and cruelty, had not,
long before this,llirred the people up to violent meafures.
Jointly with this ad, the Council fent farther inftruc-
tions to their Committee at Air^ enjoyning them, to ufe
their utmoft endeavours, to reduce the Heritors and
others to obedience, who have not taken the bond^ — to
purfije the faid Heritors and Dferenters for all Cowcen-
Ucki
Chap. 12. CHURCHY/SCOTLAND. 4^9
ticks kept on their own lands, fince the 24th of Marsh, 1678,
1674, — to command all Sheriffs, Bailies of regalities, C^V^
and their deputies, to take the ^W themfelves ; and, in
cafe of refufal, to proceed againll them, — to allow all
Heritors, who take the hond, to wear their fwords,
otherwife not, &€. And as to the Lawhorrows, they
were to infift upon fecurity, from all, who refufed, ac-
cording to the ad. In Ihort, it was ordered, that the
Recufants fliould have an indiftment given them, and be
profecuted to the utmoft.
While the Committee was thus engaged, the milrtra High-
and Highlanders were ravaging the country, about Kyle^ landers
Carrick. and Cunmwham, without the lead provocation ^^'"^s^ ''^*
o ' i^ country ^
on the part of the fuffering people , and even the few
Heritors and Tenants, who took the bond^ fuffered much
the fame with thofe who refufed it. And it is remark-
able, that the poor oppreffed people continued fo peace-
able, and fo patiently bore the fpoiling of their goods,
and other outrages done to their perfons, that the Ma-
nagers had not fo much as a falfe alarm, except once,
when it was talked, without any foundation, that a nunn*
ber of people v/as alTembled in arms about Fenwick-
muir % tor on the i8th of Febniary^ the Council v/ere
told, that their Committee, being informed of perfoi:hS
in arms about Fenwick, had fent out a party, but none
appeared ; neither could they find that there had been
any in arms. The fame day the Council ordered the
Highlanders to be difmiifed and fent hom.e, and ap-
pointed the militia of Mid-Lothian^ Eajl-Lothian^ ^c. to
march towards Glafgow in their room. I do not know
but they might be afhamed at the reports, they muit
have received, of their unprecedented ravages and op-
preffions.
On the 19th, 20th, and following days oi February, Hnitom
though many of the Heritors of the fiiire of Air were ^Z'^'"^/'^*
before the Committee, yet there were but very few that f°'^'^^^'' '
complied. The Earl of Dumjriss^ Auchmannoch^ and
fome of no confideration, togetiu-r with the Magillratcs
of the town of .^/r, took x}?,^ bond ; but the generaliiy
ftood out : and thefe had the indidnient and cliarge
of La'xborrows given them to anfwer in 24 liour^,
Ufoie
44^0 The HISTORY of the ' Chap. 12.
1678. before the Committee. One Gentleman peremptorily re-
>«^'V^*^ fufing the bond^ and being thrcatned with having the
Highlanders fent to his eftate, told them, He had no an-
fv/er to that argument^ and could not help it ; but be-
fore he would comply with the Lawborrows, he would
go to prifon.
Lcrd ^ Next day, the Recufants were called to anfwer to
Cochrane fj^^ir indidment. Lord Cochrdn, beino; among the firft •
that was called, complained o't xht JJoortnefs oi the time
allotted them, and begged more time, and the affiftance
of Lawyers, fince they were required to give their oath
concerning a crime, that might be found capital. When I
all were removed, the Lords gave it as their judgment, ^
that the Courcil's diets were peremptory, and fo they
mult anfwer prefently •, and that whatever the depo-
nents declared, fhould never infer capital punifhment.
"When his Lordlhip was called in, and had this inti-
mated to him, he urged that, by act of Council of the
fifth of October lalf, all libels againit Conventicles were to
be reftricled to a month backwards ; and none was j
bound to fwearbutforhimfelf ; and that they, who were j
ready to purge themfelves by oath, as to their own guilt,
were to have no bonds prefented to them. The Advo-
cate declared, he knew of no fuch aft. Cochran referr'd
the matter to the Clerk's oath •, but that was refufed ; and
his Lordlhip was told, thathe muft eiiher fwear or be re-
puted guilty. Whereupon he gave his oath, that he was
free of Conve,: ':les, and all his fervants to his know-
ledge.
LordCaih' in the afternoon, Lord Cathcart^ Sir John Cochran and
cart, Q5V. the Laird of Cefnock., being called, refufed the bond, in
the fame manner that Lord Cochran had done. And the
Laird of KiJbirnie particularly urged the above aft of
Council, and olfered to produce a copy of it, which was
peremptorily refufed. And to prevent his taking inftru-
ments upon his offer, the Earl of Caithjefs got the
meeting to be fuddenly adjourned.
Othtris, that cam.e before them, were threatened with
exorbitant fines, double quartering, imprifonment, and
the like -, and were, at length, torced to anfwer their in-
terrogatories. Nay, fuch was tlicir unaccountable pro-
ceeding
Chap. 12. CHURCH of SCOTLAND.
ceeding, that they prefented the hnd to a young Lord
under age ; and becaufe he refufed it, they ferved him
juft as the reft.
But notwithftanding thefe feverities, none in the Ihire
of yf/> would fign the hnd, except thofe above men-
tioned, and a few petty Heritors. The Earls of Cajils
and Loudon, the Lords Montgomery, Cochran, Cathcart,
Bargeny, with all the reft of the Gentlemen and Heritors,
and the whole town of Irwine peremptorily refufed ;
and therefore were all ordered to be declared Rebels and
outlawed.
On the 2 1 ft of February, Patrick Sheriff in Knows, P. Sheriff,
and James Shiels in Boltoun, were fined for being at ^^•
ConventicleSy and ordered to lie in prifon till they made
payment.
The Committee at Air, having ordered feveral Gentle- Prodama-
men in Carrick to be imprifoned, on the 2 2d of Fe- ^'''"f'^°^t
bruary, ifTued a proclamation, commanding all Heritors '""•'^'*
and Landlords, Tenants and Servants, who had not
figned the bond, to part with all their horfes above the
value of fifty pounds Scots, in a ftiort limited time, un*
der the penalty of forfeiting the horfe, and paying a
hundred pounds for .each horfe above fuch a value.
The fame day, the Earl of Caffds appeared before the Enrhf
Committee ztAir. When the bondwd.?, tendered to him, Caff.ls.
he refufed to fubfcribe it, and was therefore charged to
appear next day, before the Lords ol the Comm.ittee,
under the pain of rebellion, for being at Conventicles^
and other high crimes, and to give his oath, upon the
truth of his indictment. But though he appeared,
and cleared himfelf, by oath, of all the crin-ies laid
to his charge, yet, refufing to fubfcribe the bond,
tlie Lords appointed a meffenger to charge him with
Letters of Lawborrows ; and, in cafe of failure, to de-
nounce him Rebel within fix days. Upon which he
wrote to their Lordftiips, entreating a week's delay,
which was refufed him. Wherefore he immediately re-
paired to Edinburgh, to attend the Frivy-council, and
ofirr them all pofllble fatisfacftion, according to lav/.
But, upon his coming thither, a proclamation was iffued,
commanding all Noblemen, Heritors, and others, of the
Vol. I. L 1 1 ^/iji
442 ry^^ H 1 S T O R Y c/ the Chap. 12.
1678. ^^(/f Country^ to depart from Edinburgh to their own
V>'>^rs^ houles, within three days •, before which time, he was
actually denounced Rebel nt the market crofs oi Jir^ and
letters were fent for apprehending his perfon. Where-
fore his Lordfhip found himfclf under a necefiity, to re-
pair to London, in order to lay his cafe before his Ma-
ISanfcKs Mean while, on the 26th of February , the Council
iiffomted ^^^^ ^ \tx.x.(ix from their Committee, defiring garifons
might be appointed upon the removal of the High-
lander s^ which was complied with. And next day, the
Committee had orders to intimate to the town of h-
wine^ that they miuil find perfons qualified to ferve in
the magiftracy, who are willing to take the allegiance,
declaration, and fign the bond, or elfe lole their privi-
leges. And the fame day, the Council impov/ered the
Magiftrates of Glafgow, to tear the burger-tickets of all,
who refufed the bond, and to turn all Recufants out of
their Council. On the laft of February, the Council re-
commended to their Committee not to burthen any
who figned the bond, with provifion for the garifons.
Vheocea- , The reader mull be informed^ that the garifons were
■^?^" "^ occafioned by a letter wrote by the regular Clergy in the
Weft, to the Archbirtiop of Glafgow, wherein they fig-
nified, that they might abandon their charges, as foon
as the Highlanders left the country, if garifons were not
appointed. How far it was their duty, and how agree-
able to that facred function, which they pretended to
bear, to have any hand in fuch proceedings, let the
world judne. It is true, my Author did not fee that
letter, but he has publifh''d a letter from the Prefbytery
o^ Air to the laid Archbifhop, which fufficiently con-
firms the fact. See Vol. I. p. 479.
Higli- At laft, ihf: Committee, about the end of February,
f'^'^l ordered tiie Highlanders home. They were now con-
home. vinced, that there was no forcing the bond upon the
U'^ejl Country ; neither did they rile in arms, as was ex-
pedted, but bore all their opprelTions, with an incredible
patience.
The Highlanders therefore, having wafted the Coun-
try, marched off, except five hundred, who, with the
Jngus
Chap. 12. C H U R C H
nt-j.-^ 3
50 1 J
6 4
In Carrick.
Straitoun, - - .
12000
0 0
Colmanel, -
10000
0 0
Kirkofwald and 7
Girvan, J
1816
0 0
Barr, - . - -
loco
0 0
Daylie, - - -
\?o
0 0
Maybole, - - -
1700
0 0
Dalmellingtoun, 7
fiwiKirkmichael |
4981
0 0
/.
S. d-
Sum of Kyle and }
87C94-
I I 0
Carrick, - j
Li Cunningham.
Kilmarnock and \
Fenwick, - J
14431
0 0
Kilwinnirg,
5S95
15 S
Srevei '"' ;),
622
12 4
Ardrf;;T.:i, -
IC49
13 4
Dairy, - - -
653
12 8
Diiflop, - - -
2629
16 6
frv'.ipe pnrijh 1
ivithoiit the > •
12<)
0 4
tozvn, J
Large, ^ - - -
19:7
0 0
Kilbryde,
692
0 0
Kilbirny, - - -
2080
0 0
Lowdon, - -
2934
>3 4
Dreghorn and \
Pearftoun, J
15c,-
17 0
Kilmawers, -
3250
15 0
Stewartoun, -
6062
12 8
Beeth, - - •
4891
0 0
IfleofMeikle- \
Cumray, J
. 266
'3 4
Sum, £. 1
37496
13 2
X- 87094 I 1 o I
It would be endlefs to mention the loiTes of particular Otherpar-
perfons. However, I cannot omit fome inftances. When tkuUrs.
this dreadful hofl came to the fhire of Air^ the Curate
of Kirkofwald procured a regiment for that parifh ; and
fuch was his ghoftly care for his flock, that, by his di-
rection, quarters were given for thefe plunderers. The
fmall parifh of 'Dalmellingtoun, where one ^intin Dick
had his refidence, hd^ nine hundred of thefe mountaineers
upon it.
1 ne
ne HISTORY of the Chap. 12.
The Heritors who took the hnd and their lands, were
free from quartering and exa6tions as far as thofe Higb-
land robbers could be reftrained ; but others had no
mercy. Sir William Cunningham of Cunninghamhead^ tho*
but a fchool-boy, had a whole troop, commanded by the
Laird of Bun^ quartered on his eftate j fo that his te-
nants were grievoufly opprefTed ; and the viftual that
was laid up in the tower o^ Cunninghamhead, was ren-
dered ufelefs by their treading it under their feet, to the
great prejudice of the innocent minor. And all this
under the diredlion of — Dumbar of Grange, Nephew to
the Laird of Dun, who was Cornet to that troop. This
Dumbar forced his Landlord, David Muir, to give him
what money he had, theatning otherwife to hang him
in his own barn ; which he and his fervants would have
done, had they not been prevented by a company of
women.
Kilmar- 'pj^g town of Kilmarnock fuffered extremely, at this
"°^' (v/ fi"^^' John Bordknd in the Bridge of Kilmarnock, loft
an hundred pounds Scots. William Taylor, merchant,
had a whole company of them quartered for one night
befides his quota. Matth. Hopkins loft five hundred
merks. William Dickie, Merchant, had nine of them
upon him for about fix weeks ; and when they went
off, they robbed his houfe, carried off a ftocking full of
filver money, broke two ribs of his fide, and fo frighted
his wife, then big with child, that ftie died foon after.
This good man loft upwards of a thoufand merks^
Hugh Mo-zvat, James Stewart, and his fon, and James
u4ird, with many others, were dreadfully oppreffed.
In a woid, before they left Kilmarnock, they refolved,
on the Sabbath day, to plunder the town, as leverall
houfes felt to their coft. When Mr. Alex. WedderburnA
Minifter in the town, was interceding for the place, aj
Highlander puHied tiim in the breaft with the butt end of
his mufkc t, which proved the occafion of his death.
The parifli of Evandale in LanerkjJoire loft one thoi
fand fevcn hundred pounds twelve fliillings. The fmall
parifli of Cambujlang, in the fame fliire, likewife fuffered
much ; particularly John Crofbie, David Donald^ Jam.
Jackjon, Will. Kerr, and 'Iho. Robert/on. The Lady
of
Chap.i3. CHURCHY/SCOTLAND.
of Sir Patrick Houjlon was by their infolent rudenefs
frighted to death.
From thefe few hints, the reader may form a judg-
ment of the difmal ftate of the country, during the time
of the Highland-hoi^, and what a fenfible pleafure it
mull have given all ranks, to fee them marching back
to their native mountains. But ftill the meafurcs of op-
preffion were carried on, as I am to relate in
CHAP. XIII.
Of the proceedings of the Council and their Committee
after the return of the Highland-hoft •, the appointment
of garifons •, the convention of eftates •, the cefs, the
progrefs of the perfecution, and other things^ to the end
of the year.
TH E damages done by the Highland hoft were fo Com-
great, that the Managers were pleafed to difmifs fr.ittees
them i but flill they continued to purfue the meafures o{ letter to
rigour and feverity againft the Nonconformifts. Ac- ''?f **'
cordingly, on the firft of March, a letter from the Com-
mittee was read in Council, fignifying, that they had
charged all, who had not taken the bond, with Lawbor-
rows (p. 437,438.) and had fent their names to the Coun-
cil, in order to their being declared Rebels -, but that
the Noblemen, and Gentlemen charged, had left their
own houfes and come into Edinburgh -, fo that the prin-
cipal perfons concerned cannot be apprehended.
All the Heritors in Renfrew and Lanerk were thus
charged.
The famiC day, Mr. Robert Anderfon was before the ^>i^. ^
Council for nonconformity \ but he was releafed upon Anderfon
giving bond to appear when called. But the Lord /''^<'a^^'^-
Cochran, the Laird of Kilbirnie, and others, offered a pe- ^; 9°*?"
tition for the fufpenfion of the hawborrows \ yet ^^ fttitlonr'e-
Council figniBed to their Committee, that they would yVdZ
got accefs to his Majefty.
The Managers at Edinburgh pretended to ridicule thefe Their
Noblemen, and affured their friends, that, fince xh^^ journey
had not firfl laid their grievances before the Council, '"'^"^^=''''«
the King would pay no regard to them. However,
their going off without afking leave, was as furprizing,
as it was unexpeded, efpccially their being joined by the
Marquis of Athol and the Earl of Perth. The Bidiop
of Galloway made a heavy complaint of the condu6t of
thofe two Noblemen, in a letter to the Lord Regiiler.
It is faid, that when thefe two Noblemen, with their Rcformu-
fervants, and other Gentlemen, were on the road in tion in
Annandak^ they loft their way, and, it being late, |"^^"
were obliged to put up in a cottage in that countiy.
The people having fome knowledge of their errand,
treated them with abundance of civility. And when
their Lordfhips, who could' not get their horfes within
doors, exprefied their concern, left they Ihould be ftoln,
having heard that Annandak was noted for horfe-Jlealiiig^
the country people told them, they were in no hazard i
for there was no thieving among them now, fmce the
field-preachings came into that country ; and talked of
many other branches of reform.ation brought about by-
means of Mr. JVelJh and other preachers.
As foon as the Council got notice of the departure of .Murmy,
Duke Hamillon, on the 26th of Marcb^ they fent up the ^^-/et ap-
Earl of Murray and the Lord Collingtoun^ in order to
vindicate their proceedings, and thofe of their Com-
mittee, againft what might be objefted by the Noble-
men and others, Vv'ho were gone to Court.
The fame day, a letter from their Committee was read Com?nit-
in Council, fignifying, that the bond had been offered ^'■''^^ -^^'^^'
in the fhire of Stirling^ and that in the parilli o't Campfie^
fix miles north of Glafgow^ fome hundreds affembled in
arms, and killed one of the Soldiers, and defired an or-
der, to proceed againft the Heritors of that parifh, for
building a dwelling -houfe and meeting- houfe to one
Mr. Law (after the revolution one of the Miniftera
in Edinburgh) adding, that the country about Glafgom
M ni m 2 Vv'as
r/^^ H I S T O R Y : P. The fame day the copy of the Earl of Caffils^s cafe
Andcifon. was produced in Council, and Mr. Patr. Anderfon was
ordered to be fent to the Bafs, unlefs he prefently g^ve
fecurityj
occca-
s r.s to
Chap. 13. CHURCH ^/SCOTLAND.
feciirity, under the penalty of two thonfand merks, to
leave Edinburgh and five miles round it, and converfe
with none but thofe of his own family. This was hard
treatment, for alledged keeping of Conventicle; at his
own houfe, and correfponding with Mr. IVelJh^ JVil-
liamfon^ &c.
Next Day, they agreed upon a letter to be fent to p.
his Majefty, whereni they fay, " Whereas, the Earl ing.
*' reprcfents, that we granted commiflions to the Mar- Caffils'.f
*' quis of Athol^ and others to take free -quarters ■ ''^■'^'
" We humbly conceive, that your MajeCLy had juft
" reafon to look on his jurifdiftion of Car?'ick and fome
'* other wefliern fhires, as in a fiate of rebellicn^ fince
" Field-conventicks are, by your laws, declared to be
" rendezvcuzes of rebellion ; and that thefe were fo in-
" creafing, that there were far more armed men afiem-
^' bled in them almofl: weekly^ than could be repreffed
*' by almoit thrice the number of your ftanding forces. —
" But yet our orders are falfly reprefented ; for we only
" gave orders to take free quarters, as your Council and
*<'• Committee fhould order •, and that your Council has
*' gi"cen orders., is denied •, — yet to the end that none
" Ihould fufftr, but fuch as fhould continue guilty, it
*' was offered by your Council, that only fuch, as
^' fliould refufe to fecure the peace, fhbuld be quar-
*' tered upon ; and accordingly, protedlions were
*' granted to all fuch who fecured the peace. — Where-
*' as, it is reprefented, that a bond was preifed without
*' law, it is humbly afTerted, that the bond was only
" offered., but not preffed. — And as to the legal fecurity
*' by Lawborrows., it is exprefiy warranted by 129th
" a^^ -pari. 9th James I. And univerfal L.'izvbor-
*' rows are warranted by a5i I'^th pari. 6th James II.
" -^-Upon which account, it is humbly craved from
'^ your Majefty's juflice, that the Earl of Caffils., who
" hath contemned your proclamation, and charged your
*? Privy-council with crimes of fo high a nature, may
" be fent down prifoner, to be tried and judged accord-
" ing to law."
This is but a very jfhorC extraft of the letter, which Remarks.
the reader will find, at large, iq tVodrow., p. 501, ^c
wt\p
454 The HIST ORY of the Chap. 13:
1678. who juftly obferves, that there was as little rebellion at
^^y^Y^^ Field- conventicles as in Churches. It was the Council,
that fird called them rendezvouzes of rebellion, and from
this inferred, that the weft-country was in a ftate of
rebellion. How juftly, muft be left with the reader.
Befides, it is abfolutely falfe, that there were weekly
more armed men at thefe Conventicles than thrice the
nmnbtr of the King's forces could fupprefs. That fome
attended thefe meetings in arms., is not denied ; neceffity
obliged them, to defend themfelves againft the wicked
aflaults of the ibldiers. They tell his Majefty, that his
Council did not give orders for free quarters : but what
a Ihift was this, when their Committee did it by their
authority ? And it is falfe, that free quarters were only
upon the rcfufers of the bond, when it is well known,
that the Highlanders came feveral days before the time
of taking the bond \ and free quarters were allowed on
the lands of Cunninghamhead and others, who could not
be reckoned refufers. In a word, it may make the reader
fmile, to hear them faying, the bond was offered., but not
prejfed. If the fending in of an army, the charging with
Lawborrows, and putting to the horn was not prefling,
then nothing need be called fo.
With the above letter, the Committee fent up to the
King an information of their proceedings with the Earl
of Caffils. And about this time, the Managers thought
it convenient, to publifh a paper entitled, A true narra-
tive of the proceedings of his Majefiy's Privy-council in
Scotland for fecuring the peace of that kingdom in the
year 1678. Remarks were made upon this narrative in
a letter to a friend, which abundantly expofed what is
aflertLd in the above paper.
The tyranny of this period gave an almoft general
difguft, and therefore it was not improper, for the Ma-
nagers to defend their conduct, the bell way they were
able.
Mr. Roff. On the fixth of April, the Council ordered Mr. Alex.
Rofs, a Minifter, in the North, who had been detained
prifoner in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh for the fpace of
four months, without laying any thing to his charge, to
be releafed, upon giving fecurity to live peaceably.
On
Chap. 13. CHURCHY/SCOTLAND. 455
On the loth, the Council being informed, that many 1678.
in the Ihire of Lanerk had not furrendered their arms, Lanerk-
ordered their Committee to do all they could to difarm ^"^^.{f!^'
them. And, accordingly, they did their utmoft ; but Jrl.ed.
many chofe rather to run all hazards than to come and
deliver their arms upon oath.
On the 13th, the Committee at Glafgow^ confidering Lord
that Mr. PFylie and Lord Semple had both withdrawn, Semple',-
wrote to the Earl of Dundonald, one of his Lordfliip's '■"Z^-
truftees, to do all he could to get him to return to the
Univerfity ; and on the i6th. Lord Semple's mother, a
profejfed Papist, petitioned the Council, that they
would, either, recommend the care of her Ton's educa-
tion, to fuch perfons as fhall be anfwerable to their
LiOrdlhips, or take fome proper meafures, for fecuring
to him his fmall fortune, during his minority, and him-
felf in fuch principles as were moft fuitable to his Ma-
jefty's government, and might engage him in loyalty
to the King and his fucceffors. The Council upon this
enjoined the Bifhop of Argyle and Lord Rofs^ to appoint
fome perfon of found principles and loyalty, to be Tutor
to the petitioner's fon.
On the 19th, an exprefs arrived, and the Council fat Bond and-
down at eieht in the mornino;, when a letter was read ^^'^'^ °/'
D _ _ D' roivs lit)-
from his Majefty, fignifying, that he had confidered fended.
the reprefentations made by fome of his fubjedls, relat-
ing to the methods lately taken with the weft Country,
and that he was refolved to hear things more fully, and,
in the mean time, commanded, that the hond and Law-
borrows fhould be fufpended till his further pleafure ; and
that all his forces, except his own guards, be immedi-
ately difbanded. This furprized the Managers, who
were expefting the Earl of Cajfds to be fent down pri*
foner, and therefore they difpatched Sir Georj^e APKmzie
to London^ by whom they v/rote to the Earl of Murray
and Lord Coilingtoun^ fignifying their readinefs to obey
his Majefty's commands, and reflefting on thf fe Noble-
men and others, that had gone to Court at this time,
as if they had done all, they could, to fhake the foun-
dations of authority, to fuch a degree, as it wi;l be pa(t
remedy, if it be not If eedily vigorouflv adverted to by
h:s
45<5 r;^^ H I S T O R Y of the Chap, i^'j
1678. his Majefty : and therefore they begged them to concur
'^-'^V'''^ with the Advocate, in reprefenting things to the King.
Sir John gut on the 2 2d, Sir John Ciinmngha77t went up Hke-
ham""^^«/ wife to London ; and though he and Sir George Lockhart^
to court, who had gone before him, had neither of them refufed
the hcnd^ yet they were clear to give it as their judg-
ment, that the impofing of it and the Lawborrows was
contrary to law -, and therefore the fentiments of fuch
eminent Lawyers could not but have weight.
Forces dif- However dilTatisfying the King's lait orders were^
banded. yet the B/ue- coat ^nd Nidfdak VQgimcnts, who were got
as far as Lanerk, were both difbanded. Lord Haltoun
v/ent to the Committee at Glafgozv., and gave them the
firft information of this fudden change ; but, at the fame
time, he affured them of the King's favour, and that he
would approve of their proceedings, though his affairs
in England made it ncceffary to difband the forces, and
fufpend the bond for a little while. However, this put 2
flop to the difarm.ing of the fhire of Lanerk. And,
Comv.ittee On thc 24th, the Council wrote to their Committee^
f^mes to jj^^j. ^^j^QQ difordc-rs by numerous Field conventicles in
burgh ^h"^^-) ^^^fi-> T'eviotdaky and Linlithgow, were come to
fuch an height, and matters of moment were to be de-
liberated upon on the firft of Aikjy, therefore they
defired them, as their bufmefs in the Weft was finilhed^
to come in to Edinburgh.
Pyopofal What thefe matters of importance were which the
morefor^ Council had before them on the firft of May, I know
ces. not •, poiTibly, they were to concert upon proper me-
thods, for fupprefllng what they call'd the increafing
of diforders by numerous Field- conventicles, and for
this end to have a Handing army, notwithftanding the
late orders for difbanding the forces •, and, no doubt,
they took care to reprcfent things in their own way to"
the King.
Field- Mean while, on the fifth of May., there was a large
meeting Eicld-Mccting on the Hills of Whitekirk over againft the
°hdh\f ^^-P- ^ party of about forty Soldiers and twenty
Whice- country people, whom they prcfTcd to go along with
kirk. them, commanded by Enfign Charles Mai t land, being,
fent by the Governor, came upon them. The people
refolved
Chap. 13- CHURCH c/ SCOTLAND. 45^
rcfolved to keep together, and not offer any violence, 1678.
unlefs they were attacked. The party advanced, and (•'VNJ
commanded them, in the King's name, to dilperfe.
Some, who were near them, aniwered, that, tho' they
honoured the King^ yet they were refolved to hear the
Word of God. Upon this, a Soldier giving a blow-
to one of the people, an able-bodied countryman
knock'd him down. Being thus engaged, the people^
on that fide of the meeting, quickly iurrounded and
difarmed the Soldiers, and fent them off. No harm
was done to any of them, further than that one was
killed on the fpot. Two of the meeting were taken
that day, and feveral others afterwards ; among whom
were Jczmes and Geo. hearmonts^ William Temple^ Rob.
Hepburn in Eaft-fentoun^ and IVill. Bryfcn^ younger, in
Dumbar. The firft of thefe was executed in September,
as Ihall be related.
Though, on the loth o^ May, the Council recalled the Propo/J
garifon at Air, yet on the 14th, they had a letter from f"' ^<^>'e
the King, dated the feventh, declaring, that, confiuer-''^'"''^^"'*
ing the abounding of Field-com-enticlcs thefe reudez-
vouzes of rebellion, he thought fit, that fome more forces
fhould be raifed, and that he expefted a fpeedy and ex-
a6t account of what number and quality of troops would
be neceffary.
How flu(5fuating were his Majefty's Councils ! the
one day to order the forces to be diiLanded, and the
next, in a manner, to order a new levy to be made.
However, this letter was what the Managers wanted.
And the fame day^ in their return, they took notice
of the growth of Ccwcenticks, and that the raifing of
new forces was the befi way to fupprefs them -, and there-
fore they propofed two troops of horfe, each confiding
of a hundred men -, and as the fupporr of thefe necellarily
called for money, that a convention of efiates fl;iould be
fummoned to provide it. But before thefe things could
be brought about, feveral occurrences happened.
Accordingly, on the faid 14th of Mav, the Ccimcil Con-ven-
were informed of a Conventicle at the hcufe of the ''f'(y-i
Willianrji-ocd in the parifh of Cathcai't, ih the (hire of j-'^jj,,
Renfrew^ where the meeting was difperfeu, and upv:ards wood.
Vol. L N n n o^
TbeHlSrOltiY of the Chap. 13.
of fixty men were taken prifoners by the Dragoons,
who puriued the common people. The Minifters hap-
pily efcaped. About thirty -four Glafgow people, and as
many countrymen were carried in prifoners to Glafgow^
where they were examined by Lord Rofs and others.
The bond was offered to them, and the few that com-
plied were releafed •, but the rell, after fome days im-
prifonment, were fent to Edinburgh under a ftrong
guard, where we fhall leave them, till we fee, what
pafied between the King and the Noblemen and others,
in March laft, had gone to court. Many of them.
Duke Ha-
milton,
mitted to
en audi-
ence.
WHO,
after long attendance, came away.
But at lafbj on the 25th of May^ Duke Hamilton^
Lord Cockran^ Sir John Cochran^ and Lieutenant-Gene-
ral Dnmmond, were commanded to attend upon his
Majefty at four o'clock. When they appeared, the
King, being accompanied with the Dukes of Tork and
Monmouth, and the Treafurer, firft afked, why they had
come to him contrary to his proclamation ? The Duke
of Hamilton, who fpoke firft, entreated his Majefty to
\tt him know, why he had laid him under marks of his
difpleafure, 'uiz. his being turned out of his Council, and
fince ever he came to London, not having had the ho-
nour of kiffing his Majefty's hand. The King replied,
he would firft know the grounds of their complaints, be-
fore he returned an anfwer. The Duke Hiid, that he
had his Majefty's encouragement to come, fince he told
them, when laft at Court, that, when he was any way
wronged, he fhould come to himfelf, and make it
known. Upon this, they gave his Majefty a particular
account of the invafion of the Highlanders, their quar-
tering, and plunders, i^c. the bond, the Lawborrows,
their being denounced, and forbid, by proclamation, to
lay their condition before the King. To which the King
returned, that thefe were horrid things, and defired they
would fet them down in paper. The Treafurer faid,]
that whatever v/as in thefe free-quay terings, and in the
reft, they might have been prevented by taking the
bond, which he conceived there was la'W for, there be-
ing two alternatives in it, either to deliver their tenants
prifoners, or turn them out of their farms. To this i^
Chap. 13. C H U R C H ^/ S C O T L A N D.
was replied, that there was no obliging mafters to ap-
prehend their tenants ; the furthefl: the a6l of parliament
1670, went, was to oblige mailers for their families and
fervants. 2. That mafters could not be obliged to turn
tenants out of their lands, in regard the punifliment for
going to a Conventicle, was, by law, appointed to be a
fine, which v/as not fo grievous, as turning them out of'
their poffeiTions. Befides, they urged that m.oft of the
tenants had leafes, by virtue of which they had a legal
right to their poiTefTions, and could not be turned out
for a crime, that was only fineabk by law. This confer-
ence held two hours, and much was faid by both parties.
The King, in the conclufion, told them, that he could
not judge of vvhat they had faid, unlefs rhey would give
it under their hands, that he might Jay it before his
Council. They anfwered, that they came to his Ma-
jefty, to inform him of the wrongs and oppreflions of
the country, and not to accufe the Council, which they
knew was dangerous, unlefs his Majefty would zW^r;-
nify them ; which the King refufmg, they faid, they
left the mattter v.'ith him, to do in it as he thought
proper. In a word, tho' fometimes the King feemed
to be moved, yet being ftill under the influence of Lau-
derdale, he gave them no redrefs. So far from it, that
three days after this conference.
On the 28th of May, he wrote to the Counci.1, ap-
proving of their whole condufl, and recommending ro
them to take all fuch legal courfes, as they ihould find
necelTary, for preferving the authority of the (late, and
fecuring the government of the Church, as by lav/ ella-
blilhed.
The fame day, John Bowie, Jam. John and Roh. Sc-veml-
Maxwells, Dav. Corjbie, Will. Niven in Shazvs, Will, cirdeysd
Urie, Jam. Lickprevick, Jam. Blackwood, Rob. Reid,-^'^'' ^^''["^''
Dav. Fergujfon, Will. Steven, Dav. Gray, Arch. iJad-^^'^"^^""*'
doway, Mungo Cochran, Rob. Hay, and many others,
being called before the Council, to give their oath, who
preached at the above Conventicle at Williamivood, and
refufing, were fentenced to be tranfported to the Plan-
tations, and to lie in prifon till a Ihip was got ready.
N n n 2 ill
460 The HISTORY of the Chap. 15,
1678. At the fame time, a letter was read, appointing Lau-
1>^/Nj dcrdak Commiflioner, and a proclamation was pub-
t'n't'"'^^'^^^^'^ for calling a Convention of Estates to meet
ponven- ^^ Edinburgh on the 26th of June next. In this procla-
tion of mation, the kingdom is reprefentcd to be in danger
eitates. from thofe execrable Field-conventicles^ fo jurtly
termed in our laws, the rendezvouzes of rebellion •, and
therefore, in order to.fupprefs them, this Convention •w!^
called to raile and provide for more forces.
flemarks. Xhefe Conventicles get a new epithet, they were for-
merly called feditiotis and rendezvouzes of rebellion, but
now they are called execrable. But it was well
known, that thefe execrable meetings, as they were cal-
Hind let \q(\^ hat;! much of the Divine Prcfence among them -,
100, ^> P- and, as one obferves, many were really converted, more
■^ ■' were convinced, and generally all, who attended them,
were reformed from thtir former immoralities. Befides,
we have related, that the occafion of thefe meetings
was owing to the execrable proceedings of the Managers
at that time. Neither is it any wonder, though fome
were obliged to attend them in arms, when we confider
the fanguinary laws that were made againft them, and
how they were expofed to the illegal aflaults of the Sol-
diers. For a long time, they met without any arms,
and were frequently difturbed and difperfed. Some were
killed, others were wounded, which they patiently en-
dured zviihcui reftftance. At laft, feveral Miniflers had
a price fet upon their heads, and many were outlavved ;
and therefore finding that they thus were appointed as
JJoeep for the jlaughter^ they looked upon it as their duty to
provide for their neccffary defer.ce. We have related how
they were debarred all manner of liberty to worfliip
God in publick, and on the fevered penalties forbid to
affemble either in the churches or in private families.
But being perfuaded, that it was their duty not to tor-
fake the afiembling of thcmfelves together, they there-
fore took to xkit fields.
$i"trcn On the 1 3th of June, about fixteen more, who had
o'azrcdfzr t^ggj^ ^^ j-j^g Conventiclc of Williamwood, were fenterOced
iatioT' '^o be tf^" Spotted. They were given to Ralph William-'
fin of London to difi^ok of them, or fell them to the
belt!
Chap. 13. CHURCH ^/SCOTLAND.
bed advantage ; and they were to lie in prifon till they
could be {hipped ofiT.
On the 20th, George Hume of Khmnergham and Jane
Hume Lady Jyton, having been imprifoned for a clan-
deftine marriage, (I fuppofe for being married by a
pre/by terian Minifter) were releafed, on paying a thou-
sand merks fine, and feven hundred and fifty merks for
pious ules.
On the 26th, the Convention of Estates met ac- Conven*
cording to appointment. Parliaments now could not be t'on/^
ventured upon, left an enquiry fhould be made into the *
ftate of the nation, and propofals made for redrelTing
grievances. A convention anfwered the end of raifing mo-
ney, which was the great thing now in view. But the
hindering the parliament to fir, was one of the arbitrary
meafures of this period.
On the loth oijuly^ they paffed their a6t and offer of Ueiraa
1800000 /. Scots to be raifed, in the fpace of five years, '^"^ of^-
being three hundred and fixty thoufand pounds Scots
yearly. In the preamble to this afl, they fay, among
other things, " That it is not fit, that this kingdom
fhould only, of all others, remain without defence, at a
time, wherein thefe dangerous Field-conventicles^ declared
by law, rendezvouzes cf rebellion^ do ftill grow in their
num.bers and infolencies j againil all which the prefent
forces cannot in reafon be thought a fuitabls fecurity.
The defign of this ajjejfment was to maintain an ar- Remarks].
my for fupprefling thefe Conventicles^ v/hich were the
hutt of their malice : and now the Bilhops had what
they wanted, their friends were provided for in the ar-
my. The Prejhyterians were divided among themfelves
on account of the indulgence : and the impofition of this
cefs increafed their divifions •, and the rigorous execution
of it, together with the cruel oppreflions of this new
army, occafioned 3. rifing, which lliall be related in the
next volume.
Some looked upon it as unlawful to pay this cefs, DiffennF^
and others were of opinion, that, fince violence was opinions.
both expcdted and ufed, it was more advifeable, by
a piece of money, to preferve themfelves and their fa-
ipilies alive, and their fubftance from being taken from
then),
I
4^2 ^'i-^ H I S T O R Y of the Chap: 31;
1678. them, than, by an abfolute refufal, to give an occafion
v-o/'"**-' and afford a legal pretence to the cruelty of the collec-
tors, to deftroy all. They added, that paying cefs^
in thefe circiim fiances, was not fpontaneous, but con-
ftrained, and therefore the payers were to be excufed,
and looked upon as fufferers, rather than aftors. There
were a few others, who payed this impofition with a
declai'ation^ chufing the middle way between paying it
without any teftimony againft what was evil in it, an4
refufmg to pay it at all. Among them was ^inim
Dick of Dalmellingtoun. The reafons of his conduct, I
fhall lay before the reader in his own words, as fol-
low :
Qu'mton'j " After much liberty in pouring out my heart to
Dick'i if God, I was brought to weigh, that as my paying
'^TT-T " ^^ ^'' "^^^^ be, by ibme, interpreted a fcandal and a
'^iff.^ ' ' " finful acquiefcence in the Magiftrates finful com-
" mand ; fo, upon the other hand, my refufmg to pay
*' it would be the greater fcandal, being found to clafli
*' againft a known command of God, of giving to all
" their due, tribute to whom tribute is due, cuftom to
" inhom cujlora -, and knowing that Chrift Jefus, for
" that fame very end, to evite offence, did both pay
" tribute himfcif, and commanded his followers to do it,
*' I could fee no way to refufe payment of that cefs, un-
" lefs I had cladied with that command, of paying tri-
" bute to C^far. So, to evite the fcandal of comply-
*' ance on the one hand, and difobedience to the Ma-
" giftrate, in matter o^ cuftom^ on the other, I came to
" a determination to give in my cefs to the Colleftor of
" the fhire of Air, with a proteftation againft the Ma^r
" giftrates, finful qualification fo his commands, and a
" full adherence unto thefe meetings of God's people
" called Conventicles, which, in the a6l, he declared his
*' defign to bear down.— I had no fooner done this,
" but — it was faid that my proteftation was only to
, . " evite fufferings, and could be of no weight, being
'■^ proteftatio conlraria fa5!o. But being perfuaded, that
" It is the Magiftrates right to impofe and exact cefs
" and cuftom, I could have no clearnefs to ftate my
^' fufferings in oppofition to fo exprefs a command of
^' God.
Chap. 13: CHURCH (/SCOTLAND. 46^
*' God. And as to the Magillrates finful qualification, 1678.
*' having fo openly declared and frotejled againft it, I V^'V's.y
" conceive, the cenfure of this, to evite fufferings, is
*' groLindlefs, feeing that the enemy has fubfcribed with
" my hand, before witneffes, a refolute adherence to
*' that, which they fay this leads to overthrow ; and if
" he mind to perfecute, upon the ground of owning
" Conventicles, he has a fair and full occafion againft
" me under my hand, &c.
Thus far he. But to do juftice to thofe, who refufed Hind fet
to pay this cefs, I muft briefly relate their fentiments on ^^°^^>Vj
this head. Thus they allowed, i. That t7'ibute and^'^*'"'^*
cufiom are to be paid to the perfons ordained by God ;
but the impofuions o^ tyrants, enacted and QX2i&.td for pro-
moting their wicked defigns againft religion and li-
berty, are no ways due, and therefore it is not equity
to pay them. 2. It is lawful to pay them, when due,
either by law or contrail, even though they fhould, af-
terwards, be abufed to pernicious ends. But thefe pay-
ments for fuch wicked ends, either particularly fpeciiied
in the very adt appointing them,, or openly avouched
by the exadions, are of another nature from impoli-
tions fundament ally appointed for the publick good.
3. It is fometimes lawful to pay them, even when //-
legally exacted, if afterwards they were, by dedition or
voluntary engagement, legally fubmitted to by the true
reprefentatives. But not fo, when they were never either
lawfully enafted, or legally exaded, or voluntarily en-
gaged by the reprefentatives, except fuch, as reprefent
the enflavement of the nation, and betrayed the country,
religion, liberty, property, and all perfons intcrefts, and
declaredly impofed to further the deilrudion of all. If
it be objeded, that Chrift paid cul'lom, left he fhould
offend, and that the Jezvs wondered at his prudent an-
fwer. Render to Ca^far the things that are Csfar'i, and
to God the things that areQo\i's •, it is fufficient to ob-
ferve, that he taught them in general, to give nothing
to Cafar, in prejudice to that which is Gad\ \ aiid con-
fequently, it mull be unlawful, to pay a tax, that is ap-
pointed for fupprefpng ths worjhip of God, wherever it
is performed agreeable to his v/orJ. And to make the
cafe
464 ri-t? H I S T O R Y cf the Chap, i^;
1678. cafe parallel, it is no iefs than blafphemy to fay, thac
Vxv^-' Chrill: would have paid, or permitted his followers to
pay a tax, profelTedly impofcd, for levying a war againft
himfelf, or banifliing him and his difciples out of the
land, or to fill the mouths of the greedy Pharifees •, or
that he would have paid, or fuffered to pay their extor-
tions, if any had been exafted of him or his difciples,
for his preaching or working miracles •, or if help or hire
had been demanded for the encouraging thofe, that ran
to (lone him for his good deeds. 4. It is lawful to
pay a part to preferve the whole, when it is extorted
only by force and threatnings, and not exacted by law ;
when it is yielding only to a leffer fufFering, and not
confenting to a fm to fhift fufFering ; for though, no
doubt, a man may give a robber a part, to fave his life,
or preferve the reft, yet if the robber requires not only
a part for himfelf and his underlings, but demands it,
for this very end, that he may be in cafe to murder his
father, mother, wife, children and friends, whom he has
in his power ; the queftion is, whether it would be
lawful, for any perfon to comply in thefe circumftances ?
But the impofers of this cefs did not look upon them-
felves as robbers, but claimed this exaction, as a juft
debt ; and that for this declared purpofe, to enable them,
to bear down the afifemblies of God's faithful people.
5. It is lawful pq[fwel)\ by forcible conftraint, to fubmit
to the execution of fuch wicked fentences^ as impofe
thofe burthens, if it be not by way of obedience to them ;
this is fuffering and not finning. But it is unlawful, to
comply with the payment of a cefs,, when impofed, with
an evident defign, to overthrow the work of God, and
harrafs and perfecute his people. The duty, in that cafe,
is to take joyfully the f-pciling of our Goods, and not to
comply with impiolis demands. 6. It is lawful, of two
evils of fufferings, to chufe the leail, when they are in
our choice •, but this is not the prefent cafe. It is true,
there is this alternative, either to comply and pay the.
cefs,, cr elfe to be expofed to the rigorous oppreflions of
the laws then made. If the firft could be done without
fin, then it doubtlefs might, to avoid the terrible con-
fequences of the lad. But as an active compliance with
the
Chap. 13. CHURCH o/SCOTLAND. 4%
the former is finful, we are to chufe futFering rather 1678,
than fin. When Chrift was toffed at fea with his dif- '^y^, "^^
ciples, had the Jei'.ijh rulers given peremptory orders
to furnifh money tor paying thofe, whom they
were to employ to fink the fhip, can it be imagined,
that any of the lovers of Jsfus v/ould have complied
with their demands ? Now has not Chrift, and all the
intereft he hath in the nation, been embarked, as it
were, in one bottom ? And have not the rulers icnt
their peremptory orders to pay a cefs for finking -his
floating intereft ? Can any, who profefs to love him,
com^ply with this ? Can this compliance efpecially be
given into by thofe, who, by Jolemn covenant^ were
obliged to maintain and defend it. Thus I have given
a brief account of fome of thof^ things faid in behalf of
thofe, who refufed this cefs. The reader will find tiiis
point largely difcuffed in the booic quoted in the mar-
gin, from which I have taken thefe hints. I nov/ go on
to the fubfequent occurrences.
On the firft of j^uguji, John Millar in Kirkaldy, Dav. Procee^-
Barclay^ Rcb. Marnock^ and feven or eight more, were ingi of ty
brought before the Council, for having been at feveral ^«'''«''''^-
Field-conventicles. They refufed to fwear againft any,
who were prefent with them, and fo had a fentence of
tranfportation palfed againft them.
They like wife renewed their former act, requiring all
concerned in the execution of the laws, to take the op.tb
cf allegiance and declaration., and appointed their act to
be printed and fent to the members of inferior judica-
tures, town-councils and magiftrates. It feem.s, tVilliam
Stirling., Bailie-depute of the the regality of GlafgoWy
had not exerted himfeif fufFiCiently in fuppremng Con-
I'enticles. And therefore,
On the 14th o^ Augi'.fi^ he appeared before dieCcun- w. stir-
oil, and alledging, that being but newly vefted with 'ing-
that office, he was unacquainted with the methods of
the Court •, v/hereupon the Lords required him to be
more diligent for the future. The fame day. Sir James Sir ].
Stewart., late provoft of Edinburgh., v/ho had, for fomeS;ua»t.
time, been prifoner. in the caftle, was, by reafon of his
old age and infirmities, fet at liberty, upon giving a
Vol, I, O o o bend
466 5:^e H 1 S T O R Y of the Chap. 13:
1678. bond often thoufand merks to appear when called. At
V-O/'^-' the fame time 'Thomas Kennedy of Grange^ confefling
that he had been at a Conventicle laft year, was fined in
eight hundred nierks, which he prefendy paid, and was
difcharged.
Next day, the Council v/rote two letters, the one to
Pundonald, to order Mr. fFylie to appear before thern
on the 1 1 th of September, and provide a proper tutor
for Lord Semple (p. 330.) the other to the Bailie of
Maybole^ in the fhire of Air, concerning a Conventicle
near that place, at which feveral attended in arms ; but
the matter was dropt. The fame day, the Magiftrates
of Air were ordered to apprehend Mr. John Cunningham,
Chamberlain to the Laird of Entrekin, for harbouring
Mr. John V/elfi.
Megiiugcf About the end of this month, a confiderable number
MiKijhrs. J3Qf]-j Qf ^i^(. indulged and net indulged Minifters met at
Edinburgh, for compofing the differences that had rifeji
en account of the indulgence, which feveral had been
preaching againft ; and, as feme apprehended, carried
things to an excefs in their fermons. They had two pro-
bationers before them, but to httle purpofe ; a third
declined to converfe with them, or be flibjecl to their
admonitions.
RcT.'zarks. We have related how difiatisfaftory the indulgence
was to many, and how the acceptance of it offended
numbers, becaufe it flowed entirely from fhe fupremacy.,
Mr. Li-^ On tiie feventh of OElober, 1 67 1 , the Rev. Mr. John Li-
J'^'^g^ on -f ijiyigfion wrote a letter from Rotterdam to his paridiioners
of Ancram, in which he condemned thofe who accept-
ed the indulgence, without any piiblick tejiimony either
of their adherence to the oath of God, and work of re-
formation, or againfl the ufurpations of the civil Ma-r
p,irirate upon the royal prerogative of the Lord Jefus
ChriH; ; and among other things tells them, *' If any
** Minifters have had a hand in contriving or procuring
" th:^t indulgence, I flippofe, they have done more mif-
** chief to the Church of Chrift in that land \Scotland'\
" than allthe Prelates, p.pd all their Hirelings." Befides,
the reader will obferve, that thefe worthy perfons, who
had not freedom to accept of the indulg^en.cey were ex-
pofed
p. r ?.,
Chap. I ^. CHURCH ^/SCOTLAND. a^'1
pofed to the rage of the perfecutors, and deprived of 1678.
all their liberties both civil and facred j and therefore, ^-^y\r^
though they had exprelTed themfelves in their fermons in
terms that could not be chogdjser juftified, had they
not great provocation ? And when they were convinced,
that the indulgence v/as injurious to Chrift as Head of the
churchy flowing from and depending upon the Magiftrates
fupremac)\ that it was inconfifbent with prejhjterian prin-
ciples , that it invaded the rights of the Chriftian pv-^ople,
not only by depriving many of them of their own Minif-
ters, but alfo obliging them to fubmit to any, the Coun-
cil fhould fend them ; that by this, Er^Jiianifm v/as
eftablifhed ; were they to be condemned in preaching
againft it, nay, and in bearing their teftimony againit
the acceptors of it ? I doubt not in the leali, but many,
who accepted the indulgence^ were worthy and valuable
perfons -, h\xi humaman eji lahi. And it was certainly the
duty of Minifters to concert meafures for bringing about
peace and union : but at the fame time, how they were:.
to be condemned, v/ho, for the fake of union, could not
renounce their principles, mufl; be left with the readtr.
It is certain, exceffes of all kinds are to be avoided ; and
it is not furprizing, though fome did exceed the bounds
of moderation in this infamous period.
On the nth of September^ Pat. M'Dov.gal and Mr, Gentlemsn
James Lawrie of French, Tho. Hay of Park. Job. Blair "' ^"^'
»/ ' y ' J ^ way ti>'0'
o^DunJkey, And. Jgnew 01 Sheuchanh Alex. Veitch of Glen^ f^.^-^l^^
William IVeitch tenant to Glencranjiounj Adam Ruffel late
Bailie of Peebles^ were profecuted for houfe and Field-
conventicles. They who appeared v/ere acquitted.
The fame day, Sir Patrick Hume of Folwart (p. 269,; PoUvart
in confequence of a letter from the King, v/as ordered y^^*^^ ^«
to be removed from the Tolbooth of Edinktrzh to the Dumwar-
^~, . " ton.
Caftle of Dtimhartoun. This Gentleman had been im-
prifoned in September 1675 fp. 379.) and was ordered
to be vt\t2Stdi iTi February 1676 (p. '^'^6.) If that or-
der was complied with, it would feem he was again com-
mitted to prifon •, for it is plain, he v.^as at this time in
goal at Edinburgh.
Another letter from his Majefty w^as read in Council, Councus
at the fame time- requiring them to raife twp Highland "^'"S^
U 0 0 2 companies "* '
Con V en-
ticks, &c.
^^^ TheUlSi: O^Y of the Chap. ig.
1678. companies, each confiiting of a hundred and fifty men,
befides officers, for putting a ftop to the depredations
in the Highlands. Whether this order was comphed
with, my author did not find from the regiitcrs. The
fupprefiing of Conventicles took i?p moft of their time •,
for at the fame meeting, they ordered the arms and pa-
pers of Nonconformilfs to be fearched for and feized.
And next day, Soldiers were fent to Coupar of Fife, for
executing whatever orders they fhould receive from the
Council or their Committee, or the Major-General.
They likewife enjoined the Magiftrates of Kirkaldyy
;.. to proceed againft thofe, that had left their parifh
:^ church to fi-equent Conventicles, and thanked the Ma-
.gifb rates of Dundee for their care in this refpe(5t. They
jikewife wrote to the Marquis of Douglafs, defiring him
£0 prefent John Haddovjay, James and William Qelandsy
in confequence of his bond, to produce them when cal-
led. They had been before the Council 1677, for be-
; ing 2it Conventicles \ but upon his Lordfhip's bond, the
. procefs againft them was delayed. At the fam.e meet--
jng, the Chancellor produced a letter from the Earl of
Dmidonald, fignifying, tliat the CommifTioners of afiefT-
ment, for the Ihire of Renfrew, fcrupled the Declara-
tion, which they conceived related to burghs, and not to
jhires ; whereupon they ordei'ed that both the allegiance
and declaration fhould be tendered to them, and a lift
of the Recufants, &c. lliouid be fent to the Council.
And,
Se'veral On the 13th of September both thefe were re-impofed
^nned. Qj-j j-|-jg burghs. At which time, James Mofman was
. fined a thoufand merks, JFill. Laing and another, in
five hundred merks apiece -, and fix or feven more, all
tenants of the Laird of Cfzwrj, a hundred merks each,
for hearing Mr. IVelfj and other ejected Minifters ; and
the Council gave them to know, that, unlefs they paid
their refpedfive fines againft next November, they fhould
Mr.Uar- be tranfported. And they actually paffcd fentence of
roway. tranfportation .again ft Mr. John Harroway, for preach-
ing, baptizing and marrying without episcopal ordi-
7iation, and refufing to declare, upon oath, who the
Vrefbyterian Minifters were, by whom he was ordained.
Robirt
Chap. 13. CHURCH c/ SCOTLAND.
Robert Dick^ Merchant in Prejlcnpans^ was hkewife ba-
nifhed for being at one Conventicle ; for refufing to
clear himfelf by oath, he was declared guilty. They ^- ^^^•
Jikewife ordered the Earl of LinlithgoiD to bring in fe-
veral perfons prifoners, who had lately been at a Con-
venticle near Renfre'w. l"he fame day, they wrote to
Lord M'-Donald^ ordering him to come before them, on.
the 27th, and give fecurity for the peace of the bounds -,
but he was in no hade to obey their fummons. And on
the 1 6th, the Bifliop of Glafgozv was admitted a Coun-
cellor and a Member of tlie Commit:ee for publick
affairs.
While the Council was thus taken up about Conien- The trial
ticks ^ the trial oi James and George Learmonis fp, 457.) ^fh^-
miliajn Tern fie, Robert Hepburn of Eajl-fenton, Will. ^^^^ ^^
Bryfo'/t^ younger, in Dumbar^ came on before the Juftice- -
court, confifting of Lord Carrington, Juftice-general,
Lords Celling toun, Strathurd^ Cafilekill^ Ferret and Neiju-
toun. They fat down on the nth di September^ and the
prifoners were indicled for being at the Conventicle,
over againft the Ba[s, and being art and part in the
murder of the Soldier, i^c. In the beginning of the pro-
cefs, the Advocate palled from Hepburn and Bryioi^ in
order to purfue them beforc'the Council for Field- ccn-
I'enticles. Mr. David Thoirs, Advocate for the prifoners,
pleaded that their Jimple prefence, in a croud of a thou-
fand perfons, cannot make them guilty, and offered to
prove, that they came unar7ned^ and that others de-
clared Fugitives, and not them, v/cre {ttn to ftriks
the decealed with fwords and halberts, whereas, the pri-
foners retired before the engagement. The King's
advocate replied, that Field- conventicles were rendez-
vcuzes of rebellion, and the prifoners prffrnce there in
arms was enough to prove them guiky, which he un-
dertook to make good. I'he Lords, in their interlo-
cutor, declared, tiiat prefence at Field conventicles, and
giving council and command, infer guilt, and accord-
ingly referred the fame to be proved.
The witneilcr, were examined ; and Javr.es Mander-
f:cun fwore that he faw Jam. Learmcnf at a fiehl-cohveU-
ticle May the firth, tint he had nc arms, but that -he
heard
4 JO "The HISTORY of the Chap, i^V
1678. heard him fay, Let no cowards he here to day \ but let
C/'VN-' fud\ as have arms, go out to the fcrefide ; that he faw
t'Villiam Temple there ivith a fword. Other two witneffes
fvvore much to the fame purpofe ; but none fwore that
Jam. Learmont had any actual concern in the engage-
ment, la his laft fpeech, he tells us, that the iury, at
firft, declared he was not guilty of the blood that was
fhed. Their verdict was, *' That they found IVilliam
" Temple guilty of being at the Conventicle libelled, near
" the place where the man was killed, with a fword
" under hi^ arm, but not drawn \ as alfo, that James
*' Learmont was not only guilty of prefence, but of
" words contorm to the depofition of witneffes."
Con- Wh^n tills was g'ven in, the Advocate declared,
dmr.ed. j.|^^j. j-j^^y c^tf^rted the." Diet againft Geo. Learmont. Se-
veral others, v/ho were at the faid Conventicle, as Sher-
rif Co'-jjan, Dawfon, Brock, Miller and Bull, were called,
and not appearing, were declared fugitives and ourlav/ed.
Next Day, September 13, the loUovving fenter.ce was
pronounced, viz. That James Learmont be taken to the
Grafs-market Qii Edinhirgh, on Friday t\\^ 27th inftant,
and there have his head fevered from his body, i^c.
No fentence was this day pronounced againft Will.
Temple \ and tho', according to their ov/n law, he was
certainly more guijty than Jam, Learmont, yet a fen-
tence of tranfportation was all that was paiTed againft
him.
()iecuted. ^" ^g^^ Minifler told Mr. PFodrow, that, eight or
nine years after this, he was called to fee a man on his
death -bed, who declared a few hours before he died,
that he was one of thofe, who were concerned in the
death of the Soldier, for which this good Man James
Learmont, \vas executed on the 2 7th according to his
Naphtali. fentence. In his latl fpeech, he bore an honourable tef-
timony to the covenants and "jDork of reformation, againft
popery, prelacy, lie. prayed, that God would give re-
pentance to ihofe, who were acceflary to his death, ex-
horted all people to fhew loyalty to the King and all
Liwful Magiftrates, and all their juft and lawful com-
mands, in fo far as rhcy agreed with the word of God ;
and concluded his long fpeech with thefe ^vords; 2 Tini^
iv.
Chap. 13. CHURCHY/SCOTLAND. 471
iv. 7, 8 : I have fought a good fight ^ &c« furely I come 1678,
quickly, amen^ even fo, ro;;';^LoRD Jesus. ' — v-^
On the ninth of O^icher^ a letter from the King was yiore
read in Council fignifying, that he had granted com-/^';'^f-f
miflions to raife a regiment of foot, confifting of eight '"^'-^^ '
companies, and three troops of horfe, of iixty men
each, befides officers, for fecuring the kingdom from
foreign invafions, and inteftine commotions, and re-
quiring all the officers of the former and new levied
forces, to repair to their refpeclive pofls, upon pain of
his difpleafure. Upon this, the Council appointed the
Earls of Murray, Wigton, and Linlithgow^ the Bifhop of
Galloway (for he muil be employed for the Church in
military affairs) the Lords Elphingfi:otin, Rcfs, and Col-
ling ton, and Mr. Maitland, or any three of them, to
meet the 2 2d inftant, and deliver commiffions to the
Officers named by" his Majeily, and to order them to
rendezvouz on the Links of Leith, on the lafl: Thitrf-
day of November.
The fame Day, Mr. James Hamilton, the indulged Alexan-
Minifter at Evandak, was rebuked before the Council, "^^rBu-
for preaching in a vacancy, and fo breaking his cg7i- ^'J'^,'. *
Jinement -, but that being his lirft fault, he was difmiffed niped.
without any further cenfure. And at the fame federunt,
yllex. Buchannan in Bucklyvie, and ^nd. Buchannan in
Shirgartoun, and about feven others, were baniilied for
Conventicles, and ordered to be kept prifoners, till they
Jhould be tranfported.
Next day, the Council appointed fome garifons in Garifons.
feveral places of the Highlands^ for preferving the peace
there, and permitted Dame Margaret Ker to wait upon
the Laird of Polwart, a prifoner in Dumhartoun-Caftle,
till the firft of November next.
In November, a procefs commenced againft fom.e of
the indulged Minifters in the fhire of Renfrew, as Mr.
Patr. Simpfon and Mr. Jam. Wallace, for breaking their
confinement ; of which more next year.
On the feventh, Tho. and PFill. Gova7is, Aloe. Ander-
fon, Rob. Pontoun, James IVilfon^ Job. Jervie, Jam.
J^rown, Nich. Clidfdale, Dav. Kid, and Job. Arnot,
jiaving confeiTed their being prefent at Co-iVinticks, and
refufjng
472 r/?;^ H I S T O R Y of the Chap. 15.
1678. refufing to declare upon oath, who preached, or who
^-O/"**^ elfe were prefent, were banifhed to the Plantations ;
Ml*. Jch. Gcvan denying, that he was at the Conven-
ticles charged againft him, and only had converfed with
Mr. Forefter his brother-in-law, was ordered to lie in pri-
fon till his cafe fhould be further confidered. He was,
however, fet at liberty on the i ith of November. At the
fame time, the Council wrote to the Lord M'-Donald,
commanding him to appear before them, on the 28th
inflalnt. But that popifli Lord had a friend at Court,
and lb paid but little regard to the charge.
Mr. Pe- On the 1 4th Mr. //. Peden petitioned the Council, to be
den ha- releaffd from Edinburgh jail, and permitted to repair to
«u^' ■ ' Ireland^ efpecialiy, as he had not been charged with houfe
or Field'Conventides for thefe twelve years pad. But in-
ftead of granting his petition, they ordered him to be
tranfported to the Plantations. After this fentence was
paficd, it is reported, that Mr. Peden feveral times
iaid, that that fliip was not yet built, that fhould
carry him or the other prifoners to Virginia, or any
other of the Englijlj plantations in America.
The fame day, a letter came from the King concern-
ing railing and modelling five thoufand foot and five
hundred horfe out of the militia ; and the Council fent
up inftrucftions relating to this for his Majefty's appro-
bation. Next day, November the 15th, they iffued a
proclamation for obferving a publick faft on the 1 8th of
December next, on account of the popish plot difco-
vered in England.
Popifh The chief promoters and authors of this were Pope Lv- '
r|"^ , Noc ENT XL Cardinal Hozvard^ Johannes Paulus de Oliva
lofe ! ^ General of thtjefuiis atRome^ Pedro Jeronymo de Corduba
l^apin. Provincial of the Jefuits in New Cafiile^ La Chaife Con-
fefibr to Lewis XIV, the provincial of the Jejuits in
England., the BenediHine Monks at the Savoy., the Jefuits
and Seminary Priefts in Ej^gland, v/ho were then in num-
ber about a thoufand eight hundred, the Lords Petre,
Powis., Bellafis, Arundel of PVardour., Stafford., and fe-
veral perfons of quality. The defign was to murder,
the King, fubvcrt the conftitution, introduce Fcpery^
and extirpate the froteJtafU religion. When the King
was
tkp. rg." CHURCHY/SCOTLAND. 473
was taken off, the Duke of Tork was to receive the 167S.
crown, as a gift from the Pope, and hold it in fee. If ^^^'V^*'.
any diilurbance happened, the city of London was to ba
fet on fire, and the infamy of the whole was to be
laid upon the Prefbyterians and Fanaticks^ in order to
excite the Church to cut them in pieces, the better to
make way for the eafier fubverfion of the whole p-c-
tejlant religion. This plot was difcovered, and fe-
vcral were executed for being concerned in it : and
though it was difcredited by many, yet it is plain, the
Managers in Scotland believed it, and therefore, as I
have obferved, appointed a folemn faft to be obferved.
As to the particulars of this wicked confpiracy, I muii
refer the reader to the EnglifJj Hiftorians, and go on
with what is my proper defign.
On the 18th oi ISovefTtber Sir Gtorge Mackenzie was
made Juftice-General, and Cragie Juftice-Clerk.
On the 2 1 ft, Thomas Wauch^ Merchant in Haivick^
PFilliam Tnrnbull, and TVLargaret Barclay were fentenced
to be banifhed for hoiife and Field-conventicles^ becaufe
theyrefufed to fwear as to the circumftances of them.
The popifjj plot, above mentioned, had filled the na- ex-rmined
tion with conftemation^ and therefore on the 28th, the '«•'"•
Council ordered the Archbifhop of Glafgczv, the Earls
of Murray and Linlithgoiv, the Bifiiop of Galloway^,
Lord Haltoun, Mr. Maitland, and Haddo, or any two
of them, to infpeft the papers lately feized by the Earl
of Murray, and appointed the Committee of pubHck
affairs to meet next day and confider the affair of the
Papifls, But it is plain they could make no difco-
veries •, for on the 30th, they v/rote to the King, in
which they congratulated his Majefly upon the difco-
very of the plot, and affured him, that, after the
ftridteft fearch, they could not find, that any in this
kingdom had been concerned in that execrable and im-
pious confpiracy, and prcmifed that they would not fail
to make a farther enquiry. They wrote at the fame
time to Lauderdale, much to the fame purpofe. And
December the 12th, ordered the Magiftratcs of Edir:'
burgh to fearch through Edinburgh, lj/,1^^ and Canon-
gate, next Sabbath and ih^ [^nowing^'for houfe§, where
Vol. I. ' p p ^ *^ -- • Papius
474 The HIST ORY of the Chap. 13.
1678. Papifls aflembled and faid W(?/}^ and to apprehend the
V^V'v.^ Priejh, and all they flioiild find at thefe meetings, and
imprifon them. They hkewife wrote to the Steward of
AnnandaU^ to order a meeting-houfe, that had been lately
ere6lcd near Cajtkmilk^ to be burned and deftroyed,
and to fend the names of thofe, by whom it was or-
dered to be built. So much for the proceedings againft
the Papifts : but what were thefe in comparifon of the
methods of rigour, oppreffion and tyranny taken with
protejlant Nonconformijls^ whom they hunted like par-
tridges on the mountains, fiined, confined, imprifoned and
banifhed ? For
Theba- On this vcry 12th of December^ the Council gave 3
mjhcdfent warrant to the Earl of Linlithgow to fend a party to re-
i^'way. ceiye tiie following perfons, who had received fentence
of tranfportation for houfe and Field-conventicles, and to
deliver them to Edward Johnjicun^ Mafter of the St.
Michael of Scarborough, then lying at Leith, viz. James,
John and Rob. Maxwels, Wil. Urie, James Lickprevick
and Rob. Reid, all in Cathcart ; William Niven in Eajl-
wood ; Jam. Blackwood and Dav. Corjhie in Carmonnock ;
Arch. Haddoway, Joh. Bowie, Will. Hay, Mungo Cochran
and Will. Stt 1, all in Glafgow ; Dav. Fergujjon and
Edward Gray in Bridge -end; Mr. Rob. Meikle Chaplain
to Sir Jam. Stuart, Stephen Porteous Taylor in Canon-
gate j Pat. Sommerwel, Wil. Hackjloun in Edinburgh •,
Adam Stobie of Lufcar, Jam. Mo/man of Mount, Wil.
Laing, Joh. 'Cavers, Mr. Joh. Harrow ay, Robert Dykes,
Joh. and Wil. Newmans, Jam. Miller in Kirkaldy ; Geo.
Alexander in Nezvburgh ; Dav. Barclay in Cowquhalty ;
Gil. Marnock Chapman, John Clerk Writer in Edi7t-
hurgb, Tho. Mowbray, Alex. Stuart, Jam. Law and Job.
Fairbairn, all in Kirklijioun -, Wil. Angus in Abercorn -,
Jam. Brown, Rob. Pontoun in Dalmenie ; Rich. Clidfdale,
Mr. Adajn Abercorn Chaplain to Lady Cavers -, Will,
Tiirnbull, brother to Beidie ; Cunningham Cook to
the Earl of Strathmore •, Will. Temple in Lintoun, and Mr.
Alexander Peden, prifonersin Edinburgh, and Jam.
^r\de. Job. Anderfon a fervant in Glafgow, Joh. Cum-
•" ' " -^ Rob. Reid Wright in Langftde ; Arth. Dou-
ming ihcr^,^ • ^'-r^ow; Tho. and Will. Govans,
gal. Will. Rae in u.,^ ^^^^^
Chap. 15. CHURCH ^/SCOTLAND.
Alex. Anderson, fervants ; Job. Graham, Alex, and
Job. Buchanans, And. Brown, Walt. M'-Gechan, Job.
Urie, Dan. M'-Dojiald, Gal?. Thomfon Merchant in Glaf-
gow ; Dav. Kid, John Arnot, John Jeri'ie in Falkirk,
and Job. Rae. Sixty-feven in all.
They were delivered to Johnjloun for t\\z h&nti-it oi Set ^t H-
IVilliamfcn (p. 460.) who was to carry them to Vir- f-^-"^}' ^*
ginea. Mr. Peden was of great fcrvice to his fellow- " °"*
fufferers, and frequently afilired them of deliverance.
They had a tedious pafiage between Leith and Grave/end,
and were five days longer than was concerted before
they arrived. When they got to Grave/end, Mr. WH-
liamfon was not there -, Mr. 'Johnjlcun, who had the
charge of their maintenance, after waiting fome fmali
time for JVilliamfon, and he not coming, let them all
on fhore to fhift for themfelves. They received great
kindnefs from the country, when they knew the caufe
of their fufFerings. And they generally got home to
their own country. Mr. Peden returned to Scotland
about the month of June next year.
Alex. Anderfon, one of thefe Exiles, who was not fix- Alex. An--
teen years of age, in a paper he left behind him, dated deifon'j
December the ioth, takes notice, " That he is the '^P""^''y'
" youngeft prifoner in Scotland, and that the Lord had
" opened his eyes, and revealed his Son in his heart,
*' fince he came under the cro[s \ that though he had
" much difficulty, to part with his friends and relations,
" yet he had now found, that fellovvlhip with ChriFc
" did much more than ballance the want of the com-
" pany of his dearefl; relations. He declared his ad-
" herence to the work of reformxation from Pcpery and
" Prelacv, to the national and Solemn League and Co-ie-
*' nants, and witneiTed againfb pulling down the go-
" vernment of Chrift's houfe, and letting up lordly
" prelacy, and joining with them. He regreted the
" indulgence, as Vv'hat, upon both fides, had been mat--
*' ter of flumbiing and offence among good people •,
" and declared his fears, that a black and difmal day
*' was coming upon Scotland, that it is good to leek.
♦' the Lord, and draw near to him," (sc.
P p p 2 Oa
Tk niSrORY of the Chap, i^:
On the 19th of December^ James Vaes of Coldifig-
hicws was obJiged to beg pardon on his knees for fpeak-
ingfome words againil the management of affairs at that
time. The fame day, they had a letter from the King,
thanking them for their care in modelhng the militia,
and ot the diftribution they made of the five thoufand
foot, and five liundred horfe in the different fhires thro*
the Kingdom •, for by this m.eans, the militia, from
v.hich the faid foot and horfe were taken, effeftually an-
fwcred all the ends of a hrge.ficwding army, and was a
promifing m.ethod to bear down and ruin the Prejhyte-
rians. Lv-ery one of them for himfeif, as well as every
cne of the regular forces, was appointed to take the fol-
lowing oath.
Mihtc.ry " i A, B. do fwear, to be true and faith to my So-
o,.th. tt vereign Lord King Charles, and his lawful fuccef-
" Ibrs, and, in my itation, to maintain the prefent go-
*' vcrnment in church and ftate, as it is now eftablifhed
*' by law, and to oppofe, to my power, the damnable
" principle of taking up arms againfl; the King, or thofe
" commilTionate by him, upon any pretext whatfoever,
" and to be obedient in all things, to his Majefty's Ma-
" jor- general or Commander in Chief, authorifed by
*' hist Majefty for the time being, and will behave my-
" feif obediently to miy fuperior Officers, in all that
" they fhall command me for his Majefty's fervice.
" And I do further f^^ear, that I will be a true, faithful
" and obtdient Soldier, every way performing my beft
" endeavours for his Majefty's fervice, obeying all
'' orders, and fubmitting to all fuch rules and articles
*' of war, as are or (lull be eftablifhed by his Majefty.
^' So help me God."
ITcnry 1 fhall now Conclude this volume with a few things,
H.ui of of vvhich I have not the particular dates. Some time
this year, when Colonel Stru'berswas purfuing all Scotf-
men m the northern counties of England^ Henry Hall
ot Hamhhead was en2:a
154
Drums at executions,
Dumhar, battle of,
Dumbar, Mr. .Miniller of Kcarn,
Dumferfnling declaration, \2,i^c.
Dunfermling, Earl of, tricked by
Sharp, J 89
Duncan, Mr. James, fined 302
• Mr. Robert, 285
» Mrs. her fufFcring?, 270
Dundajs. James, 302
Willuwi, declared fugitive, 75
Dundqnald, paridiioners fummoned,
436
Dutihld, Minlfiers ejedteJ, 156
Dunlop, i\lr. Alex. 1 371 > twelve of them turned
out, 369
EjeLled Minifters, their number and
charafler, 151 ; fome indulged,
2S4, C5V. 322, 323; the reft ex-
pcled to fufferings, 235
EneiJiies of the church, 1 3
Engagement of Hamilton, 3 -
£»^A7;z.-r' in confufion, 56
E/.i/copa/M'in)l\eTS. See Curates.
Erjiine, Mr. WiUiam, imprifoned,
397
Euart, 'John, his fufterings, J58
Eijangelifis, perfons fo called, 3C9
Execrable, Field meetings fo caliea,
460
VAl RFOUL, ArchbiO-.cp of Glaf-
gow, 124; his propofal, 144; his
death, 167
pANATiCKjMlniilers when fo called,
434
Fergujfon, Hugh, fined, 335
Fergujfon, Mr. James, intimates a fait,
192
Fergujfon, John, his cafe, 273
Field-meetings, their original, 152 ; in
creafe, 301, 369, 370 ; reafons of
them, 4j8
Fzfe Synod, 12 ; excommunicate the
popifh Lord?, 13; interrupted, 8; ;
diimiued wichojt protefting, 86
Finesy- aft of, 138, 139 ; proceedings
on it, 174, 175 ; proclamation con-
cerning, ig^ ; enacted with rigour,
205, 2c6
Finlr.y, Ds.'vid, murdered, 246
Fir.'vjuh parlili, 36S
/"z>^ of London, 207,208
Fleming, Mr. Roherf, 342
Fletcher, Sit Join, refigns, 190
Forefier, Mr. Alexander, fent to the
Bafs, 597
Forejler, Mr. Jndreiv, imprifoned,
403
Forejler, Mr, Ihcmas abandoned pre-
E X. 485
lacy, 341, 342 ; depofed by the Bi-
fhop, 354
Frazer, Mr. James of Brae, his fuf-
ferings, 40i,C3'r. 412
Fuller ton, Mr. WiUiam, 142 ; his
fpeech before the Council, 277,
278 ; denounced, 537
G.
Q ALLOW AY Synod difiblved,
86 J IvL-nifters ejected, 1^5
Gardner, Mr. James, baniflied, j 48,
149
' Kichol, fined. -01
Garifons, 374 ; aft, 376 j occafion of
fome of them, 442 ; in the High-
lands
471
General Ajfemhly, the firft, 6 ; confirm
the reformation, 9, 10 ; their ad-
monition, 12 ; renewed the Cove-
nant, 13 ; proteft for their liberties,
14 ; at Glafgow 1638, 31,32; at
Edinburgh 1 63 9, 32
Gib/on, Robert, tranfported, 279
Gillejpie, Mr. Patrick, his declaration
to the King, 44 j imprifoned, 74 ;
his ackcouledjmenr, 114
GiUcJpiet Mr. Robert, fent to the Bafs,
334
Gilon, Mr. his hard ufage, 270
GlaJgoiM, Synod of, dilTolved, 84, 85 ;
Aft there, 145 ; grievances of the
prelatical Synod, 350, 351 ; town
fined, 362
Glajsford Heritors fined, 308
Glencairn, Earl of. Chancellor, 67 ;
mortified at Shaip's prefcnTiCiU,
174 ; his death, 184
Gordon, \'lr. Alexander, 14'^j '51
■ John, in Irongray, executed,
John, in Carnevel, 24S
■ John and William, See Knock'
hreck.
John of Largmore, 249
• :\Irs. Mary of Robertoun, 2^9
■ Mr. William. See Earljlou'-,,.
^~^—— William of Roher'.onn, 249
Go'van, Mr. John, imprifoned, 472
— William, apprehended, 6y ; his
fentence and execution, 104, icj
Graham
486
I N D
X.
Gra^flw of Claverhoufe, 477
■ ■ John, executed at Air, 238
» John, Provoft of Glafgovv im-
prifoned, 74 ; declared a Rebel,
198
Gray, Robert, his fufFerings, 269, 270
Greg, Mr, James, his indulgence for-
feiied, 411
Greg, Mr. John, fufpended, 86 ; im-
prifoned, 370
Grier, John, executed 239
' Rohert, banifhed, 272
Grierfon, f av.es of Dalgoner, in^c. im-
prifoned on fufpicion, 24.9
Guthrie, Mr. James, 47 % declined the
civil authority in matters ecclefiaHi-
cal, 49, 50 ; imprifoned, 70J his book
of The raufes of God''s njjrath burnt,
74 ; his charafter, 98 ; his fpeech
to the parliament, ico ; his execu-
tion, 104, 105 ; a flrange accident,
106 ; his widow and daughter pro-
fecuted, 203, 204
Guthrie, Mr. John of Tarholton, 1 65,
21 1 ; forfeited, 157
Guthrie, Mr. William, S3 ; ejefted,
186, 187 ; his death and charader,
1S8
H^
H.
'ALKE7, Col. Rohert, impri-
foned, 197 ; releafed, 261
Ball, Mr. Gilbert, 68 ; imprifoned, 70 ;
fufpended, 87, releafed, 128
//d//,Mr.//^//;;_ji, of Haughead, 476,477
Haltoun, Charles, Lord, a Councellor,
160
Hamilton, Duke, Commiffioner to the
Affembly, 30 ; created a Duke,
34 ; his engagement and death, 35,
36
"Hamilton, Duke, oppofed Lauderdale,
349,351, 381,382, turned out of
the Council, 395 ; deprived of his
commiffions, 401 ; required to meet
the Committee at Glafgow, 431 ;
refufed the bond, 437 ; his debates
at court, 458, 459
Hamilton of Aikenhead. See Aiken-
head.
Hamilton, Mr. George, 182
Hamilton, Mr. James, Bifliop of Gal-
loway, 124; his cruelty, 16S
Hamilton, Mr. James, at Blantyre,
165 ; his beha\Mour before the Com-
mittee, 279 ; denounced, 308
Hampton, Mr. James, at Edinburgh,
attended the Marquis of Argvlc, 98 j
depofed by the Parliament, 145
Hamilton, James and Ga'vin, executed,
221
Hardie, Mr. John, at Gordon, or-
dered to remove twenty miles from
his parifh, 165
Harronvay, Mr. John, banilhed, 46s
Hart, John, executed, 226
Hajiy, Air. Alexander, fined, 302
Hattridge, Mr. John, 182,183
Hay, Mr. Da'vid, Curate, 178, 179
Hearing of the Curates. See Cur exes.
Heritors, their hardfhips, 308, 359,
360, 407, 408 ; rcfufe the Bond,
439
High Commiffion Courts, 17 ; a new
one ereded, with remarks, 171, 172,
173 ; their proceedings, 178, i^c
Highlc,nd-hoJi, its firft fpring, 416 ;
preparations for it, 416, 431, 432 ;
commiffion for it, 420 ; rendezvouz
at Stirling, 431 ; their number, t^c.
432 ; their march, 435 ; ravage
the country, 439, 442 446
Hogg, Mr. Thotnas, depofed, 87 ; im-
prifoned, 271, 403
Holburn, Maj.-Gen. See Menjlrie.
Hollywood, communion there, 149
Honnvnan, Biihop of Orkney, 174 j
wounded. 268
Horfes, proclamation. 441
Houfion, Lady, frighted to death by
the Highland-holt, 446, 447
Hume, George, of Kemmergham, 46 1
■ Sir Patrick. See Pohvart.
Huntley, Marquis, committed to Sharp's
care. 197
Hutchifon, Mr. George, attended Ar-
gyle, 97 ; depofed by the Parlia-
ment, 143 ; his fpeech, with re-
marks, 286, 287 ; fined, 336, 337,
338
Hutchifon, Mr. John, z'jd j fined, 336
INDEX. 487
meeting of gentlemen there, 4 1 6
I. Ju.^icatoriesoi the church infulted, 53,
54 ; difcharged, 130
Jus populi 'viftdicatum, a book, procla-
mation againft it, 431
K.
JT'A IP O, Mungd, executed, 227
Kc!/o, Mrs. her fuiFerings, 270
Kc//a Prcibytery difcharged from or-
daining a Minifter, 131
Kenfiedj, Sir Andre^w^ 339> 330
— of Grange fined, 466
Ker, Col. declared fugitive, 75 ; per-
mitted to return, 312
Ki-.r, Roberty of Kerfland, forfeited,
25^, 2,6 ; imprifoned, 297 ; his
further fufFerings, 314, 397, 398,
+ '4.415
Kilmarnock, cruelty to a woman there,
247 ; its lofs by the Highland-hoft,
446
Kingt Mr. John^ taken and refcued,
373
Kinkdf Lady, fined, 409
Kirkca, 'Jmnes of Sundewell, 68 ; im-
prifoned, 70 ; his other fufferings,
249 ; forfeited, 255
Kirkcudbright, Presbytery's petition re-
jected, 131, 132; a tumult there,
158
Kirkcudbright, John Lord, 1-8
Kirktoiin, Mr. James, 3 2 1 , 332 ^ feized
by Carftairs, 393 ; intercommuncd,
397
Knockbreck, Alexander Gordon de-
nounced, 397 ; John and William
executed, 221, 222 ; fufFerings of
the family, 223, 248, 254
Knox, Mr, John, the great reformer,
2 ; burnt in effigy, 3 ; preached at
the King's coronation, 7 ; his dy-
ing words, 8
yACKSON, Mr. Arthur, pre-
•/ Tented the King with a Bible, 64
Jaffray,Mv. Curate of Maybole, 299,
309
- Provoft imprifoned, 74
James VI. born, 6 ; iiis baptifm and
coronation, 7 j his fpeech to the al-
fembly, 1 1 ; encroached on their
liberties, i 3 ; his letter to the Pope,
16 ; his fpeech in the great church,
17 ; his progrefs to Scotland, 21 ;
his death and charafter, 23
J ami/on, Mr. Alexander, debates with
Leighton, 311 ; his death, 381
Jer'vi/nvood, Baily of, fined, 393, 394
Indemnity for Scotland delayed, 115;
aft of, 137 ; after Pentland, 259;
proclamation againft the refufers of
it, 265,266; another, 3^3
Indulged Minifters received their li-
cence?, 285 ; in ftraitning circum-
fiances, 295, 296 ; their lefturing,
300; their rules, 324 ; profecuted,
335 ; received their inllruftions, 337;
hardfhips on them, 370, 375, 379 ;
proclamation againft them, 388 ;
fummoned before the Council, 4.10
/Wa/^f^rt" in England, 316
Indulgence propofed for Scotland, 268 ;
its rife, 280 ; the King's letter,
with remarks, 281 — 283 ; founded
on the fupremacy, 292, 293 ; rife
of the fecond, 320, 321 j afts,
321, l^c. grievances of Minifters,
326, ^r. of Mr. Burnet, 343, iffc.
Inglis, Mr. John, fined, 358, 3-9
InfpeBor of Synod.-:, 86
Inter communed, lifts of them required,
Intercommuning, letters of, 376
^, . 37S
Johnjloun, Sir Arch. See ^^'arijloun.
■ Mr. George, his fufFerings, 165,
301
Ireland, Coancils a6l, i65, 167 ; none
to go thither without a paXs, 450
Irongras, a tumult there, 1-7
Ir'vine, .Mr. John, hh cafe, 299, 3CO
Ir'wine, Magiftrates there, 171, 4^2 ;
L.
J^^ N DJS S, Mr. Robert, impri-
foned, 30S
Laud, Biftiop, his infolence, 24 j his
regulating the chapel at Holyrood-
houle, 25
Lauderdale,
488
Lauderdale, Earl, Secretary of State,
67 ; got the management, i ^6 ;
took his place in the Council, 160 ;
Commiffioner to the parliament,
289 i his conduft as to the fupre-
macy, 292 ; his feverities, 305 ;
created a duke, 317 ; oppofed in
parliament, 349 ; voted a grievance
by the Commons of England, 348 ;
354 ; addrefs againft him, 373 ; his
profane oath, 437, 43 S ; made a
Commiffioner, 460
Zflw, Mr. John, denounced, 399
Lanvborronvs appointed, 4371 438 ;
fufpended, 455
Laivrie. See Black-wood.
Learmont, James, apprehended, 457 ;
trial and execution, 469, 470, 47 i
Leajk, Mr. Minifter of Maryculter,
his death, 153
Le£luringy aft of Council againft it,
296
heighten, Eifliop of Dumblain, hischa-
rafter, 124, 125 ; his opinion, 126;
voted for the fupremacy, 292 ; had
the Archbiftoprick of Glafgow in
commendam, 309 ; his accommo-
dation, 3 lo, 31 1
Z,(?«KOAr of Plumpton, 250
•Thomas, condemned, 227 ; re-
leafed, 265
Lennont, Major, forfeited, 254
Lcfslj, Dr. James, profecuted, 417,
418
Letter. See Jam. VI. Char. II.
Lex-rex, a book, burnt, 74, 116
Lindfay, John, condemned, but refpited,
223
Linlithgonv, the obfervaticn of the zQth
of May there, 139, &c.
Li 3 ' 3
Mercery Mr. J f fries, 3 l 6
Middletoun, Earl, Commiflioner, 07,
76; his ill conduct, 131 ; his dii"-
appointment, 139 ; promoted the
Glafgow-aft, 145 ; rcfigned, I54 ;
his death, i ,5
M//i'-aft, with remarks, ic 6
Militia aft of Parliament, 293
Miller of Waxford lined, 26;
Minijlers \>cx(tz\iX.cA, 10, 1 3, 1 4, 21,
190, 199, 362, Cffif. i5c. appointed
to vote in parliament, i ^ ; meeting
at Edinburgh, 68 ; of Galloway
and Dunkeld, 156; indulged, 284,
285, 28S ; meet about the fecond
indulgence, ^62 ; meeting at Edin-
burgh, 4C0, 4CI i ancth;.r meeting,
466, 467
Vol. I.
dten, 124 ; his death.
153
M.tchel, Mr. Jcmes, his attempt un
Sha-p, 263 ; his confeffion, 552 ;
before the Julliciary, 352, 3^3 ; ex-
amined by torrure, 382, ^c. lent to
the Baf^, 402 ; brought ro Edin-
bu.gh, 417 ; his trial and fentence,
b'c. 422, i^c. his laft Ipeech anci
execution, 426, 42'
Mitchel, Mr. Robert, fufpende'd, 198
MGncrltf, Mr. Alexar.dtr 63 ; impri-
foned, 70 ; his further fufFcrirg%
108, 109, 191
Moderators, conflant ones, \i
Monk, General, reduced Scotland, 1^3 ;
his conduft there, 95 ; marched into
England, x^-j ; entered Lor.don, ^jfr.
5S ; reilored cnefeciuded members,
60
Mo77tgomerv, Maj General, imprifon-
ed, 197; relealed, 261
Monti ojef Marquis, his expedition and
execution, 37
Mortoun, Mr. Andre-My imprifoned,
296
M:frnan, Geo?ge,{\'.;cd 275,276
Muir, bee Cal,:» 159, 203
^larreltoav, William Porterfield, for-
feited, 2^5 ; had fome favour, 330,
353
^ieen Regent''s perfidy, 4 ; dies, ibid.
iSeries upon oath, 436
R.
D'^E, Mr. John, impjifoned, 297,
319 ; imprifoned, 397
Palyrozai, Williu?n, Laird of, impri-
foned, 197 ; reieafed, 261
Rcunfay, Eifliop of Dumbhin, ordered
to the Ifles, 364 ; reftored, 391
Ramfay, Mr. Thotiw.s, imprifoned, 70
Reformation from popery, 2 ; eUablifh-
ed, ^ 5, 6
Reformers, their nrft proceedings,
Remonjlrance, Bond againft it, 75 ; of
the epifcopal Synod condemned,
2?g
Renfrenu Gentlemen fined, 340
Re-ordination o'i^i^O'^i, 125, 126
Refcipry ad, 8 1
Refolutioners, 46 ; diirerence between
the Proteliors and them, 50; their re-
conciliation hindered by Sharp, 62 ;
convinced of their error, 131
Refolutions, debates concerning them,
46, 50, 51, 52
Ref oration propofed by Mr. Robert
Douglafs, 55 ; brought about, 64 ;
exceffive rejoicings at Edinburgh,
66
Riding-money impofed, 2c6
Robertoun, William Gordon, with,
John Gordon of Largmore, 249
Robert/on, Alexander, 21O, 211 ; exe-
cuted, 223
Robertfon of Ruthwen, 9
Rofs, Mr. Alexander, 454
"John, executed, 221
——Mr. Thomas, fent to the Bafs,
380
Rothes, Earl, his many pofts, 67, 156,
'59> ^^Z* 185 ; his tour to the
R r r 2 Weft,
Weft, 193, ign, 23!^ ; perjured,
a.25 ; RoiK' y.'ivus, h-r.ed, cfr. 27 j
■ Mr. his concluiSl in the Synod,
. Mr. Jcht!, infulted, 29-1
• Johij, Agent, 27?, 3; 6
Ronv^U.ii:, Sir William Muir of, im-
priioned, 19-, 261, 262, 272 : re-
leafed, 294
Jluh. Mr. GHhert, efcaped, i 48
Rutherford, Mr. iiatnucl, his /.f.v 7?^a-
burnt, 74. ; fome account of his life,
death, and charatfler, 1 15, ^c.
S.
O.; C ;? .^ M £ yV r appointed at
*^ E^iller, 21
titiH il:i7td'.f yoh'j, fiPid, 376
5ro£«,Lord, abufed the Synod of Perth,
>9
A*^(-c.*, Mr. J.?/'^/, 182
• Mr Jobu, 68 ; imprifonedj-o ;
diicharged, 128
§cQt, Mr. John, of TufnlLiw, 319
"i —r— Robei t, execL • ed, 2 26
(Sec// .W invaded by Cromivel, 40,41 ;
reduced by iVJonk, 53
>)coi/i, Mr. James, imprifoned, 75 ;
banifhed, \\o
Sinipfcn, Mr. ?atrich, 335 j
Smith, Mr. AUxnnder, before the com- I
miiTion, 180,181 J brought to Leith,
261 ; banifivid to Orkney, 270
Smith, Mr. Hugh, at EalUvood, 165,
166,381
Smith, J mes, execvifed, 238
— ■ James, of Tulk-chfbiUgh, 407
■Vlr. John, depclcd, 143, 193
Margittet, of Irofigray, 157,
158
Soldiers at Irongrr.y, 1^9 ; and Kirk-
cudbr^eht, 1 6-7 : their exactions, 1 58 ;
infolcncie% ibg 190, 191, 246—
249 ; parties fent to apprenend Con-
xeiuicle-preachcrs, 358
Sohrun Lecgue end Coi'enont, 34 ;
fvvorn by the King, 40, 45 j rati-
fied by parliament, 53 ; oruered to
be rt printed, 60 ; ciicharged, 79 ; ,
declared urbuful, 1,6 ; decLr.ui- j
onag-'inft it. 137, 138 ; burnt, J39; '
Iz'C. renewed at Fenti.ind, 212
Spotf-Mood, Archbifhop, confecratcd at
London, 20
Sprcul, J^hn, imprifoned 74 ; ordered
to depart the kingdom, 191 ; re-
leafed, 331
Sle^on'ton paridi profecuted, 195
Stirling, A-lr. John, 68 ; imprifoned,
70 ; before the article?, 109 ; a
Intle favoured, 194
Stakie cf Lu/ccr fined, 302
Strr.ng, Chrijhpher , executed, zii
Stuart, Sir James, Piovoft of Edin-
burgh, 6y ; his procefs 147 ; impri-
foned, 1C7, 261, 27 r ; releaied,
294 J orders againll his fon, 370 i
again
I N D
again rdeafed, 46^, 466
Sttj-eiintendaiits lubjeiSl tO the aflem-
bly, 5.^
Su^lhcation of Miniflers vindicated,
69, 70
Suprem-cy, a£l of, with remarks, 291,
292 ; ^n inilai.ce of the royal